Category Archives: Garden

Seedling Update

Seedling Update

Seedling Update.

Sprouted:

  • Broccoli
  • Celery
  • Cabbage
  • Sorrel
  • Fenugreek
  • Cheyenne Pepper
  • Blue Jay Pepper
  • Banana Pepper
  • “Garden Sunshine” Heirloom Sweet Pepper
  • Two varities of Violas
  • One variety of Pansy called Frizzle Sizzle

Yet to Sprout:

  • “Mortgage Lifter” Heirloom Beefsteak Tomato
  • Nasturtium
  • Butterfly Flower
  • Passion Flower

To be sown indoors on Monday:

  • Shasta Daisy
  • Heirloom Lemon Balm
  • Stevia
  • Garlic Chives
  • Genovese Basil
  • Cinnamon Basil
  • Sweet Basil
  • Anise
  • Marigold

All of the beans, peas, onions, potatoes and melons will be directly seeded outside. As for all of my lettuce I have been debating on whether to start those early or not. With the goofy weather that has been going on I think I might start it indoors. But where am I going to put it all! Ahh!

 

Clean up, clean up.

Clean up, clean up.

We were given the okay to clean up on Thursday. There are piles of beams to be burned. Hay that still needs to be sorted through and a bunch of scrap was taken away today. Along with the clean up we have been working on making various lists of equipment and tools that were lost. I am not sure how many pages we have but I’d venture to say upwards around fifty (correct me if  am wrong).

 

On a brighter note my seeds came in the mail on Monday. Now I have little broccolis, cabbages, fenugreeks, and sorrels popping up. I also have started all of my peppers and celery. If my celery doesn’t turn out in the summer I am going to give it a shot in the greenhouse. In the ideal scene of things I want to grow broccoli, celery, onions and see if I can keep a rosemary bush in there.

I keep finding all of these little niches. I love my little house. I have plans of the yard, gardens, and flower beds. I enjoy working and weeding outside. I find it therapeutic and i know that Aaron would like nice flower beds so both of us are happy. :)

Aaron Update and Garden Plans

Aaron Update and Garden Plans

It has been 8 days since Aaron had his surgery. He is doing great! The tumor was bigger then the doctor thought and it was a source of pain that he was having. So now that it is removed Aaron is feeling much better and he is able to move his arm around more. We have had a good past week being able to spend more time together. Actually, I am getting spoiled having him around so much. We cook together, watch movies, talk, he is able to do small home improvement projects. His countenence altogether is more cheerful. We are so thankful and blessed by Our Lord through this whole experience and we are ready to move forward.  

— — —

And now for something completly different…

Garden Plans

Our garden:

  • Pole beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • Lima Beans
  • Wax Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Cucumbers- Slicing and pickling
  • Peas – Snow and Shell
  • Peppers – Three different types- Colored Bells, Cheyenne and Banana
  • Muskmelon
  • Sweet Dumpling Squash – Will be grown at the farm
  • Yellow onions
  • Garlic, that is already in the ground

Green House or Porch

  • Watercress
  • Mizuna
  • Kale
  • Mesclun Mix
  • Romaine
  • Green Salad Bowl
  • Envy
  • Arugula
  • Coriander/Cilantro
  • Stevia
  • Anise
  • Summer Savory
  • Chervil
  • Cinnamon Basil
  • Genovese Basil
  • Sweet Basil

Herb Garden Additions

  • Caraway
  • Dill
  • Fenugreek

Flowers

  • Amaranthus
  • Calendula – I am going to harvest the flowers and dry them and eventually make a hand cream
  • Kong Sunflowers
  • Marigold – These are going underneath the Pole Beans
  • Nasturtium – These are going underneath the cucumbers
  • Pansy
  • Violas

Plants that will have their own areas

  • Sorrel
  • Comfrey
  • Asparagus – I don’t know if we will get to these this year
  • Elderberry bush
  • Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes will be grown in tires or containers

 

When I showed my list to Aaron he told me that I had to compete with his dad’s garden size. But when he found out a good chunk of them were salads he told me that a lot of it would fit in our garden, except my squash.

The annual herbs and flowers will be put into pots or baskets, some might be put throught the garden to attract bees and butterflies. The perennial herbs will go in the ground. The perennial flowers will be in the flower beds around the house. And if I have excess I might give away a few healthy plants, but we will see.

 

Seeds I already have

  • Lima Beans, heirloom
  • Wax beans, heirloom
  • Brandywine Tomatoes
  • Two types of carrots
  • Radish
  • Two types of bush beans
  • A few varieties of lettuce
  • A packet of different Summer squash, this one was given to me. I think it is kind of silly to have just a combination of seeds together.

The lima and wax beans, lettuce and carrots will defiantly be planted. As for the others I might give a few away. The seeds are old and the seeds from the catalog are better than the store bought kind.

This year I am going to keep better track of planting times, when certain crops will need to be thinned, etc. I also made a list of items that I need. I have a few trellises to make, potting soil, shelves for the greenhouse. etc. I need at least 96 feet worth or trellises and supports  for my climbing plants, Cement tubes to have the celery grow in, tires or containers for potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Another thing I want to do in the summer is sell more things at market and at roadside. So I need to write up stuff and prepare for that. Boy, am I going to be busy. I probably don’t know how busy.

What a heavy work load I have ahead. Gardening, blueberries, trimming apple trees, market, housework. Whew. I’m excited about it though. And maybe I’ll be so busy I won’t be as down in the mouth as I was last summer!

Putting up.

Putting up.

So far I have put up various jams and jellies, stewed rhubarb, blueberry juice, pickle relish, pickled banana peppers, zucchini, wax beans, and green beans.

 

And I am really enjoying myself.

Next big round will be bread and butter pickles, dill pickles, tomatoes and tomato products. After that will be potatoes, squash, and pumpkin. I will probably do a few rounds of canning dry beans too. I’ll probably will keep doing green beans for as long as my plants hold out.

I put an end to my peas and some of my broccoli today and put it down for compost.

 

I am already planning next year’s garden. How crazy is that? I want to build more sturdy trellises for my cucumbers so they won’t sprawl out. Yarn and wood stakes just don’t cut it. Since out garden is small, I am going to try more vertical methods. They same goes for my peas and beans.

 

I will purchase more paste tomatoes for processing sauces and such.

 

As for my annual herbs they will be in pots. I plan on buying two or three of the following, basil, cilantro, stevia, rosemary (if it doesn’t survive) and nasturtium. I might put my nasturtium under my climbing cucumbers because they will help drive away the cucumber beetle.

 

How is everyone’s gardening and preserving adventures going?

Pretty Pints.

Pretty Pints.

I canned three pints of green beans today. With many more to come!

 

My Roma’s are full shape but they need to turn. I think my peas are going to be done soon. It is just too hot! I have a little green pepper forming. Julie tells me that the venders have a lot at market right now. I plan on purchasing cherries for making jelly, pickles for making relish and banana peppers (if they have any) for pickling.

 

I went with Naomi and Mom Cook to pick some apples. We picked Wealthy and Transparent apples. These varieties are very soft and are good for sauces and juicing. I have the bruised ones cut up and they are in the juicer right now. We plan on making apple jelly to sell at market.

Seeing green.

Seeing green.

While the red hot weather forecast has everyone feeling blue. Today I have been happily seeing green.

 

Today I harvested

Four very small heads of Broccoli

Four Pickling cucumbers

Two Slicing cucumbers

Peas

Some green beans

Two eight ball squash

 

Though it was a small harvest I was very, very blessed!

Dreaming of my Eden.

Dreaming of my Eden.

Two days ago I was pleasantly surpirised by a black raspberry bush that I found growing amoungst a lilac bush. The berry bush in taller than I am so it has been there for awhile. Today I thought about cutting back part of the lilac bush so I can access those sweet berries better. I would have to ask Aaron though. Any pointers on berry bushes?

I have been blessed to live outside of the city in a house that is 100% ours that we have to make no payments on which is a praise within itself. There is so much I want to learn and do!

Growing our food from salads to corn to watermelons to cabbage.

Canning, drying, freezing our harvest.

Making my own jams, jellies, relishes and other condiments.

Buying pantry staples in bulk.

Using hand powered kitchen appliances.

Planting and using culinary herbs like Basil to make fresh pesto and Tarragon to put in vinegar for salad dressing.

Planting and using medicinal herbs from harvesting wild plantains for postpartum relief to making white horehound lozenges and cough syrup to echinacea tinctures.

Digging a root cellar

Having a home library versus a video game collection

Cloth diapers hanging on the clothesline.

Going to pick…anything blueberries, apples, blackberries, strawberries, cherries…

Using my wood stove for more than just heating the house.

Patchwork quilts and crocheted afghans for everyone.

Home birthing

Homeschooling

Family devotions.

Little girls running around in home sewn dressies with little lacy headcoverings and little boys running around with ‘spa-menders’

 

:) What would you like to learn?

Tweday!

Tweday!

Today’s highlights in no particular order

  • Scored on mason jars(19 total at 20 cents each) storage jars (Full price :( ) leggings (49 cents originally a dollar!)
  • Saw Kristin outside of Kroger
  • Checked out the discount health food store
  • I bought a few books used book store on herbs, vegetable gardening, vitamins, and children’s herbal remedies.
  • Harvested herbs from my garden!
The pea pods are forming more rapidly, the beans and cucumbers are flowering! Ahh! I love seeing the fruit of my labor!

Garden Update & Girlfriend Date.

Garden Update & Girlfriend Date.

My borage is opening! It is so pretty! I tasted a blossom and it has a very light cucumber taste. There is a little pea pod that just grew overnight or something! It came so quickly. One of my broccoli plants is starting to show a broccoli head. Two days ago I made two trellises one for my beans and one for my cucumbers.

 

Today Carmen (Aaron’s cousin and our pastor’s wife) took me out to a local coffee shop in Midland. Her youngest daughter Hosanna came. We both had iced mochas. I spied a health store and I eagerly asked if we could check it out. Carmen said she also has been wanting to go see it. So we ventured across the street. I loved it there! I wanted to get so much! But I practiced self-control. :) I purchased diatomaetous earth, because something has been after my basil and I pulled off two green wormies from my broccoli. Folic acid, Betsy told me that anyone of childbearing age should be taking folic acid, and an herb handbook.

I have been having a great week so far!