Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday once again.

We've been busy with all kinds of gardening projects and plans.

Here are a few of the things we've been working on this past week.

 Seed potatoes were cut into pieces and placed in a box to dry.

These are Yukon Gold potatoes,

the same kind I grew last year.

They are our favorite all-around potato to eat.

 This is about after 4 or 5 days just sitting on top of the fridge in the garage.

They are ready to be planted when the surface becomes "scabby".

This is supposed to ensure that they stay free from rot or disease.

 Next week, I'll show step-by-step how easy it is to plant these.

The potato towers will be used again this year,

although I am trying a different technique.

 My "indoor greenhouse" is keeping the cucumbers,

green beans, herbs and tat soi fairly happy.

This room gets indirect morning light

and has just enough humidity to keep them moist.

I'm planning on hardening off the crops over the weekend,

so that they'll be ready to plant.

This year I'm growing my own sweet potato slips,

although I think I may have started a bit late.

These are organic sweet potatoes I purchased at the store

and simply suspended them in tin cans.

Aside from the root growth,

the tops will soon start sprouting stems, or "slips",

which will be transplanted into the garden.

Speaking of sprouting,

(wow, that's the best segue ever!),

alfalfa sprouts are filling up my veggie bin

as I am starting a new batch every five days or so.

They are so fresh and tender,

a wonderful addition to salads, sandwiches or stir fries.

 

A little experiment is going on with the nasturtium seeds.

One package of seeds got soaked for a few days,

and the other package got "nicked" and soaked.

These will be sown in the veggie beds as a companion plant.

I'm curious to see if there is a difference in germination rates.

One of the biggest changes coming to the veggie garden

is the creation of a wattle fence.

I've been collecting grapevine for this very purpose.

Big K told me that he can get all the wood I need for the stakes

free of charge.

I told him to bring home as much of it as he can.

I've started creating the stakes on which the wattle will be wrapped.

This will really define the space,

and maybe even keep a few little critters out.

The look of the vines woven back and forth

always catches my eye.

It's been a very busy week,

so there aren't too many pictures of the veggie beds,

but I will remedy that over the weekend.

The sampling of kale, lettuce and other goodies

are my treat whenever I go to check on the garden.

By the end of they day, my energy is spent,

but it's a great feeling knowing that time has been spent

helping others, growing food and being creative.

If you're local,

I hope you'll come out to the Lincolnton Farmers' Market

this Saturday from 8-12.

The Master Gardeners will be doing a hands-on activity 

for folks who want to learn more about planting seeds.

Here's the information:
225 West Water Street
Lincolnton, NC 28092
Phone: 704-748-1518

Lincoln County Farmers' Market website

Autism Awareness Day

This boy is my world.

If you read our "Meet the Family" page under the header,

you'll read a short description of him there.

He's so much more.

This day every year helps to remind me

how far we've come.

C has made great strides, even in the last two years.

He's now a strapping 18-year old young man

with dreams and aspirations.

He always wants to cure the world's ills,

not being deterred by something as inconsequential as reality.

Autism Awareness Day is just another day to most,

but to us, it's personal.

We live with it day in and day out,

and it affects every aspect of our daily lives.

It's one of those things that as a parent,

you wish it could be you dealing with it

instead of the ones who mean the world to you.

We cope with it the best we can,

one day at a time,

but most days consist of at least one struggle.

This life is not easy, but awareness over time

will allow those of us affected to be better understood.

We don't seek pity or charity,

just the chance to prove

that autism is not something to be feared.

Over the years, we have met some amazing folks

who have shown their Godness to us

in the way they interact with C.

His way of moving through the world can be challenging,

but the blessing is in 

seeing others' compassion and understanding.

Recalling his para when he was in public school,

that woman is an angel on earth.

She believed in him when no one else did.

His therapist from Florida that we've recently reconnected with,

accepts him just as he is, not trying to change him.

Our family doctor here in the Piedmont,

is the most patient and kind doctor we've ever had.

These blessings in our lives have helped me be a better parent, 

a better person and a believer in the best of what humanity can be.

We will be lighting up our porch for the month of April,

to celebrate the progress of C and the world at large,

in coping with this very difficult condition.

We are so grateful to have this boy in our lives.

I can't imagine life any different.

God Bless all the Autism Families in our world.

Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday!

It's spring, it's really spring!

The frigid winter air is all but a memory.

The apple tree is budding, despite its poor condition.

This poor soul was not well cared for by the previous owners,

but it still strives to provide food.

 There are quite a number of things going on in the veggie garden.

Our cover crops have suddenly exploded.

I guess they were waiting for the warmer weather too.

This will be hacked down and left in place as mulch,

and seeds or transplants added to the raised rows.

A few dozen beets were sown this week.

This is the first time I have soaked the seeds before planting.

Just look at those sprouts poking through!

Conditions seem ideal right now for these chill lovers,

so I'm hoping we will get a nice harvest.

The Yukon Gold potatoes were prepped for planting this coming weekend.

 They were cut in half and left in a box to "scab" over.

This year, I will be growing them in loose straw 

in the potato towers I made last year.

It's fun trying new techniques in the garden.

The extra lil' room next to the master bath

is being taken over.

It's my makeshift greenhouse for beans,

eggplant, peppers and herbs that are not ready to face the cold mornings.

Two types of heirloom cucumbers are already popping out

of the containers.  

Germination took less than a week.

I'm thinking of adding these to the straw bales.

Lettuce took no time at all to germinate in the hugelkultur bed.

I used to carefully place seeds in the soil,

this time I just scattered them in their designated spot

so they can be used as baby greens.

Harvesting smaller leafy veggies helps you enjoy them

at their tender best.

 I adore the new arches we put up on the northeast side of the garden.

We decided to remove the rusty wire (on the left),

and get a few more cattle panels when they go on sale.

The intention is to grow runner beans,

melons and squash on them.

Leaf mulch was added to the ground underneath

to deter weeds, grass and create more of a walkway.

 Unbelievably, I found someone who was selling straw bales

for only three dollars!

A farmer who lives around the corner from us

had some leftover straw and just wanted to get rid of it.

The bonus is that he doesn't spray his fields, 

so it will be fine for growing food.

I spent some time leveling the bales and getting them set up the way I wanted them,

on the east side of the garden.

I like the structure they add.

This year, I will be skipping the 10-day conditioning process,

and simply soaking them with water before planting.

As long as I use good soil, I think that will be enough.

 This tulip tree in my neighbor's yard

was just begging to be photographed.

What a beautiful sight from our kitchen window.

The forsythia is blooming like crazy around here lately.

The color, shape and texture are all so lovely.

We've had blooming tulips under the apple tree.

The same ones I thought I moved last year!

So far, I haven't seen them pop up anywhere else,

so maybe it was something else that got relocated.

In any case, they are a sight to behold, so intricate.

They make a sweet lil' arrangement for the kitchen table.

 Various daffs are exploding all over the neighborhood.

These stand under where the big oak used to be.

What a blessing to have all these amazing flowers surrounding us.

It's been a busy few weeks.

With spring floating in, it's bound to get even busier.

Between working for others, volunteer projects

and tending my own garden, each day is filled with

hard work and ample joy.

Spring may just become my favorite time of year.

Pollinator Workshop

Last weekend, I had the opportunity 
to take a class on pollinator gardens 
at the Catawba Cooperative Extension Office.
The course consisted of a bit of classroom time,
which offered vital information about this beneficial subject.
The second part of the class was hands-on
and we made our way outside
on a gorgeous, crisp spring day.

This triangular piece of land
adjacent to the vegetable garden was the focus of our work.

A plan had been previously devised
and helped us know where to place the designated plants.

After the classroom presentation,
we moved outside to create a pollinator bed.

Tools were gathered for the project.

The Extension Center had an abundance
of rich, valuable compost available for this project.
A couple of us were on mulch duty,
hauling it from one end of the property
to the new bed.

The sheet mulch method
(also known as lasagna gardening)
was utilized,
layering cardboard over the grass
and then covering with compost.
The cardboard is a great weed deterrent,
and is the way I prefer to deal with unwanted grass at home.

Our group was enthusiastic
and it was plain to see
that experience was not lacking.
Many of the volunteers have already been through
the Master Gardener program.

The compost should aid the new residents
in retaining moisture from rainfall,
as well as keeping them cooler during the summer months.
It's also one of the best ways to keep weeds at bay.

Although I had to leave before the project was completed
(we ran a bit over our time),
it was really coming together quickly.
With plenty of room to spread out in the future,
these plants should give the local pollinators plenty to enjoy
over the next few years.
I can't wait to go back to see how it's filled in.

If you are interested in adding some pollinator-friendly
plants to your garden, keep these tips in mind:

~Pollinators need a diversity of flowers.
~Choose plants that bloom at different times of the year.
~Create habitats for those who prefer tight spaces,
using grasses or a handmade "bee hotel".
~Provide a water source as well as
some bare ground for nesting bees.

Check out this link
for a free design planner
to get you started.