Friday Fotos

 

 

Our family gnome is about to get some company.

This week, there was a deal on a local sell/trade site

and I couldn't resist.

Two more magical gnomes will be joining the homestead.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten them to pose for a picture,

(they can be very elusive),

but I'll get one taken real soon.

One will watch over the front porch,

while this guy and another will patrol the garden.

I love me some gnomes!

 

 

 These dish rags were first discovered at a friend's house.

I do some dog sitting for her and her husband,

and after having used them in her kitchen, I fell in love!

They do such a great job, they dry quickly and they can be

washed in the washing machine or the dishwasher!

There are a variety of patterns to choose from,

but this bunch just called my name.

 

Some time was spent planning the spring garden.

This will be the first time growing spring veg in our new location.

As it is framed with mature trees,

it will be curious to see how well things grow.

The initial garden had full sun most of the day,

but it had to be moved due to septic issues.

You can read that story here.

 

The garden website where I usually make my plans to print out

is no longer available.

I was able to squeeze in just before the service ended,

but I may need to find something similar. 

 

Flower seeds are kept in old file drawers in a spare room.

Inside each drawer, seeds are alphabetized

(yes, I'm that kind of person),

and left in their original containers when possible.

There are some seeds that need to be  chilled before planting,

(milkweed is one that comes to mind),

so we save a little space in our garage fridge for those.

 

Veg seeds have their own set of file drawers,

and are sorted according to type of crop

and also arranged alphabetically.

Our herb and flower seeds are stashed in a different set of file drawers.

Far from being filled to capacity,

perhaps with a bit more seed saving this spring and summer

they will be bursting with goodies for the next season.

 With the extra eggs we had on hand,

a delicious rice-crusted quiche was made

and finished within two days.

The yellow rice was leftover from a batch I'd made,

and I simply added sauteed onions, potatoes, spinach

and a bit of vegan cheese into the eggs.

Maybe when our girls are laying more steadily,

I can make it on a monthly basis.

Be Blissed this weekend!

 

 

Garden Friday

This Garden Friday finds the world a different place.
With routines severely disrupted,
the one place that can lend some much needed grounding
is the garden.
It's the first day of Spring 
and that means that growing season is here!

I got my initial garden plan completed 
using the Gardener's Supply free planner.
I've been using it for a couple of years now
to plan each individual bed,
but this is the first time I was able
to print out the entire garden plot.
In the upper left corner (not marked here), I will be planting
the first asparagus I've ever grown!
The crowns were collected yesterday from Extension
and I'm hoping to get them in the ground this weekend.
I also picked up some strawberry starts and will be 
planting them in straw bales.
The bed marked #9 in the lower right corner
is a pollinator bed.

In bed number four,
our Yukon Gold potatoes were planted.
These had been saved from last year's harvest,
and I was happy to see the growth when I took them out of their storage box.
For the last two years, I've grown these in chicken wire towers,
but this year I thought I'd try a raised bed.
One of the 3X8 beds sown with winter cover crops was chosen.

spuds ready for planting

The cover crops were whacked down with a string trimmer,
and the potatoes were planted about every 8 inches underneath the soil.
The shoots are telling me that they were ready!

Unfortunately, someone else was equally excited about this planting,
because every last one had been dug up.
That'll teach me to plant without covering the bed
with chicken wire.
Dang it!

The good news is that I had purchased a few Yukon Gold potatoes
recently at the hardware store, just in case I needed a few more.
Premonition?
They are drying out and I hope to get them planted in the next few days.

More good news!
The blueberries are coming back!
It's so thrilling to see them wake up from their long, winter slumber.
We have three varieties that we planted last year,
although there wasn't much fruit to be had.
Hopefully, this year will be a bit more successful.

Along with my sunflower sprouts growing in the kitchen,
I'm happy to be sowing again.
With plans to install our drip irrigation system this weekend,
it'll be a busy time.
What a time saver it will be to have the crops 
automatically watered.
All I'll need to do is keep sowing and watch them grow!

The next few months may be challenging for many,
and I am so grateful for the healthy distraction of growing food.
Now more than ever,
there is no end to the potential of a seed.

"Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution.
If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds."
~Norman Vincent Peale

Let's Make a Plan

 This week's forecast calls for highs in the 60's here,
ALL WEEK LONG!
I can finally get some garden chores completed
without the threat of rain or frigid temperatures.
One thing I've been working on is my spring garden plan.

2018 cucumbers

 One of the tools I've used in the past 
has been the free online planner offered by
Gardener's Supply Company.
You can find the tool here.
It's a great way to get started,
especially if you've never planned a garden.
I find it so helpful to be able to place the crops in the boxes,
and then tweak it as necessary.

Here's a preliminary plan for our hugelkultur bed.
You can vary the size of the beds easily
and there is a large list of popular plants from which to choose.

 This season, my focus will be on companion planting.
There is so much information on this topic,
and I thought it would be worth a try.
Recently, I've been reading books that covered the subject.
The best by far was Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte.
She offers simple explanations why certain veggies just love sharing space.

She also features a list of which plants don't really get along.
Instead of haphazardly planting what you have space for,
the idea is that by paying attention to which crops are neighbors,
the result will be better crop production and food quality.
It's worth a shot! 

2018 Yukon Gold potatoes

This year when I get my Yukon Gold potatoes started,
I will be adding bush bean, cabbage or nasturtiums to the outside of the wire hoops.
This will allow for the companion plant on the outside
to shade the potato foliage as it grows out of the hoops,
thus saving me from having to buy straw 
or bank the potato plants with additional soil. 
You can see how we created the potato cages here.

For folks who grow in rows, 
there is even a set of diagrams that suggest
how to place your companion plants.
It really doesn't get much easier than that!
For those of us who grow in raised beds or raised rows,
the principal is still easy to follow.

 Here's a rough sketch of the garden as it presently stands.
The structural parts are laid out,
and I can fill in what will go where as the season heats up.
For instance, I already know that I want runner beans to grow on the arches,
followed by melons later on in the season.
And presently in the two 4 X 4 raised beds, 
I have garlic and shallots growing,
which will have to remain there for a while longer.
There is still room in those smaller beds to add some companion plants around the perimeter,
like beets, carrots, kale, or spinach.
Not only is it beneficial for the established crop,
it will make the bed look so interesting with all of the varied colors, shapes, and textures.
The bonus is that it may confuse the bugs.

A master list of planting times for different veggies
(I only listed the ones I plan to grow),
makes the planning so much easier.
In March here in the Piedmont,
we can sow beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
So I will simply fill in any bare spots in those 4 X 4 beds
with one of these things I was planning on growing anyway.
Then I can fill in some of the other growing areas
with more of the same goodies.
It seems to be a more efficient use of space
and I'm hoping it will help with insect control.

It sure feels like spring,
but I know that Mother Nature is in charge.
Let's hope she's not feeling mischievous!

Garden Friday

Welcome to Garden Friday!
Planting time is growing closer
and we hope to have a successful season.
Until we can get our hands dirty,
a little planning has to take place.
The first seed order has been officially placed!

This is the first year I am ordering from High Mowing Organic Seeds.
I first learned about them on one of my favorite PBS shows,
"Growing a Greener World".
They are a conscientious company that originated in the founder's backyard.
He began saving seeds as a teenager, selling to friends
and now owns this amazing company
that offers over 600 varieties of heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid seeds.
If you want to learn more about the story, read this. 
High Mowing offered me free shipping on orders of $10 or more.
I had no problem meeting that amount!
 

 The first step in my seed ordering process
is to see what I have on hand.
No need to spend money on varieties I already have,
and that way, I can try a few new things this spring.
I made a list of all of my current seeds
(this is only page 1).

 My seeds are divided up into four containers (two shown here).
The spring/summer seeds and the fall/winter seeds take up two bins.
I have two other bins, one for herbs and one for flowers.
I gathered my containers, made my list
and began to peruse the seed catalogues.

 Because I was able to obtain quite a few seed packages 
from Extension's big giveaway last fall,
and was gifted some by fellow gardeners,
I don't really need to order too much.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't.
I am starting to lean more toward heirlooms,
based on the ability to save seeds year after year.
That really appeals to my common sense
and longing for self-sufficiency.
My seeds are organized in alphabetical order,
to make it easy to find just what I'm looking for. 
Once I made note of what I had on hand,
it was a bit less daunting to narrow down the new acquisitions.
Those seed packets all look so alluring.

 I also had my planting guide nearby,
so I know when I need to start seedlings.
I'm sure there are plenty gardeners who are just itching to sow 
s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g!
Lettuce and kale starts will most likely be sown in the next couple of weeks.
I have a new place to cultivate them
that I just recently decided on.
With the state of the weather around these parts lately,
starting seedlings should help me get through the worst of it.

My order should get here early next week.
It's like my birthday and Christmas 
all rolled into one when that box arrives.

How's your spring garden planning coming along?

Garden Friday

Have you been inundated with seed catalogs?

It's getting close to seed starting here in North Carolina,

so I'm thinking about what I want to grow.

This year, I am again using the tool provided by

Gardener's Supply Company

to plan my spring and summer gardens.

This free, interactive tool, is a fabulous way 

to figure out the best layout for the veggies and herbs you'll be growing.

Here's an example of what one of my summer beds will look like:

 

 Summer Garden Bed 1

It's easy to use with a list of common crops to choose from

as well as being able to customize the size of your beds.

This planner works for raised beds, raised rows,

traditional row growing, and container gardening.

After you create the layout of your dreams,

the website also provides planting information for each crop.

It's a great resource for beginning gardeners as well as

those with more experience.

It takes just minutes to plan your spring,

summer or fall garden.

Give it a go and let me know how you like it!