GrowingPhasesFarm

Yummy Honey and our New Etsy Team

2012-01-12T11:15:00.000-06:00

Now that the holiday activity has calmed down I can take a short breather and reflect on the fast paced and fun end of the year that just rushed by! Our Handmade Circle group on Facebook is growing daily and during December we had a Secret Santa event which turned out to be a fantastic way to get to know our members! We each made a wish list (Etsy treasury) with items we would like and I had several honey items included on my list. We plan on keeping bees and have ordered 2 hives that should arrive within the next week or so. The bees will follow in the Spring and we will be receiving about 10,000 per hive!

My Secret Santa, who was revealed when my precious gift arrived, was Jayne Willis from Twiggy & Opal shop on Etsy. She has a beautiful shop and is a beautiful person to go along with it! Thank you once again for the honey gift Jayne....it IS delicious!!! The honey mustard that came along with it is also remarkable!

The Handmade Circle group is expanding as I mentioned and we just recently created a Fanpage for members to post a daily listing and a place for the public to have a look at our handmade items. A new Team Handmade Circle on Etsy was also created earlier this week and is going strong. We will be hosting our first BNR as a Team tonight .... can't wait. If you would like to read what a BNR is and the detail to go along with the one tonight - we have a few blog postings over at our Handmade Circle blog with all the information! Do stop by and just watch if you are curious how these work!!

Looking forward to a fantastic year ahead with my Bees, Gardens and all my HMC buddies :-))

Cardinals Galore!

2012-01-03T15:33:00.000-06:00

Stop by Wordless Wednesday HQ for a look at many other great photos!

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T04:45:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and peaceful 2012!

There's been alot of activity throughout the holiday season and as we head into the new year we look forward to many new and exciting challenges. First on our list is learning all we can about beekeeping and planning the layout of the gardens. Also improving our Etsy shop and adding more items ... pretty sure the honey won't be listed this year, but there will be garlic and dried flowers for crafting! Right now we are holding a 15% off sale on everything in the shop and there are some wonderful flower seeds on clearance if you are in need of sprucing up your yard.

The weather here today is still holding at around 40-50 degrees but there looks to be a sharp turn for some cold breezes coming our way bringing us to the normal temps of 20-30 degrees for this time of year. We are ready for 2012 and look ahead to many new adventures!

Easy Pot Pies

2011-12-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

Just this past year we started making our own Pot Pies ... they are quite easy and so delicious! We have made both turkey and beef using leftovers from the main dinner. The only difference between making the two is with the beef, we started with a roast and cubed up the leftover. Then we simmered it for an hour to soften it up before adding to the pie combination. We used 2 1/2 cups of water and 1-2 bouillon cubes. The pot pie shown is the beef version so I will continue with instructions for this one.

We cubed up carrots, potatoes and onion and added to the simmering pot and continued simmering until the veggies were soft. Added canned corn and peas to this mix. In a separate pan we made a roux for thickening. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter with 2-3 tablespoons of flour and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes ... blending. Combine everything into one pan and stir until thick and well blended.

Use a deep pie type container and pour all your pot pie ingredients into this. Top the mixture with a pie crust and add fork holes for venting. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. You may have to cover the edges of the pie crust with foil if it starts to burn before it is finished baking.

Healthy and Delicious!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2011-12-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

The weather has reached the chilly stage here in Southern Illinois but not as cold as the winter days up North. Today was probably one of the colder mornings with a heavy layer of frost and as I glanced out the window I was able to catch this fantastic photo of .... Rudolph?? How perfect on Christmas Eve!

My first selling season with an online shop has been exciting and quite a learning experience. I have joined in a Huge After Christmas Sale that will be taking place starting the day after Christmas and running through the 31st. Everything in the Growing Phases Farm Shop will be at 15% off during this time. Now we develop a business plan for 2012 and formulate a plan for all the upcoming holidays - Valentine's Day is next!

I did plant some flower seeds indoors this past week even though it is very early! Several flower seeds take a long time to germinate and grow rather slow ... lavender being one so I set them up under our grow lights and will watch for them to sprout. Along with English Vera, I also purchased some Lavender Munstead since I read this is more fragrant. I am also awaiting the arrival of 2 bee books I ordered from Amazon. We have plans to start several hives and harvest honey and possibly beeswax ... another item for my new shop!

Wishing Everyone a Joyful and Relaxing Holiday weekend!

Winter is here

2011-12-09T18:19:00.000-06:00

As I was sitting at the computer gazing out over the birdfeeder area this guy caught my eye. What I found amazing was the design on his back feathers and then I had to figure out what type of bird he was! I did my research and found this to be a the Golden Finch (male) in his winter coat....his bright yellow has faded and much more muted colors. Yes, winter is here Mr. Finch!

And the seed catalogs have started to arrive in the mail!

These will keep me busy as I start to plan the garden ... still contemplating when to start the seeds indoors. We are about a month ahead here so thinking next month and for sure by February. Just last week I harvested some radish and baby lettuce (indoors for the lettuce) and enjoyed a remarkable salad. In December no less!

I have been very busy with my Etsy shop and selling beyond what I had anticipated. I do need to stock up and I sure have learned quite a bit ... look out next holiday season!

Along with the shop and Facebook group Handmade Circle I created, I started a blog also called Handmade Circle for more interaction with the group members. Just today I baked this Out of the World Cookie recipe which I will be posting about tomorrow...did I say Out of the World??? I even used pecans from the local growers here .... how cool is that?!

Stop by tomorrow over at the Handmade Circle blog to check out this recipe ... Out of this world! I sure hope everyone is Enjoying every moment of the Holiday Season!!

Apple Butter Kolacky and Baby Blue Heron

2011-11-23T16:07:00.000-06:00

Remember the Crockpot Apple Butter I made this past summer and canned up? Well, I decided to try using it for the holiday kolacky recipe and it is Fabulous! Very simple to make and these are gobbled up in no time ... I am tempted to make more! The dough used is simply 3 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, softened and 1 cup flour. You can add a teaspoon of sugar to the mixture if you want a sweeter taste, but the Apple Butter is sweet enough and the dough offsets the overload of sweetness so it is definitely a winning combination.

I combined the three ingredients for the dough and chilled overnight in the refrigerator. Then rolled it out on a floured surface and used a small glass to cut out the circles. Took a spoonful of Apple Butter and added to each circle.

Closed up the dough and crimped it (some did open up during cooking) so make sure you have a good connection there. Baked in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees until a toasty brown color and sprinkled with powdered sugar. After they cooled I hid them in the pantry until Thanksgiving dessert time .... Good thinkin'!

We did have another visitor today out by the lake and what is interesting about this guy is ... it is actually a Juvenile Great Blue Heron. I captured pictures of an adult earlier in the year and I noticed the difference after studying these pictures.

I consulted our bird book and it explains that the Juvenile looks much like the adult but has more brown than gray with a black crown and no plumes. That is definitely this baby!

I hope to enjoy watching this Baby as it matures into a Great Blue Heron!

Hooded Merganser Sighting

2011-11-21T17:28:00.000-06:00

Well today I was having trouble with the internet and took some time to glance out the window a few more times than normal ... something I used to do a whole lot more before I got internet connected and this is what I saw ....

A pair of Hooded Mergansers

The pictures are a bit fuzzy since I was inside and I do need to spend some time learning the right adjustments for outdoor photo taking. You can see the female has a brown crest hood whereas the male is black and white. It was really amazing to watch them float around and I am thinking it was a gentle reminder to Enjoy Nature. I have never seen these birds before and feel real lucky to have been able to capture a few photos right in my backyard.

Thank goodness the internet was acting up today and I didn't miss this remarkable sighting as it floated right before me! How Awesome is that!

The Holiday Season has Arrived!

2011-11-20T15:37:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is this week and it sure crept up on us! The gardens are all put to bed for the year although some garlic sprouts are peeking up from the ground and hopefully will rest easy during the winter season. This will be our first year at this home during the winter and we hope we will remain sane. We have found a brisk hourly walk in town that we try to do a few times a week. I know I will have no problem with the solitude out in the country especially since I do have my trusty internet and have been working earnestly on my new Etsy shop. This is the main reason for lack of posting on the blog since I wanted to make sure I was all set before the holidays arrived. In the short time I have been working on the shop I have sold 3 listings and am very happy with that! With my most recent listing I decided to offer Personalized fabric heart ornaments and am holding my breath to see how that works out.

Personalized Fabric Heart Ornaments

Also a Treasury called Make it Personal with items from other shops that can be personalized for some great holiday gift giving.

Besides scoping out all the Teams and forums on the Etsy website and just trying to take it all in, I also created a group on Facebook. This group is growing and has a great set of like-minded shop owners supporting and sharing...everyone is welcome to join us at Handmade Shops. An additional blog has also been started HotPadHangout to focus specifically on my new shop and talk about promoting and marketing online.

So with the holidays here I am forced to take some time off and enjoy Family. My daughter is coming to stay for a day on Tuesday when classes end and my sister-in-law and family will be joining us for the entire weekend starting Wednesday. So as I enjoy family time and reflect on all I have to be thankful for, I will let my mind focus on my future plans and work on my mission statement. I know without a doubt my key interests are HomeGrown, HomeCooked and HomeCrafted .... where I am headed we have yet to see but I am sure it will be enjoyable.

p.s. I will miss you Mom and Dad and look forward to visiting some time around Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ... Enjoy!!

Cookie Delight

2011-11-09T07:23:00.000-06:00

Chocolate Chip with Toffee Bits

Tweet Tweet Birdseed Ornaments

2011-10-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

Birdseed Ornaments

A Fun and an Easy project for Everyone!

The first step in this project is to cut out designs with cookie cutters from bread. We did make a trip to town today to pick up a few things including the bread and traveling down the road by our home I had a small "stop and stare" moment (actually it was more like 5 minutes). Of course, I didn't have my camera and am still shaking my head at me for that. I spotted a deer ahead in the road and slowed down - she ran off to the left, but then out emerged 3 others - it appeared 2 were smaller and one a little larger - all baby deer. They just stood there in the middle of the road looking at us - all three of them for a good 5 minutes. I was nuts since it was such a Kodak moment with no camera!!! It was Beautiful!

Back to the birdseed ornaments for another much loved nature creature ... the birds! Take the cutout bread designs and brush them heavily with egg whites and dip in birdseed. This is a bit messy since that egg white has a mind of its own! I brushed it again after the seed was on and then flipped and did it to the other side.

I baked these in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes .. watch carefully since this goes fast. I did insert the piece of wire before I baked and added the ribbon once out of the oven.

I hung them outside around the bird feeding station and as I sit and type this I anxiously await ...with camera beside me (this time) to capture that Kodak moment.

Squirrel Time!

2011-10-18T17:41:00.000-05:00

Make sure to stop by and check out all the other Great Photos at Wordless Wednesday HQ!

Canning Sweet and Sour Relish

2011-10-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

I was a bit reluctant to make this recipe simply because the combination of ingredients didn't seem to blend in my mind. Once I tasted it, I was convinced it was worth the time and effort to make. The sweetness coupled with the sour note is a taste I do like and this relish captures it perfectly.

The recipe I used is from my Ball's Blue Book of Preserving and I did tweek it a bit only because that's what I had on hand....plenty of peppers first off. The recipe calls for 4 cups finely chopped sweet green peppers - I had a whole lot of Marconi peppers. I actually like the Marconi better than the typical Green pepper since it has a milder taste and no bitterness to it at all. So I diced up 4 cups of the green Marconi and 1 cup of the red Marconi (substituted for the 1 cup of banana pepper called for in the recipe).

Diced tiny since this is a relish and I saved the seeds as I do with most produce from the garden for planting next year. Pepper seeds are easy to save - you just let them dry out and store away ... nothing special to do to them.

I then added more diced ingredients - 3 cups of apples and 2 cups of cabbage ... see what I mean about the combination here. Added 2 tablespoons of salt and let sit for 2 hours (which was a relief after all that dicing)! After 2 hours I drained the liquid.

Next step was to create the brew or flavored liquid for canning. I cut the sugar from 3 cups to 2 cups which seemed fine ... all that sugar just makes me shiver. Ok ... 2 cups of sugar combined with 1 teaspoon mustard seed and 3 cups cider vinegar. A hot pepper is optional and can be slit to release the flavor but removed before canning. Bring this brew to a boil, reduce heat and add all the diced veggies. Simmer for 10 minutes before packing into your canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in the boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. I plan to make up another batch - since I still have a ton of peppers - and this time make it hotter for those who like Hot! I do recommend this recipe!

Back to the saving seeds ... here are dried Sunflowers and as you can see the seeds form in the center of the flower. The petals fall off and contained in the middle are the seed. These are the Cinnamon Sun variety and seems like I have thousands so the birds will be happy this winter when I set out a little feast for them. I really don't think I need thousands of Sunflowers, but then again, I may change my mind.

Grebes Visit and Garlic In

2011-10-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

The Grebes were back to visit and I was so happy to see both of them. The only other time I saw both together was in early Spring so I am guessing all during the summer months one of them was tending to the nest and now the babies are gone....empty nesters??

We had a garlic planting weekend - we did manage to plant a little over 600 bulbs. Less than last year but this coming season will be my first year being here full-time and I still have alot to learn about where to plant certain things.

When planting garlic you break apart the bulb which contains the cloves....these are the seed and each one will produce a whole garlic head. The two new varieties pictured below are Music and Siberian...both hardnecks and oh my gosh the cloves were HUGE! We only had 4-5 cloves per head so we won't be selling any of these next year. It takes a few years to get the harvest going.

Music Hardneck Garlic

Siberian Hardneck Garlic

When you plant you dig down 2" and plant with the point UP and space about 6" apart. I am leaning so much more towards the hardnecks since they are so large and tasty. The only drawback is that they don't last as long (shelf-life) as the softneck, so we planted 2 types of softneck also to keep those varieties producing as well.

This was my unusual plant for the year - called Pumpkin on a Stick. I was hoping the little pumpkins (which are actually a squash) would be hard so I could craft with them but at this point they are soft. So not real sure if I will be growing these again. They do look cool though!

Bidding Farewell Sweet Tomatoes

2011-10-14T04:11:00.000-05:00

Frost is not far off so I decided to bring in all the tomatoes since the frost will ruin them. Such a sad time of year for garden lovers .. the ending of the season, but never fear the planning for next year will keep our minds busy. I have all types of ideas and visions for a thriving garden and I do have to plant the garlic starting today. We have had rain the last 2 days and before that we took a short road trip (with all 4 dogs and 2 chickens) to our home up North ... how I survived in that home with all these animals I'll never figure out! Glad to be home here!

I did make a final batch of homemade salsa with cilantro which is still growing strong outside. Next year we need to can some of this so the winter months will be a bit brighter with salsa and chips.

Very easy to make - chopped tomatoes, jalapeno pepper(s), onion, garlic and cilantro. The freshness of the garden produce is what really makes the difference ....really!

Not sure what my plans are for the remaining green tomatoes although some are starting to turn red. I did leave these out on the porch and some critter had fun feasting on a few and leaving what he didn't want behind!

Another Apple Fest tomorrow and after that I may just be all appled out for the season. Made more Apple butter in the crockpot and Spiced Apple Rings.

p.s. Mom I know you love those apple rings for breakfast....wait till you try the apple butter ...wowser!!

The Chicks ... Rosy and Greta

2011-10-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Make sure to check out all the other great photos at Wordless Wednesday Headquarters!

Monday Oatmeal Treats

2011-10-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

Time was well spent over the weekend baking up Oatmeal treasures and what a great way to start the week ... Oatmeal Treats on Monday ...

Oatmeal Coconut Chip Cookies

I really wish I could say these were healthy, but ....

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter flavored shortening

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients and roll into 1 inch balls for each cookie. Once on the cookie sheet press with a fork to flatten. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Before going in for the bake in the oven - flattened with a fork

They are Delicious!!

Next up ...

Apple Oatmeal Bread

This bread seems a bit heavy once out of the oven, but it needs time to cool and this I could probably classify as (more) healthy!

That cookie shaped like a heart just happened - cool right!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups grated apple

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup flaxseed

Completely mix all the dry ingredients and then combine with the remaining. Pour into a greased loaf pan - makes one. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Fall Awesomeness & Dehydrating

2011-10-08T04:04:00.000-05:00

The leaves are starting to turn colors here all week ... slowly, slowly and then all the sudden! It is beyond gorgeous and all it needs is a perfect sunrise or sunset and it's close to heavenly.

While I was out admiring the fall beauty and capturing my pictures, I had my trusty Excalibur dehydrator hard at work drying apples. Many years ago I purchased a smaller type dehydrator and since we loved beef jerky (and the cost at the grocery store was/is obnoxious) I started to make our own. As I began gardening more and more I would freeze, can and soon I realized I could also dehydrate produce successfully for using at a later time. Tomatoes are among one of my favorites from the garden to dry - they add their sweet flavor to many dishes. Herbs, garlic, squash, peppers .... most things I have tried.

For the apples all I need do is core and slice and place in the dehydrator for several hours.

They are the perfect snack and very addicting. I have tried sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar but prefer just leaving them as is - they are sweet enough.

So with the marvelous aroma of apples inside and the beautiful colors outside ... I think I would have to say I had the perfect Fall day!

Friday with Frankie 10/7

2011-10-07T04:15:00.001-05:00

Well this week was a whirlwind of beautiful weather hitting 80 degrees and no rain for most of the week. I did acquire a sense of appreciation each time I looked at little Billie Jo who I am happy to report is safe and sound. She took off last Sunday and was gone for 3 hours and the whole time we were full of worry thinking the worst had happened to her. Coyotes are becoming more and more visual around here lately and she is vey lucky to be alive right now. She stumbled back home after 3 hours, beaten and exhausted, and we will never know what really happened to her but hopefully she will never do that again!

The biggest project this week was deck staining and now that it's finished it looks almost brand new! There is more outdoor work that needs to be completed before winter sets in but it will have to wait until later next week since we are gearing up for a short road trip in a few days. We haven't had one in quite some time so hoping things go smoothly and we have fun (although I much rather stay right here)!

Pinterest has been the new buzz word around here lately and I did sneak a peek and find some cool Adorable Pets on there ... I am sure my gorgeous mug will be on there some day soon! Here's some of what I found ..... Enjoy and have a Super Weekend!

Source: images.google.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Crockpot Apple Butter and A Tart

2011-10-06T04:15:00.002-05:00

Every time I turned around on the internet I was reading about another person making Apple Butter and the crockpot technique had my attention. I read several different versions regarding how many apples, how long and what ingredients to add. I knew the apples would cook down, release their own juices and that they were naturally sweet. Adding tons of sugar was not even an option here so I thought I would wing it and see what happened.

I started with 3 lbs. of apples, cored and peeled them, sliced into 1/8" pieces and turned the crockpot to High. I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 TB. pumpkin pie spice and a scant 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

After 2 hours this is what was cooking in the pot...I had stirred it several times during the 2 hours so it didn't burn or stick. At this time I decided it was well on its way and turned the temperature to Low and took the lid off so the moisture would escape. After another 2 hours I was satisfied with the results and the taste is Outstanding ... Yummy ... Delicious! I would even consider cutting down on the sugar more next time.

So 3 lbs. of apples produced two 8 oz. jars of Apple Butter (1/2 pint jars) and a couple teaspoons more. Total cooking time 4 hours.

While all that was going on in the crockpot, I decided to bake an Apple Tart I had spotted in the latest Organic Gardening magazine. Was just so easy ... I couldn't believe it!

They give directions for making your own dough but since I had store bought already in the fridge, I used one of those. Sliced about 2 1/2 apples (see picture above) and layered on the pie crust. They suggest peeling the apples, but I decided to leave the skin on.

Next I brushed the top with melted butter and sprinkled a little brown sugar across the top. Folded up the edges and into the oven it went!

After 40 minutes this is the finished Apple Tart ... simple and delicious! You would think I am all appled out today but not so ... dinner this evening - pork chops slow cooked with cabbage, potatoes and APPLES!!
Check out more recipes at It's a Keeper Added to Simply Sweet Home

Zinnias Still Growing Strong!

2011-10-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Stop by and check out all the other entries at Wordless Wednesday! When you have time you might like to check out the new community at Blogfrog I recently started - it's Fun and lots going on...crafts, cooking...lots of Mom discussions.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2011-10-03T18:53:00.000-05:00

Homemade Laundry Soap

I have been using this soap for almost 2 years now and I love it! I have posted these directions in the past and wanted to make sure to share it once again. I was asked if it works good in a front loading machine. Yes, it does and that is one of the reasons I searched out this laundry soap recipe. Store bought laundry soap is ridiculously high priced and I wanted an alternative and it does a fantastic job!!!

Three simple ingredients – 1 bar castile soap, 3/4 cup “washing soda” and 3/4 cup borax

Probably the hardest part of all this is grating the bar of soap – I found this GREAT grater and it works perfect! I did try freezing the bar of soap to make it easier, but it really grated the same (it’s a hard soap).

The finished laundry detergent seems soooo clean! Use 1 tablespoon for light loads and 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled laundry. For the most part I use 2 tablespoons and the results are wonderful. I keep a copy of this recipe in the same drawer as the laundry soap so when I am running low I can make up another batch.

Finished laundry soap

Homemade Goodness!

This would make a fantastic holiday gift and I am sure the recipient would be amazed at how unique it is - you could include other cleaning supplies and don't forget to attach a copy of the ingredients so they can make more when they run out!

Harvesting Horseradish and Garlic Potato Salad

2011-10-02T14:51:00.001-05:00

Horseradish is a root and it takes at least a year to get going but once it takes a hold ... Look out! You want to give the horseradish its own area and preferably not around the other garden plants...it will take over. Fresh horseradish is very hot! The first year we harvested some and I proceeded to chop some in the blender adding vinegar to make our own hot relish. When I proudly took the lid off the blender and took a big sniff I almost knocked myself out from the intense odor....be careful with it! We make a wicked sour cream and horseradish sauce for dipping meats and veggies in.

Here you can see the leaf and the root - the root is white inside and this is the part you grate or dice to make your own horseradish sauce.

Closer view of the root

Once you grate/dice your root you cover it with white vinegar and the combination is what the horseradish sauce consists of. You can then add it to sour cream, chili sauce or experiment and create your own combinations. You want to use 1-2" of the root at a time and store the remainder in the refrigerator in a plastic bag - this way it will stay fresher for you. You do peel the brown skin off using a paring knife and use only the inner part of the root.

Tonight Garlic Potato Salad is on the menu and I suggested adding a touch of horseradish. Not sure if we will actually do this but it is an idea! The potato salad is very simple to make - all you need is a few ingredients and 3-4 hours time in the refrigerator for blending.

Usually we make this for a crowd and the hardest part of cooking lately is trying to cut down and cook for only two....it is a challenge. I used only six potatoes, boiled them up and then peeled and diced into cubes.

Then I added 6-7 cloves of garlic - more or less depending on your garlic tolerance. Added 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of diced onion along with about 3/4 cup of mayonnaise.

We still have parsley and cilantro growing strong and you could use either one or both. The combination of garlic and cilantro is addicting and I bet this bowl won't last long around here even if there is only two of us!

Garlic Planting Soon

2011-10-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

In about 2 weeks I will be planting the garlic for next season - 2012 July harvest. The time to plant is Fall between September 15 - November 30th. I like to plant mid-October and have a new location all picked out. The majority of garlic planted last year came from our place up North and this year all the planting will take place in the new location down South.

I received 2 new types I will be planting from Seed Savers Exchange this week and they are Music and Siberian both hardnecks. This will give me a total of six different varieties which include Chrysalis Purple, Chesnok Red (both hardnecks), Inchelium Red & Chet's Italian (both softnecks). The hardnecks have bigger cloves and I am gearing my choice of garlic more towards them since the soil here is clay and presents a challenge right from the start.

I have a small wine cellar like room down in the basement where I have all my garlic stored. It's dark and cool there and I have chosen the biggest bulbs for planting in the gardens. If you plan on growing garlic, you do need to place your order real soon. All of my garlic grown was originally obtained from Seed Savers Exchange. I still have some for sale at my Zibbet shop on-line or my new Etsy shop.

I will post detailed photos when I plant so if you have a question hopefully this will help. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to ask.

Garlic is easy to grow and maintain. Planted now it stays in the ground for roughly 9 months and will be harvested in June or early July.

Once you grow your own you will be hooked ... for life!

Blogfrog Community - Do you have one yet?

2011-09-30T04:06:00.000-05:00

My Blogfrog Community

Normally on Friday here at the blog Frankie will post about his week and what’s going on around the new property. Today though I decided to add a post about Blogfrog! I could let Frankie discuss but the only frogs he is familiar with are these little guys out by the lake ...

So while Frankie is out searching for his little friends I will discuss my New Community at Blogfrog and how you can make your own to meet some interesting friends.

If you are a regular blog reader you may have noticed the widget on some blogs popping up more and more. The widget is inviting you to “Join a Community” – you can see mine over in the right-hand column. As with anything new I was skeptical to just run off and Join something, but once I started to investigate this new Blogfrog website, I was hooked! First off all … it is free and the concept behind Blogfrog is that you can build your own Community of like-minded people and join other communities that interest you. In the beginning it is a bit confusing, but once you start spending some time there you figure out how things work. If you have a question, ask and I will attempt to answer if I know. I signed up about a week ago so I am quite new.

In the Communities there are tabs for Welcome – Forums – Blog posts – Members to get you started. If you join a Community or create your own all your blog posts (like this one) will appear it that section along with all the members in that Community. You can scroll through all the blog posts once a day and catch up with members. The Forum or Discussion section has Topics you create or others create and then everyone jumps in and participates. Members is a list of all the people who have joined the community. You can visits profiles and see who is Following and who they Follow.

There is a Search function so you can find what you are interested in easily. The main page shows Communities, People and Current Activity.

It definitely is much more personal than other social networks and it’s up to You how you want your Community to look and where to take it. I still have lots to learn since I have only one week’s experience under my belt, but I started a Discussion on How To … Create your page designs, so that should help me and the members in my Community.

Stop over and check it out … it’s pretty cool! You don’t have to Create your own Community, you can just be a Member and meet some like-minded people like me! If there is something you would like added like a Discussion/Topic or a Group, please let me know.... Let's have some FUN!