It's Not Easy Being Green

Seeds

2020-03-15T00:42:00.001-05:00

I was out near my garden today, it was covered in snow and ice. Burning sticks and branches was only a small consolation for my need to be digging in the dirt but it sufficed. I came inside smelling of wood smoke and the woods. Tonight I sat down to finalize my seed order (after my grad school work and family and gone to sleep).

Every year I talk about scaling back, only planting what my family eats, not planting veggies just to fill spaces, and only what I know grows in my soil/zone/area. However, I find myself drawn to seeds that I 'think' will do well and I 'think' my family will enjoy.

As of March 15th, my 2020 garden will attempt to grow a variety of:
Beets
Beans (bush and pole)
Cabbage (to be purchased as plants)
Carrots
Cilantro (yay guacamole!)
Corn
Kale
Hairy Vetch
Onion (to be purchased as bulb/sets)
Peas
Pumpkin
Spearmint
Spinach
Squash
Swiss Chard
Tomato (lots)
Zucchini

Restart

2020-03-07T21:39:00.001-06:00

Blogging!? What is this??

Years have gone by and I have been drawn back to writing and organizing my thoughts in one place. Grad school, getting one kid off to college, one in first grade, new jobs for myself and my husband (2 years ago now), and everything else going on does not allow for a creative outlet, so here I am again!

We were outside today burning brush in the 47 degree weather today and I had a flood of ideas for plans with my garden once the spring is officially sprung. The biggest projects for me this spring will be removing trees from the surrounding area of the garden, and completely re-fencing both gardens and chicken area. Not for the faint of heart while I am in grad school, looking for a new job, and supporting the men in my life but it will happen. My garden is huge so finding a plan on a budget will be difficult, and I will have to modify any plans I find online, while also re-using all supplies.

On Pinterest tonight I found a few great ideas for fencing:

(Fishing line!? Not sure this would work in Northern Minnesota)

Matthew 13:1-30

2014-08-02T17:48:00.000-05:00

The last time I weeded was on a Saturday, the next day (Sunday) we went to mass and Father Chuck read the Matthew: 1-30. Now, people interpret the Bible different ways. I interpreted it literally (probably not as intended) for the moment!

Below is the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds.

God said I could let my weeds grow until harvest!

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
¹¹He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹⁸“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²²The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
²⁷“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
²⁸“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
²⁹“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Vegetable Garden 2014

2014-08-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

I have been gardening. And preserving. Basically everything except getting it down in words and pictures. I need more time during the evening when the kids are in bed, the sun is down, and the house is quiet. But, that is when I sleep!

Today, with the help of Cole, the garden was 'mostly' weeded. It was 'mostly' weeded almost 2 weeks ago too. Despite the weeds, my vegetables are growing amazing!

Changes already scheduled for next year:
No leeks.
Plant earlier, make a basic sheet cover for late frost.
Inside planting - transplant sooner.
Spinach and lettuce in containers/pots, not hanging baskets; less seeds per container.
Harvest mint once in June to prevent flowering.

Full view

3 rows of carrots. I had one today, best carrot ever! Need to thin these out.

Tomatoes, and 5 foot tall tomatillos

Jalapeno peppers and bell peppers

Cucumbers

Tomatillo lanterns

Bell peppers

Zucchini

Turnips

Potato flowers

Sweet Potatoes

Pole beans

Pumpkin vine

Bush beans

Tomatoes

Little closer view of whole garden

The Orphaned Earring

2014-07-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

I love finding places to send my unused things that I cannot get rid of!!! So, today while Facebook scanning I saw a post with a link for The Orphaned Earring.

What a fabulous group! We all having earrings that we have been saving for ever, either a pair, or a single!

I just loved this and had to share. I'll be going home tonight and going through my jewelry to send off, and possibly buying a bracelet that I found at their online store.

http://theorphanedearring.com/

Vegetable Garden 2014

2014-05-28T11:07:00.003-05:00

Started off gardening weeks ago. What has been done:

- Inside planting: habanero peppers, bell peppers, eggplant, and melon. The melon have all died, but one. Not sure what their issue was.
- Three stumps dug out. (Three more to go!)
- Transplanted raspberries given to us by a co-worker.
- Planted two blueberry bushes and one more rhubarb above the huge underground rock in the garden. I'm hoping to get two blueberry bushes each year for the next 3-5 years.
- Tilled with the new Troy-Bilt!
- Garden raked
- Bought plants for the first time: tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno and bell peppers. But, these are not the only of these kinds I'm planting. I'm using the plants as my row markers and planting seeds between. I'm mostly doing this so I remember what is planted where... (photos soon)
- Bought tomatillos
- Planted!!! Chamomile, spinach, lettuce, arugula, cucumbers, carrots, leeks, red onions, turnips, tomatoes, tomatillos, bell and jalapeno peppers.

Finishing the garden this week and transplanting in the next week or so, I don't feel like my seedlings are quite ready.

Vegetable Garden

2014-03-23T21:36:00.000-05:00

The planning has officially begun!

I have seeds saved from last year to look through, I'll also have to wait for sweet potatoes, potatoes, garlic, and onions to purchase locally. I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds last year for the first time and had great luck with their product.

Last night's order consisted of the following:
Jujube cherry tomato
German red strawberry tomato
San Juanito tomatillo
Amarillo carrot
Bleu de solaise leek
Purple top white globe turnip
Kuroda long 8 carrot
Butternut rogosa violin "Gioia" squash
Boston pickling cucumber
Rocky top lettuce mix
Ground cherry
Amsterdam prickly seeded spinach

More trees? Yes, please!!

2014-01-18T10:42:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year again! When Beltrami County posts the tree order form and I get creative when thinking of new places I could plant successful little tree-lings throughout my yard.

I didn't plant anything new last year. We didn't know what we were doing with the pond or garden, I didn't know how much time I would have devote myself to watering, and I was already overwhelmed with tending to my gardens with an infant. This summer will be about the same, but Logan can be outside more often with us this year, and he takes by himself now!

My future trees:
American Plum. We planted five trees, 2 springs ago, and only two survived. I would love to make plum jam (probably not until I'm retired!). I also love the little white flowers on these trees, they would do wonders for attracting bird.

Lilac. Planted fifteen, 2 springs ago, and only one died! I want to have more to fill in the driveway area, so that in a few more years we have a hedge and don't see the road.
Sandbar Willow. I have a perfect spot near our old pond that still holds water. I think these would be amazing as a filler plant.

Rugosa Rose. I love these flowers, they will be planted near large rocks that line to the hills to our walkout basement.

The trees come in bunches of 5. I'll order one bunch of each, except lilac will be 15. I think this will be it for this year!

2014 Garden Pre-Planning Shed Edition

2014-01-06T10:56:00.000-06:00

Last year my dad built a pole shed, so he did not need his smallish 10x12 shed for anything. We traded the hubby's computer help for the shed. This ended up in the huge tree cutting, 'pond' filling, and demolition of a small area of our yard. I will end up almost doubling my garden size and have space to start accumulating hand tools and gardening supplies. There was no space in the garage and real shed up by the house. This shed is mine, all mine!

I'm overwhelmed with the thought of organizing my new building. I have no shelving, yet. I have buckets and bins, maybe a few boxes here and there. This will be my new sanctuary so I want it to gradually become my perfect space. My budget is basically $0.00. I'll be garage saling and Pinteresting to get cheap supplies and fresh ideas.

I hope in the next 1-2 years to talk the hubby into chickens and/or rabbits. I have the space to do it right next to the shed, so we'll see if that happens. I'd also like to build some sort of a lean-to for the southwest side of the shed to start some seeds. This will also be a 1-2 year out project.

Here's a picture of my little shed. The garden would be to the right/northeast. The former 'pond' to the left/southwest.

Here are a few inspirational photos for my shed pre-planning:

I like th eidea of having storage on the doors for lighter tools.

My original thought was to have shelving all the way around the inside. I love this idea of having everything neatly hung on one side.

Velcro ties or even zip ties for over the winter would be handy.

I'll be on the lookout for a used shoe hanger! This idea is great, especially for gloves! I always seem to have one but not the other!

I thought this looked a little like a gun rack... but if I could find the materials to make it, I definitely would!

Another idea for door storage.

With 2 pallets sitting along my flower garden, I know I could make one of these for quick outside storage.

Reusing old hose would also be easy, I have a long hose that is out of commission.

This would be awesome!

Inside storage - sand with oil mixed in to keep tools sharp and rust free.

Eventually, something to help me better seed plan, and harvest plan. All of the ideas and knowledge floating around in my head that I forget when I'm in the garden could be posted on a board!

Smaller storage idea.

For inside the garden, or in my flower garden which is a good distance away. A decorative mailbox with my every day tools would be extremely handy in each garden.

For details and links, see my Pinterest board:
http://www.pinterest.com/smseibel/my-garden-shed/

2014 Garden Pre-Planning

2014-01-02T21:54:00.001-06:00

Even though last night hovered around -40 degrees I can't stop thinking about my garden! My frozen little patch of soil in the back yard completely covered by snow. We expanded the garden last year, taking out trees and clearing way to almost double my garden size. I am going to have to dedicate more time though, last year's garden was a sad excuse for a patch.

I had so many more weeds than normal. My squash didn't grow. My asparagus hardly sprouted. I planted the wrong tomato seeds. My corn was so small it was inedible. I had white mold in my bush beans. Deer ate many of my pole beans. I couldn't find some of my garlic and onions. My pumpkins didn't grow. I received 1 jalapeno from 4 plants, no bell peppers. At the end of the season, my zucchini rotted before I could freeze it, my pole beans molded before they could be dried, and my tomatoes rotted in the box they were ripening in.

I, and my garden, were a mess.

I think I might have more ideas than time for next year. I'm going to stop trying to get fancy with my garden and get back to the basics.

Some things I need to remember, especially for June:

* Proper spacing (hence the white mold in the bush beans)
* Companion planting and/or move a few things around
* Proper placement of full sunlight and shade plants
* Place potted veggies closer to the house or in shade to prevent drying out
* Double check seeds to make sure they are what will work in my space
* Better marking for rows, patches, and randomly planted ground cover plants
* Learn plant identification (I think I pull some veggies out and leave some weeds in at the beginning) of each year

From the fence, going left ,almost to the edge of the photo is where my 'big-girl garden' will extend.

Root Recipe

2013-09-14T19:09:00.002-05:00

My husband was a little turned off by the smell of turnips but was game for trying them (again). He forgot I mashed them in potatoes last fall!

I decided to make pan fried roots to go with our dinner and wow did it turn out awesome. So simple if you have the items in your garden, which we did! We'll definitely be making something like it again. I wish I had taken a picture, it was a beautiful side dish.

Ingredients:
2 med-large turnips
2 carrots
1 large onion (used purple)
3 med-large potatoes (used red)
4 tablespoons butter
garlic powder
salt and pepper

1) Peel turnips. (carrots if desired)
2) Cut carrots.
3) Cut onion, and potato in large thin slices.
4) Melt butter in sauce pan.
5) Add veggies and garlic powder. Cover.
6) Fry for 25 minutes (or so), stirring every 5 minutes (or so).
7) Devour!

Day of the Turnips

2013-09-14T19:01:00.001-05:00

What to do with a box of turnips...

I picked all of my turnips last weekend. There were so many slugs weaved in and out of my precious crop, what's a girl to do!? I threw my turnips in a bucket and the slugs in water. Cruel, yes. Necessary, yes. Will I lose sleep tonight over the nasty slugs, nope!

I scoured Pinterest for ideas for turnips and ultimately decided to blanch and freeze. We used a few of them over the last week for dinner (recipe here), but couldn't use them all soon enough; they were starting to get soft.

My adventure started this afternoon as I peeled and cut all of the turnips. I started the boiling water and by the time I got all of the turnips in the water had probably been boiling for oh... an hour?! Opps, got distracted I guess, too many shiny things in my house, and the baby! Threw the turnips in and as expected water stops boiling. Wait and wait and wait. No boiling. Check the burner, it's on. Start zucchini chip adventure. Crap! Turnips are still boiling. Throw into cold water and they are all beyond blanched, they are cooked. Oh well. Mark em, bag em up, and freeze up! Done and done!

Pinterest Weekend Project - flower stand

2013-06-08T22:28:00.003-05:00

My Pinterest Tuesday is changing to 'Pinterest Weekend Project' because I really don't have time to do many... so when I have time it will take me all weekend! The husband had the baby today for a few hours inside and I made the most of my time alone outside. I got so much done! Only two things to carry on to the week!

My list:
*weed vegetable garden
* mow around outside of garden and to compost pile
*~~weed whack around flower garden~~ (will be completed Monday)
*finish planting in pots
*wash newly purchased (used) baby swing, play gym, and high chair
*water potted plants
*~~weed flower garden~~ (will be completed Monday)
*upcycle my newly purchased (used) flower stand
*add mulch to front flower garden

We did some garage saling today and I purchased a flower stand and super cute old footstool/storage thing. I decided to try something from Pinterest and upcycle my flower stand today! The idea I had was similar to this from Pinterest:

To do this (supposedly) you paint the canvas or wood, put stickers over the first coat, paint over the stickers, and when the second coat is dry, remove the stickers and waaahlaaa! You have a cute quote or word on the project.

This did not work for me. And I even took my time!

I love the way it turned out and technically my words are covered anyway so no one would even notice, except me.

This project literally cost me $1 today. I had paint and a brush from a previous project, a tank top rag, spray paint from a Cub Scout derby car and scrapbooking stickers.

My potted plant nook on the front porch looks completely different after today!

My tools.

Originally the letters were supposed to be a dark turquoise color. Next time (if there is a next time) I'll try a different type of stickers. These were foam scrapbooking stickers that I thought would be easier to take off. Turns out I was wrong....

Mid-way done!

I forgot to take a picture of how bad the shelf looked after I took the stickers off and half of the work was dark turquoise and half was brown... UGLY!

I decided to make lemonade. Because the stickers were raised foam there was a little bit of dried paint along the sides of all of the stickers. This made for a really cool textured word instead of a different color. So I painted over the dried paint word and left it. And love it more than the color word.

The flower pot added much added height to my potted plant nook.

Now I must patiently await the flowers, spinach, and fennel to spring forth!

Finished!

Fleurs

2012-08-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

At times throughout the summer I tend to forget about my flowers. It's not that I love them any less than my vegetables but I have more at stake if the veggie garden doesn't produce. However,I do love my little flowers and watching them bloom throughout the summer. I didn't add much to the flower gardens this year but plan on moving some of the Hostas due to deer issues in the back yard. I added the Dahlia bed with two elephant ears in June, and just transplanted Iris bulbs into the flower garden that will add a whole new element next summer!

I had 2 hanging Petunia's. Left them in the sun a bit too long a few different days so they are a little wilted but still producing beautiful flowers for the bees and hummingbird's.

The Dahlia bed. No flowers yet but the buds are there, just waiting for the right day!

Daylillies

I plant seed packets in my pots for the summer. However, I forgot what I planted in this one! Waiting for the flowers to show up so I can remember what I planted.

Fushias

Front Porch

2012 Garden - The Stars of Project 24

2012-08-04T21:50:00.001-05:00

My Garden stars the following attractions this year:

CARROTS

(I planted carrots last year but absolutely none grew, this was a pleasant suprise!)

TOMATOES

(I was given a box of tomatoes last fall and saved the seeds. I planted 4 greenhouse plants just in case but now have an overabundance of tomatoes! Looking forward to making spaghetti sauce of some sort.)

Habanero Peppers

(I started these inside and transplanted in mid-July. They have flowers but I'm unsure if they will produce in time for the fall. We've still got time. First time trying peppers in the garden.)

TOMATILLOS

(First time with tomatillos, hoping to make a few jars of salsa.)

MARIGOLDS

(I have read over the years that Marigolds help with certain pests. I normally don't like the flower itself, but enjoy it in my garden.)

HERBS

(Spearmint, Thyme, Basil in the garden. I also have Parsley in a container on the deck.)

ACORN SQUASH

(I love acorn squash, but my husband and son do not. I'll be eating some and making the rest into baby food.)

ZUCCHINI

(We love zucchini so much that when I ran out of room I planted the 2 extra seeds away from the rest near my acorn squash. Didn't want to waste a seed!)

SWEET POTATOES

(Again, my boys do not eat these. I will eat a few, give a few away, but mostly make these into baby food for next spring.)

PUMPKINS

(I saved seeds from last year's 'cooking pumpkin' we bought while at a local pumpkin patch. This was, again, a let's-see-how-it-works-out type situation. Turned out well!)

GREEN BEANS

(Last year I planted 2 packets of seeds, and we got no green beans. So this year I tried again. Seems everything I put in the ground grew! We've harvested 2 gallons so far just off the bush beans. We'll pick the pole beans tomorrow and will have at least the same. Bush beans will have to be harvested again soon too! I'm freezing the beans to use over the winter. Will possibly make some baby food with these when thawed.)

ASPARAGUS

(I was hoping to plant up to 15 asparagus plants. I restrained and bought 2. They were supposed to be ready to produce this year but I only got 2 stalks. I let them grow and will cut them down in the fall in hopes of asparagus next year. Gotta keep trying!)

GARLIC and ONIONS

(I planted fall garlic and onions that have been growing nicely. Haven't been able to harvest as soon as I thought we would but they are going to be a better size than the garlic and onions I planted this spring. Nice to have a little bit of each.)

TURNIPS

(Opps! I planted turnips and had no idea what I was going to do with them... so I'm going to blanch and freeze them with my potatoes and some with carrots for baby food. I will only add a small amount fo the baby food carrots, turnips could make baby gassy!)

POTATOES

(Planted Kenebec and Yukon Gold. Grew well last year, growing well again now that they don't have weeds to compete with!)

2012 Garden - Mid-season Project 24

2012-08-04T16:51:00.001-05:00

I thought blogging would be as easy this summer as it was last summer. Turns out being pregnant, doing some room remodels, getting Cole to baseball 3 days a week, and working full time does not allow for garden photography or blogging. Bummer!

Here is my garden update:

Walking into the garden.

My garden is approximately 30+ by 30+. It is messy and cluttered and I have way too much planted in each row/section. I cram everything in to see how each grows and to learn more each year

I love it and it is my sanctuary!

Looking to the left-northwest.

Looking to the right-northeast.

I have only weeded once prior to today since the end of June (an all day event). It has just been too hot for me to be out on the weekends days and the mosquito's are not kind in the evening we have been home. It is much different this year, I can't squat to weed so I have to literally crawl around on my hands and knees, or sit with my baby-bump constantly in the way. I have to make sure I drink enough water and take breaks.

Today, Cole and I were out in the garden for over 3 hours weeding! My potatoes were in desperate need of space and my walking path was scattered with dead weeds I had attempted to pull during my visits to the garden. He was the best helper. I had to put in him in the pathways because we had an incident in June in which I 'lost' a few onions and garlic due to the little boy helping. The weather was nice and cool, so we weeded away the morning and after lunch. There are still weeds mixed in with my veggies, but not nearly what was there this morning.

It was such a great feeling to see it look like a real garden again!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

2012-05-30T13:18:00.002-05:00

I love when my friends post gardening tips and ideas on Pinterest! This amazing blog had a post about sweet potatoes that I just had to pin and keep forever at my fingertips. It is a basic tutorial on how to grow your own sweet potatoes. Straight and to the point, which is what we all need!

Guess who is the only person in my family of 3 who likes sweet potatoes?? Yup, just me. This winter while planning the garden it didn't seem like a veggie I needed to plant. However, now that we're going to have baby in October or November that means I will not have as much time to get fresh garden produce ready for baby when it starts eating solids. This led to my decision to plant sweet potatoes. The plan is to grow, puree, and freeze the sweet potatoes in preparation of baby needing good homegrown veggies.

The local greenhouse where I will get my starters does not even start selling them until June 1st. So my little plot has been sitting empty for a few weeks, patiently waiting for something to grow. I will plant the sweet potatoes toward the south side of the garden, where they will get the most sun. They require very warm weather so I'm going to do my best to keep them toward the middle each year to maximize the sun for my picky little plans.

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

2012-05-22T10:09:00.003-05:00

One of the first Pinterest ideas I decided to try was the toilet paper roll seed starters. While this idea is great in theory, I think I did a few things wrong. Below is the photo I saw to get my inspiration. Perfect little seedlings in a clean looking display.

Looks easy enough, right?

Below is my photo. Yes, mine are much messier, and growing nowhere near as even and perfect as the photo above. I planted eggplant, butternut squash, pole beans, (and tomatoes in the plastic pots). I only had 4 eggplant and 6 butternut squash sprout in the rolls, that was it.

A few things I think I did wrong that I will change if I try this again for my 2013 Garden:

*Watering was difficult because I had the rolls in a cardboard box. I watered often, usually with a spray bottle. But if it was nice out I would give them a better soak and let them sit in the sun. However, the bottoms of the rolls and box ended up getting moldy, yuck! I was happy to get it out of my living room window.

*When I went to transplant into the garden I thought it would be simple. However, I forgot about the 'hardening off' that is supposed to take place. So I lost 3 of my eggplant and 4 of my squash. Hopefully the other little guys will make it. I just thought it would be nice to have some early squash.

*Planting too early may have also been a problem. We started getting beautiful weather really early this spring. I can't remember exactly when I planted my seedlings but it was way too early...

*Location. I do not have a good location for full-day, south sun, or any sun really coming into the house. Next year I need to find a better location... or buy a mini-portable greenhouse that I can wheel in and out of the garage in the spring.

*Soil. I don't think I had enough seed starting soil in my rolls. Will add to the top next year to ensure the sun/heat is getting to every little seed.

Bulbs - Project 25

2012-05-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

This week I had an awesome co-worker offer up Dahlia bulbs. I emailed her back (within seconds) saying I would take whatever she wanted to give away which turned out to be the Dahlia's and Elephant Ears! Now, the issue is finding a place to plant there where I can dig them out each fall. I will also have to learn how to care for bulbs. To reference my grandma again, she was an expert on caring for bulbs. She had a box in the garage where she carefully stored all of her flower bulbs, remembering where each one was in the fall to extract safely. This could be my downfall. In the spring I couldn't remember where I transplanted Hostas from last fall!

I'm hoping to add a small raised bed in my flower garden to plant the Dahlia's. This way they are all in one spot to dig out in the fall. I won't need to go on a scavenger hunt to find all of my bulbs, or risk losing some to the Minnesota winter. The Elephant Ears could be planted in the same spot, as long as I don't over shade my flowers... so I guess we'll try it and see how it works.

Dahlia:
The Dahlia Barn has a great page (with a lot of detail) on how to care for Dahlia's. The biggest thing is understanding that these are going to take a little bit of extra time and care. Careful watering, and careful fall 'harvest' of the bulbs will ensure I have healthy tubers from year to year. I don't know what colors my Dahlia's will turn out to be but I do know they will be a beautiful addition to my garden!

Elephant Ears:
Elephant Ears are a great addition to a garden. Again, my problem is finding a spot for these larger plants! The tips I got from a wiki-type site sound easy enough. I don't always trust the wiki-how or wikipedia sites just because anyone can add or change the information. These directions seemed very similar to other flower gardening sites.

1. Before planting the elephant ear tuber, wait until the danger of frost is over and the temperature averages 45ºF (7ºC) or more.

2. The adult elephant ear plant will need at least 3 feet (1 meter) of space, at a bare minimum, for proper growth and show in a relatively shady area. A really healthy plant may need as much as 5 feet (1-2 meters) of space.

3. Dig a hole, and if possible, in rich, organic soil about 3-4 times the size of the tuber.

Refill the hole as necessary with loose soil enough so that the tuber will be about 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm.) below ground level when planted.

4. Lay (plant) the tuber with its top up - if in doubt, plant the tuber sideways and let nature figure it out!

5. Cover the tuber with soil and water deeply. After watering, about 1" to 2" (2.5 cm - 5 cm) of soil should cover the tuber.

6. Mark the spot where the tuber is planted.

7. Wait 1 to 3 weeks - maybe more (depending upon air and ground temperature) for first growth to show.

8. Elephant ear plants perform reasonably well in average soil. Periodic fertilization (every 2 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertilizer will help them do their best.

9. Good drainage is a big plus, but the plant should not be left to go dry for any length of time. When this happens, the droopy leaves will give early enough warning for the plant to recover nicely if watered within a day.

10. At the peak of the warm season, large, beautifully lush foliage can grow to heights of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.6 meters). If any leaves turn brown at the edges, just cut away and new ones will certainly grow.

The plant will start having difficulties when the temperature falls below 50ºF (9-10ºC) or so for more than a few days. Before freezing temperatures take over, the tuber (root system) will have to be dug up.

11. A healthy plant will have developed multiple new tubers during the growing season. It's best to leave these intact during storage. Separation will not do significant damage though.

12. Trim most of the green vegetation (top growth) off the top of the tubers: leave no more than half to 1 inch of leafy growth on the tuber. Let the freshly trimmed tubers sit in open air so they can visibly dry out before final storage - maybe a couple of days at most will do. Drying out will minimize the potential for mold, and bacteria to develop.

13. Store the tuber during the colder, winter months in a cool, dry place (45-55ºF is desirable). Don't store in a plastic bag: a plain paper bag with plenty of holes for ventilation will do nicely, as will storage in sphagnum peat moss or garden vermiculite.

14. When the warm season comes around again, separate the tubers as necessary, plant anew and enjoy!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

2012-05-16T08:44:00.002-05:00

I love fresh carrots from the garden. When my siblings, cousins and I were younger we would help plant and harvest my grandma's garden. One of my favorite things to do was pick a carrot, 'clean' it on the grass, and eat! Last year I tried to plant carrots. I quickly realized our soil is too heavy (a common problem with my garden). I planted a row of seeds, and only had one produce, then quickly die...

Over the winter I found a link through Pintrest about growing carrots in pots. This had never even occurred to me before! I have two huge clay pots that were left at he house by the previous owners that I have used for flowers. However, this year they are holding carrot seeds.

One thing I made sure to do was use an organic potting soil and seed starter in the pots. This soil is nice and light so the carrots will stay put but still have a lot of space to grow. I will have to make sure they get watered on a regular basis so the soil does not dry out. So far so good, just waiting for the sprouts!

The 2 large pots hold my carrots, the smaller pot holds spinach. Here, they will get full sun.

Project 22 Complete

2012-05-10T21:27:00.001-05:00

Well, I screwed up. I was completely convinced my tree order was Lilac, Mountain Ash, and Black Walnut. Turns out I was partly wrong. I ordered Lilac, Mountain Ash, Hazelnut, and Plum! Oh well, nothing lost, and I did order 5 more trees than I thought. We had to get creative to find space for the Plum trees but I think it all worked out perfectly.

The Plum will have nice little white flowers in the spring and we planted them so we can see 1 from the driveway, 2 near the pond, and 2 on the east side of the house.

This is near the front of the house. I am so excited for the white flowers that will be on the Plum's when the trees mature.

The Hazelnut were all planted together in a space previously reserved for 2 of the Black Walnut. We left enough room between each tree and filled everything in with new soil. The area was along the tree line in a woodland-grass type area.

1 little tree.

You can't tell from the picture, but there are 5 Hazelnuts planted here!

The Mountain Ash were planted where they were designated to go. 3 near the pond, 1 opposite a small grove of trees from the garden, and 1 in the large flower garden.

Buds/Leaves

Home for 1 of the trees!

3 of the trees will line this side of the pond.

We also transplanted the raspberries in the newly tilled garden off the front yard. Some of them had been a little dried out but even if only half come up we'll have a great amount for next year.

Raspberry bushes

The Lilac were perfect, 15 planted at the end of the driveway to create a barrier when they are fully grown. 10 on one side, and 5 on the other.

Lilac Buds

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

2012-05-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

I've seen quite a few 'pins' dealing with homemade cleaners. I've been nervous to try these only because I don't want to destroy my counter tops, rags, etc. By purchasing natural products I felt like I was doing enough... However, natural products are expensive. Worth it, but more expensive than their chemical filled opponents.

During my past few weeks of the pregnancy I have been craving oranges, lemons, basically any fruit. So when I saw a homemade orange vinegar cleaner on Pinterest I knew the time was right to take the plunge and try it.

Now, most of my Pinterest boards are things that I 'want' to do. Only about 5% of the pins have been attempted. This time I'm going to give you the idea and try it at the same time. The pin I chose is from the blog ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com. She gives straight forward directions and recipe on how to make the Orange Vinegar Cleaner.

Vinegar + Oranges

The vinegar is already starting to change color.

I left my jar in the window.

I will summarize what I did to follow the directions.

Put orange peels in a jar (used an old Ragu jar)
Pour vinegar in jar (leaving room to add more peels later this week)
Leave jar for 2 weeks
Strain orange peels and pour the orange infused vinegar in a spray bottle for easy use.
Mix 50/50 with water. (more or less depending on your preference)

Use in the kitchen, bathroom, or other basic household areas.
For wood paneling: use mixture of 1/2c olive oil, 1/2c vinegar and 2c warm water.
For wood furniture: use 1/8c of vinegar in spray bottle, 2c warm water. Shake gently to mix. Wipe away with clean dry towel.

2012 Vegetable Garden - Project 24

2012-05-05T22:05:00.001-05:00

Today I got to do my first 2012 gardening log in my book. My Aunt Joanne reminded me to keep track of the dates I plant, and what I plant. An idea instilled and practiced by my Grandma (her mama). My Grandma was a diligent record keeper and logged the weather every day for as far back as we can track. She had gardening journals detailing everything. And while I have this blog, I love nothing more than a good handwritten record to look back on. So, I've already logged everything (which I'm sure is making Grandma proud) and now its time to blog it!

I've changed my 'garden spreadsheet' a dozen times already and even 'finalized' it five times... opps! I really should know better. I use growveg.com for my garden template and I love it!

Jeremy tilling the garden.

The first things to go in the garden were my hanging tomato plants. I'm trying Romas in two hanging baskets to see how they work. I accidentally bought these instead of cherry tomatoes so I figure I might as well try them and see how they work. I'm all about maximizing my space this year.

Second veggie to go in the garden were carrots. I planted carrots in two large terra cotta pots. Our soil is extremely heavy and last year we only had one pop up, and then proceeded to die within days. I read that they would grow well in pots so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this year! The best carrots are fresh from the garden.

Third, I transplanted my tomatoes that had been growing inside for the past month. They are small but have been wilting and crowding each other out this week. The pots I planted them in were too small to begin with, I should have known better. But we planted them anyway and covered each with a 1/2 piece of a 2 liter bottle. This will hopefully keep the fragile little things warm over night and give them a nice little greenhouse during the day. I'll take the covers off in two weeks, when we shouldn't have freezing temps over night any more. I have more to plant when it gets warmer but I wanted a few ready to go asap!

Fourth, I planted potatoes, Yukon Gold. Three rows so far, with room for two more. I didn't plan ahead enough with the one bag I purchased from the greenhouse. Oh darn, will have to make another trip to Nature's Edge next weekend ;)

Rows are east-west.

Fifth, my mom gave me her extra yellow and purple onions, planted two rows of each. The fall onions are coming up nicely too!

Onions and Garlic are north-south

Sixth, brought out the small garlic from last year's garden and planted it in two rows. I should have spaced these out a little more but I think they will be fine. The fall garlic are coming up great!

Fall Onion and Garlic

Seventh, turnips. This is my first year growing these so we'll see how it goes! I don't love-love turnips but I do like them in a few different dishes so thought I might as well get them in the garden.

Turnips and Marigolds are east-west

Eighth, I planted marigolds and alyssum. The alyssum went along the two 'missing' rows of potatoes and along the first row of new onions. These are supposed to be great companion plants for potatoes and garlic/onions. I put a small row of marigolds on both sides of the turnips. I have a lot of each of the flowers left to spread between rows in the garden. I'm hoping it not only helps the soil but boosts the productivity of my veggies.

A couple weeks ago I planted two groupings of asparagus with the hopes of 6-8 more. These were only watered today, nothing exciting.

After planting, everything was watered twice. Then I was done, woohoo! In 2 weeks I will plant the peas, beans, zucchini, transplant my butternut squash and eggplant, and plant extra tomatoes and anything else I find at Nature's Edge next weekend.

Refencing the Garden - Project 23

2012-05-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Jeremy tilled the garden, this weekend we put the fence up! We, meaning him... but I was a great supervisor. We picked up new fencing at Menards again this year as most of last year's fencing went to deer proofing the apple trees. We purchased 5' fence to go along our entire 32x32(ish) garden. It was easier to manage than the 6' we had up last year. The husband did an amazing job, it looks great! Now for me to do my part... plant, plant, plant, weed, weed, weed, harvest!

Vegetable garden (Killer supervising the progress)

Project Complete!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

2012-05-01T10:25:00.016-05:00

For this particular Pinterest idea I am going to need to hit a couple garage sales, flea markets, or possibly junk yards. Even though we expanded the garden this year I love the idea of vertical gardening. I love to make the most out of the space I have and not waste an inch. Even if this means growing more than I need, just to give it away to family and friends.

Last year I didn't plant peas. I thought the soil would be too heavy. I am going to try it this year, and just plant extra in the case that only some of them can grow in our garden. I am going to plant snow peas and shelling peas. I will try this vertical planter for my snow peas and let the shelling peas grow in their bushes. Here's the idea!

http://www.suitedtotheseasons.com/2010/09/peas-and-raspberries.html

This homemade trellis is as simple as it looks.

Materials:

2 bike rims

1 metal post

String and wire