Posted in Down The Garden Path
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The news is calling for rain all weekend. So I decided to pop out to the garden and get anything that was ready. The girls had a good time helping pick beans! I got another large bowl of them and some cucumbers and zucchini (normal and Italian). Also two more tomatoes, they are ripening very slowly this year. I sure hope they pick up soon! There are TONS of green ones out there.
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Well in the few weeks since I posted the last photos of our garden, things have really grown! Our potatoes are flowering. I always think they are so pretty!
Our potatoes are almost waist high on dh!
This is an later planting or potatoes from late June on dh right. To the left is our 2nd planting of beans.
Our little corn patch has also really grown.
DD's pumpkins are doing well and starting to get flower buds also.
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These are just a few overview shots of our gardens. This one is the red potato patch. Planted here are 50 lb of red potatoes and a few pounds of purple ones.
This is our cucumber trellis. It's our second planting we had so much rain the first one never came up. To the right are more yellow beans and a few more potatoes. To the left is another row of tomatoes and the red potatoes.
A close up of the little cucumbers.
Italian Zucchini
Pie Pumpkins
A Brandywine Tomato plant.
This is just a normal zucchini. Our of 6 hills with 3 plants in each only 2 plants came up. We had so much rain the others must have rotted.
This is a shot of our main garden. I can't get a good angle to get it all in. This one has our white potatoes, some of the tomatoes, carrots and beans in it.
This is one of our field pumpkins. DD6 planted these are are happy they are doing well!
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I've been crazy busy around here trying to keep up with the gardens an normal work. I took a break yesterday to get some photos. This is the little pond we put in this year. The plants floating in the pond are water hyacinths. They were two tiny plants when I put them in a month ago. It looks like they like that spot as they are growing nicely! I also have 3 comet gold fish in there. Don't mind the silly spiting frog on the log. That's what I used before I got the waterfall set up.
Having even a small pond in your yard attracts lots of wildlife! I've seen many more birds, butterflies and dragonflies since we put it in. They all enjoy bathing and drinking from the waterfall area. These are some photos of butterflies that had finished drinking. They landed down on the mulched area to dry their wings. I believe the first one is a Painted Lady butterfly. We raised them last year. Anyone know what the black and blue one is?
This is a wide photo of my herb/sitting area. We aren't done landscaping it yet but the pond is in the corner.
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Last week we had a real cold spell and frost. All of my tomatoes and peppers were well covered but they still got hit hard. It looked like we lost them all. I went out last night to start replacing my old plants to find a lot are regrowing leaves! I was sure they were dead, even the stems didn't look well. But many have tiny pin head leaves starting to come back. So DH has to till up some more room for me anyway we will put the new tomatoes in the other section. I did get our corn in yesterday and more potatoes planted. We have about 50 lb of white potatoes left to plant. When we were at the green house DH found some red seed potatoes. These aren't just red skinned but red ALL the way through. We put them in the kids garden. Today we see our purple potatoes are coming up to! Starting Thursday we are moving into a heat wave. Fri is suppose to be 30 C but with a heat index of 38 C, that's 100.4F!!! Quite a change from last week when it was freezing! We still need to till up another section of the lawn, we are expanding our main garden plot. But will do that in the early morning I hope to avoided the heat. I still have my pumpkins, pie pumpkins, Italian zucchini, buckwheat and a few other goodies to get in. |
Being heirlooms they aren't easy or cheep to replace. We finally found a greenhouse not to far from here that sold heirloom tomatoes. The only one they had that was the same as one I was growing was Brandywine. So I got a few of them, as well as some ox harts, a Green Zebra, and some other white and orange tomatoes to try. 
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Boy what a difference one day can make. Yesterday we had a heat index of 29C today it was only up to 8C and we have a frost warning out tonight...it's cold! So had to dig out lots of feed bags and get my tomatoes covered up. Looks like tomorrow will be cool to then it will warm up again. With more RAIN LOL. I hope we get some nice warmer weather patterns soon. |
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Well we finally had a break in the weather this weekend. First nice warm and sunny days I can remember in a while! Basically our weekend was.... Friday, Dh wanted to go to our friends hot dog cart for lunch, did a little shopping after that. Dh was to tired for more so headed home. He wanted to try and get the gardens tilled before it got to late. Well tiller would work...again! We just had the carb rebuilt on it...that thing has giving us non stop trouble since we got it used a few years ago. Sat morning dh went down to talk to our small engine mechanic. A new carb was going to be almost as much as a new motor...and that motor was going to be a lot to...He had ONE new tiller sitting there for sale and it wasn't much more then the price of a motor. Since our old one is sooo old at least 20 years dh was worried about something else breaking on it...Our gardens are already a month behind because of it. So he decided to get it. It works wonderfully!!! So on Sat we got the gardens tilled up. Then planted 50 lb of red potatoes and about 5 lb of purple ones. The girls LOVED helping and were wonderful helpers. After that we headed out to finish our shopping and treated them to ice cream for all their hard work. Sunday, we normally would have rested but we are so behind fighting the weather. We put in 100 lb of white potatoes, 9 bell peppers, 4 jalapeño peppers, 4 banana peppers, zucchini, and about 50 tomato plants. It was a LOT hotter then Sat. so we moved a little slower and did the potatoes in the afternoon the rest in the evening. Today I put in the green and yellow beens, carrots, a flat of broccoli and cucumbers. Ummm I can hardly move!! LOL We still have another 100 lb of potatoes to put in this week and a few other things to. |
He decided we would either have to put on a new carb or motor or replace the whole thing. Phoned around almost non of the normal hardware type stores are carrying rear-tine tillers any more...It's all the dinky little ones or front tine ones. They just don't work that well.Posted in Down The Garden Path
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Path to Freedom has kicked off a new challange. The details as quoted from their site: The challenge is simple. Beginning as soon as you can, prepare a meal at least once a week with only homegrown vegetables, fruit, herbs, eggs, dairy products or meat, using as few store bought ingredients as possible.
The purpose is plain - the waging of an all-out fight against the forces that keep you dependent on the system of petroleum fueled food. The degree to which you rely on today’s artificial corporate structure determines the extent of your vulnerability. Resolve to lessen your dependence on outside food sources. The result is revolutionary. As you take back responsibility for your food supply, you’ll experience the empowerment and fulfillment that comes from learning the basic skills of providing for yourself and your family. Let’s sow the seeds of victory and get our hands dirty to fill our plates. Plant a VICTORY GARDEN today! :: Guidelines :: A meal must be comprised of food grown on your property or garden plot (literally or figuratively within - 100 feet - of your front or back door). If non-homegrown ingredients are needed, then we suggest following these modified locavore guidelines If not from BACKYARD, then Locally produced (PTF’s addition)
Local business.If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Watch this wonderful video made by them. I wish more people would do this with their yards!
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I was recently asked if there was any GM sweet corn on the market, or if it was all field (livestock) corn. Yes there is is GM sweet corn and it has been on the market since 1998. Most of the sweet corn you buy in the grocery store is genetically modified to contain BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) a natural bacterium found in soil around the world, as has field corn. While it is a useful natural pesticide used properly it should not be inside the food we eat! There have been many cases of animals around the world dying after eating BT corn. There are numerous studies showing that genetically modified foods are NOT safe for animals or people to eat. However these studies are covered up and the FDA rushes through the approval on many products. I encourage each family to do the research themselves but here are a few sites to get you started. Genetically Engineered Corn Study Shows Potential Harm To Stream Wildlife Near Farms |
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If you have decided to try growing heirloom or open pollinated corn, the topic of cross pollination might be on your mind. Some people will tell you that corn pollen can travel half a mile to a mile on the wind. Other people say that corn pollen is heavy and can't travel more then an eighth of a mile. One way or another this isn't a lot you can do to prevent local farms or other gardens in town from affecting your plants. However if you are very concerned about it you could cover your crop with a fine mesh net during pollination time. But if your main goals are to grow more then one type of open pollinated corn in your garden, there are things you can do to minimize this. Choose varieties that have a minimum of 10 days difference in maturity date. One thing to remember is that a second planting of corn, normally a mid season will catch up to an early corn even if planted a week or two latter. This is because the soil is warmer and the growing conditions better. It is best to wait until the first planting is 10" to 12" high then plant the second crop. This will help to ensure they tassel at different times. If you want to be extra safe when the second planting is just about ready to tassel out; go through the first planting and cut off all the tassels. This will prevent any late pollen from blowing into the second crop. |
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Well I haven't been able to get back in the garden, it's been to wet. We even has some snow/rain mix yesterday! eeeks They are calling for it again tonight and then rain all day tomorrow...(sigh) It does look like the rest of the week will be nice so hopefully this weekend we'll get the rest of the garden in! This past weekend a friend and I took a trip to a huge garden center 2 hours away. It's our yearly trip. There I picked up some heirloom tomatoes Brandywine, Moskvich, Eva Purple Bell, Yellow Pare Cherry. I was a little disappointed they didn't have any Roma types that were open pollinated. But on the way home I found a woman selling plants that had lots of heirloom tomatoes. From her I got, Opalka, Black Plum, Hillbilly, Rutgers, Amish Paste and Palmira. At the first nursery I also picked up a rhubarb plant and 3 gooseberry plants. As far as the rest of our garden we'll be planting 3 types of heirloom corn, national pickling cucumbers, yellow and green bush beans, zucchini, peas, red, white and purple potatoes, swish chard, broccoli, carrots, onions. I know I have more to go in, but I can't remember the names right now LOL. I'll post more as I plant. |
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Ok this is my second try at posting...my pc is eating my posts today. Our spring started of with 2 weeks of nice hot weather and ever since then it's been cool and rainy. So I'm just now starting to get into the garden. I'm working on the shady garden right now. This is my patch on top of the hill that boarders a pine bush. I've found it to be a wonderful place to grow cooler crops in the summer heat. Cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce seem to love it especially and keeps them from bolting. It has just one problem...It's infested with cleavers! If you have never seen cleavers they can be a useful herb but NOT in the vegetable garden! They are very invasive, choking out everything in it's path. It's leaves are covered in sticky hairs that rip your arms like velcro when you try to weed them out. So this year I'm trying something new, fabric mulch! Yesterday it wasn't raining so I got two rolls put down and planted some of our cabbage, celery and lettuce. I hope to finish covering the garden with it soon and get some bark mulch on top to.
Cabbage
Celery
Lettuce
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We started harvesting our potatoes today. Dh dug and the girls and I picked them up. The littles were so much help! Little dd3 (22 months) was so excited to be doing this! It's such a cute age when every little job gives them such excitement. Off two rows we harvested 100 pounds of potatoes. We hope to do 2 rows a day and finish this section of the garden this week. Then we have one more section on the other side of the yard to get done next week. Rain pending of course.
Break time!
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Well last night I was awaken by a thunderstorm. Unfortunately we got very little rain from it. Again tonight we've seen and heard a lot of thunder and lightning but its staying just north and south of us. I don't want the storms but we need the rain sooo bad! The ground is just so dry. Dust is blowing off lawns and even the weeds in the bush are wilting and dying. All of the farmers even the old timers are saying how bad it is and the crops are terrible this year.
We have another line of storms heading this way from looking at the radar. I'm hoping that they aren't bad but that we get some good rain!!
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We went strawberry picking Saturday evening. This time we tried out a new place we found in the newspaper. It was a little farther a way then were we normally go, but so much nicer! It turned out to be an old order Mennonite run farm and the woman there was so nice. She made us and the kids feel so welcome and invited us all to eat as much as we wanted. As she said it’s the best part of berry picking lol. So many berry picking places make families with children feel unwelcome. And it’s so sad to, after all they may like to snack but they are the next generation of berry pickers! If they have good memories of going out they will be back with their children later.
We’ve taught our children not to eat until after we’ve paid for the berries but it was really nice to be able to relax and let then snack a little bit after the nice woman told us to go a head.
The price was great to, just .90 a pound. That’s way cheaper then any other place we’ve been to before.
The girls were great helpers and we all picked 67 pounds of strawberries! I’m going to be very busy the next day or to canning and freezing all of them up.
Here are a few photos of the after picking faces lol.
   And here is the 67 pounds of berries, yikes lol!
 A close up, yummy.
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Oh boy has it been hot here! Our weather is so funny. Sunday was freezing cold then the last 2 days are baking hot!
Anyway I've been puttering in the garden early in the morning and late in the evening. Yesterday I got our carrots, beets, swish chard, radishes, zucchinis, pickling cucumbers, and sunflowers in. This morning I planted the gladiola bulbs. Except for the onions that pretty much takes care of the main garden. It also has the corn, pie pumpkins, beans, tomatoes and potatoes we already planted.
We still have our two other gardens to work up. We have another one in a shady area that is GREAT for cooler crops in the summer heat. I love to grow my pea's, broccoli and lettuce up there. The shade helps to keep them from bolting so fast. Dh needs to till that up one more time and make the rows. He built a row maker/furrow maker that is the exact spacing he wants for his tiller. So as soon as he does that I'll get that garden planted.
Then we have one other just behind the barn were I'm planting out field pumpkins. I'm really hoping we can get this done today!
But we have to make a quick trip to town so we'll see.
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Well today is going to be a scorcher! Up to 29C today and tomorrow 31C !!! Our first super hot days.
We were busy out in the garden yesterday. Dh tilled up the main part again and we got our corn, beans, and the last of our potatoes in. Latter in the evening I went out and planted the paste tomatoes.
I'm hoping to get the rest of the garden in today. I'll start as soon as the girls finish there breakfast.
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I finally got my garden seeds started this weekend to! I'm a few weeks latter then I normally do, but not TO late.
This year we switched to all organic, open pollinated/heirloom seeds. So far I've started:
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This past week dh and I placed our orders for most of out garden seed this year. Each year I try to use more open pollinated plants and less hybrids. After we recently watched a documentary on genetically modified seeds/plants dh and I were deeply convicted to switch over 100% to organic open pollinated seeds. We are also expanding our produce sales this year. Dh will be building a new cart he’s been working on the plans for that already. He also wants to make up fliers to have available sharing that we only grow open pollinated plants and why. And that we use no pesticides, herbicides fertilizers etc. Last year we sold our organic produce at the SAME price you pay in the grocery store for commercially produce, not the price you paid for organic produce. We did quiet well. But dh never advertised that it was organic. One time two woman stopped to buy some items, zucchinis I believe. Dh was out front and talking to them. After they found out our produce was organic they bought extra and even had dh go dig up some potatoes fresh from the garden for them lol. So this year he’ll have to make sure that it’s clear, our produce is all natural. Also frustrated by the lack of selection from the larger seed companies for o/p seeds, we ordered from a smaller supplier this year. AGRESTAL ORGANIC HERITAGE SEED CO. This way we are also supporting smaller family farms that produce and sell this seed. Many of our seeds we’ll be saving so we wont have to buy them again next year. That will save a lot of money also This is what we have ordered so far: Sweet Corn- Yukon Supreme early 45 day Clem Bennett 80-100 day Zucchinis- Black Beauty Striato d’Italia Zucchini Tomatoes- Heinz 2653 Paste 65-70 days. I decided to try this one because it matures much early then the Amish paste tomatoes. With a short growing season this is important! These will be grown in the field. Cosmonaut Volkov 65-75 days. I picked this Russian variety because it’s an early producer. So should grow well for us hear and when we move farther north. This will be grown in the green house dh is building this spring. Beans- Blue lake Beets- Detroit Dark Red Broccoli - Calabrese Green Sprouting Carrots - Royal Red Core Chantenay Cucumbers pickling- National Pickling Lettuce- Crisp Mint Peas- Mayfair Field Pumpkins- Howden Pie Pumpkins- Saved seed from last year Radish- Plum Purple Cherry Belle Swish Chard- Rainbow Dill- Bouquet Dill Basil- Sweet Basil Sunflowers- Teddy Bear Autumn Beauty |
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I was taking a few photos of the garden the other day and thought I'd share a few.
Here is my yellow rose I just put this in this year.
 Here are some flowers that the last owners planted by the barn. Some type of aster I think?
 This is our sweet corn
 Pumkins ripening some are more yellow then this one. But this is the largest!
 Feverfew
 My comfery plants, I just put them in this year.
And here is our compost pile. Growing out of it a nice pumkin plant and tomato plant LOL.
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