This and That. Wrapping up Summer.

As usual, I haven't blogged in some time.  I forget or get tied to other things and just never blog, even though I have every intention of doing it. 

Summer went by and was very dry.  As such, a lot of my plants died.  I am just awful at maintaining them.  It is a wonder my children are alive and well. 

In any case, the one area that did well was my herb garden right outside of my front door.  I'm REALLY hoping that all the plants come back next year.  I am also searching for somewhere to plant my mint.  I want to put it in the ground and let it go.  I know it is a bear to get rid of, but I could not see myself wanting to get rid of that plant EVER! 

Our garden wasn't as exciting this year.  I need to fix our stake problem.  We just never get the tomatoes staked right.  I ended up buying tomatoes this year from the farmer to make salsa.  We never got a chance to make any plain tomatoes.  I'm quite bummed about it. 

I did however, get about a bushel and a half or almost two bushels of apples.  I'm planning on making apple butter and can't wait to get started on it.  The kids, I think will really enjoy helping do this. 

The Secret Garden

Since moving into this house, I've attempted to turn the front area into something of a hidden treasure.  A few years back I made a patio from reclaimed bricks. I planted and killed a large amount of plants but finally I've had success in a few of the rogue plants returning.  My thought for that area is that I want it to look like a treasure that someone stumbles upon..... a secret patio in the woods somewhere.  Yesterday, I finally took another step in achieving this.

Connected to this area is a war zone of about 5 foot by 12 foot.  It had some remaining ivy and the left over bricks from the patio and a few weeds.  I pulled out the ivy, moved the bricks and hit the nursery center.  Too much money later, I returned with the goods. 

At this point, I'm hoping that my secret garden grows in to what I envision in my head.  The husband is having heart failure at the amount of money I spent and truthfully I am feeling a bit bad myself.... only because of my track record.   I love the way the plants look and once they take over and fill the space, I'm going to be very happy.  Especially because everything I bought is a perennial.  My musings include not only the secret garden but a low maintenance garden too.  One I can just enjoy but not be tied to every waking moment. 

HAPPY FOURTH!

This morning as we were preparing to go to all of the picnics we were invited to this weekend, we got an awesome symbol of this land that we love.  My hubby started calling the kids to "COME LOOK".  There in our yard was a momma wild turkey and her 5 babies.  They were so cute and adorable.  My kids wanted to run out and pet them.  I used this time as a teachable moment concerning wild animals and especially wild animal mommas and their babies. 

We stepped out for a few hours and on our way home we had to stop for about 5 minutes a street over.  This time three mommas and about 10 babies made their way across the street.  Again, no words can explain how adorable and fuzzy the babies looked. 

I thought it was kind of ironic that our national mascot was going to be the wild turkey and here, on the weekend celebrating our freedom, is a momma turkey and baby turkeys in my yard.  Then a friend sent me a note saying that turkeys are a symbol of sacrifice to a cause or a symbol of a gift.  Both appropriate as I celebrate all those who have died for our freedom and those who still live with the battle scars internal and external.  Thank you to both of my brothers, Norb and Dennis, for their sacrifices and losses.  We are forever greatful to you.      

MINTY, MINT MINT MINT!!!!!

I started out wanting a mint garden.  I wanted it in an area of lawn where I didn't care if the mint took over, which I know it will.  My friend, when she bought her house, had stepped out the door on a cold March evening and smelled mint.  There growing outside of her door was a ton of mint.  I remember her being so excited about it and since then, I wanted a patch too.  I thought I found that place but quickly realized I didn't think it got enough sun.  So I put the mint I had purchased aside (all seven kinds) until I could figure out a new spot.

 

The mint sat there for several weeks, until I gave up sometime last week and put them in a container garden out in the front of my house.  Although they look good, I was hoping for mint everywhere!  I LOVE mint (if you couldn't tell).  Hopefully soon, I'll find that perfect spot.  Until then, I'll have to enjoy them in their containers.  I do think I am going to fertilize and then hopefully get them into the ground so, sometime in March I can step outside and smell the mint.

Strawberry Picking

One morning this week, my kids and I drove up to a local farm to pick our own strawberries.  The knowledge of where our food comes from is important to me for my kids to know.  I don't want them thinking the grocery store is where food is made but rather I want them to experience the farm and all of it's quirky goodness.

We decided to ask my mom to join us.  She was having a "good" day (she has MS) and was excited to go berry picking.  My kids love every moment they spend with her.  They were so excited to have this experience with my mom.

We drove the 15 minutes to "the farm", gathered our strawberry boxes and waited for the next shuttle.  I think my kids favorite part was riding the shuttle.  This consisted of two park benches, back to back, on a flatbed being pulled by a camoflaged golf cart.  They thought it was AWESOME!  And the farm lives up to "quirky goodness". 

The shuttle dropped us off at the patch and we started the hunt.  I was hoping to fill both my boxes and have my kids fill their boxes.  You know where this is going?  Well I started gleefully picking my strawberries.  It was kind of hot out there, but the intermittent light rain was really perfect.  There was a slight breeze to accompany the light rain.  I looked over to where my kids were crowding my mom to see my mom laughing so hard I thought she was going to fall over.  My daughter kept picking the strawberries and then she'd say, "Grammy!  Here's a good one.  I think I'll eat it."  And so this ensued the entire picking time.  Needless to say, her basket ended up with about 3 strawberries while her belly probably had a good quart of them. 

By the end of the picking session, I walked away with about two and a half baskets full of strawberries.  With those, I made strawberry preserves.  My kids and husband go through a ton of jelly.  I figured I'd make it cheaper on us.  The entire lot of strawberries came to about $25.  The pectin, which I didn't have, came to about $12, but I got coupons in the boxes.  I had the canning jars and lids and everything else needed.  So for about $40, I was able to make 16 and a 1/2 pints of preserves/jam.  Not bad for a day of work.

The thing that struck me most about "the farm" is that it used to be in the middle of the country.  But as always, suburbia keeps growing.  Kudos to the farm for keeping it's land and continuing to function as a farm.  But also for growing into the role that it now plays, which is a farm but also market, tea party hostess, gift shop, garden center, wine shop and bakery all in one.

From high atop the hillside I looked down past all of the buildings to see the farms other fields full of bounty and bordered by a shopping plaza.  Behind me I heard the roar of the trucks and cars on one of the busiest highways in all of Pittsburgh.  I thought about this small piece of heaven in the middle of all the commotion.  Life stops for no one and yet this farm knows how to stop time amid the hustle and bustle of modern day life.  Again, kudos to them.

Poison Ivy

I've never known what poison ivy looks like. I mean I know the rule, "leaves of three, let it be", however, there are other less problematic plants that have leaves of three. I have asked several of my friends who are "outdoorsy", but no one could ever point it out.

Last week, my husband and I went on a "Venture Outdoors" hike (http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/). It was really awesome. The lovely guide pointed out poison ivy along the trail. Hubby bared his forearm, which is totally covered in the itchy rash. The crowd oohed and ahhed at the sight of this little plant and it's wrath.

I'm so thankful the guide pointed out what it looks like, because the very next day, as I was getting out of my car, I saw some. It is along the driveway in what I refer to as "my woods". My Woods is a small (maybe 6-8 feet) area between my driveway and my neighbors yard where we let the plants do what they do naturally. It provides a nice barrier between yards and we attract quite a bit of birds (what ever the cats don't get), squirrels and other critters. It makes us feel a little more secluded in our suburban neighborhood and we like it.

Yesterday, my brothers came to pick some things up I was storing for them. My one brother, Dennis is super "outdoorsy". He was standing in my driveway and pointed out how the poison ivy has taken the liberty of starting to climb our oak tree in "my woods". I challenged him because there is also another vine on it. Calmly he showed me the difference in the two. By George, there is a difference.

At this point I am looking for "green" ways to get rid of it. I've read boiling water.... but not sure that will do anything. In the mean time, I am now wise to it's appearance. I am hoping I excape this season WITHOUT any of it. This is more than I can say for hubby.

Foraging

Last year I found a place in Brookville PA that hosts really cool looking "outdoorsy" type excursions. When I was reading the website, I thought it was a B&B that hosted classes in yoga and relaxation as well as how to make soap, cheese and a variety of other classes. I kept thinking, "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!", but let me back up a bit.

When my best friend and I were teenagers, we used to do sleep overs several times per week. I can't tell you how many nights I spent at her mom's house watching movies and then getting up the next morning to drag our butts to school. "The Breakfast Club" was always on the list, but so was a movie called, "Casual Sex". It isn't exactly what the title implys. It is about two single girl friends who are tired of working non stop, so they book a trip to a spa resort. Andrew Dice Clay is in it and there breeds the title, "Casual Sex". Anyway, she and I have always made a pact that someday, we would do what these gals did.... go to a spa and relax!

Here we are almost 17 years later and we still have yet to do the spa thing. So when I saw this place that is close to home, should something arise with our kids, yet far enough away that we feel like we are AWAY, I thought it a win-win. Last summer came and went without us even calling to get details. I decided I wouldn't wait so long this year and I called. It seems this isn't an inclusive thing, unless you get 5 or more people together. Also, you aren't staying on the actual farm.... it would be about a half mile down the road at another farm. I think it is still looks like a wonderful place, but it just isn't what I was hoping for when thinking of our "girls trip".

What I did find on their list of schedules is a foraging class. This is something they offer regardless if there is a group staying. My husband and I are very interested in the idea of picking our own food in our own backyard/woods. I called to get some details and the EXTREMELY nice woman explained they do not put up just one family, rather we would need to stay somewhere else close by. This opened up the door for a camping excursion.

My son has been asking us to take him camping for at least 6 months. I like camping, but seem to smell like a last supper to mosquitos.... so I end up being miserable. My husband doesn't care for camping unless he has a working toilet and some water. He's more of a cabin type of guy. Cook Forest is not far from this place so I am hoping to get a cabin there for the weekend.

In preparation for the "class" on foraging, I went into my own backyard to pick mulberries from my GIGANTIC mulberry tree, only to realize that the ladder I needed to pick the currently ripe berries is buried in the back of my garage. It is nicely tucked between all the crap from the basement and my gardening stuff. Determined NOT to let it get me down, I walked back over to the tree and realized the wind had knocked a lot of ripe berries off the tree onto the ground. I began to forage. I picked a nice bunch of berries and washed them. I am putting them into a baggie and into the freezer until I've picked enough to make some jelly. Hopefully, there will be enough left over to freeze to use as a filling for pie come winter.

As I was squatting to pick up the berries, my mind went to the animals that eat these berries and then to the Native Americans who used to forage in this same manor. I also began to think about areas in the world where this is still the method for finding your food. One phrase rang out over and over again in my mind, "Do you know where your food comes from?" I answered my own thoughts with, "YES! YES I DO!". Pride beamed from my inner self.

I also thought of some of my friends and acquaintances who like the idea of local produce but would not be able to get over the fact that these berries were found on the ground. They would be thinking how "unsterile" it is to eat a berry off the ground. I had a nice chuckle and then got gloomy. It is truly sad how disconnected we've become. My mind raced to the movie "WALL-E" and also the movie "Food Inc". How have we let ourselves become so far removed from the idea of REAL FOOD?

I enjoyed my short adventure in my own backyard, however so did the mosquitos. In the 15-20 minutes I was out there, I've already found at least 3 bites. I'm sure there are more that will expose themselves, as always. I guess those little buggers were just foraging too.

My Big Score!

Since building my patio retreat, I've been wanting a metal table and chairs. But I didn't want a new one, I wanted an older looking one. I wanted a cast iron or something similar. I've read about cast iron and how it rusts.... they say aluminum is better. I've been on the look out for two years..... and I found one the other day. To say I'm overjoyed is an understatement. I just keep looking at the set and it makes me smile every time. I paid $50 at the thrift store and it is cast aluminum.

SCORE!!!!!

Bites.

So MDM is over. I skipped out on the last two days..... instead choosing to do indoor projects. Things that needed to be done but weren't "outside" jobs. I've since gotten over the novelty of OUTSIDE all the time.

The one thing, though, that has been quite the downer is this year the bugs seem to be in overload mode. I have bites from head to toe. In fact, this morning, I went out to check on my plants, which we'll get to in a moment, and within 2 minutes, literally, of being out there I had a welt on my shoulder. That infamous itchy sensation started to set in followed by the area of redness and my irresisitable urge to SCRATCH!

I keep asking hubby dearest to add a bat box to our garage. They eat the mosquitos and keep the other populations of bugs way down. He is a paranoid person and says they have rabies. I may add one and see if he notices.

The other issue are with my plants. Something is eating them. It isn't pretty. I started out with so many tomato plants I thought I was gonna be canning until the cows come home. Only to find out, I'll be lucky if two survive. All four of the Eggplants I've planted are dead or dying. Two are gone the other two are looking like swiss cheese. Then there are the hot pepper plants. I had a ton of these too. I am down to maybe 2 or 3, if that.

I cried on the phone with my mom this morning. I told her that maybe I wasn't meant to be a gardener. I've tried for three years and all three years I've gotten SHIT out of the garden. OK, so that isn't true. A few years back I ended up getting a TON of tomatoes..... I canned them. But aside from that one crop that one year, I've got NOTHING! Enough on my rant. I think I'll go eat some worms :(

Day Full of Day Lillies

Today was supposed to be day two of yard work marathon. Hub said he wanted to sleep in and truthfully, he deserved it. Today marks him being home 1 week from his 'round the world work trip. I obliged his desire as I too love to sleep in. But all that sleeping meant much less yard work. We finally got outside about 11 or 1130.

Immediately, I went to work on my mint garden. After standing there during mid day, I realized the area I had slated for my mint garden did not receive enough light. So I changed plans. It has been on the back burner of my mind to break apart my plethora of day lillies and transplant them. So the area that was supposed to be minty freshness now became full of day lillies.

Transplanting these little babies involved me digging out the weeds/patchy grass, turning over the dirt, walking behind the garage to the compost pile and loading up a 5 gallon bucket, then spreading the compost over the dirt and then re turning over the dirt. I then walked across the driveway and dug out some day lillies, split them with my hands then re planted them in the compost mixture. After replanting an entire section, hub would hand me a bag of freshly ground sticks from our property to add on top as mulch. This entire operation took until about 5pm and yielded me an entire section of yard in which I can leave to Mother Nature. However, the area I was trying to clear out for my mint garden, still contains over 3/4 of the day lillies. It seems in splitting them, they go far..... REALLY FAR!

Hub spent the time adding the screens back to our windows, which is a God sent as the last few nights I've been eaten alive in my own home. The other night, I killed a mosquito and when hub saw it he asked if it was real. I'm not even going into the smart ass comments that came out of my mouth with that question.... but lets just say, "YEAH! IT WAS REAL!"

After screens he used our chipper, lovingly called "the beast", to chop up a pile of sticks and leaves we had set aside since fall. Those became the mulch around the new day lillies. I love recycling!

Hub then decided to move our gas grill to the "other side" of the drive way. He cleared out the weeds, recycled some rocks we had on hand and built a little patio for the grill to sit on. He is quite excited about it's new location. I think it looks good, but am not as excited. Our other option is on a deck that has yet to be built. Looks like this will have to do for now.

Tomorrow, we have more plans in store. We also are not sleeping in and are hoping for an earlier start. There are talks of a trip to the garden center, again. Those people at Best Feeds are beginning to know us by name. I still am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Stay tuned!

The First of Three LONG Days!

Tonight was the first link in our Memorial Day Marathon (MDM). My daughter had her last day performance at school. That ate up our morning. The afternoon we spent running around doing menial tasks that needed to be done, but had NOTHING to do with our MDM. About 7ish we caught our stride and began the weekend from hell.

For Mother's Day this year, we bought my mom a cedar raised bed garden. She has MS but loves to garden. My husband found a raised bed square foot garden on legs. It is the perfect height for people in wheel chairs. Although she isn't in one yet, she uses her walker that has a seat to do most things. Gardening is no exception. This evening, hub and I built her garden bed and she asked us to Tung Oil it as she wishes for it not to naturally grey. It looks GREAT!

I also was able to plant my three tiered planter. OK, so one errand we ran today was to the garden center for the flowers for my planter. I opted this year for a wide variety of colors..... orange, yellow and red are my main colors, however, I mixed in some purple, white and a few pinks. Sounds strange, but I really like how they came together.

I had a few extra plants left, so I dug out the cowboy boots I found last year at the good will. They were half priced and I had to have them. Last February, hub and I went to New Mexico for a vacation.... just the two of us. I fell in love with the southwestern look. When I came home, I went searching for some cowboy boots to serve as planters. Lo and behold I FOUND THEM!!! I planted ornamental peppers in them last year, but this year I added some vibrant flowers. The juxtaposition of the color against the grey boot is GORGEOUS!

Before the sun fully setted, I managed to pull weeds from an area of my yard that I don't think I've EVER touched in the 3 years we have lived here. In that area I sprinkled some wild flower seeds as well as planted a few rows of sunflowers. I hope they sprout and grow! I also was able to get some carrots into my garden. More, much more, to do in the next few days! Stay tuned!

HERBS!

This year I have decided to plant a true herb garden. Each year, I toy with this idea and each year, I end up tucking a few herbs in with my veggies. However, this year, I've made the switch. I made a "real" herb garden.

Out in the front of my house is a patch of garden that holds some ornamental grasses and then whatever I choose to put in there. Spring time usually sprouts a few crocus, lots of daffodils and now some tulips in that area. Last year, I learned my lesson as I planted my hot peppers around the ornamental grasses. Within the first few weeks of summer, the ornamental grasses had taken over. Luckily I was able to still harvest some peppers, but they were delayed in producing. Not a bad thing overall, just an observation.

This week, I dug up two of the grasses that flanked either side of this area and replanted them all together on one side. This left a vast area for planting all of my herbs. I excitedly went to the garden center and bought some new herbs I'd never had before, like Anise Hyssop, Cat Mint, Cat Nip and a dwarf Curry Plant, and some old favorites like Cilantro, Parsley, etc. I sprouted a few favorites like Dill and three different types of Basil. Although, the Basil is currently in the back in the garden and will be moved up once it grows a bit. I also had my Oregano plant survive winter and resprout. It is huge and GORGEOUS! It too is in the back with the veggies, however, I will be moving it out to the front. I can't wait! FINALLY!!! My own herb garden!

My Woodland Garden

A few years ago, if you go back that far in this blog, you'll see I pulled out a significant section of ivy and a few rhododendrons to make a patio with a "cutting garden". After all the work and planting, I found out when the trees grew in, it was truly a woodland garden. It gets barely any sun and when sitting on the patio you really do feel like you are in a woodland retreat. The cutting garden is on the back burner until further notice.

Since realizing that nothing grows in that area that isn't a "shade" plant, I have been combing the catalogues for shade flowers. I want my gardens like my life, colorful. I've come across several varieties of plants that I have fallen in love with that also bloom. One of those plants being Columbines. The two toned flower with unique shape is just captivating! Columbines make me smile everytime I look at them. I am on the hunt for some more in different colors!

This year in my woodland garden, I've decided to add some ferns. I love the ferns unique folliage and am excited that it is a perennial. The man at the garden center with the adorable chocolate lab suggested a particular fern that grows to 6 feet high. I put that in the back corner of the woodland garden for a spectacular show! I also purchased two other types of ferns, one of which I am a bit nervous. I had my kids with me and so between me yelling at them to stop climbing under and over the tables of plants, I failed to read the labels. One fern that I bought "spreads". I hope this one doesn't become another ivy.

There have also been a few plants that have come back year after year. I don't know what they are called, but they're cool and I'll take them! My hope is to make this a perennial garden where I have to do just a little work in it. You know, let Mother Nature take credit for the gorgeousness. AHHHH! Just what I like, a lot of beauty for a little work!

Gearing Up For The Marathon!

Every year over Memorial Day, hubby and I spend the entire weekend doing house projects. Now I know everyone does house projects over Memorial Day but ours are always extremely colorful. It starts out with us having a goal. And then we bicker and fight until the last moments of the weekend. Usually the bickering happens because we are two different types of people. He is the "if I am not using it now, it goes" type of person and I am the "I have an idea that includes that so let's put it away until I get to it" type of person. Both personality types have their pros and cons, however each time this weekend rolls around, I get both excited to get stuff accomplished and anxious at the amount of fighting that will occur.

This week, I've decided to spend a good amount of time in my yard, which needs some major work. I'm moving plants around, planting my garden, hitting the garden center where I spend too much money, etc. I feel like I am gearing up for the marathon. The marathon of back breaking work that results in a nice looking yard..... at least for a week or so.

I've got a lot planned, as usual, for this yard. I guess we'll see what we have time for and what gets put on the back burner for yet another few weeks or in all likely hood, next year.

Happy Gardening!

IRISES!!!!!!

Back in college, my sorority's flower was "the lovely purple iris". This meant squat to me as I could have cared less back then about gardening. However, about 5 years ago, my hubby and I helped my mom move from my childhood home into a smaller ranch home. We spent countless hours at her house throwing away and going through over 25 years worth of stuff so she could downsize. Nothing I wouldn't do again for her..... she's my mom and I love her. But she thought differently. She wanted to "repay" me for helping her. So she bought me some irises to plant in my yard.



I was living in a different house than I am now at that time. I bought a small tree and by small I mean maybe 3 foot high and then put the irises around that tree. When the bulbs sent up their fan like leaves they were higher than the tree. My husband thought this was hysterical and also it made him mad that we bought such a little tree. "What do you expect for $20", I asked him.



When we moved from that home into our current home three years ago, I dug up the irises and brought them here. I finally got them into the ground about 6 months later. Since then they have sent up the leaves every year but never a bloom. NEVER! So imagine my surprise when I came home from two weeks away to find every single bulb blooming several flowers at the same time! I almost died! I couldn't stop screaming and sniffing the blooms! THEY ARE GORGEOUS!



Suddenly, I feel very connected to these flowers. Every time I look at them I think of my college

days, which were some of the best times of my life. I think of my mom, who gave them to me. I think of how far I've come in gardening. I like irises. No better yet, I LOVE IRISES!

The Helicopters Have Sprouted!

Every year I love the sight of the "helicopters" falling to the ground in masses. By helicopters I mean the lovely maple tree seeds. We used to call them helicopters when I was a kid. Anyway, they make an awesome showing as the wind blows and they fall by the hundreds, maybe even thousands.

The problem lies several weeks later when I spend at least a week pulling the new sproutlets out of the ground. Part of me feels very murderous as I am pulling new life from the ground and killing it. However, I do not want a forest of maples growing in my house. Afterall, the ground literally looks as if it has been taken over by a maple ground cover. Seriously, Mother Nature is abundant and these little suckers prove that theory!

I spent today pulling maples out of the garden beds and then planting in what I really wanted in them, which was veggies and herbs. I still have many more maples to pull..... but at least I got it started!

Compost at it's BEST

I just took out my compost bin from the kitchen. I'm a bit lazy and it's been brewing in here for about a week or so. In a blue plastic bin, we keep a brown paper bag. We put all of the compostable materials into the bag. When it is time to compost, we take the blue bin out to our three bin composter and dump the bag and it's contents into the bin.

Well today, when I dumped the brown paper bag into the composter and hit it with the pitch fork, steam came billowing out of it. Compost working at it's best! IT WAS AWESOME! I did add leaves on top to help continue the decomposition, but I was so excited about it, I had to run in and blog. Yes friends, I get that excited about composting!

The Yard is ALIVE!

It has been a hectic few weeks without hubby dearest. My gardening has fallen to the wayside in attempt to catch up on the 1 million other things that need to be done to keep this household afloat. That being said, the garden/yard doesn't wait for anyone!

Two days ago I was running into the house to avoid the rain when I noticed growing outside my front door were what I thought to be button mushrooms. I know some mushrooms are poisionous, so I came in and looked them up on the internet. To my dismay, they are poisionous but look REALLY cool anyway. I was hoping they'd be another thing I could harvest from the yard, but alas... NO!

My Lilac bushes have seen the worst of winter. My largest one on the back corner of my house had been crushed by the snow. The trunk is lying across my yard and the roots are mostly upheaved, however that little sucker is still blooming. Lilacs are my FAVORITE flower and I am having a hard time deciding what to do with this bush. The Hippie in me wants to somehow tie it back up, but the realist in me says, there is NO WAY you can lift that heavy bush and put it back. But it is still alive after all that..... and I think I need to figure out a way to have it stay!

My Quince tree is blooming and I am hoping for a nice harvest this fall!

The spring bulbs are all but gone. The last of my tulips are falling to the ground. Daffodils gone, Hyacinths, gone, crocuses, way gone.... but this makes way for the new plants. I have a beautiful showing of plumage from Irises. Even if they never bloom, the leaves are BEAUTIFUL! I believe I planted some lillies in the fall, as these seem to be sprouting up all over. And my faithful hostas are popping up everywhere. SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!

AHHHH, the garden..... well that is coming along nicely. I have one plant of brussel sprouts growing (these are my FAVORITE veggie aside from potatos), several types of lettuce, a pak choi, broccoli raab, scallions and my garlic. I have an EXTREMELY hardy plant of oregano that lasted outside thru the winter. I also received as a gift 5 strawberry plants and a raspberry plant from my friend Aimee. I have those in, however I think only two of the strawberry plants are gonna make it. I hope they all do, but three aren't looking so hot. I guess we'll see. I started plants inside, including a bunch of different tomatoes, basil, hot peppers (hub's favorite), dill, etc. But my newest adventure is the watermelons I started. I think I have about 7 or 8 that sprouted and I am gonna give Aimee a few...... I'm a bit nervous about growing these as I hear they need lots of love. But WHAT THE HELL!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or just compost!

The past two weeks I've been in charge of garbage. Not a job I readily accept, but in this instance, I have no choice. Hubby is out of town for work and so his "chores" fall on me. As I collected the garbage bags out of the upstairs garbage can and the kitchen garbage can, I was quite surprised. Everything I had to go to the street didn't even fill up one bag. I thought, surely I forgot about a few bags I must have hauled out to the garage and into the "big" cans. But, when I got there, I was surprised to see NOTHING! I then grabbed the two blue containers of recycling, which was overflowing. HMMMMM, I thought. I guess this week I did my job for Mother Earth.

My compost bin in the kitchen needs emptied and I began thinking how much garbage would be spared from the landfill if each person tried to only have one bag of garbage per week. The thought of something like that catching on, is probably out of this world impossible. However, if everyone could learn to compost, there would be much less waste. Less waste in the landfill, yeah, but even more so than that, less consumption of gas to pick up dirt, less chemicals being used to kill synergistic microbes needed for healthy plants, less money being spent on gardening needs, less.... well you get the point. We could use what we have and make our yards better with garbage. Yes you read that right..... GARBAGE!

Let's commemorate Mother Earth this week by attempting to lessen our garbage and maybe learn to compost.

That's a LOT of squares!

Yesterday was Easter, but to us it was D-Day. Matt left today for 7 weeks on a work trip therefore, yesterday was the last day we had to get our garden beds up and functional. The past three years I had a garden bed right outside of my porch area. This area worked out great, except, last year when I converted it into a "square foot" garden, I didn't follow the rules. There was a tiny path for me to walk along to pick and plant, when I bent over I would bump the porch and fall into the garden. Not to mention, I didn't use "Mel's Mix" so the ground became hard and clay like. We, meaning Matt and I, decided to add this area to our overhaul of gardening. After literally "snapping" together the Vermont Cedar bed, we were thinking this too was an easy job. Unfortunately, it was not as easy.

First I should explain. Last year we took a "class" on square foot gardening. The woman putting on the class showed us pictures of people who had done "different" gardens. One that I thought was really cool was a person had used cinder blocks as their outer perameter. This meant the holes in the block were extra space for planting. Last year I planted herbs in those holes and it worked out well. Using these blocks again this year, we decided to expand the garden, knock out the last two rows so there was space to walk, and then expanding the front by two squares. In all, we ended up with a 4x11 garden space or in square foot terms, 44 squares.

Our first issue was when we tried to place the block right on the ground which was not level. Add to that, the rule of thumb is to put cardboard or wet newspaper down under the block and all over the garden area before you add your "Mel's Mix". Ever try to balance something on uneven ground and cardboard?

The second issue was there weren't enough blocks. We ended up having enough for three sides, however the back side we decided after some friendly chat back and forth that blocks there would be too big and would compromise squatting space for planting and picking.

The third issue was there wasn't enough cardboard. I had to open some items that I wasn't ready to open to be able to use the cardboard. Who'd have thought we would run out of cardboard?!?!

The fourth issue was that we didn't have enough stuff to make a batch of "Mel's Mix" so it was off to the garden center again. It's been expensive to make this special dirt but we are hoping that with the addition of our compost inbetween plantings that we'll be able to use this for a long time.

The last issue we encountered was after getting it built and all the dirt in how we were going to make the squares. In the wooden construction, we just drilled screws in and strung it with string. Matt attempted to drill straight into the block without first drilling pilot holes and a big chunk of block fell off. Luckily it didn't compromise our garden and it was easily remedied, but I was quite exhausted after that and I hadn't even done the majority of the work.

At this point we have the 44 squares in the block construction and 21 blocks in the wooden construction, plus about 3 inches along one side of the wooden garden in which I can plant carrots or other tight fitting plants.

Those of you who are up on square foot gardening, you may be wondering why all these squares for a family of 4. I am hoping to have enough of a harvest this year to can.... especially tomatos. And since they take up one square per plant, I hope I have enough. My plan is to continue to add garden beds each year for different things. Let's hope these two gardens work out and I finally become a real gardener......

New Garden Bed Achieved!

Today was one of those days that if I could start it all over again, I would. I had a million things keeping me from getting out into my garden beginning with the last day of work being done on my basement, followed by needing to meet up with a friend for Easter candy, followed by a trip to the garden center where my kids and husband realized they were hungry, followed by a stop at a local restaurant. FINALLY, we got back home somewhere around 5:30 p.m. and began our garden.

Earlier in the day, we snapped together our brand new Vermont Cedar raised bed garden. My husband found this link and he said he couldn't buy the wood for the asking price which also included shipping. ( http://www.gardenraisedbeds.com/ ) One thing I am disappointed in is that the 4x8 ends up measuring somewhere about 39 inches x 87 inches because of the mortise and tendon joints. This means I have about a quarter of a square which runs down one short side and down one long side. I've reserved this spot for carrots since you can pack them in to a small space. Aside from the size being a bit off for square foot gardening, the construction is nice, the wood is great, and the shipping was fast. Not to mention the price was also very, very good.

At the garden center, we bought peat moss, manure and vermiculite. All three in equal parts is "Mel's Mix". I was hesitant on using the vermiculite as it is a form of asbestos, but last year I didn't and my garden soil is crap this year. So sticking with the "rules" I caved and got it.

The guy at the garden center also talked me into a few fertilizers. One ironically is epsom salt. I've used this for years as a soak in the tub and once as a "gall bladder cleanse" (NOT RECOMMENDED!). But apparently this "salt" is also good for plants. I also bought Monty's Joy Juice and Osmocote. All three together supposedly make you an excellent gardener. And hell, let's be real. I NEED THAT!

When we got home with all of our miracle working gardening "tools" at 5:30 p.m. we began dumping the peat, vermiculite and manure all together. We stirred it by hand and even had the kids helping until they smelled the manure. Matt and the kids drilled some screws into the frame so I could use string and make my squares. Lastly, I planted spring crops. Lettuce, Scallions, Leeks, Spinach, Brussel Sprouts, etc.

My husband says if this fails, I should give up as a gardener. I hate to admit he is right, but he is. Honestly, if I kill these plants, I may just give up all together. But then, maybe not..... digging in the dirt is addictive!

We're Having "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Weather!

This past week has been continually warming up. Beginning of the week we were in the low 50's however this weekend coming up, the temps are slated to rise to 80 degrees, IN PITTSBURGH!! Weather like this is unheard of this time of year around here. To take advantage, I have a variety of plans for my time.

First, I am going to FINALLY start my tomatos, hot peppers, some herbs, etc.

Second, my dear husband bought us a cedar (I believe) raised bed garden. The corners have been cut to mortise and tendon. For the price, which included shipping, my husband who is a woodworker himself, said he couldn't buy the wood for that price. We plan on putting this thing together, filling it with our "Mel's Mix" and sectioning off our squares.

Third, I would like to finish ripping out the pesky ivy. I know this has been a several year process, but literally this stuff is insane! Just when I think I get it all, it rears it's head. Maybe I am not that bad of a gardener, if I haven't killed this yet.

With the prospects of Matt leaving for a few months for work, I am tempted to tackle a project that he is against. Mostly because when he gets back and sees it, he'll like it but convincing him to take the plunge is always the worst part of our relationship. I guess if time allows, I may attempt something. Until then, I need to keep my nose to the grind and get my garden up and running for this year!!!

Cold Weather Crops

Monday of this week we had such beautiful weather that I busted out my gardening shoes and went to work in my overgrown patch of land. The last few years I've grown tomatoes, herbs, peppers and a few other things in this specific patch. This year it seems, it has become my cold weather crop patch.

In the fall of 2009, I planted two different types of garlic in this patch. Using the square foot method, I believe I currently have about 5 or 6 squares dedicated to Garlic. Given my husband eats tons of it and I use it to help cure colds, I feel like we should be growing more. I guess we'll see what happens.

As I mentioned before, monday was BEAUTIFUL! So I went out, pulled weeds and planted some bush beans and some spinach. I'd like to get some lettuce in the ground as well but need to take stock of what kind of seeds I have on hand. Since I am relatively new..... OK brand spankin' new with this whole "spring crop" thing, I need to do some research to see what grows here in the spring. I thought beets did, but saw the label for my beets that said "after the last frost"..... I am confused. As soon as I sort thru this, I'll post what can be grown in zone 5/6 in the spring. Till then.....

Happy Gardening!

Farm to Table Website

While searching the web about a trade show I heard about on the radio, I came across an AWESOME website. It is a site that shows all kinds of local farm events, gives names of local farms to buy from, gives canning advice, cooking advice, growing advice, etc. Basically EVERYTHING to do with eating fresh and local foods. The most awesome part is that the articles are written by us, the subscribers. The content at this point is a bit thin, but I hope there will be many more people adding this website to their daily read and I hope people will begin to contribute. I plan on submitting articles soon :)

http://www.farmtotablepa.com/

I hope you enjoy!

SCRAM!

I went to the garden center the other day and purchased some Deer Scram. It worked a few years back to keep Bambi from topping my tomatoes so I figured, what the hell I'll give it another try. Plus when I asked the man working at the garden center what will keep the deer from eating my spring bulbs, he said, "Deer Scram" with out hesitation. Two of us can't be wrong, right?

So, I spread it around all the bulbs the same day I bought it and haven't looked at them since... it's been a few days. Today I went out to have a look and I am perplexed. I can't tell if the deer ate more or if the eaten plants are remnants of the feedings that took place before Deer Scram. I took some pictures today and hope that I can maybe piece together if it is working or not. If it is not working, I'm going to have to figure something else out. The deer around here, are not shy!

The Four Letter Word--- DEER!

Today, my daughter and I took a small walk around the yard to see what is popping up. The weather here has been bouncing between warm (low 60's) to cool (low 40's) in the past few weeks. All the snow has finally melted and we actually had several days of rain causing the fear of flooding in lowland areas like Millvale, Etna, Sharpsburg, etc. Even Downtown Pittsburgh had posted warnings. In the end, we weathered fine and aside from small areas of flooding, we escaped pretty much unscathed.

The weather we've been having is prime for spring bulbs. As mentioned in my last blog post, I didn't think I'd have much to admire this year due to my lack of motivation in the fall. I was SO wrong! If I had planted all the bulbs in my garage, I'd have had an astronomical amount of flowers. At this point, I'm dabbling on an insane amount. This is wonderful for me and also for the four letter, four legged friends, DEER.

Upon my inspection this morning with my daughter, I found almost all of my crocus are gone, the few tulips I have in are gone and my hyacinth are gone. I want to cry. Being the semi rational person I am, I know crying won't solve anything, so next is to take action. I am going to the garden center today to find something to chase them away. I'd like to find something earth friendly, unstinky, and effective. I've heard of the egg and milk in water, but that takes too long to make, at this point. I've read about soap- I think these deer are too smart for that. UGH. So it looks like a call to "country mouse" for some advice. After all, she chases black bear from her yard--- she has to have a solution for deer.