I haven't gotten to spin much on my new Lady Bug spinning wheel [ which actually looks like E.T. when covered with a sheet].  I have been busy doing other things this very hot July.  Today I am canning green beans.  Canning beans is always an adventure for me, especially, in my very small kitchen.  It's the first time canning in it.  My dream kitchen would have two gas cook tops and two pressure canners and two sets of sinks.  Here is a look at what's been happening in my neighborhood.  :)

Flowers 2011

One may ask 'why'? Another may ask 'why not' ?

Thornless Blackberry Plant

I recently purchased a blackberry plant in hopes to have my own blackberries someday, next year I guess. I have gained quite a bit of knowledge from Rob over at A Gardener's Diary, specifically this post about blackberries.

I think I should have had it in the ground already, but it is so cold still, I hated to take a chance in jeapardizing its health. :)
It has grown a couple new leaves, which is encouraging. I need to find the perfect spot to plant it.

Rhubarb Plant

This is a rhubarb plant.
It grows at my sister's house and is very AGED. She didn't know how old it was, but assumed it was planted by our grandmother years and years ago.
I have tried two different times to grow rhubarb here at our house and have one currently 'trying' to grow in our garden. Ours doesn't look so good and I think it might 'cough up the bit'. I am gonna call the greenhouse where we purchased it and see if they have any advice. I would hate to lose the little fella.

They are very majestic looking.
Wikipedia says they are a veggie, but back in the day were reclassified as a fruit for tax purposes.
When I was a kid I used to pick a stalk with a big leaf on it (which are toxic by the way) and use it as a fan while I dipped the stalk end in some sugar and had a nice snack.

But, oh, here is the good stuff.
The red/green stalks. They are stiff like celery and a little stringy too, but yummy.

Every now and then you can find some at the Wal-Mart in the fresh veggie area. You will need about 4 C. to make a pie, probably about 4-5 stalks, but buy a few extra just in case and if you don't need it for the pie, eat it like a kid and fan yourself between bites.


This afternoon I spoke with my garden supply lady and she said once you plant your rhubarb, do not water it. God takes care of that.

Garden Update

25 days in the ground.

Square Foot Gardening Update

Peas

Carrots, Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach

Thirteen Days After Planting

Square Foot Gardening

We had a frost advisory/alert for last night.

I found that a full size fitted sheet fits great over the boxes and gives them a nice hug around the edges. I placed ice cream tubs over the four corners of the box with plants and then created a tent for the rest of the plants.

The box with the seeds just had radishes and a few lettuces coming up so I just used one tub and a sheet.

He is a view of the radishes, planted sixteen (give or take) to a square.

Looks like there is a stray.

They all seemed to fare pretty well.
We did have a light frost. Parts of the yard were covered with a shimmering white substance.

Until Next Time.

Square Foot Gardening 4 of 4

Here is the box with the plants. We are saving the 4 northern squares for tomatoes.

Now...Breanna.....don't swoon, but looky here.

We bought a rhubarb plant and gave it its very own square.

Square Foot Gardening 3 of 4

We soaked the plants that have already been started in some sun warmed water til their roots were soaked really well. We also watered the box well too, so that the dry soil doesn't absorb all of the water that the roots just soaked up.

We cut the bottoms off of the roots and stuck them in the dirt.

When all of the plants were in we planted seeds. Radishes, carrots, spinach,lettuce. We planted one square foot section of each those and will do a second planting of them in a week or so.

Square Foot Gardening 2 of 4

Spread half of the mixture out and wet it and then pour the rest of the mixture in and wet it and smooth it out.

Then you screw the grid on.
Then you stand back and smile.

Square Foot Gardening 1 of 4

We are attempting to do Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening this year.
At Lowe's we had the fella in the lumberyard pick out 2 - 4 X 6 boards eight feet long for each box we wanted to make. Then he graciously cut them in half for us. 4 feet each. We also got a bundle of wood laths for the grid and some 2½ inch screws.

My husband pinned them together with a nail gun and then I was able to screw them together.

We put them on cardboard in the 'old' garden.

Here are the ingredients to fill the boxes with.
The vermiculite (in the colorful bag with the flowers) was just more expensive than we could go. So after talking with the greenhouse lady she suggested that we mix the vermiculite with top soil to make up the 'vermiculite' part of the mixture. So we did. Two 40 pound bags of top soil mixed with 1 cu.ft. of vermiculite.
We then mixed that with two 40 pound bags of blended compost and two 40 pound bags of peat moss.

Put it on a tarp and then pull the tarp back and forth causing the ingredients to mix.

(this is the hardest part-physically)

Square Foot Gardening

My sister, R. did a square foot garden project last year and it turned out nicely for her.
These two sisters did a square foot garden project together in different parts of the country.
This year we thought we would give it a try.
My husband is so good to humor me whenever I get a little whim going. I hope it isn't a whim. I really want it to work.
Anyway, this Mel Bartholomew fella must be a Ga-Zillionaire.
He seems to have worked really hard on his technique.

The hardest part for us was, not building the raised boxes, but finding the ingredients for 'the mix'. Vermiculite is expensive. We compromised a bit with the vermiculite mix, but we were able to get peat moss and compost.
So our Mix, won't be exactly like The Mix.
I will be posting pictures of our little adventure.


Before I sign off for today, I want to say how proud I am of my friend Ty.
The pounds are dropping off of that gal and she has given me much needed encouragement to keep walking-getting into shape. So, Ty.....Congratulations!!!

Until Next Time.

My Compost Project

I am not a super gardener by any means, but I have started a little compost pile/area out back. Just yesterday I set it up. I used an old chicken pen placed on top of a donated wooden pallet. I had been saving the proper kitchen scraps and chicken manure and went over to the neighbor's leaf pile and scored some leafage. Put more leaves on top of what you see here and then placed a heavy board on top to keep critters out. I will add daily to my compost and turn it every couple weeks and maybe by fall it will be ready, if not, certainly by next spring. It will come in quite handy with the new way I am gardening this year. It isn't a NEW way, but it is new to me. I will post on it soon.