Today marked the first CSA distribution for 2009. Everyone received 2 bunches of green onions, a bunch of Easter Egg radishes, a huge bag of leaf lettuce, and about a half gallon of sugar snap peas. This is just the beginning!
Enjoy!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Blooming Gardener! :-)
Our youngest daughter celebrated her sixth birthday in May. She had been helping with various gardening things--from planting seeds in flats to putting out transplants. All this time she had commented that she wanted her own garden. So, for her birthday Daddy suggested that we give Emily her own garden--complete with Emily-sized tools, garden gloves, watering can, seeds, and garden fence. I think she wasn't so sure that she liked this non-princess gift from her well-meaning parents, but the excitement has grown with each step of getting her own little garden underway. First came setting out the fence in a newly-tilled portion of the garden, then marking rows and planting seeds. Mommy has had to help with weeding, but Emily is doing pretty well with that now that the plants have a headstart. The interest grew more with the addition of petunias (leftover from Mommy's windowboxes). So, here are some pictures of Emily's Own Garden. Emily took all the pictures except the first one.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Beautiful Blossoms and Early Crops
I was just up in the garden and am sharing some of the sights that are to be seen. These are some cheery cherry tomato blossoms, and LOOK! A baby Golden Nugget yellow cherry tomato!
The peppers will not be left out of the act! They are producing blossoms right and left!
The tomatillos are going to be abundant. The plants have literally hundreds of blossoms!
Ahhhhhh! This is a sight to make any Minnesota taste buds jump for joy! Sugar Snaps! Ready to eat!
Then when you peek in the greenhouse, here are all the little melon plants ready to set out.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
This is the BEST time of year!
We have had a bunch of really beautiful sunny days lately, and even a beautiful rainy day with a soft rain that watered and soaked the earth well. Alycia and I were able to spend part of the day out in the garden--finished transplanting the cauliflower and then seeded kohlrabi, rutabagas, chinese cabbage, pac choi, and swiss chard. It was so nice out that I hated to come in, but at some point it just gets too dark to see those little seeds. :-)
After seeing how quickly all those evil little weeds are sprouting up after our rain, I received a timely email tonight from a favorite blogger and farmer tonight--Herrick Kimball, creator of the Whizbang Chicken Plucker. Ok, so the email was a group mailing, but I swore it was meant just for me. I don't know how he did it, but Herrick knew about my dreaming of a wheelhoe... yes, a wheelhoe. If you haven't seen on of these contraptions, check out Herrick's version; it's a beauty!:
Herrick has designed his own model and included the directions on his webpage. One has the option of ordering all the metal parts from him ($99 intro price) and proceed to put the rest together by one's own means, or he even shows how (if a person is familiar with metalworking and has the appropriate tools) to make the entire thing. I have an old high-wheel hoe/cultivator that I have used on occasion, and it definitely could be improved upon. The old metal wheel is bent and rubs on the frame, catching occasionally. But even with those issues, I can imagine the possibilities of using a low-wheel Glaser-style wheelhoe. I've been dreaming about having one of my own for a couple years, but they are gosh darn expensive!!! Now, with Herrick's assistance, I just may be able to have one. Wait til I tell the hubby what I have planned for his spare time! He already succeeded in making one of Herrick's Whizbang Chicken Pluckers, so this should be easy-cheesy! If you want to see it for yourself, check out Herrick's "Anyone Can Build A Planet Whizbang Wheelhoe."
Well, the weather this weekend is forecast to be perfect for more time spent out in the garden! Yay!
After seeing how quickly all those evil little weeds are sprouting up after our rain, I received a timely email tonight from a favorite blogger and farmer tonight--Herrick Kimball, creator of the Whizbang Chicken Plucker. Ok, so the email was a group mailing, but I swore it was meant just for me. I don't know how he did it, but Herrick knew about my dreaming of a wheelhoe... yes, a wheelhoe. If you haven't seen on of these contraptions, check out Herrick's version; it's a beauty!:
Herrick has designed his own model and included the directions on his webpage. One has the option of ordering all the metal parts from him ($99 intro price) and proceed to put the rest together by one's own means, or he even shows how (if a person is familiar with metalworking and has the appropriate tools) to make the entire thing. I have an old high-wheel hoe/cultivator that I have used on occasion, and it definitely could be improved upon. The old metal wheel is bent and rubs on the frame, catching occasionally. But even with those issues, I can imagine the possibilities of using a low-wheel Glaser-style wheelhoe. I've been dreaming about having one of my own for a couple years, but they are gosh darn expensive!!! Now, with Herrick's assistance, I just may be able to have one. Wait til I tell the hubby what I have planned for his spare time! He already succeeded in making one of Herrick's Whizbang Chicken Pluckers, so this should be easy-cheesy! If you want to see it for yourself, check out Herrick's "Anyone Can Build A Planet Whizbang Wheelhoe."
Well, the weather this weekend is forecast to be perfect for more time spent out in the garden! Yay!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Enjoying the sun!
Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. I spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening in the garden. I even had helpers--DH Mike finished up the tomato cages, Alycia watered and then planted broccoli, Greg watered and spread compost, and Mikey played with the skidsteer (well, he did accomplish something while doing that--he moved a bunch of old bales of hay so that they are nearer where I need them for mulching). All is all it was VERY productive.
Now I can say that all the tomatoes and peppers are planted. The majority of the broccoli is planted also, with the cauliflower quietly waiting its turn. The greenhouse is almost empty--it's a great feeling. :-) I'm hoping that tomorrow or Tuesday I can get all the melons planted in soil blocks, then they will go out in about 2-3 weeks.
It has been very dry here. We got a sprinkle of rain yesterday morning, but not even enough to make any puddles. Tomorrow is supposed to be 80 and windy, then rain is predicted for Tuesday. Maybe I can get some more seeds in before the rain...
Now I can say that all the tomatoes and peppers are planted. The majority of the broccoli is planted also, with the cauliflower quietly waiting its turn. The greenhouse is almost empty--it's a great feeling. :-) I'm hoping that tomorrow or Tuesday I can get all the melons planted in soil blocks, then they will go out in about 2-3 weeks.
It has been very dry here. We got a sprinkle of rain yesterday morning, but not even enough to make any puddles. Tomorrow is supposed to be 80 and windy, then rain is predicted for Tuesday. Maybe I can get some more seeds in before the rain...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Getting going... ever so slowly
Like I said, April is the month that everything seems like it needs to be done at once. Well, April is done and gone, and here we are in mid-May. I still don't have all that I want planted in the garden yet. I have plenty of plants to set out, but have been taking a conservative approach because I fear the occasional late frost. The outlook for the next 10 days has our lows in the upper 40's, though, so I should be safe now. I was also set back a few days with a horrible sinus infection (from which I'm still recovering) that had me laid out flat. That was pure torture!
Today Kris and Penny came over for our weekly "garden day"--we planted the onions, leeks, and strawberries. Now that we have the deer fence up, I have grand hopes of a beautiful strawberry patch full of wonderful strawberriness next spring! I also bought some fall-bearing raspberry plants and was given a lot of summer raspberries from a friend. They will be going in either tomorrow or Thursday, depending on the weather. Of course, they will need to be watered regularly... "hey Honey, so how much do you think it will cost to put that line in..."
The next two weeks I have grand plans for planting, but also need to take into account that our oldest is graduating from high school next Friday. Next week is a flurry of senior brunches, banquets, ceremonies, etc. etc. So I better get out there this week!
Have a great May and enjoy those early harvests!
Today Kris and Penny came over for our weekly "garden day"--we planted the onions, leeks, and strawberries. Now that we have the deer fence up, I have grand hopes of a beautiful strawberry patch full of wonderful strawberriness next spring! I also bought some fall-bearing raspberry plants and was given a lot of summer raspberries from a friend. They will be going in either tomorrow or Thursday, depending on the weather. Of course, they will need to be watered regularly... "hey Honey, so how much do you think it will cost to put that line in..."
The next two weeks I have grand plans for planting, but also need to take into account that our oldest is graduating from high school next Friday. Next week is a flurry of senior brunches, banquets, ceremonies, etc. etc. So I better get out there this week!
Have a great May and enjoy those early harvests!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
April... on "April"
Happy April from April! Teehee. You would not believe how many times I've been called "April May June" or asked (since it's my month!) "Were you born in April?" Short answer... NO. :-) But I digress...
It's April! An EXTREMELY busy time in the gardening year. It seems like everything is screaming to get done ALL AT ONCE! The greens, potatoes, carrots, onions, and peas all need to be planted. The peppers and tomatoes are needing bigger pots since it will still be a week or two before they can go in the garden. Tilling needs to be finished, mulch to be ..ummm.. mulched. And on and on and on. And then there's those pesky front flowerbeds that need to be groomed in time for the upcoming graduation party (I was smart, though, and planted a bunch of perennials last year, so a bunch of my planting is DONE. Just need to fill in a few annuals, plant the windowboxes, and put down some more woodchips.) It really is enough to keep one hopping!
Well, here's how things are looking right now at Chicken Scratch Farm: I put together two compost bins and the son enthusiastically played, I mean drove, the skidsteer to move my old messy spread-out pile into the bins. They are just 6-8 foot diameter circles made out of welded wire. The first section of the garden is tilled and a few rows of peas and spinach are planted. I got them in on April 18, just before a nice steady rain. Nothing like perfect timing! I still need to plant a few beds of lettuce and carrots. The onions are content for the moment in their pots--they will be introduced to garden soil after the early seeds are all in. Today I planted a few flats of broccoli, caulifower, and cabbage. They are out in the greenhouse (it's still getting down in the low 40's and colder at night) until they sprout. The peppers and tomatoes are completely out of control. It cannot warm up fast enough for them! They are huge. A few of the tomatillos are even starting to flower! Time to do some pollinating.
Well, it's been a very busy month, and will even get busier! But I'm having a blast!
It's April! An EXTREMELY busy time in the gardening year. It seems like everything is screaming to get done ALL AT ONCE! The greens, potatoes, carrots, onions, and peas all need to be planted. The peppers and tomatoes are needing bigger pots since it will still be a week or two before they can go in the garden. Tilling needs to be finished, mulch to be ..ummm.. mulched. And on and on and on. And then there's those pesky front flowerbeds that need to be groomed in time for the upcoming graduation party (I was smart, though, and planted a bunch of perennials last year, so a bunch of my planting is DONE. Just need to fill in a few annuals, plant the windowboxes, and put down some more woodchips.) It really is enough to keep one hopping!
Well, here's how things are looking right now at Chicken Scratch Farm: I put together two compost bins and the son enthusiastically played, I mean drove, the skidsteer to move my old messy spread-out pile into the bins. They are just 6-8 foot diameter circles made out of welded wire. The first section of the garden is tilled and a few rows of peas and spinach are planted. I got them in on April 18, just before a nice steady rain. Nothing like perfect timing! I still need to plant a few beds of lettuce and carrots. The onions are content for the moment in their pots--they will be introduced to garden soil after the early seeds are all in. Today I planted a few flats of broccoli, caulifower, and cabbage. They are out in the greenhouse (it's still getting down in the low 40's and colder at night) until they sprout. The peppers and tomatoes are completely out of control. It cannot warm up fast enough for them! They are huge. A few of the tomatillos are even starting to flower! Time to do some pollinating.
Well, it's been a very busy month, and will even get busier! But I'm having a blast!
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