tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76363580684418862422024-02-20T18:51:25.217-08:00Our Subsistence PatternUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-4318832555915649522017-03-03T16:59:00.000-08:002017-03-03T16:59:05.214-08:00Remembering Rowdy <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZLt6ihdfn-OWDTexwh6i9JeIdxTwbtjwIUbpe3Ajb1DHrZSkLm0M97Dr5ASfyRvrAyGuwGmW_a0LmdfUZ7rjcrvU_SLrHtfvY0TdLs8PCuoqp53U9nwtrj8aXDEB-qaY_PmYaA3Uvtj/s1600/IMG_8205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZLt6ihdfn-OWDTexwh6i9JeIdxTwbtjwIUbpe3Ajb1DHrZSkLm0M97Dr5ASfyRvrAyGuwGmW_a0LmdfUZ7rjcrvU_SLrHtfvY0TdLs8PCuoqp53U9nwtrj8aXDEB-qaY_PmYaA3Uvtj/s400/IMG_8205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> Remembering Rowdy...</b><br />
<br />
No dog ever lives long enough but somehow I feel short-changed with Rowdy, a mere seven years is simply not enough. He was a planned puppy, not an impulse puppy where you see a cute or orphaned dog and just feel compelled to bring them home. Not Rowdy...it took nearly three years for me to talk my husband into even entertaining the idea of getting another dog as he had taken the loss of his prior two dogs hard, stoically, but hard. My husband is the smarter of the two of us and can see far into the future with each decision he makes and always knows how the story ends long before it begins. Eventually, however, I wore him down to the point where he would at least look at the dogs advertised on Craigslist. Now that was a start! There was always a reason why this one or that one was not<i> the one</i> but I kept chipping away at him until one day he saw the pictures of the pups and said <i>maybe</i>. Well I took that maybe for a <i>yes </i>and badgered him some more until he said that <i>maybe</i> we could call later. Later? Later when they are gone? I was on the phone the next minute and a meeting was set up for the following day.<br />
<br />
We took Hunter, our grandson, who was five at the time to be part of this great adventure and we met in the parking lot of a Walmart on a cold and dismal winter day. There were three or four of the little guys and girls wiggling around in the back of a Suburban, dirty, smelly and adorable. Hunter and I immediately picked our favorite which was not the one Gramps was interested in but two against one wins and we paid the puppy peddlers their fifty bucks and were on our way. Names...what to name a new dog? We went through lists online and silly things we made up and Rowdy won out. Not original but as it turned out, due to his temperament, it was the perfect name for him. Over the years we did call him other things like Lambert (after Lambert the Sheepish Lion) when he would slink down in fear pretending to be invisible when he saw a flock of geese hanging out at the lake where we walked, we called him a hobo dog when he'd be off on his own checking things out, long and lean and on a mission, my husband often referred to him as Meathead when he wouldn't get out of the way while we worked in the kitchen and later on when he developed epilepsy we would from time to time call him Little Caesar...trying to keep things light.<br />
<br />
Our goal with this dog had been to keep him healthy in a more natural way and we made homemade dog food with all sorts of natural ingredients, many included from our garden. Neither of us had ever put so much into a dog before and we were determined to see him into his old age with a healthy disposition. I balked when my mother-in-law would sneak him treats of Puperoni or Milk Bones and threatened mentally to tie him up to prevent him from going next door begging. In the end this mattered little and it's made me re-think many of our decisions not only about Rowdy but about the way we take care of ourselves...maybe it's all just a crapshoot, you win, you lose, it all comes out the same in the end anyway I suppose.<br />
<br />
Time passed and we had so much fun, walking, hiking, running and swimming. Life is never dull with a dog and he soon had us trained in all sorts of ways. His favorite was the frisbee, not just any frisbee, but <i>his</i> frisbee which was originally bought at a garage sale for a quarter and replaced a couple of times on Amazon when he had simply decimated his. We took him to mountain lakes and ran with him around the small lake we live on and often remarked that for his breed and age he was kind of a wimpy dog. He tired easily and seemed to lack the stamina we thought he should have so we never over-exerted him and just accepted him for who he was. The grandson spent a lot of time with us when he was young and he and I and Rowdy spent countless hours at the lake, Hunter fishing, Rowdy and I often getting bored after a couple of hours of watching. To entertain myself, I taught my partner to do a routine at the kiddie playground including feats of climbing steps, going through a tunnel, down the slide and the grand finale of jumping over the swing. He performed in a haphazard but eager fashion and we had great fun.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSZURgghGRTVingt5uSbsAYj1lQtYiJDyf1sLYfdLlOg0y06Abz0Wf0OeDV9Wbl2HQU4RWce6BrKAz8jLld3YB_LiJ3YLJ8msvCittjDhilcoekVsXCi5lNOcA-2Ee2DjtG8kLYnGeiI1/s1600/IMG_21381.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="483" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529837332278515842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSZURgghGRTVingt5uSbsAYj1lQtYiJDyf1sLYfdLlOg0y06Abz0Wf0OeDV9Wbl2HQU4RWce6BrKAz8jLld3YB_LiJ3YLJ8msvCittjDhilcoekVsXCi5lNOcA-2Ee2DjtG8kLYnGeiI1/s640/IMG_21381.jpg" style="display: block; height: 302px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
At four and a half, he had his first seizure. We had not seen it but he came bounding through the pet door with foam on his neck and crazy eyes and acting nervous and loopy. Had he been poisoned, did he get his neck stuck in the fence, did someone hurt him? He recovered and we let it pass as just <i>one of those things</i>. He had another <i>one of those things</i> a couple months later and my husband suspected in might be a seizure but it wasn't till we saw the third one full-on that we knew for sure. It was off to the vets who promptly prescribed him phenobarbital and acted like it was no big deal. To me it was a big deal and we decided to give him only a half dose of his medication as his seizures were spaced out at least a couple of months apart. This worked well for over a year and a half when we upped his dosage to three quarters as the seizures were becoming a bit more frequent.<br />
<br />
From six to seven years of age we managed pretty well. When he was just over seven and after six months of being seizure free he hit the wall. Multiple seizures early on a Sunday morning that were stopped only with a double dose of emergency valium prescribed by the vet for just this purpose. The next day he was lethargic and throwing up so it was off to the vets again where it was discovered he had developed pancreatitis. He was treated for that and we picked him up and brought him home where he appeared to have snapped right out of it. We increased his meds to full dose and things went well for another three weeks until he was struck again hard on a Sunday night with another bout of pancreatitis. I spent the night on the floor of the living room with him, trying to give him comfort and knowing that things were not going well for poor Rowdy. My husband and I had both noticed over the past month that while we had been trying to fatten him up he was losing weight and he had the tell-tale sign of getting skinny in his hind end, never a good sign. He acted as if he were starving and wolfed his food down which I attributed to the side effects of his increased medication. We talked in length that night about what to do about Rowdy. We both agreed that if we thought he could be cured we would do it in a minute but we also both felt that we were fighting a losing battle and we would not allow him to suffer. Through that long night we came to the painful decision to have him euthanized and with heavy hearts it was done the next morning. We brought our beloved dog home and gave him a proper burial beneath the cedar tree outside our kitchen window.<br />
<br />
It's been several days and though we don't regret the decision, I miss him like crazy. His eyes, always following us, figuring out what we were up to, where we were going, what we were going to do. His uncanny knack of sticking his head into the bedroom every morning at 6:20 to see if I was going to get up, which I promptly did. The routines he instilled in us, walks at 7:15 and 2:15 every day, rain, snow, winter, summer, sick or well, we walked, every darn day, year after year. All the little things that you don't even realize until they are gone.<br />
<br />
In hindsight I have no regrets, he was lucky to have us and I often wondered what might have happened to him had he ended up with someone else as he definitely was our special needs dog. We were lucky to have him as well as he freely shared his love and trust with us all the way to the bittersweet end. If we killed him with anything, I'm pretty sure I can say without hesitation that we killed him with kindness. He will stay in our hearts forevermore.<br />
<br />
<i>Lying awake in the early morning hours before daylight simply missing his presence and listening to the rhythmic breathing of my husband I am starkly reminded of the fragility of all life. I sigh and curl tightly into my husband and wait for another day to begin knowing logically, but resisting emotionally, that this too shall pass.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3w2yjAlBxOoukWfmCSNI83lVS_0GCJ8R6BUZ9ukmf7ULlGV0k8RTWPYpNK0PUWklxU5MulEaNFONK097TfqEDClrEeERKUYUN_BWeW8G8zpQeIgha-UT-I8yLOX_63aJL2yliIFbupLM/s1600/IMG_9961.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3w2yjAlBxOoukWfmCSNI83lVS_0GCJ8R6BUZ9ukmf7ULlGV0k8RTWPYpNK0PUWklxU5MulEaNFONK097TfqEDClrEeERKUYUN_BWeW8G8zpQeIgha-UT-I8yLOX_63aJL2yliIFbupLM/s400/IMG_9961.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-85122887644119594962012-08-07T06:29:00.000-07:002015-02-18T06:20:22.297-08:00Small-Scale Agriculture in Russia“According to official statistics, in 1999 more than 35 million families (105 million people, or <strong><u>71% of country’s population</u></strong>) owned a dacha or a subsidiary plot and were cultivating it… The 35 million plots of these families occupy more than 8 million hectares and provide 92% of Russia’s harvest of potatoes, 77% of its vegetables, 87% of berries and fruits, 59.4% of meat, and 49.2% of milk.” See - <a href="http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/in-1999-35-million-small-family-plots-produced-90-of-russias-potatoes-77-of-vegetables-87-of-fruits-59-of-meat-49-of-milk-way-to-go-people/">Small-scale agriculture in Russia </a>and <a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010177.sharashkin.pdf">The Socioeconomic and Cultural Significance of Food Gardening in the Vladimir Region of Russia</a>. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EUg8bFDnhcU" width="420"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-43953631129207276022012-03-30T04:57:00.005-07:002012-03-30T06:42:16.687-07:00An Established Forest GardenRain rain go away, come again some other day! Record rainfall this month has put a damper on most outdoor gardening activities and with the ground still frozen solid under all that muck all I can say is yuck.:)<br /><br />So meet the Guytons, looks like they have lots of sunny weather.<br /><br />Here is another forest garden video for all you weed loving "hippies" whom, like me, never did care to color within the lines as a child.<br /><br /><strong>Synopsis from YouTube:</strong><br /><br />The Guytons started planting their food forest in 1998 on two acres of bare land in Riverton, New Zealand. This style of gardening was new to Southland so their neighbours did not approve. Now it is an established food forest with hundreds of different plant species. Fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs and wild plants all blended together in a productive and sustainable way.<br /><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qY2_17NTd7Q" frameborder="0" width="450"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WEo2m3cbDPY" frameborder="0" width="450"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-88071921336198335582012-02-27T06:25:00.008-08:002012-02-27T06:32:57.000-08:00What's Up...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwLTsdLyJ90rfXauteWd1CP1YWHO1wd-00d1re4By9PwDYSyy0zY1a5ACUkxvtCJ_xAOg7uYyh0cb7fB6zN3IjPicmAXsbSpfyGINgLZLuMY6bB8kn0VgszQvKI2th9Fi5unNpJb8sk-J/s1600/IMG_5807.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713534542064604866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwLTsdLyJ90rfXauteWd1CP1YWHO1wd-00d1re4By9PwDYSyy0zY1a5ACUkxvtCJ_xAOg7uYyh0cb7fB6zN3IjPicmAXsbSpfyGINgLZLuMY6bB8kn0VgszQvKI2th9Fi5unNpJb8sk-J/s400/IMG_5807.JPG" /></a> While the outside world is still covered in snow and ice, inside our little greenhouse celery and onions are beginning to germinate...and oh so slowly do they grow.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-ZbVYOd6neZxanjrVEa2ZOLhWcLg6LxtuyxB06dBsTZIa5XgRYJNUByHGF7Fes9zVW8Scy2AQlBRDW3A9EwPnbGP00iuB0mJY3tsI4w5ppDJcTHzGYhyv_S9VUvJj2YDj9V2RSd606_X/s1600/IMG_58031.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713534546853173938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-ZbVYOd6neZxanjrVEa2ZOLhWcLg6LxtuyxB06dBsTZIa5XgRYJNUByHGF7Fes9zVW8Scy2AQlBRDW3A9EwPnbGP00iuB0mJY3tsI4w5ppDJcTHzGYhyv_S9VUvJj2YDj9V2RSd606_X/s400/IMG_58031.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVxpjrALuCaV6lwYX2lLZ5o7YlLt6CXSupd8TN_jTBXQFvpSXbpSmv8q_pjj8Hp_cjP2tdVwe-crxnWf3SMgR_Z652cDSqms2ROTv7XzmYuJP75Qpq_rhLS4-06HWsQbrXQvibp2M7RQ2/s1600/IMG_5796.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713534533466757858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVxpjrALuCaV6lwYX2lLZ5o7YlLt6CXSupd8TN_jTBXQFvpSXbpSmv8q_pjj8Hp_cjP2tdVwe-crxnWf3SMgR_Z652cDSqms2ROTv7XzmYuJP75Qpq_rhLS4-06HWsQbrXQvibp2M7RQ2/s400/IMG_5796.JPG" /></a> On the porch, temporarily under lights, peppers and eggplants have emerged as well. It will be many months before they can be planted outside, but it's a start. Our eventual goal is to expand the length of the greenhouse and install a small wood stove that I have in order to free myself of electric lighting and heat altogether...eventually.<br /><br />I am using a <a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/our-eccentric-potting-soil.html">mix of my own </a>composted soil and sand with a small amount of wood and bone ash mixed in for potting soil again this year. Thyme leaves that were collected and dried last fall are steeped in water, mixed 2 cups per gallon with rain water this concoction helps to stave off the dreaded dampening off disease. As they begin to emerge the plants are sprayed with this for the first couple days to help combat any unfriendly pathogens in the soil...keeping the soil warm also helps prevent these issues. I use rain water because it seems to help the soil stay soft compared to our tap water that, due to it's high mineral content, sometimes causes the soil to form a hard crust.<br /><br /><em>These plants are growing in <a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/waltz-of-seedlings.html">cut off milk jugs </a>that have been placed in larger plastic containers to act as a sort of mini solarium under the lights to help hold in the warmth while growing on our much cooler porch.<br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqugwTQ86RX2ZcgjZ3yKqbFevWO_FBzP5XKqBKfW9AwHxCatG_0J6IXpuKVQP5QVnSGRz93LIOJ6dTMRiyeRLgPPQScKvlLod_34XR9j5awlwj9smiL6anbXzXT2Dx5ZwF4UAOt3PCztO/s1600/IMG_5781.JPG"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713534513182973730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqugwTQ86RX2ZcgjZ3yKqbFevWO_FBzP5XKqBKfW9AwHxCatG_0J6IXpuKVQP5QVnSGRz93LIOJ6dTMRiyeRLgPPQScKvlLod_34XR9j5awlwj9smiL6anbXzXT2Dx5ZwF4UAOt3PCztO/s400/IMG_5781.JPG" /></em></a> We are also experimenting with many hard and semi-hardwood cuttings from holly, service berry, hawthorn, cottonwood, climbing hydrangea, various grapes, cherry, plum, mulberry, juniper, black elderberry, and blue elderberry. I have had a lot of success with many of these cuttings in the past, but some new experiments, like hawthorn, are supposed to be somewhat difficult to start from hardwood cuttings...we shall see. More on the results of this later.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp30XFm7JMc0gKHCqF0kbANHN8sSP1NvJJjKi09oibeVC1BCVmtdcQCm3aqTMgFMdsIMEo729RuL6_wWf6b3IA83q3esyUSR4Jkl71zeUZF3hFlop2tTN2bSaYc517AzPbgMiRzZp0PPbg/s1600/IMG_5794.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713534523801889858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp30XFm7JMc0gKHCqF0kbANHN8sSP1NvJJjKi09oibeVC1BCVmtdcQCm3aqTMgFMdsIMEo729RuL6_wWf6b3IA83q3esyUSR4Jkl71zeUZF3hFlop2tTN2bSaYc517AzPbgMiRzZp0PPbg/s400/IMG_5794.JPG" /></a><br />...and, I watched and greatly enjoyed the below video this morning. From <a href="http://www.nfb.ca/film/my_urban_garden.">http://www.nfb.ca/film/my_urban_garden.</a><br /><br /><strong>NFB's Synopsis</strong>:<br /><br />In this short film, Halifax gardener Carol Bowlby harvests a mouth-watering crop from her small backyard plot. In considering soil quality, lack of space and a short growing season challenges rather than obstacles, she offers a wealth of practical growing tips for urban gardeners. By heeding Bowlby's advice, bountiful organic gardens work equally well on apartment balconies, in small or large city lots or in a rural setting<br /><br /><iframe height="345" src="http://www.nfb.ca/film/my_urban_garden/embed/player" width="490"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-75340957534375003962012-01-26T05:36:00.000-08:002012-01-26T06:16:40.626-08:00Pellet Stove Dehydration Unit #2Each year a small amount of our food stuff is dehydrated in order to be preserved for the ensuing cold months. Trays of raspberries, strawberries, and other berries can often be found setting atop the barn roof during the hot summer days slowly <a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2009/08/our-solar-food-dehydrator.html">turning into fruit leather</a>. As the suns rays beam down upon the roof it creates waves of heat that help to wick away the moisture within the mushed fruits, quickly drying them to a storable consistency. Unfortunately, other than berries, most of what we would like to dry is not ready to be harvested until early fall (September and October) at which time the sun no longer shines with the intensity needed to get away with simply plopping a tray down on the barn roof and walking away until it is fully dehydrated.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiQc9m9b0IKhGWRws-KKyMjE0Ds5B70XVYBxpDJV0pYBVF37g36zuY53lnZkH5EYIFQ0LzCOcz6VGEyQNflWmB55g_1ks3mX3q17s8iMbzKFOyW38KPiy4iH6FkF54tpM2uoLeiFiZQi_/s1600/111.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 355px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693112992570008258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiQc9m9b0IKhGWRws-KKyMjE0Ds5B70XVYBxpDJV0pYBVF37g36zuY53lnZkH5EYIFQ0LzCOcz6VGEyQNflWmB55g_1ks3mX3q17s8iMbzKFOyW38KPiy4iH6FkF54tpM2uoLeiFiZQi_/s400/111.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnLXb9Ryf19pC-vTw-hB7Mt-pCu0wy4tPHrO_QGf_MRfFW3LF0XUyOunsfvkju_LiwM1YHoCPW8gWmr_Cvj0UEK0OQLcnLErA0U8uyGQ52aYH5Wpq-oVKZiPK_mO7D9Ht4nBjxPmU7BQh/s1600/IMG_5580.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693113002886010290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnLXb9Ryf19pC-vTw-hB7Mt-pCu0wy4tPHrO_QGf_MRfFW3LF0XUyOunsfvkju_LiwM1YHoCPW8gWmr_Cvj0UEK0OQLcnLErA0U8uyGQ52aYH5Wpq-oVKZiPK_mO7D9Ht4nBjxPmU7BQh/s400/IMG_5580.JPG" /></a> In previous years we have relied upon an electric dehydrator to dry late season tomatoes, apples, pears, plums, tomatillos, elderberries and other fall crops. When our electric dehydrator broke in 2010 we re-purposed the trays and <a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/mr-hs-food-dehydration-unit-1.html">using a cardboard box </a>as a makeshift air tunnel proceeded to use the hot air blowing out of our pellet stove to finish the task. It worked so good that I built a more permanent device to be used this past fall.<br /><br />Our pellet stove dehydration unit #2 works on the same principle as the cardboard model. Hot air flows into the wooden box and is routed up through re-purposed dehydrator trays slowly but very effectively drying the foods within. During the months of October, November, and again in the early spring we often prefer to use our pellet stove to heat the house leaving the wood stove for the colder winter months, so it was only logical for us to make better use of the stoves heat by rigging up a way to dry our foods as well.<br /><br />It's hard to take a decent photo inside our house so bear with me as these pictures are a bit hard to look at. This picture shows the dehydrator butted up against our pellet stove while inside tomatoes are drying. The whole unit sits atop an old barbecue stand that helps bring it to the correct height an makes it easier to roll around.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yPxzmEWqruHa2lIO0_KQF1fFuU7EfyoLsJmtF1J7Tn0VezGNfYiBCPHxRd8KIxvv8m0DQOXnFhXuI-mvc6kJ_RQYrvONYFphCpEIVExErgKBF9eVqa37V4un4TwxRUEs5QQfvrb-FpMm/s1600/IMG_5466.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693109264030548162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yPxzmEWqruHa2lIO0_KQF1fFuU7EfyoLsJmtF1J7Tn0VezGNfYiBCPHxRd8KIxvv8m0DQOXnFhXuI-mvc6kJ_RQYrvONYFphCpEIVExErgKBF9eVqa37V4un4TwxRUEs5QQfvrb-FpMm/s400/IMG_5466.JPG" /></a> Here you can see the hole was cut just smaller than the round trays and a line was drawn so I could easily center them properly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6jQx-9VOUheYhPVayATYZyApFdAhrqq_T4L78DaxQiFeNqRWNSIgGxrquUDX0z4AKu8fDse8HpBo4PGTpmZZLdHmXMXc02-ubPm4m0PakXIxG-k1QCNTi0Dx0iImB-wL9JurX1jjz_sn/s1600/IMG_5469.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693109284524406786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6jQx-9VOUheYhPVayATYZyApFdAhrqq_T4L78DaxQiFeNqRWNSIgGxrquUDX0z4AKu8fDse8HpBo4PGTpmZZLdHmXMXc02-ubPm4m0PakXIxG-k1QCNTi0Dx0iImB-wL9JurX1jjz_sn/s400/IMG_5469.JPG" /></a> Inside I attached a piece of sheet metal to help direct the airflow up into the trays rather than the corners of the box.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM1rNUvTcwYFoJgEUZB_N3idOj0gfjIWmiU-zkbTn1LMTEqoKf56Ex8-AcgdesnaWht8JL8PBVHBJPRfEDj7U-plqV8QdBghH89OVyQEZaFv_HWJBm_W-RZzNhcpJMGCEg3FCuqDJgRsx/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693109286402194514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM1rNUvTcwYFoJgEUZB_N3idOj0gfjIWmiU-zkbTn1LMTEqoKf56Ex8-AcgdesnaWht8JL8PBVHBJPRfEDj7U-plqV8QdBghH89OVyQEZaFv_HWJBm_W-RZzNhcpJMGCEg3FCuqDJgRsx/s400/IMG_5473.JPG" /></a> I put bumpers on the outside so the unit would not come into direct contact with the hot pellet stove and also added a drip tray to catch any liquids that might leak out as is prone to happen when drying tomatoes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KlIYsQdIuSGweUUtEopmrGjoR5_atX59sBRCMULto_PCyzNMy3CLWRptqWAIlr7TYm1Y0xZDbPjqn2OWxsW7sT0A_G_OQ0oj6qV3bIrZzitjDWvznps-HhIorjCoac-AaXi8Z03AXAzo/s1600/IMG_5467.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693109272804533474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KlIYsQdIuSGweUUtEopmrGjoR5_atX59sBRCMULto_PCyzNMy3CLWRptqWAIlr7TYm1Y0xZDbPjqn2OWxsW7sT0A_G_OQ0oj6qV3bIrZzitjDWvznps-HhIorjCoac-AaXi8Z03AXAzo/s400/IMG_5467.JPG" /></a> Most of our dried goods are stored in glass jars. While tomatoes tend to lose their flavor after six months or so most fruits, corn, hot peppers, and beans will keep for years this way. Have you ever dried a tomatillo? It brings out a surprisingly sweet/tart flavor that we find most appealing, especially as an addition to our salads.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTj5ACVjFYz1BBpROanBGYpY6QZOOBWCufYLzssqnpyjDloR-gXkAU2JCb7A-aermvGseraKZU8mSCzX1N4RbYI96Rwv3k8B9KJe6E-4TBY_UjhdxfoHPXAxQFqlErcvhApEP4rIuN2ZT/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693109262159247346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTj5ACVjFYz1BBpROanBGYpY6QZOOBWCufYLzssqnpyjDloR-gXkAU2JCb7A-aermvGseraKZU8mSCzX1N4RbYI96Rwv3k8B9KJe6E-4TBY_UjhdxfoHPXAxQFqlErcvhApEP4rIuN2ZT/s400/IMG_5552.JPG" /></a><br />OK then, back to dreaming about spring...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-46154497422254549492011-12-29T06:08:00.000-08:002011-12-29T16:58:29.633-08:00Winter Salads and Ice Skates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBLiHhC2R3iyofmB3swp7OZAKQViy9aB4KBIYIrfxIOOk8iAOga31_4DPVwN1M2PHmHaVhQMtkLM3BvWu2t7kbljl8gaaZJIDzccJvm0kU6wcKEtOZbCBcolWP2lL2dySsFAXHxe97Qwm/s1600/IMG_5648.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691373041597159842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBLiHhC2R3iyofmB3swp7OZAKQViy9aB4KBIYIrfxIOOk8iAOga31_4DPVwN1M2PHmHaVhQMtkLM3BvWu2t7kbljl8gaaZJIDzccJvm0kU6wcKEtOZbCBcolWP2lL2dySsFAXHxe97Qwm/s400/IMG_5648.JPG" /></a> Not much going on around here, took a picture of some salad greens I picked late yesterday afternoon. It never ceases to amaze me how resilient some of these plants can be to the cold weather. The snow has come and gone a couple times now, the weather has been as low as 10°F (-12.22°C) with most of the month's lows being in the 20° and under range yet we are still able to pick fresh salads from the garden on a daily basis. The amazing part is that nothing pictured above was from under our row covers, but from the outside garden. I'm like a little kid in a candy store, even after all these years it still surprises me so much that I show my wife particular greens as I go through and clean them and we marvel at their tenacity.<br /><br />In other "exciting" news, the grandson is learning to ice skate...or was, it has since warmed and started raining so the 4" of ice is now covered with another of water. That's OK, we noticed a flaw in our plan as the boy obviously is in need of a full hockey mask lest he knock all his front teeth out...after all, two of those teeth are permanent now.:)<br /><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AOWMMSt2Mn4" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Kueo9XG4Iqw" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-83656261992965243492011-12-03T04:56:00.000-08:002016-12-10T11:40:28.583-08:00Rambling Thoughts and Speculation on Winter Gardening<b><i>"The gardening season officially begins on January 1st, and ends on December 31."</i></b>- Marie Huston<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbYrdg7XeFYMBCOsjWW2AH-k8_76RvsyrMEY2yHy3RvZZGAJ0XTwBlRdzNBUK4cVHjaDjoJ3aba1JZadzXWnOvDygAI6lSC0rWRMQrSywWlcR0hhoZ3sCGR96DRZ9NFTw8aWNI5EoBCPa/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741665567329026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbYrdg7XeFYMBCOsjWW2AH-k8_76RvsyrMEY2yHy3RvZZGAJ0XTwBlRdzNBUK4cVHjaDjoJ3aba1JZadzXWnOvDygAI6lSC0rWRMQrSywWlcR0hhoZ3sCGR96DRZ9NFTw8aWNI5EoBCPa/s400/IMG_0146.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> I like Marie Huston's words. Gardening does not really have to come an abrupt halt as nature ushers in shorter days and colder temperatures but can continue right on through with a little thought towards what is being grown and how to protect it from the harshness of the weather. November going into December sets the stage for our ventures in winter gardening, often bringing with it frost, frozen ground, and snow. While much of the garden area lies dormant this time of year we are fortunate to still have a nice amount of tenacious, nutritious, and absolutely delicious edible plants at our disposal.<br />
<br />
Experience has allowed us a better understanding of our ability to have a stable amount of fresh food available from the garden, with any luck, 365 days a year. Over time we have added an excellent selection of plants to our winter gardening portfolio, eventually figuring out that, in our gardens, diversity is the key to success. On any given year the winter weather and temperatures (<a href="http://www.garden.org/zipzone/">USDA hardiness zone 5b</a>) can fluctuate quite dramatically, some years are cold and dry others slightly warmer with lots of snow or more often it is a mix of both. In the winter of 2008/09 and 2010/11 we had massive amounts of snowfall while 2009/10 left us with none of this insulating coverage, only rain. All of these weather variances seem to affect individual cold hardy plants differently.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Mixed winter greens in the fall through early winter transition of 2008/09. </i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kw2xVeq4RGOOQzgvX-jAtkZgqIhPVp3Vj3afO2rBMxfJWrGGl_T046KzsYIlQxH0Pchy5N42zxnnCb5A0T0F9TUQtpIFWonrgBmUlf-zokD0HSZBJWMGv0Y_CR2k04aGSwWEbk1N8ro4/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741679924751426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kw2xVeq4RGOOQzgvX-jAtkZgqIhPVp3Vj3afO2rBMxfJWrGGl_T046KzsYIlQxH0Pchy5N42zxnnCb5A0T0F9TUQtpIFWonrgBmUlf-zokD0HSZBJWMGv0Y_CR2k04aGSwWEbk1N8ro4/s400/IMG_0064.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFR2D7pNCOqdrIfU5wzNHtrJ6qCEGUffw52RZx8vjGEor1Uw2dxZ92P48SDoVrhBs-wIx9aYEW-dj0tCuAIyIfENFOKHo9fSdvB9_8IPWj-f_pPnSFZ19ZcYeQUSBx2fH-KRfKrhLnS6L/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741668961638370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFR2D7pNCOqdrIfU5wzNHtrJ6qCEGUffw52RZx8vjGEor1Uw2dxZ92P48SDoVrhBs-wIx9aYEW-dj0tCuAIyIfENFOKHo9fSdvB9_8IPWj-f_pPnSFZ19ZcYeQUSBx2fH-KRfKrhLnS6L/s400/IMG_0344.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32x24lvdLFJMz5YiVPa3JK1aqeJQMW3XQiajR4P_sld15sff_91faavZWVOmSGHulSv2omLMiLXuPApt6RplKfbm6wBBAxkqcEP29zC0VHetT5N6ZWXhReWun30zmUDFSSsWdEEEjyO21/s1600/IMG_0916.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678747919137020786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32x24lvdLFJMz5YiVPa3JK1aqeJQMW3XQiajR4P_sld15sff_91faavZWVOmSGHulSv2omLMiLXuPApt6RplKfbm6wBBAxkqcEP29zC0VHetT5N6ZWXhReWun30zmUDFSSsWdEEEjyO21/s400/IMG_0916.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> As mentioned in previous posts, when subjected to colder conditions some plants are actually able to concentrate or increase their sugar content which in turn serves them as a sort of natural antifreeze, helping them to withstand frosty and freezing conditions for extended periods of time..makes them taste better too. The slower the weather cools off the better the plants are able to acclimatize in this manner. It is not so much the chilly weather that will wear on these plants but all of the other elements combined such as cold, rain, snow, and wind that tends to break them down on a cellular level much faster than the cold alone. A simple protective cover makes a world of difference.<br />
<br />
We use plastic covered hoops and cold frames over our slightly raised beds to help protect plants in the garden. This is nothing new, as far back as premedieval Rome (in a world without plastic) it has been rumored that linen cloth was soaked in tallow, resin, or linseed oil causing it to become translucent and thus allowing for both light and protection against the cold for both plants and people. Thin sheets of the mineral mica and Selenite were also used to protect plants in ancient Italy.<br />
<br />
<b>"Also, if it be worth the while, little wheels may be put under larger vases, that they may be brought out with less labour, and harboured in the house: but, notwithstanding, they ought to be covered with glasses, that in cold weather also, when the days are clear, they may be safely brought forth to the sun. By this method Tiberius was provided with cucumbers almost the whole year."</b> - L. Junius Moderatus Columella AD 4-AD 70 (my take on the 1745 English Translation of <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qcNbAAAAMAAJ&dq=L.%20Junius%20Moderatus%20Columella%20Of%20husbandry%3A%20In%20twelve%20books%3A%20and%20his%20book&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">De Re Rustica</a> page 495 & 496.)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Some of this year's young red and green Italian chicory</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnBTCrAPr_kaukLm6e-PI9kZmBpIbJKDyZkT6lYTw3_LkEE-Ag6HvokMNckFpaRUHH823YYEgTr_LHwM1zx_Cv3y6JcqgvNpzC-hBNRC6d554ao7kFZEm09e-CUMe-wdujwa58bdFH6dg/s1600/IMG_5493.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678738112261141842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnBTCrAPr_kaukLm6e-PI9kZmBpIbJKDyZkT6lYTw3_LkEE-Ag6HvokMNckFpaRUHH823YYEgTr_LHwM1zx_Cv3y6JcqgvNpzC-hBNRC6d554ao7kFZEm09e-CUMe-wdujwa58bdFH6dg/s400/IMG_5493.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> Listed below are plants that we have found to be very cold hardy. Of course, on any given year some of these plants will thrive while others will fail depending upon the conditions nature provides them. The timing of when to plant is also important, too soon and they might bolt to seed or grow too large to fit under our covered rows and cold frames, planted too late and they will not mature to a desired stature. This particular facet has a lot of trial and error involved as each individual garden and the plants contained therein are so very different.<br />
<br />
In our garden the plants are grouped in those direct seeded or transplanted in the spring (April-June), summer (July-August), and late-summer (mid August-early September). We do not have set dates for planting as the weather dictates this for us. For example, if it is extremely hot and dry in mid August I might wait for a few cool, cloudy, rainy days before planting my spinach. Putting the seeds in the fridge a couple weeks in advance also helps greatly with warm weather germination.<br />
<br />
More early evidence of lettuce, chicory (succory), and other greens being grown all year round -<br />
<br />
<b>"After that the Romans began to devise a means of growing them at all seasons of the year, and even preserving them, for they were used in pottage as well as salads."</b> - <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KRBLAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA102&ots=zaNip-BO1T&dq=romans%20grew%20succory&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=romans%20grew%20succory&f=false">Hardwicke's science-gossip: an illustrated medium of interchange and Gossip for Students and Lovers of Nature, Volume 13 </a>page 102<br />
<br />
<b>Cold Hardy Greens That We Grow</b> -<br />
<br />
<b>Arugula</b> - Including perennial Sylvetta and Grazia. Perennials planted in early spring, annual varieties late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Asian Greens</b> - We used to have good luck keeping Boc Choy well into the winter but have not grown it in recent years. That said, I do hope to focus more on this type of green going forward. Planted mid summer. <a href="http://www.kitazawaseed.com/">Kitazawa Seed Company </a>would appear to be a good source for a wide selection of Asian greens...I will be ordering from them for the first time this year.<br />
<br />
<b>Beet Greens</b> - Many of the younger beet greens, before the roots ball up, especially those of Bull's Blood beets, are very cold hardy. Planted mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Blackberry</b> - With leaves remaining green, often throughout the winter, this plant makes for a wonderful tea leaf or medicinal herb...excellent source of easily assimilated calcium.<br />
<br />
<b>Borage</b> - Planted in the late summer and used as a salad green this plant holds up surprisingly well to freezing conditions.<br />
<br />
<b>Brussel Sprout</b> - While we rarely are able to actually get any decent "sprouts" from our brussels I have noticed that the smaller plants hold up to the cold quite well managing many freeze and thaw cycles...we use them for their greens and early winter chicken food. Planted in the spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Cabbage</b> - Savoy cabbage like Melissa are quite cold hardy, easily surviving temperatures in the low 20°'s and well into December in our garden. I'm experimenting with later/mid-summer planting times as I can see the potential for them to survive all the way through the winter. Just yesterday I picked some perfectly fine small headed red Ruby Ball cabbage that were frozen solid just days before. Planted in the late spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Calendula</b> - There is (was, it has since melted as the temperatures have warmed) lots of snow on the ground as I write this and we have had numerous 20° something and below nights now...even so there is a calendula blooming under one of our row covers. I should involve them more in our winter garden as the greens are edible and the plant is obviously fairly cold hardy.<br />
<br />
<b>Celery </b>- Thinner stalked celery seems to survive the winter under row covers fairly well, we have had luck with Varsity, Giant Red, and Parcel. Last year we kept a whole 4 x 8' row of mostly Giant Red alive all winter under a row cover and some of our Parcel survived with nothing but snow as insulating protection. Transplanted in the spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Chard</b> - As with the beet greens we have had lots of luck overwintering younger Swiss Chard plants but not so much with the older/larger ones. Planted mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Chervil</b> - A wonderful addition to the winter garden, ours get a red hue after a few months of cold but still retain that wonderful liquorice flavor. Planted mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Chickweed</b> - More than a mere weed this plant is a nice refreshing addition to our winter salads...the chickens like it too. Pretty much plants itself.<br />
<br />
<b>Chicory</b> - We have had great luck overwintering Frisée, various radiccio, Belgian and Batavian endive, Italian chicory (Catalogna), and even the common dandelion. For winter greens, Catalogna, Batavian, and Frisée are planted in mid summer all others in the early to late spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Collard Greens</b> - The young plants thrive in the winter garden but are, unfortunately, especially attractive to slugs.<br />
<br />
<b>Cress</b>- Holds up fairly well if kept under cover. Planted mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Curly Dock</b> - A fantastic spinach substitute. We are overwintering this for the first time in a covered row this season and have high hopes for it's ability to provide really early spring leaves if protected from the elements.<br />
<br />
<b>Herbs</b> - Common household herbs such as thyme, oregano, winter savory, some varieties of sage, lovage for early spring greens, French tarragon (dormant during winter), and many members of the mint family all manage the winter quite well, especially if they are covered.<br />
<br />
<b>Hesperis</b>(Dame’s Rocket) - Very hardy plant that we are learning to make much better use of as a winter green. Not to be mistaken for another hardy short lived perennial flowering plant called foxglove "Digitalis" that might, as my grandson says, "kill you to death" if eaten accidentally and in any quantity. Use young plants or pruned older ones. Planted early to mid summer. Read more about this super tenacious plant <a href="http://theextremegardener.com/?p=109">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Kale</b>- Along with turnips this is the plant we count on the most for a steady supply of winter greens. We have had luck with White and Red Russian, Dwarf Curled "Vates", Winterbor, Beedy's Camden, Lacinato (dinosaur), Lacinato Rainbow, and are experimenting with Redbor kale in this winter's garden. We have the best luck with younger smaller/thinner stalked plants. Planted in summer, early to mid July.<br />
<br />
<b>Lettuce</b> - Winter hardy varieties like Tango and Winter Density Romaine will often provide greens well into the winter before the leaves are compromised but with any luck many will survive via their roots and come back in the early spring. See <a href="http://www.ourhappyacres.com/2011/11/how-hardy-is-lettuce-2011-trials/">Dave's post </a>for more lettuce and Asian green varieties that might be good candidates for the winter garden. We currently use a mix from saved seeds belonging to varieties I no longer keep track of. Planted mid to late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Mache</b> - While we have had mixed results in our garden most people seem to have really good luck overwintering this corn flavored green. Planted late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Mallow</b>- (young plants or pruned older ones) Both pink flowered M. Alcea and shorter stemmed Malva Moschata Alba with white flowers could care less about the cold weather...edible hollyhocks too. Planted early to mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Mustard</b> - We have mostly grown Red Giant but there are other hardy varieties out there. Planted mid summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Nipplewort</b> - (Lapsana communis) Now here is an edible weed that first showed itself in my garden two years ago, at first I fought it, mostly because for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was, now I know, now we eat it.:) Seems to be very cold hardy and something I will be making much better use of in the future. Here is a <a href="http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/nipplewort-recipe">recipe</a> for this prolific plant.<br />
<br />
<b>Onions/Chives/ Garlic greens</b> - Egyptian, scallions, garlic, and various chives will all provide one with more than a few nice shoots during the winter months. Our chives usually fade away in the winter but are one of the first greens to appear again in early spring. Planted early spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Parsley</b>(we use curly leaf) - Very cold hardy well into the winter. Sometimes there are issues with mold but most plants provide us with greens all winter long. Planted early spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Pea greens</b> - We have often grown fall planted pea greens to serve as an addition to our salads well into mid December as they can often handle temperatures in the low to mid 20's.<br />
<br />
<b>Plantain</b> (various) - Not the tastiest green around but they certainly are hardy and resilient.<br />
<br />
<b>Prunella</b> - Still experimenting with this plant but it does seem to be quite indifferent to the cold and is another healthful spinach substitute. <b><br /><br />Radish</b> - We can't seem to grow a decent root no matter what we try but the greens will hold out well into winter. Planted late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Rutabaga</b> - Left in the garden, rutabaga will often lose its larger leaves but put out new growth during any warm periods. Some of the roots do rot but others manage the winter quite well. Planted in the spring or summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Salad Burnet</b> - Needs nothing but a little snow to protect it. Planted in early spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Scorzonera</b> - These perennial plants can be used for the roots or greens and are quite tolerant of the cold. Planted in early spring.<br />
<br />
<b>Sorrel</b> - Our knowledge lies with overwintering French and Red Veined sorrel, both of which are extremely cold hardy. Planted in early spring and cut back after flowering or planted mid summer. Sheep and Wood sorrel make for nice spring greens but we have not purposely tried to use them during the winter months, although I would imagine that if planted at the proper time, before they are able to set seed, they would also prove to be useful.<br />
<br />
<b>Sowthistle</b> (smooth/annual) - While not for everyone we enjoy the purplish colored leaves of this hardy plant in our early winter and summer salads. Planted mid to late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Spinach</b> - The Bloomingdale variety has done well for us, often providing greens all winter long. Planted mid to late summer depending upon the weather.<br />
<br />
<b>Turnip</b> - We grow both Seven Top and Purple Top for their greens but are often surprised with small Purple Top turnips come spring as both these plants have an insatiable will to grow given any period of warmth, even in the depths of winter. Planted late summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Violets</b> - I'm not sure about all of them but the wild purple flowered ones and violas that we grow can be picked and plucked for their mucilaginous leaves all winter. They are most efficient at planting themselves.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Common garden sage has no qualms about enduring wintry conditions </i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuno1b0GzdkhCG2gRelPP1-Tk-58MpoT2vB3mYHOQvaXQSzxfpqp1SFBC6oCF6SBXUQLDGo2gGZQNt7UOhVGcboa_SsEI5xpIAFxwUbUREB9EtZHWITO6gDpCVTCD12n1eGeDP5MkmLZn/s1600/IMG_5502.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678933477777000802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuno1b0GzdkhCG2gRelPP1-Tk-58MpoT2vB3mYHOQvaXQSzxfpqp1SFBC6oCF6SBXUQLDGo2gGZQNt7UOhVGcboa_SsEI5xpIAFxwUbUREB9EtZHWITO6gDpCVTCD12n1eGeDP5MkmLZn/s400/IMG_5502.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Most of our winter gardening experience lies in using plastic covered low tunnels and cold frames to protect the crops. Here are some links on various design tutorials that come to mind. More examples of cold frames, greenhouses, and hoophouses can be found on my sidebar.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2009/03/extending-growing-season.html">Our own simple row covers</a> (zone 5b)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108421163807481105353/Hoophouse#">Dan McMurray's row covers </a>(zone 6/7)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.modernvictorygarden.com/apps/blog/show/2551843-productive-sunday-puttering">Laura's row covers</a> (zone 8b)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.agrowingtradition.com/2009/10/building-mini-hoop-houses.html">Thomas's mini hoop houses </a>(zone 6a)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://whizbangrowcover.blogspot.com/2010/01/all-about-whizbang-row-cover-hoop.html">Herrick Kimball's whizbang row cover hoop system</a> (zone 5a)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-ManageQuickHoops.aspx?source=BlogLowtunnels010411">Eliot Coleman's quick hoops </a>(zone 5)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://chiotsrun.com/2010/04/17/building-hoop-houses-out-of-electrical-conduit/">Susy's garden hoops</a> (zone 5)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ourhappyacres.com/2011/02/cold-frames/">Dave's cold frames </a>(zone 6b)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.manytracks.com/Garden/Cold%20Frames.htm">Susan Robishaw's stackable cold frames </a>(zone 4) - Sue also has a booklet out called <a href="http://www.manytracks.com/Publishing/frostd.htm">"Frost Dancing - Tips from a Northern Gardener"</a> that I have yet to read.<br />
<br />
Another convenience of covered rows in a northern garden is access to thawed soil for planting early in the season. We are often able to direct seed or transplant spring greens even with a slow to melt covering of snow still on the ground. After a continuous 122 days below 40°F (4.44 °C) we started to get a bit antsy to get growing in this March 20th 2009 picture, the ground under the row covers remains warm to the touch while the surrounding earth is still partially frozen and covered in dirty white.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zsrCYY2f_6g6tihLpTfPx63jiYdfVeWO2EYIliKw0qLE11QeeEP79SvoiFTMIifY8IiA0X7pxgLUGUPOkLlf6JLkFJ4let_XAV2ZpYASWR-CpYbVdhDWmceFgWJHzKWIZPzQdkBHq-9P/s1600/IMG_2034.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679754672945600818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zsrCYY2f_6g6tihLpTfPx63jiYdfVeWO2EYIliKw0qLE11QeeEP79SvoiFTMIifY8IiA0X7pxgLUGUPOkLlf6JLkFJ4let_XAV2ZpYASWR-CpYbVdhDWmceFgWJHzKWIZPzQdkBHq-9P/s400/IMG_2034.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> Here is a list of interesting reads on the subject of winter or cold climate gardening. Some deal more with cold hardy summer vegetables for northern gardens than actual winter crops but they all impart valuable information. The first three authors are the ones that focus the most on actual winter crops. I would love to hear any other suggestions for books to read on this subject.<br />
<br />
<b>Winter Gardening In The Maritime Northwest: Cool Season Crops For The Year-Round Gardener</b> by Binda Colebrook<br />
<br />
<b>Four-Season Harvest</b> and <b>The Winter Harvest Handbook</b> by Eliot Coleman - See how Eliot Coleman grows his crops at - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBKr9kPrpzU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBKr9kPrpzU</a><br />
<br />
<b>The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live </b>by Niki Jabbour - See more of her at - <a href="http://yearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.com/">http://yearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
<b>Successful Cold Climate Gardening </b>by Lewis Hill<br />
<br />
<b>Building And Using Our Sun-Heated Greenhouse: Grow Vegetables All Year-Round </b>by Helen and Scott Nearing - See them in person at - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czr3iJBY4z0&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czr3iJBY4z0&feature=related</a><br />
<br />
<b>The Solar Greenhouse Book </b>edited by James C McCullagh<br />
<br />
<b>The Victorian Kitchen Garden</b> by Jennifer Davis - An inspiring video series on this can be seen at - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXO4mAY8tGI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXO4mAY8tGI</a><br />
<br />
<b>The New Northern Gardener</b> by Jennifer Bennett<br />
<br />
<b>Organic Gardening in Cold Climates</b> by Sandra Perrin<br />
<br />
<b>Growing Vegetables West of The Cascades</b> by Steve Solomon - See the author at - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Padresolvideos#p/u/20/IzNL2chyId4">http://www.youtube.com/user/Padresolvideos#p/u/20/IzNL2chyId4</a> and <a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/05steve%27sfolder/05aboutmeindex.html">http://www.soilandhealth.org/05steve%27sfolder/05aboutmeindex.html</a><br />
<br />
<b>Greening The Garden A Guide To Sustainable Growing</b> by Dan Jason (I love the philosophical aspect of this book) - There is an excellent video series on him at -<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMjGg9GeKPk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMjGg9GeKPk</a><br />
<br />
<b><i>We begin setting up our hoops in early October just before the first frosts. This one contains Russian kale.</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoexS3GCP9Lr42VC_I2w2d1MMPNUfGectRn-oqob3EVBXGteh_8a6Fxo7rWHwcxwLN_TtZuToCTbsrjiM8v0kFgNYhVL-wMXNJoHei9GWFaU__PmdYpmrQ0KDt-jGqMI9PBlt7wlmNgSo/s1600/IMG_5289.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680916068096691586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoexS3GCP9Lr42VC_I2w2d1MMPNUfGectRn-oqob3EVBXGteh_8a6Fxo7rWHwcxwLN_TtZuToCTbsrjiM8v0kFgNYhVL-wMXNJoHei9GWFaU__PmdYpmrQ0KDt-jGqMI9PBlt7wlmNgSo/s400/IMG_5289.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> Some speculation. According to various sources increased potassium levels in the tissue of plant leaves "might" help to protect them during adverse weather conditions. Potassium is said to have a <a href="http://www.rainbowplantfood.com/agronomics/efu/potassium.pdf">beneficial effect </a>on how a plant assimulates or uses water and also <a href="http://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/bc-india.nsf/$webindex/F52ED78FBCBCC0618525738300560CD9/$file/bc-india_Nov07_p12.pdf">aids in photosynthesis</a>. Since frost damage often results from the dehydration of leaf tissue, increasing potassium could lead to better photosynthesis and acclimatization, thus protecting it from frost to a certain degree. While I have found no conclusive studies to back up this "cold hardiness theory" we do supply our garden, especially the winter crops, with plenty of potassium via wood ash as plants deficient in this mineral certainly would be more prone to cold weather damage.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Row of this year's Dwarf Curly Leaf kale</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi7a6gq9A2RnEUik3iooN97l121B47hUAgQswh4OYBS9v2GhKgs_7-ym7rq2JGB9CDS7dVqvm9N31ybbyj-9na_iuxey513BYFHoiF9nLR6lUAV3JIgP2MecIwWt0SEK-RQRsSZw2xK7s/s1600/IMG_5492.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678738114022465858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi7a6gq9A2RnEUik3iooN97l121B47hUAgQswh4OYBS9v2GhKgs_7-ym7rq2JGB9CDS7dVqvm9N31ybbyj-9na_iuxey513BYFHoiF9nLR6lUAV3JIgP2MecIwWt0SEK-RQRsSZw2xK7s/s400/IMG_5492.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> More speculation. Per <a href="http://www.longrangeweather.com/ArticleArchives/NorthernUSCooling.htm">a local climatologist</a> that I follow, "Climate researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle recently said that their climate models are predicting increasing precipitation in the next decade in the northern latitudes. This should mean more snowy winter seasons across the Inland Empire and other regions of the U.S. near the Canadian border." Also, "European, Russian, and Japanese scientists are each predicting an increase in global cooling and expanding glaciers worldwide by 2014."<br />
<br />
Check out this "cool" <a href="http://www.longrangeweather.com/global_temperatures.htm">global temperature chart</a>.<br />
<br />
If this is true, both summer and winter gardening conditions will continue to prove increasingly challenging and having a good grasp on how to grow one's own food under these less than desirable circumstances will be of the utmost importance going forward. The snow in the pictures below has since dissipated as the weather warmed a bit last week, but it has once again started to cool off in the 20° and 30° range...I would have prefered to have kept the insulating coverage of snow but nature does not consult with me on such things.:) It will be interesting to see what the next couple months of winter will be like?<br />
<br />
<b><i>Purple and Seven Top turnips are one of our most important winter greens, some of them are already producing little turnips.</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9tKPqZpHuYkCt1k3lqQ4bIaEJ0Gqz8ozpMibP8dYoB1tfSfa8K4uijSxFZR9h8Y70pvw-eVhIPG5s3Q-YV9873D-2psENhKOISfxINQ5-b7FzHqNQ-ET6bhgBuJT_fCvYXBHeuDwuqFr/s1600/IMG_5483.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678738095619180738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9tKPqZpHuYkCt1k3lqQ4bIaEJ0Gqz8ozpMibP8dYoB1tfSfa8K4uijSxFZR9h8Y70pvw-eVhIPG5s3Q-YV9873D-2psENhKOISfxINQ5-b7FzHqNQ-ET6bhgBuJT_fCvYXBHeuDwuqFr/s400/IMG_5483.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4j-_Sy0iAvEvmho73Oy3hyABXiz2k4K3BO00dt4Vo-3w9VniPzDEY1l5bmkmnVhwySrtxf6-m1XChwlpL1zeStk4kYRvHQuv9lx2nQGKra_2M2smFmNuHvUar8xVNdsOLymKgf60S72V/s1600/IMG_5484.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678738100083050834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4j-_Sy0iAvEvmho73Oy3hyABXiz2k4K3BO00dt4Vo-3w9VniPzDEY1l5bmkmnVhwySrtxf6-m1XChwlpL1zeStk4kYRvHQuv9lx2nQGKra_2M2smFmNuHvUar8xVNdsOLymKgf60S72V/s400/IMG_5484.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippiQuXXMoBIQAvkUEwaCjpwBRKX7L3BInJr1M8sXBwywi_7_svSo-tj_a9YACDaHKdcyJ-Ez1mJLqvT9GuMuDhewEjaysucegtZ5vTl3H8iwmPG2zQsxcbbPCW_Fh_gEDJAoNebFAaJT5/s1600/IMG_5499.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678751241281288258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippiQuXXMoBIQAvkUEwaCjpwBRKX7L3BInJr1M8sXBwywi_7_svSo-tj_a9YACDaHKdcyJ-Ez1mJLqvT9GuMuDhewEjaysucegtZ5vTl3H8iwmPG2zQsxcbbPCW_Fh_gEDJAoNebFAaJT5/s400/IMG_5499.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/05steve%27sfolder/05aboutmeindex.html"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-48446414127402411352011-11-15T05:51:00.000-08:002011-11-15T06:28:55.063-08:00Jasper HallLife on a 42 acre, organic, permaculture inspired eden in Cooper’s Creek Valley, Australia.<br /><br />(This one's for you <a href="http://pathtoselfsufficiency.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-update.html">Heiko</a>)<br /><iframe height="320" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/19872708?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" width="450"></iframe><br /><a href="http://jasper-hall.com/index.php">http://jasper-hall.com/index.php</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-28871526125635152322011-11-07T18:01:00.000-08:002011-11-07T18:02:19.565-08:00Garden In TransitionThe last of the root veggies have been put away and are snug as a bug in a rug.<br /><br /><em><strong>Carrots are layered in coolers,</strong><br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE9S85XwrCbb8RMdIwDWwC7gIhjSIVNmqRQDL8iPhwKG2-QgpPKfb0J-MoNT_AWujaZkj2sD_7OiXgWRjTqXjQaZnAY3qEBUU1v_BAQwPN1dMS27feoArOP5BCyyJZketcDED5TfdW4rO/s1600/IMG_5339.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671514900453282610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE9S85XwrCbb8RMdIwDWwC7gIhjSIVNmqRQDL8iPhwKG2-QgpPKfb0J-MoNT_AWujaZkj2sD_7OiXgWRjTqXjQaZnAY3qEBUU1v_BAQwPN1dMS27feoArOP5BCyyJZketcDED5TfdW4rO/s400/IMG_5339.JPG" /></a> <em><strong>parsnips in totes</strong><br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTH_iu0AgW03-m6KAU7AhMSVXCpWFdo7OINcLlJsvNp02njnS3atUhZ-XoMo6J3h4oTWv9sfp1hCw4WfkQ8lvvAt92SksrFLtjmdfGgji1h-kIvhqBYhgrGqsNjp1ekmUAU8IT9oTQzUM/s1600/IMG_5377.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671517890342814466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTH_iu0AgW03-m6KAU7AhMSVXCpWFdo7OINcLlJsvNp02njnS3atUhZ-XoMo6J3h4oTWv9sfp1hCw4WfkQ8lvvAt92SksrFLtjmdfGgji1h-kIvhqBYhgrGqsNjp1ekmUAU8IT9oTQzUM/s400/IMG_5377.JPG" /></a> <em><strong>and endive in pots.</strong><br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AhwvLHXOpamQ3vayLJ-Yfycw2i0F1-I2ktuKCfbaZ4CE_76y_Rdd9y3STpiI5fcwo8l_cKagpQkheWGkGzuYuhiIXHH9WDOY32davT4hvsyrnLkKqPSHXJVXECy_B5N4OCCEUI2Z7Cjh/s1600/IMG_5369.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671514902800967362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AhwvLHXOpamQ3vayLJ-Yfycw2i0F1-I2ktuKCfbaZ4CE_76y_Rdd9y3STpiI5fcwo8l_cKagpQkheWGkGzuYuhiIXHH9WDOY32davT4hvsyrnLkKqPSHXJVXECy_B5N4OCCEUI2Z7Cjh/s400/IMG_5369.JPG" /></a> The summer garden has been put to rest, all covered in frosted leaves, weeds, and debris...but the winter gardening season has just begun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PKMGKtlcU6zbrUFemCSua2AyIpH8XpmXi2VH441gCCoiIz6jj9viE1niUTtWXVKpje0sxMfo76JEWkczY7TOTGfHz_sLXvHMVETp4Wa_2UFRfE-sZn5wBI1vU6x_Qw-OX4fzLgkhjs7-/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672082508966252114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PKMGKtlcU6zbrUFemCSua2AyIpH8XpmXi2VH441gCCoiIz6jj9viE1niUTtWXVKpje0sxMfo76JEWkczY7TOTGfHz_sLXvHMVETp4Wa_2UFRfE-sZn5wBI1vU6x_Qw-OX4fzLgkhjs7-/s400/IMG_5391.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-87934244247963391792011-11-02T05:37:00.000-07:002011-11-02T06:17:48.160-07:00Some Little Sweet Potatoes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UERfE30UMEmiuTgwxZKC6r_hnDhaxoIWEMv1ytae0Lv6S7tt0sTHqQh_XPN68PpkWLI4kq04lr1O26rbYIKqNBa8SmY4C4nGKy-MzhTjPfi_yGOMMr2BVXeouxoVzQK1CZkkrORj0fYR/s1600/IMG_5322.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669295604591190578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UERfE30UMEmiuTgwxZKC6r_hnDhaxoIWEMv1ytae0Lv6S7tt0sTHqQh_XPN68PpkWLI4kq04lr1O26rbYIKqNBa8SmY4C4nGKy-MzhTjPfi_yGOMMr2BVXeouxoVzQK1CZkkrORj0fYR/s400/IMG_5322.JPG" /></a>A few days ago we harvested a modest amount of long, skinny, red and white sweet potatoes, they were absolutely beautiful...beauty being in the eye of the beholder of course.:) I can see that my endeavor to produce sizable sweets is going to be an ongoing multi-year challenge.<br /><br />The potatoes were cultivated under a covered hoop for much of the summer but I believe this season's cold nighttime temperatures greatly limited tuber growth. Not a total failure though as a small 3' x 5' experimental plot still yielded a good 15 pounds of these tantalizing treasures that taste pretty darn amazing when roasted with a little olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr_F5uJ4ptvyQ9dOs5GmvmC-by2xSbUF3EtLb_sRIUy3U_gH_f-3IPg2crc6-3mpCNHJ_fdSq4mpFP3mrXZHxVGJjLWJyRfdZTDRAH_8Wf8mhVTea0rUrKJf0sGjrIThWtn4riKiCcMd-/s1600/IMG_5332.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669295609450635522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr_F5uJ4ptvyQ9dOs5GmvmC-by2xSbUF3EtLb_sRIUy3U_gH_f-3IPg2crc6-3mpCNHJ_fdSq4mpFP3mrXZHxVGJjLWJyRfdZTDRAH_8Wf8mhVTea0rUrKJf0sGjrIThWtn4riKiCcMd-/s400/IMG_5332.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-57535454439937966312011-10-28T05:20:00.000-07:002011-10-28T08:58:51.400-07:00Next Year's Firewood<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668534371029299986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5KF6_6XTO_4NyoEFydvurI9qU2DGenWYGwf4PD1biSLLbVRtUvuZ7n2VA027j6hbXIPpCYo0VyAqpYzz5PC8OLPjWm10ABRWqglbvwZNcjQNEKvycWLQo3VgACRik0Z366y4LbflYqbU/s400/IMG_3815.JPG" />This past May we had a tree fall on our house, we were standing right there as it happened...kind of scary. Lucky for us insurance more than covered the repair cost and I was able to fix the roof myself. So this week we took out seven large trees, two of which were totally dead and the other four had dead tops, as a preventative measure. Guess that takes care of next year's firewood...and then some. This will spare us and our poor old truck the challenge of <a href="http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/2010/05/very-busy-may.html">driving winding mountain roads </a>next spring in our annual trek for firewood. Always nice to be one step ahead of the game.<br /><br /><strong><em>The tree I'm cutting on in this photo is a Grand Fir, Native Americans used the inner bark of this tree for treating colds and fever...interesting.</em></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9AHFmqKRVVDl6fbtBeBC547-92pLG0mFb7i6MJVLhypImZ0Bpz6TxIwwQdK2LDC88DevbQiec04TmnYQnN3o20rOToJ8qDE9x6WZ001ght0qLGLDKFLgP_daSJKuf3nDLJ8I8aQseaYT/s1600/IMG_5355.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668533885970197106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9AHFmqKRVVDl6fbtBeBC547-92pLG0mFb7i6MJVLhypImZ0Bpz6TxIwwQdK2LDC88DevbQiec04TmnYQnN3o20rOToJ8qDE9x6WZ001ght0qLGLDKFLgP_daSJKuf3nDLJ8I8aQseaYT/s400/IMG_5355.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRxXexU5T4JHhDD-FyalHbQ40iZF4f6zxnodQFUXVG_pPzuZGWb7W3m2uEQrOLWYzGZaAo8AsiRe_DIHsbEiQozkqy_EJIfX-aJsIifZJL4xvTKm3o_Dno8R8RpCrRjVu0tlh29Boav5J/s1600/IMG_5357.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668533880978640770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRxXexU5T4JHhDD-FyalHbQ40iZF4f6zxnodQFUXVG_pPzuZGWb7W3m2uEQrOLWYzGZaAo8AsiRe_DIHsbEiQozkqy_EJIfX-aJsIifZJL4xvTKm3o_Dno8R8RpCrRjVu0tlh29Boav5J/s400/IMG_5357.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-71894839342286136642011-10-24T06:07:00.000-07:002011-10-24T06:31:41.919-07:00Potting Up Celery & Little Willie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN1dGllzuiVVJpTqpPpuI4jE8imryMZKC6YbIiZAeHiJfvJluf_Zm-M0NUO2cIq0x6isTSSX7q6xeN3WwGzCwRMnPbsJWJrrvsPQlFGQx-nJ20e3_WNeCbzwnT0qBqj-kLWtdLZzVOaHD/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666705617552101778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN1dGllzuiVVJpTqpPpuI4jE8imryMZKC6YbIiZAeHiJfvJluf_Zm-M0NUO2cIq0x6isTSSX7q6xeN3WwGzCwRMnPbsJWJrrvsPQlFGQx-nJ20e3_WNeCbzwnT0qBqj-kLWtdLZzVOaHD/s400/IMG_5271.JPG" /></a><br />Still frost free and our celery is potted up. In a another week or so it will be transferred to the root cellar for the winter, providing us with tasty stalks and leaves throughout the snowy months. Each pot contains 3-4 plants, 1/3 of whose foliage, preferably the less than desirable ones, are removed to compensate for root disturbance during the potting procedure. Only healthy plants that show no sign of bolting (sending up a round central stalk) to seed are chosen for winter storage. Most plants will not only survive the winter in our root cellar where they will continue producing, albeit somewhat more pale in comparison to the ones produced under sunlight, but can be planted back out into the garden in early spring for more fresh greens and eventually seed from chosen plants.<br /><br />A new variety that we grew this year called Crisp & Tender, thanks to the seedy generosity of the kind soul at <a href="http://kebunmalaykadazangirls.blogspot.com/">Kabun-Malay Kadazan girls blog</a>, was a big hit with us. Unfortunately, we did not place it in the most ideal location as it was the last batch of celery planted this past spring and wound up in a slightly drier and shady location at the end of the row under a fir tree. Even so, the plants provided us with a plethora of slender and surprisingly dark green flavorful stalks...for sure we will be growing this variety again next season. We also grew Ventura, Giant Red, Utah, and a leaf celery called Parcel.<br /><br /><em><strong>Sweet & Tender celery, all the way from Australia, thrived in our cool shady garden.</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKnI-kbDEvn4ONLLcj9rrtlNghaM-6mTfVay39M4NscF4BS0nlHlQXwRCVg3qrWTnDaCCE1ANaqIi9ji4rnjt8P0PNDBgk26D_bAQhILaE7hdyEAAMxUj9VoZi-BKGFztg5UvletZAKbT/s1600/IMG_5270.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666705624241674370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKnI-kbDEvn4ONLLcj9rrtlNghaM-6mTfVay39M4NscF4BS0nlHlQXwRCVg3qrWTnDaCCE1ANaqIi9ji4rnjt8P0PNDBgk26D_bAQhILaE7hdyEAAMxUj9VoZi-BKGFztg5UvletZAKbT/s400/IMG_5270.JPG" /></a> Also, meet Willie! This newest member of our family was found in the bushes almost two months ago. Hungry and emaciated the poor little guy took to us without complaint...he was so small. Little Willie has grown a lot, he likes to take dust baths with the chickens, greatly annoy the other cats, play in the garden, eat, eat some more, and sit on my lap while I am on the computer.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BIOJSAfUEURXsx8Ic5U8E83OPjCAkx0Ufo97lxoR2L3iwCne7iEZaRlF1T47zZv9etQT7Hyctow9V4-jtlULUfz2M58SUrsIfX7rbdsOzartDKgAvkyzcjedDw7X_zYokTbRTy4Q9EDE/s1600/IMG_5313.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666882470534660146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BIOJSAfUEURXsx8Ic5U8E83OPjCAkx0Ufo97lxoR2L3iwCne7iEZaRlF1T47zZv9etQT7Hyctow9V4-jtlULUfz2M58SUrsIfX7rbdsOzartDKgAvkyzcjedDw7X_zYokTbRTy4Q9EDE/s400/IMG_5313.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-18906513016605025492011-10-18T06:27:00.000-07:002011-10-18T15:02:47.134-07:00Michael Pilarski - Forest GardensMichael Pilarski is a wellspring of knowledge when it comes to creating edible forest gardens.<br /><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e8CFxWHPOFQ" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ewq-kFziXhU" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ytSCGn6NIwQ" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /><br />See more of Michael Pilarski at -<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=michael+pilarski&suggested_categories=27%2C28&page=1">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=michael+pilarski&suggested_categories=27%2C28&page=1</a><br /><br />and<br /><br /><a href="http://www.friendsofthetrees.net/">http://www.friendsofthetrees.net/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-9287130890298794592011-10-13T07:03:00.000-07:002011-10-13T07:26:48.429-07:00Harvesting Beets & Greens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBMbAeFbebyG_bL2aTWibc1zAFyAHRLZO-WT60fPlob1TEAUC6VhZ3QSgUFHpN6qXR330YcV1KgxjPz-x3WCpXPIJqoE_Klnnx8b1_IY9dvlC4d45PunAUN9FE8hFrOAHZ8tiXDQMKiij/s1600/IMG_5235.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662270015370108642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBMbAeFbebyG_bL2aTWibc1zAFyAHRLZO-WT60fPlob1TEAUC6VhZ3QSgUFHpN6qXR330YcV1KgxjPz-x3WCpXPIJqoE_Klnnx8b1_IY9dvlC4d45PunAUN9FE8hFrOAHZ8tiXDQMKiij/s400/IMG_5235.JPG" /></a><br />Beets were harvested this week and we were quite pleased with the results, about 70% of them filled out nicely, the rest were either damaged by mice or too small to bother with. Pictured in the cooler are some of the better looking greens that were set aside to be blanched and frozen. Interestingly, your average beet is supposed to take 55-80 days from the time it germinates to maturity, mine normally take between 90 and 120 days. The above beets were planted in mid-May and just recently reached a harvestable size.<br /><br />The mice damage was my own fault, I should have been paying better attention and either hilled dirt around the roots in early September or set out mouse traps as this is often an issue we face in the fall. Near as I can tell the mice will not dig for roots and only snack on the parts remaining above the soil which makes beets, and sometimes carrots, an irresistible target for them. Gonna have to have a little chat with those cats about earning their keep...one of them even lives in our greenhouse during the summer and has apparently not been doing as good a job at rodent control as I had thought.<br /><br />After harvesting, the tops are trimmed leaving about an inch of stem remaining, keeping some of the stem intact helps to keep them from spoiling. They are then placed into totes and coolers, layered in ever so slightly damp sandy soil, and stored in our root cellar. Beets are one of our longest storing root crops, some remaining in excellent eating condition for well over a year. This year's crop included Detroit Dark Red, Crosby's Egyptian, Lutz, Cylindria, Crapaudine, Boltardy, a few golden beets whose name slips me, and a new to us variety called Red Cloud (hybrid) that performed extremely well this year...wish I would have grown a few more of those.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-91799126950049180922011-10-06T06:25:00.000-07:002011-10-06T10:19:43.327-07:00The Harvest Season Is Upon Us<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv9yDWMohaI8765apBPYYI_aD9gsZhxX71ciY13Hc9_SdhYu5OJBD48j9WoFhUvNsb1GDU40vIqyTmyuz5o2DOjC5Yc3MTx9iaWW2ibcMAKrf1xv88WZIWM9ze8bXVN2wM0xRBoSTTQqa/s1600/IMG_5169.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659717789691703426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv9yDWMohaI8765apBPYYI_aD9gsZhxX71ciY13Hc9_SdhYu5OJBD48j9WoFhUvNsb1GDU40vIqyTmyuz5o2DOjC5Yc3MTx9iaWW2ibcMAKrf1xv88WZIWM9ze8bXVN2wM0xRBoSTTQqa/s400/IMG_5169.JPG" /></a> All in all the garden has been good to us this year, recent harvests have yielded fairly decent amounts of food for winter storage. My little helper and I were blessed with over 400 lbs of potatoes from five rows totalling 160' in length, this is about a hundred pounds less than I had hoped for but more than enough to see us through the cold months...I just won't be sharing any with the chickens as had originally been planned. Next year we will plant more potatoes.<br /><br />We track the weight of our tomatoes, potatoes, and onions to help us evaluate production, that coupled with the fact that since these crops are gathered in five gallon buckets it is just too easy not to.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYj_wg-Mx_G9bsHOB1FqNptcmBvFXI8peG-WhxTSNg55Ys4roYlJfC_aoXHbYJjbjDhUqoGoSkVOLNvVTyT1wn_qDc1KcfpSWhHQ9Y6gvNPI9hjl1FL-_5HBoqMYcsCFkTHkU31PkssFI/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659719810312502258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYj_wg-Mx_G9bsHOB1FqNptcmBvFXI8peG-WhxTSNg55Ys4roYlJfC_aoXHbYJjbjDhUqoGoSkVOLNvVTyT1wn_qDc1KcfpSWhHQ9Y6gvNPI9hjl1FL-_5HBoqMYcsCFkTHkU31PkssFI/s400/IMG_5182.JPG" /></a>Numerous different potato varieties were planted this season and all but one, <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/potatoes/variety-L_files/Butterfinger%20Potato.pdf">Butterfinger</a> , did well. Most of our spuds were small to medium in size...not a lot of big ones this time around. Pictured below are Russian Banana and Red Thumb. Russian Banana normally produces more potatoes per plant than any other variety we grow.<br /><br />This year's potatoes were planted fairly intensively and yielded around 6-8 tubers per plant. They were planted 12" deep and I did not "hill them up" at all this summer. Because we have chosen to keep our aisle ways so very narrow, practically disappearing by mid-summer, it is difficult for me to hill up potatoes so I have found that <a href="http://www.modernvictorygarden.com/apps/blog/show/3231568-the-great-potato-experiment-begins">deep planting </a>makes up for this in our garden.<br /><br />In 2012 I hope to experiment with more of a <a href="http://www.echocommunity.org/resource/collection/E66CDFDB-0A0D-4DDE-8AB1-74D9D8C3EDD4/DrylandFarming.pdf">dryland farming technique </a>with some of our potato crop that involves depending upon using only natural occurring rain water, wide spacing, and dirt/<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u1g6h7q1IWIC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=steve+soloman+dust+mulch&source=bl&ots=-v-obgtz0R&sig=vY_Ephm8K3vGEK1L1g0Bs_MN13Q&hl=en&ei=N6CMTraTDOaKsALDipmYBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">dust mulch </a>to help with water retention. This will be done in an area separate from our main garden, we have a 3 acre field that is not cost effective to irrigate and need to start putting it to good use with something besides knapweed. For quite some time now one of my concerns has been that we are far too dependent upon irrigation and I would like to learn more about growing crops with less water and potatoes would seem to be a great dryland crop to experiment with. A <a href="http://matronofhusbandry.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/potatoes-meaningful-work-and-peasant-food/">fellow blogger </a>, in a somewhat similar climate, has had great success with this type of farming and it would seem to be a much more sustainable manner in which to grow crops allowing us to shed some of our dependence on water pumped to us via electric power.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUiw2HQ1LgbOkNZdc9Ix8bDZd-Zw4HVmXKJviESc9GIef2-Y_pesDCKLiOaUHaXmQoA6n1_iLeu0kEKqgAaeBXw8ACE0LmmaNYRLIvyrR_lxfHE3ujrZj7Dacb7kH7DVJSqJ8PaigZrPH/s1600/IMG_5190.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659719825498267170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUiw2HQ1LgbOkNZdc9Ix8bDZd-Zw4HVmXKJviESc9GIef2-Y_pesDCKLiOaUHaXmQoA6n1_iLeu0kEKqgAaeBXw8ACE0LmmaNYRLIvyrR_lxfHE3ujrZj7Dacb7kH7DVJSqJ8PaigZrPH/s400/IMG_5190.JPG" /></a> Our spring planted garlic experiment turned out all right, the cloves are a little on the small side but so is/was most everything else this year. We planted our garlic in the early spring because in previous winters too much snow cover has allowed <a href="http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/pest/voles.htm">voles</a> unhindered access to a smorgasbord of fall planted bulbs and too little snow, coupled with lots of rain, has sometimes led to rotten garlic. I think I'll give the spring planting a try again next season and then decide which period of planting works best for us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoODe-Q7XU4tWsiviVbfXlVlfmL0uPfsWpn3KfSUrSnO2NcWt0NbmjXCCp7AwhxBcuCPTUFDCkDvbdWh2zAXqTajs7ApIjDyusx2EVTnDH6HJKgvqjbtYEK3ZwsUtE1plJDJ4L4P9ARI9/s1600/IMG_5114.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659724758430604690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoODe-Q7XU4tWsiviVbfXlVlfmL0uPfsWpn3KfSUrSnO2NcWt0NbmjXCCp7AwhxBcuCPTUFDCkDvbdWh2zAXqTajs7ApIjDyusx2EVTnDH6HJKgvqjbtYEK3ZwsUtE1plJDJ4L4P9ARI9/s400/IMG_5114.JPG" /></a> 2011 was our best harvest ever with a couple hundred pounds of nice sized onions. We grew Stuttgarter, Yellow of Parma, Varsity, Jaune Paille Des Vertus, Utah, and a few Candy onions. I tried growing Walla Walla Sweets from starts again but they all shriveled up and died... probably due to our cold rainy spring weather. This will be the last time I will bother with that particular variety as they have rarely turned out for me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXXRDc493xPACES3a1rDzGuy2QYO0BVhOq2mDB1gVzbaT5XayLVZgkHnFZf0joNEF8cGox3mbY6M-At8Fm0r8wiVeKIoeLP0VOnSl1HZ7k50xsC8XL0kM-um8zFyhe1-phMV2ict4VILu/s1600/IMG_5110.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659717777313676098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXXRDc493xPACES3a1rDzGuy2QYO0BVhOq2mDB1gVzbaT5XayLVZgkHnFZf0joNEF8cGox3mbY6M-At8Fm0r8wiVeKIoeLP0VOnSl1HZ7k50xsC8XL0kM-um8zFyhe1-phMV2ict4VILu/s400/IMG_5110.JPG" /></a> The tomatoes did better than I had originally expected and should allow for a good amount of canned sauce which we will continue working on as they slowly finish ripening on our porch. Our 2011 tomato crop weighed in at close to 300 lbs, which is almost half of what we produced last year.<br /><br />Our goal is to get an average yield of 5-10 lbs per plant, some will provide many more fruits some less. We grow a variety called De Tiganesti that provided nearly 20 lbs per plant whereas our Black Krim and Coastal Pride varieties only shared 4-5 tomatoes per plant with us...but their flavor more than made up for the lack of productivity.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc1lFwXnP-Mnz8IcmDDO4fHYG6Z6kOibzfvUOSxSMMYNSj3M8fjQfVlS3r2C07wEPepX1jRPmG9qOyMQsPm_q2SsNy9rhHJUnwC7o3SzG2wHjzqZWf7dqeb_STryekqcIRnlglXpsZ9fT/s1600/IMG_5219.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659722147742109506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc1lFwXnP-Mnz8IcmDDO4fHYG6Z6kOibzfvUOSxSMMYNSj3M8fjQfVlS3r2C07wEPepX1jRPmG9qOyMQsPm_q2SsNy9rhHJUnwC7o3SzG2wHjzqZWf7dqeb_STryekqcIRnlglXpsZ9fT/s400/IMG_5219.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87OMoon6XjYBj4SKVk3iodfKqvbEykjmsJU-wtfItlVnLMR5swd4wFFATOsSuDEvcOIUpFY-Hp6Jgcq8pwA8csemPGBuejSPE_bFQvXkawtKHZ7Bhkv00vqR4WHNogWD6b6J-jjYc4wQg/s1600/IMG_5228.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659723776586703650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87OMoon6XjYBj4SKVk3iodfKqvbEykjmsJU-wtfItlVnLMR5swd4wFFATOsSuDEvcOIUpFY-Hp6Jgcq8pwA8csemPGBuejSPE_bFQvXkawtKHZ7Bhkv00vqR4WHNogWD6b6J-jjYc4wQg/s400/IMG_5228.JPG" /></a>We were very pleased with our peppers, especially considering the long cold spring we experienced, and have been freezing and eating them fresh since mid July. I picked the last few of them yesterday and will store them in the below bins until we use them up, if the weather remains cool they should keep just fine for a month or so.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrzPmgRDLZi2jmEHMQLGMNRnz-bUtEFVJ_x2WVAdZYr7Rsby-_J_WzA-atQpRkL00aaWt5Rpw0bXjR6ariNJSU8ZADIdiyOiwhOOszsQ2lwiywTC-djKLLpAx2Ov9HOxIFzBMv9p2bKgD/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659724023822559170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrzPmgRDLZi2jmEHMQLGMNRnz-bUtEFVJ_x2WVAdZYr7Rsby-_J_WzA-atQpRkL00aaWt5Rpw0bXjR6ariNJSU8ZADIdiyOiwhOOszsQ2lwiywTC-djKLLpAx2Ov9HOxIFzBMv9p2bKgD/s400/IMG_5216.JPG" /></a> The Grandson was more than happy to help pick apples, some of our trees are finally starting to produce decent amounts of fruit. The tree the boy is picking from is a Cortland. We are using these for storage and picked many pounds of mixed wild apples that were canned up as sauce.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaikEHQn7-1dGsZ9q204DUb8S0L62iy8iFKBek1DlHAAdKlmqOgs4mpRYJ7-URjVye3LQ0dPIwXiee9_JvWb40eSJCc_JvoFv3fSkQxKT5dai8LxEPWhoPg6JVu49JJB2e3R8e8a2Hc2l/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659717816451564850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaikEHQn7-1dGsZ9q204DUb8S0L62iy8iFKBek1DlHAAdKlmqOgs4mpRYJ7-URjVye3LQ0dPIwXiee9_JvWb40eSJCc_JvoFv3fSkQxKT5dai8LxEPWhoPg6JVu49JJB2e3R8e8a2Hc2l/s400/IMG_5202.JPG" /></a> These Spitzenberg apples have become one of my favorites for fresh eating. We were delighted to get around 40 lbs off this 6-7 year old tree.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFpuvcTZmA-pKUpgGbpHtjTr0NZs0lwvTjE8weelMbocxYYYkDhZ7pKP9v5XAHDVJJC_l78upH8kma6Q78F40dTZlM8KHUDFFRZZPdGuJDWOWBDJ66rKUY15Veh8GOhtIsuY7yhyphenhypheny8bs4/s1600/IMG_5134.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659719840236435378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFpuvcTZmA-pKUpgGbpHtjTr0NZs0lwvTjE8weelMbocxYYYkDhZ7pKP9v5XAHDVJJC_l78upH8kma6Q78F40dTZlM8KHUDFFRZZPdGuJDWOWBDJ66rKUY15Veh8GOhtIsuY7yhyphenhypheny8bs4/s400/IMG_5134.JPG" /></a> Next up we will be harvesting beets, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, endive, celery, and so on.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-7923053093887415912011-09-08T05:32:00.000-07:002011-09-09T18:26:33.184-07:00TomatoesWith the continuation of warm daytime temperatures and dry weather our tomatoes are finally starting to come into their own. Looks like the plants will produce a little better than I had originally thought if this warm weather holds out for another week or so. With hot days and clear cold nights frost has been showing itself in our bottom field so we will have to be diligent in watching the temperatures and pick all of the tomatoes ripe or not at the last minute as is usual for us this time of the year. Luckily our tomatoes are grown up the hill and under the protection of the trees which gives us a good 3-5°'s of leeway. Here are a few that I noticed on my way out of the garden last night.<br /><br /><strong>Bursztyn is always a favorite with its very sweet yet tangy flavor</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnNkOqQoRsZ0hIzC0NbydqKhtkf-pRI5PkdSroCemKs9-_HoqO1cQ6_s-MIEoZTmKu8Cgp3xZDzz9u89BBDJm2OxEYkkdjj99tZnKWFpV-gPWiZj61lBo0JVg2aiSh233Kpx432EDYYB/s1600/IMG_5090.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649966586070203138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnNkOqQoRsZ0hIzC0NbydqKhtkf-pRI5PkdSroCemKs9-_HoqO1cQ6_s-MIEoZTmKu8Cgp3xZDzz9u89BBDJm2OxEYkkdjj99tZnKWFpV-gPWiZj61lBo0JVg2aiSh233Kpx432EDYYB/s400/IMG_5090.JPG" /></a><br /><strong>Still waiting for Miracle of the Market to produce a ripe tomato but the fruits are filling out nicely. (Thanks Annie's Granny:)</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq6ODnOihXvHbrm66yZN3XTjmKvUww8506xdpjTv8nY-UUl1g2SBNcmJWtIYjw_Vtox4VDApVZyNj8A2xYZf9Lv7r6qqCRdqYYoTGe4rrbAn71witStZLHBjpUS5scyeE1eHtuGfrLnfF/s1600/IMG_5092.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649966577849396562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq6ODnOihXvHbrm66yZN3XTjmKvUww8506xdpjTv8nY-UUl1g2SBNcmJWtIYjw_Vtox4VDApVZyNj8A2xYZf9Lv7r6qqCRdqYYoTGe4rrbAn71witStZLHBjpUS5scyeE1eHtuGfrLnfF/s400/IMG_5092.JPG" /></a><br /><strong>Persey is another new to us variety (again, thanks to Annie's Granny) that has been performing well...we have been eating quite a few of these the past couple weeks.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7xpbbrq2slmuwNi6Aw6bxKVQ6RQW1AIIlQsX7WdiXJV3QXMGF8qfe7i_ZVU5iPO4EY-bHH1OGlDm3dOyrniQNuxyqyRy67VrWFiRRkQBScYmRqkbxT_yDGCNZ3hPCK61qAH8UBtHZveM/s1600/IMG_5087.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649966573785771106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7xpbbrq2slmuwNi6Aw6bxKVQ6RQW1AIIlQsX7WdiXJV3QXMGF8qfe7i_ZVU5iPO4EY-bHH1OGlDm3dOyrniQNuxyqyRy67VrWFiRRkQBScYmRqkbxT_yDGCNZ3hPCK61qAH8UBtHZveM/s400/IMG_5087.JPG" /></a><br /><strong>Silvery Fir Tree continues to surprise us, the foliage is all but gone while the tomatoes finish ripening. Each plant of this variety I grew produced around 15 - 16 nice tomatoes...not bad for such a shrimpy little plant.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5oNiWA34EMuZMzNFQADaem2N3wcI8agNm9v6ytyOQJhY5j7ViXf5ACQiHt0cwqzSp1SqDLuKNHE9p24OD2s7twGAUenFbHdThDMl2Jxe6GdVZj2NcVNJPDWQLDd_URuI27IHEQ0zlQaT/s1600/IMG_5095.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649970519787588674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5oNiWA34EMuZMzNFQADaem2N3wcI8agNm9v6ytyOQJhY5j7ViXf5ACQiHt0cwqzSp1SqDLuKNHE9p24OD2s7twGAUenFbHdThDMl2Jxe6GdVZj2NcVNJPDWQLDd_URuI27IHEQ0zlQaT/s400/IMG_5095.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-39586929958327905402011-08-29T05:36:00.000-07:002011-08-29T10:08:32.788-07:00Sweet & Spicy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-t7VzRY4s4T4YzONHE4kCs-0eem2svWkQwDp0_9CmEf-dLf6saheYVGky-JpnPQGlwzdmUB0URMGeEwHvYGF926YOUFkTMvzxDF0JzyvoPO3UVcRnZp-jguA37goLWUlsq7nD2JbPrVig/s1600/IMG_5025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645623886393902818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-t7VzRY4s4T4YzONHE4kCs-0eem2svWkQwDp0_9CmEf-dLf6saheYVGky-JpnPQGlwzdmUB0URMGeEwHvYGF926YOUFkTMvzxDF0JzyvoPO3UVcRnZp-jguA37goLWUlsq7nD2JbPrVig/s400/IMG_5025.JPG" /></a><strong>Sweet:</strong>
<br />
<br />Our second crop of strawberries is coming on, not too many yet but they are of nice size and flavor. The ones above ended up in a smoothie...it was good.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYCmT8ibSvpYK6-f9j5eZnF36TxVw6sRAc4x5nk3n-zEQR8tHwZMzIX66YEYNufSBhA99MqH1hERFYLkpIrqNxbbnQPVnVUNm-6Z0UxMSu9AHcmi2TlMREbp7VtzXbF0ZidJuS4_uG29E/s1600/IMG_4977.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645623657303506722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYCmT8ibSvpYK6-f9j5eZnF36TxVw6sRAc4x5nk3n-zEQR8tHwZMzIX66YEYNufSBhA99MqH1hERFYLkpIrqNxbbnQPVnVUNm-6Z0UxMSu9AHcmi2TlMREbp7VtzXbF0ZidJuS4_uG29E/s400/IMG_4977.JPG" /></a><strong>Spicy:</strong>
<br />
<br />I have been busy making our version of <a href="http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Food/food.cfm?Subject=kimchi">kimchi</a>, the latest batch consisted of cucumbers, green beans, carrots, various cabbage, Tuscan kale, kohlrabi, Italian chicory, red amaranth leaves, onions, garlic, chives, green onions, green & black peppers (would have liked to have had some red peppers for color), and was flavored with spicy red pepper powder, paprika powder, plus a few tablespoons of grated ginger.
<br />
<br />For every five pounds of processed veggies I added a very light 3 tablespoons of sea salt. The cabbage is mixed with the salt and pounded to release juices. I then included the rest of the veggies and spices, mixed well and packed into a crock, keeping the ingredients weighted down for approximately a week. One cup of water was also used in order to have enough brine to cover everything. Seven days later I transferred the fermented deliciousness into glass jars...15 lbs of veggies made 1 gallon plus a quart.
<br />
<br />This can either be kept in a cool root cellar or one's refrigerator. Since I had to make it early this year in order to incorporate fresh green beans and cucumbers into the mix it is being stored in the refrigerator as the root cellar is not quite cold enough yet...last year our kimchi and sauerkraut stored well in the root cellar from October through May at which time I put the remaining jars in our refrigerator. It will easily keep over a year this way, we are still working to finish off last year's kimchi and it tastes just fine.
<br />
<br />In looking at these jars I am reminded that a piece of wax paper should be added in order to keep the lids from corroding or rusting...oops.:) Also, after the first week or so in storage we always have to add a little more brine to keep everything covered.
<br />
<br />Does anyone else enjoy the bold flavors of kimchi?
<br />
<br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp06i3bf5MSEYQEAbXInuvmtt1X-4nq7kflyBEnrNqyjFnRP4dTJi51OTeuLbv_MfTsK2Bbj21KJ_Cq8ZAVO3GS82gQCo2j6iBeVHivzhyphenhyphenD62ouTGvHvKEMenVDLqw_b_TGJIgDUcdbQeX/s1600/IMG_5027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645623395006198610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp06i3bf5MSEYQEAbXInuvmtt1X-4nq7kflyBEnrNqyjFnRP4dTJi51OTeuLbv_MfTsK2Bbj21KJ_Cq8ZAVO3GS82gQCo2j6iBeVHivzhyphenhyphenD62ouTGvHvKEMenVDLqw_b_TGJIgDUcdbQeX/s400/IMG_5027.JPG" /></a>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-26216226849190156602011-08-22T06:57:00.000-07:002011-08-22T18:33:25.891-07:00The Agro Rebel<em><strong>"Nature's book always contains the truth; we must only learn to read it." - Sepp Holzer</strong></em>
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJJi484OT_DkX27Ssf0x511Q4RtOHtfD-aSziMBIPHexhAfjLqMhtifd5eGStca5SYhW8oEJLvC77S8gZQoGe1-IKTSn1kWk7HQ87mbEJbQyqg33IzfoHexaTt-OyhSWIrnqr3o7YEpvZ/s1600/IMG_5021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643337794316599154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJJi484OT_DkX27Ssf0x511Q4RtOHtfD-aSziMBIPHexhAfjLqMhtifd5eGStca5SYhW8oEJLvC77S8gZQoGe1-IKTSn1kWk7HQ87mbEJbQyqg33IzfoHexaTt-OyhSWIrnqr3o7YEpvZ/s400/IMG_5021.JPG" /></a>
<br />I have been following the farming methods of Sepp Holzer for quite a few years now but only recently finished reading his most interesting book titled <strong>Sepp Holzer's Permaculture</strong> - <em>A practical Guide to Small Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening.</em> The book is a fascinating account of how Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer has, over the past 40 years, transformed his over 100 acres of steep mountain sides into a virtual paradise filled with fruit trees, vegetables, and free ranging animals like the <a href="http://woolypigs.com/_introduction.html">wooly Mangalitza</a>, <a href="http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/turopolje/index.htm">endangered Turopolje</a>, and other pigs he uses to help clear and till the land.
<br />
<br />Diversity instead of monoculture and working with nature rather than against it has allowed him to build a farm that thrives at altitudes ranging upwards of 5,000 ft above sea level with an average (mean) temperature of 39.5°...similar to the average in Duluth MN but with slightly warmer winters.
<br />
<br />It's really quite amazing what he has accomplished in this boreal climate. Over 30,000 fruit trees, including citrus, apricot, peach, eucalyptus, fig, and kiwi fruit varieties, dot the landscape. His cherry harvest extends from June all the way into October because the trees are grown at varying altitudes. The Holzer family also enjoys working with unusual crops like primeval grains, mushrooms, and even raise fish in some<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=235437896615994763#"> 70 plus ponds </a>that Sepp has created over the years...the epitome of permaculture. Take a look at the video below and you will see what I am talking about.
<br />
<br />(Ohiofarmgirl - pig tilling can be seen at 40:45 minutes)
<br />
<br /><div style="WIDTH: 400px"><embed height="300" name="cultureUnpluggedPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" src="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/swf/embedplayer.swf" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="b" quality="high" flashvars="video=http://cdn.cultureunplugged.com/lg/THE_AGRO_REBEL.mp4&m=930&u=0&thumb=http://cdn.cultureunplugged.com/thumbnails/lg/930.jpg&sURL=http://www.cultureunplugged.com&title=The Agro Rebel&from=Bertram Verhaag"></embed>
<br />The movie can be viewed in a larger format at the below link↓...warning, if your computer is as pitifully slow as mine it might be hard to load.
<br />
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN-TOP: 5px"><a href="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/930/The-Agro" target="_blank">View this movie at cultureunplugged.com</a></div>
<br />
<br />More information can be found at -
<br />
<br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=727825431796194016">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=727825431796194016</a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.perma-dise.com/download/SeppOffener_English.pdf">http://www.perma-dise.com/download/SeppOffener_English.pdf</a></div>
<br /><a href="http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp">http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp</a>
<br />
<br />And his previous book - <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sepp-Holzer-Holzer/dp/3702010548">The Rebel Farmer </a></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-62964326432202376012011-08-13T19:21:00.000-07:002011-08-17T08:17:06.667-07:00Goings-on<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaUAmiHE4uIya7FktnWkeWPfH3ZbiIQ013f8q5Qq0Uyd_iUnSrdSz3nI-7y_JR88jMEnbvjrYpzijjcyiF-us77Vp27eKbjFz3aMmihD-wBfEGo4u-YTkLM_RcfntOMDbOc_Ry539ObQ3/s1600/IMG_4803.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637476644843675650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaUAmiHE4uIya7FktnWkeWPfH3ZbiIQ013f8q5Qq0Uyd_iUnSrdSz3nI-7y_JR88jMEnbvjrYpzijjcyiF-us77Vp27eKbjFz3aMmihD-wBfEGo4u-YTkLM_RcfntOMDbOc_Ry539ObQ3/s400/IMG_4803.JPG" /></a> It's been a busy summer, the food gardens are coming along nicely but I am struggling to find time for this blog...you know, a day late and a dollar short type of thing when it comes to keeping it updated.:) I kind of feel like Old Dan Tucker -
<br />
<br />"Get out the way for old Dan Tucker
<br />He's too late to git his supper
<br />Supper's over and dishes washed
<br />Nothing left but a piece of squash"
<br />
<br /><iframe height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qj_Lc_VkpOM" frameborder="0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />Right...um...anyway, speaking of squash we are now officially overflowing in the summer variety, gold and green zucchini plus lots of little papaya pear squash.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGsGncFKi2BM4zn9CfBCfb3-Uoc0U14L1RVcyTjmXXLoRsyaxKxXJoNs_9MIQZSSM9eErvQSaMqqueP1hBxGDhQWpR-A9MrPB92UWfP7DgybHNvyl_wL-rw02ZFxUVyWdhroeOm94kXd2/s1600/IMG_4756.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637445677770291506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGsGncFKi2BM4zn9CfBCfb3-Uoc0U14L1RVcyTjmXXLoRsyaxKxXJoNs_9MIQZSSM9eErvQSaMqqueP1hBxGDhQWpR-A9MrPB92UWfP7DgybHNvyl_wL-rw02ZFxUVyWdhroeOm94kXd2/s400/IMG_4756.JPG" /></a> Picked a couple gallons of Saskatoons and have been eating lots of thimbleberries while out on our morning runs.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z5XQalCu9zDPRRHKEOTbCSrEA_e4M2l_Z2BnIQ3_ejiXn_-Fv-pqJiBheX1-DheH8lYe0QhgvyyZBWp9ZrxhpYy7LJ81JO1z6P3NYZPAh_zfms1es0cJPDxYWagq8xBRhU318qHgDehu/s1600/IMG_4837.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640360792291554658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z5XQalCu9zDPRRHKEOTbCSrEA_e4M2l_Z2BnIQ3_ejiXn_-Fv-pqJiBheX1-DheH8lYe0QhgvyyZBWp9ZrxhpYy7LJ81JO1z6P3NYZPAh_zfms1es0cJPDxYWagq8xBRhU318qHgDehu/s400/IMG_4837.JPG" /></a> The fruits on grandson's Sweetheart cherry tree are ripening and were ready just in time for his return from California.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M5iuwIC6QaRpiXunR-1aQDe3Xf4Bqr82Pjc9BZ0ioCybJSMfT6-OJ6Vdoj3EZlrRzOMNpbkMxqcypCdV61T9MlsEVKcXjasY5QwkPgNg9UdVkhiIP9AjOaz-t5E1XQS5X0v3wYNRSIjC/s1600/IMG_4783.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637447101846004450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M5iuwIC6QaRpiXunR-1aQDe3Xf4Bqr82Pjc9BZ0ioCybJSMfT6-OJ6Vdoj3EZlrRzOMNpbkMxqcypCdV61T9MlsEVKcXjasY5QwkPgNg9UdVkhiIP9AjOaz-t5E1XQS5X0v3wYNRSIjC/s400/IMG_4783.JPG" /></a> Frogs too! But as we are not into the practice of eating frog legs we made the boy let this little fellow go.:)
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtRk0KoHqNu2bSzHjnSu3tHt-26i76OE3RifTr-sdfdH-lxhRZe993Fh8XnURSUm3ZbOYq049rHQbHJiFOAcKQixY509BurIvp4UsINWtiaOqbx6lnLT5roAXD4buXedE_7_QOwq_Up4W/s1600/IMG_4874.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640360802603224546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtRk0KoHqNu2bSzHjnSu3tHt-26i76OE3RifTr-sdfdH-lxhRZe993Fh8XnURSUm3ZbOYq049rHQbHJiFOAcKQixY509BurIvp4UsINWtiaOqbx6lnLT5roAXD4buXedE_7_QOwq_Up4W/s400/IMG_4874.JPG" /></a> I hacked another a 1600 sq. ft area of garden space out of the bush this spring and everything planted there seems to be thriving. Looking out into the forest I can see many more options for expansion...I'm already working on the next 2,000 square foot section.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOfYutG5-aLeLhfiKSyMIOvihj4_uXBAgFer4KMPFhAUbTHnjV5_KjigEUkORxSqu40g17MJP3i82buiCmYCVv97nTXtxUG_HcBQsjv8cVylcj-b1pq30NPHWVda1QmKwaaxR6VTEO6eA/s1600/IMG_4931.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640367505217904514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOfYutG5-aLeLhfiKSyMIOvihj4_uXBAgFer4KMPFhAUbTHnjV5_KjigEUkORxSqu40g17MJP3i82buiCmYCVv97nTXtxUG_HcBQsjv8cVylcj-b1pq30NPHWVda1QmKwaaxR6VTEO6eA/s400/IMG_4931.JPG" /></a> Our White Stallions are once again leading the cucumber race, they always do...pickling some today and had a few fresh ones sliced over our salad last night...oh yeah - crisp and delicious.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngr6VRxyN8evV85cTu-VQhsTbe7gOj0CIivkTVYLIiY9hyphenhyphenipwlCRNCw6A-clAbaXGPZuevMEgqHYEFvDXM93SUDZuzM_v0jrvtiemo9Tr2HmDZatE-clYmBSo2Bwus5KR_r5GcivwEqjj/s1600/IMG_4759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637446022669065906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngr6VRxyN8evV85cTu-VQhsTbe7gOj0CIivkTVYLIiY9hyphenhyphenipwlCRNCw6A-clAbaXGPZuevMEgqHYEFvDXM93SUDZuzM_v0jrvtiemo9Tr2HmDZatE-clYmBSo2Bwus5KR_r5GcivwEqjj/s400/IMG_4759.JPG" /></a> Carrots are starting to form, much later than last season but I'm not complaining.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwanqq9MnY5sTnVEIkFX2KTpHT3YA75XK7j67q1IAOIfXTPBds_izRzmCfttEYlUGhf952Vk0IkwW2XDsK_znHhrLSMntObKzDEXIYOQOyWmddvtRD1l9JbVAgWCMXD9-qeDLDNhSCXQvv/s1600/IMG_4758.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637446021304642658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwanqq9MnY5sTnVEIkFX2KTpHT3YA75XK7j67q1IAOIfXTPBds_izRzmCfttEYlUGhf952Vk0IkwW2XDsK_znHhrLSMntObKzDEXIYOQOyWmddvtRD1l9JbVAgWCMXD9-qeDLDNhSCXQvv/s400/IMG_4758.JPG" /></a> Onions are doing well too, slowly forming bulbs. We have two 50 foot rows planted this year and are down to our last basket in the root cellar from the previous season, this is the longest we have been able to store onions...most of the ones left are Jaune Paille Des Vertus, an old European variety that holds up remarkably well in storage.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARgJXjDIM_PJkXCH0MSrLlbu3Fe_Q7dUT7sARzV-ZqnzOkZBetMW5Oqz7b9_-ty6GjJjs47hw9GY8I9z_QFXHojTn2YFMeExyFXDc-X0LYZJdGkKOCE1NwNDqxBdhyrjWk2McHhJK3mxp/s1600/IMG_4927.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640367493327008146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARgJXjDIM_PJkXCH0MSrLlbu3Fe_Q7dUT7sARzV-ZqnzOkZBetMW5Oqz7b9_-ty6GjJjs47hw9GY8I9z_QFXHojTn2YFMeExyFXDc-X0LYZJdGkKOCE1NwNDqxBdhyrjWk2McHhJK3mxp/s400/IMG_4927.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBub_8mzp1PuuGqIYQWEPTOXf7K9PCnPDfcNys3_Ucf2u5alGthhUA75UWq5HaHT8QL-yhw9rIYMN7uXe2KAfXs2vWBH62BpxPbeXaExY5rphCOYv3wdGKlAVBXFeKMTUQiLyq88Yj_t0a/s1600/IMG_4926.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640367480982160130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBub_8mzp1PuuGqIYQWEPTOXf7K9PCnPDfcNys3_Ucf2u5alGthhUA75UWq5HaHT8QL-yhw9rIYMN7uXe2KAfXs2vWBH62BpxPbeXaExY5rphCOYv3wdGKlAVBXFeKMTUQiLyq88Yj_t0a/s400/IMG_4926.JPG" /></a> - and introduced to me from a post on another blog (?) is this wonderful little Silvery Fir Tree tomato, I think we have three of them growing in this year's gardens and all are filling out nicely. I have a couple other standouts in the tomato department but for the most part it does not appear to be a good year for these enchanting fruits. Luckily, last year we canned like Old Dan Tucker with a red hot coal in his shoe and have more than enough sauce for this winter regardless of how the plants produce.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmyKQLHeG18ca12uNL1TNKT_SPMq2HZVfZHWHJeRSsw-L3cSMxTNNZs0N8-1B3bJizKjkywkZpe5gbwcNBlTUTXlFGIjI7s40i8_73qyUbXyc6p4ZtLAMZAZ7ygToX2t-SuzyatsVxXsL/s1600/IMG_4749.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637445334634103170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmyKQLHeG18ca12uNL1TNKT_SPMq2HZVfZHWHJeRSsw-L3cSMxTNNZs0N8-1B3bJizKjkywkZpe5gbwcNBlTUTXlFGIjI7s40i8_73qyUbXyc6p4ZtLAMZAZ7ygToX2t-SuzyatsVxXsL/s400/IMG_4749.JPG" /></a> Peas were harvested a couple weeks ago and just yesterday we started pulling the fava beans. All the favas will be used as dry beans...they make the best refries and soup beans I have ever had.
<br />
<br /><strong><em>That's me↓ pulling fava beans. After harvesting the plants are tilled right back into the soil, enriching it with nitrogen.</em></strong>
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABn1vPZjnIs1P6qepdgPj683uz6Sn5G0T2RsH-KfMCqJPvHHAWWNTlIT_xc1ey4ZE7wgRvkcOEXcylbWUrF3-Pt8lrB8U3Eq4qfUJayAxm7eu3FnokKQwH1GLWpvE4L0vU3p-qk94xWtU/s1600/IMG_4918.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640360785698083666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABn1vPZjnIs1P6qepdgPj683uz6Sn5G0T2RsH-KfMCqJPvHHAWWNTlIT_xc1ey4ZE7wgRvkcOEXcylbWUrF3-Pt8lrB8U3Eq4qfUJayAxm7eu3FnokKQwH1GLWpvE4L0vU3p-qk94xWtU/s400/IMG_4918.JPG" /></a> So much to say so little time, that's all for now but I'll be back soon enough with my thoughts on a most wonderful book and video revolving around permaculture I have recently been enjoying.
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-49794716626359766412011-07-30T11:24:00.000-07:002011-07-30T12:08:11.719-07:00Photosynthesize yourself!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JLXaPzjcjng7I40BrfhQNGMZaqa0YuzMsS7rZhRU0IM224qCDuJYGOv_i4VHLfBq1HltmFdbdr2SUgo6Da0TSiBhnlN5ISj_rxhh2lgAyuXaVNBr1Q6rKrO9wD9a_h7e4vs_Nwoc054K/s1600/IMG_4618.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632570570371182258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JLXaPzjcjng7I40BrfhQNGMZaqa0YuzMsS7rZhRU0IM224qCDuJYGOv_i4VHLfBq1HltmFdbdr2SUgo6Da0TSiBhnlN5ISj_rxhh2lgAyuXaVNBr1Q6rKrO9wD9a_h7e4vs_Nwoc054K/s400/IMG_4618.JPG" /></a> I was recently reading that my home state of Idaho has one of the highest number of skin cancer cases in the nation, our neighboring states of Washington and Oregon are right up there too. Could any of this possibly have something to do with poor nutrition and not getting enough sun?<br /><br />"Not enough" sun?<br /><br />Doesn't the sun cause skin cancer and what does diet have to do with it? Check out this video for an interesting perspective on this issue.<br /><br /><iframe height="270" marginheight="0" src="http://www.naturalnews.tv/e.asp?v=5A62FC73922FD51A88E62E42C5A0AD5E&s=2" frameborder="0" width="480" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br />Pretty convincing wasn't he, now I know that the nutrient dense blue green algae mentioned in the video sounds absolutely delicious, and the powdered supplements...mmm, yummy. But before you run out and purchase those interesting products might I suggest an alternative? All of the wonderful cancer preventing nutrients he talked about readily appear in common garden plants like purslane, kale, chicory, parsley, and many other vegetables, herbs, and weeds that can easily be grown in an ordinary garden. Take a look -<br /><br />Purslane is said to contain the highest levels of omega 3 of any vegetables (kale has some too) and is an incredibly great source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phenylalanine, and tryptophan...all of which go hand in hand with a little vitamin D from the sun to help a person feel great. Don't like the taste of purslane, try feeding it to your chickens and eating the eggs instead. I have read that chickens fed on purslane can lay eggs that have up to twenty times more omega-3 than your average egg. A cup of this plant contains all of the vitamin E, calcium, magnesium (one of the best sources), and potassium you need in a day and it also contains good amounts of vitamin C and A.<br /><br />I have not planted purslane in the garden for years and years, it comes up on it's own and we consider it taboo to weed out this incredible plant even if it does appear in less than desirable places...we work around it. I never did have much luck starting it from seed so I let it do its own thing...and it seems to know what it's doing.:)<br /><br /><em><strong>We first introduced this Golden Purslane to our garden many years ago and are also blessed to have a dark green variety that grows wild around here.</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cI3QYZ1s2gUYawK-sbQiuEw7TE0vkr9Wom_-YRCUzkT37v9KJd29c1QY30AVyy3de7wwed7c79Aup7iNNYITrLc4NmiSKTT417fpvVOnQUpo-_5QhbfGNvdTsO5ZuatUWHkMkMZdkddy/s1600/IMG_4561.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632277278013580642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cI3QYZ1s2gUYawK-sbQiuEw7TE0vkr9Wom_-YRCUzkT37v9KJd29c1QY30AVyy3de7wwed7c79Aup7iNNYITrLc4NmiSKTT417fpvVOnQUpo-_5QhbfGNvdTsO5ZuatUWHkMkMZdkddy/s400/IMG_4561.JPG" /></a><br />Chicory and kale are also supposed to be excellent sources of vitamins A, B complex, K, E, C, and both contain significant amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and magnesium....iron too. Kale is pack full of certain cartanoids - pigments plants evolved to help protect their tissues against the harmful effects of solar radiation. It is one of the highest sources of the cartnoids lutein and zeaxanthin both of which are believed to help protect us from skin cancer. Chicory with its deep delving roots contains even more minerals, like calcium, than kale does.<br /><br /><em><strong>This, new to our garden, Red Bore Kale is not only attractive to look at but has surprised us with it's nice flavor.</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KpBMMzKUi0-qQPwRXgC1fqj8J3eBv0qq-LW8LJwayGiE_guQKYCpgQ1bNYEjyZdng6wYlL278Hv97db_wdBSVud0nQP4xaVxyqLETs06DU9cnLF_DCWvsyWNy_GbaCxprO5w0WilzLok/s1600/IMG_4549.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632277268152988834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KpBMMzKUi0-qQPwRXgC1fqj8J3eBv0qq-LW8LJwayGiE_guQKYCpgQ1bNYEjyZdng6wYlL278Hv97db_wdBSVud0nQP4xaVxyqLETs06DU9cnLF_DCWvsyWNy_GbaCxprO5w0WilzLok/s400/IMG_4549.JPG" /></a><br /><em><strong>Mineral rich Italian Chicory is one of our favorite salad ingredients.</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3m-aOiw6omdP9dmQETCws5jTX6w_Ftyst69JuoCEfESeVh6YhEfV9n39lVQFCFbjYpAO6G69Xw5EXsAilKOCqaiE9vRCtb9-Llaeg9xpC4tiyOnO9-w3I9QyS7bqAh0gc2i0vjjiBUdn/s1600/IMG_4552.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632277271423085634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3m-aOiw6omdP9dmQETCws5jTX6w_Ftyst69JuoCEfESeVh6YhEfV9n39lVQFCFbjYpAO6G69Xw5EXsAilKOCqaiE9vRCtb9-Llaeg9xpC4tiyOnO9-w3I9QyS7bqAh0gc2i0vjjiBUdn/s400/IMG_4552.JPG" /></a><br />Parsley is so amazing I wouldn't even know where to start, let's just say that it contains everything listed above and is one of the very best plant sources of vitamin K and various antioxidants.<br /><br /><strong><em>The new parsley is coming along nicely while a couple rows down...</em></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4UtbHtxL_hiWnyjnMOymzDqC29Pa4ONc9jv72OKHxmFKA8PWQ-_9pCyQas9YhvsF_7EiefKOr6apssuMmm5CUlXibnqco4QuhiSoF-Cyb4LsnZM11OCkhyphenhyphenV37JjGoTzpdOVu4i6WYukN/s1600/IMG_4574.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632277286616539714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4UtbHtxL_hiWnyjnMOymzDqC29Pa4ONc9jv72OKHxmFKA8PWQ-_9pCyQas9YhvsF_7EiefKOr6apssuMmm5CUlXibnqco4QuhiSoF-Cyb4LsnZM11OCkhyphenhyphenV37JjGoTzpdOVu4i6WYukN/s400/IMG_4574.JPG" /></a> <em><strong>the old parsley is flowering and preparing to set seed.</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkSAfqhOLggbr7f3CnIN3baeoqw9edfLVuJZGU59EonY0nGfU2h8cutCQQ71SRXAPXTKnKxpthcgKgOL_4AezR4cI3wfp5Sd6raYSD0e6Ofcp8D465g1VviSOFVR_nCGMB5L_RDmhhaCM/s1600/IMG_4577.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632277282604739202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkSAfqhOLggbr7f3CnIN3baeoqw9edfLVuJZGU59EonY0nGfU2h8cutCQQ71SRXAPXTKnKxpthcgKgOL_4AezR4cI3wfp5Sd6raYSD0e6Ofcp8D465g1VviSOFVR_nCGMB5L_RDmhhaCM/s400/IMG_4577.JPG" /></a><br />And the herbs and weeds - take that obnoxious little chickweed that loves to take over in a healthy garden bed...it is crying out to be consumed, practically begging for attention, yet most discard it with a curse. Chickweed is long known for its healing properties and more nutritious than many of the vegetables that it shares space with.<br /><br /><em><strong>What a weed, tastes like corn silk and makes a nice addition to our salads....the chickens like it too.<br /><br /></strong></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE8hRjUgNFevUb3BI97d5YIx7Xn5p5nAeasOZG5-2bcLXFkzibut5O78iQFvuEhKRoR1hABSuQVcoXGevjZgF0Pk1UZNI7DMyxgZ4LGr1FEXm5wtjQ3fh3-7sdEe6zSNDm-4c5THYr7cT/s1600/IMG_4532.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632266389298294674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE8hRjUgNFevUb3BI97d5YIx7Xn5p5nAeasOZG5-2bcLXFkzibut5O78iQFvuEhKRoR1hABSuQVcoXGevjZgF0Pk1UZNI7DMyxgZ4LGr1FEXm5wtjQ3fh3-7sdEe6zSNDm-4c5THYr7cT/s400/IMG_4532.JPG" /></a><br />Hardy herbs like, oregano, sage, thyme and so on all fit nicely into this category being jam packed full of antioxidants. <a href="http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/HerbsCancer.html">Mr. Shiow Y. Wang</a> says - <strong><em>"Oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and four times more than blueberries." </em></strong>and he should know, being a USDA biochemist and all....right?<br /><br />So if you live in Idaho, or anywhere else for that matter, and believe any of the above information to be true, don't be afraid to get a little sunshine and please consider growing a garden full of these amazing plants...I know we are and will continue to do so. In our colder climate all of the above listed plants with the exception of purslane can be grown 365 days a year or close to it, provided you supply them with a little protection from the elements during the cold months...you know, the cold months pretty much being September through July around these parts.:)<br /><br />While these thoughts make sense to us given our chosen lifestyle I do realize this may or may not be relevant to others depending upon their particular situation and/or beliefs about nutrition and it's effect on one's health. My intention in writing this post is not to argue the pros and cons of the pharmaceutical industry and the need for the products they sell, such as sunscreen, but instead to simply provide some insight for those like minded people who do wish to take a more holistic approach to these issues. Rather than searching far and wide for nutritional super foods it should be realized that these amazing supplements need not be any farther away than one's own backyard garden, herb bed, and the forests that surround us.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-25065978294881355782011-07-19T19:06:00.000-07:002011-07-19T19:15:19.473-07:00Everbearing Strawberries - The Gift That Keeps On Giving<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630391265945346594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDd68R9XcXGaSnfqgB_UVIP4pUWZZ_r6bndrlY46o3JlJJBS0ocN75so7FR2fG2hZ6f6zwgPhMloSTSUYW9zfwn8tZtWPHvqiuv6Ntawepziq5YH9vOnmdewGLCz3y_RJKBtlK9zDy9LVL/s400/IMG_4456.JPG" /><br />Please excuse me while I brag a bit...<br /><br />We are in strawberry heaven, the tomatoes might be found wanting this year but the strawberries are making up the difference...not that one can really compare the two. We grow an extremely hardy everbearing strawberry plant that provides us with multiple crops of sweet berries and are thrilled with it's ability to set fruit in colder temperatures while at the same time producing numerous runners. Last year we grew one all by itself just to see how many new plants could be produced and by the end of the season counted over 60 babies. Babies begat babies that had begat baby plants...talk about vigorous reproduction. I took a picture of the whole sordid affair but of course I can't find it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhBfe52RWSWoypNvT3oD9_rnBb3InvK9MOM9Odc-ilEe5i2klSOmUHV3PYXGsK0-ZfUTkLiPGVH-Efj_1aPem3rwT1Ow8tdb_dei4_raClvj08fcXr7V5Kf_Xo0S3ZqMDUNJZ1Oqlplho/s1600/IMG_4450.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630391272233151794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhBfe52RWSWoypNvT3oD9_rnBb3InvK9MOM9Odc-ilEe5i2klSOmUHV3PYXGsK0-ZfUTkLiPGVH-Efj_1aPem3rwT1Ow8tdb_dei4_raClvj08fcXr7V5Kf_Xo0S3ZqMDUNJZ1Oqlplho/s400/IMG_4450.JPG" /></a> The first berries, while extremely numerous, are not very large but subsequent crops can be quite big, maybe 2-3 times the size of the originals. I will try to post pictures of them later this summer, but only if they really do look 3 times bigger....my wife says I tend to exaggerate a bit - perhaps I'll let you be the judge.:)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrceeBdAsoR2snJ3LnPkbuWMDD0EAMiu73ks3qwEgSL-kW9FWuyhtGxQFdyPxNJIocOjw-F-LMURk4YT5IdAgG0De9vc_Tg03t8a4a_NsfRxpEiANm2mjxXqGwYXdzGAZzT-LXCmJQppHd/s1600/IMG_4435.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630392028356029026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrceeBdAsoR2snJ3LnPkbuWMDD0EAMiu73ks3qwEgSL-kW9FWuyhtGxQFdyPxNJIocOjw-F-LMURk4YT5IdAgG0De9vc_Tg03t8a4a_NsfRxpEiANm2mjxXqGwYXdzGAZzT-LXCmJQppHd/s400/IMG_4435.JPG" /></a> Unfortunately, the berries my wife is holding in the above picture were picked after a good rain last Tuesday night, we try to pick them before it rains if at all possible as wet weather tends to bloat the berries and take away some of that sweetness we so desire. Regardless, they still taste plenty fine going into smoothies and other tasty treats...it's raining again this Tuesday but we picked last night and the berries were much better.<br /><br />These strawberry plants have been growing on our property for many, many years, originally given to us by my Mom who grew them before that...and as such have had adequate time to adapt quite well to our conditions, making them very special to my wife and I. We do love our Fort Laramie everbearing strawberry plants.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-13044732423100471912011-07-13T06:15:00.000-07:002011-07-13T07:12:10.243-07:00Wild Asparagus, Parsley, and SeedsI really should post more often about our forays for wild edibles which happen on an almost daily basis...but the camera is never with, or no time to post, or, or, or...I'm full of excuses.:)<br /><br />So early this past Sunday morning we set out along the local river in search of certain seeds that I have been waiting/wanting to harvest and were delighted to find not only those seeds but fresh asparagus as well. Because the river's water level has been so high the flooded asparagus has been slow to come on and, lucky us, we were able to snag a nice meals worth. Some went into a stir fry dish and the rest a tasty quiche...mmm.<br /><br />Even better than the above treasures was finding "The King of all Asparagus" roots dangling precariously off the river's bank, unceremoniously ripped from it's home by the rapid currents but still alive and sending up shoots. Rather than leaving it to be washed away we liberated this 5-10 pound (I'm guessing, my wife ended up carrying it for a mile and a half and she said it was at least a 5 pounder) root from it's rocky embrace along the river's edge and have since planted the monstrosity in our gardens...can't wait to see what kind of stalks it produces.<br /><br /><strong>This King of the River Asparagus root truly is much larger than this picture depicts.<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC62syTuDCKFqGYz-nJaFa6x5gaiZeNEQVyjvSpO9YAPqJH06FXmfZaH70XtbUaMnuxKxmZrfuZiYHjaes6DqBm6So1IDTbSEpB7x404TxhZSUSJo9w12KYdQN3ZgMRK8hKLWINpmmHt1Q/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627867409040379010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC62syTuDCKFqGYz-nJaFa6x5gaiZeNEQVyjvSpO9YAPqJH06FXmfZaH70XtbUaMnuxKxmZrfuZiYHjaes6DqBm6So1IDTbSEpB7x404TxhZSUSJo9w12KYdQN3ZgMRK8hKLWINpmmHt1Q/s400/IMG_4392.JPG" /></a> Anyway, seeds is what we were out and about for and our timing was right on as we were able to collect both the wild parsley and lupine seeds I have had my eye on since early spring...especially the parsley.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq89Vbjvh0f87LFyz_jfoEtW5zF5ZjToAKpbWa2rANXbl7QItTaE7RkdFd60589p9unmI7cDWDG9ZcA8Ce_oMnhu5HFGbqAzWrvM-U4LB3C1Uw_nN1wYrPblTyrIeh6up_ZGgJRLc0S0d/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628156318527287378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq89Vbjvh0f87LFyz_jfoEtW5zF5ZjToAKpbWa2rANXbl7QItTaE7RkdFd60589p9unmI7cDWDG9ZcA8Ce_oMnhu5HFGbqAzWrvM-U4LB3C1Uw_nN1wYrPblTyrIeh6up_ZGgJRLc0S0d/s400/1.jpg" /></a> I think it was around April that we noticed a large patch of parsley growing on a hillside meadow up off the river, we picked some for drying and hoped to come back in time for the seeds. We have since noticed three different varieties of this edible plant. I am not 100% positive on the below identifications but am pretty sure I got them right...there are a lot of different varieties of wild parsley out there and many of them look quite similar.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBG_DnhUu3v48zP2KguJLRWYuzfob0hCWvpXFv6kjLy_Zu9zpy0hNBjHC3My8RlIDGBp_3v6mOpfEiGpQNiI0pXaVbRsMU3a5gx2WIbfDZMzbX3XJK2zIgktANF_hFXmGAzwPtQvDTZba/s1600/IMG_3782.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628155819684919378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBG_DnhUu3v48zP2KguJLRWYuzfob0hCWvpXFv6kjLy_Zu9zpy0hNBjHC3My8RlIDGBp_3v6mOpfEiGpQNiI0pXaVbRsMU3a5gx2WIbfDZMzbX3XJK2zIgktANF_hFXmGAzwPtQvDTZba/s400/IMG_3782.JPG" /></a> <strong><em>Lomatium macrocarpum</em> -</strong> Large Seeded Biscuitroot (Desert parsley)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYWhojYNtiu5-wqmjmoY6tYeWftCTtDJVru-zdk0UtYqch8nY-QhBDRcAht0r6-mI9QmrkxwqIcRt1cKzyryeDbK4edXx_Ytsa9L5R1TObS-yy1jUwlryklTTqYZ-5RO7X1DNGEl7Q6HI/s1600/IMG_3750.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628155458453460770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYWhojYNtiu5-wqmjmoY6tYeWftCTtDJVru-zdk0UtYqch8nY-QhBDRcAht0r6-mI9QmrkxwqIcRt1cKzyryeDbK4edXx_Ytsa9L5R1TObS-yy1jUwlryklTTqYZ-5RO7X1DNGEl7Q6HI/s400/IMG_3750.JPG" /></a><em><strong>Lomatium triternatum</strong></em> - Nine - Leaf Biscuitroot (Narrow - Leaved Desert Parsley)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h2UYdfkO-GVMSnrrWqQGj11cPCrBIVYdiFVWlGdPcyayFYkLZpFRaaaB6pafb0ekbLNl8rA7MCCyU8_MJK0kiLcK0sXkxPswwJMgP05zuRNzhK6pO5f8NU7cemNwcq6dhdJrjDLsiHfJ/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628155241245796530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h2UYdfkO-GVMSnrrWqQGj11cPCrBIVYdiFVWlGdPcyayFYkLZpFRaaaB6pafb0ekbLNl8rA7MCCyU8_MJK0kiLcK0sXkxPswwJMgP05zuRNzhK6pO5f8NU7cemNwcq6dhdJrjDLsiHfJ/s400/IMG_3740.JPG" /></a><strong><em>Lomatium grayi</em></strong> - Gray's Biscuitroot (Pungent Desert Parsley) This is the variety we elected to save seeds off of as I liked the way it looked and tasted.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QGnoZjtm-N3yXAqlo4XCIgaJBNx2CYdcuAu_JivVwm1KTgZ-2NspmnbfJUpTbZj9_Me2jnl6qdFfnTPTkowp5V-PyiR08vs5MuiTa2LqUeT0XU1U68Fa5hG8DhXD4NugL2ElLm2xkZm0/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628155035059159570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QGnoZjtm-N3yXAqlo4XCIgaJBNx2CYdcuAu_JivVwm1KTgZ-2NspmnbfJUpTbZj9_Me2jnl6qdFfnTPTkowp5V-PyiR08vs5MuiTa2LqUeT0XU1U68Fa5hG8DhXD4NugL2ElLm2xkZm0/s400/IMG_3733.JPG" /></a><br />From - <a href="http://onlinenevada.org/biscuitroot">http://onlinenevada.org/biscuitroot</a><br /><br /><em>"Biscuitroot was used as both a food source and for medicinal purposes by the American Indian tribes in Nevada , specifically the Paiute, Washoe, and Western Shoshone. It is known by several other names, including Cough Root. As a medicine, fernleaf biscuitroot was used for treating multiple illnesses, including chest colds, coughs, bronchitis, influenza, and pneumonia. The roots could be burned, and the smoke inhaled for treating asthma, or steamed and inhaled for treating nasal and chest congestion. As an anti-viral poultice, the boiled, crushed root was applied to open cuts and sores. Tea was made from the leaves and used in the treatment of colds.<br /><br />As a food, biscuitroot was an important source for Nevada tribes, as they could use the leaves roots and seeds in various ways. Many species of Lomatium have thick, tuberous roots that can be ground into flour and used to make bread-like foods, resulting in the common name “biscuitroot.” The leaves are said to have a strong parsley-like flavor. Young seeds and sprouts were collected to be eaten raw, and the roots could be used dried and ground into a powder to flavor flours and soups, or boiled to make a nutritious drink. The root could be stored in dried form for later use."</em><br /><br />For those interested -<br /><br /><em>“Of the three species of Peucedanum used by the Spokane Indians, the best, in size and flavor of bulbs, is the ‘Chucklusa’ (P. Canbyi, Coulter and Rose) (Lomatium canbyi)."</em> -<br /><br /><a href="http://www.swsbm.com/AJP/AJP_1889_No_11.pdf">http://www.swsbm.com/AJP/AJP_1889_No_11.pdf</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-63917015988954896242011-07-07T06:52:00.000-07:002011-07-07T15:19:15.329-07:00In the Garden & WoodsStrawberries are coming on like gangbusters, we picked upwards of 5 gallons yesterday. Our Fort Laramie everbearing plants come on strong in the spring with smaller berries that gradually increase in size as the season progresses....and they are sooo sweet. The benefit of selling strawberry plants is that there are always a lot of strawberries left for us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeGxcVYRn7fKbn5N035yABlxv3yiYUUeXwNJcN1C06lE4Y4UL0mtRtR-GQHIHV-l3eDhtnAfJ-8qmNFGQfDi8kzziwp8eDEZNQ_OhblZK_SG9atzRq7YHe4xx490UVo22xrLKKZ-VRerp/s1600/IMG_4376.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626678849101470866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeGxcVYRn7fKbn5N035yABlxv3yiYUUeXwNJcN1C06lE4Y4UL0mtRtR-GQHIHV-l3eDhtnAfJ-8qmNFGQfDi8kzziwp8eDEZNQ_OhblZK_SG9atzRq7YHe4xx490UVo22xrLKKZ-VRerp/s400/IMG_4376.JPG" /></a> Finally some peas, it took a little longer than usual but our Tacoma Afila peas are looking nice - quick, reliable, and they taste pretty darn good too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Xm7aYYa13ftOiQS0FU9ganSvf-gl7YYw0K8UiDMYaTc4qg7kiMuOX5j5ZfAKBbaUSU-mXm3Deiz1GEwlGAZGEj9vt1mSR4d4X3YlEWLDChFdeAecz0vsrXXUoTGmWBZwXA4e4cw2qlC/s1600/IMG_4381.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626678866284148482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Xm7aYYa13ftOiQS0FU9ganSvf-gl7YYw0K8UiDMYaTc4qg7kiMuOX5j5ZfAKBbaUSU-mXm3Deiz1GEwlGAZGEj9vt1mSR4d4X3YlEWLDChFdeAecz0vsrXXUoTGmWBZwXA4e4cw2qlC/s400/IMG_4381.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistADX8YJl-ZECFiL5ogG8ZvWJPZCi5iWkG_Rzn3YQoiZ78LCaaLybZJL73Vlh5AMdYTF-M9ET2SchY4BCpP_4akwN5kkjZPN9RR4uD7NhVH0NOa-1BpnNyu2LTnw3LZpU97zDqNHTznSe/s1600/IMG_4380.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626679326463278946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistADX8YJl-ZECFiL5ogG8ZvWJPZCi5iWkG_Rzn3YQoiZ78LCaaLybZJL73Vlh5AMdYTF-M9ET2SchY4BCpP_4akwN5kkjZPN9RR4uD7NhVH0NOa-1BpnNyu2LTnw3LZpU97zDqNHTznSe/s400/IMG_4380.JPG" /></a> Cabbage and fava beans aren't looking too shabby either.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uIoY1pNPO353JLAESphPHGiJzkRvS4Qxdqdi1-15duKJdHRo6cGf0HW6VJbV6bs6TAyqA8l164thELAj1_OlyHFmk2muPNIyjzMAatDC98JebRlQOX5wLQJQZLGCj3BOVHqLRpk4UD23/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626678858015549874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uIoY1pNPO353JLAESphPHGiJzkRvS4Qxdqdi1-15duKJdHRo6cGf0HW6VJbV6bs6TAyqA8l164thELAj1_OlyHFmk2muPNIyjzMAatDC98JebRlQOX5wLQJQZLGCj3BOVHqLRpk4UD23/s400/IMG_4378.JPG" /></a> All our storage onion varieties seem to be on track and the best news is that with a cool spring we are still eating off last season's onion and garlic harvest...still nice and cool in the root cellar.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjwTubo9LehNjhxJ24YZlrEj3rNE6Xh8tPtkGAufoSBb2NG5eCnAVXU2BxvUrvuRnP5-LNQI2S4U3e7zSc9B5T8okyu2qCgLdbAoEXYkabhzHb_o-Yg6gMw9Y7qWp8JHEsdXSWU3E52Xk/s1600/IMG_4386.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626679967133291362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjwTubo9LehNjhxJ24YZlrEj3rNE6Xh8tPtkGAufoSBb2NG5eCnAVXU2BxvUrvuRnP5-LNQI2S4U3e7zSc9B5T8okyu2qCgLdbAoEXYkabhzHb_o-Yg6gMw9Y7qWp8JHEsdXSWU3E52Xk/s400/IMG_4386.JPG" /></a> Foxglove (Digitalis) growing around our fruit trees. It is said of foxglove that it helps to stimulate neighboring plants by making them more disease resistant and improving the storage quality of fruits and vegetables due to gaseous secretions and minute hormones that the plants supposedly emit. (?)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_E26_MUUD5sOZku4xd3I8g_7RhRM6-qr6NPoVz69oCXTDOMDUCcN2owQIaICtFuV9Wodg0sQFSptXzmc1RkgkrtsgaQcXIuMxRBB_l1_vb2WzOjr95Czb4yJ4g01EDDPy-dD9MhTGapQ/s1600/IMG_4281.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626679976273016066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_E26_MUUD5sOZku4xd3I8g_7RhRM6-qr6NPoVz69oCXTDOMDUCcN2owQIaICtFuV9Wodg0sQFSptXzmc1RkgkrtsgaQcXIuMxRBB_l1_vb2WzOjr95Czb4yJ4g01EDDPy-dD9MhTGapQ/s400/IMG_4281.JPG" /></a> Every morning of late we have been going for an early run, just before sunrise, in the mountains, stopping to pick various herbs as we go along. This week we have been focusing on gathering <a href="http://www.altnature.com/gallery/healall.htm">Prunella (self-heal/heal-all), </a>yellow clover, and elderberry flowers. We also have a patch of Prunella growing in the garden this year from seeds saved from the wild. Fascinating plant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXagzw3-Q3Lq2ypLTFcsYAwHWx4AO85-L1_d_kwov80UW97w-pJ3IrVGrjXox1yaoR4_RZe_o2EgL1qwpHI8Bc097kW_0tsdRejUs-jbTSPt5OxZRut5KuFpHH6tI-R0MKEhyphenhyphenSCil7oeNO/s1600/IMG_4365.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626683000086783170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXagzw3-Q3Lq2ypLTFcsYAwHWx4AO85-L1_d_kwov80UW97w-pJ3IrVGrjXox1yaoR4_RZe_o2EgL1qwpHI8Bc097kW_0tsdRejUs-jbTSPt5OxZRut5KuFpHH6tI-R0MKEhyphenhyphenSCil7oeNO/s400/IMG_4365.JPG" /></a> Soon the native St. John's Wort, now starting to flower, will be abundant enough to harvest.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvUCu-c0ORqHX9USBC6lgNUjCIuwHZfVZWU5jzgyrjAyR4or-_B9TY44kk6R9GB_AxpkIIyH1p5Gy5KTCTNc3APsX7AtJT-Z9rOlAaH97MFCmrhfrZSGKlwKlr47yrT2Mab0DkLhLUMs2/s1600/IMG_4357.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626682201334258930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvUCu-c0ORqHX9USBC6lgNUjCIuwHZfVZWU5jzgyrjAyR4or-_B9TY44kk6R9GB_AxpkIIyH1p5Gy5KTCTNc3APsX7AtJT-Z9rOlAaH97MFCmrhfrZSGKlwKlr47yrT2Mab0DkLhLUMs2/s400/IMG_4357.JPG" /></a> The sage is flowering, purple.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_q1ccDP47bSpyyuYtEKpXZee-5C3RLQBTI-jFptFJGcug3CPRicpfkgqmQYrucjsE5iqGVbBtWVJ29Y-WQibzZNILaH9e3eo4MylEJZlo1wxEhTqS9FW2M8Bgb2yKqBQDEGAQ-uTdx5A/s1600/IMG_4355.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626678844399951762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_q1ccDP47bSpyyuYtEKpXZee-5C3RLQBTI-jFptFJGcug3CPRicpfkgqmQYrucjsE5iqGVbBtWVJ29Y-WQibzZNILaH9e3eo4MylEJZlo1wxEhTqS9FW2M8Bgb2yKqBQDEGAQ-uTdx5A/s400/IMG_4355.JPG" /></a> And the Rowdy dog...just being rowdy. He is not allowed to dig in the yard so he takes every advantage while we are out in the woods.<br /><iframe height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KLXbRl6FHLA" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-71794433179830960502011-06-23T06:53:00.001-07:002011-06-23T08:15:12.574-07:00South Chilco Peak and Stinging NettlesEach year, sometime in June, we make our annual pilgrimage to the top of South Chilco Peak. It's always interesting to see how much snow is still up in <em>them thar hills</em>...there was a lot this year. Most of the trail was still under 5-6' of snow which was kind of nice as we were able to make our own route without too much bushwhacking as the dense vegetation and fallen trees were still buried under a dirty white. The little compass in my head was functioning properly so we managed to make it to the top without incident and it was simply a matter of following our own tracks on the way down. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ga-fSDVTJd8d9mq2Ghqqw4shABpvZbML_e5Llon1f7ExDVI68_0yYhpcPefWEE7SDVx2cWmIrISmY0yTR-3WcYVfuw15km5dRaHF3J8b4rQjTmaVcCwMwKKduQpXlKBkhqi2LV48MRkw/s1600/IMG_4216.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621414694534041746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ga-fSDVTJd8d9mq2Ghqqw4shABpvZbML_e5Llon1f7ExDVI68_0yYhpcPefWEE7SDVx2cWmIrISmY0yTR-3WcYVfuw15km5dRaHF3J8b4rQjTmaVcCwMwKKduQpXlKBkhqi2LV48MRkw/s400/IMG_4216.JPG" /></a> The shaded side of the top was under a good 40' of snow but on the south facing side wildflowers were starting to poke through, some even blooming. The view is spectacular.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v9UKjcN3tBBRtAe-ukg2Gz06BR-dOCgwY4qy10uPfUMz90k9hrV4b1erhZDybGidTuRkchvVA-pbT-vjk94UM6lbOR2xrfajhwM1-Ks-Wo07eektCsjZu3VaWW7Q03ydItze3QjtnbAq/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG"><strong><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621414699720369026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v9UKjcN3tBBRtAe-ukg2Gz06BR-dOCgwY4qy10uPfUMz90k9hrV4b1erhZDybGidTuRkchvVA-pbT-vjk94UM6lbOR2xrfajhwM1-Ks-Wo07eektCsjZu3VaWW7Q03ydItze3QjtnbAq/s400/IMG_4221.JPG" /></em></strong></a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621416430789644066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeod4lrspUX5KGu77M_9Yh6cpyvl3Fstpe-l5sDsAG_C6vGFRYICnp2IUBSA41k52sNmSkrWguFs4M8LqGuoyiWeVTibvDIUJJhes_EggRao3roleLXX7oshtoHJTQEWNzXK82XV6ud7T/s400/IMG_4225.JPG" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcMJuHB22QwMIq9yRCrqJgSNH8OX7F7zkRGQQNymwbL9QVRRGA4tn82g9JhPzqZQA5Ij2646RHzBdCe4viGZq_pukRPfrjf8ZoQrkCXMN7DsLBL0YEEY-W1vfAZZ3Ci5gVcAU46dBhGzv/s1600/IMG_4232.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621416439654064450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcMJuHB22QwMIq9yRCrqJgSNH8OX7F7zkRGQQNymwbL9QVRRGA4tn82g9JhPzqZQA5Ij2646RHzBdCe4viGZq_pukRPfrjf8ZoQrkCXMN7DsLBL0YEEY-W1vfAZZ3Ci5gVcAU46dBhGzv/s400/IMG_4232.JPG" /></a> At the base of the mountain, off the beaten path, and up a small tributary I found a clearing a few years back that is full of stinging nettles, we returned the next day to fill our bags and the nettles are now drying in the greenhouse. My wife uses them in her tea concoctions. Nettles are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle">pretty amazing plant</a>.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621416448410780098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEO2PpX-Z7c0BOxj34h4R6KsM7G4o4jYScN2pxFdQIxvfO53hpQ33SVr-LKU1OypdEPIf7Wusczkp1JIbWN5jSEBo1pzjXL-4AzkxTezp8N7kaXOKoEOkEnjeTc0wW75YCHmsECCtPs5I/s400/IMG_4249.JPG" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63nVCIHIChx9AVUEbdnjcVACyDZr1LothViJaL0BhIBjYLJ9huOETrnNfRy_8hnXGdrMaN0WHu0iRp16siA5SUgZDVgjjHgn1JZhXM_wGgDXhMZvlb9RPVAUMPz3n0-Ap9FCBvtH8qqZu/s1600/IMG_4244.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621416443104880898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63nVCIHIChx9AVUEbdnjcVACyDZr1LothViJaL0BhIBjYLJ9huOETrnNfRy_8hnXGdrMaN0WHu0iRp16siA5SUgZDVgjjHgn1JZhXM_wGgDXhMZvlb9RPVAUMPz3n0-Ap9FCBvtH8qqZu/s400/IMG_4244.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7636358068441886242.post-28178358792298734642011-06-15T19:01:00.000-07:002011-06-15T19:28:28.854-07:00June 13th Garden Pictures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxVNznndMrhgEOyqANggok9qvKo65D7zZRvbk2K_0TtvQRCLTl2zm3_kX9fxvJEpgpxskFDGd0xSpjr7yPucuy-Dgeep93fT9o702ShcHiqAYkgj00NfSHB8Vp0FE179sSZttqCAolCx8/s1600/IMG_4035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617765542010900786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxVNznndMrhgEOyqANggok9qvKo65D7zZRvbk2K_0TtvQRCLTl2zm3_kX9fxvJEpgpxskFDGd0xSpjr7yPucuy-Dgeep93fT9o702ShcHiqAYkgj00NfSHB8Vp0FE179sSZttqCAolCx8/s400/IMG_4035.JPG" /></a> Things are looking up in our gardens. Salad bowls are overflowing with green goodness, seeding and re-seeding has taken place, all of the core crops are growing fairly well, and the weeding has been keeping us very busy this past week. All the rain has washed away my wit so pictures will have to replace so many words in this post.<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.ourhappyacres.com/2011/04/hardy-harvest/">Dave's Spotted Trout Lettuce</a> is growing splendidly, a nice addition to our salad selection.<br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT6g2ZvQnPVWpktUVWnxnCkJtbAlTIZ8CfS0G8UaCcN5Xj_9Fi4cvXqQArEp3Wn0TQRan3K4l85G_MoYSH7m0hkWGts1qS43_wV7cJP5YKMHF6r2lNGVmEiY0QOGUrSSSHKG1LxCS3skA/s1600/IMG_3973.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617895708776439250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT6g2ZvQnPVWpktUVWnxnCkJtbAlTIZ8CfS0G8UaCcN5Xj_9Fi4cvXqQArEp3Wn0TQRan3K4l85G_MoYSH7m0hkWGts1qS43_wV7cJP5YKMHF6r2lNGVmEiY0QOGUrSSSHKG1LxCS3skA/s400/IMG_3973.JPG" /></a><em> Red Oak leaf and Black Seeded Simpson I believe.<br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tX0K-YloTi7GQ_ijNgKUWsfOg7_6fyeDU13o2AlqVS1BkJvrQdp-lJE9aNd9gc-3EsGBICSMZp3m9NrWiMPoB_fs9awqAWzVWmdiwnVk5O9_EY5nbUYYec-TaaiX0ieD62yfYlc9xTLT/s1600/IMG_4141.JPG"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618624067162837426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tX0K-YloTi7GQ_ijNgKUWsfOg7_6fyeDU13o2AlqVS1BkJvrQdp-lJE9aNd9gc-3EsGBICSMZp3m9NrWiMPoB_fs9awqAWzVWmdiwnVk5O9_EY5nbUYYec-TaaiX0ieD62yfYlc9xTLT/s400/IMG_4141.JPG" /></strong></a> <em><a href="http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnews/sg05/sg051013.html">RedBor kale </a>and more lettuce lines the walkway to our greenhouse. I thought the Redbor would be more<a href="http://www.northerngardening.com/NGB_articles/cabbage_kale.htm"> frilly leafed</a>?</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNusgNd8BU163DiN6-2KiaIacuVoObDLZs9pNxkktdGWg6Gy0b1f-Hv06jh9G5RGbpSwM3a2_eajZIuKBQar3fly6tPlav47hgTCpFI2LkFtVy-rWnQ_8orowViEPa2h5iS_fpVXrFNvt/s1600/IMG_4126.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617895179934567154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNusgNd8BU163DiN6-2KiaIacuVoObDLZs9pNxkktdGWg6Gy0b1f-Hv06jh9G5RGbpSwM3a2_eajZIuKBQar3fly6tPlav47hgTCpFI2LkFtVy-rWnQ_8orowViEPa2h5iS_fpVXrFNvt/s400/IMG_4126.JPG" /></a> <em>An intent little brown face in the oregano patch.:) He is thinking "Is that cat supposed to be in our garden?"<br /><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Oyst_WmnAjcQf33ymyh4i5J9LlGU2dqrPfYZrK2QWmSx7fWr_40eqNTJyPRdxu1284C9lwjvfjaG_4AugrmwnzbSQQnNzExrD9_vv03QiHdq20a94KUnvI1vdvNuOqtXJH0hGtXA3SK/s1600/IMG_4112.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617895175145418770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Oyst_WmnAjcQf33ymyh4i5J9LlGU2dqrPfYZrK2QWmSx7fWr_40eqNTJyPRdxu1284C9lwjvfjaG_4AugrmwnzbSQQnNzExrD9_vv03QiHdq20a94KUnvI1vdvNuOqtXJH0hGtXA3SK/s400/IMG_4112.JPG" /></a> I like this mint, I planted it a decade ago and while it doesn't spread very fast it manages to come back every year. The name slips me but my wife suggests perhaps it was "Orange Mint"...doesn't taste very orangy though.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdORCvlS5IOdlKVSVeedaDgnnbZxSWnoVzWIugenrT0spj6Mmwn_A5DLTQlJl3RmGnFlcclwg_Ab-HmO4oKAfn5QvwIxO9LRcBM6OD2jnXDutl0_R67saIdlIlKW6rMwDSUsau473txEGL/s1600/IMG_4103.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617785055238988034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdORCvlS5IOdlKVSVeedaDgnnbZxSWnoVzWIugenrT0spj6Mmwn_A5DLTQlJl3RmGnFlcclwg_Ab-HmO4oKAfn5QvwIxO9LRcBM6OD2jnXDutl0_R67saIdlIlKW6rMwDSUsau473txEGL/s400/IMG_4103.JPG" /></a> The kale in the foreground of this picture is a bit of an experiment as the seed was a cross between Gigante kohlrabi, White Russian kale, and Blue Curled kale. Time will tell how well this new creation suits our garden and palate, so far so good though as the plants are vigorous and the leaves impart a nice flavor to our salads. I'm hoping most don't bulb up like kohlrabi as it is the greens I am after. Anyway, more about this in another post.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmTMq2pWJEd-wpHQdYvkGspE2keKcg6UOR9mOP5GvUx9BOejohy-uk_Mx6G38mXPimH9IULZuQMF45y-npQMYHavFZRt7K1Mn-YDxORVuQy0Gm9aUgykCxvOxxrNjpj7OamYqXVDWy8Nm/s1600/IMG_4094.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617785042090323458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmTMq2pWJEd-wpHQdYvkGspE2keKcg6UOR9mOP5GvUx9BOejohy-uk_Mx6G38mXPimH9IULZuQMF45y-npQMYHavFZRt7K1Mn-YDxORVuQy0Gm9aUgykCxvOxxrNjpj7OamYqXVDWy8Nm/s400/IMG_4094.JPG" /></a> The spinach is liking our extremely rainy spring.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fgpxxC8ia_UaX57Unj0qCJREgCmseS0EJmY9q8kCrFw2wGOHXpetxAvYYFEnWAqygnMyFq5qoRoFaIOc1tAmmUB88Zq7Dr4XBhSwLFkINAGL8IbIqGpRCpWox6hU9v2xG8o8e-x20wSL/s1600/IMG_4093.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617783911585218514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fgpxxC8ia_UaX57Unj0qCJREgCmseS0EJmY9q8kCrFw2wGOHXpetxAvYYFEnWAqygnMyFq5qoRoFaIOc1tAmmUB88Zq7Dr4XBhSwLFkINAGL8IbIqGpRCpWox6hU9v2xG8o8e-x20wSL/s400/IMG_4093.JPG" /></a> Tomatoes not so much, but they are hanging in there and if it ever warms up for good they should take...might be another "ripen the green tomatoes on the porch" year again.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm5vd5E-DTtQ3eow9WxJWCVHijAJ9g9B9QJ4imHj2PIUZKfrv6YnNfr3PcasPeA0R3XmAjlk21p1_Adu2TqFpycpCD6wEcImOG3AgPm0Zjlsb7okdXdVDp-iJ4zqt7uzlKAiihHj7GgLu/s1600/IMG_4083.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617782992111252658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm5vd5E-DTtQ3eow9WxJWCVHijAJ9g9B9QJ4imHj2PIUZKfrv6YnNfr3PcasPeA0R3XmAjlk21p1_Adu2TqFpycpCD6wEcImOG3AgPm0Zjlsb7okdXdVDp-iJ4zqt7uzlKAiihHj7GgLu/s400/IMG_4083.JPG" /></a> One of the few plants that thrives directly under our fir trees, once established, is rhubarb. Its impressive tap root allows it to delve deep for water. Notice that black cherry tree to the left, now almost 20' tall and grown from a seed maybe 6 or 7 years ago, it looks to be fruiting for the first time this year and will be the first of my many direct seeded fruit trees to produce.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulc3wmnyUCVPXB0ltY8gDJnA8BVFkLiFklWfJLE3l4xiriuNhF3YpIYLFdWRKGq1LOAD9EAT0FqpJ5Ycks9hs43ekDzGYDR7Tfx4uOT1Zyjbpf0hzPoQ_WhocoUCAQZivaEp-JGiaVulo/s1600/IMG_4077.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617907029463002322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulc3wmnyUCVPXB0ltY8gDJnA8BVFkLiFklWfJLE3l4xiriuNhF3YpIYLFdWRKGq1LOAD9EAT0FqpJ5Ycks9hs43ekDzGYDR7Tfx4uOT1Zyjbpf0hzPoQ_WhocoUCAQZivaEp-JGiaVulo/s400/IMG_4077.JPG" /></a> Potato plants are starting to leaf out...we planted lots and lots of potatoes this year.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWk1A48LcqbfD09k-P-F2gPBJytmZYNDXI8llpLnI-hmRofoIhFNH2t1rAPwar7EurY777yqXtGmEgs88aC9HQgfYCpIsamUZrAE5co2XuCz-PKFIXkhGqnXdsPsPrOfy2haeakMTo3KY/s1600/IMG_4054.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617907321013866322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWk1A48LcqbfD09k-P-F2gPBJytmZYNDXI8llpLnI-hmRofoIhFNH2t1rAPwar7EurY777yqXtGmEgs88aC9HQgfYCpIsamUZrAE5co2XuCz-PKFIXkhGqnXdsPsPrOfy2haeakMTo3KY/s400/IMG_4054.JPG" /></a> Carrots, beets, parsnips, and other direct seeded root veggies will soon need to be thinned.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES1Qb4GcY4V_NYEME3dxQmyKqJ3bIal2vmhowp3fW6atP6o_dNAectbrxRjHmmajyMfwd5mIDn99g3nfrcZ58fx798COi35I-5Y9J9W3dfVVqCdMH1BWjbcRrBde6sqizyrZiotvYwbjQ/s1600/IMG_4038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617767477087251586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES1Qb4GcY4V_NYEME3dxQmyKqJ3bIal2vmhowp3fW6atP6o_dNAectbrxRjHmmajyMfwd5mIDn99g3nfrcZ58fx798COi35I-5Y9J9W3dfVVqCdMH1BWjbcRrBde6sqizyrZiotvYwbjQ/s400/IMG_4038.JPG" /></a> Hesperis brightens up the garden with its pretty flowers and edible leaves...and I'll leave it at that as I'm at my wits end.:)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZEC6RtodabELJMe4uwvO-_4Ui3tssMD_z0HgMFTXLCasS14wISJId2o3qBTh3geDOvGcO2LdezvaI2AxK6-HnULLbIwFuXsNOrn_pgfWzd55mEnyQA8wEN3yDMp-2Sosabb7pgio7qFa/s1600/IMG_4027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617765088170803570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZEC6RtodabELJMe4uwvO-_4Ui3tssMD_z0HgMFTXLCasS14wISJId2o3qBTh3geDOvGcO2LdezvaI2AxK6-HnULLbIwFuXsNOrn_pgfWzd55mEnyQA8wEN3yDMp-2Sosabb7pgio7qFa/s400/IMG_4027.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com60