A Wagon Wheel Garden?

I dream about you every night and every day.  These words are lyrics to a song, but it's also how I feel about home grown veggies.  I love them, and I can't wait to dig in dirt this spring and summer.  I have the garden mulched with leaves from my neighbor's yard.  I acquired at least 20 bags of leaves and 3 bales of straw at the end of the season.  The straw will be used as mulch and weed control in the garden.  The leaves will be used in the compost bin and as an amendment in the garden.  

I've done some winter sowing and started a few seeds inside.  I've read that you should buy good seed, but what does that really mean?  I've purchased my seed from the local hardware when they're on clearance, the Dollar Store, Ebay to on-line growers.  So far, I've had success from all.   This year I'm going to try saving seed, at least from my heirloom tomatoes. 

I like a little creativity in my garden.  Last year I added an antique orchard ladder.  This season, I would love to add a wagon wheel.  I saw this picture at Two Men and A Little Farm blog,  and thought it was a creative way to add the wheel to my garden.  I found 2 wheels on Craig's List.  If I'm able to purchase one for a reasonable price, I'll be building this wagon wheel herb garden.  I've also thought about alternating yellow and orange marigolds in it.  Should I do the herbs or marigolds?  If this doesn't work, I have my eye on an antique plow. 

While I'm waiting to make a deal on the wheel, I've checked my seeds and this is what will hopefully be planted in my 2013 Garden if all germinate:

Tomatoes: 

• Tiffen Mennonite
• Cherokee Purple
• Hillbilly
• German Johnson
• Delicious
• Early Girl
• Pink Brandywine
• Homestead

Cukes:

• Salt & Pepper
• National Pickling
• Straight Eight

Greenbeans:

• Bush Blue Lake 
• Bush Jade 
• Pole Blue Lake 

Peppers:

• Hungarian - Yellow Wax   
• Jalapeno
• Cayenne - Mix of colors
• Belle - Grand Bell Mix 

• Spinach  - Giant Noble 
• Zucchini
• Squash

Herbs:

• Lavender
• Basil
• Dill - Long Island Mammoth (Purchased from Big Lots last year. Germinated and did great)
• Chives
• Oregano

I'm going to try growing Zinnia, Snapdragon, Petunias and Marigolds this year too.  We'll see how that goes.  What are you planning to grow this year. 













 

Winter Sowing Has Started - Part I

I have the winter blues! I decided to start my vegetable seeds over the week-end. Planning my garden takes the blues away.  This year, I decided to try winter sowing. I've been saving plastic liter, juice and milk bottles. Anything that I can cut and punch holes in the bottom for drainage. I started about 20 bottles over the week-end. Tomatoes, dill, zuchinni, squash, sunflowers and petunias. Tomatoes, dill and petunias reseed, so hopefully I will have a successful germination rate.  Research showed that the squash and zuchinni will also do well. l will continue winter sowing through-out February. I'll start a few tomatoes, cukes and greenbeans inside to ensure I have something to plant.  I set these bottles outside my kitchen door, but will eventually move them to my picnic table.  It had just started snowing, so they received a nice coating.   

Stay tuned for additional posts.  If you are a gardener and use the winter sowing method, please share your experience.

Let It Snow

We had a white Christmas.  I spent the holidays at the beach, but was blessed with another snow fall a few days later.  These pictures were taken from my rear deck and front porch. 

There's nothing more beautiful than fresh snow, as long as I don't have to drive in it.  I was able to enjoy the snow fall without having to move the car, so I enjoyed it.  I put on a pot of chili using my frozen peppers from the garden and just enjoyed the day.  There's something about this fluffy, white stuff that's just relaxing.  A pot of coffee, a fire and hours looking out the window while it falls makes great memories.  .

How was your holidays?  Did you have a white Christmas?  Please leave me a comment, would love to know how you spent your holidays.

 

Happy New Year

Wishing each of you a Happy and Blessed New Year!  I hope each of you had a great holiday season. 

Pumpkin Carving

 

The garden is closed for the season, lots of salsa made, apples canned for cobbler, tomatoes put away for chili and soup, oh what to do.  Cold weather will be approaching soon.  I have a list which includes cleaning out my computer room, redecorating my bedroom, painting my hallway and guest room, making a headboard for the guest room, complete at least 3 scrapbooks, make Christmas gifts, and plan my garden for next season. 

This week-end my grandson and I made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  We picked out pumkins and enjoyed great carnival food.  We consumed pizza, popcorn, fried fish, and funnel cake.  This is our 5th year, I'm hoping to keep the tradition going for a few more years.  We always have a great time. 

Mawmaw doesn't have the greatest carving skills, but we had a great time.  I need to head to Michaels to pick out a few scarecrows to go with my  pumpkins and mums and carve a few more pumpkins to go with my grandson's ghosts, cobwebs, and spiders.     

Do you decorate for fall or halloween?  Please share your decorating ideas.  How do you spend your time during the winter?  Are you planning your garden for next season?  If so, what do you plan to plant next year that you didn't plant this season?

Last of the Garden

I'm trying to clean up the garden and close it for the season.  I have plenty of green tomatoes, dill which came back from the dead, peppers and maybe a handful of green beans left after this harvest.  I love having fresh dill in the freezer and dried.  I use the dried dill in a potato chip dip recipe, which I'm addicted to and eat by the gallon.  Why do all the bad foods taste so good?  Here's my Creamy Dill potato chip recipe:

Ingredients:   2 cups of Mayo 2 cups of Sour Cream 1 tbsp Parsley 3 tbsp Dill Weed 3 tbsp onion  (I use yellow) Seasoning salt to taste Mix well, chill before serving.

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I was able to do 8 pints of pickled peppers from this bunch and blanch and freeze a quart of green beans from this batch.  Next season, I need to double the amount of green bean plants to ensure I have enough to share and for soups and casseroles.  I'm already planning my garden for next season.

I'm freezing this batch of dill.  I'll dry what's left in the garden for my dip. 

I snapped these pictures of a groundhog and cat out my bedroom window this morning.  The cat is curious and wants to be friends, but the groundhog is only interested in eating. 

From the looks of him, he hasn't missed any meals.  I trapped 7 this season and my neighbor trapped 7.  This one is in neighbor's yard, I hope he stays there.  Looks like he's been eating well.  He is huge.  I had a few that managed to dig under the garden fence, but not much damage was done.  They love the green bean leaves and tomatoes.  Havahart live traps are great! 

Well I need to have another cup of coffee, take a nap and than go down to the garden and harvest the remaining tomatoes.  I have a 3 day week-end, so I'll be scrap booking, clearing out the garden and just enjoying this beautiful fall weather that we're having.  What's happening in your garden?  What's your plans for the Columbus Day week-end?  Leave me a comment, I love them!


                                                                                              

Fresh Salsa

 

I made 5 pints of fresh salsa this week-end and it was delicious.  I couldn't stop eating it while I was trying to get it into the jars.  I didn't water bath this batch.  I keep a jar for myself and gave the others to family.  I modified a recipe that I found on the net.  If you have tomatoes and fresh peppers and onions that you want to use, I urge you to try it.  It's great if you're having company or if your children are salsa lovers.  For this batch I used:  

• 15 - 20 tomatoes, chopped (I used a mix of yellow, purple and red tomatoes) 
• 2 large red onions finely diced 
• 15-20 chiles, remove the veins & seeds, finely chopped
• 5 chiles with the seeds if you like spicy
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

 

*I didn't include the salt or lime juice

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving.