Green Magick

Cherry Time!

2011-06-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Dan and the kids spent much of the day outside picking cherries.

We went ahead and let the chickens and ducks out to clean up all the squished and icky ones from the ground.

Our harvest so far

Bean Teepee...

2011-05-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Another project we got done:) I love this when its all filled in. Planted with Chinese Red Noodle Beans...they are SOOO yummy...and Cosmos.

Sunflower House

2011-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Also got the Sunflower House started yesterday. Dan added an actual door to it, mainly to help keep the rabbits out. Lilah was not happy with it but I think once its all grown in the door will be a really cool addition. If not, we can take it down.

Used Mongolian Giant, Mammoth, and Italian Greenheart Sunflowers, Stowell's Evergreen Corn, Scarlett Runner Beans, and Shasta Daisies this year.

Roof Top Gardening

2011-05-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

For years now Dan has wanted to grow watermelons on the roof. This year he did it. We put out a call for old kiddie pools and used those as our planters. Filled them with a light soil mix and placed them over interior walls. Dan is hooking up an irrigation system to water them.

We have three containers up there....One is Moons and Stars Watermelons, another is Sugar Baby Watermelons...the third is Charenteis Melons.

And because I am me, I had him include some flowers, we used Love-In-A-Mist.

Whew!

2011-05-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

The west vegetable garden is DONE! (ok, mostly, still have a couple odds and ends to tuck in)

The border beds have perennials, trees, etc for the most part, so not too much to do there. There are three apple trees and two pears...all espaliered along the fence. Then we have asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb. Threw in some greens and carrots to finish it off. And of course, the cherry tree is still in the middle.

The other front border bed is greens this year -
Josephs Coat Amaranth
Siamese Dragon Stir Fry
Cinnamon Lettuce
Slobolt Lettuce
Little Gem Lettuce
Rocky Top Lettuce Mix
Radish
Nasturtium

Bed 1
Yellow of Parma Onions
Daikon Radish
Nasturtium
Early Fortune Cucumber
Lemon Cucumber
Zucchini Rampicante
Zinnia Cut and Come Again

Bed 2
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Red Rubin Basil
Alyssum
Tarragon

Bed 3
Cream Sausage Tomatoes
Genovese Basil
Cleome
Pink Surprise Calendula

Bed 4
Purple Russian Tomatoes
Crookneck Squash
Lemon Squash
Globe Basil
Plum Radish
Borage
Cosmos Picotee

Bed 5
Cuor Di Bue Tomatoes
Genovese Basil
Zinnias
Marigolds

Bed 6
Opalka Tomatoes
Amish Paste Tomatoes
Borage
Violas

Bed 7
Chives
Celery
Catnip
Cilantro
Broccoli - early sprouting and Del Ciccio
Cauliflower - Violetta
Kale
Cosmos

Bed 8
Chocolate Strip Tomato
Henderson Pink Tomato
Orange Flesh Purple Smudge Tomatoes
Genovese Basil
Marigolds

Bed 9
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Black Beauty Eggplant
Thai Yellow Eggplant
Ancho Pepper
Anaheim Peppers
Tequila Sunrise Pepper
Sweet Chocolate Peppers
Mini Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Yellow Stuffing Peppers
Zinnias
Cornflowers

Bed 10
Cayenne Peppers
Black Hungarian Peppers
Purple Jalapeno Peppers
Green Tomatillos
Purple Tomatillos
Nasturtiums

Bed 11
Bloomsdale Spinach
5 Color Silverbeet Chard
New Zealand Spinach
Mesclun Mix
Garlic
Radishes

Bed 12
Dragon Tongue Beans
Blue Lake Beans
Empress Beans
Royalty Purple Beans
Golden Wax Beans
Cosmos - Bright Lights
Lemon Gem Marigolds

Traditional Foods

2011-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

So this topic is one I have been interested in and have researched off and on for years. I just never seemed to work up the energy to take the plunge. The energy is there now, but well, I am back on the HCG diet, so I cant eat any of it lol. Instead I am spending my time doing, yes more research, and watching videos etc. I am trying to get a good idea of a plan to implement all of this instead of just jumping in with both feet like I usually do and burning out or never starting at all. I tend to do either extreme.

So, step 1 - Raw Milk
We have got raw milk in the past. In fact we got it from the same place we bought a years worth of pastured chicken last year down in Cape. During the summer, we visited the ILs enough that we were able to pick it up here and there, but that really hasn't been working since. Well, Greenwood Farms, another local place, now delivers their raw milk to several local grocers as well as to a pick up spot where you can also pick up milk and cheese orders. One of the locations is Freddie's in Webster....and I have an order in for a gallon to be picked up Wednesday.

Step 2 - Start making my own yogurt
I have a yogurt maker, never use it. However, you can also use a cube dehydrator. I am thinking of going this route as well as you can use them to make bigger batches of yogurt, dehydrate of course, rise bread dough, dry out sprouted grains, etc.

Step 3 - Change the way I handle flour - soak it, sprout and grind it, or use sourdough
I would start this today, but I can't eat any bread or bread products for quite awhile...dont want to tempt myself!. I am thinking a combo of all three would work best here. Sourdough and soaking take a little more planning ahead which is not my forte. Sprouted flour, while yes, would need to be planned ahead as well, I can make some up and put it in the freezer so it is ready for last minute baking. Would need to get a grain mill though....

Step 4 - Start making water and milk kefir
This one I am totally excited about, but am making myself wait. I am not totally sure we will actually like and drink too much of it so I am trying to start SLOOOOOOW.

The other thing I need to desperately implement is having stuff prepped and ready in the freezer. Too easy to fall back on take-out on crazy days when the idea of cooking is just too much.

Seed Inventory 2011

2011-01-23T16:56:00.001-08:00

Just finished going through all my seeds and ordering new that I needed.

Vegetables

Beans

Bush -

Tricolor

Golden Wax

Blue Lake

Royalty Purple Pod

Dragon Tongue

Empress

Pole -

Rattlesnake

Scarlett Runner

Chinese Noodle

Broccoli

Del Ciccio

Early Purple Sprouting

Cauliflower - Violetta Italia

Brussel Sprouts

Celery - Golden Boy

Cucumber

Lemon

Early Fortune

Corn - Stowell's Evergreen

Carrots

Amarillo

Cosmic Purple

Melon

Sugar Baby Watermelon

Charenteis

Leeks

Onions - yellow of Parma

Radish

Daikon

Purple Plum

Eggplant

Fairy Tale

Rosa Bianca

Black Beauty

Thai Yellow Egg

Tomatillo

Purple

Green

Peas

Blue Podded

Snow Sugar Ann

Golden Sweet

Dwarf Grey Sugar

Greens

Arugula

Corn Salad

Kale - Russian Red

Spinach - Bloomsdale

New Zealand Spinach

5 color silverbeet Chard

Mesclun Mix

Siamese Dragon Stir Fry Mix

Lettuce -

Summertime

Slobolt

Little Gem

De Morge Braun

Cimmaron

Rocky Top Mix

Peppers

Cayenne - Long thin

Sweet Chocolate

Anaheim

Tequila Sunrise

Sweet Yellow Stuffing

Mini Red Bell

Purple Jalapeno

Ancho

Black Hungarian

Tomatoes

Wayahead

Henderson's Pink

Orange Banana

Purple Russian

Egg Yolk

Cuor di Bue

Weeping Charley

Cherokee Purple

Opalka

Green Sausage

Red Zebra

Cream Sausage

Aunt Ruby's German Cherry

Amish Paste

Chocolate Stripes

Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge

Squash

Zucchino Rampicante

Lemon

Crookneck

Baby Blue Hubbard

Amish Pie

Sugar Pie

Spaghetti

Potatoes - La Ratte

Herbs

Basil -

Lettuce Leaf

Mammoth

Sweet Genovese

Red Rubin

Dark Opal

Globe

Mrs Burns Lemon

St John's Wort

Rue

Thyme

Tarragon - Russian

Parsley

Curly

Giant Italian

Cilantro

Lavender

True

Lady

Chives

Sage - garden culinary

Sweet Marjoram

Catnip

Bronze Fennel

Borage

Soapwort

Lemongrass

Chamomile, Roman

Dill - Bouquet

Feverfew

Hyssop

Flowers

Cosmos

Bright Lights

Picotee

Sensation Mix

Nasturtium

Black Velvet

Moonlight

Marigold

Tiger Eyes

Kilimanjaro White

Brocade Mix

Lemon Gem

Zinnia

Cut and Come Again

Profusion White

Bright Jewels Cactus

Lilliput Mix

Alyssum - carpet of snow

Calendula

mix

Pink Surprise

Sunflower

Mongolian Giant

Italian Green Heart

Hollyhocks

Black Currant Whirl

Queeny Lilac Rose

Nigra

Mystic Merlin Malva

Morning Glory

Star of Yelta

Grandpa Ott

Moonflower

Love in a Mist

Cleome

Impatiens

Safari Mix

Carousel

Wildflower Mix

Court Jester Chrysanthemum

Snapdragon - Black Prince

Cuphea Purple Passion

Petunia - Balcony

Coleus - Rainbow Mix

Coral Beauty

Nicotiana

Perfume Lime

Perfume Purple

Butterfly Weed

Shasta Daisy

Daisy - Fire and Ice

Dahlia - Bishops Children

Bergamont - Panorama Mix

Heliotrope - mini marine

Canterbury Bells

Joe Pye Weed

Portulaca

Foxglove - Giant Spotted Mix

Four o'clocks

Pansy - Historic Mix

Johnny Jump Ups

Yarrow - Summer Pastels

Amaranth

Playing Catch Up.....

2010-07-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

So long since I have been here....sigh

My camera is currently broken, so I cant go out and get pics for updates. Peppers, tomatoes, squash are all coming along nicely. Bush Beans got decimated....but the yard long beans are doing well.

Harvested a nice amount of cherries in early june. Also planted rhubarb, horseradish, and asparagus this spring so hopefully that takes off. Garlic is being harvested...potatoes are almost ready. We might actually get a crop of them this year as they are looking good!

As usual we didnt get everything in we wanted...but thats ok:)

seed starting

2010-03-28T22:00:00.001-07:00

Grrr....lost two flats of seedlings. I am not used to the heated seed stand and they dried:( Some of them may pull through, but to be on the safe side, I replanted them. All in all, did 5 flats today in addition to the 5 already started. I am now done with everything I am starting indoors!! woo hoo!

It ended up being a beautiful day after a very dreary morning. We worked in the garden, clearing out some old stuff, adding some compost to the beds etc. I also started some peas and greens outside.

Seed Tapes

2010-02-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

So after a long break, I have been hanging out at Baker's Creek Forum again (Idig). It has a politcal subforum and some of the people there made me sad to share a planet with them.

Anyways, there have been several discussions on there as of late about making your own seed tapes. I am intrigued and may try this. It is really most useful for really small seeds. You can see what you are doing when you place the seeds on the tape (toilet paper) and then when you place them out in the garden they wont wash away in heavy rains or vigorous waterings.

Another plus is that you can prepare them ahead of time. Then when Spring is in full swing and everything is needing to get done, the tapes make direct sowing quick and simple. I am really excited by this idea!

2010 Seed Inventory

2010-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I havent ordered any yet, but I guess I dont need much!

Tomatoes
Orange Flesh Purple Smudge
Egg Yolk
Red Zebra
Opalka
Green Sausage
Aunt Ruby German Cherry
Amish Paste
Orange Banana
Cherokee Purple *
Purple Russian
Chocolate Stripes
Weeping Charley
Cream Sausage
Cuor di Bue*
Wayahead
*dan's favs

Peppers
Anaheim
Ancho
Black Hungarian
Purple Jalapeno
Sweet Chocolate
Tequila Sunrise
Sweet Yellow Stuffing
Mini Red Bell
Cayenne

Greeens
Russian Kale
5 color Silverbeet Chard
Siamese Dragon Stir-fry Mix
Mesclun Mix
Bloomsdale Spinach
New Zealand Spinach
Slobolt Lettuce
Corn Salad
Apollo Arugula
Rocky Top Lettuce Mix

Peas
Dwarf Gray Sugar
Blue Podded
Golden Sweet

Beans
Chinese Red Noodle
Rattlesnake Pole
Empress
Scarlet Runner
Blue Lake
Tricolor Blend
Golden Wax
Purple Podded
Dragon Tongue

Green and Purple Tomatillos
Plum Purple Radish
Golden Boy Celery
Bubbles Brussel Sprouts
Broccoli - De Cicco
Cauliflower - Violetta Italia

Cucumbers
Lemon
Early Fortune

Summer Squash
Yellow Crookneck
Lemon
Spaghetti
Zucchino Rampicante

Winter Squash (pumpkins)
Baby Blue Hubbard
Amish Pie
New England Sugar Pie

Herbs
Basil -
Red Rubin
Mammoth
Lettuce Leaf
Globe
Dark Opal
Sweet Genovese
Thyme
Borage
Catnip
Rue
Cilantro
Hyssop
Lavender
Sweet Marjoram
Sage
St Johns Wort
Curled Parsley
Chamomile-
German
Roman
Bronze Fennel
Calendual
Feverfew
Tarragon (russian)
Bergamont

Flowers (not listing all varieties!)
Impatiens
Petunias
Butterfly Weed
Joe Pye Weed
Morning Glory
Moon Vine
Cleome
Statice
Nicotiana
Hollyhocks
Canterbury Bells
Sunflowers
Alyssum
Zinnia
Love in a mist
Kiss me over the garden gate
Violas
Foxglove
Shasta Daisy
Dahlia
Poppy
Heliotrope
Lobelia
Balloon Flower
Baby Breath
Cosmos
Nasturtium
Bachelors Button
Marigold
Chrysanthemum

Playroom

2009-08-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

I realized I never posted pics of the completed playroom. Of course, I didnt get any when I had it all nice and organized, but you get the idea:)

Tomatoes

2009-07-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our tomatoes are finally starting to come in! Our neighbor gave us a bunch of his, and then ours started. According to Dan, they were worth the wait. So far the cour di bue and green sausage are ready.

We harvested the garlic a couple weeks ago....just in time as I ran out and actually had to buy it once!

We are still getting some greens, even with the heat. The rocky top salad mix has not bolted and is still pretty nice tasting. I just am now realizing I have not used any of the siamese dragon stir fry mix in a stir fry! Need to put that on the menu for next week...some of its bolted, but not all, and even if its a bit bitter, it should be fine in a stir fry (I think!).

We have been eating a ton of basil...making pesto and basil garlic vinagarette (usually used over a salad with goat cheese and cranberries, yum!). I am not such a fan of the lettuce leaf basil. It kept smelling anise-y and sort of cinnamon-y to me and I wasnt to happy with the flavor in the pesto. I later saw on P allen Smith's website that it does in fact have anise and sometimes cinnamon undertones. The sweet genovese is great though!

Peppers are starting to come in, as well as eggplants.

Sunflower house is all wonky, but they are getting ready to bloom.

The bean tepee didnt get wired off quick enough and the rabbits got it...Argh! And those were my yard long bean....chinese red noodle, that I was very excited about.

We are getting ready to start setting out plants for fall harvest. The neighbors started a bunch of broccoli, there son got seed happy and they have like hundreds, so we are taking some of theirs to plant:)

I hope to get some pics tomorrow. Thought I would at least sort of catch up while I had a minute:)

Mmmmm.....dinner:)

2009-06-27T21:44:00.001-07:00

Trying to Catch Up

2009-06-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from about 1 1/2 weeks ago....they are not good.

Potatoes (and Beans but the rabbits got them, need to start more)

All three beds are tomatoes and basil...the front bed also has some parsley and chives.

Front: Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, Calendula
Mddle: eggplant, cosmos, and pansy
Back: greens, swiss chard, johnny jump ups

Front: Peppers, Tomatillos, Calendula
Middle: Broccoli, Caulifower, Allysum, cosmos
Back: Greens, Johnny jump ups

We have babies!!!

2009-05-25T10:31:00.001-07:00

We came home from Cape last night to cheeps in the incubator. Two had hatched and a third was on its way. This morning, the third didnt make it, but the first two are all fluffed out and in the brooder. There are two eggs left....one was moving and then stopped....Dan cracked it a bit and I think it is gone. The last egg I thought was a dud until dan cracked it a bit and it started peeping....so that one may still make it...we will have to see.

So far behind...

2009-05-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

We have the majority of the plants in, but I dont have pics yet and its raining today. I do have some random garden pics that I took 2 days ago, so I will post those:)
Sunflower House

Bean Tepee

Last of the Tulips and Lilacs...first of the Roses!

2009-04-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Introducing Soup and Quackers

2009-04-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, we brought two baby ducks home last weekend. The ILs had a possum get in the coop, so they lost some of the babies. These two survived. I now though have 5 eggs in an incubator, so we will see what happens!

Tulips and (almost) Lilacs, oh my:)

2009-03-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

Pretty early still, but the tulips started blooming:)Something is munching on them:(My really old big Lilac and some of its bloomsMy 'sensation' Lilac...its 4 years old and this is the first year I've gotten buds!

The Ducklings are Hatched:)

2009-03-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

We went and visited the baby ducks today. They hatched on Thursday and Friday. We are leaving them with Dan's parents for about 3 more weeks so their mama can teach them to swim, forage, etc.

Here is the proud "mama" Emily. The duckings arent actually hers but she hatched them out:)

Chickies '09

2009-03-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Picked up our spring chicks about 1 1/2 weeks ago.

Spedini - Silver-laced Wyandotte

Teriyaki - Australorp

Noodle - Buff Orpington

Gumbo - surprise chick ( I am guessing Partridge Cochin)

Also, our ducklings are hatched:) We are going to visit then tomorrow, but will leave them with their mother until they are a bit older.

Working on the posts.....

2009-03-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

These are the 10 foot tall cedar posts Dan put up last weekend. They will hold what Dan calls a "dramatic gate" . There are also a bunch of random spring blossom pictures following:)

Today's Plantings...

2009-03-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

Indoors:

Basil -
-Dark Opal
-Globe
-Red Rubin
-Lettuce Leaf
-Sweet Genovese
Roman Chamomile
Marigold - Lemon Gem
Nasturtium -
-Black Velvet
-Empress of India
Love-in-a-Mist
Hollyhock - Nigra
Feverfew
Shasta Daisy
Borage
Bronze Fennel
Hyssop
Cilantro
Cosmos -
-Picotee
-Sensation
Zinnia -
-Profuison White
-Cut and Come Again
Calendula

Outdoors in coldframes -

Peas -
Blue podded
Golden Sweet (podded)
Spinach -Bloomsdale
Chard - Silverbeet
Lettuce -
Red Iceberg
Gold Rush

A Whole lotta Diggin' Going On!

2009-03-14T17:50:00.001-07:00

Today, Dan dug the post holes for the garden fence we will be putting up. The children played on the trailer, stuck rocks in a pipe, played with the neighbors grandkids, rode bikes, and dug their own holes:) It was a beautiful day!

This is a view taken from where the front of the fence and a gate will be. Where Dan is working there will be a privacy fence and that will connect to the backyard fence. The chickens and eventual ducks will be able to walk behind the garage into the side yard. About where the neighbors chain link ends will be another fence (welded wire) running across the width (with a gate) to keep the birds out of the garden. The wire fencing will then be used to fence the raised beds.

Signs of Spring '09

2009-03-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Garlic

Over wintered greens and onions

Marley looking for a bunny snack

Today I started....

2009-03-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tomatoes
Amish Paste
Aunt Ruby's German Red Cherry
Weeping Charley
Cream Sausage
Cuor Di Bue
Chocolate Stripes
Purple Russian
Cherokee Purple
opalka
Green Sausage
Red Zebra
Orange-Fleshed Purple Smudge
Orange Banana
Egg Yolk

Peppers
Sweet Yellow Stuffing
Mini Red Bell
Sweet Chocolate
Tequila Sunrise
Ancho
Anaheim
Black Hungarian
Purple Jalapeno

Green Tomatillos
Purple Tomatillos
Johnny Jump ups
Alyssum
Oregano
Sweet Annie
Dahlia - Bishops Children
Court Jester Chrysantemum
Italian Parsley
Bergamont
German Chamomile

I wanted to get more done, but I ran out of inserts!!!

In the refrigerator,

2009-02-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

We now have butterflyweed and joe-pye weed started. Doing the paper towel method to start these:)

And it begins....

2009-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

I got the first couple of flats planted today. Lilah helped, so it was a bit slow going:)

We planted:

Fuji Dawn
Atlas Needlepoint Pansy
Yarrow - Summer Pastels
Foxglove - Spotted Giant
Thyme
Catnip
Rue
Eggplant -
Thai Yellow
Black Beauty
Rosa Bianca
Cauliflower - Violetta Italia
Broccoli - Del Cicco
Celery - Golden Boy

While planting I discovered they forgot to send me the Johnny Jump-ups I ordered:( I will call them and if they get here soon, I will still be able to get them started in time.

Quick Fix

2009-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

We kept meaning to pull up the ugly faux brick floor in the entrance. For some reason, we just never did, until last night.....why did we wait so long!?! It makes a big difference

2009 Tomatoes

2009-01-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Varieties that I will be starting from seed soom:)

Opalka

Mortgage Lifter

Brandywine

Amish Paste

Green Sausage

Orange Banana

Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge

Cherokee Purple

Purple Russian

Chocolate Stripes

Cour Di Blu

Weeping Charley

Hillbilly

Cream Sausage

Egg Yolk

Playroom Update

2009-01-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ahh, will it ever end? Between Lilahs Birthday and the never-ending Xmas, I didnt think we'd ever get back to working on it! Dan worked on wiring again today, and with the crawl space being more like an army crawl space, it was slow going. I am hoping to at least get the floor sanded and the windows caulked this weekend.

Lilah was very upset that we wouldnt let her crawl in the hole with daddy.

Slink, slink, slink, I creep up on chickens.

2008-12-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what I am?

A FOX (from one of Lilah's books)

Yes, we had a fox attack last night:( It pulled Cordon Bleu out of the coop (which we foolishly didnt shut) but somehow she got away. I heard her scream around 1:30am. Dan immediately ran down to check (desperately trying to find his bathrobe for the teen temps) and Marley chased the fox off. Bleu then ran back to the coop from the front yard. Dan intercepted her to check her out. She had a bit of blood on her, and a rough looking spot on her shoulder. Dan kept her inside for the night. This morning, there was no fresh blood, and she looked calm but pissed so I let her back out. I checked throughout the day and she seems fine.

However. we did discover Tetrazzini is missing:( I dont think the fox got her last night as I realized I didnt see her yesterday either. I would normally assume she just went off somewhere for a bit, which has happened with others, but with it being so cold, and a fox in the neigborhood (not to mention the enormous hawk I saw last week in addition the the regular one that hangs about) I dont think theres much hope of her returning.

Its Catalog Time!!!!

2008-12-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! My catalogs are coming. I am planning on ordering from Nichols, Baker Creek, and Seed Savers. Nichols and Seed Savers came Saturday. I have been fantasizing about fruits and vegetables all day (lol).

I am really excited about the Ecology Lawn mix from Nichols. It is a low water/mow mix of grasses, wildflowers, and herbs. I have been having a hard time deciding what to do with our lawn because I do think its very important to have an open space for the kids and dog to play. This should take care of that!!!

Garlic, Potatoes, and Bulbs

2008-11-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

Lilah hid the camera cord this past weekend, so I couldnt upload pictures:) Saturday (after home improvements by Lilah) we bundled up and went out to the garden. We planted our garlic and dug up the potatoes.

Garlic Bed

Now Empty Potato bed

Potatoes!! (really pitiful potatoes)

Sunday was much nicer weather. Dan and Lilah planted the flower bulbs (tulips, daffodils. windflowers, irises, aliums, crocuses, grape hyacinths, and mountain bells). Lilah wanted some tulips and daffodils in her sunflower house, and the rest went along the side fence and in the front bed.

Lilah's Home Improvements

2008-11-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is the door Dan taped up to cut down on drywall dust flying everywhere. Lilah was fascinated by this "window" and kept running up and asking Dan for tape.This is why she was asking for tape. She was very proud of her window:) And yes, that is her level and tape measure she was using to make it.

November in the Garden

2008-11-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Chicken Happenings

2008-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

I had some great pictures of Bleu during her molt...she was pretty much featherless for a while and looked really funny. Lilah somehow erased the pictures though:( So, here are just a bunch of random pics.

This is the current coop (tractor)

This is Dan working on what will be the new coop. We are planning on nest box access from insider our porch. We are also adding compost bins along the north wall of it.

Homegrown and updates

2008-11-16T19:44:00.001-08:00

So, for the first time since Lilah was born almost 3 years ago, Dan and I went to the movies! We went to the Tivoli and saw Homegrown, it was part of the St. Louis International Film Festival. I have been going to Path to Freedom for inspiration for a couple of years now and was really looking forward to this documentary. It was very good and Dan and I will be up late tonight discussing it and future plans for us I am sure:)

We also harvested a bunch of lettuce, green onions, and arugula yesterday. We still have several tomatoes that havent gotten bit by frost yet as well. We are covering the two beds on the east side of the house at night, trying to keep them going for a bit still.

We havent gotten the fence up around the new beds yet, but it is a top priority before spring. I have a bunch of bulbs I have to get in before the ground freezes as well.

We have been planning on adding bees and I think that will also be on the list for spring. I still really want goats, and Dan is getting more and more sold on the idea, so in a couple of years, maybe.

We are also debating adding more chickens next spring . Dan is building a new coop. The current tractor is great, but as we no longer use it for moving them around, we want a permanent coop. They are free-ranged in our yard full time so it would make more sense to have a sturdier and bigger coop. We keep going back and forth with whether we should get a bunch of chickens to raise for food......dont know if I can do it:(

Oh, and maybe we found a remedy to our rabbit problems:) The fence should help a bit, but it looks as if a family of feral cats moved into the house behind us. I am more than happy to get them neutered and keep them fed if they would take care of the rabbits for us. It was actually pretty sad....there were two (looked to be around 4-5 months) eating the chicken food today. We have had some mice out there lately, so maybe they will take care of them as well! Sorry for the bad pic, but we had to take it through the window and screen.

Fall Foliage

2008-11-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of the view from my front yard

YES WE DID!!!!!

2008-11-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

I watched this video frequently leading up to election day, and felt inspired each time. Now, with the election over, it still moves me and makes me proud to be an american.

Autumn Garden Pics

2008-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tiniest egg

2008-09-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

This was either Pate' or Alfredo's first egg.

Cian's Cake

2008-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

While not directly related to gardening, it is crafy, and is nature themed:) Dan's mom made it. It was so cute. She asked what he liked and we told her grass and sticks and balls. Very impressed with how she tied in all in:) She forgot the extra icing at home as she wanted to put more stick and grass around the pond, but it looked great even without the extras!:)

Sunflower...er, Calendula House

2008-09-18T20:08:00.001-07:00

Well, we all know the Sunflower House was a flop. The runner beans disappeared into the rabbits harvest as well. The Calendula, however, is going strong. Lilah doesn't seem to mind the fact that her house is only 12 inches tall:) She likes to jump and spin in it, and you better knock at the door if you want in:)

I will definitely be trying this again next year.

Full Moon

2008-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Pic of the "babies"

2008-08-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Alfredo
Cacciatore

Pate'

Its hard to photgraph, but her black has beautiful green sheen to it.
Tetrazinni

Curry

The Babies are Laying!!!

2008-08-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've noticed Cacciatore and Curry starting to squat. I've been watching for new eggs as this indicates they will start laying soon. They also got much less "flighty" recently, with both trying to get in the car with us, and Cacciatore even tries to get in the house. She is the worst, but the sweetest too. Two days ago, Cacciatore laid her first egg, and then today, Curry laid her first.

The two brown ones are Cacciatore's and the blue is Curry's. They are still pretty little as fist eggs often are.The egg on top is regular sized, the middle row are the first eggs, and the bottom row are double yolkers.

From Dog Room to Play Room

2008-08-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

We started tearing apart the family room this weekend to get ready to turn it into a play room. It needs a lot of work so we kept putting it off. With it being so nasty out today, we decided to work on the inside instead of the garden. I planned on helping, but the children decided they didnt want to nap much today, so we mainly watched Dan work:)

Garden in August

2008-08-18T10:47:00.001-07:00

Broccoli

we are getting some side shoots now that its cooler

Naked Lady/Surprise/Magic Lilies
Front Garden

Salvia

Side Garden

this lavender has gotten huge

Veggie Gardens

the beans are actually doing pretty well

we had some for lunch yesterday

ta-da!! finally some tomato blossoms!

the lone purple basil - I have tons of Genovese, but only one Rubin made it

Crape Myrtle

2008-08-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, we have a huge crape myrtly in our front yard. Every year I debate getting rid of it because it is in a horrible spot, but then July rolls around and I can't. When its in full bloom its beautiful! Of course, I never got around to taking pictures last month, but I did take some today (while being attacked by mosquitoes). Its not as spectacular right now, and it needs some trimming of dead wood, but these will have to suffice until next year:)

We also have a little baby one growing. We will have to move it next spring, though I am not sure where to put it yet. (You can also see my rose is getting blackspot in the background:( )

Double Yolkers

2008-08-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, we get a double yolk egg. I always wonder what the poor hen must be thinking when laying it!

Here is a regular egg and then the double yolk.

Bye Fingers:(

2008-08-04T08:45:00.001-07:00

Well, Fingers is in his new home. I listed him on craigslist and got several responses. He went to a very good home where he will be free-ranged on 11 acres and spoiled rotten. I will miss him, but I am sure Bleu is glad he is gone. He was relentless in his pursuit of her and she was bothered enough to quit laying. Kiev and Dumpling were pretty funny though, whenever he would go after Bleu and they were around, they would chase him off. He was pretty scared of them.

The baby girls dont really seem to be acting any different which surprises me as he was definitely their leader.

Garlic!

2008-07-22T08:29:00.001-07:00

We pulled our garlic this past weekend. It is now curing in the porch room. When its done, I will put it into braids for storage.
I made a pizza out of some of the garlic:) It had a cornmeal and parmasean crust with homemade pesto, fresh from the farmers market goat cheese, and mozzarella....yummy!

And its a.....rooster!

2008-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

So, Fingers, a light brahma and my favorite, is a rooster. I have been thinking he may be for some time, but all chickens seem to go through a phase where its difficult to tell. He started trying to crow a couple days ago, and his tail is starting to get longer. Now, I am not sure what to do with him. I think we will try to keep him for a bit, hoping he is a quiet and nice rooster. If not, I guess I could adopt him out.

sigh.....But They're Sooooo Cute!

2008-06-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Last of the Lettuce

2008-06-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Its starting to get bitter, so this is the last of the fresh lettuce for a while:(

More Garden Pics

2008-06-16T14:34:00.001-07:00

F'in Rabbits!

2008-06-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

This is whats left of the sunflower house:( The rabbits wouldnt leave it alone, and ate all of the beans and sunflowers. The calendulas made it though. I used to always think that rabbits deserved respect, that you should just expect part of your garden to be eaten...and while I still sort of feel that way, they are eating everything! Every garden is being nibbled on and they are not leaving anything for us.

The are also eating and digging in the veggie beds. They decimated the beans so we ended up fencing it off.

We will probably end of fencing each individual bed next year *sigh*. I did not want to have to do that, not just because of the cost and work involved, but its ugly:( I am trying to make this an attractive and functional garden....oh well.

Pizza Ponderings

2008-06-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

I got Dan a Seal-a-Meal food vacuum for Fathers Day. While making dinner for tonight, I realized how handy this could be for future pizza nights. Tonights pizza consisted of making the dough, making the sauce, roasting and chopping the peppers, steaming and chopping the broccoli, chopping the onions, and chopping and cooking the chicken. The spinach was already chopped and the cheese already grated. I realized that it could all be prepped ahead of time easily and frozen, especially using the vacuum.

This ties into why we are expanding our gardens. We want healthy, organic, fresh produce. The problem comes into play in preserving it. Who knows how to can anymore? I am planning on learning. I also want to preserve by freezing and my hope is to be able to get lots of meals ready to go. I dont want just frozen casseroles and soups. If we ever get around to ordering some chickens and grass fed beef, this will need to be preserved as well. Obviously it will be frozen, but I would like to stuff some, marinate some, precook some, etc. so it can be pulled out and meal ready.

I have been thinking to of trying to get a bunch of mamas together next year to preserve the harvest. If we get organized in spring with what everyone is growing, hopefully we could get together a couple of times throughout the harvest and prep, can, etc. while taking turns keeping an eye on the kids.

They Grow So Fast

2008-06-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Cherry Tree

2008-06-14T09:41:00.001-07:00

Cherry Pie

2008-06-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Its ugly, but Lilah helped *a lot*.

The cherries are ripe and we actually got around to picking some before the birds ate them all. Dan and Lilah picked a bunch the other night so we made a cherry pie. As I dont like cherries, we also made a custard pie. I dont know what I was thinking, I started them both at 4 in the afternoon on a day where neither child had napped....it was fun;)

Trees Arrived

2008-05-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

We got home last night after Dan's softball game to find a big package on the side porch. In it were our apple and pear trees, rhubarb, asparagus, horseradish, and strawberries. We are planning on finishing the irrigation system tomorrow which leaves us Sunday to fill and plant. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is it:)

well.....

2008-05-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Since it keeps on raining, not much else got done on the veggie garden (grrrr). Here are some random pictures from around the garden.

Entrance Rose

2008-05-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is the Zepherine Drouhin. I had one on each side of the front door, but one had to be removed for the piering and didnt make it. I put a new one in, but it is still tiny and nothing to looke at;) The first couple are from 2 weeks ago, and the last are from today. The smell is wonderful and strong. It wafts in the front windows and saturates the porch......mmmmmm:)

Tilling

2008-05-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got a good jump on the veggie garden. Unfortunately, we all ended up sick during the week so we didnt get time to finish it yet. This weekend is supposed to be nice, so hopefully we'll get it done. The seeds really need to go in.

Oh, and so what does 18 yards of compost look like???

Girls Night Out

2008-05-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we put the babies out with the big girls. Saturday they hung out all day, but I brought them in for the night. Sunday, they moved out for good! The picture is Lilah saying goodnight to them on their first night outside.

Its Raining, Its Pouring

2008-05-13T19:25:00.001-07:00

Well, we got all of 12 of the raised beds built and had 18 yards of compost delivered yesterday. Just how much is 18 yards you ask, well, if it ever stops raining, I'll get a picture of it. Meanwhile, this picture is from last week. Lilah spent about 2 hours playing with her dirt and planting "plants" (which were weeds she was pulling up from one area and then "planting" in another).

I placed another order from Seed Savers which also came yesterday. Along with some flower seeds (which I also picked up some from a local store) I got more runner beans (the rabbits wont stop eating them), radishes, pumpkin, zucchini, crookneck squash, cucumbers, and more:)

The Babies Are Growing

2008-05-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Fingers

Curry
Pate'
Tetrazzini
Alfredo
Cacciatore

New Garden

2008-05-04T17:39:00.001-07:00

Well, we decided to turn the side yard into a garden. We have been planning it out for a while and ended up just going really simple. It will have 12 4x6 beds and then a border bed all around. I am planning on growing step-over apples along the sides and will have a perennial and herb bed with an arbor in the front. The bed goes from a little behind the lilac (lower right of pic) til just in front of the cherry tree. We will probably add some fruit trees behind the cherry tree and in front of the pecan for a little orchard. It we ever decide to go ahead and get some bees, this is probably where they would go.

We should be able to grow a nice amount of veggies here:) We are starting to price freezers so we have some way of preserving our harvest. Dan is also planning on setting up a rain water collection system from the garage to help water this.

Early Spring Images (from 4/20)

2008-04-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Catmint

Onions and Lettuce
Garlic
Potatoes

Spring Garden

2008-04-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

We finally got the rest of our seeds started last weekend. Better late than never I guess. Lilah loves helping mix the dirt and poking the seeds.

Here are the herbs I got from MOBOT. The Herb Society puts on an annual sale there and they are very nice quality and variety for a pretty low price.

Babies First Day Out

2008-04-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, we took the baby chicks outside for the first time Sunday. They have hit the ugly losing down and getting feathers stage.

Sunflower House

2008-04-21T10:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we got Lilah's Sunflower House started. It is basically an 8x8 square that will be surrounded by 12' sunflowers to create a living playhouse. I planted the sunflowers as well as some corn, scarlet runner beans, and calendula. This is my first attempt at direct sowing of flowers, so hopefully it works out all right. I saw birds messing with it this morning, hopefully they weren't eating the seeds!

You Keep on Knockin'

2008-04-11T10:30:00.001-07:00

But you can't come in!
Poor girls were sick of the rain so they started knocking on the door:) It drove Marley crazy but I thought it was pretty funny. You hear a knock, open the door, and find three chickens waiting. They seriously looked at me like "c'mon, let us in."

"Dappadills!"

2008-04-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty much a lazy day. Last night Dan was working late on his rock wall (after picking up more rock and a new camera!) so everyone got to bed late. I took a gazillion pics though playing with it.

Lilah is now fascinated with "Dappadills" aka daffodils, and picks them quicker than you can catch her:) I'm just going to post an assortment of photos from today.....not much else got done:)

BABIES!!!!!

2008-04-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

So, we went ahead and got our chicks today. I was going to mail order them, but Fenton Feed Mill had Ameracaunas which were the ones I wanted the most, so we just went there. Lilah loved helping to pick them out. Cian just had fun playing with my keys.

The three ameracaunas
Curry Pate'

AlfredoCacciatore
A Rhode Island Red

Tetrazzini

A Silver-Laced Wyandotte

Fingers

A Light Brahma

Springs of Yesteryear

2008-04-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

These are pics from April 10, 2005. I have nothing new to show today, so I thought I'd post something bright since its so dreary. I havent really changed the bulbs too much, but I will take pics of the current garden when it stops raining. Right now the daffodils are all blooming, the tulips dont look like they're that close, but we'll see.

Rain, rain go away

2008-03-31T18:43:00.000-07:00

We had a pajama day today. Lilah, Cian, and I just lounged around all day:) We did make homemade pizza (including a crust from scratch that Marley didnt eat this time) and did other various chores, but mostly just vegged out:)

Cordon Bleu though (one if the chickens) decided it was a good jailbreak day and kept escaping. Several times today I ended up chasing her back into the yard...not conducive to pajama day. Dont get me wrong, I wear pjs out all the time, as in pajama pants and a tshirt, but I was actually wearing a gown today. Neighbors probably think I'm nuts.

So, I am trying to decide what to do with the side yard. It is not really full sun, but I may try to do some raised veggie beds there. I also am debating moving the chicken coop over there and fencing it in, but am not sure how the neighbors would feel about that. Dan wants it to be a croquet court.

Falling Behind as Usual:)

2008-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am already behind on getting my seeds started as usual. I have 3 flats that I started about a month ago, but I havent done any since then. Hopefully later today I can get going and Lilah can help me as I have a lot of big seeds to plant. We had a wedding to go to yesterday and the reception was last night so not much got done. Dan did get a chance to play with his new tool in between and I will post about that seperately in a bit.

We still have to get the plant stand and lights out of the basement. I have the plants I already started in windowsills still and they are starting to get a bit leggy.

Some of the seedlings I started last month.

The seeds that arrived yesterday from Seed Savers

(veggies, fruits, and herbs)

Flood!!

2008-03-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

So, we didnt really get to work on any "projects" this past weekend as my mom and little brother evacuated their house due to flooding. The house was in no danger, but they ran the risk of being stuck. We ended up having easter brunch here and they stayed the weekend. Lilah loved having grandma and Zach stay with us:)

Here is normal level

This is Thursday 3/20

These are from Friday, and the river didnt even crest til Saturday.

This is a view of Aberdeen Golf course
The spots between the row of trees are cows. Poor things were stranded so we called the Humane Society. The cows were rescued by the coast guard and even made the news:)

The Worms are Here

2008-03-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

We set up our vermicomposting bin last night. So simple and easy to do. We just took a storage container and drilled holes around the sides and in the lid. Then we added about a 2" layer of packing peanuts for drainage. We topped that with a layer of hardware cloth and then a layer of landscape fabric. We then added the worms bedding which in this case was horse manure. We put some food scraps in and then added another layer of bedding, shredded newspaper this time. Ideally we would have set this up about a week before the worms arrived, but they got here a lot quicker than I expected:)
Then we dumped in the worms. All that is left to do is to let them go and feed them about once a week. In 4 months or so we should have a bin full of casings.....great food for the garden!!!

New Front Walkway

2008-03-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

So, we are putting in a new walkway to the front door. This past weekend Dan went to collect rocks to edge it and took Lilah with him. She helped load the rocks and came home exhausted:) Then on Sunday, she helped him work on placing them. I have a very cute video of Lilah helping but I have to have Dan show me how to edit it so I can post it.

Lilah helping daddy

What the front walk looks like now
What it will look like (this is the path to the veggie garden)
We still need to continue this rock wall and fill in the gardens.

A Rainbow of Eggs

2008-03-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

I cant wait until we get the new chicks. I am getting 2 more ameracaunas for blue eggs, 2 salmon favorelles for light tan/pink eggs, and 2 welsummers for chocolate brown eggs. By next fall we should be able to start selling some.

Potatoes

2008-03-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

Last year digging up the potatoes

This year watering the potatoes

We are hoping to actually get some potatoes to eat this year:) We planted seed potatoes that we dug up last year. We have Yukon Gold and Blue. None of the red potatoes we planted last year made it.

Chickens New Pen

2008-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, since the girls decided life was more fun on the other side of the fence, we moved their pen. The coop is still a moveable tractor, we just arent moving it while its so wet. We had it up against the house for the winter months to keep them out of too many drafts and so we could hook up supplemental heat when needed. So, we put hardware cloth along the fence and across to the front of the house and opened up the backyard to them. They are very happy with access to the backyard and are now digging up the compost which should help get it going. This means Marley is now using the front yard primarily for pottying. We have to do poop patrol before playing, but Lilah loves picking it up LOL.

Marley

The Girls
(back to front : Kiev, Cordon Bleu, and Dumpling)

Closeup of Dumpling
Checking out a stump
The new pen

Planting a Seed

2008-03-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to start a blog. Dan and I are starting so many different projects I thought it would be fun to have a place to keep track of them all. This past weekend I started several flats of seeds. We still havent finalized our vegetable order so it was all ornamentals so far....except for the brandywine tomatoes Lilah planted with grandma:). Dan planted the seed potatoes from last years (lack of) crop.

The chickens are doing great. Since we are now down to 1 dog, we are letting them free range in the backyard instead of the front. This is saving the emerging bulbs and curbing the chickens desire to cross the road. I am placing an order with some MDC mamas for some more chicks in the next month or so. It should be very interesting having a bunch of baby chicks.

I am planning on ordering some red wrigglers to start vermicomposting as well. I have been meaning to do it for several years now, but it always seems to get forgotten.

I think we are pushing the bees back til at least next year. I think it will be great but am a little worried about where to safely keep the bees where the kids, dog, or chickens wont get to them. Dan talked to an architect today about our roof and the possible addition. We wont be doing it for a while, but he wants to get a plan going. He wanst a green roof, and we were trying to incorporate a space for a hive or two there.

I guess thats it for this first post. The seed is planted, with some care and attention, I am hoping it grows!

Green Magick

Cherry Time!

Bean Teepee...

Sunflower House

Roof Top Gardening

Whew!

Traditional Foods

Seed Inventory 2011

Playing Catch Up.....

seed starting

Seed Tapes

2010 Seed Inventory

Playroom

Tomatoes

Mmmmm.....dinner:)

Trying to Catch Up

We have babies!!!

So far behind...

Last of the Tulips and Lilacs...first of the Roses!

Introducing Soup and Quackers

Tulips and (almost) Lilacs, oh my:)

The Ducklings are Hatched:)

Chickies '09

Working on the posts.....

Today's Plantings...

A Whole lotta Diggin' Going On!

Signs of Spring '09

Today I started....

In the refrigerator,

And it begins....

Quick Fix

2009 Tomatoes

Playroom Update

Slink, slink, slink, I creep up on chickens.

Its Catalog Time!!!!

Garlic, Potatoes, and Bulbs

Lilah's Home Improvements

November in the Garden

Chicken Happenings

Homegrown and updates

Fall Foliage

YES WE DID!!!!!

Autumn Garden Pics

Tiniest egg

Cian's Cake

Sunflower...er, Calendula House

Full Moon

Pic of the "babies"

The Babies are Laying!!!

From Dog Room to Play Room

Garden in August

Crape Myrtle

Double Yolkers

Bye Fingers:(

Garlic!

And its a.....rooster!

*sigh*.....But They're Sooooo Cute!

Last of the Lettuce

More Garden Pics

F'in Rabbits!

Pizza Ponderings

They Grow So Fast

Cherry Tree

Cherry Pie

Trees Arrived

well.....

Entrance Rose

Tilling

Girls Night Out

Its Raining, Its Pouring

The Babies Are Growing

New Garden

Early Spring Images (from 4/20)

Spring Garden

Babies First Day Out

Sunflower House

You Keep on Knockin'

"Dappadills!"

BABIES!!!!!

Springs of Yesteryear

sigh.....But They're Sooooo Cute!