The old prune tree

Well, my husband's uncle gave us a grafted prune tree nearly 40 years ago. This year it has lost 2 large limbs due to age, and the amazing amount of fruit it's bearing, in spite of the fact that the branch was propped up... the prop snapped into 2 pieces! It's been such a great little tree and has had huge crops every few years, but this year it was just too much for it. I am brokenhearted. The tree can be saved but not sure how many more years it will be around. Hope to graft a new tree onto some root stock in the form of seedlings that have come up. Wish me luck!

This was in July, we didn't start picking ripe fruit until September

Prunes ripen in late August through September ~ So sweet & juicy!

Prunes cooked then spice to taste with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. No sugar needed!

Apple Cider pressing time!

Went to a friend's place and spent a few hours cutting and pressing apples for cider.  The apples are washed, rinsed and cut (to check for mold) before grinding and pressing. Took home 4 1/2 gallons! I'll be pasteurizing and canning most of it.

Purple Basil & Sweet basil!! Win-Win!

Sweet basil is one of the most common varieties. Popular in salads, pastas, pesto and more, most of the basil you will find in a grocery store is sweet basil. One of the beauties of basil is there isn’t a real, definitive harvest time – just pick what you need as you need it. And the best part is the more you harvest, the more a basil plant will produce. Regular harvesting will keep plants full and round. Harvest before the plant goes to seed, or “bolts.” When basil goes to seed, the leaves will often have a bitter flavor. I just cut my sweet basil and have some drying and some to put in oil for later use.

Green Basil ~ grew really well in part shade

While the flavor is not as sweet as some basil varieties, purple basil has a clove-like, slightly spicy flavor is wonderful fresh in salads, pesto, or preserved in oils and vinegar's. Until I researched purple basil, I couldn't pin down the flavor... yep, it is slightly clove like and spicy! Will be drying some and can hardly wait to see how it flavors vinegar and oil. Hints from another blogger: Fill a large jar with half white vinegar, half cider vinegar, stuff it with purple basil, and let it steep for a week. Then you strain it and pour the resulting gorgeous magenta vinegar into a pretty bottle with a few sprigs of fresh basil.

Purple Basil ~ did fabulous this year! 

Banner year for huckleberries!

Most years we get to pick just enough huckleberries for a couple of pies and a batch of jam, two if we're lucky. This year has been amazing! We are finding beautiful, large berries as well as the usual smaller ones. Whatever the size, they are delicious! I was using a different camera, so the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea!

Well, this could be a problem! Pawpaw Trees and Genetics

The two little Pawpaw trees I purchased 3 years ago are doing great! They are growing well, have been potted up to larger containers and even have some new leaves emerging.  They are beautiful!

BUT!! What I didn't know is they need a genetically different partner to bear fruit...

"Pawpaws are picky about who pollinates their flowers. Many fruit trees are self-fertile, meaning they can use pollen from one flower to pollinate another flower on the same tree to produce fruit. Pawpaws require pollen from another (genetically different) tree to achieve pollination and fruiting. Furthermore, pawpaws are not pollinated by bees. Instead, beetles and flies are attracted to their flowers and spread the pollen. Because of this, you must have two trees growing within 10-15 feet of each other."

All I can hope is that the nursery where I purchased them had a diverse genetic stock of trees, or that they can tell me where the trees were grown and if they can find out about the genetics. (sigh)

"Dancing Bones" and "Drunkard's Dream" cactus

Hatiora salicornioides looks like something from an underwater dreamscape. Composed of many tube-like branches that grow from upright, woody stems, Hatiora salicornioides is often called by its common names -- "Dancing Bones" and "Drunkard's Dream" cactus -- because of its contorted growth habit and bottle-shaped segments. Each stem can grow to be quite long, and eventually the Hatiora will gently cascade over the edges of its pot. When the cactus blossoms, tiny bright yellow flowers develop into small pink berries. Personally, I have never had the berries develop.

A jungle cactus, Hatiora salicornioides is epiphytic, meaning that it grows in the crooks of trees in its native forest habitat. This means that it requires little soil to survive, and is tolerant of lower light and more moisture than most cacti. As such, it's an exceptionally easy houseplant to care for, perfect for houseplant beginners and experts alike.

Native American Sunflower aka Sunchokes ~ Helianthus tuberosus

 The sunchoke, also called Jerusalem artichoke, is a variety of perennial sunflower grown for its edible low-starch tuber which looks much like a small potato but tastes like a water chestnut.

 Sunchokes are a native American sunflower that grows substantial amounts of ginger-shaped and potato-like tubers an easy-to-grow, delicious, prebiotic, and wonderfully productive garden vegetable. It has been recorded as being in cultivation by Native Americans in 1605 by Samuel De Champlain in French Canada.  They are also known to be a health-promoting prebiotic food stuff that is great for carb-counting dieters and diabetics alike.

Storing and preserving. Sunchokes will keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days, or set them in a cold moist place for 2 to 5 months. Sunchokes can be frozen or left in the ground until needed; protect over-wintered sunchokes with a layer of mulch.

Harvest. Sunchoke tubers will be ready for harvest is 120 to 150 days after planting. Cut off flower stalks as soon as they appear to encourage tuber, not seed, production. Plants also can be “lodged” once flowers appear; step on stems at soil level and bend them to the side diverting energy to the tubers. Sunchokes harvested after a light frost will be sweeter tasting. Sunchokes are ready for harvest when leaves die back; lift tubers with a spading fork. Tubers left in the ground will regrow the following season.

Common name. Jerusalem artichoke, sunchoke
Botanical name. Helianthus tuberosus
Origin. North America

My plants are growing beautifully this year! Hoping for a good harvest!

My sunchoke palnts this year! They are about 7ft tall!

Lambert Cherries - Frozen and canned

I canned some of the 20#, of Lambert cherries and froze the rest. They are huge, and so good!! Also made 2 jars with Amaretto flavoring, they are in the fridge for eating now!

We saw a Bear! ~ And lots of flowers!

We traveled to one of our local ATV trails today and about 10 miles into our journey my husband (who is driving our side-by-side) says, "Bear!" I look to my left and sure enough a bear is running off through the woods! I just saw a streak of movement and a brown blur but he saw it first and quite clearly!

Let this be a cautionary tale... these trails and a myriad of other trails all starting at the same campground are used by ATV's, hikers, bicyclists, horse packers and campers. We all know to be cautious but sometimes it's all so sudden you are caught unaware. We did warn another couple we met on the trail and posted on the local social media.

Other than that it was a lovely ride with some great photo opportunities.

Description of Pink Lousewort Elephant Head Pedicularis groenlandica:

If you look at the flowers from a distance, the name just seems ridiculous, but a closer view shows amazing individual pink elephant heads, complete with floppy ears and long, twisting trunk.
Pedicularis groenlandica is a showy flowering plant in the broomrape family which is known by the common names elephant's head and elephanthead lousewort. This erect plant can grow to a height of 30". Its sharply-toothed fern-like leaves are located low on the stout stem. The stem is topped with a large inflorescence of bright pink to purple or white flowers. Each flower has a long, pointed beak which curves upward, superficially resembling the trunk of an elephant, and the lateral lobes of the flower resemble an elephant's ears. Like other louseworts and related broomrape genera, this is a root parasite and grow best mixed with grasses and other plants. Zones 3-8

 Elderberry plants (Sambucus canadensis) are truly multi-purpose. Growing your own offers many unique benefits. You can plant several in a row to create an attractive hedge or screen, or you can use them as wildlife attractants that will bring even more natural beauty to your backyard. In spring, an elderberry plant features magnificently scented white flowers and, in summer, it will produce a bounty of dark purple-black berries that you won’t find in many grocery stores. The berries from the elderberry plants are commonly used for making delicious wines, jams, sauces, and pies. The flowers are used for making fritters, pancakes, or tea. You can craft combs, spindles, or pegs from the hard wood and create basketry dyes with the twigs and fruit.




Anaphalis margaritacea, commonly known as the western pearly everlasting or pearly everlasting, is an Asian and North American species of flowering perennial plant in the sunflower family. It is widespread across most of the United States and Canada, as well as northwestern Mexico.

Meadows full of Shooting Stars and Buttercups

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus) as far as the eye can see!!  ~ Native plants along the ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus)

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus)

The back country ~ It's good for the soul

We recently invested in an ATV - Side-by-Side, so we could enjoy driving the roads that were once open and passable by a truck or even a car. Places we had not been able to go to in years... it was so peaceful and good for the soul. Only met one other rider during our 15 mile ride!

View of the Eagle Caps's along the Breshear's ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Snow fed stream along the Breshear's ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Canning Rainier Cherries

Worked up 20 lbs of beautiful Rainier Cherries in the last 2 days! Made 3 jars of Amaretto Cherries too! Yum!! Sent about 1/2 of the jars home for the great grands! Will be using the culls (the bruised but still good fruit) for jam. Enjoy the show!

What beautiful and huge, cherries!

Fill her up! Using a light syrup as these are a sweet/tart cherry.

First two batches! Cherries turned yellow and the syrup is pink!

Radish seed pods ~ they're great!

Letting the radish crop go to seed has several bonuses... Radish pods taste just like the radishes they spawn from, but more concentrated in flavor. ... All radish plants form edible seed pods, and there is even an heirloom variety called Rat's Tail radish grown specifically for its large, tender seed pods. Bees and other pollinators love the blooms and so do I. Use in stir fry, salads, pickle them for garnish and eat them right in the garden. From root to pod, they are delicious!

Radishes in bloom

Raised beds, for vegetable, herb and fruit

Raised beds, for vegetable, herb and fruit, at our daughter's house, created out of Douglas fir, peeler cores. What a great job!! Love the way they turned out; the seating area and the octagon bed are fabulous!!

Morel Season is finally here!

Most years we can start hunting (not always finding) for morels in late April, sometimes as early as mid April. Usually have a few good harvest by at least mid May. This year has been so cold, with late snow and lots of rain, that the season has started late. Hopefully that means we will still be picking in July!  Oh, and the huckleberry bushes are starting to bloom! Looking forward to a good season for them.

We did beat the storm, yes were headed right into those clouds!

These were 4 inches long and 3 1/2 inches across at the base

Goji berry, or wolfberry

Since the first goji berry plant is now 2 years old and has not yet bloomed, I've added a 2nd goji berry plant to the landscape. The new addition already has blooms on it and hopefully will bear fruit this year. The weather has not been the best as the night time temperatures have been below freezing several times over the past week. Plants for the garden are chosen for their hardiness and fruiting. Grow what you eat, eat what you grow.

Goji berry, or wolfberry, is the fruit of either Lycium barbarum or Lycium chinense, two closely related species of boxthorn in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Both species are native to Asia, and have been long used in traditional Asian cuisine. 

And then there were... New raised beds!

Finally! The weather has been very uncooperative but we have the two raised beds/cold frames built and in place. They have chicken wire tops to keep the stray cats and birds out and, when needed, we can add plastic covers for the tender plants.

Bed #1, has rutabagas, turnips and garlic planted so far. When the weather warms a bit more, the pepper plants will be planted.

Bed #2, has 3 varieties of carrots and beets. Planning to add garlic to this bed as well as a companion to the root crops and to the tomatoes that will be added later.

Garlic reseeds in the walkway every year, so handy when you need some fresh garlic leaves for cooking! It's the tall grassy looking plant in front of bed #1

And the Ginger is coming up!

After the ginger went dormant, I withheld water for two weeks to let them rest. Last week I started the once a week watering again and added a very small amount of liquid fertilizer. This week there are little green sprouts!!

It is very exciting to have the new growth on the ginger and hope that this means I can have a sustainable supply for my home use. It's doubtful that I'll get enough to sell, ever, but now that I know it can be grown successfully indoors the possibilities are endless!

This season I will get pictures of the ginger and turmeric as it's growing!! Still can't believe there isn't one picture of them from the 2018 season!! How did I manage that?

Signing off for now! Happy gardening!!

Are we there yet? Still freezing at night!

With all the late winter snow, ice and colder than normal temperatures, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever be warm enough to start planting seeds. Thinking that I was way behind had me a bit worried, but looking back to 2017, I was just starting to plant seeds on March 12th.

Now that the snow and ice has somewhat melted away from my storage area and I can get to my planting trays and pots it's time to start some of the hardier crops!

The plan this year is to expand the raised beds and move some of the flowers (crocus, tulips and such) to other garden beds. Guess time will tell just how much we can get done.

The daffodils and tulips are up, but not yet blooming. That said, here is a peek at some daffodils from a few years ago just to cheer us up!

Growing Turmeric indoors

Last spring I discovered some turmeric rhizomes (root cuttings), at a local market, and decided to try growing them! I tried a few in water and some in soil, ultimately planting all of them in soil. At first I was very disappointed, thinking that they would never grow. The rhizomes stayed hard and healthy so I just kept watering them and waiting. Be patient! It took a couple of months to get them growing. 

Here we are about 9 months later and the beautiful plants are beginning to go dormant. Time to remove them from the pot, separate the rhizomes and start again. Before starting this years crop I need to get some larger/longer containers that will still be narrow enough to fit in the windows. 

After looking through all of my garden pictures taken in 2018, there isn't one picture of either the turmeric or the ginger plants!! How did I manage that?

On to the steps for growing Turmeric indoors & outdoors...

> Start them early in the spring, indoors. They take 8 to 12 months to mature to a good size.

> Use a rich, good quality potting mix, that drains well but retains moisture. Be sure your pots have good drainage.

> Plant rhizomes 2" (two inches) deep with one or two buds on each piece. Break up the rhizomes to get more to plant! The larger the pot, the larger the rhizomes, so don't over crowd your pots.

> Stagger your plantings for a continuous supply of rhizomes. 

> Keep soil moist but not wet/soggy, needs good drainage. Water every few days to once a week, depending on the temperature of your home, or if outside, the temperature and weather. Water less if it's cold.

> Likes to be warm, so if you plan to set your plants outside in the summer be sure the night time temperature is above 60 degrees F.

> Prefers a sunny location but will tolerate some shade.

> Fertilize with an organic fertilizer twice a month

So, 8-12 months have passed, your turmeric is going dormant. Now what? Time to dig up, or tip the pot out and retrieve those wonderful rhizomes! Select the ones for replanting and begin the repotting. 

You have several beautiful rhizomes left to use in cooking, teas, or other uses, and you want to dry them for making into powder. Below is one of the many suggested ways to process to go from fresh to dried.

To process turmeric:

Boil the rhizomes for about 45 minutes.
Let them dry on a drying rack, in a cool, dry place for about one week.
After the rhizomes are completely dry, peel them. You might want to wear gloves, as the dried root will turn your hands orange.

After peeling, grind up the root into a fine powder to use as a spice or as a tea. 

For more information on using turmeric, please search the many websites available!

Hardy Kiwi in the 2019 garden! ~ It takes two to Tango!!

I am looking forward to trying out Hardy Kiwi!

You will need at least one female and one male plant in order to produce fruit. Only the female will produce fruit but the male will lend a nice ornamental touch to your garden. It can take a couple of years to get fruit production depending on the age of the plants you've purchased.

The variety I purchased for my garden is Actinidia, Anna (female) and Meader (male), which according to my local nursery, are hardy in our zone. I did find differing opinions on the hardiness zones for the variety I've purchased, one says zone 6-9 the other zone 4-9.

Description 1: Tasty grape-sized 1" kiwi fruits. Inside the unfuzzy skin, the fruit is emerald green with small black seeds. Fruit ripens on the female vine: male vine is a lovely ornamental climbing vine. Hardy kiwi are actually sweeter than regular kiwi fruits. Ripens in fall. Zones: 6-9. One plant Hardy Green Male Meader and one plant Hardy Green Female Anna.

Description 2: They can be grown in different types of soils; however, the soil must be well drained
They are hardy in zones 4-9, surviving temperatures down to 25 degrees F below zero temperatures! Kiwi plants are attractive growers that require a sunny location, preferably with wind protection. The vines take very little maintenance-just pruning and support to hold about 100 lbs. of fruit for a mature plant. Plant 10 to 20 ft. apart. They are very pretty when used to cover a wall or fence or used in landscape design. The fruit is very high in Vitamin C and its use in recipes is endless. They ripen in mid to late September. Female plant: Actinidia arguta 'Anna' (Ananasnaya). An outstandingly reliable bearer of relatively large fruit. Male Plant: Actinidia arguta 'Meader'. Use as a pollinator for female

Surprise visitor! A Towhee in the garden!

We have only sited a towhee in our garden one other time in all the years we have lived here. What a pleasant surprise!

When we tried to identify whether it was a Rufus or Spotted Towhee, we ran into some problems, they look very much alike!! We will leave it up to you to decide.

The official description of the Rufus:

Towhees are an extremely widespread bird species and can be found all over the continental United States and Canada. The Rufous-Sided Towhee is a common variety in Oregon and can be easily spotted by its tri-coloring of black on the head and upper body (dark brown on females), rust-colored wings and a white chest and belly. Both males and females have bright red eyes. This is a foraging species and will often be heard before it is seen as it will kick and dig vigorously in underbrush. Their preferred foods are seeds, insects and fruits. They will occasionally appear in back yards to snap up grain that has fallen from bird feeders meant for other species. The name “towhee” was given to the bird by an 18th century naturalist who felt that the word imitated the bird’s ascending call.

The picture isn't great, but will give you some idea of the guy who is visiting our garden.

Hand tool kit ~ there are lots of handy tools out there!

It's a good time for me to take stock of the tools on hand and their maintenance, before they are needed. Tools with wooden handles could use a bit of sanding and some linseed oil. Shovels, pruners, saws could use some sharpening and oil to prevent rust.

Also a good time to make that wish list for the upcoming gardening season! Shop around at the 2nd hand stores and estate sales for some good tools at a low cost. You might find some treasures out there!

What tools are right for you? All hand tools, electric, gas, battery? It depends on your needs and situation.

Pole saw
Bow saw
Pruning saw
Lopper pruner
Hand pruner
Hoe
Leaf rake
Garden rake
Shovels
Spade
Garden fork

Rototiller
Chainsaw
Lawnmower

Files for sharpening blades
Oil - the right ones for each power tool
Oil - for hand tool blades and wooden handles

Extension cords - check them for wear, every year.
Ladders

Assorted screwdrivers and wrenches

Check your hoses, watering wands, spray nozzles, watering cans and other watering tools too!

This list could get huge!!  Guess this would be a good place to stop and make my own list of things to get done and tools to replace before the next gardening season begins.