Some successes and some failures - that's how the garden grows

 

Gardening is all about learning new things, using new & old methods for gardening and sometimes about failure. 

Success! The turnips, carrots, and beets that were allowed to go to seed from last year's crop seem to be a success. The turnips seeded first and the birds helped themselves to lots of seeds and helped me out by reseeding the bed! The photo was taken on August 1st and here it is December 2nd, in zone 6, and we are eating small, fresh turnips and greens from the garden. The carrot and beet seed took much longer to mature so should produce in the spring. Lots of little seedlings came up just from the seed dropped when we were harvesting the seed heads. 

Success! The Chicago Hardy Fig produced 3, little figs and one matured! Yes, I do consider this a success, even though the fig was only the size of a quarter. To me, this means that they can grow and produce in zone 6. I just need to get the conditions and fertilizing right!! 

Failure... While not a complete failure, the tomatoes that where grown in containers, in the greenhouse did not do as well as I'd like. The plants did not grow as tall as they should have and did not produce very many fruits. The fault is, partly, mine. 1. Got them planted late; 2. It got too hot too fast in the greenhouse; 3. Didn't stick to a good routine of fertilizing; 4. Maybe too many plants in one container. Will revisit this method in 2021! 

Houseplants have their uses...

 

So, here it is the last day of November. The weather has been wild here, wind, rain, snow and more wind. However, it's nice and warm inside and all of the houseplants that summered outside are enjoying being back inside. 

Not only do houseplants help clean the air in your home, some flower and give you weeks of colorful enjoyment. African violets are beginning to bloom, the Thanksgiving cactus is finished but the Christmas cactus is setting buds! The cyclamen, prayer plant and an unnamed succulent are also adding to the show. 

Many plants needed dividing last spring and there are quite a few nice starts to sell or gift. By selling starts I can make a few dollars to spend on seeds for next year's garden and also plan to sell seedlings of extra tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other garden goodies. It's nice that they all play a part in helping fund my gardening enjoyment.

Here are a few of the ones I have this year:

Traveling the back roads

Took a ride down memory lane with my husband. He told stories of the days when they camped and hunted, where he shot his very first elk, and of the cistern where they (kids) hid their beer to keep it cold. He was saddened by all the blocked roads where he and his friends rode their dirt bikes. Much of the forest has been logged but there is still beauty all around. I didn't get any photos of the wild apple trees and their fruit, but we tasted several different apples and found some very good ones. 

Asiatic lilies are amazing!! Enjoy!!

Chives ~ harvest or let them bloom?

This year the weather has been so wild, wet and cold that the garden is getting ahead of me! I've decided to let the chives bloom and then will harvest the seed for later planting and dehydrate the stems for seasonings. Planning to dehydrate more of my herbs and some vegetables this year.

Chives are a great companion plant! By adding chives to your garden where you grow parsley, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kohlrabi, mustard, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, roses, squash, strawberries or tomatoes will help those plants. Companion planting chive with carrots will improve both the growth and flavor of your carrots.

Deer tend to steer clear of chives because of their strong odor and flavor. Chives are easy to grow and once they are established, they self-sow. In addition, chives boast pretty white or purple flowers in summer. To deter deer, you can plant chives throughout your landscaping and alongside your vegetables.

Chives ~ 26 May 2020

The Morel of the story... We love Morel season!

Spring finally arrived in the mountains! Now it's time to foraging for wild morels!

Rhubarb ~ Vegetable or Fruit? easy to grow and very versatile!

Rhubarb (is actually a perennial vegetable), or pieplant, was widely regarded as a fine spring tonic to aid the blood and the digestive system. Cooked and stewed rhubarb was called “spring fruit” in early cookbooks. 

The usual way to harvest rhubarb, is to grab the stem, near the ground and pull. Cutting the stalks off will do no harm, and will encourage more growth regardless.  Always leave a few stalks to keep your plant healthy. It is always recommended to only harvest 25% of a perennial on any given year to ensure future harvests. After discarding the leaves and cutting the bottom of the stem off, give them rinse in cool/cold water. Because I don't care for all the "strings" in my cake, I peel the stalks before cutting them into smaller pieces. For jams or for stewed rhubarb, I don't bother to peel the stalks. 

Caring for your plant: As flower stalks appear on the growing rhubarb, remove them right away so they don't rob the plant of nutrients. Make sure you water the plants during dry weather; rhubarb doesn't tolerate drought. Mulch generously with a heavy layer of straw and cow manure to provide nutrients for the plant, retain moisture, and discourage weeds. 

Rhubarb ~ 19 June 2020 Ready to harvest!

Asparagus memories

I remember going out with my family, when I was a child, foraging for wild asparagus along ditches and fence lines. My grandmother would use her apron to hold the bounty of spears and deposit them in a dish pan as she and my mother would visit and pick the wild asparagus, on a warm spring day. These days you won't find wild asparagus due to spraying and cultivation practices but the happy memories are still there. Now I just pick asparagus in my garden ~ the variety is probably Martha Washington.

When gathering, simply take the end of the asparagus spear between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it breaks, the spear automatically breaks just where the woody part ends and the fresh, juicy asparagus begins. That being said, you can peel the woody parts and use the tender centers, on the larger spears. I like to cut the spears at or near ground level rather than leave the stalks (and then snap them), as they are just in the way as the new, fresh spears are growing.

Apple Blossom time

Apple blossoms give us hope for future harvest. Fruit should be ready to pick in about September. One of my apple trees is grafted stock originally purchased from Stark's in about 1957 and planted in our 20 acre orchard, on a farm in Idaho. It's the best Red Delicious you could imagine. The fruit is red with green stripes, sweet, crisp and solid. Makes wonderful pies, applesauce and fresh eating.

Sweet (accidental) Success!!

Last fall the carrots were still to small to harvest so I just left them in the ground and figured that winter would kill them off. Through all the cold, freezing temperatures, the snow, rain and sleet, they not only survived without even a covering of straw, they grew! We have been enjoying fresh carrots, from the garden in February and now into March. What a treat!

Let it snow!

Spring like weather, then frigid temperatures, snow then rain. Our weather has been all over the place, but that's not unusual for around here. The snow was beautiful and sure wish it had stayed around for a few days. The Pine tree boughs, across the street from us, were drooping with the weight of the snow.

 

The quail come to feed almost every day. We had at least 50, of them here scratching around for seed.