a new day dawning

Even though it is not very warm yet, the sun and blue skies make it seem like spring is just around the corner. I always want to clear my gardens a little sooner than I should, so I am trying to avoid the urge this year to start too soon. I did get outside and check my bulbs. My daffodils are starting to shoot up, and much to my amazement, I found a few lovely crocus in bloom. They are an early indicator that spring is here, along with the return of the vultures and the snakes. 

daffodil heads popping up

my surprise crocus

I also keep a gardening scrapbook full of notes on the plants and trees I have, where they came from, when I planted them.....I also have drawings of my gardens so I know where certain plants should pop up each year. It is a work in progress, but it has been so helpful. When I purchase flowers through a catalog, I clip their picture and write-up and paste it in my book. When I buy a potted plant, I put the plant tag in the book. I have kept my seed packets, but I haven't started putting them in yet....that's a job for this year. 

my notes on taking care of my Ficus tree

my original garden layout and sketch

early garden shed ideas

plant tags and plant descriptions

seed packets for saving my seeds this year

homemade pasta sauce

I was reminded today of the passage in Matthew 9:37 where Jesus was talking with his disciples and he said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The interesting thing about harvest is that it doesn't wait for when it best suits us to work. When the harvest is ready, we need to stop whatever else we are doing and gather the harvest. The same is true of the Lord's call on our lives. He is calling, and we need to act with obedience and promptness, because his call is an indication that his harvest is ready and he needs us to work.

My harvest today was tomatoes, and it was time to make pasta sauce. I wash them and remove the stems, then boil them in water for a few minutes. Next, I run them through my KitchenAid sieve, which removes the peel and seeds, and purees the rest. Then I add my spices to the tomatoes and cook again. Pour into the pint jars and process for 40 minutes. Pretty easy!

some of my tomatoes (small size this year)

my KitchenAid attachment

my pasta sauce

my kitchen help: Frederick and Elauna
note: one needed an apron :-)

summer's fresh lemonade

Fresh squeezed lemonade is one of my very favorite drinks. This recipe makes about a half gallon.

Start with 10 fresh lemons (reserving 1 for slicing)
6 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
Mint leaves

Roll lemons on hard surface to crush the tissues to make the juice easier to come out. If the lemon is on the firm side, put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Mix the cold water and the sugar. Squeeze the lemons into a bowl, then strain the pulp and seeds. Pour lemon juice into the water and stir.

Cut the reserved lemon into slices and add to the pitcher. Pick a few fresh mint sprigs and garnish the top for a little mint flavor. Enjoy!

raspberry trellis

Last year I wanted to start a raspberry patch so I could pick my own fresh raspberries for jam, pie and freezing. My mom gave me 16 starts, each with 4" or less of growth. She dug up wild plants from her woods. They took very well and are huge this year, with many berries coming on. These are black raspberry plants.

They were planted on the South side of the barn, where they are protected and get partial sun the entire day. They also get runoff when it rains. Jeremy built a trellis last week for the raspberries and I wanted to share the steps to make one. Our raspberry bed is 28 feet long, so it was divided into two sections. We bought three treated 4x4s, seven feet long and buried 3 feet in the ground for stability.

For the cross sections we used treated 2x2s that are two feet long. They were attached half way between the ground and the top of the 4x4. Next we took heavy gardening wire and ran three wires: the first 3/4 the way up the 4x4 pole, the next two on either end of the 2x2.

The wires were easily attached with U nails and the wire twisted to keep it taut. To make it look a little nicer, we added copper tops, though they really serve no functional purpose.

It was relatively inexpensive to start a raspberry bed. If you are interested in starting a patch and want to save money, ask someone who lives near a wooded area if they would be willing to let you dig up plants for free. (Most farmers would be glad to get rid of the ones near their fields). Prune them back low to the ground and do not harvest the first year (depending on when you transplant, you probably would not get fruit anyway). I have only found the black raspberries growing wild in our area and their flavor is so sweet. If you are wanting the red raspberries you will most likely need to buy them from a nursery.

Last step: Enjoy produce from your own patch!

gardening 101

I remember when I was growing up that my mom would plant a garden, and I seemed to take for granted how she did it. When I finally started planting on my own, I was a little in the dark about annuals versus perennials, zones, and other gardening basics. After my beloved flowers did not come up the next year, I learned the difference between an annual and a perennial. I love fresh produce, and am trying each year to get a better grasp on the green thumb, because it is my desire to grow my own food, preserve it, and provide fresh, healthy food for my family. I think there is great value in being self-reliant, and knowing the value of hard work. These are things I would like to pass on to my children.

So here are a few of those things in which I needed a refresher course:

• Annuals last only 1 year and the frost normally kills them. Most vegetables are annuals. Think petunias, geraniums, and sunflowers.
• Perennials come up every year. Think coneflowers, lilies, columbine, and hostas.
• Here in Ohio, we are in zone 5.
• Bulb depth matters here where it freezes, or your pretty flowers may not come back the next year.
• For those saving their seeds each year to plant for the next, you need to buy heirloom varieties. For example, tomato variety Mortgage Lifter is an heirloom variety that was developed in the 1930s. You can save the seeds and replant the following year. Non-heirloom varieties, or hybrids, will not reproduce. Heirlooms seeds are great for homesteaders planting each year. Check out www.heirloomseeds.com
• Sometimes you will come across the terms "determinate" and  "indeterminate" when ordering tomatoes, beans, etc. Determinate means that all the produce will be ripe at the same time...there is a determined end time. Some tomato varieties are determinate. Indeterminate means that the plant will continue to produce, either until the plant dies or there is a frost. (for Ohioans) Most bush beans are indeterminate. When a label says they will produce "all season long," they are indeterminate.
• Self-pollinating fruits trees are wonderful, because they do not need another tree to help them produce. If you buy trees that need a pollinator, make sure you get the correct match, and appropriate for your zone. We like fruit trees from Stark, as they are hardy and well grown when they arrive. www.starkbros.com

Happy planting....

garden scrapbook and companion planting

I was updating my garden scrapbook today, and ran across my list of planting guidelines / plant compatibility. For those of you who don't have a garden scrapbook, it is a great way to keep track of all those plant tags, plant locations, etc....and it is even a neat way to track plants that have been given to you as a gift, or from a family garden. I cut out the nice pictures and descriptions in the garden magazines sent out each spring, as that normally covers most of what I need to know about the plant, and it only takes a small space in my book. I also sketch each garden and the location of plants. If I know the year I planted a tree or shrub, I put the date next to it as well. Just fun stuff like that!

As I mentioned at the start, I found my plant compatibility chart I made a few years ago....which I added to my scrapbook. Planting for compatibility is also known as companion planting, where plants are put near one another based on how they react to one another. (I will do a post later about planting by the moon and crop rotation) Following are a few of the most common:

• Beans - plant near corn, carrots, cabbage and tomatoes
• Carrots - plant near tomatoes, cucumber, peas, sage and onion
• Chives - plant near carrots, tomatoes; do NOT plant near beans or peas
• Corn - plant near beans, melons, cucumbers, peas, squash, sunflowers
• Dill - plant near cabbage family, corn, lettuce, onion; do NOT plant near carrots, tomatoes
• Peas - plant near corn, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes
• Peppers - plant near carrots, onions, basil, oregano; do NOT plant near beans
• Potatoes - do not plant near apples or pears
• Tomatoes - plant near cabbage family, carrots, asparagus, dill, basil, parsley, sage; do NOT plant near potatoes
• Watermelon - plant near mint, beans, corn, catnip, sunflowers; do NOT plant near potatoes

One aspect to note when planting next to one another is root depth. A shallow-rooted plant can normally be planted next to a deep-rooted one, because they will not interfere with each other. Some plants help repel pests or bugs, aiding the plants next to it. For example, Dill and Mints attract beneficial insects. Anise and Coriander also attract good insects. Mints spread, so they should be placed in a container before planted, otherwise they will take over....unless, of course, you want them spreading. If you just want pretty flowers in your vegetable garden, delphiniums, larkspur, marigolds, and roses are nice options that typically react well. Most herbs add a pleasing effect to a garden, with the softer leaves and delicate flowers. They also can react with vegetables, so plant them with an appropriate companion.

Fruit trees react to other plants and trees around them too. My mom planted a cherry tree when we were younger, and we never had any cherries. It was a few years ago that I read that cherry trees react negatively to nut trees, which would explain why we never had any cherries. Our little cherry tree was graced by a beautiful backdrop of oak trees, walnut trees, and hickory trees. The poor thing never stood a chance!