Design

I like the new raised garden area.  It is, for the most part, WEED FREE (yes!).  My vole problem has turned out to be a ground squirrel (chipmunk).  Confusing .. I know.  But after studying the destructive habits and telltale signs .. and seeing a chipmunk, he is making holes all over the yard surrounding the garden.  The only direct damage inside the fenced off area are my gladiola bulbs .. half of which have gone missing .. and nice little mounds of soft dirt piled up in each back corner where they were planted below the wood chips.  And to think I scolded my dog while trying to nab the critter last week when she upturned a small woodpile.  I have found one dead (half eaten) vole as well .. that I have credited to the dog. The downside to the raised beds .. onions are not growing well.  The top inch or so of soil does not retain moisture .. and yet it is damp deep down below the surface.   Next year I shall try filling the beds to the ...

Not a new veggie .. just new to our family.  Kale is growing in abundance in our garden; getting picked sometimes twice a day.  I never knew how good it could taste .. and only associated it with the curly variety used as a food prop to pretty up restaurant plates.  I can think of many uses for this hardy green .. such as used in soups, stir-fries, sauteed  ... and even as a delicious topping on homemade pizza (which we've baked up twice this week). About ready to be picked are our June strawberries .. they're just turning red and have been covered to keep the birds from having a field day.  Lettuce is growing and filling salad bowls .. along with radishes .. which have only had some success.   Some of our onions are not doing well .. and am not sure why .. could be from planting in the raised beds .. as we've never had problems other than them going missing from voles.  Speaking of the pesky creatures, here is a good link on trapping them   ....

Today is a beautiful sunny day in the North Woods.  I'm hoping the temps are warm enough to kick start some growth in the garden.  My rhubarb plants have been producing for a few weeks and it's time to start thinking about preserving some of their yummy goodness.  Perhaps canning some rhubarb sauce this week is in order.  Rhubarb freezes well .. it's great to pull out in the winter to bake up a pie or for stewing. The leaves are poisonous .. but you can add them to the compost heap without a problem.  Nothing says it's gardening time better than the arrival of rhubarb. Simmered Rhubarb: 4 cups diced rhubarb stalks 3/4 cup sugar water to cover Simmer the rhubarb for a few minutes then cover the pan and let it sit until cool.  This method keeps the rhubarb pieces whole.  For a sweeter version, cook uncovered until tender and liquid has reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 in volume ..  Rhubarb goes well with strawberries and apples in pies.

So far this spring has been a fizzle.  Not to say that I'm disappointed with so many people's lives torn apart from horrific weather in the mid-west and southern parts of the United States and elsewhere around the world ... but our damp, cloudy, rainy cool weather in the Pacific and Inland Northwest has given gardeners a run for their money.  Hubby and I are just about finished with the newly installed raised bed garden; we are adding fine bark on the ground to suppress weeds.  Fencing has been put up around the center section of the garden.  As you can see from the photo, I have some beds sitting outside the fence.  These are my deeper beds with fine wire mesh installed in the bottoms that are a foot deep to be used for root veggies.  Hoops or wire surrounds will eventually be installed to keep the deer and moose from lunching on the plants.  The mesh wire is to keep the pesky voles from stealing whole crops from underground tunnels.  This interi...

We've been busy at the Thrifty Garden Home with installing our raised beds.  Everything is set for the garden fence to be put up on the already installed fence posts tomorrow.  Family life has taken over gardening plans as our youngest was being checked for leukemia after a scary white blood count during a recent out patient dental visit.  This crisis has passed as he does not have leukemia .. but still wondering why such a low count .. a time of worry has passed .. although always lingering.  The garden is sprouting .. potatoes are poking through the soil .. raspberry canes are green, the strawberry bed planted a few years ago is beginning bud with berries, asparagus is being picked here and there from a two year old bed, and the chard that managed to survive winter is about ready to be picked.  Most everything has been planted .. except for corn and pumpkins .. We have had nights in the 40's .. and should they drop, I have means to cover the tende...

This is just a reference list for my square foot garden for 2011; my first attempt at this type of gardening.  I found an easy way to mark the garden using ground eggshells.  Just use a pointed stick as you measure your planting grid area and apply a thin line of eggshells as a planting guide.  The grounds last a few days and add calcium into the soil.  This is less work than making a wooden grid.  I will be adding my planting schedule and pictures later.  We have above freezing night time temps this week and the tomatoes, peppers and other plants are hardening off in the shelter of the front porch.  What's up in your garden this week? Update (May 20, 2011) To date garden planting April 24 - broccoli, wala-wala onions, radish, replanted garlic planted last fall, red and Yukon gold potatoes, new asparagus bed May 3   - bulb onions, sugar snap peas May 12 - broccoli, bulb onions, celery, kale, parsley, petunias, tomatoes May 18 - pepper plants ...

We are in a awful weather pattern .. every other day brings rain or snow showers .. it's been like this for several months including ten degrees below normal temperatures.  Our last 60 degree day was in November.  There is a slim chance that Easter Saturday will be hovering around 60 .. but then we slide back into the cooler wet weather pattern.  Makes for little news to blog about.  Just ho-hum going on here.  I am still recovering from the flu (which I imagine was the swine or similar variety).  Although no loner contagious .. and I did visit the doctor .. my strength has not completely returned.  Hubby and I have one last raised bed to set in place and fill with garden soil.  I hope to get the potatoes planted in the next day or so. What's the weather like in your neighborhood ?

Our weather of late has been fickle.  Most of March found rain showers, gray skies, a few snow showers .. and April is only a little bit 'more promising' ... Our teeny tiny dining room plant nursery has expanded and now includes a sturdy new shelf unit sitting in front of one of the many windows.  All of our plants have sprouted .. even the pepper plants after getting a good warm start in the little plastic covered greenhouse rigged with warming beds and a grow light.  Hubby and I worked on building 10 of 14 raised garden beds last week, some extra deep and outfitted with quarter inch wire mesh underneath and soon to include hoops made from curved electric conduit to support different coverings.  We have them stacked and draped outside on a slope until the actual garden ground is ready.  It will be at least another five weeks or so before we are frost free and can transplant the seedlings.  Through all of this soggy weather, I picked up a flu vi...

Oh .. so waiting for the final bit of 'white stuff' to melt!  Our yard is snow free for the most part .. except .. for the last little holdout in the veggie garden. Meanwhile .. I've got the start of my plant nursery set up in the dining room. This little greenhouse is equipped with a heater .. albeit .. it sits directly over a heater vent in the floor .. and has the use of my heating pad .. and a grow light. A few things are sprouting .. and my tropical plants seem to LOOOOVE the attention (read warmth and frequent water mists). Our neighbors have graciously said I could use some of their outdoor greenhouse so I placed my wireless outdoor thermometer inside of it .. and from the comfy of my living room I can check the temp 24/7. Having been everything green deprived for the past few months .. this little nursery is a JOY!

... hopefully, not to be confused with the 'late Mrs. Mac .. It's just been a bit dreary in the North Woods that my creative side has been stifled .. 'stuffed up' .. er .. whatever .. As soon as the sun decides to peek out from under the ongoing veil of storms .. I'll be back posting .. and I have a blog award to post. Yesterday I managed to get to the garden center and buy some seed starting soil and peat pots . .. maybe that will get the fire going in my heart for SPRING! Until then ...

Backyard compost bin .. November, 2010 Today I needed to empty the overflowing kitchen compost container .. in our garden bin.  I was able to uncover my snow/ice flattened covered tunnel of Swiss chard .. even with the weight pressing down on the plants left to over winter, there are new leaves ready to grow.  It's about the only green thing in the backyard (other than the pines).  I'm hoping in a few weeks to harvest a little for fresh greens. Chard pic taken prior to snow ... November, 2010 salad/sandwich sprouts are easy to make each week. This winter I've not purchased but two heads of lettuce from the market.  Instead I'm buying organic green and red cabbage .. it has a much longer storage life .. mine sits covered in a plastic bag and terrycloth towel on top of the freezer in our cold garage .. along with cauliflower, rutabagas and 25 pounds of carrots.  The garage is the perfect cold storage area for winter hearty veggies.  We eat a lot of tangy cole...

I've been researching a bit about weedless gardening .. and was given a book by the same title by Lee Reich that explains how to replicate the soil environments found in nature.  It's a very interesting and sound idea .. and less back breaking work than tilling in compost .. which I happened to do last spring by double digging in many cubic yards of compost (did I mention back and shoulder breaking?;).  This week I'll be formulating .. in mind and on paper the garden setup for this coming season .. and using many ideas from this excellent and informative book.  For one thing .. I'll be planting less variety of veggies .. less beets .. more carrots etc.  Why take up space for produce my family won't eat?  And, hopefully, be using a lot less water.  Are your spring gardening plans coming to life?