Garden Update Maz 1st

Slowly the garden season is starting here. Temperatures during the daz are warm and even during the nights they are ok for now, though I am sure we will have a nightlz dip in temperatures in a week or two again. For the last two weeks, I mived my tomato plants in and out each day/night but now that I have repotted them, I am keeping them outside and hoping for the best. Same with cucumbers and peppers.

I have planted peas, cabbage and kholrabi so far, as well as lettuce, radish and carrots, those are all bin the very early stages though. Can`t wait for garden season to fully kick off.

On a different note, my chickens settled in and I am getting at least 4 eggs per day at the moment.

Garden Update 07.05.2019

some of my young rabbits

part of the garden

lavender and herbs in the raised beds

kohlrabi and peas

peas

white cabbage

strawberries and onions

Slowly but surely my garden is coming along. Today I planted another row of carrots and some lettuce, as well as 3 rows of beans, kohlrabi and white cabbage. Peas are coming out and I can also see the first 2 rows of carrots peeking through. The only thing left to plant is the cucumbers and a few more rows of potatoes. 

I have done some changes during the winter month, moved the bushes to the side of the vegetable garden (blueberries and white and red currents) but the main changes are that I am attempting BTE (Back to Eden) gardening, we will see how that goes. 

I am so glad it's now back into gardening season. To dig in the dirt helps me to ground myself and focus on the moment. My kids usually run around and play in the garden at the same time and we enjoy being back outside. I still have some other things to pick up in the garden or do some cosmetic changes (moving stuff etc) but the major work is done for the time being and everything is falling together.

prepping the garden

A few weeks ago I wrote a to do list for my garden. Whenever I was out in the garden, it felt like there were 100 different things to do and no time to do it. So I wrote down everything that needs to be done before spring. Now when I go out in the garden, I know what needs to be done and I get to tick things off afterwards too. At the moment I am focusing on prepping one of the vegetable beds to use the back to Eden method, as well as prepping the flower beds. I didn't get a chance to do much with regards to flowers last year, so this year I have it all worked out and am prepping accordingly. I plan to plant lilacs, sunflowers and a lot of other flowers some perennials and some others. It's a lot of work, as I can never spend a lot of time doing things. Between hospital visits and snow I hope I get done in time for spring.

tomato harvest

Tomato harvest is pretty much underway here. Despite the fact that I have 10 plants less then last year, I have enough tomatoes to harvest some each day. So far I have made soup (and froze some), bruschetta, salad and canned tomato sauce the other night. The sauce should last a few month throughout the winter and the soup, well we will see how long that will last. I still have many tomatoes so will do another round of soup and maybe try my hand on pizza sauce too this year.

Early july in my garden

Early July would be my favorite time of year in the garden.  It’s the kind of moment when everything is falling in place. Pretty much everything is in the ground, the weeds are still manageable (don’t look to where my strawberries are supposed to grow), everything is green and the first harvest is in. I have been busy in the garden, the berries (gooseberries strawberries, raspberries and currants) were full with fruits and I have been busy each morning with harvesting and evenings with prepping the fruits for preserving. I harvested the first peas & blueberries and the means need harvesting too. My blackberry bush is full with fruit that needs to ripen and I had lot’s of kohlrabi & rhubarb. I have a 5 liter bucket full of rhubarb liquor going right now, which will make some nice birthday & Christmas presents once it’s ready.

The little helpers  are not helping much, they need an extra eye to keep them from getting in trouble, so the only time I get work done is if they are asleep. Jacob is practicing walking and is doing really good. When in the house he can walk several meters without help. Every day he is getting more confident (oh and he is so happy to walk, his face just lights up).

We have been at the doctors on Tuesday for vaccinations and Jacob started to scream bloody murder the moment we walked in the door. Then he continued to sob is little heart out, was breaking my heart. All is well not though but that boy has a good memory to even recognize the door.Otherwise we are not doing much, Niki is teething pretty badly and is very cranky due to that. I am just glad they are sleeping ok  (I can deal with 6am wake ups). I can’t see anything but swollen gums but I hope the teeth will push through soon.

 

Garden Update May 7th

The garden is now in spring mode. I have planted 200 bush beans this weekend and also another couple of peas. Two rows of peas are already coming out and I harvested the first radish already. Lettuce will be ready for harvest in a week I guess. The sun is out all day now, so I am using the sprinkler to water the garden most days. There is still quite a bit of land unused but hopefully that will be rectified next week. Oh and I have two little helpers out with me too.

What is going on in your garden?

In the Garden

strawberries & onions planted

raspberry plants

berry bushes

For the last week or so it appears as if spring has arrived. The temperatures are getting warmer throughout the day & the sun is out more and more. I have tried to spend some time in the garden when possible. I have planted some carrots, radish, herbs and salad in the raised beds a couple weeks ago. But didn't manage to do much else yet.

This afternoon I took the boys outside with me and left them in the travel cot, while I worked for an hour, planting a few more strawberries & about 50 onions. Slowly the garden is coming alive. In a few more weeks it will be pretty much all green. Until then I still have lot's to do. I had planned to plant some peas too today but Niki was getting cranky so I stopped after an hour and took the boys on a nice late afternoon walk. 

Are you in the garden yet? What are you planting?

Tomato Sauce

It's that time of the year again and the tomatoes are coming in left, right and center. As far as I am concerned you can never have enough tomato plants ;)

So far I have made salsa and tomato soup but I have not canned any tomato sauce so far. That was something I have rectified this week. A combination of herbs, quartered and pureed tomatoes , as well as some red onion and my tomato sauce was ready to be canned. That will make a great dinner sometimes during the winter.

Garden Update October 2nd

garden

tomato plants

tomato plants

 

newly planted and mulched strawberries

mulched strawberries

weeds in the garden

my sunflower

raised beds

peppers

I guess this will be my last garden update for this year. October has arrived and the nights and early mornings have that fall chill in the air. The afternoons are still gorgeous though. I am working toward getting the garden winter ready. I decided against a fall garden this year. I have been barely able to keep on top of the garden this year and have enough work to do to prepare the garden for winter.

The first half of the garden is already done. I have been digging the soil on that side already, took the old strawberry plants out and planted the new ones. Right next to it I will plant about 50 onions for an early harvest next year (think June/July harvest). The second half of the garden still needs digging though and all the berry bushes need trimming back. 

Right now all I have left for harvesting are peppers and tomatoes (and apples). Depending on the weather I will be able to enjoy the tomatoes until late October. So far I have made salsa and tomato soup and stored them for winter. Tomorrow I plan to process another 5-10 kilos and make pasta sauce, to store for the winter.

All in all, I am more or less satisfied with the harvest this year. I mean between the twins, the weeds, no time and several root voles, I did harvest quite a bit, not as much as in previous years but enough to last us through the winter