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Bean Bed Update…

Crossposted from Monkeyfister’s place with his permission so biscuit can see it - Kate

All is good in the Bean Bed. As you can see, I’ve got all the twine trellises tied up (32 of them), and the Pole Beans are having a great time growing up them. All I need to do now, is keep them on their own strings, while the lines tighten up.

The Bush Beans are growing fine. We see the First Planting is up and running, while the Second Planting is popping up well. I plugged in some more seeds where I didn’t see germination. Now, it is time to sow Planting 3. I should be getting Beans from Planting #1 in about two weeks, and from the Pole Beans in about 3 weeks. I am still harvesting Bush Beans from the Tomatoes/Peppers bed, and just as they are done, these will be coming in.

The CSA Media Hype… Think Localer…

YES! CSAs are a wonderful and necessary step toward a more sustainable way of life that we all must embrace. Yes! But, they are getting shoehorned into a model, and getting suddenly and sorely pressured.

There are just not enough of them of scale (Centennial Farm sized) right now, and all the media push toward them is going to hurt the whole excellent idea by overwhelming it.

This will be corporatized soon, I fear. I see “Whole Foods Own Exclusive CSA Produce Bundles– Variety Priced Right!” CSA.com bubble here we come, so it is good to bring the CSA radius closest to home. I hate to sound like the Concern Troll, but, the push is pretty severe, especially right now.

PSSSSST!!! I’ve got a hot little secret for you– CSA is short for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and dig this– you can do it on a neighborhood level. Read more »

Book Review: The Urban Homestead

The Urban Homestead: your guide to self-sufficient living in the heart of the city
by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen
$11.53 from Amazon

I can’t recall where I first saw mention of this book, but the subtitle convinced me to check it out. Then I saw that they included a chapter on stealth backyard chickens, so how could I not buy it?

I hadn’t had a chance to read it until yesterday, which was spent chauffeuring to yet more doctor appointments and the associated waiting in various rooms for medical personnel to do their thing. I also carried a C J Sansom novel in case this one was too dry or uninteresting, but I needn’t have bothered.

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Garden Problem Solving 101– Blossom End Rot

From time to time, under the “Garden Problem Solving 101″ moniker, I’m going to try and provide some advice and fixes for common garden problems for you. Stuff that I have encountered and battled with, and other problems that I might be currently experiencing and want to help you avoid.

Have you ever had a Squash, Pepper or Tomato plant growing and blossoming wonderfully, setting lots of fruits, and suddenly one day, discover the blossom ends of the fruit starting to go black and rot?

Problem is BLOSSOM END ROT! Pretty aptly named, eh?

It seems terrible to look at– worse yet when it strikes your beautiful Tomatoes! OH NOES!!!

But, fear not, this is an easy problem to fix, and the fix is cheap, as well. Read more »

Square-Foot Gardening 101… (the whole thing)

With Monkeyfister’s permission, I am reproducing his whole post here with pictures. The original post can be found over at his place. Kate

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I had one last garden box left to prepare, and I figured that it would make a great tutorial. This method of gardening is foolproof, and hugely productive. Here’s a quick step-by-step.

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The Gardener’s Medicine Cabinet: The Case of the Yellowing Lilac

It’s raining, so I’ve abandoned my plans to go to the old homestead and drag another carload here. Instead, I’m doing indoorsy things, including just sitting and thinking about the new garden.

As is usual, there are both good and bad things. The good thing is, there’s a perfect plot down below for building a large garden. The bad thing is, the lilacs are turning yellow and tiny poison ivy plants have invaded all the existing beds.

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Pickling and Canning, Mania Style

This post is dedicated to my husbands grandmother, Annabelle, who passed away 3 years ago, but has never passed from our memory or our hearts.  I called her Nannybelle, and she always giggled when I did it.  She was a 93 year old woman with more sense,  strength, and humor than any young woman I have ever known.  I hope there are tomatoes, pecans, and okra in heaven, dear lady.

Every year dh puts up hot pickled okra, mostly for himself because he just loves it, while I do like it, I don’t crave it.  He craves it, but hates to pay the dear price they charge in the stores, so when the okra comes in, watch out, the kitchen is filled with his activity, dh is on a mission!   My participation is limited to peeling the garlic,  fetching him another beer, or just simply staying out of his way.

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About Rosemary

In the South of France rosemary grows in huge hedges, like laurel and the colorful oleander.

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Soup To Warm Your Soul

Here is a frugal soup that I have made many, many times. I promised allep 10 I would post it. It goes really well with AAF’s bread. Each time I make it I think of Julia and my Mother. Mom loved watching Julia on PBS and made alot of the recipes there. I’ve adapted this a bit, but you can do what you want with it. If you find a really good bargain on potatoes, you can double this and add regular yellow onions and it works just as well. The more broth, either chicken or vegetable, the more flavor. I’ve also saved potato water from boiling mashed potatoes to use. That works, too. The soup freezes really well.

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Lasagna Gardening

Picture it: a barren landscape littered with baling wire, abandoned axes and halters, mountains of river rock and perhaps a quarter inch of soil covering the boulders beneath the surface, surrounded by the contradiction of lush forest, wild flowers and native fruits.

Then, two - three years later, this:

And all thanks to the magic of Lasagna Gardening Read more »