Harvest Monday 8.25.14

Welcome back to Harvest Monday! Once again, I'd like to thank Daphne for sharing her links. Be sure to stop by Daphne's Dandelions to check out what gardeners are harvesting all over the world!

It's the last harvest for August and it's so appropriately timed. 

This week I harvested...Sweet Potatoes! 2 very large specimens. Perfect for a dinner side dish for all 5 of us. It's hard to believe just how big these spuds can get. They were both wonderfully flavored, but then again we were not looking for super sweet. These were sliced and roasted instead of baked and not sweetened. They offered just the right amount of sweetness without any sugar.

Um... and as it turns out I only took a picture of one. LOL. 

Don't let that picture deceive you. This sucker was larger than my hand and over a pound! The stem end there was as fat as a marker. The big news here? NO bug damage. I don't know if it's because I didn't let it store like I did last year or if things are finally evening out in the garden, but either way I'm very glad for it. 

I also harvested a decent sized bell pepper and another gypsy pepper. Those were used in a stir fry and a salad. The guavas are still coming, but most of the fruit now is gathered and eaten then or given to the chickens. They are in full molt mode and in just 3 days times my barred rock went from fully feathered to less than half feathered. She's not happy and hasn't laid in a week now. I don't blame her. All those quills everywhere must be uncomfortable. I might come show you later this week, but don't tell her. I'm pretty sure she'd never lay again if she knew I had shown you her pitiful self right now. ;-)

Kids went back to school last week as well. I can't get over it. They have grown so much over the summer. The difference in them now is astounding. They are actually in different sized clothing which almost never happens. Up until now the only thing I had to buy different for them was socks. Poor Katie got my big feet!

Aw, but isn't it sweet? The first virus of the school year has also been brought home. So much for being excited about going to a bigger school. The pitfalls of more kids is, more germs. Ho-hum. So Kate's home sick today and milking it for all it's worth. LOL. Just hoping Annah or any of the rest of us don't get it. We're supposed to be bringing the ducks up to Alabama this weekend. If we miss this opportunity then they will probably be with us until spring. That means at least one of the males will have to 'disappear' soon. If not 2. I can't have them chasing the girls around and causing a ruckus. The neighbors haven't complained yet, but I've got the girls sectioned off with only 1 of the males. The other 3 boys are in 'The bachelor pad.' So far this has worked pretty well and everyone gets along this way, but I tried putting them all together and it didn't go so well. A few of the boys are overly aggressive with the girl ducks. Now, there would be some advantages to keeping the ducks around for the winter. Eggs for instance. It would be GREAT to have a good supply of eggs over the winter. Oh, how awesome that would be. Besides it wouldn't be so bad to have duck on the menu for Thanksgiving or Christmas, either. 

Making my lists for the great Fall garden cleanup...

See you soon!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 4.1.13

No April Fool's Jokes here. The only joke is the way I feel after a ton of work in the yard this weekend.

Not only did we get the new container filled up, but the playground got cleaned up and newly mulched, the hedges got trimmed, the lawn got mowed, the seeds got sowed, the chicken coop got cleaned... we spent the entire weekend outside. Except for the 3 hours Easter morning that we spent hunting eggs and doing the whole bunny thing.

 

Harvests this week? Peas, Jalapenos, mulberries, a head of lettuce, radishes and...

THE! FIRST! BLUEBERRIES!

Nom, Nom, Nom. Just for Easter morning. I didn't tell anyone. I didn't show anyone. I scarfed them. Most of the berries have been disappearing just before ripening. Much like my peaches. :-( But these I got to in time! Next year I'll net the bushes, but this year I just don't have enough on the poor bushes to make it worth my time and effort. I'll have to decide what to do with the bushes when they are done producing. Around here it's pretty common to see the big producers cut them hedge style at the end of picking in order to allow the new canes time to grow again before next season. I might do this as this is the second year these plants are int he ground. (They spent one yer in pots getting nursed back to health) They are now just barely large enough to sustain that treatment.

Of course we also harvest eggs. And, given the nature of the week and all, you probably figured out what I did with those eggs, right? Right. I boiled them suckers up and we played with them! The kids a blast this year. I don't think that they even really remember dying them last year. They remember seeing them dyed of course, but not the process and just how messy and fun it can be. I'm always on the look out for special things to do with our eggs, and since I'm just not willing to spend the money to go and buy WHITE eggs for this singular occasion we have to get creative to make them stand out. I think we did a pretty darn good job. If I do say so myself. :-)

 

As for the outside work? I don't have all the pictures, but the two boxes I have pictures of.

The newer box still needs the top finished in brick. They are there and waiting, but they were holding up the side bricks while they dried. LOL. The first box is fully planted now. I snapped a picture from the window of my living room. I don't know if you can really see or not, but it has lettuce, tomato, potato, leek, and strawberries. :-D

 

I'm really enjoying the height of the boxes. It makes it nice to have a seat and be able to garden without breaking my back. No aching knees and no itchy grass, either.

 

Sown this week: Early Sunglow? corn, Henderson bush Lima beans, Top Crop green beans, Burmese okra,  Sierra Gold & Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe, Sugar Baby Watermelon,  Kubocha Sunshine, Yard long cucumber, Cilantro, Genovese, Sweet & Giant basil

(BOX) Contender bush beans, Holstein beans, Sun Spot sunflowers, Eureka, & All Season cucumber, Ground cherries

 

I think that is everything. I may have missed something. I only sowed half the box. I'm still undecided on the other half. I may just wait 2 weeks and fill it in with green beans. Can't go wrong with them around here. :-)

 

See you soon!

 

Barbie~

 

 

Harvest Monday 5.16.11

Wacky Week! It's Harvest Monday again, and I'm still joining in the fun over at Daphne's place. If I didn't I think she might come looking for me. Nah. Probably not - but I would miss seeing everyone else's posts!
This weeks harvest? I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I took the tally - but left it sitting on the kitchen counter.
I'm thinking me and weighing my prizes isn't going over so well. LOL. Oh, I started with good intentions. I did. I just have some of the worst follow through. Maybe I'd be better off to just keep it on paper. So far that is what is actually get kept track of. Then again it doesn't get added together unless I bring it to my own attention and post the total here. Such a catch 22.

The first ear of corn came in. Oh - YUM. I wish it was easier to grow good corn here. What I believe is the last of the broccoli and carrots are here.

More zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, Cilantro, peaches, blueberries, green beans and kidney beans 

 



So a very diverse picking this week. It won't be so diverse next week. The carrots are gone, and I've left a stalk of broccoli to flower hoping to attract some bees or wasps, or anything that flies that can pollinate.
The weather has been wild this week and believe it or not cool. But the crazy winds have taken out all my sunflowers and most of my beans, and corn. Some of my tomatoes stalks are broken and citrus pups are falling. Usually our wild storms are late summer and after the larger less sturdy plants have produced their finest crops. So it was  quite a shock to find my peppers snapped in half and all the damage done in the last few days.
The rare tree sale was a good time, though I missed meeting up with a comrade and wished for a bigger budget while I was there. This week is the middle of the month so stay tuned for my mid month update!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 3.28.11

Happy Harvest Monday!
Linking in to Daphne's Dandelions for Harvest Monday. Macke sure to stop by her place to check out everyones info on what they are harvesting and how they are using their harvests! It's spring and things are really starting to perk up.
My harvests are starting to diversify. This is good news. Even better news is this -
IT's RAINING! It hasn't rained here in a month, and I am so glad to say that not only is it raining today -there is a chance of rain ALL WEEK! Whoot! Of course after jsut a few days of rain I will be ready for the sunshine again. But, for now I am celebrating the rain, and so are my plants.
This weeks harvests includes a bunch of green onions, strawberries, english peas, lettuce, spinach, radish, broccoli, carrot (not plural HA!) and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten something - but here are the pictures that I remembered to take...

I also harvested this: A bowl full of tabasco babies. These were just the ones that were in with the tomato plants. Not all through the garden. These little gems are being saved. OK well, not all thousand of them are. 21 are claimed already and 23 are potted in cups and slated for the Tampa Plant trade. :-)  I ran out of dixe cups believe it or not. But, never fear, ANYONE who wnats them is welcome to them. My garden seems to have plenty for all who want them.

Here are some of the things I am doing to use my harvests:

Pizza Fresca

Breakfast Quesadilla's and fresh Coleslaw

I am wondering where the rest of my pictures went, but meanwhile these are what I have. Not everything managed to make it into the pictures, and low and behold I forgot to weigh most of the harvests. I've got to start remembering now that things are ramping up again.

Check in tomorrw- 'cause I've got a (small) project to unveil and a few pictures to share of what is blossoming in my garden this week.

Did I mention it's raining!? WHOOHOOO!!!!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest...12/13/10

Well. It's Tuesday again. This time my challenge was my card reader. Unfortunately it is officially dead. I'll need a new one soon. After all Christmas is near and pictures must be taken! :-)
We had back to back freezes this week and this morning was -3*C. Yes. Celsius. It looks better that way. It was 27* outside. Another hard freeze. It took the last of what had survived under covers. All but the Cole crops and a few peas and carrots still hanging in there.

Lemons and limes. I don't have any weights on this harvest. It was a scramble as the freeze had already set and we were no where near prepared for it. There was 2 colanders of these. Plus 3 oranges. But, I did get a half of a paper grocery bag full of tangerines. They are much prettier than the nearly ripe lemons here. Bright orange. Wish I was able to show you. They are much smaller than normal tangerines, and there is one seed in every other section, extremely juicy. It's just unfortunate that they don't keep for long term.

Lettuces I did weigh at 9oz. so 1/2 pound, not bad for they are fairly young still.

Some green tomatoes that were already blushing. They will turn in no time. These are the last for not only this year but this season. I won't see any of these things until late in spring. Also some Royal Burgundy beans, (my favorite this year) Serrano peppers, okra, Cubanelle, and 2 lemon peppers.

Here is part of my garden all iced over.

I was too chicken to go outside and take pictures.

I did manage to get the frost bitten plants out this weekend. I know that I have plenty to do to keep me busy until it's time to plant again. The beds are no longer raised as they were. The new sod has grown nearly as tall as the beds, and the extra height will not only be aesthetically pleasing but will be better nutrient wise for the plants. When I built these beds last year I was in a rush for completion and didn't dig them as thoroughly as I wanted to. The amendments will do wonders.

I believe this is my last harvest for 2010. I'll be back soon though. There is other harvesting to be done while it's this cold. There is another trip to Alabama to gather pecans. So far this year we have 5 pounds. I'd really like to have more. We use roughly 1/2 pound a week for normal use. I'm capable of using the entire 5 pounds just in holiday baking. Good thing I had some left from last year. I understand it's not just our trees that didn't cooperate. The entire county had an off year. It does glean a little hope for next year because after an off year it's said that the following is a bumper crop. Maybe we'll have some to sell. That would be a first. Normally friends, family and our freezer manage to eliminate what we are blessed with.

Till next time!

Barbie~

From Butt prints to....

To ICED HOUSES!!!! That is a BROWN roof people! This is NOT supposed to happen in December in these parts. Grrr.....

And a completely iced over yard....

Please - OH PLEASE bring me back the wonderful beach days of just this weekend....



Look, I even went so far as to take a picture of myself enjoying the beach just so I could remember on these cold days. :-( And, those that know me KNOW I'm the picture taker, not the subject!

Needless to say that I have harvested the last of the tomatoes, peppers, okra, pumpkin, beans... I'm just beside myself. This was a shock to my system. I expect this in mid January and even February here and there but not quite so soon. I had so many little baby tomatoes that are now destined for the compost.

My beans were flowering profusely again. Now they are something akin to melted plastic. 

I suppose there is always a bright side to everything. A lot of the plants (not the tomatoes mind you) were spent. Those poor okra plants have produced and produced. It was time for them and some of the others. There is of course plenty to do.  I need to raise the beds another 4 inches this year. And possibly another 4 again next year. There are seed catalogs who's beckoning call is growing louder, like a siren's song to a sailor. It's truly an addiction.

Besides, with Birthday's, Christmas and New Years and people to see, places to visit - it's an amazingly busy time of year. I'll miss my plant friends but I know they will be back again. Rest now my little garden. Keep your cabbages and peas growing slow for now you deserve the rest. I'll be back soon!



Harvest - Monday? 11.29.10

Ah, yes this harvest Monday is late, too. Sorry - was trying to catch up on work and all.
There is something new about this harvest Monday. Can you guess what it is?

I'm older. Yup. That is the change. But the real change is that getting a little older managed to get me a new gizmo for my kitchen. Let me introduce you to my newest kitchen pet. I'll have to come up with a name for it, but that could take a little time. Here it is at work:

:-) It makes me happy. I'm trying to get into the habit of weighing my harvests now. I figure I'll write the weights but not tally until January. I'll start fresh with the new year.
Yes, that's right I am STILL harvesting a ton of these little Tabasco peppers. This batch is destined to make some vinegar with. A present for a relative or two that uses it on greens. *cringe* I do find it odd that I like spinach and such but can't stand greens.I brought in 2oz of snow peas (just enough for a stir fry) I harvested 12.9oz of tomatoes:

 

1oz of jalapeno - small but tasty!

6.2oz of assorted green beans

3oz of Limas

11.4oz of okra. All this totaled just over 2.5 pounds of produce. Not bad considering it was completely neglected for a full week.

Let's see - what else? Ah, yes I used my Galeuse d'eysine

It was oh so tasty. I put 4 cups of puree in the freezer, ate 2 cups while I was preparing the puree and used another 4 cups for assorted things. A side dish and a pumpkin log mainly. It was a little stringy and a bit more watery than I prefer but the taste was really good. Next up is that beautiful Jarrahdale that has been waiting for me for so long. I think this weekend it will meet it's final match. Besides with no other storage for then the squash have all been decorating my house. Now that Christmas is near it's time for them to disappear to make way for reindeer!

So that left me with my final seed saving for the Bumpkin. I've got about 50 seeds I'm willing to trade. I'll have some more from the Jarrahdale as well next week.

So I was nervous about leaving my garden. It would seem that I was nervous for naught, but it isn't true. I came back and my squash plants were GONE> Not diseased, not wilted or withering. Nope. Just gone. Disintegrated. It's the strangest thing. Unfortunately it left my last pumpkins that were waiting to mature bare to the sun. I'm not at all happy about this. I didn't save the last pie pumpkin as I had at minimum one good one that should have matured nicely. Boy was I wrong. Now it's heading for the compost pile and I'm going to have to use my jarrahdale for my Christmas pies and muffins. Not what I planned but it's good that I still can use a fresh pumpkin I suppose. Most of my other plants made it through just fine without me. My blueberries are brown and withered as well as the pomegranate. Should have told the sitter to water them because the times sprinkler wont reach them. I think they should recover well enough. I sure hope so!

Linking in to Harvest Monday at Daphne's Dandelions. Come on over and see what's on the menu being harvested or how people are using their harvests!

Harvest Monday - 11/15/10

Linking in with Daphne for Harvest Monday!!! Head on over and check it out people are still harvesting and lots of people are using there summer harvests!
Apparently I fell down on the job a little this weekend. I'm missing 2 harvests. Nothing major though. Here is what I did take pictures of, including my first pea of the year. Last year my peas petered out long before I could harvest. So far I am standing at a whopping 21 peas. WHOOT - go me. HAHAH!

Poblanos, lemon hot peppers, snow peas, and snap beans in the first - the first miracle pea of the season in the second picture. 

I also harvested the last of the black beans. (Not shown) I pulled those plants as I harvested. Some of the older grean beans (trofeo and contender) were pulled. They are only giving these teeny tiny beans -nothing was growing any more than 2 inches or so. They were put out of their misery accordingly. I figure after 2 weeks if the pods dont grow the plant is too far gone to produce further. The blank area you see in the bed is where the plants stood. I did replant only 1 small patch of cut and come again lettuce you can see there. This bed is destined to be raised another 4 inches by the end of the year.

I'm still getting okra in just fine, but they did get cut back quite drastically this weekend as well. The harvest will be much smaller now. I've actually stopped blanching and freezing it out of sheer laziness so hopefully this will allow me to eat it fresh as it comes in.

I raised one of the beds this weekend. The main garden consists of 6 beds, and it was the smallest of the ones to be raised. Chances are I wont be able to complete the second bed this week - but I'm hopeful. It's always so much easier to break these large tasks into smaller sections to be completed. It keeps the whole operation running smoothly and it doesn't seem so much like the back breaking work that it can be.

I wont see you next Monday - I'll be on a short hiatus. But, I'll be back-  I guarantee!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 9/13/2010

Figured I had better start dating these. :-)

I'm joining in the fun over at Daphne's for Harvest Monday! Stop on by and see what others are harvesting, too.

I have the hardest time with the picture uploader the last 2 weeks - so here goes nothing. Since it is still summer heat here my harvests are still trying to change. I'm still gathering loads of okra every other day, plus the odd cucumber here or there. My girls each grabbed a cuke this week and were noshing with some ranch before I could snap a picture but the rest is here. 3 more trays worth (2 gallons) of okra in the freezer. I don't really need more than that to see me through spring. With the 3 trays already in I'm set until I can harvest next year. More never hurt though so I am collecting and freezing. I did find 2 persons who wanted some so 3 more gallons went that way as well.

The tabasco peppers are stillin full force as well. Now the Jalepenos, and serannos are getting ready to join the crowd it looks like their flowers will finally set fruit again this week. The bells are flowering again, but the blossoms drop by days end still so another 2-3 week for them.

This week my harvest wasn' t all in the garden. Some of the most important things were 'harvested' work done inside. We defrosted the freezer and got it ready to go for the green bean harvest which should ensue very soon, and we stacked our washer and dryer so that I can hang clothes easier as they are done - also allowing us more storage space on either side of the set now. YIPPPEEE - I'm ALL for space AND easier. :-)

This little munchkinite gets her very own cameo - she was mad that her sister stole the spotlight last week by squishing her cheeks. So here is my B girl looking bright-eyed and bushy tailed after getting caught with a stolen cuke!

Grr- yes the picture thing is giving me grief again. You know - I just got settled in on this blog I REALLY don't want to look for somewhere else with better photo stuff.... ugh.

Til next time~
Barbie