Harvest Monday 4.11.11

It's Harvest Time. (Rather like Hammer time... duh nu nu nuh...)
Guess if you didn't live it up as a teen in the eighties that may seem a bit much but, I digress. Joining in the fun at Daphne's for showing off our harvests and seeing what people from around the world are harvesting or doing with their harvests!
This harvest Monday has been mostly about the berries. Strawberries, blueberries and mulberries. Not any large amounts at once but handfuls every day or two. Check it out... of course like always I forgot to take pictures of found my children with mouths stuffed full before I had the chance to snap a shot, but - eh that is nothing new. Besides, I managed to catch one in the act, too. :-D

Here is one of the culprits picking out of the strawberry patch.... stinker. At least she eats them I suppose. What more could a Mom ask for?
I've got kids that STEAL veggies. On PURPOSE... and fruit...and..

get this...


they LIKE IT!!!!
:-D

But not all of them will admit that they were the ones.... Some hide away as if they can't be seen behind oh say a pair of hands. *snicker*

Most of my harvests looked this way. The side shoots from the broccoli came in gangbusters this week. And the strawberries came 5 or 6 a day as well as the blueberries and peas, too. Unfortunately they are nearing the end.

And this is what happens when you leave a bowl of mulberries on the table to grab the camera. When you return there are half of them missing and hmmm.... a strange being is eating them up!

*CAUGHT AGAIN* Little girl. Not so slick are you!? No wonder I can't get pictures of anything around here! Good thing you are kinda cute after all.



'Till next time!

Barbie~

Friday

Well, here it is. Friday and the weekend is upon us.

It’s sweltering in the 90’s out there like it’s summer already rather than just early April. I’m not complaining really. It’s still getting down to 70 or so in the evenings and that is oh so refreshing and nice. The humidity is still climbing and soon it will be like the air is a swimming pool, but for now its still comfortable for those of us that are used to it. The garden is enjoying the weather as are the kids and I. The clouds are puffy and the afternoon rains haven’t come yet. It’s truly a beautiful time of year.

It’s time for lemonade and orange slices, mimosas and muffins, outdoors. Picnics, and sprinklers, but also time to pay attention. Time for the little cretans that invade in summer to begin their descent. For shielded bugs to show up uninvited. For wiggling green creatures that are capable of devouring an entire tomato plant in one sitting to appear from thin air. Time to prepare for battle.

So this weekend I begin my weekly spray patterns. Milk, copper, Bt, soap, pepper….not all at once of course. Every year I falter. Each year I wax and wane. I am crushed by the buggies and their ability to sneak past my best defense. But, each year I successfully manage something. I’m just hoping this year I’ll manage to remember what order to spray. So on the family calendar with the doctors’ appointments and birthday parties and scheduled events my spraying will go. All in hopes lest I forget that last year I lost the battle of the corn ear worms, the stink bugs, or the year I lost all my squash to Powdery mildew, beans to rust. I know beyond a doubt that I will fall into a gardening funk and I want that calendar to scream at me to do my duties anyway.

Thus begins the hardest part of the year. This is April, and the true heat will be upon us soon, and with the heat - the bugs and fungus that brings all gardeners to their knees. But right now? Right now, I am ready! I am Samurai Gardener! I am Warrior of Green!

How will you wage your war?

 

‘Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 4.4.11

Joiing in at Daphne's Dandelion's for Harvest Monday!!!It's Monday again, and I am sad to say that all the rain did do a few bad things. One bad thing was that it took away the opportunity to take pictures. It managed to ruin a few crops. I had strawberry mush puddles to clean up. Talk about a sorry sight!
 But, mostly I was dashing in and out of storms and cleaning up afterwards.
I only managed one skimpy picture with my cell phone.

A few small heads of cabbage the very end all be all. These are the small heads that were produced by the plants that were left simply as space savers - thanks to a suggestion to leave them that they might bear smaller heads. They did just that, and quite well, too! Had the main heads been taken earlier in the year, or our cool season been longer I think these heads would have been rather impressive. As it is I'm counting them impressive because they are my little bonuses! :-D 2.5pounds worth!

Also pictured a half pound of spinach, a few garden peas, a couple radish. Not pictured is 2 heads of black seeded simpson and a colander full of Green Ice lettuce. I was harvesting the salad greens in a hurry between downpours. They were being beaten to death so I was scrambling! I also harvested a handful of side shoots form the broccoli plants, some green onions, a couple key limes, and a few shoots from the beans for a stir fry. I couldn't help myself, and it was good. YUM>

With any luck the spinach and lettuces will come back, but it is getting into the mid 80's each day now and the humidity is creeping up. The poor plants are battered and bruised and ending their life cycles early may not be out of the question. I trimmed them all back to just the inside leaves, they look pathetic. I'll clean the fish tank this weekend and give them one last hopeful feeding. *sigh*

All else seems to have survived fairly well. The zucchini plants are slightly torn but overall super healthy still. Tomatoes dropped some of there many flowers, but the set back is more in the need for tying up earlier than normal. I'm unprepared as of yet, so a trip to the store tomorrow for me! The peppers did really well and are beginning to show their first buds. To tomatillo laid down and were buried, but are no upright again. They will need tied as well. Some corn is broken - but all and all we came through very well. I did realize something I wasn't quite prepared for though. The way the yard drains - is straight into the area of fence garden. I guess it's good it was delayed. If it had been planted everything in it may have washed away. Now I need to consider the need to have a wash for the water to run out. That or be prepared to lose the plants each late summer tropical storm....So I have to design a culvert of sorts. Only problem I see is there is a fence there, so how exactly is the water going to drain properly???? URGH.

Rambling again. Sorry.

Till next time!

Barbie~

Blooms n things!

Finally the pictures! (from before the 8 inches of rain)

The zucchini is also flowering female flowers now, too. I'll be harvesting in a few days! This harvest Monday won't have it, but maybe next!

There are hundreds of tomato blossoms....

Even on the smaller cloned plants!

Onion flowering seeds

This tomatillo bud is open and the flower is stunning now!

MORE tomato flowers (I am SO not complaining!) For now I only have 5 little marbles hanging on, I did manage to check on this bush after the storm. I was worried the wind knocked off the fruit, and rightfully so. Guess it's a good thing it was flowering so prolifically. It means it will have fruit again in no time. (thank goodness!)

The other citrus finished flowering already, but the key lime continues to set fruit and reflower. It's indoors from November- February so Maybe that has something to do with it?

This avocado was furiously blooming and by the time I got around to snapping the picture the flowers had all disappeared into their sheaths for the evening! All the other avocados already have fruit on so this one is my late bloomer.

I also have my first 3 little cucumbers on the vine! WHOOT!!!!! YEEHAW!




These aren't all blossoms... my beans are all blooming now but when I took their picture here they were simply growing nicely. The rest are just an update on some of the things left that were shouting at me to take their picture, too!

And just look at these little peaches. *sigh* I sure hope they made it through the wind and the rain. I have a lot of clean up to do tomorrow.

Off to put the munchkins to bed! Enjoy the pics! I can't wait to see everyone elses pictures. Don't forget when I am sweltering and my veggies have given up for the summer you'll be posting baskets and armfuls of beautiful produce! Don't forget to post your pics so I can see your blossoms then! :-)

My back aches just thinking of the chores that need to be done.

See you back here for Harvest Monday!

'Till next time!


Barbie~

Tuesday or Friday?

Is it Tuesday? No, I suppose it isn't, is it.
Work got in the way I am both sorry and glad to say. Better work than major personal problems!
So my little project in the garden this past week. It's only 1/3 of the way finished so far but being 1/3 finished means that one planter is done!

In addition to the planter this beautiful little plum tree is gracing our yard. We are as far South as I would dare to plant a plum. I suppose it will not always fruit due to our slightly too warm winters, but even if it bears alternately I'm certainly willing to baby it along. In no time it will catch up to my peach trees and with any luck in a few years it will be consistent.

The planter will be copied and continued around the peach trees and avocados that are not inside the main garden as well. 

The planters are a rectangular shape and each end will have a 1 foot planter that will be a salad garden! I will use the shade of the trees in the spring and fall to extend the crop and the sun once the trees shed their leaves in the winter to nourish my lettuces and carrots.

:-) I've been trying to find a way to grow more lettuce for longer periods of time and I did find another way to accomplish this, but creating these planters and using them in this manner will do much better. Only thing I didn't think of was what in the world vegetable wise would grow there in the hot and humid summers that wouldn't compromise my fall through spring salad crop. Hmmm... 60-75 days for full maturity and has to do well in super heat and humidity. Must think ...

The rain was insane. We nearly floated away. I lost broccoli, and peas, trees, and pots, and in my yard lies some one elses tree! But 8" of rain also managed to push EVERYTHING to blossom. But, due to technical difficulties I will have to post those later. :-(

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~

Ah, well...

A few of the things going on around here....
bug bites...

One of my children at any given time seems to have an allergic reaction to some type of bug.

Braces off..... (but not for good, and not for fun!)

But - dang, Ain't he just so handsome!

We had to go here:

 to All Children's for some tests that required his braces off.  We'll know more later. For now all we know is the poor kid has migraines, and tinnitus, and a significant hearing loss. It's one of the things that I was dealing with last week. He wasn't so thrilled about the IV part. Or the blood gushing out part.... LOL - but he made it. He did good.

Ack! So I guess That is just part of what is going on. I'm super slammed at work as well. That's good in a way because after all if I am busy it's 'job security' and all, right? Right. Just really bad timing for all of this. Not to mention seeing that beautiful smile cost me an EXTRA $650 in addition to his regular orthodontist fees.... *sputter, cough, choke, GAG*  But it will all be worth it to have him happy and healthy again.

Fundraiser weekend. Dinner Friday, Tournament for Hubby on Saturday. That only leaves Sunday for the garden. Guess that means I'm not finishing any big projects. Oh, but I've got my eyes on some smaller projects now since I know the larger one has to wait. I can't wait to reveal! WHOOT!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 3.21.11

SPRING! (Officially!) Linking in this first SPRING day to DAPHNE'S DANDELIONS for Harvest Monday

I don't have much in the way of pictures to show for my harvest. But, each day a handful of strawberries, and a handful of spinach for my Bgirl. I also took 2 clippings form the lettuce. It made salads for dinner for all 5 of us and that is nice. Plus, we had lettuce for our burgers yesterday as well. Radishes for the salad of course. Oh, the last large head of cabbage - 4 pounds. I forgot to take a picture of it until I had already cleaned it, and had it ready for the pot.

Apologies for the cell phone shots. Life gets busy and I lose my one memory card sometimes. I figure one day I'll have to go buy 10 of the suckers. But, then I'll lose track of all of those, too! Ha.

Oh, I made strawberry syrup we ate on our blueberry pecan pancakes with blueberries and pecans from the freezer stash. I have only 1 cup of pecans left. No one in the house is happy about that! The good news is that the blueberries are turning blue again outside and I promised my girls to go picking this year so we'll have them in the freezer again soon! I sure wish Strawberries froze as well as blueberries do. Bummer, Man.  The Boy child finally ate one of these beauties. He was skeptical because they are all shapes and sizes. Boy was he surprised! He is now fighting with the girls over who gets to eat these little treats. Problem with that is dangit! I want more of them for me. *POUT*

I gotta tell you. That strawberry syrup> Yeah that stuff over there------> Yum. I have got to find a way to keep it from fermenting. I don't use enough sugar in the recipe to keep it from fermenting if I canned it. I suppose I could freeze it. Maybe I should start looking into better freezer storage. It irks me to no end to pull something out of the freezer that I worked hard on only to find out that it isn't usable.

Ack, I'm rambling.

HAPPY SPRING!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Top O the Mornin'

Well – G’Mernin to Ye!

 

I’m enjoyin’  a nice green cookie with my coffee this morning, thanks to my little munchkins. I gotta say it’s not a half bad breakfast.

I can’t stand the smell of the cabbage cooking – but other than that – HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

My little’s are fully mutt’s but their Great Grandma’s full Irish, and Proud!  I’m doing my part, wearing green and eating it, too. I draw the line there. No green beer for me, Thank you.

Enjoy your day, and do something GREEN!

 

‘Till next time!

 

Barbie~

Invasion!!

It’s the Invasion of the Garden Snatchers!

 

For the last 2 weeks I have been pulling hundreds if not thousands of little green gobblins out of my garden. This is the first year I’ve had this problem. This is the first year I’ve reused my mulch after growing those little bitty Tabasco peppers! Remember pounds and pounds of teeny tiny peppers last year? I made Tabasco sauce and hot pepper vinegar, I dried them, I gave them away and at the end of it all I was thoroughly ill of eating Tabasco peppers. All from one amazing plant.  Well. Teeny tiny peppers get lost in mulch, Don’tchaknow?!

And guess what happens when you then take said mulch and move it around your garden?

 

You get what we have here,

A failure to communicate.

 

I don’t WANT a hundred thousand Tabasco plants this year. Actually, I don’t even want A SINGLE Tabasco plat this year. Thought I’d skip that particular hot pepper this year. HA! Little did I know.  Just a few little pepper lost in the mulch and overwintered would turn into this. UGH> Lesson learned. Mulch is cheap and free. No reason to do this to myself. From now on new mulch. I’m thinking shredded paper actually. It’s something I do NOT have a shortage of around here.

I get the feeling I’ll be murdering another few thousand Tabasco plants around my house this spring and possibly for years to come. So, anyone who wants some – Come and get ‘em! Free for the taking. All you care for! (and then some)

 

‘Till next time!

 

Barbie~