Thursday, July 23, 2015

Around the Garden
















It has been a bit of a whirlwind around here this week, in a good way. The garden is being tended to daily, my most important chores are watering, as we haven't had rain in about two weeks, and picking off cabbage worms. Yup, they are here in full force, but I think I am winning the battle. I think. Add to that daily harvests coming in, mostly beans, snow peas, snap peas, and kale, and life is pretty full.

If you were to stop by you would either find me in the garden, tending or harvesting, or in the kitchen canning all the goodness from the garden. It is definitely a good place to be, this abundance, and I am loving every minute of it.

The garlic was harvested this week, the best harvest to date. It is drying, and will soon come in to be stored for our use. I am not totally sure, but I think we might have enough to get us through to our harvest next summer. That would be our first time making it harvest to harvest with the garlic. Next up for harvest is beets. There is enough ready, I think, for at least two batches, maybe three, of gingery pickled beets. I can't tell you how delicious those are in January when it is freezing outside, and the snow just keeps falling. So darn good.

This weekend I will be moving the straw from the garlic bed to the asparagus bed, and the garlic bed, the cold frame and one other bed will get a good layer of compost worked in as I prepare them for our fall/winter garden. We are expanding our fall winter garden a little bit this year, using one of our larger raised beds, a small raised bed, and the cold frame. Justin has a handy way to cover the large raised bed to make it easy to access when the snow flies. I am leaving it to him, and hopefully it will work.

As I look around our yard I am slowly finding more space to grow food. Oh yes I am! A decision has been made to take out one of our perennial beds, it is quite old, and in need of a little TLC. Instead of replanting perennials, we are opting for more herbs, with a few bee loving plants. I have been sneaking herbs in here and there wherever I can around the gardens, but to have another dedicated space in which to grow them would be wonderful. It was an easy decision.

We have also been talking a bit about the hugelkultur bed we are creating. We thought at first we might grow wild flowers, but our thoughts have turned to more herbs. There is such a pull for me to grow medicinal herbs, they are not only beautiful, but they are what I use to keep my family healthy. To dedicate more space to growing these powerful plants seems like a good choice. I am sure we will chat more about this throughout the fall and winter, and by spring know exactly what we are going to do.

It is hard to believe that our garden conversations have already turned to the fall/winter garden, and to ideas for next year, but it is happening. You see, we still have dreams for this land we call home, and this part, the dreaming part, keeps us going, moving forward, and building upon this life we are so very fortunate to be living.

So, tell me, how are things around your garden this week?

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Did you see that last photo? It's our bee house, and we are so happy to see that some bees have taken up residence. So very exciting!

30 comments:

  1. Oh Kim, I think I need you to come work your magic on our gardens. They are doing well but not nearly as well as they were last year. I'm not sure why they aren't flourishing as well as they did last year but this year we have some plants struggling and our beds are not nearly as lush. The lack of rain is probably a key player but we have made sure to water them well each day to make up for it!

    With the renovations taking priority this year we didn't get our polinator garden in. I think I'll put that on the top of the list for next year. And we still need to hang our bat house that Dave and the girls assembled a few years ago but have yet to find a space for. Seeing your bee house makes me think we should add one as well.....

    Have a lovely weekend of canning and preparing garden beds! I am excited to see another garden added to your yard! xo

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    1. You know how much I would love that my friend. We should talk :) Yes, rain most definitely a factor, but I would look at your soil too. Did you replenish it after last season?

      And yes, you do have other big priorities this year too, so go a little easy on yourself, okay? The bee house is a ton of fun, and when I took that photo this morning there was actually a bee in one of the other holes doing his thing. It was pretty cool!

      Thanks Shel, wishing you a lovely weekend too. xo

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  2. I too have started to wonder how we can possible be thinking about fall and winter already! Mid July is always a turning point, but it seems to happen so quickly. Your days sound a lot like ours. All else falls to the side this time of year, at least for the work that I carry for our family. Just gardening an putting food by from dawn till dusk! It's a great way to spend my days :)

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    1. It is a turning point, indeed, as the crops come in and the dreaming starts again :) Enjoy this season of abundance Coco.

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  3. what wonderful work you do!!! I am living my garden dreams vicariously through you!!! have a wonderful weekend Kim...

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    1. Aw, thanks Erica. Live away, my friend. Wishing you a lovely weekend too!

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  4. Oh, that last picture got me so excited! We'll have to add that to the list of topic for next month so you can teach us how you made that bee house. We have SO MANY bees around our yard, it would be amazing to give them residence. Lord knows we have a lot of spaces to hang these little homes from.

    Your "adding gardens" comment made me laugh : I already have plans to increase our growing space by about 30% next year including a hulgekulture bed (again, list of topics!), doubling the trench and creating herb "islands" around our yard. Give me another 4 years and there will not be a blade of grass left! :-)

    As always, your gardens and spirit are beautiful. I'll be thinking of you while canning in the cool this week-end. Wishing you that rain. xox

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    1. Ha, yes. I think we need more than three days together to chat about all we want to :) It was amazing to look the other day and see them using it, such a thrill.

      Thank you Yanic, that is so lovely of you to say. Happy canning! It looks like beans, snow peas and beets will be in my canning pot this weekend, and mid next week, blueberries!

      xo

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  5. This has not been a good gardening year for us. :-( I lost the war with the cabbage worms and had to rip out all of the cabbages. The beans aren't really producing, the tomatoes are wilting and turning brown... The good thing is, there's always next year... Your garden looks beautiful and I'm glad you are able to harvest and put up lots of the garden goodness.

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    1. It is a hard war to win. I was out this morning, and must have picked twenty off the kale. At least the chickens were happy about it. Sorry about your cabbage, and your gardening season, some years are like that.

      Enjoy your weekend Anke.

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  6. I wish I could share some of my rain with you. We have had terrible, house shaking thunderstorms every day this week and my [dirt] roads are a mess.
    Hooray for bees!
    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Oh me too Tracey, that would be so lovely. It looks like we have a chance of a thunderstorm tomorrow night...fingers crossed.

      The bees are such a thrill, so very exciting for all of us. Enjoy your weekend.

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  7. Things look so lush and beautiful...and delicious there! I'm coming over for dinner! We missed most of our pea harvest while we were on vacation, but lots of green tomatoes hold lots of promise for later in the summer.

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    1. Thanks Andrea. I hope you know you are welcome for dinner anytime :) The promise of tomatoes is always wonderful. Happy weekend!

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  8. Every time I look through your garden photos, I find a small measure of peace just knowing someone is enjoying such a space of tranquility and connection to nature. So nice to hear about your garlic! Our dreams still linger alongside yours and I hope they will come to pass by and by. :)

    I love your bee house by the way. Such a wonderful addition to your outdoor space - completes it really!

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    1. Aw, thank you Alexa, you are too sweet. I do feel so much peace in my garden, and such a deep connection to this land. Keep dreaming my friend, they do come true.

      Thank you, so exciting to see the bees using it.

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  9. Oh I love that the bees have moved in, that's so exciting! And yay for plans - your garden is beautiful and peaceful and I love looking at it, but gardens are fluid things, they never stand still so plans are a good thing!

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    1. It is exciting. We showed them off to my parents this evening :) So very true Carie, they are forever changing, with or without us.

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  10. That's the best part I think about having a home, projects are never done. There is always something new and wonderful to improve upon. The san marzanos look like they will be amazing. I was thinking of planting some this season but I so overwhelmed with 28 plants that I'm going to hold off until next year. Indeed I too and thinking about the fall. I can grow things here practically into December so there is so much growing time left. And yes I've thought already of expanding the garden to allow for more space. I understand now just how many plants you need to have enough to eat and put by.

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    1. Well, I don't know if that's the best part, but it is nice to keep dreaming, and then making those dreams come true.

      Yes, you do have a much longer growing season, and it is definitely a good time to get planning for all that extra growing time. Enjoy!

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  11. I love your bee house, how wonderful that they have moved in. Your garden looks wonderful mine is growing albeit very very slowly. The cold summer I had predicted (we have been wearing tights this week) has come true I just hope that the plants grow big enough to survive into the autumn ;). We have yet to harvest anything at all except salad leaves :(. But my garlic is looking good and we too will harvest in a few weeks, it is the one reliable plant so good that I haven't bought a bulb in eight years!

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    1. Well, hello there my friend. How are you?

      Thank you, we were pretty excited to see that they had moved in. Sorry about your chilly summer, not fun at all, especially if you want to grow some food. I hope it warms up a bit, and that you can continue harvesting right through the fall.

      Yay for garlic. That is awesome about not buying a bulb in eight years. I am really hoping this is the year we make it harvest to harvest with it. Fingers crossed.

      Thanks for stopping by, it is so nice to "see" you here. I hope all is well in your world. Miss you. xo

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  12. You're a very talented gardener, Kim. It's all looking so lush and beautiful now. It really came on fast too, I think. I love that you grow so many edibles in your garden. It must be a great feeling to serve and eat so much food you grew yourself. The bee house looks wonderful! I'm so glad it's working for you guys and attracting bees now. Hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you Jennifer. It has been a long process, I have been at it for 18 years :) I have learned a lot over the years, and am still learning.

      Yes, it has gone wild in the last few weeks, and there is no taming it now. It is a wonderful feeling, and each year as we put by more food, we are able to eat most of the year from our garden. Last year was a great year, and I think this year will be even better.

      We are having a fantastic weekend, and hope that you guys are too. xo

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  13. Oh everytime i read about your garden I have a smile on my face, so good, lucious and green. Nice to see others that appreciate Mother Nature that way! And wow..... i had a little sneak peek at your house, what a lovely place! Love once again from Holland, Patricia

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    1. Aw, thank you Patricia, that is so sweet of you to say. So nice of you to stop by today, it has been awhile. Hope you are well. xo

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  14. It's all so beautiful Kim, love seeing your house in the background - what an amzing place you have created.
    Will you be sharing your recipe for gingery picked beets????? please do!
    I'm jamming at the moment - rhubard and ginger on the stove right now, and the boys are out picking red & black currents. Hoping to start on my tomate chutney tomorrow.
    I finally got some kale to grow without it being eaten, but I'm keeping a close eye on it all the same.
    We are getting lots of courgette, beans, lettuce and swiss chard at the moment.
    Have a lovely week.

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    1. Thank you Emma. I would love to, but it is not my recipe, it comes from the book Food in Jars. Great book, and I highly recommend it.

      Oh that jam sounds so good! I have been jamming on and off since early June...lilac jelly, dandelion jelly, strawberry jam, raspberry jam, raspberry and black currant jam, and this week, I will add blueberry jam to the shelves. After that peach and lavender jam. So much goodness this time of year.

      Yay for kale, enjoy it and all that other goodness coming in from your garden.

      Wishing you a lovely week too! xo

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  15. That bee photo is very exciting, I can imagine how happy Reece is about that! And the garden so beautiful, those tomatoes are looking good. More herbs sounds perfect for you, so often they look lovely as well as being useful, and many would work with bees too so it's a win all round situation!

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    1. Thanks Sally. We are just a tad excited about it, and are keeping a watchful eye on it. Yes, a total win win with the herbs, and definitely a strong pull for me to plant more :)

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