harvest in the garden

that pumpkin made some yummy pumpkin muffins

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summer garden 2011

the harvest is plentiful

the laborers are few:)

i have working most days in the garden

it is so nice to see crops mature and taste so yummy

my friend rachel has a garden this year too

read all about it over HERE

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ps...more pictures of the garden to come

fresh from the garden this morning

the kids have already downed every little bit of this...i had one pea.

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practically perfect planting

taken straight from the pages of country living, this is a great way to grow your seedlings. reuse to help the environment plus those egg shells have so many nutrients for baby plants...just make sure to crumble the shells before you put them in the ground. start saving those egg shells.

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raised beds on a snowy day

HERE is a great article on raised gardening beds. there are also some links at the bottom on growing lots of veggies in a small space. i'll be back later with some more good info. until then, we have some lovely powder falling from the sky and i'm going to drink several cups of coffee and watch it:)

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cooperative extension service

i know...baby it's cold outside...and the last thing on most of your minds right now is gardening

BUT...

spring will be here before we know it and the boone county cooperative extension office is offering some excellent classes on gardening if you are interested.

the family gardening series is

2/22 how to grow your own garden from seed

3/3 growing tomatoes and peppers at home

3/8 growing berries, grapes, and other fruits at home

3/15 growing organic veggies at home

3/22 growing gardens together: hort therapy

4/5 gardening in raised beds

4/7 preparing gardens

also...

5/25 compost for beginners

the co-op extension service website is www.ca.uky.edu/boone or call 586.6101 if you would like more information.

if you are not local check out your local co-op extension office. they are a great resource.

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okra fritters

yesterday the okra plants were bursting with okra to make fritters. i used paula deen's recipe found HERE and i added a little sweet paprika to the flour mixture as well. i think that you could substitute your favorite salt mix to the flour and get a very similar result. the fritters were yummy, everyone ate them, just a nice change to mix up lunch a little bit.
i sliced the okra.
buttermilk bath before dousing in the flour breading

i fried the okra in small batches so i did not have to use so much oil. i also think that the okra cooks more evenly in small batches. unless you have a deep fryer, then big batch away!

i let the fritters "drain" on a baking rack for a few minutes after i salted them to get rid of the excess oil. they were really yummy. i highly recommend them if you get a chance to get some okra.

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zinnias and the blue beauty

i started zinnia seeds in the early spring this year. i have never successfully had any flowers live that i have started but would you look at these.

when i put them in the ground they were a little smaller than a spaghetti noodle cut in half, very small and did not look like they would make it if i mild wind blew. but they did!!!! they just started really doing well about a week ago so i might need to start them earlier next year if i really want them to be ready when everyone else is planting flowers but i am thrilled at the success.

also on a side note would you look at the blue beauty...finally found a spot that the hydrangea likes and it is thriving. might have to do with the water that i have been using:) found out that hydrangeas really like water. very helpful hint. i am going to plant 2 more in the fall if i can find a good deal on some. i am starting to feel a little confidence considering the plant has survived over a month. if you have not read about my previous struggles with hydrangeas you can HERE.

what have you started from seed that has done really well?

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would you look at this pea?

is this not the biggest pea you have every seen?

i should win some kind of prize for this...biggest pea, longest pea, widest pea...something...

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i know that i have been a little absent lately, and truthfully the entire summer will probably be a little hit and miss at the domestic chick. oh i will be posting don't get me wrong but it might be 3 posts in one day and then 3 days may go by and nothing...i am sure that you all are just crushed at the thought :). obviously i do not think that you are on the other side of your computer waiting with bated breath for me to let you know what is going on over here. well this picture and this place should tell you alot. many an hour has been spent in the garden so far this spring and summer. alot of other fun things have gone on too...but this little space sure does take alot of time. the kids are really enjoying it though and it is so educational and we are amazed at God and His creation and what we can learn from the garden.

on a side note, don't you just love my color coordinated outfit of grey shorts and a brown and white striped t-shirt and the way my hair is making that nice little "X" on my forehead. i am shocked that organic gardening has not contacted me for the front cover, aren't you? it hasn't stopped mr. dc from wanting to squeeze here and there though. i know i should be thankful but i really do not understand how one could be attracted to another when the other looks like the above picture. seriously!

well this post has been all over the place. that is what you get when you start typing in the morning and end the post at 10 pm with all kinds of things that go on during the course of the day at the suburban farm.

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hopefully tomorrow. it is supposed to rain so maybe...

yesterday

spent the day in the back yard

a) pressure washed decks, screened in porch, patio, sidewalk, driveway, and my FOOT...thank the Lord i did not loose a toe!

b) potted flowers

c) mowed the grass

d) worked in the garden...almost done, except for the pruning, weeding, and...who am i kidding the garden is never done...but all the beds are almost planted.

e) lit the lanterns for our small group get together

f) SHOWERED...and boy did i need one

g) ordered pizza

h) made kool-aid

i) had a wonderful night with friends

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herb garden up and running

i took advantage of the BOGO herbs at home depot yesterday. some of the herbs that are in the pots are from our garden last year. the thyme, chives, and mint come back every year so i dug them up and put them in the pots. ultimately that is why i have decided to keep the herbs in pots from now on. they also smell heavenly and it is a nice smell to greet when i step out on the deck. there are also certain herbs that interact poorly with certain veggies. on the contrary there are also ones that help veggies too, so i might just plant some of those herbs in the veggie beds as an aid to growth and pest repellent and not necessarily to use. convenience is a big plus as well, when i am cooking i can just step out the kitchen door and grab some herbs.

what are your favorite herbs and why? are you planning on growing some this summer? i would highly recommend it.
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200 flower bulbs for $11

this is a great deal on flower bulbs. if you are in need of some low maintenance color in your yard, read all about it HERE.

this weekend

sorry i was a little absent this weekend. i was making hay while the sun was shinning on friday and saturday. planted one of the raised beds in the garden, started 75 seed starts that are tomatoes, peppers, and flowers to use in the landscaping around the house. i planted alot of zinnia seeds. i really like those flowers and although they are annuals, i have heard that when they are done for the season you can collect there seeds once the flowers dry and use them the following year. i have even heard of some cases where the seeds just fall out and grow in the ground where they fall. we shall see. this week is spring break for my kiddos so i might be a little hit and miss, but i will definitely be around and hope to hear what is going on in the outdoors around you. have you done any spring work in your yard?

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photo credit: flower pictures

companion planting chart

last summer i planted our garden using companion planting, which i am totally sold on. i wrote all about it HERE. read all about it at the previous link and then decide if companion planting is right for you.

Vegetable Companion Chart

Good Companions
Bad Companions
Basil
Good:
Pepper, Tomato, Marigold

Bush Beans
Good:
Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Pea, Radish, Strawberry, Savory, Tansy, Marigold
Bad:
Onion

Pole Beans
Good:
Carrots, Corn Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Pea, Radish, Savory, Tansy
Bad:
Beets, Onion

Beets
Good:
Bush Beans, Cabbage, Onion, Sage

Cabbage Family
Good:
Bush Beans, Beets, Celery, Onions, Tomato, All Strong Herbs, Marigold, Nasturtium
Bad:
Strawberry

Carrots
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Sage
Bad:
Dill

Celery
Good:
Bush Beans, Cabbage, Onion, Spinach, Tomato

Corn
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Cucumber, Melons, Peas, Squash
Bad:
Tomato

Cucumbers
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Corn, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Radish, Marigold, Nasturtium, Savory
Bad:
No Strong Herbs

Eggplant
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Spinach

Lettuce
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Cucumbers, Onion, Radish, Strawberries

Melons
Good:
Corn, Nasturtium, Radish

Onion
Good:
Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Lettuce, Pepper, Squash, Strawberries, Tomato, Savory
Bad:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Peas

Parsley
Good:
Tomato

Peas
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Corn Cucumber, Radish, Turnips
Bad:
Onion

Pepper
Good:
Onion

Radish
Good:
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Cucumber, Lettuce, Melons, Peas, Squash
Bad:
Hyssop

Spinach
Good:
Celery, Eggplant, Cauliflower

Squash
Good:
Corn, Onion, Radish

Strawberry
Good:
Bush Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Spinach
Bad:
Cabbage

Tomato
Good:
Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Onion, Mint
Bad:
Corn, Fennel

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free organic gardening book

free organic gardening book here. it is a pdf so you can just save it to your computer and reference it anytime. enjoy!

http://organicdeals.blogspot.com/2009/09/free-organic-gardening-book-online-pdf.html

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carrots

did some pulling this morning...

the garden makes me smile

i am a garden "newbie" this year. i can tell you that i plan on gardening the rest of my life, Lord willing. i had been a great joy this summer. our children have loved it! our friends have too! we are starting to have the fruits of our labor impact our meals. lovely spinach is coming up. strawberries, that our oldest sneaks out and eats for breakfast in the morning, and fresh herbs for mint tea, thyme for seasoning meats and vegetables and fresh basil for tomato mozzarella salad. i have taken some pictures of the garden for you to see. the raised beds are my favorite part of the garden. they are so nice to maintain and require much less work. the vegetables and fruits are thriving there. the carrots that were planted at the same time in the ground and in the raised bed are twice the size in the bed. amazing! one other little tip that i like to do is incorporate fresh herbs in my landscaping. thyme and mint are lovely ground cover and sage is a really pretty filler. basil is a nice border along walkways and parsley is a airy filler too. please feel free to offer any suggestions on gardening and i will be happy to answer and questions that i can about the lovely hobby. remember that compost pile i told you about, the dirt from it filled the raised beds. what a savings.

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first fruits

much to my surprise i found these little guys in the garden on the eve of memorial day!

such a happy day. have a wonderful memorial day.

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recycling and composting

we started recycling pretty faithfully about 3 years ago. but this year we have taken on a whole new animal. composting. and i love it! a neighbor of ours started a compost pile about 5 years ago. he unexpectedly passed away last year and his wife said that we could take over the compost pile. it is on the edge of our property and underneath the top layer, oh my goodness, the soil is the richest top soil that i have ever seen. so you can bet i will keep doing this compost thing. i could not believe how far the soil went in the pile and the beauty of the thing is that it is free. i will tell you that i can't get over the amount of "trash" that i would have thrown out before ends up in the pile. i am really cutting down on the amount of trash bags that i use. the benefits keep going. if you do not have a yard or some land where you can start a compost pile there are some very nice composters out there. i think that you can even use a regular trash can and just rotate the contents. we also put our grass clippings from the backyard (because it is not treated for weeds and we don't want pesticide in the soil because then it ends up in the vegetables that is grown in the soil). keep that compost trash coming!
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