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I've got worm compost piles all over my kitchen floor and dirt under my finger nails...
Some tomato starts potted up, and a little hoeing done.
You?
Some tomato starts potted up, and a little hoeing done.
You?
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 23, 2007 - 6:10 PMHooray for tomato seedlings! My 300 babies were born on the road between Texas and Florida, are soaking up the sun here in Florida, growing by leaps and bounds! We head north tomorrow, hit up the beach and camping in the mountains before arriving in northern WI in a couple of weeks! I can't think of a better air freshener for my truck, smells like a greenhouse! Hooray for spring! I'd love to hang out in your kitchen Ms Maggiemae!!! -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 23, 2007 - 7:31 PMThe broccolis are big and leafy, we've been eating spinach for a month, the blackberries have nice tight buds.
Planted the blueberries today, and lettuces around them just 'cause I can't stand to waste the space. The peas have come up, looking good. Tomato seedlings on the front porch waiting for me to clear away some more of the old shed.
My hands are calloused and peeling. Ain't it great!
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 23, 2007 - 8:04 PMDigging post holes and a foot deep trench (fencing to keep the bunnies and kangaroo rats out) to start a new square foot garden.
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 23, 2007 - 8:20 PMJust lost some hot pepper plants that were on a covered porch :( -- still freezing here, and had snow a couple days ago. Mostly clipping out the old at this point, thinking much about what's next, finishing out inside biz stuff, literally-- then I'll be freer to roam the garden and begin again. Planning on setting up a couple small "hot houses" using, gulp, plastic, to give some plants a head start. -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Tue, April 24, 2007 - 9:11 AMOh, you guys! I'd love to have you ALL in my kitchen! (the worms are safely back in their bed now, so there's room)
Nothing like same-thinking talk. Tell me more, please.
Today, I'm waiting for the plumber to finish putting in the taps on my 101 yr old tub (yup, soaker tub). Then I can go out and play. Think I'll get after the rapberry patch. I'm moving it this year, last year there were too may thistles that came up in there, that are sneaking into my veggie garden. The old patch will be my fallow patch this year.
That n' rock pickin in the new garden plot.
walking, why you have 300 tomato babies if you're a travelling man? -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Wed, April 25, 2007 - 3:44 PMOhh Ms Maggiemae, just because I am a wandering soul, that doesn't preclude me from having a garden! I tend to a bountiful harvest of yummy crops in my summer feeding grounds of northern Wisconsin. I do tend to travel light (you know that from another post!), but can always make room for some seedlings. I also am carting around a few pepper seedlings, and of course my coleus (which is a refugee from last years garden!) My coleus has had a rough trip, but always comes around in the spring! ;) I can't wait to get my hands (and their roots) in the ground! Bliss all around! :)
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Tue, April 24, 2007 - 1:58 PMI'm far from the real gardening, but I just cleaned out and split a bunch of daylilies and potted other perennials from beds that need to be reconditioned.
I'm a-gettin' ready to go burn a bunch of brush before the burn ban takes place next week. Clearing timber sucks! -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Fri, April 27, 2007 - 8:49 AMI've been away from the dirt too long. Its been sunny and warm for the past couple days so I'm sitting down for a chat with you before going out to till. Past couple of days has included much watering of seelings, who're all happy from their transplant into worm compost, a trek to a friends to teach her how to pot up her seedlings (first time she's done this, it's too cool watching how excited she is) and help plan her garden, a rather nasty trip into the city (you may not be able to take the country out of a boy, but you can sure take the city out of a girl!) to do a radio interview with CBC.
So, all those seedlings are in a vehicle with you? You must have a lot of shelves!
Clearing timber sucks unles it's with a bunch of guys that love to do it. I generally hang out when their chain saws are quieted and help with the piling and loading. It makes me laugh to see how pumped an individual can get over cutting logs. VREmmmmm! vrem vrem VREM!
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planting, planting, planting....
Fri, April 27, 2007 - 9:14 PMseedlings are everywhere in my house--windowsills, washing machine, kitchen table--hardier seedlings are out in the garage under a plastic tent & grow lights, awaiting transplanting. Peas, lettuce & greens coming up in the garden.....just harvested around 40 (cultivated) burdock roots (yum yum!!) from last year.
STILL eating greens out of the cold frame though the 9 month old arugula is even more determined to bolt now that it's warmer...
Grafting cultivated scions onto our old wild grape vines, moving strawberries to a new bed....adding spring "bitters" from the lawn to salads.....checking out the fruit tree buds with anticipation as they open....awaiting a composted-manure delivery for some new veggie beds...sigh! very happy.
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Sun, April 29, 2007 - 7:59 AMFINALLY warm enough to plant the seeds. Might trim the peppermint & lemon balm so they grow bigger. Turn the compost pile as well and leave it open to get plenty of warmed air.
Unfortunately, I need to finish painting my bathroom which means not that much time digging around but ah well :) -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 7:00 AMdig a hole dig a hole dig a hole...
oh I am a happy camper too..
I have finished the South-East side veggie patch, which was still a lawn last year.. (see my blog), and my South side patch is dug as well, with broccoli and Kohlrabi (English?), and since yesterday lettuce and radishes..
me herbs are going crazy, and I have been trimming it all, passing on bushels of Parsley, different Thymes, Sage, Lemon Balm to whomever happens to be near at the time. I have some Basil, Lemongrass, Chives, Lavender, Nettle, Marjoram and "Goldmelisse" coming..
I found several strays which I transplanted, they included Cherry, Plum, Birch, Redcurrant, Rhubarb.. I hope they will take.
My vine is still sitting patiently in a pot, wondering where to go..
I am particularly proud however, that I managed to dig up and distribute the old compost pile from the previous tennant, (which had gone rock hard), which made way for my own gardening plans.
Also I have moved several bushes to new locations, closing gaps or clearing views.. very satisfying :-))
I am not so good with flowers, and I am curious how the flower seeds that I have just sprinkled in places will come up.
Our weather is far too warm for Spring,- all is blooming very early, lilac and the Irises are out now, lovely- but a little freaky, sitting by the pool sipping chilled lemon water.. in April?! (24°C)
Still,- getting my gardening done.. right?
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 10:45 AMWow! You've been productive, jana! Kohlrabi is what we say too. It's a love-hate thing with my members. I give recipes and storeage suggestions to them for the veggies I pick and deliver. I usually say that Kohlrabi's best fresh, cut in strips to munch on, or you can throw it in soup. you have other suggestions?
I, too, have a patch of just-dug grass (wild, horse pasture) for this year. It makes me a bit nervous planting there, as I haven't covered it or used any chemical to clear it. It's just been plowed and disced and is waiting to be tilled. Gotta get my boys out to pick rocks today!
My compost pile needs to be turned and moved to make room for this year's. I learned of a new trick. Make 3 'walls' with a bunch (I figure 9) small square bales of straw. The stuff composts right to the edges cuz of the walls. I'll leave a little breathing room by not butting the bales right up, leaving spaces. The straw and manure from this year's chicken house cleaning gets used as 'brown' layers, plus the bales from last year's compost. I have a little tractor w/bucket that will help me with turning (but must first get lessons from sons.
It rained here yesterday, so the tilling didn't happen. It's sunny today, but still too wet to get in there. I'm going to plant in untilled soil to get the early stuff going, like lettuce and green onions and radishes.
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 11:36 AMKohlrabi: actually, my kids are just crazy about it, peeled, cut in half and then sliced to munch on before dinner or for a tv snack. As soon as I put the bowl out with it it is empty..
But the texture and flavour reminds me very much of the japanese daikon. So I imagine any recipe for daikon would also apply for kohlrabi.. A simple otsumami could be a japanese salt pickle, where you leave it (sliced as above) in a bowl of salt water for half a day, chilled. This simple salt pickling seems to sweeten any veg and remove any bitterness. Great with beer or a rich chinese dish.
But like I said, in my house I have to be careful the kids dont cut their fingers trying to snatch a piece while I am still peeling one!
Sorry about the stones maggie.. I removed 2 buckets worth in the last two months!
The straw bail thing sounds great! But I've heard straw attracts mice.. is that true?
But back to the bliss: Its great sharing with you guys, it makes gardening all the more fun! Wish I could invite you all for a visit! ;-)
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 12:06 PMHello, everyone! Jeanne-Marie here, in San Bernardino. I just planted a six-pack collection of different-colored bell peppers yesterday, as well as an anaheim chili. The tomatoes are getting big, some of them with blooms already. I just thinned the swiss chard and got just enough to throw in a quiche. The squash is getting beefy, so it's about to explode into expansion mode. A few broccoli seedlings survived the onslaught of escaped chickens, but will have to be transplanted to give space when they get a bit stronger. The spinach and sugar peas have their third sets of leaves now. The snow peas are starting to sprawl...tying them up will be a pleasant little task for today. Morning glories have taken over the annual herb patch...have to get brutal on them in order to finally plant three poor little herbs languishing in their nursery pots. Crabgrass has taken over wherever it gets a toehold--I can hear myself now: "gee, kids, time to earn some extra allowance by doing some weeding!"
OH OH OH, I'm so excited, I have to tell someone, why not you all?! Yesterday we bought a super cool set-up for the chickens to replace the craptacular baby chicken pen. We bought an 8'x13' chainlink dog run with a walk-in gate and a grommeted shade cloth roof. The hens have 3x the space, and it looks sharp in the yard. It'll be so much easier to clean, and to collect their eggs now, too. YAY!
Love,
Jeanne-Marie -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 12:31 PMHi Jeannie! Glad to hear about the chicken run! (ever seen the movie?)
Which San Bernardino do you mean? Sounds like things are doing great with you! yummie veggies comin up ;-)) -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 1:06 PMSan Bern. California, near route 66! whee! -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 1:10 PMoh,- Zurich here, near San Bernardino mountain, Switzerland ;-) wheee too! -
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 1:34 PMChicken run sounds great! I was thinking your place sounds like mine, escapees included. Altho we haven't even planted out yet! (just went out and the garden needs a till, no matter how much I want to put seeds in...and it's still too wet). I cleaned out the raspberry patch, getting it ready for moving. It was chok o blok full of thistles last year, and the veggie co op members could keep themselves from eating all the raspberries while I wasn't looking so I want it moved away for just family use. That way, if I decide to make it a u-pick, I can send those people away from the tempting veggies!
I'm hoping to tear down the chicken coop I have now, and will need to put my layers into the moveable run. Take a look-see in my photos, Jean-Marie. The meat birds need to occupy that space first for a while, tho. Got 25 or so of the little darlins coming in a couple weeks.
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Re: mmmmm. bliss...
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 9:43 PMI live in an apartment on the west side of Los Angeles, but luckily there's a small bit of dirt out next to my porch that I can play in. I've potted a biig lemon balm, parsley, and lemon thyme into one pot, and a couple basils, patchouli, and chives into a long rectangular pot. I've also thrown some Shiso seeds into small pots, as well as green onion starts, and I've got a couple tomatoes and a pepper to put into the ground next to my porch. Oh, and I can't forget my small tree-thing! It seems to like it better outside, as do all of these... and I've also got a little pot of succulents left over from when I was living in Oregon. :D
