Tag Archives: garden

More Joy of Less along with Mother Nature Network

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I skipped blogging about last month’s Joy of Less topic: cutting down on energy use. We’re in a position right now that it’s really, really tough to make changes in the appliances we plug in and the hours the heater runs. Later -perhaps much later – I’ll be able to walk to work again, and we’ll use the car less. That will be a good start in lowering our energy use and in turn our carbon footprint.

This month, Mother Nature Network’s Joy of Less project features a topic close to my heart: growing your own groceries. MNN’s goal includes “plan and grow a garden that can replace part of your food bill and give you a healthier diet.”

We noticed recently that we rarely have empty jars any more in the O.K. Chorale kitchen. We usually keep one to collect the grease from bacon or ground beef or other meats that leave a little fat behind. Last weekend, Chuck noticed we were completely out of jars for that purpose. I found something for him, but that’s not the real story.

The story is one more sign that we’re buying less as we make our own. Pickles, tomato sauces, salsa, jams, applesauce – these are all things I make and can myself. We no longer need to buy the commercial versions, and therefore we no longer have commercial jars left over. Take that one more step and realize that if we’re not buying those products, our grocery list is shorter and therefore we’re spending less. In all honesty, I don’t think we’re spending less as much as we’re buying other things, like better cuts of meat and more seafood. In the end, we are using the garden to adjust our bill and edge our diets to a healthier level.

MNN calls it a “DIY Food Revolution.” This movement label reminds me of the burst of Recession Gardens several years back. Friends, I was gardening before it was trendy. My family has enjoyed DIY tomatoes on our BLTs and salads for years and years. I fit the statistical profile rather well. The typical American gardener is female (54%), age 45 or older (68%), and college educated (79%).

Many of this month’s feature stories are aimed at beginning gardeners. I read them anyway because there’s always something new to learn. Their indoor herb garden is similar to mine. The feature on body mechanics and gardening for fitness reminds me to take care – I’m still slowly recovering from last fall’s stroke-like experience. I can build strength gradually and get my seedlings in the ground little by little, too.

Growing your own groceries – I’ve started planning and planting (indoors) already. I still browse idea – filled articles that address small-space gardening, organic gardening for kids, and easy vegetables for various zones.

All this makes me crave spring. Despite the low temperatures during this spring break, I do see the backyard snow melting. It’ll be the OkayByMe Swamp for a little while, and then I’ll be out doing what I do to grow our own groceries.

This is not a sponsored post in any way. I enjoy Mother Nature Network and subscribe to their newsletters. There’s always something fascinating on the site.

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Minimalizing – me?

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Groundhog’s Day? No one in Wisconsin believes this garbage. If the rodent sees its shadow today, it just means that the clear skies and bitter cold temperatures scared the critter more than its shadow did. Six more weeks of winter are a minimum around here. Meanwhile, I’ll hang out indoors and plant tomato seeds in pots and hope the power stays on in the house so they won’t die. It’s all part of channeling my inner Earth Mother.

My inner Earth Mother enjoys reading Mother Nature Network. I subscribe to their news updates and more. This caught my eye, of course. “Join us for a year-long celebration of The Joy of Less!” It’s a month by month guide to making lifestyle changes with the goal of living more simply. I looked it over and thought, “Oh, my. I don’t know if I can handle this.”

What? Daisy, the composter mom, one of the greenest in the neighborhood, saying no to a minimalist theory? Folks, I’m not sure I can live up to the tenth month in the program: Technology Free month. And what about Month Nine – the future of work? The illustration is a computer keyboard.

But then there are the months that tempt me, those ideas with which I’m already on track like Growing Groceries (Month Four) and Cooking: The Basics (Month Two ). The whole year starts with a month devoted to de-cluttering, and my home could use a month (and more) of that.

The last time I signed up for a green living program, it was sponsored by our district’s wellness coordinator. The whole thing was a great disappointment. It was designed for beginners, those who don’t even use both sides of the paper or bring their own shopping bags.  I found keeping the records tedious and I made no changes in habits at all. If anything, I was way ahead of the program.

But Mother Nature Network offers a challenge. I might not be able to handle Tech Free Month, but I can make other positive changes. I’ll share those changes with all of you, readers. I know you’ll keep me honest.

This is not, repeat NOT, a sponsored post. I do enjoy MNN, and this link was not solicited in any way. I don’t see it as a contest with winners and losers, either. Living more simply can only be positive.

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Finalizing and winterizing the garden

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Now that the plants are gone and the tomato supports are stashed for the winter, now that the leftover and used-but-usable potting soil has been added to the garden, now there are only a few tasks to get the yard truly ready for that first (gasp) snow.

  • Raking leaves
  • Draining and turning over rain barrels
  • Storing screen tops and stretchy cords
  • and more…

I mentioned the potting soil. I’d like to stir it, turn it into the soil and let it hibernate with the rest.

That shouldn’t take long. I can turn the soil while the rain barrels are draining. Then – I like to pick up the boards I call stepping stones. They’ll lean against the garage in a pile waiting for next year.

And finally, the leaves now covering the grass will end up piled in the garden plots to decompose and keep the moisture in the ground while the topsoil sleeps.

When winter passes and spring arrives, I’ll come out to play in the dirt again.

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Putting the Garden to Bed for the winter

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It’s a bittersweet day when I finish putting the garden to bed. It means that I’ve given up on any more warm spells, I’ve harvested every last tomato and pepper, and I’m nearly ready to open the garden gates to let the rabbits forage through the months we call winter.

The tie-ups are removed, sitting in a pile in the garage so they can dry. I’ve never seen the point in washing them. They’ll dry over the winter and be ready for tying up a whole new batch of seedlings next summer. The tomato supports are set aside, too, resting against the garage near the rain barrels. The barrels need to be emptied and upended so they won’t freeze and break in the winter temperatures. That will happen tomorrow or Sunday if all goes as planned.

                colorful tomato supports

I gave in and stocked up on acorn and butternut squash at last week’s downtown farmers’ market. Stored properly, the squash will last a long time. Now that I’ve discovered Amigo likes squash, I’ll cook it more often. This young man likes very few vegetables. I sense a butternut squash soup coming up soon!

                                          squash and apples

The raspberry patch will weather the weather well and the aforementioned rabbits will prune any or all of it for me. I pretend they’re doing it to say thanks for the winter food source. Really, they’re probably laughing through their teeth at the silly human who thinks she’s doing them a favor, these small furry creatures who’ve been finding weak spots in the fence all summer long.

The mini-greenhouse shelving is indoors now. The sage and parsley weren’t doing well, so I might replant them. The basil that went wild has been picked, processed with a little olive oil, and frozen. The oregano, rosemary, and thyme are still thriving. I hope they last! I sense a few homemade pizzas with fresh herbs in our future.

It’s a mixed feeling, indeed, saying goodbye to the plants I’ve nurtured from seed. But don’t worry, readers, it’s not a true blue funk or melancholy. Putting the greens down to rest isn’t the end; it’s a new beginning. I’m already planning which tomatoes to plant next year, which peppers, and where they’ll go to use the soil to its best advantage. Speaking of soil, I’d like to stir the compost one more time. The heat in the middle will keep it decomposing so I can dig it out and spread it in the spring.

Until we get a long lasting freeze, the parsley is still trying to grow.

                                                            parsley

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Farmers’ Market Quiz time!

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Here it is, readers. Look at the photo below, and leave your guesses in the comments. Which foods are from the market, and which are from my backyard jungle, er, garden?

                                                Market Feast!

Oh, by the way, these didn’t fit in the first photo, so they get their own.

                                            Tomato! Tomahto!

Well, readers? Take a guess and leave a comment.

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Rain! Rain! Come to stay, but….

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Rain! We had rain! Do you know how to tell the difference between an optimistic environmentalist and a pessimistic environmentalist? One sees the rain barrel as half full, the other sees it half empty.

Hint: my tomatoes are happy. The pepper plants aren’t so sure; I think there’s a mole tunneling beneath that part of the garden. But back to the rain – we had rain twice in recent history. The first shower only lasted long enough to inconvenience Chuck, and didn’t even top off the rain barrels.

Sing it – I’m grillin’ in the rain, I’m grillin’ in the rain!

The steaks, by the way, were delicious.

The next storm was more substantial. My rain barrels are now half full, and the garden soil is soaked. This storm also brought with us a little entertainment in the form of loud noises. I thought the wind had knocked over my deck table or stolen its umbrella. Nope. Look again, Daisy.

Do you see what I see?

Here, look more closely.

Wow. Just wow.

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Out, out, dang bunny!

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Last year I caught a rabbit lounging in my lettuce.

The Compost Critter was at it again this season, too.

Then there was the morning I found another woodchuck under the raspberries.

The last straw  was finding this tiny, adorable little sweetie in my tomato patch. In my tomatoes!

The Backyard Baby Bunny

We found the source of the invasion, the gap in the protective barrier.

See the fallen board? Doesn’t look like much, but —

If you look closely from this angle, you can see a gap big enough for a baby bunny.

Mind the gap!

Chuck played Santa and brought out the hoe, hoe, hoe.

Witness: the GC44, the tool du jour.

He re-dug the trench, replaced the board, and straightened the wire fencing above. The baby bunny stayed hidden behind the rain barrels and watched as we denied it access to the salad bar.

A work of art, the tomato jungle.

For now, at least, the tomato plants are safe. Stay out of my jungle, baby bunny. No matter how much cuteness turns up, I will not share.

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Where to Keep the Canned Goods

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There must be a better way.

This is the “before” picture. I’ve increased my repertoire of canned foods every year, and with that increase in recipes came an increased yield. Then comes the question: where do I keep all these provisions? And after we finish each jar of pickles or jam or applesauce, where will I keep the reusable jars? Above you see the dilemma in June: a partial shelf of pickles and jams and applesauce and rhubarb waiting for their day on the table, surrounded by empty canning jars and freezer containers.

Something here must go.

Step 1: I cleaned out half the books at the top.

Step 2: I gathered boxes for a thrift store donation (shelves out of sight on the left).

Step 3: I relocated the crockpot and reorganized the jars by size.

Step 4: Move in!!

Ah. That’s better.

Readers, this is the “after” shot – the “after” shot for June. After I’ve canned my way through June and July and even part of August, this cupboard will look very different. I’ll be sure to show you then. Remind me. Really. And while we’re at it, readers, tell me about your summer reorganization projects. Canning supplies? Books? Thrift donations? Leave a comment.

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Notes on the First Farmers’ Market of the Season

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Note to self: Go early. By 10:15 all the asparagus was gone, and strawberries supplies were selling like hotcakes. Not that hotcakes are a bad thing; Chuck turned 3 peaches into a fruity pancake lunch.

Note to self: hold wheeled bag close to self. Three other shoppers ran into or over the bag. One said, “Excuse me,” but the others glared at me. ?$@#!? I wasn’t the only one with a bag on wheels or a wagon – not by a long shot. I was run over by a toddler’s stroller and a fast walker. The women with a wheelchair was more polite than either of the others.

Note to self: Take time. Inhale. Egg rolls, roasted corn, strawberries, and more decorate the air. There are at least three coffee shops on the main drag, too. Mmm.

Note to self: Overrule Chuck when necessary. At first he wanted to buy strawberries, then he didn’t, and eventually I made the decision myself. Self, trust self’s opinion and experience.

Note to self: Make notes. Bring a list. Take inventory on Friday nights. Sorghum, honey, maple syrup, fresh cheeses – all are available downtown at the Farmers’ Market. Be ready to buy!

Note to self: Take time. Listen. Buskers, young violinists, and more musicians dot the avenue and provide entertainment.

Note to self: bring more bags. We came home with three plastic bags today in addition to using our own cloth. Where did that vinyl book bag go? It was perfect for berries because it washed so well.

Note to self: Enjoy. See below.

The take, spread out in the kitchen.

Note to self: View the afternoon to-do list – see below. Ah, it’s summertime.

Strawberries!

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Soil Therapy and Moral Support

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Remember how I planted too many seeds and ended up with lots and lots of tomato and pepper seedlings? I figured out a way to fit most of the little plants into the existing garden plots. Now I’m facing the challenge of supports.

My favorite spiral stakes are no longer available anywhere in my town. I had to settle for something else. I didn’t want to spend too much on the stakes at any store, especially since most were plastic. Plastic! Chuck tried to talk me into using a very narrow PVC pipe cut to the length I wanted. He thought I could paint them in polka dots like our deck chairs. I resisted. Cute in the end, maybe, but eco-friendly — not.

I bought True Value Hardware’s entire stock of straight, colorful stakes. I’ll use gentle ties made from tee-shirts to keep the stems aligned and attached to their supports. However, I still didn’t have enough. True Value also had bamboo stakes. They were long, at least five feet long, and they came six in a package instead of costing my a bundle just for one. Bamboo might not last more than one season, but it’s more pleasing to the eye and less toxic to the planet than any of the plastic options.

There you have it, readers. What do you think? Have you seen my favorite spiral stakes anywhere? I’ll make a road trip, within reason, if you find them.

Colorful - I call it Garden Art.

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