Garden in review 2014

It has been so good to garden this year!

I have been slowly adding raised beds as the opportunity arises. I refuse to pay full market price for lumber for garden projects so, I wait till I find a great deal on culled lumber.

Strawberry barrels - they dry out way too fast so I will be re-doing the soil mix and replanting the current one and, will make another. I love harvesting and weeding them. Super EASY!





























Pepper Tires - I think i found my pepper solution in using these tires.

These were GREAT!
A mole screen, compost soil mix, keep them pruned...
my solution for growing great peppers in the PacNW!

















I put the tomato in the raised beds and so far so good. Organic EarlyGirl Bush variety did the best. Still not enough though.



The shelling and snap peas were confused and i ended up just shelling all of them. Ended up with a gallon bag full and am not sure the time and real estate was worth it.

Summer squash were prolific.
I think I will cut down to 1 each for 2015.

Green beans did great. Gonna put those in the new raised beds next year.

Cukes love the containers so long as i keep them watered.




I accidentally ended up with lots more pumpkins than i thought i planted.





Wild berries were good this year.
Last Year, the Blackberries got all molded out by a freak rainspell just before harvest time (I lost my tomatoes to that rain spell too).

Springtime garden

I found all these pinks for under $15 a few days after mothers day!
I got rid of the sedum. It got too ratty looking during the winter.
Planted these and added the rock "mulch".
These smell FABULOUS when in bloom.

Garden in November with new raised beds

Great gardening year that produced about $700 worth of fresh, Organic Produce!

Looking forward to 2015. I think I am starting to get the hang of PNW gardening.

I will be trying corn again. Planting it closer together and a variety with a shorter time.
I have a PNW variety of garlic already in the raised beds and cant wait to try it.
I have found a new love of parsnips! Roast chicken and parsnips is a perfect combo.

Garden update 2012

So busy - as the norm for here. Finally got the garden going. Here is an update for all my homesteading and gardening followers. Plus a "year in review" in photos to follow.

Had a great battle of the slugs and won (for the most part).
How?
1 - eliminated the grand majority of the rock condos
2 - eliminated the vegetation between rows and in adjacent areas
3 - used omri Slug bait in spring and a light application in late summer.
 

butternut volunteer

A few shot from the late summer (I got a late start last year).

Yeah, moles were an issue but got them under control. Never a shortage of moles in the area. Blueberry hill got 3 varieties. I ended up having to amend the soil. Normally, the soil here is ideal for blueberries except, this area was used as a storage area for gravel and made the soil way too alkaline and rocky leaving the bushes dried out and sad. I un-planted them, dug out the top 4 inches (the pile of gravel in the front). Then, I added a 1:1 ratio of peat-moss and compost and worked it in to the remaining top 3 inches deep and about 4 foot diameter. 2013 will show us how it does.






A year in review is a little late but here we are.

For your viewing pleasure... before and afters.

the befores are going to look even worse because of really bad photo shooting and lack of editing - sory.

garden

before

 

 after

 

 

 

 Wall

 

before

before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after

 

 

Coop

before

after

blackberries

before

after

corner garden

can't find a before right now but I pruned the rhododendron, added 5" of mulch and planted a shrub and flowers after repairing the rock wall.

after

basketball court

deck

  see deck post

 

  

foundation gardens

 

before

 

after

Japanese garden in front was started by some pruning and felling a ceder tree. That will be a post in it's own for 2013.

Thanks for stopping by for 2012 yard and garden update!

Super Simple Apple Pie!

"Easy as pie!" I think this expression comes from apple pie. No pie is more easy and fool-proof to make!

Ingredients:

4 -6 medium sized Apples - any kind will work.
        But, if you want to know... I used 2 Fuji and 2 honey-crisp because it's what I had!
        How much?  - Enough to mound the slices up in your pie pan. Mine were 2-4 inches diameter.
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon
        Optional - nutmeg and other spices to taste - I did not use them because I wanted  SIMPLE pie.
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) cold and cut into slices. OR you can melt it. Whatever.

2 - Pie crust - you can make your own or purchase
1 egg scrambled - optional for a pretty glaze top
1 tbsp sugar optional for sparkly glazed top.

Crust - I wing it and make by feel. For this one I used about 2-3 cups flour cut into about 1/2 cup soft butter and 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Added enough water to make it into dough and rolled it out.

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Peel and slice them apples and remove cores. (save the peel and cores for your chickens or making apple cider vinegar :-) Or at least compost them.

Put them in a BIG mixing bowl with the sugar, flour, spices and coat them all nice and even.

Prepare your crust and place one in the pie pan.
Pour all them apples in the crust - they will be nice and high!
Butter goes on top of that nice and even.
Cover the mound with the other crust in your style of choice.

Optional - "paint" with the scrambled egg and sprinkle the sugar on top.

Bake till crust is nice and golden - about 20-30 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream!

Family Visit in Summer 2012

Crazy.

That is what it has been the past few weeks.

Crazy busy and crazy nice to have family come visit.

My Sister visited a few weeks ago and then a few days later my folks came up from Texas.

This is what we did.

Went for walks around the block. 

Around our block is a 45 minute excursion at a brisk pace.

But, you can enjoy the scenery and make a few friends along the way.

A word of caution... 

When you come to visit family on a farm or homestead you end up working.

Pitted the mother-load of cherries.

Pops busy poppin' pits.

 

Canned them.

The apples were starting to fall again and they are a bit tangy so...

Apple butter is the product. 

Had to can it too.

Mom busy slice'n-n-dice'n.

Made a bench.

 

Did a ton of shopping.

Had dined every nite on the deck and had food cooked on the grill. 

Deer and bird watching from the deck (throw in one black-bear). 

Then...

My sister is moving back to Texas :-(      BOO!

I will so so so miss her being only 4 hours drive away but, they will be happier back inthe sun and heat, close to family (minus one).

We helped her pack up.

And I spent time soaking in my niece while I could.

 














She did this "scrunchy face" thing. She scrunched her face up like she was gonna bawl and  would try and try to force a cry but wouldn't. Right between grins.





I cant say that I didn't cry a little when I put her down for her nap before we left.

my fam in the willamette valley, oregon

We got back and took a ride on the Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad before the folks returned to Texas.

It was a nice day. A relaxing train ride.


 

They practically stopped the train along the river valley so that folks can take in the mountain view.

We did the BBQ ride with BBQ by Mineral Lake. The lake view wasn't spectacular. They needed to clear off some of the vegetation for a good lakeside view. I thought the BBQ meal was really good. 

mom at the lake

Miss you fambily!