I’m smitten with our poppy patch. I had no idea, these ziar poppies would be so very beautiful. We had a crazy, wild wind storm last week, in which the poppies (and the tomatoes) sustained some damage. We lost a few poppies, but most survived and are now being propped up with a few bamboo [...]
When I talk about food preservation and building a pantry, I know that sometimes people envision an entire day of canning resulting in 80 jars of food in one session. I have done about 50 jars in one day but that isn’t the norm for me and probably not the norm for most people. Granted, there [...]
As a gardener and food preservationist, summer is an interesting time for me. I find myself wanting to be outside every single moment, soaking up the summer sun and warmth and there has been lots and lots of that. My lightening hair from the sun’s bleach is a testament to just how much time is spent [...]
Every year I try to grow something new, especially a new something edible. Last year it was rutabagas. They were such a hit that they’ll be making an annual appearance in our vegetable patch. This year, we’re trying kohlrabi, fennel, chinese kale, and ziar poppies. The chinese kale was a failure partly due to weather and [...]
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” ~Lin Yutang I don’t know about anyone else, but I sure do struggle with those non-essentials in life. Just when I think I’ve rid myself of them, [...]
I took the week off from work and have spent the last few days doing some fun stuff and bits of gardening work. We had a very rainy and cool June, making the garden growth a little spotty. However, the weeds didn’t seem to mind and are growing just fine. I’m trying not to get terribly worked up [...]
When I was using my habitat laundry sink for washing off radishes and lettuce last week, it occurred to me that a small table would be nice. I was thinking of putting a cutting board over half the sink and using that or setting something up with a set of saw horses. I had ideas, but [...]
We had a very wet, grey June here in northwest Montana. Things are starting to turn around and warm up now. Which is good because while rain does help the garden grow, sunshine is needed too. All the rain has effected the garden plants in a variety of ways. The beets and carrots have up [...]
I’m always trying to figure out ways to make my life a little bit simpler, to make things just a bit easier. My kitchen is generally a mess at all times. It’s not terribly large and with all the cooking and canning and gardening that goes on, its tough to keep it tidy. I wanted [...]
Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration. ~Charles Dickens That’s the view of our home from the garden gate. Since the garden is at the far end of our little farm, we can take everything in from [...]
