So I totally geeked out on Thursday and made a Seed Inventory list… what seeds we have, their age, which to start indoors, and which we need to buy this year.
On Saturday, we caught the end of the Menard’s seed sale (20% off, plus 40% off) and tried not to go crazy with our selections. They already had onion sets! Can you believe it? We’re both in the gardening mood now, and it’s disappointing to come home and see our garden drifted over with a foot of snow.
Think spring! Meanwhile, we compost.
Today was my first time canning alone, without Mom, a Grandmother, or anyone else. It was also my first time pressure canning. I borrowed a small pressure cooker from my Grandma-in-law to give it a try. Worked great! I will definitely do this again. Yummy, beautiful, green beans!
To my dismay, the beans do lose their brilliant color upon canning. They end up looking just like regular canned beans, but at least I know where they came from, when, and what’s in them!
This is our garden today. It’s unbelievably huge, beyond any expectation.
This is what we’re getting from the garden. It’s awesome stuff.
Those beans on the left are called Scarlet Runner. They were fun to grow because the vines are around 10 feet tall with pretty red flowers… but the beans are full of strings with a plastic-like lining around the seeds. I can’t even cook with them. Bummer. I won’t be planting them again.
Look, look!
Sorry, that’s all I have energy to say today… zzzzzzzz
In addition to the day lilies, did I forget to mention that we also received a beautiful bucket of ivy from a family friend? And we fly out tomorrow. Yeah, got that planted too. They’re pretty fresh cuttings… I hope they make it!
We planted them at the top of the soon-to-be-terraced area.
We fly out tomorrow. Out-of-the-country out. But when someone offers FREE PERNNIALS, I just can’t say no!
Ryan and I loaded up my entire car (did I say ENTIRE) with day lilies from a co-worker. They filled my trunk, covered the rear folded-down seats, filled my passenger seat and floor. The car was so packed that plants were touching me from the back and the right as I drove. I sure wish I had a photo of that!
So, 12 buckets of day-lilies and today is the only day we have to get them in the ground. Here we go!
We dug out the not-so-attractive bush that was planted in front of the well, along with a circle of grass. Filled the area with compost and dropped in several day lily plants.
After that, we planted them around the yard in various sunny beds. Can’t wait to see them next year! Whew, can’t believe we got them all in! Now, where’s my passport?
We are about to leave on a 10-day vacation. I’m having some remorse over scheduling this trip for the middle of summer, when I’m most enjoying watching my garden grow. We have arranged for a family member to water things if needed. Why do I feel like I’m leaving my baby with the sitter for the first time!? Yikes!
Left (front) to right (back): wax bush beans, scarlet runner pole beans, Kentucky Wonder pole beans.
Yellow summer squash.
Winter squash patch (pumpkin, buttercup, butternut, acorn) in front of tomatoes.
We had a great time with family over the holiday, and attended a beautiful outdoor wedding too!
Have I mentioned how huge things are getting? It’s so much fun to take a “garden walk” every day when I get home. It’s amazing how things change so quickly! The beans & peas are blooming now, and the Scarlet Runners have found the top of the fence already.
Here are shots of the tomatoes & winter squash.
So… there has been a terribly overgrown honeysuckle living against the house which had grown so large it was taking over 3/4 of the sidewalk, requiring passers-by to walk on the lawn to get to the front door. I went at it with rage, calming down enough in the process to allow a few leaves to remain.
As part of the same project, we also did some edging.
