trudy's Blog

Had to take time for canning
May 31, 2008 | 1:29 PM PST
Tags: green beans , plums , jelly , garlic , grasshoppers , brim

Today is real hot, 94* but we have been having a breeze all day. I haven't felt real good the last few days, I'm wondering if I'm getting an ulcer. Anyway I did get a few things done, this morning I picked another batch of green beans to add to the gallon bag I already had cleaned an cut. I gave a partial bag to my widow neighbor this morning along with a few new potatoes. Wound up with 14 pints of green beans.

Yesterday coming home from Macon along the roadside I found some yellowish orange ripe wild plums so DD an I stopped an picked a few. These make some pretty jelly. So today I made some plum jelly.We were down to our last jar. Although I did have to add some of my red plums to make a full batch/recipe, it turned out good. I still have enough juice to make another batch but I only had 1 box of pectin. I didn't realize I was so low on pectin or the canning lids. So hopefully sometime over the week end I'll be able to get some more.

I got my garlic cleaned up that I had curing in the greenhouse on the tables. Separated them into large, medium an small heads. I'm so pleased with this years crop, some nice large heads for a change. I usually do ok growing garlic but this time they out did themselves. I will definitely be saving some of those larger heads for planting this fall. I really believe that is key to getting those large heads. I've read about it plenty of times but just never really had ones big enough to matter b4.

I'm still inching away at the Ga. Thumper grasshoppers, they have moved to the veggie garden. I have them down enough now I just step on them when I see one. Getting ready to get the last batch of bean outta the pressure cooker then going brim fishing.

A Good Day
Feb 2, 2008 | 3:27 PM PST
Tags: lantana , dahlia , garlic , asparagus , shallots

It turned out to be a nice day today,  perfect for digging in the dirt.   My 2 yr old gson spent the night with us friday night, which is becoming a wonderful habit here lately that I don't mind.  Anyway we got out an planted the elephant garlics, tuberoses,  Garden Wonder Dahlia an Mick's Peppermint Dahlia that I had bought from the Atlanta Show, then we had to feed the chickens before I took him home.  It was a good day.  Tomorrow I need to try an get the red onions, shallots an Jersey Giants planted.  Can't decide where I want to put those,  in the veggie garden or mix them in some flower beds.  I may split them up an put some in both just to see where they do best at, now that I know more about them they may do ok straight in the ground.  I'm hoping to work on getting dead out of the roses tomorrow to an cut back the last of the lantana.   So much to do out there don't know where to start.
 

SE Garden Show in Atlanta
Jan 31, 2008 | 3:16 PM PST
Tags: Garden , dahlias , garlic , asparagus , vender , seeds
Well I went to the SE Garden Show in Atlanta on Wednesday an had a wonderful time.  I was doing really good at not spending any money till right near the end then I spotted a vender that had Heirloom Seeds.    Oh my God, my weakness I tell ya!  I got 2 Dinnerplate Dahlias, Jersey Giant Asparagus, 2 bags of Elephant Garlic,  an haven't counted the packs of seeds.  They didn't have everything I wanted but that may have been a good thing, lol.  But sure is a good start.   Now for it to warm us to get everything planted.

trying to keep busy
Jun 18, 2007 | 6:01 AM PST
Tags: garlic , pecans , farmer , creamed corn , watering

Over the week end even though I can't do much DH & DD has been great about keeping my plants an veggies watered. I did get all the garlic cleaned up that had been dug b4 Thursday, gottem separated into the drawers as to what needs to be used first an what will be used for seed come Oct/Nov. To my surprise they did very well this season an some fairly decent sizes grew. Most are hardnecks which isn't suppose to grow here this far south. So I'm very pleased.

Being how I am having to sit more than anything I decided to work on my cracked pecans that I couldn't seem to ever get around to. They are still good btw, just need picked out of the shells. I know if I could get out an do stuff this job wouldn't get done. I thought I'd be getting some sweet corn from my farmer BIL yesterday but he didn't have time to pull any, so he said I can get some next week end, he'd have them ready for me. Which will be better cuz I'll have DH here to help me. I'm wanting to put some creamed up this year, an seeing how I can't seem to grow corn to well in my little garden its good to have family thats farmers.

Previously someone wanted to see pics of my veggies, I just uploaded them so to view you'll need to go to my photos, Vegetable Album.

Last minute things to do
Jun 15, 2007 | 8:42 AM PST
Tags: tomatoes , garlic , Black Krim , cure , peppers

I'm a couple days late on this entry,  had the surgery on Thursday, but on Wed.  I bought 2/6pks of bell peppers to help fill in where the garlic was dug up an let the store owner talk me into Galieth (sp) tomatoe saying any plants I bought I'd get a 10% discount.  I think he said that cause I was telling him he needed to start having some sales on the plants cuz its getting to hot to be trying to plant things here.  

I had only planned on getting my chicks some more feed an the peppers, ok ok I'm easily persuaded when it comes to plants of any kind.  His employee tried to get me to get the larger peppers that had blooms on them already, but I stood my ground on that one.  I told him NO, that I already had plenty in the ground an by getting the ones smaller I wouldn't be overwhelmed all at once with peppers.  Besides the bigger the plant in the pot may make it more difficult for them to get established.  An knowing I wouldn't be able to be out there to tend to them I think I made the right choice.  Dug a few more garlics an put them in the greenhouse shade area to cure.  While there the ones I dug the other day were doing nicely, so I trimmed off some the roots on some of them an let them be a little longer.

Seeing how nothing got watered yesterday cuz we got home late from the hospital I turned on the sprinkler this morning an got DH to change out the stations after an hour per station.   I knew not to try an pull on the hoses to change them out.  But I did pick one of the Black Krim mators while out there.  It was just calling my name, what can I say.  Ok I can't sit here long so till next time.  trudy 

Playing catch up
Jun 11, 2007 | 4:03 PM PST
Tags: feed , hogs , chickens , garlic , strawberries , weeding , trellis , butterbeans

It was 103 today, no idea of the heat index. Way to hot to be outside, but gotta do whatcha gotta do. Stopped by the feed store on the way home to get some corn for the hogs an scatch for the chickens an wound up buying a 6 pack of Jubilee Watermelon seedlings an 2 tomatoes, but 1 of them had 2 in the pot so I got 3 total. Like I need more, after 111 tomatoe plants you'd think it'd be enough. But I had some empty spots to fill in one of the mator beds so there ya go. Got them planted an repotted a Rabbiteye Blueberry bush I had bought back in the spring that I just can't seem to get in the ground, but this one was still in the plastic tubing thing, It really needs to develop a better root system b4 going in the ground in this heat. So its in the garden area right next to the faucet so I'll have to trip over it to water. That way I don't overlook it. I also potted up a lemon tree that I had rooted a piece of off a friends lemon tree, so I named it Howells Lemon. It to went into a garden path so it gets watered when I water the garden.

While weeding I noticed the garlic bed had bout finished up an needed dug up, so I took the time to get them dug an in the shade so they can dry. A few are left that aren't quiet ready yet. But most of them were. Now to figure out what to put in that kinda large area. I thought about putting up a cattle panel an arch it for a walk thru trellis, then plant some more pole butterbeans. Even then I'll still have some room left over. Decisions!

After reading the blog about the strawberries, can't remeber the username I got to noticing how the strawberry patch that I just this spring put some runners in now has runners everywhere. So I may need this fall to plant them somewhere or give them away. I may put at least some in with some of the flower beds. But I don't want no 300 of them, lol. Thats way to many for me.  I'm trying to get things done/somewhat caught up b4 Wednesday, cause Thursday I'll be out of commission for awhile due to surgery an recovery. But the plus is I'll be home an in the cool a/c.

I can't seem to figure out how to post pics to a blog yet, wish there was a simple "attach photo" button to click on in here to simplify things. I'm not that computer smart to start with, lol. trudy

Fresh from the garden
Jun 10, 2007 | 5:31 PM PST
Tags: watered , weeded , rain , Thai Green Eggplant , Pole Butterbeans , scallions , squash , EVOO , garlic , rosemary , venison , bell peppers , mystery , vine

Its been awhile since my last post according to my last log entry. Other than keeping things watered an weeded its been the same ole same ole. We've gotten 2 evenings of good rain, that has really done a lot of good. I have finally gotten around to planting the last 2 Thai Green Eggplant plants into their container. I almost let my comfrey die of drought, although its not a pretty green I think it will come back. I still have a couple blueberry bushes to plant but really don't know where to put them. So I'm keeping them in the water path of the garden so they get a good drink daily. I've had to replant my Sieva (sp) Pole Butterbeans 3 times, but they have finally broke ground. My last years Everbunching Onions gave up and after clearing that spot I put up my bambo pole I had dried out early an put up a trellis then planted the Willowleaf Pole Butterbeans to climb on, some have already broke ground.

Tonight for supper I was finally able to use up 3 of the patty pan squash I had picked an added them to the yellow crookneck squash added some scallions an the 1 brocolli head I had picked a couple days ago with some olive oil, salt an pepper, sauted just enough to leave a little crunch along with some of the multi colored potatoes (that didn't get big at all) with some fresh from the garden diced garlic with diced rosemary sprinkled with some EVOO, fried green tomatoes, an cucumber with vinegar, salt & pepper. All this with some venison cube steak. Man ole man was it good. Nothing like picking your supper fresh from the garden.

I have already put up 2 trays of bell peppers in the freezer. Hopefully by the end of the season I'll have plenty of that to do awhile. I've got a mystery vine that I trellis up on an old baby bed spring that I have no idea what its gonna be, but it came up in the strawberry patch. I'm thinking it may be lemon cukes, thats the same spot they were last year an with adding compost to the strawberries its very possible thats what it is. I have ID'd on the the volunteer squash an I am pretty possitive its the banana squash. Undecided whether to leave it or rip it out. My strawberry plants all have runners on them now, just need to find the time to get some small pots done up and place the babies in them so they can take root in them instead of where ever they choose.

I've only picked a couple of those black with yellow striped worms off the tomatoes so far, but yet to find any of the horned worms yet. It may still be a little early not sure, but am curious to see if my experiment is working. More later on that! I have added a scoop or two around all the veggie plants of the wonderful manure an could see a difference within a few days.