Seeds

I was out near my garden today, it was covered in snow and ice. Burning sticks and branches was only a small consolation for my need to be digging in the dirt but it sufficed. I came inside smelling of wood smoke and the woods. Tonight I sat down to finalize my seed order (after my grad school work and family and gone to sleep). 

Every year I talk about scaling back, only planting what my family eats, not planting veggies just to fill spaces, and only what I know grows in my soil/zone/area. However, I find myself drawn to seeds that I 'think' will do well and I 'think' my family will enjoy.

As of March 15th, my 2020 garden will attempt to grow a variety of:
Beets
Beans (bush and pole)
Cabbage (to be purchased as plants)
Carrots
Cilantro (yay guacamole!)
Corn
Kale
Hairy Vetch
Onion (to be purchased as bulb/sets)
Peas
Pumpkin
Spearmint
Spinach
Squash
Swiss Chard
Tomato (lots)
Zucchini

Restart

Blogging!? What is this??

Years have gone by and I have been drawn back to writing and organizing my thoughts in one place. Grad school, getting one kid off to college, one in first grade, new jobs for myself and my husband (2 years ago now), and everything else going on does not allow for a creative outlet, so here I am again! 

We were outside today burning brush in the 47 degree weather today and I had a flood of ideas for plans with my garden once the spring is officially sprung. The biggest projects for me this spring will be removing trees from the surrounding area of the garden, and completely re-fencing both gardens and chicken area. Not for the faint of heart while I am in grad school, looking for a new job, and supporting the men in my life but it will happen. My garden is huge so finding a plan on a budget will be difficult, and I will have to modify any plans I find online, while also re-using all supplies.

On Pinterest tonight I found a few great ideas for fencing:








(Fishing line!? Not sure this would work in Northern Minnesota)

Matthew 13:1-30

The last time I weeded was on a Saturday, the next day (Sunday) we went to mass and Father Chuck read the Matthew: 1-30.  Now, people interpret the Bible different ways. I interpreted it literally (probably not as intended) for the moment!

Below is the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds.

 

God said I could let my weeds grow until harvest! 

 

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Vegetable Garden 2014

I have been gardening. And preserving. Basically everything except getting it down in words and pictures. I need more time during the evening when the kids are in bed, the sun is down, and the house is quiet. But, that is when I sleep!

Today, with the help of Cole, the garden was 'mostly' weeded. It was 'mostly' weeded almost 2 weeks ago too. Despite the weeds, my vegetables are growing amazing!

Changes already scheduled for next year:
No leeks.
Plant earlier, make a basic sheet cover for late frost.
Inside planting - transplant sooner.
Spinach and lettuce in containers/pots, not hanging baskets; less seeds per container.
Harvest mint once in June to prevent flowering.

Full view

3 rows of carrots. I had one today, best carrot ever! Need to thin these out.

Tomatoes, and 5 foot tall tomatillos

Jalapeno peppers and bell peppers

Cucumbers

Tomatillo lanterns

Bell peppers

Zucchini

Turnips

Potato flowers

Sweet Potatoes

Pole beans

Pumpkin vine

Bush beans

Tomatoes

Little closer view of whole garden

 

The Orphaned Earring

I love finding places to send my unused things that I cannot get rid of!!! So, today while Facebook scanning I saw a post with a link for The Orphaned Earring.

What a fabulous group! We all having earrings that we have been saving for ever, either a pair, or a single!

I just loved this and had to share. I'll be going home tonight and going through my jewelry to send off, and possibly buying a bracelet that I found at their online store.

http://theorphanedearring.com/

Vegetable Garden 2014

Started off gardening weeks ago. What has been done:

- Inside planting: habanero peppers, bell peppers, eggplant, and melon. The melon have all died, but one. Not sure what their issue was.
- Three stumps dug out. (Three more to go!)
- Transplanted raspberries given to us by a co-worker.
- Planted two blueberry bushes and one more rhubarb above the huge underground rock in the garden. I'm hoping to get two blueberry bushes each year for the next 3-5 years.
- Tilled with the new Troy-Bilt!
- Garden raked
- Bought plants for the first time: tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno and bell peppers. But, these are not the only of these kinds I'm planting. I'm using the plants as my row markers and planting seeds between. I'm mostly doing this so I remember what is planted where... (photos soon)
- Bought tomatillos
- Planted!!! Chamomile, spinach, lettuce, arugula, cucumbers, carrots, leeks, red onions, turnips, tomatoes, tomatillos, bell and jalapeno peppers.

Finishing the garden this week and  transplanting in the next week or so, I don't feel like my seedlings are quite ready.

Vegetable Garden

The planning has officially begun!

I have seeds saved from last year to look through, I'll also have to wait for sweet potatoes, potatoes, garlic, and onions to purchase locally. I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds last year for the first time and had great luck with their product.

Last night's order consisted of the following:
Jujube cherry tomato
German red strawberry tomato
San Juanito tomatillo
Amarillo carrot
Bleu de solaise leek
Purple top white globe turnip
Kuroda long 8 carrot
Butternut rogosa violin "Gioia" squash
Boston pickling cucumber
Rocky top lettuce mix
Ground cherry
Amsterdam prickly seeded spinach