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

 

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
 

2014 Garden Pre-Planning

Even though last night hovered around -40 degrees I can't stop thinking about my garden! My frozen little patch of soil in the back yard completely covered by snow. We expanded the garden last year, taking out trees and clearing way to almost double my garden size. I am going to have to dedicate more time though, last year's garden was a sad excuse for a patch.

I had so many more weeds than normal. My squash didn't grow. My asparagus hardly sprouted. I planted the wrong tomato seeds. My corn was so small it was inedible. I had white mold in my bush beans. Deer ate many of my pole beans. I couldn't find some of my garlic and onions. My pumpkins didn't grow. I received 1 jalapeno from 4 plants, no bell peppers. At the end of the season, my zucchini rotted before I could freeze it, my pole beans molded before they could be dried, and my tomatoes rotted in the box they were ripening in.

I, and my garden, were a mess.

I think I might have more ideas than time for next year. I'm going to stop trying to get fancy with my garden and get back to the basics.

Some things I need to remember, especially for June:

* Proper spacing (hence the white mold in the bush beans)
* Companion planting and/or move a few things around
* Proper placement of full sunlight and shade plants
* Place potted veggies closer to the house or in shade to prevent drying out
* Double check seeds to make sure they are what will work in my space
* Better marking for rows, patches, and randomly planted ground cover plants
* Learn plant identification (I think I pull some veggies out and leave some weeds in at the beginning) of each year

From the fence, going left ,almost to the edge of the photo is where my 'big-girl garden' will extend.

 

Day of the Turnips

What to do with a box of turnips...

I picked all of my turnips last weekend. There were so many slugs weaved in and out of my precious crop, what's a girl to do!? I threw my turnips in a bucket and the slugs in water. Cruel, yes. Necessary, yes. Will I lose sleep tonight over the nasty slugs, nope!

I scoured Pinterest for ideas for turnips and ultimately decided to blanch and freeze. We used a few of them over the last week for dinner (recipe here), but couldn't use them all soon enough; they were starting to get soft.

My adventure started this afternoon as I peeled and cut all of the turnips. I started the boiling water and by the time I got all of the turnips in the water had probably been boiling for oh... an hour?! Opps, got distracted I guess, too many shiny things in my house, and the baby!  Threw the turnips in and as expected water stops boiling. Wait and wait and wait. No boiling. Check the burner, it's on. Start zucchini chip adventure. Crap! Turnips are still boiling. Throw into cold water and they are all beyond blanched, they are cooked. Oh well. Mark em, bag em up, and freeze up! Done and done!

 

Fleurs

At times throughout the summer I tend to forget about my flowers. It's not that I love them any less than my vegetables but I have more at stake if the veggie garden doesn't produce. However,I do love my little flowers and watching them bloom throughout the summer. I didn't add much to the flower gardens this year but plan on moving some of the Hostas due to deer issues in the back yard. I added the Dahlia bed with two elephant ears in June, and just transplanted Iris bulbs into the flower garden that will add a whole new element next summer!

I had 2 hanging Petunia's. Left them in the sun a bit too long a few different days so they are a little wilted but still producing beautiful flowers for the bees and hummingbird's.



The Dahlia bed. No flowers yet but the buds are there, just waiting for the right day!



Daylillies

I plant seed packets in my pots for the summer. However, I forgot what I planted in this one! Waiting for the flowers to show up so I can remember what I planted.

  

Fushias

Front Porch



Front Porch



2012 Garden - Mid-season Project 24

I thought blogging would be as easy this summer as it was last summer. Turns out being pregnant, doing some room remodels, getting Cole to baseball 3 days a week, and working full time does not allow for garden photography or blogging. Bummer!

Here is my garden update:


Walking into the garden.



My garden is approximately 30+ by 30+. It is messy and cluttered and I have way too much planted in each row/section. I cram everything in to see how each grows and to learn more each year

 I love it and it is my sanctuary!



Looking to the left-northwest.



Looking to the right-northeast.

 I have only weeded once prior to today since the end of June (an all day event). It has just been too hot for me to be out on the weekends days and the mosquito's are not kind in the evening we have been home. It is much different this year, I can't squat to weed so I have to literally crawl around on my hands and knees, or sit with my baby-bump constantly in the way. I have to make sure I drink enough water and take breaks.

Today, Cole and I were out in the garden for over 3 hours weeding! My potatoes were in desperate need of space and my walking path was scattered with dead weeds I had attempted to pull during my visits to the garden. He was the best helper. I had to put in him in the pathways because we had an incident in June in which I 'lost' a few onions and garlic due to the little boy helping.  The weather was nice and cool, so we weeded away the morning and after lunch. There are still weeds mixed in with my veggies, but not nearly what was there this morning.

It was such a great feeling to see it look like a real garden again!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

I love when my friends post gardening tips and ideas on Pinterest! This amazing blog had a post about sweet potatoes that I just had to pin and keep forever at my fingertips. It is a basic tutorial on how to grow your own sweet potatoes. Straight and to the point, which is what we all need!

Guess who is the only person in my family of 3 who likes sweet potatoes?? Yup, just me. This winter while planning the garden it didn't seem like a veggie I needed to plant. However, now that we're going to have baby in October or November that means I will not have as much time to get fresh garden produce ready for baby when it starts eating solids. This led to my decision to plant sweet potatoes. The plan is to grow, puree, and freeze the sweet potatoes in preparation of baby needing good homegrown veggies.

The local greenhouse where I will get my starters does not even start selling them until June 1st. So my little plot has been sitting empty for a few weeks, patiently waiting for something to grow. I will plant the sweet potatoes toward the south side of the garden, where they will get the most sun. They require very warm weather so I'm going to do my best to keep them toward the middle each year to maximize the sun for my picky little plans.

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

One of the first Pinterest ideas I decided to try was the toilet paper roll seed starters. While this idea is great in theory, I think I did a few things wrong. Below is the photo I saw to get my inspiration. Perfect little seedlings in a clean looking display.

Looks easy enough, right?

Below is my photo. Yes, mine are much messier, and growing nowhere near as even and perfect as the photo above. I planted eggplant, butternut squash, pole beans, (and tomatoes in the plastic pots). I only had 4 eggplant and 6 butternut squash sprout in the rolls, that was it.

A few things I think I did wrong that I will change if I try this again for my 2013 Garden:

*Watering was difficult because I had the rolls in a cardboard box. I watered often, usually with a spray bottle. But if it was nice out I would give them a better soak and let them sit in the sun. However, the bottoms of the rolls and box ended up getting moldy, yuck! I was happy to get it out of my living room window.

*When I went to transplant into the garden I thought it would be simple. However, I forgot about the 'hardening off' that is supposed to take place. So I lost 3 of my eggplant and 4 of my squash. Hopefully the other little guys will make it. I just thought it would be nice to have some early squash.

*Planting too early may have also been a problem. We started getting beautiful weather really early this spring. I can't remember exactly when I planted my seedlings but it was way too early...

*Location. I do not have a good location for full-day, south sun, or any sun really coming into the house. Next year I need to find a better location... or buy a mini-portable greenhouse that I can wheel in and out of the garage in the spring.

*Soil. I don't think I had enough seed starting soil in my rolls. Will add to the top next year to ensure the sun/heat is getting to every little seed.

Bulbs - Project 25

This week I had an awesome co-worker offer up Dahlia bulbs. I emailed her back (within seconds) saying I would take whatever she wanted to give away which turned out to be the Dahlia's and Elephant Ears! Now, the issue is finding a place to plant there where I can dig them out each fall. I will also have to learn how to care for bulbs. To reference my grandma again, she was an expert on caring for bulbs. She had a box in the garage where she carefully stored all of her flower bulbs, remembering where each one was in the fall to extract safely. This could be my downfall. In the spring I couldn't remember where I transplanted Hostas from last fall!

I'm hoping to add a small raised bed in my flower garden to plant the Dahlia's. This way they are all in one spot to dig out in the fall. I won't need to go on a scavenger hunt to find all of my bulbs, or risk losing some to the Minnesota winter.  The Elephant Ears could be planted in the same spot, as long as I don't over shade my flowers... so I guess we'll try it and see how it works.

Dahlia:
The Dahlia Barn has a great page (with a lot of detail) on how to care for Dahlia's. The biggest thing is understanding that these are going to take a little bit of extra time and care. Careful watering, and careful fall 'harvest' of the bulbs will ensure I have healthy tubers from year to year. I don't know what colors my Dahlia's will turn out to be but I do know they will be a beautiful addition to my garden!

Elephant Ears:
Elephant Ears are a great addition to a garden. Again, my problem is finding a spot for these larger plants!  The tips I got from a wiki-type site sound easy enough. I don't always trust the wiki-how or wikipedia sites just because anyone can add or change the information. These directions seemed very similar to other flower gardening sites.

1. Before planting the elephant ear tuber, wait until the danger of frost is over and the temperature averages 45ºF (7ºC) or more.

2. The adult elephant ear plant will need at least 3 feet (1 meter) of space, at a bare minimum, for proper growth and show in a relatively shady area. A really healthy plant may need as much as 5 feet (1-2 meters) of space.

3. Dig a hole, and if possible, in rich, organic soil about 3-4 times the size of the tuber.

Refill the hole as necessary with loose soil enough so that the tuber will be about 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm.) below ground level when planted.

4. Lay (plant) the tuber with its top up - if in doubt, plant the tuber sideways and let nature figure it out!

5. Cover the tuber with soil and water deeply. After watering, about 1" to 2" (2.5 cm - 5 cm) of soil should cover the tuber.

6. Mark the spot where the tuber is planted.

7. Wait 1 to 3 weeks - maybe more (depending upon air and ground temperature) for first growth to show.

8. Elephant ear plants perform reasonably well in average soil. Periodic fertilization (every 2 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertilizer will help them do their best.

9. Good drainage is a big plus, but the plant should not be left to go dry for any length of time. When this happens, the droopy leaves will give early enough warning for the plant to recover nicely if watered within a day.

10. At the peak of the warm season, large, beautifully lush foliage can grow to heights of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.6 meters). If any leaves turn brown at the edges, just cut away and new ones will certainly grow.

The plant will start having difficulties when the temperature falls below 50ºF (9-10ºC) or so for more than a few days. Before freezing temperatures take over, the tuber (root system) will have to be dug up. 

11. A healthy plant will have developed multiple new tubers during the growing season. It's best to leave these intact during storage. Separation will not do significant damage though.

12. Trim most of the green vegetation (top growth) off the top of the tubers: leave no more than half to 1 inch of leafy growth on the tuber. Let the freshly trimmed tubers sit in open air so they can visibly dry out before final storage - maybe a couple of days at most will do. Drying out will minimize the potential for mold, and bacteria to develop.

13. Store the tuber during the colder, winter months in a cool, dry place (45-55ºF is desirable). Don't store in a plastic bag: a plain paper bag with plenty of holes for ventilation will do nicely, as will storage in sphagnum peat moss or garden vermiculite.

14. When the warm season comes around again, separate the tubers as necessary, plant anew and enjoy!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

I love fresh carrots from the garden. When my siblings, cousins and I were younger we would help plant and harvest my grandma's garden. One of my favorite things to do was pick a carrot, 'clean' it on the grass, and eat! Last year I tried to plant carrots. I quickly realized our soil is too heavy (a common problem with my garden).  I planted a row of seeds, and only had one produce, then quickly die...

Over the winter I found a link through Pintrest about growing carrots in pots. This had never even occurred to me before! I have two huge clay pots that were left at he house by the previous owners that I have used for flowers. However, this year they are holding carrot seeds.

One thing I made sure to do was use an organic potting soil and seed starter in the pots. This soil is nice and light so the carrots will stay put but still have a lot of space to grow. I will have to make sure they get watered on a regular basis so the soil does not dry out. So far so good, just waiting for the sprouts!



The 2 large pots hold my carrots, the smaller pot holds spinach. Here, they will get full sun.

2012 Vegetable Garden - Project 24

Today I got to do my first 2012 gardening log in my book. My Aunt Joanne reminded me to keep track of the dates I plant, and what I plant. An idea instilled and practiced by my Grandma (her mama).  My Grandma was a diligent record keeper and logged the weather every day for as far back as we can track. She had gardening journals detailing everything. And while I have this blog, I love nothing more than a good handwritten record to look back on.  So, I've already logged everything (which I'm sure is making Grandma proud) and now its time to blog it!

I've changed my 'garden spreadsheet' a dozen times already and even 'finalized' it five times... opps! I really should know better.  I use growveg.com for my garden template and I love it!


Jeremy tilling the garden.

 The first things to go in the garden were my hanging tomato plants. I'm trying Romas in two hanging baskets to see how they work. I accidentally bought these instead of cherry tomatoes so I figure I might as well try them and see how they work. I'm all about maximizing my space this year.

Second veggie to go in the garden were carrots. I planted carrots in two large terra cotta pots. Our soil is extremely heavy and last year we only had one pop up, and then proceeded to die within days. I read that they would grow well in pots so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this year! The best carrots are fresh from the garden.

Third, I transplanted my tomatoes that had been growing inside for the past month. They are small but have been wilting and crowding each other out this week. The pots I planted them in were too small to begin with, I should have known better. But we planted them anyway and covered each with a 1/2 piece of a 2 liter bottle. This will hopefully keep the fragile little things warm over night and give them a nice little greenhouse during the day. I'll take the covers off in two weeks, when we shouldn't have freezing temps over night any more. I have more to plant when it gets warmer but I wanted a few ready to go asap!

Fourth, I planted potatoes, Yukon Gold. Three rows so far, with room for two more. I didn't plan ahead enough with the one bag I purchased from the greenhouse. Oh darn, will have to make another trip to Nature's Edge next weekend ;)



Rows are east-west.

 Fifth, my mom gave me her extra yellow and purple onions, planted two rows of each. The fall onions are coming up nicely too!



Onions and Garlic are north-south

 Sixth, brought out the small garlic from last year's garden and planted it in two rows. I should have spaced these out a little more but I think they will be fine. The fall garlic are coming up great!



Fall Onion and Garlic

Seventh, turnips. This is my first year growing these so we'll see how it goes! I don't love-love turnips but I do like them in a few different dishes so thought I might as well get them in the garden. 



Turnips and Marigolds are east-west

Eighth, I planted marigolds and alyssum. The alyssum went along the two 'missing' rows of potatoes and along the first row of new onions. These are supposed to be great companion plants for potatoes and garlic/onions. I put a small row of marigolds on both sides of the turnips. I have a lot of each of the flowers left to spread between rows in the garden. I'm hoping it not only helps the soil but boosts the productivity of my veggies.

A couple weeks ago I planted two groupings of asparagus with the hopes of 6-8 more. These were only watered today, nothing exciting.

After planting, everything was watered twice. Then I was done, woohoo! In 2 weeks I will plant the peas, beans, zucchini, transplant my butternut squash and eggplant, and plant extra tomatoes and anything else I find at Nature's Edge next weekend.

Refencing the Garden - Project 23

Last weekend Jeremy tilled the garden, this weekend we put the fence up! We, meaning him... but I was a great supervisor. We picked up new fencing at Menards again this year as most of last year's fencing went to deer proofing the apple trees. We purchased 5' fence to go along our entire 32x32(ish) garden. It was easier to manage than the 6' we had up last year. The husband did an amazing job, it looks great! Now for me to do my part... plant, plant, plant, weed, weed, weed, harvest!

Vegetable garden (Killer supervising the progress)

Project Complete!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

For this particular Pinterest idea I am going to need to hit a couple garage sales, flea markets, or possibly junk yards. Even though we expanded the garden this year I love the idea of vertical gardening. I love to make the most out of the space I have and not waste an inch. Even if this means growing more than I need, just to give it away to family and friends. 

Last year I didn't plant peas. I thought the soil would be too heavy. I am going to try it this year, and just plant extra in the case that only some of them can grow in our garden. I am going to plant snow peas and shelling peas. I will try this vertical planter for my snow peas and let the shelling peas grow in their bushes.  Here's the idea!

http://www.suitedtotheseasons.com/2010/09/peas-and-raspberries.html 

This homemade trellis is as simple as it looks.

Materials:

2 bike rims

1 metal post

String and wire