Value of harvest as of 7/20/10: $563

A kitchen gardener's blog

Planting Asparagus, Again

April 03, 2010 - I recently planted Asparagus for the fourth time. No one should put in four asparagus patches in one lifetime: it's too much work. While this is only my third house and garden it will be my second asparagus planting in this yard. In my haste to have garden fresh asparagus when we first moved here, I selected the worst spot in my yard to grow asparagus, so I am starting over.

The new spot is protected from strong wind, right outside my potting shed, and close to a water source. I started preparing the soil last summer. I located the chicken tractor there until the girls removed al... MORE

Goats and Cheese

March 12, 2010 - Meet Jasmine the goat. The kids think she's adorable.

Goat's milk makes great cheese. And I was surprised to discover just how easy cheese making is. My best cheeses have been made from unpasteurized milk. Unfortunately in Tennessee, and many other states, it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption. So many connoisseurs of homemade, raw milk cheese, end up getting a goat or two.

I buy the Chevre culture here and follow the simple instructions on the pack.... MORE

Chickens: Livestock or Pets?

March 09, 2010 -
I have been pondering this question for days now. Are chickens, like Sunflower (pictured here), livestock or pets? Until recently, I had not given it much thought. But when suddenly, I had to give my four hens away, I realized just how attached I was too them. This got me to thinking... most governing bodies consider chickens livestock, but I have a hunch that most chicken keepers, with small flocks, think of them as pets.



When I first acquired the girls, as one day old chicks, I did not really think of th... MORE

Death, Decay, Dinner

March 04, 2010 -
Our maple tree is dead.

The maple who's flaming red leaves,
against the blue autumn sky,
looked so beautiful from the kitchen window.

The maple over who's roots,
I've patiently cultivated a moss garden.

The maple who's canopy
my son played in.

The maple who's branches
my daughter adorned with trinkets.

We loved that tree.
We'll miss that tree.

But from decay comes new life.

I don't want just any life.
I want fungi, Shiitake mushroom fungi.

So I order spawn.
I drill holes in stump and felled logs.
I... MORE

First Cherry Blossoms

March 31, 2009 - Three years ago I planted two cherry trees, a Black Tartarian, and a Viva. Today they bloomed for the first time. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate and I get cherries this year.... MORE

Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed Lettuce

March 17, 2009 - Usually I select seeds to grow in my garden based on flavor, but when I saw the name of this lettuce in the seed catalog, my mind just went crazy, and forgot all about flavor. What would a lettuce called "Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed" look like? My guess was curly leaves with red spots. And how would it act in the garden. Would she flop over and dangle her leaves in the pans of beer set out for the slugs. Or would she run through the garden throwing tomatoes at squirrels? Ok, that only happened once, and I swear, I was completely sober at the time. Besides that squirrel had it coming. <... MORE

Tomato Transplants

March 16, 2009 - I find raising my own tomato transplants very rewarding. They quickly sprout from seeds, and in less than 4 weeks outgrow the 2" square cube they were started in. So today I potted them up into larger containers.

The tomato stem is covered in tiny hairs which are all potential roots. So I plant the transplant deep, covering as much of the stem as I can. This encourages a strong, deep root system that will help prevent disease.

In about another 4 weeks, they will have outgrown these pots, and be ready for planting in the garden.... MORE

Flowering Fruit Trees

March 09, 2009 - The nice thing about growing fruit trees is that they look so pretty in the spring landscape.



The pink flowers are from a peach tree and the white are from a plum. I just hope our temps stay warm until fruit set, otherwise they will be no peaches of plums this summer. ... MORE

I am tired of being the pollinator

March 06, 2009 - For about a month now I have had to be the sole pollinator for my lemon tree. Since it does not like temps below 50 degrees, it has spent the winter inside, isolated from bees and wind which usually do the job. So every few days, I take a small paint brush and move the pollen from one flower's anther to another's stigma. This is really not as tedious as it sounds, the worst part is that I am allergic to citrus pollen. So while the tree is in bloom, it is banished to an extra bedroom, and I have to wear a dust mask in order to perform my duties as pollinator. But today I get a break. It is... MORE

Signs of Spring

March 04, 2009 - Looking out my window, the garden appears so dead. But looks can be deceiving. I spent a few hours this afternoon weeding, raking and pruning. And to my amazement, I uncovered lots of new growth. Many of my herbs are showing signs of life. The new leaves on this catnip were hidden under last year's dead growth.

Catnip is not just for cats, it makes a great, calming tea for people.... MORE

A Breath of Fresh Air

March 02, 2009 - The lettuce and cabbage transplants I started a month ago are spending a little time outdoors. Each day I leave them out a two hours longer than the day before. I do this for a week before transplanting into the garden. This process is called hardening off, and is essential to growing transplants. It helps plants adjust to the harsh, outdoor conditions.... MORE

Potatoes

March 28, 2008 - I planted potatoes today, a purple variety called caribe. They should be up in about 3 weeks. Shortly after that I will plant beans in the bed with them along with marigolds in any space potatoes did not come up. This should confuse the potato and bean pests.... MORE

Collards

March 16, 2008 - The collard greens that I planted last fall, are the best looking plants in my garden right now. They withstood our winter temperatures in the teens with only the protection of a floating row cover. Since they sweeten up after a hard freeze, they taste great right now. The warmer spring temperatures are causing them to bolt, so we are eating a lot of them.... MORE

Fruit Trees

March 01, 2008 - Early March is a great time to prune fruit trees. I did my plums, peaches, cherries, apples and pears today. I removed all broken limbs and any that were crossing.... MORE