Showing posts with label blueberries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blueberries. Show all posts

Friday, April 6, 2012

Spring Has Sprung


It’s Good Friday and the sun is warming the soil. We are hoping to be able to till this weekend and get those rows going north to south to maximize the sun exposure. There is one area of the garden that is still very wet because it drops off a little and I was seriously considering bringing in some additional soil and supplements for that area. There is also a scrub tree that is on the east side of the garden that we had left last year in our hurry to just get established. We will be removing that this spring. Forecast is for sunny and in the 50’s. Let’s hope it follows through. One never knows living in this area of country.

The blueberries have buds swelling and I will gather the pine needles from the front of the property to spread around them for some additional nutrients.

The seeds that were started have now begun to sprout. I have them nursing themselves inside the 3-season porch that is south facing. Help from two large grow lamps help keep them warm at night. I started several varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, brussel sprouts, squashes, dill, parsley, basil, eggplant, catnip, cauliflower and broccoli. In two weeks I will sow another crop of lettuce.

There is no greater feeling than watching those young plants stretch themselves upwards. It is like a rebirth each time one pops up. We will hold their hands and keep their feet firmly planted until they bear their fruit. Then we will save their seeds and bring them back to life again next year.

So many people are planting gardens now. I was seriously thinking of organizing an organic seed swap in my area. I’ll have to put it out on my Facebook and post up some signs. I’m so excited that a friend of mine has organized a CSA (community supported agriculture). She is including fresh eggs, fresh soap, and fresh chickens with her fruit and vegetables. I wish more people would do this. To expand the CSA movement across the country would help eliminate the need for trucking our food supply and lessen our carbon footprint.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Blueberries, Beans and Hail OH MY!

What an incredible week! We’ve had very high temperatures and the late tomatoes are finally beginning to ripen. When it hasn’t been hot and humid, it’s been torrential thunderstorms.




We had a hail storm with very heavy winds come thru the other day that cause some severe damage in our area. We only lost a large limb off of our maple tree. But the remaining peas were blown over and the hail did considerable damage to the leaves of many of the plants.




I picked 3 gallons of green beans to put up. I will freeze some, can some with red sauce, and also make some “dilly beans”. We still have plenty of beans coming. And the late sowing of the red ones is proving successful. The plants are full of blossoms. One of those summer pop up late day thunderstorms interrupted the cleaning efforts. We completed those today.


Today we also planted 6 blueberry bushes and 4 rows of very hardy raspberries, which I call the 'Aunt Angela' variety. They were shoots from the raspberry patch at our family cottage in Maine. They make it through those winters and just keep coming back stronger than ever. I’m hoping for the same results. I had Joe digging holes and mixing compost/humus all afternoon. This is also in an area that gets full sun from morning to evening. It is protected on the north side by a fence and flower bed from any heavy winds and snow. Wow! I can't believe it was 86 degrees today and I'm thinking of snow already!


We should have known another storm was headed in when we saw this cardinal on the post in the garden. LOL. It is coming down so hard I don’t think I have to worry about watering the newly planted stock.


Tomorrow I will tackle the remaining peas. What do you think I should plant there for a fall sowing? Hmmmm Maybe some swiss chard.





Monday, August 15, 2011

Blueberries!



Took some time yesterday to pick over 8 pounds of blueberries. Some to freeze, some for jam, and some to just plain eat with fresh yogurt. So glad that I got them in before all this rain today. The rest of them will nice and plump after a few days of rain.



Had to really dig underneath all the foliage to find the wonderful clumps of juiciness!

Highbush varieties of Blue Boy, Patriot, Elizabeth and Collins.