Journey11's 2016 garden journal

[majorcatfish]

lots for fireworks last night both dogs where in their crates never heard a peep out of them compared to last friday...

 

[journey11]

Finally, there are more blackberries than the kids have interest in picking and eating. A couple of days like this and there will be jam!

 

[Smart Red]

Looking good. I spotted some blackberries yesterday. They are a couple of weeks behind yours. Told Spouse we'll need to get them. I've harvested black-caps there, but this is the first year I've seen blackberries there.

 

[journey11]

I love the flavor of the wild ones best, but I do appreciate that these tame ones are thornless. It's nice not to get shredded when I go picking.

 

[Smart Red]

I'll take the prickers. I'm actually pretty lucky about not getting overly scratched. Of course, I don't walk through the briars, just pick on all sides of them.

 

[journey11]

The kids have been at VBS all week and hubby too as he is in the skit. I've had a very nice quiet week of working in the garden, getting things caught up and feeling pretty recentered for the time being.

Haven't had any doctors appts to run to in two weeks now, although next week there are a couple and Dad has a follow up MRI which will tell us where this thing is headed. Last one 5 weeks ago showed something, but they couldn't say if it was just radiation damage or if it was regrowth. I would not have expected it to regrow so soon since he has had the chemo and radiation, so I'm really hoping it's just radiation necrosis. Just trying to put it in God's hands and leave it there and not worry. It's tough though.

The garden is under control! Two flowerbeds are mulched and under control. The rose bed is almost under control, been pruned, weeded and amended just needs mulched. The house is decently clean and presentable. It has been a really productive week, feels good to get caught up around here.

Harvested the Stonehead cabbage today. Gonna make them all into sauerkraut. These are perfect for growing in a raised bed. The plants only got about 14" in diameter and make about a 6" head.

Overview of how the garden is coming along. Got most of it mulched before I ran out of straw and cardboard at the tomato row and beans. That doesn't leave much to hoe. I need to run into town and get more tomorrow, plus it will give me an excuse to get out of this hot house. The AC went out on Monday. The fella came to look at it today and it will only take a $40 capacitor to get it back up and running. He should be back with that tomorrow. That's been a blessing, that it didn't cost much.

Replanted the gaps in the bush beans row and they came up fine this time. The older plants are setting snap beans now. These are for canning, Top Crop and Contender. I think I had mice or voles that were stealing the beans before as the cotyledons broke the surface. I found a few lying on the ground with one small bite out of them. I removed a tarp that was lying in the barn and several rodents shot out. They scurried off so quickly, I couldn't tell which. I've left the barn door open for over a week to give the cats acess to them. Lesson learned there.

Got tomatoes coming on now. Ava had this one labeled as Brandywine Black, but it definitely isn't. I should be able to figure it out once they turn though. So far my plants have stayed healthy in spite of the rain and humidity. Really didn't get all the rain they called for the past couple of days, so I watered the tomatoes this evening as they hadn't gotten a good deep watering and I still need to mulch them.

I posted my grow-outs for Russ in the bean thread. Below the beans for canning I also put out a few more bush beans for increasing seed. I noticed today that they were up. I have a few more pole beans in flats inside that I wanted good germination on and those will go in the last open space in the upper half of the garden next week. I have about 95 more growing days left and there should be plenty of time to mature dry seed. I will have something to trade with at the bean swap in Berea, KY this year, so as of now I am planning to go.

On to planting fall stuff tomorrow. Front raised bed is mostly open. Still have some clean up of weeds to do on the back two raised beds. It's coming along.

 

[Nyboy]

Whole week alone, must have seemed like a vacation LOL Everyone here is talking about this years chipmunk population.

 

[thistlebloom]

It sounds like a wonderful week your having Journey. So happy for you to be able to get caught up! It makes for so much more peace of mind when you get your garden orderly, doesn't it?

Your garden looks good. So tidy and organized.

 

[Nyboy]

This is camp visiting weekend, when all the wealthy ship their kids off to sleep away camp for the summer visit them.

 

[ninnymary]

Great job on getting so much accomplished! Must be because there was no one there to take up your time. lol

Glad you are having a "restful" productive time. You deserve this peace and calm.

Mary