Be on the lookout

Keep an eye out for butterfly eggs on Fennel, Queen Anne's Lace and Spicebush. Also if you notice any black and red flat bugs about 1/2" or less, these are ladybug larvae. When they are finished eating, on their favorite, Tansy, you can literally watch them change into ladybugs, right on the leaf!!! You can just pick a leaf with a larva on it and bring it inside to watch the process. Have fun!!!

To find out more about these fascinating bugs, check out this site:



http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/ladybugfacts.htm

DONE !!!!!!!

I posted this on Babs' blog in thanks for all she gave me for this project. And for whatever reason when I pasted it into my blog it got underlined. ENJOY!!

I took a little liberty here, posting on your blog, as I want you to be the first to see this wonderful sight.

There are no words to convey my deep appreciation for what you have given me - Without your pavers, soil and compost, well, I might have had a few spare moments to myself this spring!!! LOL!!!

Well I can now breathe again - and maybe have a few moments, which I did yesterday, sitting out there during the last of my work. I had John bring a table up front, and took many rest breaks to finally enjoy the new creations!!

This is the path I had put in last summer, with scrap pieces.


And this is the new, improved path!!!!!



These are the veggie beds, with everything growing, OH, so marvelously!!!








This is the front view of the expanse of lawn, which we all enjoyed walking on, from various angles - I don't have one to match the final views!!






This view is from the hedge, to show the comparison with the almost end result, not including the patio!!


And this is the new, expanded view!





And this, TA DA, is what I can now see from the house and upstairs window (with completed patio)!!!








Can't wait for all to see it in person!!!

Finished planting!!

I have officially finished planting the veggie beds, and other edible areas. So much work had to be done. As my daughter hurt her back last month, I ended up doing most of it myself, which left little time for anything else.

I have already been thinning and transplanting seedlings that were planted in April! It has kept me so busy I just have not had time to have many gardeners in to get plants. Hopefully that will be easier to do once I finish the paving, which is well on the way to being done.

And our lettuce crop is just amazing!! The new veggie beds are working so well, I am thrilled to have that area becoming so productive!

I just need to get outside with the camera to share the progress, which hopefully will be done today,a s sun is predicted - FINALLY!!! I have gone through way to many changes of clothing while working out in the rain these past few days!! We figured out a way to set up a travelling umbrella for me to use out front to allow me to work out there in that OH, so hot sun. Previously I was unable to be out there much past 10 as it just gets too hot, but with the umbrella, I can work out there close to 12.

Mini raised beds

Grandpa built mini raised beds for the three kids. Ryan and Katelyn, now called Katimay by me, decided to paint theirs. It was a great outdoor project. These photos are from April 25th.




Ryan did quite well and even got his name on it.




Katimay got more paint on her than on the box,







but then switched over to paper and had a ball.




They both helped to get their layers going. We started with cardboard, then straw, soil, peat and compost.




They each planted a pea plant and some lettuce.


Wait until to see what they are looking like now!!! Need to get some current photos!

Foraging for edibles

This was originally written in April - thought I'd have photos to go with it. Having so much fun trying new foods. Some are quite yummy. Details to follow!

In my quest for finding new edibles I have been doing quite a bit of foraging lately. Unfortunately I have not had my camera with me on all treks.

I have found and tried the following:
Japanese Knotweed, Stinging Nettles, Chicory, Milkweed, Wintercress, Burdock

Where do the days go???!!

Been so very busy - family, grandkid care, gardening, teenager, hubby, friends, housework - how to fit it in? I haven't figured that one out yet, so am taking it moment by moment.

Many of you want to come and get plants/seeds. I have lots to share in that department. I just have not been able to find the time to even keep up with much of anything around here. I am almost finished with my veggie planting. Finally got my peppers in their beds. Have been busy transplanting seedlings, and finalizing all the veggie beds. They have been filling up so fast!!

I am trying to keep up with emails, but not with much success. I will do the best I can. If you have been here before chances are you will get a chance to get in and get more plants, I am giving precedence to those who have already worked here or who are willing to come and lend a hand this season.

The days I am in the garden first thing in the morning are Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I need help with thinning seedlings and transplanting. I will give the thinned plants to those who help.

Found these photos to let you see some progress with the perennials. I didn't realize I had not downloaded the recent photos from my camera - Will get to it someday, But trust me when I say all the veggies are growing splendidly!!



My white Bleeding Hearts were joined by pink Bleeding hearts this spring and were quite happy for the new company. They blended in so well they look like they have been there forever!!

Time for writing

Been Oh, so very busy planting for it seems forever now!! LOL!!!

Making such progress!! We enjoyed a home grown salad with dinner last night. A variety of lettuce and spinach leaves. Almost done with the new plants and seeds. I am trying out many new veggies and several different types of gardens. As I find more time I will share more details. Also testing out lots and lots of edibles. And in my spare time I am getting more familiar with Facebook as I have just recently reconnected with an out of state branch of the family, who use this network as a means of staying in touch. Need to get more computer friendly. What a wonderful way to stay connected.

As we are having a cool spell, I will be continuing my work on the raspberry patch - Had a wonderful new gardener, Hulya in on Sunday, and we got the lawn removed, for her to recycle in her yard, in the area where I will be expanding the berry patch!

Have been so busy I have forgotten to bring my camera out, so need to do that today. I have lots of photos to post, and stories to tell. All in good time! Enjoy the day!

Busy, busy, busy

Never finished this one........


Was out of state for two days! What a time of year to be away!!

I have been working day and night to get my planting done. Bed # 1 just needs the parsnips planted at the end and it will be full planted! I took advantage of the rainy weather in the morning to thin seedlings, many of which I was easily to find room for within the raised beds.

We started a Hugelkultur, which is from "Gaia's Garden". It is a pile of branches, in this case we used prunings from around the yard.

Planting frenzy

Trying to get my plants and seeds in with preschoolers is quite a challenge. Got the kids beds planted yesterday - Ended up only adding a pumpkin plant and carrot and radish seeds, which join the peas and lettuce planted earlier. KatieMay created a great tree sculpture with a dead branch and pavers from my huge collection!!

She and Ryan were more excited about digging in my huge compost pile to locate as many worms as possible. They are getting great exposure to all things nature.

Having my first plant offering this weekend. With providing daycare for the kids it will be interesting to see how this goes, as they will both be under my care then. I have been so blessed by my wonderful Mia who has agreed to get up early to watch them during the event!!

Have to get some planting done before my shift today!!

I just love getting my hands into the earth! Planted leek, onions, potatoes, corn, and tons more this week!!

Very busy over here

Last year for Mother's Day I asked my family for help in the gardens for the day. It worked so well that we are doing it again.

Many of you may remember my Raspberry patch and how my hubby and Mia cleared out a new area next to it for me to use to thin out the berries. That is until my hubby forgot what it was for and planted his tomatoes there!! Well, his tomatoes did not like the area, (may have had something to do with my contempt for them), and most of them died!

This year there will be no tomatoes there!!

Yesterday we did a pavers run, only one more truck load and we will be done with the hauling! We have moved hundreds of pavers over the last weeks, and I have been busily using them to surround the new raised veggie beds and for paths in the gardens. What a marvelous addition they make! Thank you, Babs, for your generosity. You have also provide compost and soil to use to fill some of them!

After the truck was unloaded we worked on the gardens. Mia loaded up my black gold compost from the purchased compost bin, to have ready for my choicest plants, while hubby scraped a path area for more paving to be done!

Then we all proceeded to the Raspberry patch, where we dug out a pathway and developed rows for easier picking and less crowdng of plants. These berry plants just love their location. They have spread so much that we are extending the area out towards the veggie beds. OOPS!! That means we have to get rid of more lawn! Too bad!! LOL I have been gunning for it for years.

Then Mia and I worked on the Fruit guilds. We moved a large Rhubarb, splitting it into four plants to provide mulch for the guilds. Also had moved Fennel there during the week, to attract beneficial insects. A Lupine had seeded itself under the Apple tree, which is perfect as Lupine is a nitrogen fixer, so I moved more under the Pear tree as well.

Then added lots and lots of violets, also a nitrogen fixer. What a great time to move them as I could play with all the colors! I love the creative side of gardening. Using the plants as paint, you can create masses of wonderment for the eyes! During this process, I sort of lose myself to the flow of the work. I seek out just the right plants, dig and replant, knowing that I have just what I need in the gardens to create just the right environment for these fruit trees which have yet to be productive. Already they are producing lots of flowers, for the first time, aided by the blooming bulbs, planted last fall which suppress the lawn from encroaching into the area. Right now the Allium is just starting to open up, with a glorious deep purplish pink bloom!

Okay, I cold go on and on, but it is now light out and I need to get moving - so much to do, so little time these days.

Just wanted to let you know what I have been up to!!

Tangerini's Farm

I went to Tangerini's Farm in Millis yesterday. I was after veggie plants and was quite thrilled with all that I found.

That plus finding Stinging Nettle!! It was on the top of my foraging wish list. It is a nuisance weed to farmers. I just happened to be there as they were pulling out and discussing them. Otherwise I never would have noticed them. I was focused on what veggie plants I was needing.

I washed them outside in a huge sauce pot, cut them all to about 12", then steamed them and had them for supper. The grandkids loved them, as did I, and my hubby found them to be very pleasant. A WINNER!!!

Can't wait to go back to the farm when I have the time for a tour. It is in such a beautiful setting.

A miracle

Last Monday this is what the beds looked like. Just starting to fill #1, I had no idea how I would ever get to even finish this one by myself.


Did manage to get half completed and planted in one day. Unfortunately it was a day that topped out in the 90's. Such good planning on my part!!

By the end of the week I had gotten the rest of it filled, with lots of digging and hauling on my part, mostly from Medway!! I decided that I would get started on filling #2, but that I would not plan to even use #3 this season, as it was just too daunting a thought to maintain in my overworked brain!!

Sheila came over Saturday and gave me the needed boost of enthusiasm, and together we got #2 started and completed 4 layers (about 5"0 of Lasagna gardening). She has been telling me that she has just the right tractor that we need and offered it to me on several occasions. I could not see how that would be any help as it was in Walpole, but her offer included bringing it over for us.

In order to get it into the area needed I would need to do a lot of prep work, most difficult being moving the carefully stacked bricks that my son in law had piled oh, so nicely, but right in the middle of the only path we would need to get the tractor into the garden area!!

Well, due to all the work that Sheila helped to accomplish I had the needed energy when she left to relocate all the offending piles of bricks, thinking that I would finish the prep work on Sunday to be ready for the tractor next weekend.

Well, Sheila left me an email message Sat night that I got early Sunday morning, and that's when the miracle got off the ground.
We quickly rearranged our plans for the day, and they (Sheila and Jimmy) came over with tractor in tow.



We dug in,



quite literally

and Jimmy manned the machine!



Hubby, Mia and I had raked off the accumulated branches on a long used compost pie on the woods side of the house. WHO KNEW??!! LOL --- There ended up being more than enough to fill the other two beds!!! We all pulled together and got the layers ready to have the most lush, worm filled pure compost scooped up and dumped into the beds!!

This was a compost area that I used for anything needing to be dumped in the front area of the gardens. I had never accessed it as I had the compost pile on the other side that always supplied more than enough for the gardens. This left side gives you an idea of what the pile looked like before being used.


Here you can see the sand showing at this level - that is what is under this whole area. It had to be filled with about 30 feet of sand to build on as it is a wetland area.




Look at how much is still left to be used!!




Have you seen such beautiful deep, dark compost? It looks just like an expensive loam, only it is loaded with night crawlers and other creeping beneficial critters!!



Here remains the evidence of the miracle of the day - Tractors tracks in the lawn. They will be gone as soon as it gets a good soaking.


And HERE it the end result. #2 and #3 all ready to go!!!


TA-DA!!!!!




And look at this great flower- laden Strawberry plant that greeted me this morning as I was taking all these photos!!!


Now I gotta get to work! Have a great week!!

Seeds are up!!

Many of the seeds I planted on Monday are already up!! What a surprise. And it is only May 2nd!!

Ryan, Katelyn and I finished up the preparation for their raised beds and got a pea plant and two lettuce plants planted today. Tomorrow we will get some seeds planted. It takes A LOT of patience working with a 3 and 5 year old in the garden! I am so glad we built them their own little beds to keep them busy and out from under foot in the big beds.

Sheila came by today and helped to get bed #2 started. I am doing lasagna gardening in it. First layer was cardboard, then straw, peat and grass clippings. Each layer got watered thoroughly. Although I do have to admit that I forgot to water all of the cardboard before I put the straw in, but caught myself halfway through - which is better than remembering after the job was all completed!!

Wow! What a difference a second set of hands make. We whizzed right through the first few layers. Need to get my compost piles up front to fill these new beds. Have had a very generous offer of a small tractor to help with all the hauling. Thanks so much to such wonderful friends.

The new plant traders group is growing steadily. I am meeting lots of new gardeners. Unfortunately right now, with the veggie project I just don't have much extra time for plants, but I am fitting a few people into this busy schedule.

Off to buy the veggie plants I need tomorrow. Then to finish #2, and fill it with veggies!!!

Progress!!

Just a quick post of photos to share my progress.

New view of front yard!



Bed on the right is #1.


Here is #1 all ready for final layer of compost/soil. Peas have been planted.



And here is my work in process - the walkways which will surround the raised beds and cover the rest of the lawn in this area!


I have been blessed with some amazing people in my life. Babs has made most of this possible by her generous donation of pavers, compost and soil to this project. Thanks, Babs! My son-in-law, JD has been making several trips to get the materials as well as lending his strength to get them loaded and unloaded, my neighbors, and of course Mia and hubby who have been helping with the whole process. Hubby did an amazing job on the construction - giving up his vacation to get it done.

We even have enough crushed stone from the new patio to fill these walks!



And photos of recent Daffodil/Pulmonaria bouquet from the gardens.





Just a quick post of photos to share my progress. And photos of recent bouquet from the gardens.

Seeds planted

Got half of bed 1 planted. Mostly greens, roots and beans. I will be using a plastic cover when the weather gets back down to normal.

Set up my mini greenhouse, where I am tending to plants getting ready to be moved into the garden beds.

Also enjoying meeting new gardeners through Plant Traders group.

Just too busy for more right now, but I have been getting lots of photos. Will be spending the hot part of the day downloading them!

Enjoy the sun!!

Monday

Had a very busy weekend. Gardeners starting to visit to get plants, getting new raised bed #1 filled with planting mixture, a trip to the Sugar Shack in New Hampshire, and a visit to a conservation site to check out Japanese Knotweed.

I am ready to get half of bed #1 planted. WHEW!! Lots of shoveling and hauling, getting the compost from my main bin!! I can now drive a truck!! Got a load of straw, peat, cow manure and mulch for this process.

First thing this morning I will be getting my seeds ready for planting then I'm heading over to Crocker Pond to get a few Japanese Knotweed sprouts to try out at lunchtime. According to the seminar and hike I went to they are supposed to taste like Artichoke hearts. We shall see! Everything else he recommended has been very tasty, so I am definitely looking forward to trying this. We all love Artichoke hearts here.

Until I get #1 planted I will be cutting down on gardeners coming in. Just too much to get done.

I am also fitting in significant blocks of time for one of my sisters who is very ill.

Wednesday and Thursday, as I will be watching the kids would be days that I would be able to give plants out. I don't know when I will get back to the computer, so please be patient with me!

Today's work

Need to get the veggie beds filled and ready for planting.

Okay, so there is no way all three 4 x 22 beds are going to get done in a day. I filled one small corner of bed #1 and planted peas earlier in the week.

My more reasonable goal for the day will be to get half of #1 ready to plant seeds. Had a new gardener visit yesterday, who told me she had just gotten all her seeds planted. She uses a plastic cover at this time of year. LIGHT BULB MOMENT for me!!!

I can put plastic sheets, of which I have several over the top and secure them on the wood!! Hello!!

Found out this week one of my sisters has cancer - it has made my brain all fuzzy, Need to take a deep breath. There that done, now get focused and head out to work!!!!

Dandelion buds

Found this great Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, while getting pavers from Babs, just sitting on top of a pile of leaves in the compost area! It is best to get to them before they produce any flowers for using the leaves.



The large plants have lots of buds. I just pick them off, some even come with the stems.




If you work your way through the plant there are lots of buds at the base of the stems.
I wash them thoroughly, drop them in boiling water for 60 seconds and then add to salad or hot dish.

Ryan enjoyed helping to locate the Dandelions and pick the buds, after helping me to load up the car with pavers.


He especially enjoyed investigating the buds to see what was inside!!

Apple and Pear Guilds

We planted four fruit trees about four years ago; Apple, Pear, Peach, Cherry. One died right away and was replaced, I think it was the peach. Then two years ago both the Cherry and Peach bit the dust.

This photo from last year shows our Pear tree in the distance, just to the left of the Spruce. It was set at the side of the Spruce bed. So far it has not produced any fruit -


And you can just make out the Apple tree to the right of the Spruce.


I will be giving more information about my plan to help these trees be more productive. I am creating guilds around each tree.

More to follow!

Dandelions are definitely worth a try

I take the grandkids to reading programs at the local library. Last week we noticed Dandelions in bloom. I had been looking for a source to use for their edible portions, so I got the kids locating the plants for me by having them pick the flowers! Once a Dandelion starts to bloom the leaves become bitter and no longer good to eat. I have been picking leaves from Dandelion and Chicory for a few weeks now. I use them in salads, soups and stews.

As I had learned that the flower buds are tasty I picked buds with the kids last week. We put them in boiling water for 60 seconds then i did a stir fry in EVOO with some leaves I picked from non blooming plants. We all loved them! I also located some Wintercress in the same area and picked the leaves which were also added to the stirfry.

This week when we went there were a ton of Dandelions available. What a great help to the library to have the kids picks all the flowers to keep them form multiplying too much. This keeps the plants there for foraging yet controls the spread so that they don't have to treat them with chemicals!!

I will speak to the library Director so that she will know I am willing to do this weekly, so that she is not compelled to use the chemicals!!!

I got enough buds to serve at dinner last night. The kids and my hubby ate them. JD, my son in law thought they were interesting. They are full of nutrients, and the leftovers will go in our salad today.

I also found 3 Wintercress starting to produce their flower stalks. I cut the stalks, leaving the plant in place ans added these to the buds at dinner. The end of the stalk with the flower buds was very similar to Broccoli Raab, and even Mia liked it!! So we need to get out and get more Wintercress stalks today!!

Try them. You may find them as enjoyable as I have!

Raised beds

This is the progression of our front lawn being transformed into new productive beds. We are very busy this week getting the work done while hubbie is on vacation. Will post photos of progress when I find more time. These are the photos from over the weekend.