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!