August Fun!

We can't believe the amount of plums growing on our tree this year!  This is our second picking - and there are more to come! I've already bagged two large zip lock bags and put them directly in the freezer to make preserves at a later date (as there is no time presently). (De-pitted before freezing of course).  We've also given a bunch away - and made a spicy plum sauce with the rest. 

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes!!!  

The plants started yellowing last week so we've decided it's time to dig them up!  We're just loving them! In the last week, I've used potatoes for: potato salad, fresh fries, hash browns, borscht...  And there's nothing like frying up leftover dinner-made potato salad for the morning's hash browns :)

Look at the size of some of these beauties!

We've also harvested our fava beans! What a great idea it was to bring a bunch of them to the community garden potluck to shuck (something to do while listening to good conversation). There were two other ladies that joined in the fun production line and together we got them done in no time :)

Harvesting of the beans will soon be next on the list!

The grapes are coming in nicely! Will there be time for wine-making this year?

After a hard's day work, we just linger around the garden enjoying ever bit of it!

Elephant garlic below.  The bees just love the flowers... I think maybe, so does Jason :)

This year we are wondering which flora's gonna win (growth - wise)... the Empress Tree or the Jerusalem Artichoke.... Just when one gets bigger than the other, the other shoots up.  Quite an amazing thing to watch. 

There's some serious height going on this year with them both!

One of those anomalies happening again.. the magnolia tree started to flower again this week!  

Finally, Jason and I celebrate our first year wedding anniversary this week (August 6). Wow! It's a beautiful thing watching a garden grow to accentuate how time moves.... And of course, we are both as deliciously happy as we have always been :)  And to all out there who share in our journey - thanks for connecting  with/to our most precious past-time together - growing food :)  We hope to hear your 'growing' stories too!

Garlic Madness

The garlic madness began a couple weeks back. About 15 raised beds to dig up. Then there is/was the sorting, tying-together, labeling, and hanging.  Quite the job!  Thank goodness for helpful friends - we had Rachel and Banning give us a hand one Saturday to tackle some of the beds. Then I tackled two more today, and have only one more to get to tomorrow! Now to think about what to do with all the empty beds? With all the garlic gone the garden is looking more brown than green :( 

Also harvested (no pictures) German Hot, Chesnoc, Portuguese and others... 

There were some casualties of course - the Russian Red suffered from being planted in poorer soil (less drainage/harder). About 50% of  our R.R. had 'white rot' and there was the occasional 'green rot' - - - there was still a considerable amount though considering we had more R.R. cloves to start with.  The moldy garlic was processed right away - stripped and put in the fridge/freezer - otherwise, it would just progressively rot and be wasted.

The garlic is hung-up to dry for about 3 weeks. Then it's ready to sell. 

A Walk Down Memory Lane

This is the first year I can truly say, wow the garden looks amazing! I am enjoying it more this year than any other. Probably because so much work has been done to make it what it is over the past three year. So now we can slow down a bit on the projects (even though there are more to come). 

I can not believe that we started with nothing back in 2009!!!  

Here's how the garden has progressed over the years:

2009

To think in 2009 the garden was a blank canvass. We started by plotting out the Circle space in the middle of the yard. 

Then we rota-tilled spaces to plant our garden. And made a small green house.

I made a makeshift archway out of branches and planted the box wood to define the pathway.

2010

 My how everything changed over a year's time!

The Circle space grass filled in.

We planted grapes, and seeded grass paths. 

The garden remained as one big dirt area with food rows. 

 2011

In the early spring months we converted the dirt garden space to raised beds.

The grapes grew considerably as did many other things. 

Jason built another green house.

  

And he built me an archway which still remains one of my favorite garden features!

2012 is now here and you can see by our previous posts how the garden continues grow and amaze us. Not bad for three years time. Hope this encourages you to tackle a garden project - it won't take long before you too will enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Photos take this summer:

Inspecting the Hive...

During the growing season, a bee hive needs to be inspected every 7-10 days to check on the health and well-being of the colony. Is the queen actively producing young? Are the workers collecting enough pollen and/or creating enough honey reserves for the community? Are the bees healthy?

Our bee hive only consist of a bottom super presently at this time as we started this year with a nuk box (a young colony divided from an already established colony).  So far only about half of the frames are 'bee busy'. As the weather warms, and more flower come into bloom (e.g. blackberry), the bees will quickly kill up the other frame - so long as the queen remains actively laying eggs.

We use a bee hive tool to separate the frames from one another - dislodging the build-up of propolis put there strategically by the bees. 

Each frame is inspected one by one. 

Busy, busy, busy bees!  The glistening open cells are honey in the picture below, there are also capped honey cells visible here, and capped brood.

I am so loving this!

Garlic Scape Deliciousness

Wondering what to do with garlic scapes this year? Try garlic scape pesto!

Take some scapes and cut them up to fit in a food processor.

Whiz them into small pieces. 

Add some olive oil (and salt), this will make the pieces even finer, and the consistency more creamy.

Then you got yourself pesto for whatever your fancy. We used it for pizza sauce last night!

Topped with some fresh organic pepperoni purchased locally. Then covered with fresh garden greens -both with different combinations of fresh tarragon, oregano, spinach, Japanese mustard, parsley, dill, cilantro, green onion...

Topped with more common pizza ingredients: mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese...

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.