Gardening In My Slippers

04/02/2024

I spilled some coffee on my desk so headed to the kitchen for some paper towels for clean-up. Then it occurred to me that I needed to turn the direction of the fan on my seedlings in the living room. While I'm busy tending to my plants, I hear the dryer buzzer go off, so I head to the laundry room to unload and reload and then think, "Dang, I'm chilly running around the house with shorts on," (the temp dropped after that last storm came through). So I head to my master closet and dig for a pair of sweats when it occurred to me that I should gather the rest of the dirty laundry while I'm back here, then proceed to think about changing the sheets today as well, but I'll get the clothes laundry done first (which roughly translates to "If I need to I can put off that task until tomorrow...or the next day.") But I diverge! I gathered dirty clothes from nothing short of four different places (and NO...none actually came from the laundry hamper!) and dumped them off in the laundry room. And since I was there, what in tarnation is on top of the washer causing so much racket when the washer spins? It's glass I sat there a couple of weeks ago as a reminder to myself that I need to decide if I want to keep this stuff or pass it on. I immediately do as I have for the past couple of weeks and promptly distract myself from actually thinking about it (and now writing about it HAS got me thinking about it, for a second) by puttering over to my dining room window, picking up the binoculars and spying on the inhabitants of the pond across the way. I spied some crows hunting around the east side of the pond and remembered I had some old bread to throw out to them, so I ran out in the rain to do that. When I got back in, I couldn't remember what I did with my phone so I searched around the dining room (they were next to the binoculars) when some of my collections caught my eye. My next thought was in regards to a conversation with my daughter, Stormie, and telling her I was going to start photographing the stuff in my house so I have a record of the stuff. (Mostly stuff my kids probably won't want when I'm over the rainbow bridge 100 years from now, but they should know not to sell it at a yard sale for $1. Also the family pieces and where they came from, etc.) So I set off photographing collections from my kitchen and dining room. Then a few in the living room. Then the cat wanted out and that made ME have to go p*e. Off to the bathroom, across the hall from my office, I p*ed and moved on to the hand washing (yes, I ALWAYS wash my hands!) all the while thinking about the ham stock I had simmering on the stove, when I suddenly realized I forgot to print off my recipe so...I stepped across the hall to my office to print off the recipe...and found spilled coffee and a now-cold cuppa on my desk. Damn. How did I forget the paper towels? This is my true-life day today...probably most days. I'm happily living it along. How's your day? I hope you're finding things to be thankful for and smiling like me! Now, where did I put my glasses?

11/23/2023

I can't think of a better day than Thanksgiving, to be thankful that my forefathers were immigrants to this beautiful land. And that's what now makes up this great, diverse nation we reside within, yeah? Just food for thought...and yeah, no negative comments, please. Just being and feeling thankful. Peace out, ya'll!

06/12/2022

In my mind, nothing says summer is here quite like the ripening of our native black raspberries does. Think, pies! Cobblers! And oh, the most coveted of jellies! (I've known folks who hoard this jelly for years!)

This is our black raspberry patch, which we started with 10 wild plants we gathered from our yard. (They grow randomly all over the yard, via sees carried in by visiting birds.) We simply dug them and transplanted them on the west side of our mini barn, drove in a few fence posts with a few rungs of metal wire for support. Nothing fancy, but it keeps them contained enough that we can still get the riding mower down the side of the barn for most of the year.

Right now, however, as you'll see in the video, all of the new canes are growing crazy with the excessive amount of rain we've had this spring and are doing their best to put out 15' long runners! Black raspberries produce fruit on the previous year's growth (which turns a dark reddish-brown color). The new runners, which produce next year's crop, are a very whitish-looking green.

They naturally propagate themselves by bending over and rooting their tips into the ground, so as soon as we have a bit of dry weather, we'll guide those new runners to any empty spots along the barn wall.

If you've never had black raspberries, I highly suggest you get yourself some because you're in for a real taste treat! (They taste NOTHING like those red ones you buy in the store!) They are very seedy, but that's of no concern if you're making jelly, as those will all be strained out. However, even with the seeds, there's nothing quite like a black raspberry pie!

Be forewarned, though, the wild variety of black raspberry plants is full of thorns! You can purchase thornless varieties, but I can't tell you how the taste compares to our wild version, and while you'll have to pay to get the thornless varieties, ours were free! That said, if you're interested in purchasing a thornless variety, check out the provided link in the comment section.

Aside from being free (sans a little digging on your part), the wild variety is also very well adapted to our area and has terrific disease resistance. You will, however, have to fight off a few birds for the berries, but if you're anything like us, we're always happy to share. After all, they'll just eat the seeds and provide us with a whole host of other plants growing all over our yard. :)

Did I forget to mention how nutritional they are? They have three times the antioxidants of blueberries, are packed with vitamin C and fiber and are low in calories AND carbs!

06/10/2022

Not only do I love to grow food, but I love to cook it too, especially in a cast iron pan! Here's a blueberry dutch baby I made in my #8 Griswold skillet. I've attached Chef John's amazing recipe in the comments. So simple to make, no sugar, and you can use any fruit that you like! Give it try! p.s. Don't freak out when it collapses shortly after your remove it from the oven! That's what it's supposed to do! :)

06/10/2022

If I said I was a dendrophile, would you still love me? Photos show our two amazing old white oak trees.

06/10/2022

Here in southern Indiana, we're having one of the wettest springs that I can recall. Though I, the gray tree frogs, black raspberries (and mosquitoes!) appreciate the rain, it certainly makes it difficult to get much of anything done in the garden. I have, however, managed to get some stuff planted and have harvested about four gallons of strawberries and a gallon of mulberries, so I'm spending my rainy days making jams and jellies. What do YOU do when it's too wet to garden?

06/02/2022

Do you have aphids in your garden? Before you reach for that pesticide, watch this!

Ladybugs are one of an organic gardener's best friends and aphids are a valuable food source for them. So before you reach for that pesticide...

06/02/2022

BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis)...what is it and what's it used for in the garden?
BT is a bacterium found to be growing naturally in soil, dead plants, leaves, and insects, and various subspecies are used as biopesticides ("bio" because it comes from a natural source and is non-toxic to humans and animals).
There are around 50 subspecies of BT found around the world and different strains are used against different garden pests, so read the label and make sure to buy the right strain for your specific pest problems.
BTI (Bt israelensis) is used to control gnats, flies, and immature mosquitos. It can be found in products like Mosquito Bits which are used to control mosquito larvae in ponds and other bodies of standing water. It's also a good control measure if you're having an issue with fungus gnats that have taken up residence in your seedlings. Just soak some of the Mosquito Bits in water for about an hour and water your plants.
Hate little green worms in your broccoli? Use a product like Thuricide or Safer Caterpillar Killer. The BTA (Bt aizawai) and BTK (Bt kurstaki) subspecies of Bt are used against boring Lepidoptera moth and butterfly caterpillars...you know...those pretty little white butterfly flitting all over your garden, laying eggs on your cabbage and broccoli who then hatch and feast on your plants (and float to the top of the water when you're blanching that broccoli for freezing!)
BTg (Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae) is used to control beetle larvae. One such product that contains BTg is beetleGONE! and it's good in the fight against Japanese bean beetles.
BT products are safe for use around bees, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects. Bt does break down under UV rays, so in most cases, will have to be applied every 3-5 days. The great news is, BT is considered organic so in my humble opinion, is a must-have in your organic gardening tool chest!

Photos show the damage done by caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) and an image of the butterfly.

06/01/2022

05/28/2022

It's been raining off and on for two solid weeks, with very few breaks for any gardening, so when I got the chance today between bouts of rain, I picked the first strawberries of the season.

It's been non-stop raining for days, but as luck would have it, there's a break in the clouds! Let's pick strawberries!

05/27/2022

I love cooking in cast-iron! Not only is it going to last for many generations because of its durability, but folks, imho, food just tastes better in a cast-iron skillet. Enjoy watching me fry some bacon, eggs, and veggies!

05/27/2022

This is a Chinese Garden Peony (P. lactiflora) that I inherited from my stepfather several years ago. It dates back to the 1800s and has the most lovely of scents. Unlike the other peonies in my garden, this variety has single petals. Prefers fertile, well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of light.