Crystal's Homestead

12/26/2023

Purple Plum and Champion Radish
If you've never had sautéed radishes, you're missing out! 😋 I eat the leaves too.
5 weeks after sowing seeds. Sowing seeds every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest. 🌱

12/20/2023

Making Elderberry Syrup today. Added some fresh homegrown Turmeric and Ginger. Harvested a small amount, there's still a lot in the ground. Especially, the Turmeric.
I love having it fresh on hand!

12/19/2023

On my pole beans!! 😭
So glad I looked before harvesting this green bean!! Years ago, I bumped into a Saddleback Caterpillar with my shin. The whole front of my shin swelled up!! The little hairs on their backs are painful!!

So now I'm going to be extra watchful when harvesting!! Might even start wearing gloves! 😭😂

12/17/2023

Marigolds 🏵 Attracting pollinators! Flowers are so important in the vegetable garden. 🏵

Scarlet-bodied wasp moths are great pollinators! They mimic a wasp but are moths. They don't sting, and are welcome in my garden. Their host plant is climbing hempweed.

12/04/2023

December- What I have growing in 2-8x4beds
3-varieties of Mustard Greens
Southern Giant, Dragon Tongue, and Osaka Purple.
Swiss Chard- Ruby Red and Orange
Radish- Champion and Purple
Beets- Ruby
Collards, Dill, Basil, Bunching Onions, Squash
Cucumbers, and Pole Beans growing on the trellis. Marigolds!

11/24/2023

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. 🦃I'm thankful for so many blessings! 🍠

11/15/2023

How I know, that I'm getting older?
I say things like-
"This is the good kind of rain". ☺

11/01/2023

Harvested 14lbs of Sweet Potatoes. Now they will cure in my pantry for 2 weeks, so the starch converts to sugar. They'll be ready just in time for Thanksgiving!
Cleared out all the vines and fed to the rabbits. I noticed a few moth larvae, so I'm going to let the chickens take a dig through the soil. Nothing more upsetting than cutworms!
Then, lots of cool weather seeds will be sowed!
Still have Luffas, Peppers, Basil, and Green Beans producing. I left a few okra pods on to come to seed. There's over 100 seeds in every pod. 🍠🌶🥒🌿🌱
So thankful 🥰

10/27/2023

10/15/2023

Eight luffas so far, they will be coming to an end soon. Pole Beans growing on the same trellis are starting to produce.

10/15/2023

Eight luffas so far, and pole beans starting to produce.