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Monday, December 22, 2014

Uh oh. . . what do we have here?

Looks like something is trying to sneak out of this box.


Apparently I didn't eat my potatoes fast enough.


And, yes, I do keep them in a cardboard box. Obviously, long-term potato storage is something I need to work on.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Maybe this will do the trick

After weeks of the little fuzzy bastards stealing my straw, the asparagus bed that started out like this:


looked like this:


I expect to see a nest that looks like a straw bale every time I look in the trees.

We had some rain last weekend, and I decided to take advantage of it. I filled up the bed with some shredded leaves. The rain helps keep the leaves from blowing around too much.


The squirrels' interests have already turned to other things anyway. I caught this guy


hanging out in the strawberry bed.


The little jerks are lucky they're cute.


Saturday, December 13, 2014

What did I learn this year?

There isn't much happening in the garden right now, obviously, so it's about time I sat down and figured out what I learned this year.

1. I almost learned how to can green beans with a pressure canner.


I don't consider it a skill really learned because only two of the four jars sealed, but I used them in green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, and no one got sick.

2. Two kale plants is more than enough. Or I need to learn more ways to eat kale.


Even though they're a dwarf variety, the plants were at least three feet tall, and I hadn't managed to pick much off of them before they froze.


I tried kale chips, and they tasted fine but didn't seem worth the effort. Most of the kale I've eaten has gone into smoothies, and I should have enough frozen kale in the freezer to last me into January.

3. I can start seeds inside!


This was the most exciting discovery this year, but I don't feel confident enough to try tomatoes yet.

4. Speaking of tomatoes, five tomato plants is not enough.

I actually planted seven tomato plants this year, but only about five of them were productive. I had issues that might have been disease, and the plant I "rescued" never amounted to much. We also had rain and unseasonably cool temperatures at inopportune times, which meant tomatoes either splitting or not ripening at all. I did manage to salvage quite a few green tomatoes at the end and ripen them inside.



5. I can grow cabbage and broccoli.



6. It's going to take some time to perfect the hugel. It was interesting to watch the radishes and lettuce all season - I had no idea how big both of those things would grow when left alone - but they didn't hold the soil on the mound, and it kept washing away in all the rain.

June 5th


October 11th
I probably learned more than this, or at least should have, but it's not a bad start.


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The latest episode of Squirrel TV


Mama squirrel is hard at work. . .


Stealing my straw. Shoveling it in her mouth as fast as possible with both feet!