We have chickens, a very nice borrowed incubator and eggs (and a rooster) so my husband loves to incubate eggs. We put 71 eggs in a month ago and this past weekend had 55 hatch :) It's always exciting to have new babies around. They stayed until Monday when we sold 50 of them. Hopefully at least one or two of the 5 we kept will be hens.
A friend of my husband's gave him some fertilized duck eggs so they are resting peacefully in the incubator now. We've never hatched ducks before but are hopeful that a few make it.
The part I detest the most about gardening has arrived. Weeding. I spent a couple hours out there this morning. Finished weeding the lettuce and got most of the onions done. We could really use a small rain shower, the ground is like hoeing into cement. I'll try not to complain though. Interestingly we still haven't gotten our sweet corn or green beans in the ground. Maybe this weekend. All of our zucchini and many of our tomatoes are blooming :) I found a little zucchini on one plant, about the size of my ring finger. Very exciting. Makes the weeding worth it :) Norman tilled around almost all the tomatoes before he ran out of gas. So it is coming along. If we could get some mulch down that would help with the weeding also. I just need to plan on spending a couple hours out there every morning when it is cooler.
I used some of last year's shredded zucchini and made zucchini bread for today's snack. Ham steaks and au gratin potatoes with corn for lunch. Swept through the house and brought my laundry off the line. My clothes line holds 2 loads of laundry and that is usually what I need to do each day so that works out well. No complaints from me. There is nothing better than warm, sun dried laundry. So that is all folded and everything but the boy's stuff put away. I weeded most of the flower beds around the house until I got into a nest of fire ants. I escaped mostly unscathed. Need to figure out what to use on those little buggers.
Bear and I are going to work on one of his 4H projects here in a bit then I will get the kids ready for VBS. This is the first VBS of the year, at Falmouth Methodist Church and the kids are loving it. Everyone there is great and the kids always have the best time. Next week is VBS at Central Christian then a week off before VBS at our church (Hidalgo Independent Christian). I take my kids to every VBS I hear about that they are able to attend. It's good for them to go and gives me a little break.
The big boys worked until after 8 last night. Norman just left for work tonight, will come home and sleep a few hours then is working a 16 hour shift tomorrow. I'm not sure what we have planned for the weekend but I'm sure it involves gardening. :) I'll let you know how that first zucchini tastes! Oh and one of the cherry tomato plants has a cluster of green tomatoes and Norman said he saw a little one on the regular plants also. I love fresh produce!
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
God's Bountiful Harvest
It truly is God's harvest this year. After the flood we were so afraid that we would end up with nothing but God saw fit to provide us with a wonderful harvest this year.
So far we have:
7 pints Sweet Dill pickles
7 pints Bread and Butter pickles
6 pints Lime pickles
6 bags shredded zucchini (freezer)
2 bags chopped sweet peppers (freezer)
12 bags sweet corn (freezer)
12 quarts green beans
7 cantalope
***And*** We have been eating very, very well :) Okra is fabulously yummy :)
The beans were finished just a little while ago. It was my first excursion with a pressure canner. My mom came to supervise and it went well. I did the 2nd batch myself :) I also have pizza sauce in the crock pot for the night and will can it tomorrow. We also have more corn to process tomorrow. Our beans and tomatoes are really just starting to produce now. I imagine that I will be VERY busy for the next few weeks.
Thank you for your wonderful provisions God!
So far we have:
7 pints Sweet Dill pickles
7 pints Bread and Butter pickles
6 pints Lime pickles
6 bags shredded zucchini (freezer)
2 bags chopped sweet peppers (freezer)
12 bags sweet corn (freezer)
12 quarts green beans
7 cantalope
***And*** We have been eating very, very well :) Okra is fabulously yummy :)
The beans were finished just a little while ago. It was my first excursion with a pressure canner. My mom came to supervise and it went well. I did the 2nd batch myself :) I also have pizza sauce in the crock pot for the night and will can it tomorrow. We also have more corn to process tomorrow. Our beans and tomatoes are really just starting to produce now. I imagine that I will be VERY busy for the next few weeks.
Thank you for your wonderful provisions God!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sweet Dill Pickles
Canning "season" started for me today. After gathering for several days, I finally had enough cucumbers for a batch of sweet dill pickles. They are yummy and real easy to make.....and now I have 7 pints ready to go into the pantry.
Other things are growing well in our garden also. I really think that this is the latest that we have ever began harvesting. We have zucchini, although several of our plants have been killed by a mysterious bug. We are eating cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers and some onions. My husband picked us 4 okra pods on Friday and I fried them up in fish batter.....boy were they good! I can't wait until we can have a real batch. Three cabbages have managed to find their way to our freezer. We also have loads of little green cataloupes. Yummy!
God is good to provide for us this year. It was tough at the beginning, but our garden is sight to behold now. We will definately be eating well this winter!
Other things are growing well in our garden also. I really think that this is the latest that we have ever began harvesting. We have zucchini, although several of our plants have been killed by a mysterious bug. We are eating cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers and some onions. My husband picked us 4 okra pods on Friday and I fried them up in fish batter.....boy were they good! I can't wait until we can have a real batch. Three cabbages have managed to find their way to our freezer. We also have loads of little green cataloupes. Yummy!
God is good to provide for us this year. It was tough at the beginning, but our garden is sight to behold now. We will definately be eating well this winter!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Our Garden
I guess that dh and I were feeling energetic yesterday. I didn't know that we were, but I guess we were. I thought that we were going to plant our veggie plants yesterday. Dh planned on putting the seeds in the ground. In the end, we planted the whole thing.....in 2.5 hours. Did I mention that our garden is HUGE? We extended it out this year by about 4 ft. on the south side. I would guess that it is 60 ft long by 25 ft. wide. That makes it bigger than our house. Anyway, this is what we planted: (our rows are 25 ft. long)
4 hills of watermelon
8 3/4 rows of sweet corn (Kandy Corn variety - yummy)
2 hills spaghetti squash
2 hills zucchini
2 hills cucumber
1 row radishes
1 row red onions and yellow onions
3 rows potato hills
4 sweet potato plants
1/2 row of brussel sprouts
1 row okra
3 1/2 rows of green beans
6 cherry tomatoes
24 regular tomatoes (several varieties)
3 jalepeno peppers
3 caribbean red hot peppers
11 sweet banana peppers
9 bell peppers
6 cabbage plants
3 broccoli
That makes me tired just thinking about it. Everything wasn't in that order necessarily. We have corn and green beans in 2 different places. Our new things this year are brussel sprouts and okra. We will see how they do.
It is supposed to rain the next couple of days so we got everything done just in time.
4 hills of watermelon
8 3/4 rows of sweet corn (Kandy Corn variety - yummy)
2 hills spaghetti squash
2 hills zucchini
2 hills cucumber
1 row radishes
1 row red onions and yellow onions
3 rows potato hills
4 sweet potato plants
1/2 row of brussel sprouts
1 row okra
3 1/2 rows of green beans
6 cherry tomatoes
24 regular tomatoes (several varieties)
3 jalepeno peppers
3 caribbean red hot peppers
11 sweet banana peppers
9 bell peppers
6 cabbage plants
3 broccoli
That makes me tired just thinking about it. Everything wasn't in that order necessarily. We have corn and green beans in 2 different places. Our new things this year are brussel sprouts and okra. We will see how they do.
It is supposed to rain the next couple of days so we got everything done just in time.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
How Does My Garden Grow? Pt. 1
I am hoping to make this a biweekly part of my blog where I share how my garden is growing.....interesting things that I have planted or beautiful scenes that I would like to share. Gardening wasn't something that I was fond of at first, but it is quickly becoming a passion!
This afternoon I planted 18 petunias, 12 marigold, 2 mums and 12 salvias in my flower bed adjacent to the house. Dh was able to buy these plants discounted at work and it was such a blessing to me to have them and be able to fill this flower bed up! I don't think that there is an inch to spare except for the spot I reserved to plant a clemantis next to the wall. If everything lives and fills in nicely like I hope it will, this flower bed will be a sight to behold this summer.
Dh also brought home tomatoes and peppers for the veggie garden and chives and cilantro for the herb bed. I hope to get the herbs planted later this week. I have a problem with my hands swelling when I do a lot of gardening and could barely bend my fingers by the time I came in this evening. Greg blessed me by doing about half of the digging but the work still took its toll. Little Bear played in his walker in the yard and enjoyed squealing at the big dogs, Jasmine and Mixie, while he played. He hasn't really interacted with them much yet and Jasmine, especially, seems to like him a lot!
As that bed fills in I will share some pictures with you!
Please tell me, how does your garden grow?
This afternoon I planted 18 petunias, 12 marigold, 2 mums and 12 salvias in my flower bed adjacent to the house. Dh was able to buy these plants discounted at work and it was such a blessing to me to have them and be able to fill this flower bed up! I don't think that there is an inch to spare except for the spot I reserved to plant a clemantis next to the wall. If everything lives and fills in nicely like I hope it will, this flower bed will be a sight to behold this summer.
Dh also brought home tomatoes and peppers for the veggie garden and chives and cilantro for the herb bed. I hope to get the herbs planted later this week. I have a problem with my hands swelling when I do a lot of gardening and could barely bend my fingers by the time I came in this evening. Greg blessed me by doing about half of the digging but the work still took its toll. Little Bear played in his walker in the yard and enjoyed squealing at the big dogs, Jasmine and Mixie, while he played. He hasn't really interacted with them much yet and Jasmine, especially, seems to like him a lot!
As that bed fills in I will share some pictures with you!
Please tell me, how does your garden grow?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Garden Plans
It is that time again. Are we all ready to garden?????
I started some seedlings on Friday. I know that I am late, but I figure that any head start that I can give the little things the better. My cabbage has already sprouted. I haven't seen anything out of my broccoli or the flower seed that I planted. I tend to be impatient.
Most of what we are planting will be the usual stuff. I am going to plant some okra this year. That will be new. I am also hoping to can a lot more stuff. Hopefully, we will be investing in a pressure canner. I have always been afraid to pressure can so I was limited to things that I could hot-water-bath. With the price of groceries goign through the roof I really need to stock up on as much home-grown stuff as possible.
Dh will be getting some veggie and flower plants from work next week I think. I am eager to see what he will get me. Last year he brought home lots of veggie stuff and some mums for our new flower bed. I am sad to say, I don't think that the mums made it through the winter. The didn't get the attention that they deserved last summer with me pregnant and I think suffered for it.
So what are you planning in your gardens this year?
I started some seedlings on Friday. I know that I am late, but I figure that any head start that I can give the little things the better. My cabbage has already sprouted. I haven't seen anything out of my broccoli or the flower seed that I planted. I tend to be impatient.
Most of what we are planting will be the usual stuff. I am going to plant some okra this year. That will be new. I am also hoping to can a lot more stuff. Hopefully, we will be investing in a pressure canner. I have always been afraid to pressure can so I was limited to things that I could hot-water-bath. With the price of groceries goign through the roof I really need to stock up on as much home-grown stuff as possible.
Dh will be getting some veggie and flower plants from work next week I think. I am eager to see what he will get me. Last year he brought home lots of veggie stuff and some mums for our new flower bed. I am sad to say, I don't think that the mums made it through the winter. The didn't get the attention that they deserved last summer with me pregnant and I think suffered for it.
So what are you planning in your gardens this year?
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