The Sprout 2020

[kelbro]

What!!!??? All of them? You need a game camera.

Yep, the game camera is pointed at where we feed our deer (new crop of fawns ) The prime suspect is my neighbor that I asked to keep an eye on the place and do some feeding for us. I haven't seen that dude yet but it's hard to imagine him doing that. Even harder to think someone came down alongside the house out where we live. Maybe they saw the motorhome gone and got a little brave.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Yep, the game camera is pointed at where we feed our deer (new crop of fawns ) The prime suspect is my neighbor that I asked to keep an eye on the place and do some feeding for us. I haven't seen that dude yet but it's hard to imagine him doing that. Even harder to think someone came down alongside the house out where we live. Maybe they saw the motorhome gone and got a little brave.

We're gonna have to send in the police....wait there aren't any left. You're on your own.
Get the bear traps out....I mean we are talkin' tomatoes here.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Been busy today, and the first batch of ornamentals are nearly all sited. There's a few edibles mixed in amongst them too. Wild white strawberry, cherry, apple, daylillies, szechuan pepper (sadly leaves only, no peppercorns, male tree), blackberry, pineapple guava.

The plug plants for the crazy planting scheme around the clothes airer should be here this week. Here's stock image pictures of what's inbound (they'll not reach full size and fill the area for a while yet)

There's a couple of edibles in there, namely the kale and violet, but the ramsons, lemonbalm and fucshia will be in that area too.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Kale, heuchera and fuchsias in along the back wall, and the plug plants are in for the ground cover. Now there's the long wait for it to set root and start making an impact on the area. Gardens start so slow...

I reckon it should start making an impact in the next 4 to 6 weeks. Still another few plants to sort elsewhere in the garden.

 

[Toothpick]

Picked all this yesterday. Canning the green beans and purple hull today.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Nice haul Jason.

 

[Scarry Knight]

There are a few more starting their drying out in the shop.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Picked all this yesterday. Canning the green beans and purple hull today.

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The purple beans will turn green when cooked. Kinda of a ripoff to a hard working farmer (and the chef). Doesn't matter...I love them.

 

[Toothpick]

The purple beans will turn green when cooked. Kinda of a ripoff to a hard working farmer (and the chef). Doesn't matter...I love them.

We shuck them and eat the peas inside. Already canned them.

 

[FarmerTan]

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There are a few more starting their drying out in the shop.

I'm going to try planting "Elephant" garlic next year.

 

[FarmerTan]

Not at all, a lot of work is exactly what I'm avoiding. There's a bit of planting to do, and rearranging of pots, but for the most part they'll look after themselves afterwards.

It's still a shambles at the moment, but a few weeks ago it was a sea of head high bramble, so it's looking a heck of a lot better than it did.

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The ground cover plants will be planted directly through the gravel to block out weeds around my clothes airer.

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That area should all be a mat of black, lime, dark green, silver and burgundy foliage, with purple kale and bright red heuchera along the wall, and ramsons lemon balm and ferns along the fence. I've also chosen plants I can walk across, when I do want to harvest the kale, lemon balm or ramsons. The old garden furniture is wrecked, and will be reduced to firewood for the chimenea.

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This seating area will be fringed with flowers and trees. Only a few trees and my daylillies and blackberry survived the health imposed neglect. Some of the pots have been capped off lasagne gardening style (slow release granular feed on the old compost, layer of fresh compost, layer of cardboard, and second layer of fresh compost), and new plug plants have been planted.

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When the pots have been shuffled around, the fuchsias will be planted directly in the ground, as their roots won't survive over winter in pots. Still a little more work to do with the new planting, and a bit of shuffling around, but should look something like what I want in six weeks or so, once the new plants are established. I'll try to remember to update with new picks when/if it starts looking like a proper garden again.

A few years ago, I was doing a lot more traditional vegetables, but it was more effort than I can realistically do now, so relaxation and simplicity are my aims now. Somewhere nice to sit out, that isn't too much effort, but a few edible treats hidden amongst the ornamentals.

Here's what it was like when it was full of food in pots, back when I was in full health.

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The following year, I revised the format again to the more central seating area, and ditched the traditional (cheap to buy) foods in favour of fruits and more exotic, harder/more expensive to buy stuff. This is pretty much how the layout stayed, till health issues let nature reclaim it.

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There are days I wish my backyard was that size my friend! Beautiful. What is the metal looking thing that was in another shot that reminded me of a thing to burn a little fire in?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

There are days I wish my backyard was that size my friend! Beautiful. What is the metal looking thing that was in another shot that reminded me of a thing to burn a little fire in?

Thanks Dave,

There is a chiminea in there, which is great for sitting by a small fire in the evening. I need to get another later in the year, as that one's almost burnt out. It's done 6 years, and many pleasant evenings though, so I'm not too disappointed.

 

[TexLaw]

We shuck them and eat the peas inside. Already canned them.

I've only grown those a couple times, but I also let them grow to full maturity and then shucked them.

What pressure canner do you have?

 

[FarmerTan]

Thanks Dave,

There is a chiminea in there, which is great for sitting by a small fire in the evening. I need to get another later in the year, as that one's almost burnt out. It's done 6 years, and many pleasant evenings though, so I'm not too disappointed.

Lol, I'll have to post a picture of my red neck version of a "chiminea" when we go for our evening stroll, and try to show you my backyard as well.

 

[Toothpick]

I've only grown those a couple times, but I also let them grow to full maturity and then shucked them.

What pressure canner do you have?

No pressure. Water bath on the stove.

 

[FarmerTan]

No pressure. Water bath on the stove.


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Dude, old skool.

You must have to can them with a good amount of salt? Or just cook them longer, more likely.

 

[FarmerTan]

Dude, old skool.

You must have to can them with a good amount of salt? Or just cook them longer, more likely.

I ain't no chemist my friend!

 

[FarmerTan]

I've only grown those a couple times, but I also let them grow to full maturity and then shucked them.

What pressure canner do you have?

Have you ever just let them dry and then cook them later?

 

[Toothpick]

Dude, old skool.

You must have to can them with a good amount of salt? Or just cook them longer, more likely.

1/2 Teaspoon of salt for pints and a full teaspoon for quarts. Some folks add vinegar also but we don’t.

 

[FarmerTan]

1/2 Teaspoon of salt for pints and a full teaspoon for quarts. Some folks add vinegar also but we don’t.

And how long do you "bathe" them in the jars if you can remember off the top of your head? Been married so long I forget how my mom and dad did it that way.

I married a rich girl; she owned a pressure cooker!!!!