Thursday, July 28, 2016

Welcome the jungle

This week I've been a bit under the weather and have not been able to do much of anything.  I'm not going to get into the details of my health right now because I'd rather share with you my garden.  Since so many of you enjoyed the pictures of my quilts hanging over Mr. Podunk's hand crafted garden gate, I thought today while I'm picking a few things I  might as well take some pictures.

It really could be cleaned a bit before showing it off but this is real life in Podunk.  Buckets, hoses, and tools are almost always right where we need them.
We've started something new this year.  Tons of grass clippings.  It's like walking on a cloud the clippings are so thick. If your interested in our new method by Ruth Stout you can read more about it here.


While looking through the pictures I noticed it looks like a jungle and a mess.  But what happened is we planted by the specifications on the plants.  Now I'm not bragging but our plants are much larger than the packaging said they would be.  Next year we'll need to widen our rows.  Below you I've labeled what we have planted.
  
We've already harvested a few early crops, that will give room for the cucumber vines below to fill in the empty spots.  Another experiment was the cucumber patch.  We always have planted the large variety.  This year we also chose some smaller pickling cucumbers.  It's nice not to have all those seeds in your pickles.


Outside view of the cucumber plants.  Every couple of days we find new vines trying to sneak out into the yard.  They are easy to tuck through the fence and back on the right path into the garden.


As I walked pass the cucumber vines I could hear lots of buzzing.  The vines are covered with large wood bees taking a sip from the cucumber blossoms.


I hadn't planned on doing any real work in the garden today but my sweet potato vines on the left were about to grab a hold of my green beans.


A quick pulling back with my rake and I'm ready to pick some cucumbers and head back to the house.


Not all of our plants do well in the garden.  Pepper plants seem to like the heat that comes off of the siding by the garage.  They get about 12 hrs of sun here and they love it.


All peppers love sunbathing.  We have jalapenos...


Sweet banana peppers...


And Bell Peppers of all colors.  Right now they are all still green.  But soon they turn red, yellow and orange.


The reason for going to the garden was for a cucumber to make a smoothie.  I thought about peeling that cucumber...oh what the heck lets eat the peel also, more nutrients!  The blueberries and strawberries were pulled from the freezer.  And that big glob of white stuff is coconut oil.  It has antibiotic qualities.  Remember at the beginning of this post I'm a little sicky-poo.  Of course there's a little honey(more antibiotics) and homemade probiotic yogurt for it's healing properties.


This made enough for 3 glasses.  Breakfast, lunch and supper.  In the background is the rest of my supplies for making all natural concoctions for healing.  I had to break out the garlic pills after trying to eat a garlic clove 3 times a day.  I only ate one and barely manage to swallow it down....whoa! YUK!  I love garlic in my food but eating a clove is not pleasant.  Hopefully all this self torture works.
Only time will tell, I'll let you know how it goes.


~ Lea Anne ~
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15 comments:

  1. Hope you are on the mend. Your garden looks yummy.

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  2. Feel better! Thanks for the idea of cucumbers in smoothies--we are just starting to get our cucumbers in, so I will try it. Your garden is lovely!

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  3. I was with you till the garlic! Hope your remedies work for you ... without the whole garlic., Your garden is beautiful!

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  4. Beautiful garden. The space I have, has been gardened for at least 58 years and we have been mulching for years. My zucchini plants are huge. We've had lots of rain in east central Ia, but could use some again.Had a church friend help me with the mulching and then she gets some of the veggies.

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  5. Oh, I love your garden pics! Reminds me that I have salsa to make! We like to put down the grass clippings as well...I think it helps maintain moisture. Take care and I am going to try your smoothie!

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  6. Your garden looks fantastic! I've been a Ruth Stout fan for many, many years! I still pass on her techniques to others. I probably own a first edition No Work Garden book, ha, ha, I'm that old! Hope you're feeling better soon! XO

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  7. Your garden looks like it keeps you busy, yummy! I put coconut oil in my smoothies also.

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  8. hope you are now feeling better, no fun being under the weather. Your garden is full of produce, how good to be able to grow cucumber without a greenhouse. Smoothie looks and sounds tasty but would pass on the garlic ugh not for me hate both the taste and smell. Speedy recovery to you and hope I do not wake you up you need your sleep whilst poorly. Must check up about the grass clippings mine go in the bin and ocassionally in the composter

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  9. What a great garden! I love the pepper patch idea. I used to be able to grow a small garden here but my idiot neighbors have hired a mosquito spraying company that puts toxins and solvents in the air to drift over here. No more organic veg for me. We also used grass clippings and it's a great choice.
    I don't mind cuke skin when it's fresh and not waxed. Your smoothie ingredients sound really good, sick or not. Hopefully you'll soon be well. LeeAnna

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  10. Your garden is great. Wish I had a green thumb. Hope your feeling better soon.

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  11. Your garden is just beautiful! Decades ago in WA I gardened a lot, but here in NM it's too hot in our yard. Chile peppers grow well here without needing to be against the siding like yours. August is chile season here in NM and the barrel roasters will be all around the state as people buy huge bags of chile and have them roasted. I love roasted green chile, but harder to find the mild. I don't know how some people can eat the extra hot without blistering their mouths! I can taste the great flavor when it's mild or just barely hot, but anything else all I feel is that hot spice and can't taste anything! Hmm maybe a hot green chile would cure what's ailing you Lea? Take it easy and take care of yourself. Oh I used to love making homemade spicy dill pickles with the small pickling cukes. I added a few red chiles in the jar and whole garlic. It dded flavor and not much spice and they were sooooo good! I sure miss eating those pickles.

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  12. Your garden looks so good. I miss having one. I get to only plant two tomatoes, and trying to keep peppers growing, but the critters seem to love them. Had to put little fences around them. Love eating from the garden.

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  13. Your plants look really fresh and healthy - hope they do you some good - get well soon :)

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  14. Looks like you are on a health kick. Hope you are feeling better soon.
    Hugs

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  15. Hope you get better fast, hugs sweet friend. Love your garden

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