Garden Fuss

So this morning the DH ("dear husband" for those not in the know) and I are on a mission to be kid free for at least an hour or two. We hadn't had breakfast or even a morning cup of coffee, but we did have the midtown farmers market in mind so we headed in that direction. Eating local has been a huge topic in our home, around the city, and on the news for some time now. I am inspired to buy as much locally as possible by purchasing from vendors at the various farmers markets, the co-ops around town, as well as our small neighborhood grocery store Oxendale's Market.  At any of these locations you can find information regarding their efforts to either buy, sale, or grow local products you want to buy. Having sold my own jellies and jams at a local farmers market in the past I learned the importance of buying close to home and how it can improve the quality and appeal of my own products as well as support a neighboring vendor in their farming efforts. Having a child

I must say I have been a busy bee today. Must be the promise of a touch of warm air tomorrow lifting my spirits. Or it's the borage tea **wink wink**. Either way I had to make something nummy from these delicious berries so the canning equipmen made an appearance and I went to town cleaning,making short work of the stems, and then cooking up some delicous preserves. There was only enough for 3 nine ounce jars but I am so glad for the chance to make such a sweet treat from our garden. J has returned from the gym and has already asked to open a hot steaming jar. Tomorrow can't come soon enough for him. I guess he'll have to settle for an icecream sandwich.... Poor little one, what a sacrifice. LOL

I just couldn't resist posting more berry pics. I'm so excited!!

The wait is over, I went to pick borage for tea and right under my nose were shining brightly red the most juicy little summer berries. We've done the vulture flight(actually it's a walk) around our patch for days now and only found a few stragglers. But today I hit the mother load. This is our first real harvest and I am feeling the part of an accomplished gardener. I couldn't wait for my lil man to come home to help nab the berries because the squirrels have been ever present today. They have taken up watch in the big oak and their twiggy mess is all over the newly manicured lawn. But I had a trick for them though, letting the dog accompany me while I picked and picked. I see a fresh jar of preserves setting up on our counter in the near furure... Tonight that is.

So today is June 23, 2011 and I am thinking about a nice tall MUG of hot tea or even cocoa. It is literally in the 50's here in Minnesota. I should be sitting in the garden enjoying 80 degree weather watching the bumblebees tumbling through the Rasberry bushes and flitting through the strawberry patch. Instead I am contemplating a hot beverage and looking for a warm pair of socks. While the water is boiling I had a thought; why don't I use some fresh herbs from the garden with a fresh crispness to it for my tea? With that question in my mind I decided I would head out to get some borage leaves. Armed with the power of Google I came across the most amazing recipes that I am so excited to try. Including battered and fried borage leaves, and an amazing looking Borage Jelly recipe I found at  http://www.herb.co.za/herbal/borage-recipes.htm This amazing beneficial companion plant has been growing in my garden the last 3 years and is so welcome an addition. Because of this amazing

Lemon-Scicle Trifle with Strawberry Nectarine filling.

First Fishing trip of the year and not 5 minutes in look at what I caught! It was pure luck really. I saw this big guy looking up at me from the dock so I just dangled my hook in front of him and walla instant photo-op. That was at least an hour and a half ago and there has been nothing but the sun biting me and my line ever since. We are on the hunt for something smaller (aka crappie) that I can fry up for the hub but nothing is really happening at this point. Not that any true Minnesotan could or would turn down a walleye if they hooked it. But at this point, that would truly be a miracle from God. So until that happens I'll just be content to tan the back of my arms while I read Gena Showalters "Heart of the Dragon". Happy planting if you can get something in the soggy soil. If not grab a line and some bait and join us!

For weeks I have debated on how I would plant this lone peanut plant. Believe me when I say it really was a task coming up with something because there have been casualties....... Well, until I drove by a local urban CSA whose name is escaping me just now I had no clue how to keep this plant safe. This CSA is using a form of straw bale gardening (which I would love to know more about) for their produce. As I drove by the light bulb just FLASHED! So one morning this week as I contemplated activities for myself and the little one to accomplish.(I guess that was Monday) I found some old chicken wire I was hoarding for such an occasion and popped the strings on our newest seating arrangement (the straw bale); opened up two bags of composted manure and went to town with this container?.... After ripping up and tossng the 5 poor looking bokchoy that freakishly went to seed with barely 4 leaves I began making a double loop or tube which I secured into he ground with no less than 4 garden stak

After investigating frothy masses that were showing up on the thyme and savory in our herb garden we found that we had red aphids and a bug I never remember seeing before called spittle bugs. Thanks to the genius of google (yes that was a shout out) I was able to not only find pictures but great descriptions and tips on dealing with these honery bugs. After spraying the plants with water last week as suggested I saw no improvement in the spittle population. So being proactivethis year is my resoluton so beneficials were the first thing to pop into mind. This meant a trip to our local nursery Mother Earth Gardens where they seem to always have what I need for the job (accept for nasturtium seeds today but they'll be more soon). With us and the rest of the country experiencing record heat or close to it I picked up some much needed straw bales to mulch in the now super sized strawberry plants and our garden walkway. Sitting on the counter was a bag of busy freshly hatched or molted l