Toy Box 3 (the charm)

Thumbs up to you !! I am heading that direction (dedicated boxes) but am not there yet. I have 4 squares of Rockwell (an heirloom soup bean from Whidbey Island) and 3 (why 3 and not 4 is a good question) of Flageolet Vert (a French Heirloom). This year I kept my soup beans and my snap beans (they are not all green) in different boxes. Last year my sweet husband would go out and pick a mess of beans for dinner, letting me know that he found some squares that looked like I hadn't been picking them (YIKES! They were soup beans!) BUT they are all bush beans.

The one kind of pole beans I have are growing in the soil where the compost heap was for a couple of years. This is a 6 second clip from the last video of the pole bean tower....it isn't in a SFG but I am confident I could make it work with one.

Toy Box bean tower. There are two short 2x4's nailed to the top of an 8' 4x4 post in a cross shape. Two vinyl covered wires come off of each 2x4 and are held to the ground with tent stakes. There are enough wires for 8 bean plants.

Thanks Debs I just joined your Region on Square Foot Gardening this past week and had to switch over to the YouTube screen attempting to get a better look at your SALAD tray cause I saw for a second there what might be a plant that I guess came with my Miracle-Gro..

On the Pea Inoculation Video! Thanks for watching and welcome to the boards SARockhill! I got a notice from YouTube that directed me to where the post was. I thought you meant the last video I put up and could not think of any salad tray in that flick.

Here is that salad tray if you want a slower look.

Lavender Debs wrote:
Here is that salad tray if you want a slower look.

Nope on closer look I don't think it was any of those, it starts with 2 small oval leafs then sprouts a center more heart shaped and rougher than the first 2 leafs then more of the hearts keep sprouting out of the center and getting bigger, they are taking over my Pinot noir bucket. Hate to pull them they might be something good hehe.

I'm not sure where I am at. Did the weather person really say that the temps would get above 70 in Western Washington?

How did my eggplant know it would get some heat today? It put out a blossom. Not holding out much hope for fruit BUT the blossoms are pretty.

Looks like there will be a few Rockwell Soup beans. I thought I had lost them to the cold-wet. Some is far better than none.

Veggies for Thanksgiving? In the winter garden there are scallions (here), carrots, beets, salad greens, broccolis and parsnips. Before August is over there are a few more seeds, like spinach, to plant.

I finally harvested those seed peas looking all dry in the background. (This is a big deal for me, I love to buy seed in January). Parsley, leeks, cilantro and chard fill out this box. Green beans too, but I am already thinking about what will feed me this fall.

The 2nd Tomato taste test has been posted on the Toy Box blog. If you do not want to wait until Tuesday you can read it here; Ranger (F1)
Shabbot Shalom The Thunder moon is waning as my corner of the world warms up. 84/59 Blue sky and the rare 0% chance of rain. Sunrise at 5:49, Fourteen hours and 50 minutes later it sets at 8:39. Should be a beautiful dog walk tonight.

pretty bloom on the eggplant, I did not get so much as a bloom so far.I decided to transplant raspberries this week, what a mistake and now it is supposed to be up to 95 tomorrow

95 ! ? ! Yikes, poor raspberries. Maybe they will be ok! We want to get ours in the ground too but though we would wait until September. I have not got a place ready yet but I know where the place will be. Hangeth thou in there little raspberries.

wowzers its HOT today!

Debs we are thinking alike....we *think*..and i mean think we got the fall planting down.....first time to do a fall planting.....now we too are trying to figure out how to do a winter harvest as well....

what are some of your idea's for planting in the fall besides garlic?....we do have a couple box's with hoops......

your last garden box pic looks like swiss chard in the back, onions, i think beans in the front and the dry peas you saved.....what is between your dry peas and what looks like beans....in the middle there?....is it celery or parsley maybe? ....your box looks great!....im hoping to get fall onions nice like yours....the ones we harvested were on the smaller size and bolted a lot sooner then we thought they would......but...they still are sweet and yummy...even the kids last night loved our fried onion and potato snack at 10 pm last night ......i know....*sigh*.... most families have cake or ice-cream .....not us....my daughter was so excited to smell them cooking and complained i didnt cook enough

hugs
rose who is off to see the new taste test this week

Thanks for asking Rose....
Those onions are leeks and I will start harvesting them after Halloween. Beyond the beans there are three squares of parsley (I had a lot of winter-sown plantlets and was not sure they would all live. Why did I doubt you dear parsley) Followed by two squares of cilantro that bolted quick....I've been using it anyway. I should start some more for this fall. I do have celeric in that box but it is in front of the beans and I HOPE it is more impressive below the ground than it is above!

For late fall/winter I have started 3 squares of carrots, a square of scallons, beets and something else that slips my mind just now. I read that you put in boc Choi? I forgot about that. Thanks! There are baby lettuces for late fall salad, mixed mustards and Chinese Kale which I now love more than peacock broccoli (except for the awesome color in salad) 8 squares of broccoli and at least 3 or 4 of purple sprouting broccoli + a brussels sprout that is doing well over by the bean tower ..... After it cools down I will stick in some red and green curly spinach, maybe some arugula and corn salad. If I had a package of Walla Wallas I would start a nursery square of those too. .... After school starts, if I have my head together I'll put in some radishes ..... To celebrate halloween (I don't really do halloween) I plant garlic, fava beans and shallots.

My plan for my celery is to dig it up, pot it up and put it in my cold, dark garage for winter use,
You can follow the long path that tells why here. You will need to click on the link in the post. Basicly celery gets blanched and sweet in a dark garage or root celler and can be used during winter, even planted out again in spring if there is any left....Mr H has a proper garden instead of a toy box.

I see that a lot of you are planting peas? I have them grow accidently when I use the pea straw to mulch berries or the apple tree. Perhaps I should do it on purpose?

Could there really be that much?
Debs....whose onions are looking Russian Orthodox too.

Putting the strawberries to bed.



I got a little OCD (is that the letters I want?) with the Chamomile but most of this is about my strawberries, plus strawberry spa water and a little bit of showing off for all you sweethearts who have said such nice things about Bomber and Rudy Valentine.

loved the video DEBS!!

the swipe at the end of the video with the view of your garden is so pretty!

the kids loved the dogs!! & they want to try the spa water too

after you dry the Chamomile do you then use it in a tea *gaget* sorry dont know what its called.....LOL....i just started to drink tea and my mom just gave me a gaget that you can put dry tea in and steep it.....

after you dry the Chamomile can you just use it like that?.... to make tea? ......i really want to learn how to dry our own to use...so far we are doing really good on the herbs.....i just dont know how to do the teas.....and we do have Chamomile growing..... ....along with a few differnt mints that are my 12 year old daughters .....she wanted to grow them.....i just dont know how to use them once i dry them.....

again thank you for the videos.....i have learned so much from you!!....just tonight as i was cooking and putting up our last harvest of fava beans.....i was thinking of you

hugs
rose & kids

Awww, Rose, thank you.

As I was putting all those strawberry leaves into the compost I wondered if I should be saving some of them for tea. I still have a few here and there that I can use and so little fresh green grass clippings to put into the compost so in they went.

YES you can use your *gaget* to make tea. My mom has a collection of *gaget*s that she uses to make tea. I am sure I have a heart shaped one in the trailer. You fill it loosely with herb and steep it the same way you would a tea bag. I have often heard that one good size, fresh chamomile button (I'm guessing that is the yellow part) can be floated in a tea cup to make a perfect night-time drink. I tend to make tea by the pot and use a strainer that either fits into the pot or over the cup.

Timing is important with herbal teas. I like to steep tea for no more than three minutes. I see people who leave the herbs in the water all day and seem to love it. For me, 5 minutes makes a medicinal infusion, 3 makes tea. Different components are released after 3 minutes, sometimes they are bitter or off tasting. Experiment and see what you like. Mint is one that seems to change character the longer it is steeped. Herb people say that tea is steeped (3 or less minutes in "lively water---water just before it comes to a boil, if in doubt, use a stick thermometer) and medicinal brews are infused (5 to 10 minutes) Bottom line, if you want a stronger taste use more herb, not more time.

With your mint, use it fresh to make a sugar syrup. It is awesome in tea (or juleps if you are so inclined). A basic sugar syrup is 2 parts water to one part sugar. Let it come to a boil, stirring just often enough to keep it from scorching. It will suddenly boil hard. Turn off the heat but let it sit on the element (if you have a gas stove you will need to turn the flame back since gas is all or nothing). Then add a handful of mint (sometimes I mince it sometimes I add sprigs). Let it sit for a minute to steep in the cooling sugar. You can strain it off after a few minutes or after it cools a bit. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. Ray likes lavender infused syrup in his tea and in citrus spa-water.

We like dry mint in our suntea. In a gallon jar of water, add 4 black (orange poke, better known as Lipton or Red Rose) tea bags and three, 3 inch springs of dry mint. Let it cold steep for a day (it doesn't have to be in the sun but we like to see it sparkle). Cold tea (Sun Tea) is not as bitter as hot tea; you will not need to sweeten it like hot brewed Iced Tea)

To make honeydew spa water muddle a fresh sprig of mint and add that to cubed honeydew melon (half a melon if it is small, even less for larger melons) in a half gallon mason jar. Fill the jar with ice, add water to fill the jar. Cap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Mmmmm

There are a number of middle east dishes that use mint, google 0r bing cooking with mint.
Debs.....who should warn you that chamomile should be enjoyed with the sunset; it is a component of Sleepytime.

I make chamomile/lavender tea for my evening drink. Grandkids named it "grandma's sleepytime" tea lol...

if making with a root or bark tea. you need to let it steep a bit longer..I usually do 8 to 10 min.

I use honey to sweeten teas. More medicine to enjoy lol..

Stevia is another nice one to grow and use to sweeten teas.

I have spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, and orange mint. In different locations in the yard! I don't want them reverting back!

I used mint tea for grandbabies when they had tummy aches when they were little. They still ask for them! Even the older kids lol...

CindiLou wrote:I have spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, and orange mint. In different locations in the yard! I don't want them reverting back!

CindiLou, could you pretty please explain what you mean by this?

Debs we copied and printed your instructions.....thank you!

my daughter will love the sugar syrup with her mints.....she has several growing in her pot..... .....i think they sound good to put over ice-cream and im sure the kids will come up with other ideas too

next year i think we will grow a lot more herbs ....this is the first year using a dehydrater....a very inexpensive one hubby bought for me at Harbor frieghts for like 25 bucks to try it out...and im hooked and love it!

thank you again debs
hugs
rose and kids

I went out to see if my snap beans were ready and happily there was a nice selection from every variety planted. I began the gentle search for more, lost in the job. Suddenly I noticed juicy crunching. Bomber and Rudy came and helped themselves to the pile of beans I was picking. I hated to scold them for their taste test but I did wrap the rest of them in my shirt tail.

Another PNW tomato tasting on The Toy Box blog. C'mon Western Washington-Oregon, where are your taste tests? I've seen the pictures. I know you have tomatoes.

Silvery Fir Tree

Silvery Fir Tree sounds like a keeper!!

so glad you are doing these taste test and updates....

sorry to hear about Ranger....

hope you get to save some seeds from Silvery Fir Tree...

hugs
rose who is off to give her review on the tom's she has tasted so far in our family gardens.....

awww i love your video's!!

i love seeing meals harvested from our own gardens!!

your harvest looks so yummy!!....your blueberris....well...i wish i could of scooped them up thru the computer :drunken:

congrats on your potatoes & corn!!....those two are my favorites to grow

hugs
rose....who loved hearing the nuggets singing

Thanks for the vid! How do you hold the camera? I see both of your hands in the video??

southern gardener wrote:Thanks for the vid! How do you hold the camera? I see both of your hands in the video??

grin....I have a tripod SG

Everything is looking fantastic Debs.

Beautiful - hope Ray enjoyed his farm fresh birthday feast.

Really nice Debs everything looks good!