Turan in the Western Mountains

Strawberries are almost ripe


A rose on a wet day.

I just ate the last of the strawberries, wow were they good this year!  We picked actual bowls full and left them on the kitchen table for snacking on all day.  And on ice cream and in pancakes.  Bliss

We have been eating DiCiccio broccoli all month but today I picked the Arcadia and blanched and froze it all.  Arcadia makes a big central head and a few big side shoots. I had 10 pounds of frozen broccoli when I got done.  I find that 20 oz fits nicely into a gallon ziplock freezer bag.  I flatten the bag so it is mostly one layer deep.  That way I can easily break off the amount I need for a meal.  

Here is the broccoli a week ago.


Last night we ate half a gallon of fresh picked peas, with scapes and chicken, on rice.

The potatoes have rebounded from the freeze last month.  They are starting to flower and I need to give them a last hilling so the tubers developing now will not have green shoulders.


I realized we were falling behind on eating cukes, Beit Alpha and Northern Pickling.  At first the only fruits were from me pollinating but now they are taking off.  I realize that they do better getting pollinated if I leave mustard weed growing among them, it is the same color and the bees are crazy about yellow at this time of year.  I read some about fermentation pickles and have a batch started today.  I sure hope they do their thing.


There are eggplant fruits on my plants. Two I am wondering if they are almost ripe enough. I am not really sure how to tell when best to pick them.

It appears there is a limit on how many photos I can post at a time.  Take it from the baby eggplants are cute, the corn is struggling and we will see if we get any this year of late frosts, the carrots are bushy, and I will post a pick of the first tomato (7/9/18) in the tomat thread.

Turan, You can post more than 3 photos in a reply. However, only 3 at a time can be posted. After posting the 3, hit Preview, then go back and post another 1-3. Something new to Forumotion.

Thanks for the tip, Sanderson!

Here is my morning pic from the garden.  We are moving into high summer bounty.  There are beans and basil and more cukes and tomatoes in the greenhouse, almost ready.  

Excellent looking haul, Turan  !

And in a blink of an eye it is almost October.

THe garden has been pumping out the produce. I have been canning tomatoes and freezing broccoli and beans. It is frosting fairly regularly now. I have brought all the squash in and today I dug the potatoes. THe greenhouse is not staying warm enough so I picked all the tomatoes, red and green. I also brought in the last of hte corn, including the Indian Hill I want for seed next year. Still to do is cabbage, carrots, rutabagas and parsnips.

You are true gardener!

Thanks, sanderson.

I was collecting some squash vines to feed to the sheep when I felt a tug on the line
There was a nice big Bitterroot Buttercup squash hidden in the leaves that I had missed earlier. That makes 6 Buttercups, 3 Hunter Butternuts, and 2 Lakota winter squash. I am looking forward to tasting those Lakota squash, they are new to me.

Thought of you and Ispinwool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcr0rz_Rdkg&list=PLKNx7Usqhw7GU_XXbhLLCpuwWgtMPYV3f&index=2&t=0s&fbclid=IwAR0AF_kVZX4PeLZQjAQRECMDiIf34HRbFRYBNogvyuB1Xn7Zywelowhjb-Q

A friend of mine asked me to shear her sheep once...I was super sloppy and
super slow! (and she never asked me again...that tells ya something! LOL)

"30 sheep per hour" in the video is lightening fast and they look good when
they're finished! Bravo!

Nice video, sanderson. THanks.

We sheared in early March, right before lambing.  We are a bit more careful with the fleece than is shown in the video.

My area has a Basque population so sheep are still a part of the scenery.

This was a rough early spring. It was in the -30s the first week of March. It is only now that I am getting in the garden and working. This week I got the peas planted, only a month late! Then I got a bed ready and planted the carrots, parsnips, mixed beets and a sprinkle of radishes over all.  

The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and broccoli have all been up potted and are on the window sill.

Today I am cleaning the greenhouse.  I picked a nice bouquet of chives from there.  Also collected the Provider, and Helda bean pods I will save for seed.  
Some where in this thread I vowed that I would do better in the fall and get the greenhouse properly cleaned for an early start in the spring.  Failed again.  But THIS FALL I will! I hope.

The Puchella tulips are just starting to bloom.

Turan, I was about 3 weeks late from normal in getting everything outside and planted. The weather did not cooperate for an April 1 planting.

Second bed of corn is planted. Whew. That means the garden is in, about a week or two late.  Welllll,,, there are three 6 packs I started of basil to squeeze in somewhere.  But the digging of quack grass is finished and the beds are planted. I am contemplating changing to 18" tall metal beds. I can bury 8" of the bed to keep the quack grass roots out. It has worked so far in the greenhouse.  

Everything is very green and very tall.  The second phase of weed whacking and heaping mulch around things is beginning. In the greenhouse the tomatoes are just starting to bloom, and they need their strings. The Millionaire eggplant (I had sanderson eggplant envy   ) need out of their W-o-W; as do the cukes and butternut squash. 
 

I have a new way to make twine trellis.  Make long loose vertical strands and then tie neighbors in a pattern to make diamonds.  Faster and prettier than weaving a grid. The beans are climbing.


 
And there are flowers blooming.

Turan wrote:I have a new way to make twine trellis.  Make long loose vertical strands and then tie neighbors in a pattern to make diamonds.  Faster and prettier than weaving a grid.

Nice! Like smocking.

Turan, can you take a photo of the top part? Are there sets of string every so far apart and then you take one from each set and tie together? I think your diamond design would be great for beans/peas.

Millionaire! I have 3 of them this year.

sanderson wrote:Turan, can you take a photo of the top part?  Are there sets of string every so far apart and then you take one from each set and tie together?  I think your diamond design would be great for beans/peas.

Millionaire!  I have 3 of them this year.

You got the basic idea.  Here is an article about it.
 https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-own-trellis-netting-32141.

Thank you!