my strawberry patch is out of control. and weedy.
found a great article on controling weeds in Northern Gardener. i just found this magazine and i'm going to order a subscription. great info for us northern gardeners.
i also found an article on keeping your strawberry patch manageable in Mary Jane's Farm.
in my garden lettuce, rhubarb and chives.
trying my best to buy and eat local. why... first of all food that is in season and that is fresh tastes the best. i don't know if you have had a watermelon from the store lately, but they taste terrible.
and we need to stop the petroleum pipeline. read more here.
farming, there may be a future in in after all.
a northern wisconsin early june in season recipe:
Rhubarb Ginger Crunch
4 cups of rhubarb
1 cup cranberries, pitted cherries, blueberries, strawberries, or apples (which ever you can find locally)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Topping
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
4 tablespoons butter
Combine rhubarb and berries with sugar. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing often. Heat oven to 350 degrees; butter a deep dish pie pan. Add honey flour, vanilla and ginger to the fruit; toss well. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make topping. Combine flour, sugar and nuts. Cut in cold butter with pastry cutter or fingers. Refrigerate while rhubarb cooks. When fruit has baked 20 minutes, sprinkle topping over it and continue to bake until bubbly, 30-40 minutes longer.
Serve warm. i added a spoon of greek yogurt. the kids had vanilla ice cream.
the garden is planted - everything except the tomatoes. i'm not risking a freeze like last year. i like to think i've learned from my mistakes.
the tomato line up this year:
early Goliath
yellow plum
sun sugar (love this one)
pruden's purple
riesentraub
caspian pink
pineapple
volkov
first lady
i couldn't find my favorite though... the french heirloom Coustralee. maybe seeds next year? anyways, i think second to tomatoes i'm most looking forward to basil. i grew 5 different kinds. i can almost smell the pesto now.
They came together this year - the daisy and the strawberry. Do they always? I don't know. This is the first year i really had any strawberries. They spread quickly which is a good thing. We can't keep them around long enough to make anything. I want to make strawberry shortcake. I'll have to hide them.
The above phtoto is a diptych - two photots that fit better together than they did apart. A mini story in two frames, an association, different perspective on the same theme. I've been studying them and loving them and trying them. You can see many on this Flickr group.
It's a sad sad sad garden day. My tomatoes froze last night. I've always planted tomatoes on Memorial Day? So much for global warming. Note to self ... never ever plant on memorial day again. Wait until June. I just keep telling myself ... it's OK, life will go on.
Did you see the cover of Country Living this month? Flowers in an old bowl. I loved the idea. My take on it.
So I'm off to cover what's left of my tomatoes. There is still hope for some of them. I think.
It feels like England here. Rainy and cold. And I don't feel like planting anything. My husband thinks this weather is great. But he's Scottish. He convinced me to come out plant those lilac bushes I've been talking about planting for a week. And now they are in the ground. I planted them by my clothes line. That way I can carry in lilacs with baskets of clean linen.
I refuse to plant anything else until the sun comes out.
Have you tried growing Rosemary inside? Someone suggested bringing in my Rosemary last fall. I'm not one to bring stuff in for the winter but the plant was so beautiful. I hated to see it freeze to death. So it came in with me for the winter.
I'm so happy I did. Every so often I will run my hand over the leaves. Mmmmm. Smells so good.
It was a good day. Cool and sunny and just perfect for fall gardening.
Forcing some paper whites for winter. Forcing bulbs is one of the easiest things you can do. And come winter time you'll be so happy you took the time.
This morning the air was so cool that you could see your breath. And when I walked in the garden all I could smell was dill. I planted tons of tulips. Now, I have to pray to the Good Lord that my dog won't dig them up.
I don't like to make rules but I made one for myself today. The only flowers allowed to stay inside the vegetable garden are flowers that make good cut flowers. Gee, the garden is so overrun with flowers and it's getting ridiculous. A rule is a rule. Lots of perennials had to go.
The "girls" hung out with me today. So curious.
Next year I'm planting pumpkin. These babies are expensive.
So the garden is all rototilled and ready for winter. All except the raspberries, who are getting a new home tomorrow. Taking them out of the garden too. They are getting a little out of control. I hope they like their new home. It's kinda shady. I'm hoping.
Happy fall planting.
My favorite tomato this year is the coustralee. It is a French beefsteak heirloom. Mine look like flowers, don't you think. And when I slice them they are so pretty on a sandwhich. They taste good too. My second favorite is the sungold. It is a small golden orange cherry. Very sweet.
