Spent Labor Day enjoying the fruits of our labors in the garden this year.
Backyard berry bliss
Baby bunnies!
We are hosting a mama bunny and her babies. She built her nest in our raised bed garden. We’ve counted at least 4 babies so far, but we’re trying to give them some space. They really are adorable to watch, but we tell the children they mustn’t touch them.
Tools of Mass Production
Mark painted the garage with a paint sprayer. The end results look so much better and cleaner. The garage had probably not been painted in 40 years. Now with everything hanging neatly, I notice how many shovels, rakes, hoes, axes, trimmers, machetes and other implements of destruction we have.
Side yard landscaping
We replaced some very pathetic looking day lillies and assorted weeds with new plants. I don’t even have a before picture, but be assured it looked awful. Mark enjoyed renting the tiller and driving it through the soil.
Grow Your Own
Today’s garden haul. Potatoes, cucumber, green beans, pumpkins and onions. There’s at least 5 pounds of tomatoes ready to pick but we’re running out of places to put them, so they can stay on the vine a bit longer.
Sweet Pickle Relish
The garden is giving us plenty of cucumbers this summer, so we’re using the KitchenAid’s meat grinder attachment to make sweet pickle relish. Excellent for hot dogs, tuna salads and tartar sauce.
Berry Bliss
I’m finally living my cottagecore dream with my little berry bushes finally bearing fruit.
Yes we can!
This is what we have canned from the garden so far, and this doesn’t include the several jars of salsa, jam, marinara sauce and pickles we’ve already eaten or given away. If you had trouble locating canning jars this year, my apologies, I think we used them all.
Dandelion jam
Spring has arrived and our yard has exploded in dandelions and violets. And in these uncertain times, you need to maintain the skills of foraging food and enjoy the bounty that nature provides. In his recession punk style, Mark cooked up some dandelion jam. It has a light floral flavor, and it’s the golden color... Continue Reading →
Hydroponics Expansion
Last spring Mark bought a second grow tent to start seedlings for our backyard garden. This tent was narrower than the first one, only 4x4 feet. He sold several of his young pepper plants to coworkers and neighbors, which covered the cost of the second tent. This year he's bought a third tent, another 4x8,... Continue Reading →
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