A Little Bit of Everything --- Pie!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Mulched strawberries while waiting for DH to check cattle.

With his help set two cattle panels for the tomatoes....have 3 leftover that I will stake somehow. I don't want to wastes a 15 foot panel for them.

and the back side of the fence,

I hoed out most of east side of garden and harvested very nice broccoli. This was the first year ever in my gardening life that I had zero little green worms from the cabbage butterfly. In fact, I have only seen one of them and it was in the front yard!

I thinned the onions some and will probably have to chop and freeze them.

I chopped some low-hanging branches from the trees on the west side of the house and then,

we actually sat down in the shade and enjoyed our morning coffee break outside.

It is now too hot to do anything so I am in for the day.

I am making Spanish rice and new broccoli for lunch.....may go out and pick enough strawberries for dessert (or not)

June 11, 2012

This was my morning to milk. Willow is down quite a bit but she is getting along in her lactation so that is part of fit.

After milking, I tilled the garden, both sides. I also replanted the very spotty corn patch. I used a different variety, Bodacious. I always select varieties that don't have to be isolated so I am hoping this will work.

I tied up a few tomatoes that were large enough. I also picked the strawberries again. I won't get many more pickings from them and they will be smaller berries. I got another gallon container full.  I also did my last harvest of the two different rhubarb plants.  I know I am pushing the size on the red one but it is my Sis's  fault!  She has been talking all week about making a strawberry rhubarb pie.............I finally gave in and harvest the makings:

From June Blog 2013

I wasn't far from this since I keep Nathan's Never Fail pie crust in the freezer and it  thaws very quickly.

and the finished pie,

She makes hers using tapioca and strawberry jello and cooks filling on stove top first.  I used  my Joy of Cooking cookbook method which is just fruit tossed  with sugar and cornstarch and baked from scratch.

I should have used more  sugar!  But I love it.....DH, not so much.  He isn't a fan of rhubarb.

The first Asiatic hybrid lily opened.....I think  (stress think) this is a Brunello I rescued from the driveway border.

and more poppies,

I was happy to see  honey bees working the poppies this morning.  I think I just don't pay close enough attention  to see them all the time.

I checked out the garden too,  this is the strawberry row finally mulched,

and last,

Yes,Virginia, that is more cats(kittens) and these two aren't all,

Another Day in my life.......

It was a very cool, cloudy day here yesterday.  I worked outside and got lots of different things done.  First I sprayed herbicide along the concrete building  that edges the west side of the orchard.  It has sort of bays with concrete walls that aren't 'mowable' with the riding mower and I hate that much string trimming.  While out there I also thinned some more on the two peach trees and the Shiro plum. 

I always miss a branch or more and have to catch them when the weight of the fruit makes it drop down to get my attention,


I still have the one Liberty apple......I feel like I should bag it so nothing gets it before I do!  No fruit on the apricot or prune plum. 

I had enough spray to hit most of the fence row around the orchard.  When we get lots of rain, the weeds grow just like the garden plants.....big culprit back here is dock and wild carrot and something that looks like a vining geranium that is so tough you can't cut it with the trimmer.

I don't like using herbicides but sometimes have to.

I am in the process of killing all the brome from the cellar.  I am tired of trying to keep it out of the yard and flower beds.  It self-seeds everywhere.  The cellar will look pretty ugly for a while but so be it.  The other killing job is eliminating the euonymous from the brick chimney and the vinca major from around the foundation on the west side.  I don't know if what I used is strong enough to kill it.  I should know in about a week.  I wonder if crimson clover would work as a ground cover on the cellar??

I came in and fixed leftover beef and noodles with a side of mixed veggies for lunch.  Later in the afternoon I picked about 2 quarts or more of strawberries and we had a dish for supper.  I may make jam with the rest today.

Pictures

I don't really like to grow clematis this way but I have a couple of viticellas that I let ramble.  This one is climbing over an alba rose.  I love the albas even though they just bloom once in the spring but their fragrance is wonderful.



The poppies are still opening,