Carnage In The Tomato Patch!

We have critters! We have seen a rabbit in the garden, but some little Baggins is eating tomatoes more than a foot off the ground, so we think the culprit is a squirrel. We have a lot of 'maters coming on, so we are OK, but we hope the rest of the family doesn't show up.

 In other garden news, our Rattlesnake beans are done for. They have what appears to be a mosaic virus, and they all died over a few days, in spite of rain and watering.  Aphids, leafhoppers, and stinkbugs all have piercing/sucking mouthparts, so it could be any or all of those pests. 

Susan's Tater Patch

 Susan keeps telling me that nobody is going to watch fifteen minutes of digging potatoes, and I keep telling her that it isn't like paint drying... I don't expect a whole lot of views, but I think you will enjoy seeing the taters come out of the ground. It's like Christmas, or an Easter egg hunt to us.

Garden Payoff, Then Trouble!

 Susan's onions were mostly done because of the dry weather we've had, so we popped them out of the ground Saturday evening, and had them spread out to dry the next morning. Sunday morning we had 2.6 inches of rain, so we will have beans. Shortly afterward, Susan was standing still when her right hip dislocated and she fell. She will be back in surgery today (Monday) to put the parts back in place. The garden will have to take care of itself for a few days while I tend to Susan.   UPDATE: Susan had surgery Monday afternoon and the liner (socket) had moved. They put in a new one and have it anchored. We don't know if it moved and she fell, or if she fell and it moved, but she is on the road to recovery again and should be able to walk again soon.  Life turns on a dime. Keep your house in order and always be ready to handle an emergency!  

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One Week After Susan's Second Hip Replacement

 I might have to hobble her to hold her back....

She has her feet up tonight and is keeping that leg iced, but the progress is amazing!

Tater Time!

 Easter is two weeks later than last year, and we have rain predicted this week, so we jumped the gun and planted potatoes on Palm Sunday. The ground was a bit wet to our liking, but it worked up OK. We dug potatoes on July 25 last year, so this year they should be ready around August 1. We must tighten up the bottom of the fence to exclude rabbits, and then we need to put the bean trellis up.

Back To The Old Grind!

The Key To Birthday Bliss...

 ...comes from a Forestry Suppliers catalog?

Fall Garden Bounty

Susan's garden is winding down, but fresh vegetables are still coming out every day. The Lazy Housewife beans were disappointing until recently when they have been producing. The Rattlesnake beans were great producers and we will definitely plant those again. We kept the deer out of the garden OK, but the rabbits were a daily feature. They worked hard on the sweet potatoes. We didn't have sweet corn, so raccoons were no problem. Susan sowed beets after the potatoes were dug, but a heavy rain wiped them out. The okra is just about done, but Susan has a bunch of that cut, dipped in cornmeal, and in the freezer.

Habanero Hot Zone!

 We have dried down the habaneros and are turning them into dust for seasoning in the kitchen and at the table. This stuff is definitely great for your circulation! Keep yourself upwind while processing habaneros!

Back To The Old Grind!

Okra Strong!

 The garden is coming to an end soon, but the okra is not ready to quit. The bit of rain we had the other day has turned it on again!

Pickled Okra, An Easy Food Preservation Project!

Tomato Powder From The Garden

 Tomato powder is another product that you can get from your garden. Susan saved the skins when she was dicing tomatoes last week, dried them, and today she chopped them into powder. It's an easy process.

Did You Sow Your Turnips?

 Days are growing shorter, you better plant them soon!

Prepping Corn For The Freezer

 

Our friends George and Sally brought a bunch of corn over this morning, and Susan has been working hard to get it put up in freezer bags. I shucked and silked it, and Susan is doing the hard part. The electric knife makes the process go faster.

Cobbler Comin' Up Soon!

 Blackberries from the garden, plums courtesy of Sally, and Lazy Wife Greasy Beans. Those were the third most popular bean in 1907. They also can be used as a shelly bean. 

Yum! That didn't last long!