summer simplicity

The first of our meager crop. A little tart, and some are less than beautiful. But all picked by these little, sweet hands in daily excitement of these hidden red jewels.

Love the simplicity of summer through our little girl's eyes.

Garden update! Tomato heaven. (Well, almost)

My garden is growing! Ironically, the tomatoes in the ground are doing better than the ones in containers (one is a foot taller than Ladybug!).

(vs. my sorry container tomato)

my crop of basil, thanks to learning how to prune it - curious? read about it here!

oh, and my daisies have bloomed! joy.

harvesting: strawberries!

I've harvested a little bit from my garden -- 2 bunches of fresh dill, 1 parsley and 1 cilantro to dry. And we finally have strawberries this year!! Mmm. First picking yielded 12 rubies and the next day was 10. A couple days later 13! Not bad for my tiny little patch.

I celebrated this garden victory with a little strawberry shortcake (with real hand-whipped cream) - YUM!

Garden Update: Spring is *finally* here!

After a few frozen plants and frustrating weather, spring is finally here! {I hope.} I came back from a long weekend to see my flowers and herbs had grown in the sunshine, and my strawberries are blooming like crazy!

I am container gardening mostly this year - and only tomatoes, peppers and herbs. In the actual ground I've planted garlic, kale and a couple of extra tomatoes for kicks. Oh, and green beans - two out of 20-25 sprouted, so I'm not really hopeful for a bountiful harvest of those...

{berries!}

{daisies}

 {my hosta came back!}

{dill and parsley}

{front door flowers - I need to replace the one that didn't like the May snowfall}

After last year's frustrating growing season and drought, this is my last go with a garden here. If container gardening works out, I'll be thrilled. If not, I'll shrug and say, "oh well." Kansas just isn't a great place to grow things. At least not for my not-so-green thumb.

We're planning to make regular trips to the Farmer's Market in town on Saturdays to make up for my garden's lack and to buy local, fresh and organic (the CSA pick-ups stopped in our area, so that decision was easy). Two weeks ago we scored with a huge bag of wintered spinach for $3 and a dozen pastured eggs - green, brown and white - for $4. I'll keep my budget low, but I am craving fresh!!

What are you craving? Are you growing anything? Do share!!

CSA - Weeks 4 & 5

happy 4th to all those Stateside. (I'm sure there will be more on our laid-back festivities tomorrow, but for now...)

CSA pick-up last week wasn't happening without a kind friend to kick it on over to the farm and pick-up for us.

She said there was ... 2 small cabbages, a small bunch of broccoli, leeks, basil, peaches, and eggs.

This week (week 5!) there was:

2 mini cabbages, celery, beets, eggs, cherry tomatoes, green beans and red potatoes

Wahoo! The celery is more leaves than stems, so I'll probably try to use those and I'm not sure about the green cherry tomatoes. Does anyone know? Will they ripen if they're picked green? Or do we need to find a green tomato recipe?

And ... my CSA pick-of-the-week is these beauties.

Farm fresh eggs are such a treat to those on a low food budget - and it's not like we live in Amish country to just pick up a few on the side of the road (ahem, in-laws).  The taste is great, the yolk is a lovely orange and I don't think I'd need to refrigerate them if I didn't have to. I love it!

We've also gathered in a little from our garden (which is slowly withering away from the intense heat ...).

Some garlic.

And my cherry tomatoes have started to turn red!! There are so many on the two bushes I have yet to ripen, but I am excited (and I'm willing to water them so they live too)!

I've gotten so much cabbage - I'll share a cabbage recipe next week with you that is easy, delicious and we love!

Until then... sayonara!

Garden 2012: Update 3

My garden has grown since last time I mentioned it!

I've added some pretty pansies in all of their purple velvety goodness. A can is a great planter in a pinch, of course. They'd been out of water for almost a week and I didn't have time to thrift a planter, so I dug around in my recycling, drilled a hole in the bottom and there you have it!

Muah!

I have a different variety in my planter basket. So pretty, but fading away. I think the direct sun is too much.

Adding some green to the other side of the "yard" with some hosta. The sorry looking ones on the left should look a bit better in the next few years. (I hope!) And, did you know that if slugs start eating your hosta, you can just "plant" a pie plate of beer next to them and they'll drown in it?! Awesome. Now I just need to find me some beer. And some slugs.

Sweet corn!

My beans are so big already - June hasn't even started!

My first pea blossom.

And finally a tomato turning red!

Having any luck in your gardens? Flowers? Herbs? Tell me about it! I'd love to hear.

Our First Berry Goodness!

From our very own berry patch.

And ... when we went to eat them later after Jeremy got home, I handed her one again and SQUISH!

Yeah.

Garden 2012: Planted!

Over Easter, my parents helped me till and plant the rest of my garden. I've decided that this is the last year I'm growing in my garden soil - if it doesn't do well, I'm going to pots next year.

So, we'll see about the experiment as the summer goes on. But as for now, here is my garden!

A few small rows of sweet corn, one row of watermelon, red onions and an egg carton full of pepper seedlings (which haven't sprouted yet...)

One row of sugar snap peas, two rows of bush green beans, parsley, dill, basil, chives, garlic, yellow onions, a cherry tomato and a roma tomato plant.

and my (free) flower garden. Lots of experiments this year!

Grow tomatoes, grow!

And on the other side, a few strawberry buds. Maybe we'll get more than 5 berries this year!

 Can't wait for the produce I am hoping for!

Garden Inspiration - Link

I just ran across this link and after last week's post thought I'd share some garden inspiration - at Bleubird Vintage.

source

{And, yes, I totally garden in a dress, too.}

Happy Spring!

Garden 2012 - edition one

Well, here goes another try at a garden in 2012. I'm debating whether or not to try tomatoes and peppers again (just because they've failed so miserably the last few years) and just make it an herb garden, but I just love homegrown tomatoes SO much! And tomatoes and peppers are what cost so much - organic, homegrown goodness. All to myself. Affordably.

*sigh.


The beginnings of basil.

The chives that keep coming back.

Garlic we planted in the fall. Already so big from this crazy, warm March weather!

Strawberries ... what's left of them. Maybe they'll grow and give me a juicy berry or two.

 What are your garden plans this year?

P.S. This week is a really busy one so I'm signing off until next week. See ya then!