July 30, 2012

Mid Summer Gardens

Thompson Seedless grapes in greenhouse. LOTS of clusters this year!

Thompson Seedless grape cluster in my greenhouse

Veggie Garden view of our house

Garlic Scapes

Chipmunk planted Sunflower from birdseed

Heirloom Black Hollyhocks

Heirloom Black Hollyhocks and Raspberries

Wildflower Garden view of house

Veggie Garden view to north

Swiss Chard

Elderflowers

Wlidflower Garden Stump

Wildflower Garden view south

Tomatoes in Spiral Bed

Spiral Bed

Lillies

Catmint, etc, and Dawson's metal fence he made me

Herb Garden view of back of house - Clematis blooming

Our "Scarecrow"

Deck by hot-tub 

Rose Campion



Looking north

See chicken coop?





July 27, 2012

Currants

Freezing Currants

 I've been harvesting currants. I've planted so many currant bushes . . . When they are all as mature as the couple I've been harvesting from . . . they are going to be . . . overwhelming! So far I've mostly been freezing them. Putting them initially on cookie sheets to freeze, then bagging up. We use them with our homemade yogurt ice cream and many mornings with our dairy kefir, yogurt, oatmeal, homemade soaked cold cereal . . . When I do have an abundance I'll be making wine with them too. I'll also dry them.

Currant Pie

This year I made a currant pie. It was too sweet, so next year I'll make more pies and tweak the recipe till just right.

July 17, 2012

Raspberries in the Freezer

Raspberries frozen first on cookie sheets

My earliest Raspberries to harvest and freeze are wild ones. My earliest perennial bed Monte made for me had dirt brought from our woods and the raspberries sprouted from that dirt. Since they produce well in that spot, I let them exist and am picking them when peonies are blooming.

I thought our wild raspberries were everbearing, but found out "Wrong" when one year I cut them all back in the fall and got no berries the next year. I now have everbearing raspberries which produce later in the summer. So now I have two harvests, or almost a constant supply of raspberries from mid July till frost.

To freeze berries spread them on cookie sheets first and freeze, then bag them up and put back in the freezer, labeled. We mainly eat our frozen fruit for breakfast with homemade yogurt and dairy kefir, soaked and dried cereal or oatmeal.

Emery eating raspberries "Papa" picked for him

I met my son Travis, Sarah, Emery and Scout at the zoo. Monte had picked some raspberries into a small container for me to take to Emery. Emery shared his raspberries from "Papa" with everyone.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...