What Did You Do In The Garden?

[catjac1975]

I have really not been doing much. We had the funeral for DH. I have been giving a lot of vegetables away. We have been eating tomatoes and beans. I froze a bunch of beans. The aphids came and got the Russian kale. I had a strange woman in my garden picking tomatoes and sunflowers, which I realized she knew my neighbor and I had told him he can pick whatever he wants. DS and I loaded the truck with weeds, the aphid kale, sunflowers and blackberries shoots. I am watering things trying to keep bushes and flowers alive until it ever rains. My garden really did well even with all the setbacks. I am still eating peppers, kale, collards, tomatoes, beans, squash, cucumbers, blackberries. Not garden related, but DS, DD, and SIL, we worked on the garage and made runs to the dump. I am going through all the homeschool things. I had 24 folders, 12 years each, of tests, papers, drawings, so I took things out of each folder and made 1 folder each. Now I have boxes of books to go through.

I admire that you are pressing forward through your grief. There are not many people who could do that. Many of us would curl up in a ball until hibernation was over. How wonderful to have all of those garden records. My records are just rolling around in my head.

 

[ninnymary]

I admire that you are pressing forward through your grief. There are not many people who could do that. Many of us would curl up in a ball until hibernation was over. How wonderful to have all of those garden records. My records are just rolling around in my head.

She says they are homeschool things/papers.

Mary

 

[Nenebynature]

This is certainly part of garden work. Do your chickens eat the roses and herbs you put in the nest boxes?

Mary

Yes they do. Or they kick it out if they aren't interested. They were so funny. I came home yesterday and checked the boxes for eggs and only one box out of six was used. Only 6 eggs hmmm I have 22 laying hens. Looked around and found 9 more in a pile in the corner under the roosting bars. Guess they weren't fans of my decor and "styling" hahah. Goofy girls. The herbs make everything smell so fresh and inviting. I like to spoil them.

 

[Nenebynature]

View attachment 21953
Replenished DW produce pile on kitchen counter. Harvested the potatoes they were on the large size as well as the carrots. Also all those bell peppers came off of one plant, it had 9 peppers on it. That is a record for me for sure. I need to get a scale to start weighing the harvests. Next year for sure.

Fantastic!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

My rabbit loves kale I am sure he willn't mind the aphids.

This is scary aphids. I tried getting the whole plant in so I would not spread them. I guess winter will kill them, but crazy amount attacking just Russian kale.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Sounds like you are getting a lot done by decluttering and getting rid of stuff. There is a little book by the name of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. She says that if it doesn't bring you joy to get rid of it! I have followed her principles in my closet and garden. Slowly getting rid of stuff that is not special.

I froze my green beans in ziploc bags without blanching. They taste good and are still al dente after lightly steaming them but they seem to have a lot of water in them. Do you have this problem?

Mary

I thought about getting that book. It is at the library and loaned out. Have you seen the funny I guess on Facebook about that book? So far I have thrown out the scale, my bra, the electric bill, etc. Lol. They did not bring joy. I blanch my beans. I have heard you do not have to do tomatoes and squash, but always heard you had to blanch beans, but not sure.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I admire that you are pressing forward through your grief. There are not many people who could do that. Many of us would curl up in a ball until hibernation was over. How wonderful to have all of those garden records. My records are just rolling around in my head.

DD was having some trouble about feeling her dad was in heaven and not thinking about her and even remembering her, and that if we do not remember each other down here then we are just some empty souls walking around up there. I told her I believe we know each other. I do not believe DH is up there having a party not thinking about his baby girl. I also believe the end of time is coming. I believe we will all be together soon. She just really did not pay attention to me, but she saw the pastor at church and without her saying anything to him or mentioning how she felt, he just said that he believes her dad is in heaven waiting for us, and that we will all know each other when we get there. It is actually different kind of than what he said at the funeral about DH was not watching or caring what was going on, so for him to just out of the blue say the words she needed to hear, was something else. She is happier. DS believes we will all be together soon. If DH had died suddenly, I believe his kids and me would be sedated in the hospital right now. We are a very close family and having over 2 years of knowledge of his illness and seeing how he was suffering we were somewhat prepared. The house does not seem lonely like it did when he first got sick and was going to the hospital for a week or 2 at a time. It was horrible.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

She says they are homeschool things/papers.

Mary

18 years of this. DD was 6 starting the first grade the year DS was born, so she finished 12th grade in 2011 and he still had 6 years to go. Kept every piece of paper, workbooks, art projects. Totally insane. Need room in the garage for firewood and to walk.

 

[ninnymary]

18 years of this. DD was 6 starting the first grade the year DS was born, so she finished 12th grade in 2011 and he still had 6 years to go. Kept every piece of paper, workbooks, art projects. Totally insane. Need room in the garage for firewood and to walk.

It's going to feel so good when you finish with this. I know I have some boxes too to go through but I just haven't the energy to do it yet.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

I thought about getting that book. It is at the library and loaned out. Have you seen the funny I guess on Facebook about that book? So far I have thrown out the scale, my bra, the electric bill, etc. Lol. They did not bring joy. I blanch my beans. I have heard you do not have to do tomatoes and squash, but always heard you had to blanch beans, but not sure.

I've heard @thistlebloom wants to throw out her vacuum. No I haven't seen the funny on FB.

I googled and it and people said you didn't have to blanch so I didn't. I don't think that would affect the water retention though.

Are your green beans watery? Maybe I'll blanch them next time. I think @Beekissed doesn't blanch either. Bee?

Mary