Gardening and an Experiment

Today is Granddaughter Paiton's spring program at school, 

so I am posting a little earlier than normal. 

Over the weekend, I re-potted most of the tomato and 

pepper plants downstairs. 

Here they were a month or so ago. 

Here are part of them on Saturday... don't you LOVE my set-up? 

Yes, those lights are balanced precariously on the wood-standing-on-it's-side. 

I have everything transplanted except the coleus and the six or so tomato plants you see on the left. I went to Walmart yesterday to get more big Jiffy pots and some more soil for them, and I'll finish up tomorrow. 

And here's the rest of the set-up... cool, huh????  

These are two kinds of tomatoes and one kind of pepper, 

growing on.  They are good, healthy plants. 

It's still a little too early to plant here, but Michaele 

also is experimenting with Gro Tunnels... I would like to 

try that.  Our veggies are being planted in containers, though. 

As you see here, the deeper pots I started them in allowed for good 

root systems. 

This morning, I read my friend Michaele's blog, Sprout 'n' Wings, and 

one of the things she wrote about was trying to eat something found in the wild. 

(not a morel) 

So, I gave it a shot.  She wrote about curly dock. 

I did not take a picture of it "in situ", so you will have to 

read Michaele's blog entry to see it ... 

but

Here are some of the larger leaves washed and ready to oil. 

I should have picked much smaller leaves, and I realized that, and did. 

This was from our pasture at the old place. 

I wised up and cleaned the smaller leaves then.  I sprinkled olive oil on them (too much, I think) 

and sea salt (too much, I think). 

Here they are, fresh out of the oven... and I have to tell you... they are GOOD. 

Now I understand why people rave about crispy kale... these are along the same lines, I'm sure. 

So, I'll have to pronounce this experiment successful! 

Thanks to Michaele. 

By the way,  here are the dead horses from yesterday's blog entry: 

Hale and hearty, as you see!  The fourth was just out of camera range on the right, you 

can see part of his tail! 

Seed Starting

I finally got my seeds in their planting medium today, those I 

am starting early. 

The first... 

Park's Whopper 

(from the Park catalog) 

Last year, I bought one plant of Burpee Early Girl, 

which bore and bore and bore on our patio in 

a big container. 

Burpee's seeds are now 6.95 a packet... I just couldn't do it

a month ago, when I ordered, because I don't like to ask 

Keith to buy stuff like this. 

I have grown Whopper before, and it will be fine for us. 

The second...

Park's Supersweet 100

(from the Park catalog) 

I had to go buy cherry tomatoes for salad and pasta, 

so this year, we're going to have one on the patio. 

If you wonder why I am bothering to start seeds... I like it, I think it's fun, and I love to share plants with people.  My friends, my cousin Fuh Fuh, and my son Jim are all getting some this year. It will be Jim's first year at growing tomatoes!  There will be enough for Andrea and Amber, too, if they want some. 

I'm also starting this: 

(from the Park catalog) 

Coleus Wizard Mix. 

Last year, I grew coleus I bought at a garage sale, of 

all places, on our front porch.  They grew and grew, and 

I really enjoyed having coleus for the first time in six or seven years. 

So... I'm trying to start some.  Let me show you the seed. 

Yes, that's the teeny-tiny seed in the envelope inside of the protective 

envelope. 

I have NO idea which containers it went into... it is so fine 

I can't see it with or without my glasses. 

Here's what the current setup looks like, but I think I am 

going to put the clear plastic covers on these containers, (not 

all of which are in use yet... and turn them 

length wise. 

I have two more lights that I can use, and some 

more seed-starting medium... so ... I also bought monarda seeds, 

to get started here in our yard.  I think I'm going 

to try my hand at starting some under lights.  I did 

pretty well with the echinacea I started two 

years ago indoors. 

The medium I am using is Fafards, 

but I also have some Bacto if I need it. 

Last year in the midst of moving, I did not start 

any seeds myself, but I have bought various 

flower seeds to plant, as well. 

I also saved many of the large and small zinnia seeds from last year. 

Would a "real" homesteader not plant Baker Creek or 

Seeds Savers?????  Two years ago, I planted Baker 

Creek tomatoes... while they look great and 

were described greatly in the catalog, 

both varieties were a disappointment.  Of course, one of them, 

Gypsy, bore on volunteer plants last year.  The tomatoes were 

larger than cherries, but not as large as an eating tomato.  The Burpee Super Sauce 

tomato also, while huge, is really not a tomato I will plant again because we won't be making any sauce for canning. 

I have always had luck with Burpee and Park, so 

decided to stick with them... and yes, I am still going to 

order a few from Burpee at the end of the month. 

Look whom I found on Friday, on our way home from the old place! 

He was down in the little valley where the horse herd is, and had stopped on this fence post. 

Dusk was falling, and I wasn't sure if I was looking at a large hawk... or what. 

I kept taking pictures, not all of which came out... and let me tell you, when he took off, he took OFF!  So fast he was out of frame before I could click!  Isn't he (or she) a BEAUTY! 

And yes, it was as large as it looks. 

It hit 70 here yesterday, and 

is 60 right now in Leavenworth County.  A week ago we had snow. 

And a year ago today, we were in Houston for our family reunion on Keith's side.  Since this picture was taken that day... we have had 2 more babies to the family group, including Hailey, born to Andrea and Nick in September, last year. 

We have another boy coming in July, thanks to Amber and Jesse! 

How time flies! 

A Good Start to the Week

Snowing this morning when we got up!  It didn't last long, though, and melted about as fast as it hit. 

Look what I finally got done today!  

You can see that I am using the deeper starter flats, they are 36 flats, instead of 72, with the smaller inserts. 

There's more room for the roots to develop before they have to be transplanted. 

I started two tomatoes from Baker Creek... Gypsy, which was a gift and is a Russian tomato, and Abu Rawan, which I bought.  I did not notice until today that there are really no propagation instructions on the Baker's Creek packages.  Burpee's has them, and that's SuperSauce, the new, big sauce tomato on the right. 

The Gardening Assistants were close at hand. 

Here's what I used to mark the seeds... popsicle sticks with the date and the name on them. 

I also wrote everything down in the 2013 gardening book, I am going to try to keep better records this year. 

And here's where they ended up.  Don't you love my make-do seed starting table? 

I ran to Wally World at mid-afternoon and bought another fixture and two more bulbs to start the herbs tomorrow. 

"Mom, it's time to go outside!"

"Okay, Abs" 

Tulips coming up in the barrel planters! 

Okay, here is something very strange... some hen is raking all the straw in the nest boxes of the henspa over the eggs that have been laid.  It was like this yesterday and again today, in several boxes.  There are eggs under that heap! 

Here was something strange in the old henhouse.... Buffy, the Polish hen, was in the tiny space between the ramp and the wall, staring at the drywall. 

Finally she turned and (I think) looked out the pophole... I thought she was "stuck" in the corner, because she can hardly see. 

Uh....now, I'm not so sure.  The other birds were outside in the (by now) sunny afternoon. 

Their clocks are all messed up, too... they were all ready to roost at 4:30. 

On to spring! 

That's it from the gardening starting at Calamity Acres!