Had some neglected kale plants in a planter on my patio. Thought I would use them to start a food forest as I had found the perfect spot on my property recently. This spring I will be planting a few fruit trees in the area, but for now, I thought I would start with this kale. As you can see, it has been neglected. Don't remember the last time I watered it. Can't believe it's still showing signs of life. These plants were actually purchased 18 to 24 months ago. They have been pretty hardy as they have survived the scorching Texas heat and short lived snowy conditions that pass through on occasion throughout the winter. As of recently, they have survived me. In planting them, I'm confident in the location I have chosen. It has been a long while since we have had any real measurable rain. As I removed the plants from their container and placed them in their new forest home, I was amazed at the moisture in the soil. Another reason I decided to make this move was to see how they hold up to predators. More concerned about the wild rabbits and other small creatures roaming this area than I am the coyotes and bobcats. Use to love all the wild rabbits roaming my yard. That is until they discovered my gardens and thought that handy little food pantries had sprouted up for their convenience. I’ll keep you posted and let you know how this turns out. Until then, cheers and God Bless!
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In recent years I have developed the desire for a greenhouse. This has come about for a few reasons. Mainly, I don't like all the leaves that fall off my ferns when indoors! Then there is the space issue and a bad case of spring fever which usually hits late January or mid February. Not totally sure what all I would use the greenhouse for, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. After a little thought, it hit me I could convert my arch garden into a greenhouse for the winter. In the winter the arch garden sits there as waste land. In the summer, I really have no need for a greenhouse. Also, having a greenhouse around the arch garden would allow me to get the archway plants started a little earlier. Sounds like a win/win. At least for the moment. I will save the details on how I built this for another day. Mainly because I want to see how well it holds up first. Most of you get the gist just by looking at the picture. In short, the arch garden is made with cattle panels and t-post. Basically just added plastic and duct tape to enclose it. If you decide to try this, or have a plan of your own, I would love to see pictures and hear about what worked, or didn't work, for you.
Cheers and God Bless! It's another beautiful fall morning here on the farm! Today I want to talk about planting trees, specifically fruit trees. How many of you realize fall is the best time to plant trees? Though they can be planted anytime of year, fall is the best time as it gives them time to become established in their new home before spring. Knowing this, I have always found it funny how this is the time of year when it's difficult to find trees in the garden section of the most popular super stores. Your local tree farms will have plenty to choose from though.
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad!" Earlier this spring, I saw a video on social media about turning table scraps into an edible garden. So far, I have tried six kinds of scraps... All successful so far. Here you will see ginger in the orange container, pineapple planted in the back center container and rooting in the two glasses up front, orange bell peppers in the terra-cotta container, green onions in the back right and an avocado tree in the lime green container. I keep the onions in the house and cook with them all the time! Can't tell you how many green onions I have bought that rotted in the refrigerator! By growing them in dirt, I have reduced my food ( and $) waste. I started these onions by cutting off and using the greens. You then put the white ends in water until roots grew. When they have roots, plant in dirt and keep them watered. You will now have green onions any time you want! If you use a lot at one time, don't worry, more will grow! A couple of weeks ago I planted my first pineapple top that I rooted in a glass of water inside the house. Have two more growing roots now. One will be ready to plant and move outside soon. The orange peppers are the scrap seeds of a pepper I I bought and used for cooking. Going to be planting red and yellow peppers soon as well! Plant pepper seeds directly in the dirt and keep watered. The ginger is also plant directly into the soil. Not pictured here is the garlic I have growing in my yard. Take a garlic pod, break it apart and plant the cloves directly in the ground after peeling off the outer dry skins. Root (round) side down. The avocado plant is the pit of an avocado we ate. I can't take full credit for getting this tree to grow... I have tried to sprout avocado seeds in the past to no avail. This seed I just threw in my worm been with other food scraps. When feeding the worms a few weeks ago, I found this pit with roots and a sprout. Of course I planted it! It has since grown and sprouted leaves. For more specific details on how to plant grocery scraps, there are plenty of videos out there! You will be surprised at all the other foods you can grow! I know I'm looking forward to trying several other kinds as well. The goal is to grow edible food and not just pretty plants. Though pretty plants have their place too. Some of the other plants you can grow from table scraps include: Lettuce Tomatoes Herbs Potatoes Celery Citrus Trees Mushrooms Carrots Bok Choy Cabbage Kiwi The benefits include eating lots of fresh produce, a fund way to garden and free food that keeps producing! Happy gardening Bountiful is such a relative term. In my youthful days, based on the size of the gardens my Dad would plant, I defined bountiful produce by the bushel. When one went out to the garden to pick the beans, a half bushel to a whole bushel was considered a bountiful harvest. Now when I go out to my small garden, I consider it a bounty when I have enough for my next meal and maybe some extra for another meal or two. Of course, this depends on the type of vegetable being harvested. My little garden has kept me in steady supply of collard greens this spring. My onions have done well as I have dehydrated several batches for use all year. I have also had my biggest blackberry harvest ever this year. To date I have eaten several berries right off the bushes and made two blackberry cobblers. If I am able to harvest all the berries that are currently red, I should be able to put some in the freezer for this winter. My broccoli has just started producing. I thank God for all the fresh whole food salads I have sat down to this week. One just feels blessed when they are able to make a hardy salad from kale, collard greens, onions and broccoli right out of their backyard. When you add spinach, carrots, tomatoes, bacon bits and cheese from the store, it doesn't get much better! Hopefully my gardening skills will continue to improve and my entire salad will come from my backyard some day! After years of planting directly into the ground, I have decided it will be better to plant some in container gardens for multiple reasons. The two biggest reasons being rabbits and drought or flood waters. My tomato plants have been struggling this year with all the rain. And once again, my pepper plants fell prey to rabbits. I've been watching my cabbage as it continues to grow, being thankful each day I go out and see no sign of Peter Rabbit nibbles. For anyone out there that has ever considered planting a garden of any type, DO IT! You will love the produce you harvest. The taste is so much better than any you get from a store! Happy Gardening! This week I read a quote by author unknown... "If your yard gives you dandelions, make dandelion tea!" So I just had to try it. I have been reading for years that dandelions are edible, the entire plant including roots. There are also a lot of nutritional advantages to eating this herb. Yes, this "weed" is considered an herb. So what are the health benefits? - Rich in calcium, vitamin C, luteolin, potassium, fiber and antioxidants - Bone Health - Diabetic Health - Liver Health - Weight Loss - Facilitates Digestion - Stimulates appetite - Natural Laxative - Relieves Gas - Prevents Constipation - Lowers Blood Pressure - Reduce Blood Sugar Levels - Diuretic - Digestive Aid - Stimulates Insulin Production - Cancer Prevention - Skin Health The white milky substance in the roots is said to treat itchy skin, eczema and acne. Some even think it could treat fungal skin irritations like ringworm. So how have I used this herb this week? Well, let me break it down into the different parts of the herb. Flowers and buds: See the yellow flowers and buds in the photo above? Those became a part of my salad at lunch today. Not a bad taste at all. Blended in well with all the other vegetables in the salad. Leaves: This week I have enjoyed making tea with the young leaves. Love it! You can add honey or another sweetener of your choice. I prefer no sweetener. Just remove the young tender leaves from the stem, rinse in cool running water, and cut in smaller pieces. Place them in your tea cup and cover with boiling water. Let it stand for about five minutes, then drink. You can remove the leaves, or just leave them settled on the bottom as you enjoy your tea. I chopped some of the leaves in the picture above and added to the salad I enjoyed for lunch and in a cup of hot tea after my meal. Roots: The roots are said to be really good for you. They can be chopped and dried for use in making tea. Earlier this week I chopped some in the food processor and dried them. I later made a hot tea. I will say, it did not have much of a taste. Might be better adding it to another blend of hot tea. Shouldn't affect the taste and you will still be getting all the nutritional benefits. Definitely prefer tea made from the leaves. Hope this inspires you to use those dandelions in your yard instead of mowing them down. Think herb and not weed. Disclaimer: The benefits stated above have NOT been verified by myself. Always check with your doctor before taking herbs, as some are harmful if you are pregnant or taking certain medications! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOMS OUT THERE! Those that have given birth, adopted children, or helped to mother the children of others! A sure sign summer will be here before we know it! As you can see, my chocolate mint is also doing well and going wild! Jars are ordered and now it's time to start another batch of infused cooking oils. Rosemary is by far my favorite flavor as it can be used in so many dishes. I basically use it anytime I need oil for cooking. My cooking oils are made with an extra virgin cold press Mediterranean olive oil which I infuse with different herbs and combinations of herbs. If you watch your nutrition and try to eat healthy foods, you already know about the many benefits of using olive oil and that it is a major component of the Mediterranean diet. The Mayo Clinic even promotes using olive oil as it contains monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and can protect against heart disease and other serious conditions. Whenever possible I raise my own herbs for infusion. That way I know what's NOT on the herbs as far as pesticides and other contaminants. So what can you cook with rosemary oil? The possibilities are endless! Below are some of my favorites to get you started. Eggs - scrambled, fried or omelets Roasted meats - beef, lamb, pork, poultry and fish Kebabs - meat and vegetable Salads - pasta, pea, mint, avocado and the list goes on Bread - brush on or mix in bread, rolls, biscuits and pizza crusts Potatoes - brush on to roasted or mix in mashed potatoes Vegetables - grilled or roasted eggplant, squash, zucchini, corn and tomatoes Soups Stir Fry |
A Mattingly
Artist, Writer, Holistic Living Guide Important Disclaimer: Any content discussing medicinal uses of plants, herbs, or food as medicine is informational only and not prescriptive. When dealing with health issues, be sure to do your own research and consult with the appropriate health professional for guidance. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. It is information based on my personal research and studies.
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