June 21, 2013

There are tassels on several of the corn plants!  Today I collected a handful of snap beans that I can't wait to eat!  I think soaking the Clemson spineless and Emerald okra and  asparagus bean seeds must have been the key because they are germinating way earlier than their packages said they would.  No carrot germination yet, but they aren't expected until two days from now.

My cousin told me I should plant my tomatoes deeply, but since it's too late for that, I thought perhaps I will pile the dirt around them, which I started to do yesterday.  In the process I found and killed some beetles that were sitting all over their stems.

We are going to have so much squash, it's almost a little worrisome.  How will I ever eat or get rid of all of it?  Perhaps I can sit in my front yard and sale it to all the passersby.

Asparagus bean

Beetles on my tomatoes

Idaho potato

Yellow crookneck squash

Butternut squash

Last night I made some blackberry cobbler from the first batch of blackberries Julia helped me pick.  It was incredible!

Blackberry facts and picking tips

http://www.pickyourown.org/blackberries.htm


Sent from Rebecca Parrott Tatum, CPA's iPhone

Dem's some dewberries!!

I recently read something online that said all wild blackberries are dewberries.  I had never heard of such a thing!  (I also learned there is something called a black raspberry!)  After looking at the pictures and reading the description of dewberries, I have decided that what I actually have here in North Georgia is blackberry.  The leaves here look different than those of dewberries pictured at Wikipedia, and the plants are upright and high-arching.

The Blackberries Are Coming!!!

God, I love blackberries.  I've been looking forward to blackberries since last year's blackberries.  Last year I made several blackberry pies and froze a bunch of blackberries that I've been putting in smoothies up until just a few months ago.

This year, I took two classes on canning and preserving put on by the Forsyth County Extension Service.  I learned a lot, but decided making jams was how I would put all this info to use.  Blackberry jam!  Yes!!!!  Be on the lookout for my blackberry jam making adventures at my other blog, Feed Me Something.

Today Alan and I walked out to the "back 40" to see how the blackberries were coming along.  We found a handful of black ones, but most are still red.  There are so many berries - more than I think I can pick.  No worries, our neighbor will get out there on his horse and grab up some too.

June 12, 2013

I purchased a lot of seeds at Home Depot, so I still have a lot of planting to do.  I'm waiting for my farm hand (Alan) to set me up more vertical rows so I can plant more seeds.  This is a lot of work.  I've been thinking a lot about how easy it is to get to the grocery store 2 miles down the road.

Bee Balm

Meanwhile, one of my favorite flowers is about to bloom:  bee balm.  My grandmother showed me this when I was young.  I adored my grandmother.

My Spiritual Principals Garden next to the chicken coop

 I've gotta get some "inside" work done so I can get to these blackberries in a few days!!  Yummy!!!!!!!

I managed to plant Mammoth Sunflowers yesterday.  I put them all over the yard.  They are supposed to get 12 feet tall!!!