Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Mother Nature helps with Watering
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Mother Nature has been watering the garden while we're gone. We returned from the family reunion to find the garden thriving, and a nice mess of southern pink-eyed purple-hulled peas ready to pick.
The okra is finally coming in strong. Cut in half lengthwise and sautéed (cut side down, in olive oil, until brown and caramelized, lightly salted) is our favorite way to cook it. The finished product rarely makes it to the dinner table. We dig in as soon as it comes out of the pan!
Here's the poop from the backyard chicken coop ... keeping tabs on the girls and checking the garden to see what's for supper. Now that's LOCAL!
Garden of Eat'n
Small Flock
It all started...
... in the spring of 2006. Rouse decided to build a raised bed for the purpose of growing blueberry bushes. Well, one raised bed led to another and soon we had four raised beds. Three were filled with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and wineberries. The fourth was planted with herbs and tomatoes.
One year later...
... Andrew came home after his freshman year at UNC-Asheville and announced that he wanted to put in a vegetable garden. He said he wanted to learn how to do it "before he had to." We all liked the idea of eating more local food. You certainly can't get any more local then your own back yard!
Rouse had recently pulled out two overgrown shrubs in the bed behind the house. He had no plans to improve the area until fall, so he gave Drew the go-ahead. Andrew worked hard preparing the soil... digging it up and adding turkey manure enhanced dirt and mulch. He planted pole beans, cucumbers, a variety of hot peppers, okra, eggplant, canteloupe, zucchini and yellow squash.
Drew's garden was a huge success. We enjoyed the fresh food so much Rouse and I decided we wanted a more permanent garden. And chickens, too! In September of 2007 Rouse built four more raised beds and starting clearing space for the chicken yard. See "The HENstory" on its own page.
Rouse had recently pulled out two overgrown shrubs in the bed behind the house. He had no plans to improve the area until fall, so he gave Drew the go-ahead. Andrew worked hard preparing the soil... digging it up and adding turkey manure enhanced dirt and mulch. He planted pole beans, cucumbers, a variety of hot peppers, okra, eggplant, canteloupe, zucchini and yellow squash.
Drew's garden was a huge success. We enjoyed the fresh food so much Rouse and I decided we wanted a more permanent garden. And chickens, too! In September of 2007 Rouse built four more raised beds and starting clearing space for the chicken yard. See "The HENstory" on its own page.
We had a successful fall garden, with lots of salad and cooking greens. In the spring of 2008, we added four more raised beds. I successfully grew lettuce, arugula, spinach, chard, kale, mustard and turnip greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, sugar snaps, tomatoes, peppers, okra, green beans, field peas, lima beans, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, sweet potatoes, plus, lots of herbs. I had less success with beets, radishes, and carrots.
See the "Evolution of a Garden" page for pictures and more about how our garden has grown!
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