Grapes Galore!

This year's unusual amount of rain made it possible for an abundant amount of wild grapes! My daughter picked 1/2 a bushel for wine. A week later I went back and picked 4 more pounds of grapes for juice!

For complete directions to make your own grape juice, read the blog post Grape Juice 101.

Rinsing grapes in the sink

 

Stems removed

 

Sterilizing jars and getting boiling water ready

 

 

Unprocessed front jars and processed back jars

Processed juice will set in the closet for 6 weeks

The Frugal Gardener

As a rule, I am a very frugal (sometimes ridiculously so according to friends and family!) That same trait carries over to my garden.

If something comes up on its own, I either leave it or move it to a more suitable area. In order to do this, I've had to become aware of how plants look when they first emerge.

The result is that I get lots of free plants. I have noticed when they sprout on their own, the plants are much hardier. I delight in these small surprises!

Dill growing just outside the raised bed

Amaranth (I think)

Squash or pumpkin? Guess I'll find out soon

 

Borage

 

Tomatillo

Transplanted tomato plants that came up next to the peppers

Purslane everywhere

Ornamental pumpkin transplanted from compost pile

Ornamental pumpkin

Various squash and pumpkins growing in my compost pile

Mystery squash from compost pile

Pumpkin from compost pile



Zucchini from compost pile

Marigolds coming up from dropped seed heads

Fennel growing next to the original plant

 

 

 

Spring Garden....Barely!

It has been a very unusual spring in Texas. Here at home we have had over 10 inches of rain in May! Because of the rain (and a 4-week ear infection) part of my garden was planted in April and is coming along well and part of it was just planted on May 10th! Since I garden for pleasure, I have decided enjoy whatever I get this year! Next year will be another chance at an early garden.

Some of my garden was planted, part of it wintered over from last year, and here and there are plants that came up on their own! They are special surprises that will be revealed in their own time!




Flame acanthus, unknown squash or pumpkin, thyme

Various squash getting a late start

Rock rose

Pumpkins! (Note the unexpected pumpkin patch in the background. 
These came up in the compost pile!)

Sage and basil (the wintered-over arugula has gone to seed in the background)

Tomatillos and cucumber

A swallowtail caterpillar! I remove them from the fennel and place them on the dill that comes up year after year in this spot.

2nd season of fennel that wintered over, tomatoes and borage in the background

Beans and artichokes

Various peppers



Tomatoes



I enjoy going out to my garden several times during the day. It is my happy place!



Beeladee: Hive Inspection 5/2/15

Rainy weather, sickness, and being busy at school have delayed my latest hive inspection. This delay made me nervous since I wasn't too comfortable with what I saw during my last inspection (Beeladee: Spring Inspection 4/14/15) I took advantage of the beautiful weather today to open my hive.

I usually move bars from right to left and begin a detailed inspection as I replace them. As I started sliding empty bars and entered into the comb area, I was a bit alarmed. The comb was nearly empty of bees! As I continued to pry and slide the bars across, removing propolis and allowing it to drop to the bottom of the hive to be reused, I saw more and more bees. They were docile and appeared quite young, with unfrayed wings.

I finished sliding the bars apart and moved to the far right to begin my inspection. I gradually began to see some pupae, more larvae and some capped brood. There was increasing evidence of a strong queen and I decided that my hive had requeened itself! I did not see the new queen herself but felt confident of her presence. While I took notes, I smoked and moved the bars back in place with the feeling that the hive was recovering well.

Although there was pollen and syrup, there was no capped honey, which probably contributed to the calmness of the bees. I gave the hive some of last fall's comb from the freezer to give them a boost. I also moved some of the old dark comb toward the far left and culled out a couple of bars of old comb. I moved the newer comb to the right and dispersed the partially built out bars throughout the hive.

As I finished up my notes, took a couple of parting pictures and closed up, I felt that this hive was once again on the right track. I will wait a couple of weeks before inspecting again.



This is comb from last fall. It fell during an inspection. Since it was uncapped, we could not eat it. I put it in the freezer to replace in the hive as needed. I lay comb, pollen patties, etc. on an old cutting board that spans the hive body. This helps keep these food supplies from attracting ants and robber bees.

Beeladee: Spring Inspection 4/14/15

I went into my hive in March for a quick inspection. The hive was still full of bees, but the queen was laying in a very spotty pattern. The brood was spread over several combs instead of in a tight cluster. I also noticed several dark combs that needed to be culled out.

I went back in for a more complete inspection on April 14th. I saw larvae, capped brood and a few pupae, although they were quite sparse. I did not find the queen, but saw there were several very young larvae, so she had to be present.

During the past two inspections I noticed empty queen cells. Each time I crushed them so in future inspections, I could distinguish whether there were new queen cells or the same ones I had already noted. I am hoping the hive will requeen itself. I would think that most any queen would be better than the one that is there!

Both times I inspected I noticed one very small black beetle. I panicked thinking it might be small hive beetles. After reading up on this, I think the beetles I found were much too small to be small hive beetles. I will keep a close watch for more in future inspections.

I also saw a wax moth larva in the last inspection. This is a sign I need to get that old, dark wax out, as that is what the wax moths are after.

During the last inspection I spread the new comb throughout the hive and started moving the dark comb to the back. I will wait until all the brood are hatched, then remove the dark comb. 

I will need to open the hive at least once a week for the next few weeks until I see evidence of a stable queen. If the hive will not requeen itself, then I will order a new queen. I would prefer a wild queen for genetic diversity. My last two queens have come from swarming and natural requeening.

For a description of my note taking process see Beeladee: Hive Inspection 5/3/14

Photo by Bethany Henderson

Spending the Night with Darla

Darla was one of my best friends when I was in elementary school. She lived down the street within easy walking distance. Even though we were both from the other side of the tracks, literally, we lived very different lives. I was an only child living with my parents and grandmother, and she was the youngest of a large family, most of whom had grown up and left home. We spend countless hours together. My favorite times were when she would ask me to spend the night!

I don't remember spending the night in the summer, although I must have. What I remember was the winter. Once it was time to go to bed, we'd both put on our flannel nightgowns and take turns standing in front of the Dearborn gas heater. If you lifted the bottom of your gown slightly, it would fill with warm air and billow out! We took turns savoring the warmth, each shivering as soon as we backed away for the other to have a turn.

Once we finished the heater ritual, we would trot off to bed. Since Darla's mom was a quilter, there were several quilts on Darla's bed. I was not used to sleeping under quilts so they felt very heavy to me. Sometimes they seemed so heavy that it was hard to move! To get warm, I would pull my knees and legs up into my gown and put my face under the covers until I just had to come up for cold, fresh air.

After stories and giggles (and maybe a scolding or two) we'd fall asleep. Since Darla had a gas heater in her house, the air was moist. Condensation would form on the windows. If the night was cold enough, we'd wake to intricate frost patterns and ice on the inside of the windows!

In the morning we'd jump out of bed and run to the heater again, gowns billowing each in her turn! Mrs. Chapman always cooked up a hearty breakfast with eggs and biscuits! We would hurriedly eat and start our day of play.

I have lots of memories of fun with Darla such as using an axe head to hack down a poor little cedar tree to use for Christmas, putting empty cans in the street and then admiring them once a car drove over and flattened them, getting chased by cows in the field behind Darla's house, and walking barefoot all over the neighborhood until we developed thick callouses on our feet! But something about the sensory experiences of spending the night makes it stand out in my memory. What a blessing to be able to relive small moments in our lives time and time again! The details may become clouded but the feelings and sensations remain. I often remember these nights hunkering down under the blankets with Darla when our Texas weather turns icy! Sweet nostalgia!

One of Mrs. Chapman's quilts given to me for my birthday!

Winter Garden: "To everything there is a season..."

For most gardeners, Spring holds their interest with all its excitement and disappointment. I too enjoy spring, but as time goes on, I think my favorite garden season is winter!

As I work my winter garden, my mind and body are able to relax. There is no pressure to water daily, no hurry to weed. Everything slows down....rests.

.

Onions:
I usually plant onions around the perimeter of my garden. Their location is often forgotten, and they don't receive enough water and die back. In winter, they spring up again to continue their growth. What a nice surprise!
 



Dividing Onions
 

As I harvest my dividing onions in the fall, I replant several to start the process over again. These onions can go on forever!




Arugula

Arugula loves winter. I can go out daily and cut a big handful. It is wonderful in salads and on sandwiches!




Sage:
The sage changes little with the seasons. It was a gift from a former student named Sage! I do think of him often as I work in my garden. It also affords an opportunity to share organic sage with friends and neighbors as I will never use this much sage! 

 





Celery:
The celery has surprised me with its constancy. It slowly marches on, summer and winter, producing new stems. 




Fennel:
I enjoy the plants that survive, even thrive, during the winter. Dill comes up here and there. The fennel can grow without the constant threat of swallowtail caterpillars!  

Hand Screening Compost:
On weekends I get out and turn the soil, carefully screening it by hand to preserve the earthworms and hibernating frogs. I add rich compost to prepare for spring growth.
 

As I dig, turn, screen, harvest, plant, I find that I draw from this time of rest. I slow down and relax. My body, mind and heart are renewed. This is truly my favorite gardening season!


Ecclesiastes 3

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.