12:54 PM  [09 Nov 2008 | Sunday]

Garden is Put to Bed for Winter

It's done. The entire garden has been tilled and put to bed for the winter. The snow had finally melted away (officially yesterday) and I was able to grab a shovel and get those tunrips and scorzonera. The turnip out put wasn't that great but it's nice to have them (small bucket). The scorzonera more or less the same but what an interesting vegetable. One foot to two foot long thin fingers like roots and a challenge to extract from the ground without breaking. I used the shovel to loosen the dirt from a foot away, sort of like digging up a weed with an eye toward getting all the root except in the case of the scorzonera since it's not a weed you can actually get it all out. The first one I dug about a month ago snapped halfway, not this time out, only snappend about four of maybe twenty. They are like a very long thin carrot. The root hairs to the side were extracting a milky white liquid immediately after being extracted and they were covered with mud. We washed around seven of them later and cooked them with butter mushrooms with white wine reduction and salt. Peeled them easily. Excellent. It could be because there's nothing better than eating something you've grown and the fact that I've never eaten one before, not without being aware of it at least.

Pretty huh? They look better cleaned up.

I then dug up as many weeds as I could in the lower gardens and started up the tiller. The soil was really moist and the tiller kept pooping out after ten minutes or so of tilling. Don't know if it needs a tune up or what. I finished tilling with my trusty pick axe. We planted the winter rye (which is already coming up in the upper garden) and called it a day. One more thing, still have to plant the garlic and shallots, then we are done for a while. Nice.

1:56 AM  [07 Nov 2008 | Friday]

Score One for the Government

Lots of people think the government isn't good for anything. Nothing? How about canning and preserving tips? Don't wait for Wal-Mart to feed you, grow something in your yard and feed yourself. Put this link in your pipe and smoke it. I bring you the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning! Beets don't fail me now.  

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

7:52 AM  [03 Nov 2008 | Monday]

Things to Do In November

Hey come on, you thought your gardening chores were over? They're just beginning. Here's a list of things to do for your garden during the month of November. Please send written proof you have accomplished these tasks.

http://ecgardening.cce.cornell.edu/TipsNov.html

Thank you Cornell.

12:28 PM  [02 Nov 2008 | Sunday]

This morning at 6:16 AM it was 17 F. What the heck am I doing up at 6:15 on a Sunday and shouldn't this cold wave be over by now? There's still snow all over the place. Went to Kingston today and it's actually fall there. Fall color leaves on the trees, brisk but not freezing weather, it's like our town is a little island of winter and there's the rest of the world. So, we weren't able to do anything for the garden. It's packed with snow. My outdoor activities consisted of grabbing the chainsaw and chopping up all the branches and trees that have fallen because of the copious snow. Ahh, well.

This weather is good for the root cellar, 45 - 50 F down there, there's lots of warmth still coming up from the ground so you see steam rising from the stream and the lawn when the sun hits it. The dehumidifier is also humming away.

The bad part, several of my neighbors had no electricity for up to three days. Nature can be very cruel. Here's steam rising from the stream.

Cool huh? Very cool, freezing, I'm looking forward to Indian Summer. In the meantime a trip to Australia is in order. Here's a link to Scarecrow's garden http://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/ it's warm there, the veggies are sprouting and the flies are buzzing.