Progress and planning...

Last weekend not only did I get my blog cleaned, but I also finished my quilt.   I just had to show the red binding I used.  I am so happy with how it turned out.  Then to top it all off, while it was snowing I gave my kitchen a good spring cleaning.  I was able to use Dawn to cut the grease that builds on top of the cabinets and was astounded at the amount of junk that accumulates in cupboards.  What is going on in there when the doors are closed?  I know I couldn't have possibly thought some of that stuff was ever going to be useful. 

 Best of all my seeds came this week.  I will be starting my tomatoes and such inside.  I have never used Territorial Seed Company before and am anxious to see how they germinate. 

I went with some unusual plants this year.  I chose a rattlesnake bean, because it does double duty.  If we don't eat it fresh, it can be allowed to dry and then used in soups and stews.  At school last year, we planted lemon cucumbers and they never made it to the kitchen.  The kids would eat them right off of the vine (ok I had one or two myself).  They are wonderful and I can't wait to have some here.  Since they were such a pleasant surprise, I decided to try the Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers just for the heck of it.  I'm going to try eggplant for the first time ever.  I had an eggplant soup in Washington DC that was wonderful.  I am going to try eight ball summer squash and tigger melons.  I chose both because they were small and my garden is only supporting two people.  I am going to try sweet corn, potatoes, and onions again this year although I have yet to be successful with any of the three.  I am hoping my garden will look like this:

 

 

I also set some gardening goals this year based on the successes and failures these past two years.  Salsa is a must.  Pressure cooked canned vegetables proved to be an invaluable addition to my cupboard this winter.  I wish I had written down what I put in there.  Carrots, peas, onion, and potatoes for sure, but it seems like I had other vegetables.  No to the tomato sauce.  That was a failure.  I also want more canned peaches and maybe try canning some pears.  The apple cider and hard apple cider were also successful endeavors.  I will continue with my wine and jam making for sure.  I also used a lot more dried herbs this winter.  I am really hoping my garlic does good this year and I can make a garlic braid.  I enjoyed using my harvest from this winter and can't wait to see how my new choices and quickly becoming garden staples do this year.


That in a nutshell is an overview of my weekend progress and garden plan for next year.  I can't wait to see how everyone's gardens grow.