Preparing for Spring

While winter isn't here yet, moving to a new house, with sunshine has us already planning for the spring.  Namely, what will we do so we don't have to mow all this grass?  We put some time in before the snow makes it impossible to double our current garden's size.  We burned down the grass (in hopes of effectively killing it).

Layered on our moving boxes like shingles.

Kraft paper, brown bags can work as well.

Then covered the whole area with hay.  Crossing our fingers that it wouldn't blow away.  Luckily it rained that night, weighing it all down and soon the promise of snow should tuck the space while it prepares itself to be planted in the spring.

The Fall Garden

We will be leaving this garden, but we still can't resist taking care of it and planting things in anticipation of fall. Ben has always been sure that the best way to learn to garden and grow things well is to seize each and every opportunity that you have. Sometimes this may only involve the prepping, planting, germinating, and weeding portion of that learning and not the harvesting, eating and cooking. Still it is worth it. Digging up the compost, prepping a great piece of earth, drawing a line and hoping the kids can spread the seeds somewhat evenly, patting them in, covering them and giving them their first water. All worth it.

We have Shitake mushrooms popping up on our oak logs.

Ladybug larva prepping to eat all the aphids off our asparagus plants.

Garlic Chives flowering in anticipation of seed production.

And our heirloom green beans are drying on their vines waiting for us to harvest.

The Tunnel

We have minimal space to garden here in Urbana, the easement is the only place that we can call full sun with some reservations.  But on this piece of earth for the past 6 years we have carved our a pretty respectable garden.  The highlight this year is the cucumber tunnel which came into being on Asher's first year of gardening (3 years ago).  Every year it switches beds, but built out of the same materials.    This year with a healthy dose of compost (Thanks chickens), and lack of rain necessitating drip line watering (no powdery mildew) the crop has been providing beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

The key to the cucumber tunnel is that kids can go inside to harvest.  And what a harvest we have had this year!  We seem to fill five gallon buckets over a course of days and have done this 8 times.  The boys have been thrilled by their success.

And thankfully, I am really enjoying pickles this year.  There are live pickles in the fridge, fermenting pickles on the counter and preserved pickles in the basement.  Dills, Koshers, Bread and Butters.

And baby cucumbers still on the vine to pick later this week.  Our variety is an heirloom, so we have let some of the oversized cucumbers (the mama's) grow big and fat and yellow up for their seeds to ripen.  These plants are the babies from mama's two years ago!  To save the seeds we just scoop them into a jar, cover with water, allow to sit out and grow a white mold (?) get a little stinky, than rinse and dry.  Really an easy seed to save.

Our favorite way to make quick pickles:
Wash cukes.  Place into a container.  Top with water.  Pour water off into another vessel.  Add enough salt to make the water taste like the ocean.  Next, add whatever spices you like to the brine.  I like hot chiles, crushed garlic, dill seed, mustard seed, bay, a little allspice, etc.  Pour the brine and spices over the cukes in their container.  Weigh down so no cuke is in contact with the air (we use a plate or bowl).  Allow to sit out at room temp for 24-48 hours.  The brine will become active and cloudy.  Refrigerate.  Ready immediately but improve with 1 weeks wait time.  Keeps for at least 2 months in the fridge.  You can pickle any vegetable this way.  Try also radish, turnips, sweet corn rings, carrots, peppers, kohlrabi, cauliflower, green beans, and green tomatoes, as well as cucumber chips and spears. 
Hell, I'm gonna go eat one right now.