I'm experimenting (for the first time) with culturing food and drink. It's addictive! Water kefir is made bright and fizzy with the addition of fresh raspberries (a few weeks ago, it was strawberries). So refreshing and delicious!
Trying a few worcestershire sauce recipes (one's made with green apple!). It would make a great Christmas gift, don't you think? I'm aging them now and will try them well in advance of gift giving season so I know which recipe is the "one". Stay tuned for the verdict.
Raspberries are rolling in in record quantities! I can fill these 2 large sheets with juicy goodness almost every day. Gotta love raspberries for their ease in picking, freezing and using ~ no hulling or chopping ~ just pick and flash freeze on cookie sheets, then bag 'em. So easy! I can jam them or use them in smoothies or baking in the winter... love that.
I've also been busy potting up raspberry runners to expand our production (in another area) and give some canes to our oldest son and his wife this Fall. They've moved into their first home and want to plant food! These are third generation raspberries - my Mom brought me the canes 4 years ago (from her place). Cool, right?
They look sad and sorry in the above picture (immediately post potting up), but even just a few days later, they are looking better. I rescued a delphinium (blue pot up front) that was accidentally dug up by me in a robust weeding session, but I don't think it's going to make it. Sad face.
The flowers are blooming in all their glorious colours... so incredibly satisfying to see after starting from nothing here. Some, I started from seed and the rest were donated via perennial splits. Many are native plants that are hearty and easy to care for, perfectly suited this harsh clime.
The calendula is prolific this year and I'm thrilled about that. I'm drying as much as I can for soap making and other uses this winter...
In spite of the heat of summer, the greens have been faring well... I've planted them in cool, shady nooks and crannies here and there which makes for an interesting treasure hunt when we pick for our supper salad :) See the light dusting on the red leaf lettuce? That's flour.
I've experimented with a new trick to attempt to thwart the cabbage moth. A sprinkling of flour apparently damages the larvae (insert sinister laugh here) so you can actually harvest some broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower. Humph. I'm not overly optimistic, but I have seen less of the moths flying around since I sprinkled flour... maybe they don't like the look of the plants with their dusty coats? Time will tell. Also, I've not planted any of these plants in rows like previous years... I've scattered the brassicas in with all sorts of aromatic moth thwarting plants (mints, celery, dill, fleabane, etc). The celery seems to be the most effective so far... Again, stay tuned!
Speaking of moths, we discovered this gorgeous one waiting for us at the back door the other day. It looks like a giraffe! We all ooohed and aaahhhed and a few minutes later when we checked on it again, we discovered that it was holding out on us!
Apparently, it's a Giraffe coloured wing moth. Well, I'll be. We've never seen the likes of one before. We are working to create a diverse ecosystem here (which was previously a grassy monoculture) and the rewarding benefit is that we are seeing much greater biodiversity. Sometimes it feels like we aren't making progress, but moments like this, confirm that we are. We hear and see abundant species of birds, reptiles, and insects all of which are helping us to improve this little piece of prairie :)
The moth is beautiful. You must feel a real sense of achievement in your garden. I can't wait to move to my new home (yet to be selected!) and start planning and planting. It feels like being in limbo getting a house on the market and so on as its not worth doing any long term projects but they are all spinning around in my head. Lily. xxx
ReplyDeleteLily - I know exactly what you mean! When we were selling our house to move (we ended up here) it made me CRAZY (all the plans and dreams on paper and in my mind). I was SO happy when we finally bought this place ~ it was a relief to start DOING something :) I wish you the best of luck with your sale and purchase!
DeleteWow, how beautiful is that moth!
ReplyDeleteAnd your garden, so productive! I bought blueberries, a fig tree, and a thornless blackberry yesterday, and I am itching to get them into the ground, I hope my harvest is as good as yours one day!
Good for you ~ those purchases will yield you plenty of fruit in the future! It's a very comforting feeling to know that each year you'll be harvesting more and more food :)
DeleteSherri, I'd love to hear if the flour works on the brassicas. I had a terrible time with the white moth last summer & I'd like to know a good natural deterrent.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the result of the Worcestershire sauce as I'd like to make some for gifts too!
Yes, Sandra - I'll let you know. Ever hopeful, I am! We have used row covers before but those DARNED moths get in under the cloth! URGH!!!!
DeleteWow, those raspberries! As you can't do citrus we can't do raspberries. They sell for $6-$8 for 150 grams here. The garden is looking absolutely flourishing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't investigated kefir, what do you need to start the water one and where do you get it?
Wow, that's pricey!!!! I'm not sure of the weight of what I'm picking each day... must be about 5 - 6 pounds :)
DeleteAs to water kefir, you need to source some "grains" from someone who has them. They do grow (both in number and size) over time so one does occasionally need to give away some grains or you'd end up with too much kefir on hand! The grains will die if they aren't fed.
I ferment mine (about 1/2 cup of grains) in 1 litre of filtered or non-chlorinated water with 1/4 cup of organic cane sugar. Don't use honey as it kills the culture. That sits covered loosely for 12-24 hours for the first ferment. It's ready to be strained when you knock the jar and bubbles come up from the bottom. Then, you strain it (with a nylon sieve - no metal!) and pour it into another jar or bottle with some fresh fruit, dried fruit or juice (maybe 1/4-1/3 cup?). That sits capped for about 12-24 hours and then is refrigerated. I find that strawberries make the fizziest kefir :)
Love the colours of that moth! Your garden is looking very healthy Sherri. Hope the flour trick works for you :)
ReplyDeletex
hi.
ReplyDeletelook in to say hi, i been here :-)
please look back!
Would love to know how the flour on the cabbage went. I had a terrible problem with cabbage worm, my lovely cabbage grew well, but I ended up with small softball size cabbage when all was said and done.
ReplyDeleteI asked a farmer at our local farmers market if he would share his secret for such lovely cabbage last week, he said they planted clover around the cabbage and he used Dr. Bonners peppermint soap and they had great success this year. He did feel it had more to do with the clover.
I have also read that you could use a pantyhose, slipped over the top and the cabbage worms can't get in.
Sad to say that the flour didn't really help. Initially, we noticed a drastic decrease in the numbers of mature moths flying around so we were hopeful that it would work, but alas, we soon discovered eggs and the worms....
DeleteI checked with an organic farmer near me and he uses an enzyme spray which he says is VERY effective and is permitted by organic standards. I forgot the name so will have to ask him next weekend when I am back at the market.