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2012: Garden Journal – September Edition

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Using Time Wisely's 2012 Herb and Vegetable GardenMy garden missed me while I was on vacation because it was a wild mess when we returned. I had some help, but I lost some plants. Oh well, it was toward the end of the season, and I am learning.

With our garden thriving at the end of July and off for a couple of weeks, our garden produced and looked like this at the end of August:

Strawberries

Our 4 plants produced 27 strawberries during the heat of August. Though we did not munch on half of them, we blessed our neighbors as they harvested our garden while we were on vacation.

The bugs and/or birds are still eating our fruit. Some of our strawberries have chunks missing, but the net is still in place. I haven’t found anything eating at the plant, but something is enjoying our sweet fruit.

Tomatoes

With 40 ripe cherry tomatoes, our plants continue to produce. Currently, the plants are covered with green tomatoes just waiting to ripen.

In pruning our plants, I knocked off over 50 green tomatoes as I unstuck the vines from the net. It was amazing how overgrown the garden got during our time away.

Garden - September 2012

Cucumbers

Something is harming my cucumber plants. The leaves are wilting, so I’m not sure if it is a bug or just the heat. In spite of the setback, our two plants yielded 11 cucumbers.

Of all the items growing in our garden, the cucumbers are my favorite. They continue to amaze me!

Lettuce

Oops! My pruning in August resulted in killing all my lettuce plants. I am assuming it was my pruning – though I understand that lettuce does not like heat. Well, the temperatures soared above 100 degrees here in South Carolina, so it could have been a combination of the heat and my pruning. I’ll learn from this mistake for next year.

Peppers

Harvested the two green bell peppers, but one was almost red.

Garden - September 2012

Our yellow pepper plant has little tiny buds, so maybe we’ll see one this season. In our area, the peppers are taking longer than usual to produce.

Garden - September 2012

Carrots

Sprouting lots of green stalks above the ground, our carrots are growing.

Garden - September 2012

Onions

More green shoots have emerged from our onions. Yeah, they are growing well.

Herbs

After snipping more parsley, basil, and oregano, I dried and stored these herbs for gifts and use this fall. These herbs just keep on growing, so I keep on drying.

Beginning, middle, and end of August 2012

August 1                          August 20                    August 20

Our garden missed us while away on vacation, and I missed tending and caring for these fruits and vegetables. Though it hit its peak in July/August, I look forward to extending its season into the fall.

In using time wisely, our garden has provided extra fruits and vegetables, hours of activity, subjects of conversations, and lessons learned. Enjoying our gardening experiment, I encourage you to garden. You might not get it right the first time, but it’s okay. I’m not 100% successful either, but the results are worth the investment. Happy experimenting!

Question: Are you planting a fall garden? If so, what are you planting?

Drying Herbs: Basil, Oregano, and Parsley

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Using Time Wisely's 2012 Herb and Vegetable GardenMost of you know that this is my first year having a garden. Our little experiment has produced strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, a green pepper, lettuce, and herbs.

As our basil, oregano, and parsley filled their squares of our garden, I trimmed their plants and harvested the herbs. Though not perfect, I present Tracy’s version of drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley.

Trimming the Plants

Basil: I learned early in the planting season that basil needs lots of water. Wilting leaves revive quickly with heavy watering and multiply into a thriving plant. The basil plant grows vertical and horizontal, so I used scissors to trim from the perimeter to the core. I left a center section for continued growth.

Oregano: I love the feel of oregano. It has a soft coating on the leaves. The oregano plant has short, thick leaves, grows close to the ground, and spreads horizontally. When harvesting oregano, I trim all but a 3- to 4-inch center because the plant will keep growing.

Parsley: Our curled parsley grows like a fountain. The stalks are thin and tall cascading to the sides. The growth is both vertical and horizontal, so I cut towards the center without bothering the main stem. (I learned that lesson with my lettuce as I cut the main stem and killed the entire plant. Oops!)

Time to harvest Drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley

Washing the Cuttings

Taking the cuttings, I rinse and wash them in cool water. Since the basil and parsley grow off the ground, they have little soil on the leaves. However, the oregano spreads on the ground, and the soil dries on the leaves. Also, the oregano leaves are smaller than the others making cleaning a bit tricky.

Tracy’s Tip: I found putting the oregano in a bowl of water and rubbing the leaves through my fingers easily dislodges the dirt. To prevent the leaves from wilting, I dry them well with paper towels before leaving them to dry.

Drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley

Drying the Cuttings

In reading tutorials, the cuttings should dry in a cool, dark place for a few days to a few weeks. My cool, dark place is on my counter. I know, a closet might work better, but I’ll forget about it – out of sight, out of mind. So, I place the rinsed cuttings on paper towels on my counter for a few days.

Drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley

Once they are partially dry, I stack them on top of each other. I then make a dark place by covering with another paper towel. In about 2-3 weeks, the herbs are dry and ready for storing.

Storing the Cuttings

When the cuttings are dry, I place all the basil cuttings in a bowl. Using a pair of kitchen shears, I cut for about 5 minutes until the basil is in fine pieces. I repeat this process with the oregano, and then again with the parsley.

Chopping dried parsley prior to storing

Once the herbs are cut, I place one herb in a sandwich-size Ziploc bag. I write the name of the herb and the date on the bag with a Sharpie marker. When all the bags are closed and labeled, I store the bags in my pantry on the top shelf.

Drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley

In getting the most from my garden, I am learning to dry herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley. As a newbie gardener, I am experimenting, so I welcome your tips, tricks, and suggestions.

In using time wisely, I find drying herbs worth my time and energy since the process takes bits of time throughout the process. With room for improvement, I’m enjoying the journey. Happy harvesting!

Question: What are your tips for drying herbs?

2012: Garden Journal – August Edition

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Using Time Wisely's 2012 Herb and Vegetable GardenThis garden experiment continues to surprise me.

As a green (read: inexperienced) gardener, I missed the second watering a few days in a row. Yikes!

Though my efforts have not been perfect, our garden continues to forgive my mistakes and produce well.

The results by the end of July looked like this:

Strawberries

We picked 20.5 strawberries from our 4 plants. Yeah, they exploded this month. The half was due to a bug or bird getting the other half, but it still counts. 🙂

2012 Garden update - August Strawberries

Tomatoes

The cherry tomatoes took off resulting in 47 red ones and 1 green one that fell off while harvesting the ripe ones – oops! (I really am green. ;-))

2012 Garden update - August Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Our two plants produced 5 more cucumbers. I’m amazed at how fast they grow. I will check one evening and discover a little bulb. Then the next morning, the little bulb expanded into a 4-to-6-inch cucumber. Incredible to see.

2012 Garden Update - August Cucumbers

Lettuce

Both types of lettuce began flowering. Honestly, I’m not sure what that means, but I chopped down the buttercrunch bibb because we don’t eat it – too tart even with salad dressing. The romaine wilted somewhat, so I pruned it back as well. Now we wait to see what the plants will do.

2012 Garden update - overview

Peppers

Are you ready for this update? We have two green bell peppers growing. Finally! The yellow pepper plant is on its own time table. Just watering and waiting some more.

2012 Garden update - August green peppers

Onions

Alive and well, our onions have sprouted green shoots again. I will check on their growth in August and report back.

2012 Garden update - August onions

Herbs

Cut, rinsed, and dried parsley, basil, and oregano. These are the herbs I use in making Italian dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti, and chicken parmesan. Yum! Though not baking much this summer, I will have the herbs ready to make our favorite fall dishes in the coming months.

2012 Garden update - August herbs

Our garden has its ups and downs, but I haven’t killed any of the plants yet. In using time wisely, I am learning a new skill, preparing for the fall, and enjoying the process. If you are trying out gardening or are a seasoned expert, then please share your gardening adventures. I welcome your suggestions. Happy tending and harvesting!

Question: What are your favorite herbs for Italian dishes? 

2012: Garden Journal – July Edition

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Using Time Wisely's 2012 Herb and Vegetable GardenOur garden continues to prosper. With the intense heat, we keep watering twice a day – once in the morning and again in the early afternoon.

My son completes the morning watering while my daughter and I take turns in the afternoons. My helpers give me updates on the progress made after watering.

With the fertilizing last month, we saw a huge growth this month and enjoyed eating some of the fruit of our labors. 🙂

Strawberries

Purchased the net this month, installed it, and harvested our strawberries. Success! We picked 6 beautiful strawberries, washed, and munched on them.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - Strawberries in July

Tomatoes

After picking last month’s 4 tomatoes, our plants multiplied. We picked five more this month and have 10+ tomatoes growing on the plants.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - Tomatoes in July

Cucumbers

After a day of watering by my son, I went out to check on the garden. When I saw the cucumber plants lying in the dirt, I went to investigate. Finding the vine heavy, I inspected the plant and found a 3-inch cucumber. This fruit sprouted in a day. It was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. to see.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - Cucumber in July

We have lots more cucumbers growing on the vines, and the vines began climbing the wires this month.

Lettuce

For our salads this month, we have snipped from our garden. Since the bibb lettuce has a tart taste, we only eat our Romaine lettuce. I do purge our lettuce leaves to keep the plants healthy and growing. Not quite sure what to do with the bibb lettuce.

The spinach we planted never surfaced. So, when my children received a sandwich bag of seeds at a Kidgit’s Event, I planted them in the empty section. We are waiting to see if anything comes up.

Peppers

Our pepper plants have buds and the stalks have strengthened. Just watering and watching our peppers for more growth.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - Peppers in July

Herbs

Once our herbs began invading other areas of our garden, I cut the extra and am in the process of drying our herbs.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - herbs in July

In ending the month, we harvested lots of parsley, basil, and oregano along with 4 strawberries and a cucumber.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - harvest in July

After harvesting the overgrown areas, we ended June with a manageable, growing garden.

Using Time Wisely's 2012 Garden - pruned for July

This garden experiment continues to impress us. In fact, my husband would like to double or triple our garden next year.

Though I am still learning, I love checking, weeding, and harvesting from the garden. If you have posted about your garden, please add your link in the comments. I would love to learn from you. Happy tending!

Question: What are you growing in your garden?

Free On-line Garden Clubs

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Gardens are great! Besides producing food for your family, a garden offers lots of teachable moments from watering and growing to fertilizing and harvesting. Our family enjoys the garden, especially eating the strawberries.

Realizing how fortunate I am to have garden experts as neighbors, I know that without their help I would not have known where to begin.

Now that our garden is underway, I feel confident seeking answers to my questions from garden clubs. Questions like, “What does it mean when my onion stalks wilt?” or “How do I harvest my basil?” can turn up answers quickly while sharing tips and tricks for added growth.

With lots of garden clubs, I can browse multiple sites to find specific answers to my questions.

The following is a list of free on-line garden clubs, compiled by Katie in South Bend, IN, originally posted on the Krazy Coupon Lady’s web site on May 27, 2012:

  • Home Depot Gardening Club:  Sign up for this free club and receive over $300 in coupons, a free newsletter, access to online how-to videos and demonstrations, monthly lawn care tips catered to your region, and advice from experts.
  • National Home Gardening Club:  Sign up for their free membership and have access to an online community, expert advice, and printable coupons for home improvement stores. You will also have the chance to enter one of their many contests.
  • Buzzy Seeds Club:  By signing up for their free newsletter, you will have access to expert gardening information and be notified of specials and sales on Buzzy Seeds products.
  • Springhill Nursery:  Join their free club and receive an e-newsletter with gardening tips, a free catalogue, and a $25.00 coupon good on your first order. You will also be notified via email of any upcoming sale events.
  • Burpee Seeds:  Join their free club and receive an online newsletter, full color catalogue, a savings certificate, and have access to gardening tips via their online forums. Burpee also gives out samples if you email them and request them!
  • Nature Hills:  Join their free gardening club and receive their color catalogue, a free issue of Gardening magazine, and a free pair of pruning shears. You can also enter their many contests or browse their online gardening information!
  • Kids Gardening:  The folks at Kids Gardening offer a variety of tips, activities, and products designed just for kids. Enroll for free and have access to their online forums, free catalogue, videos, and more!
  • Brecks:  Brecks offers seeds and bulbs straight from Holland and wants to help make your garden an amazing one! Enroll in their free club for an online newsletter, color catalogue, and savings certificates. You will also have access to the gardening tips they offer on their website!
  • Gardens Alive:  Enroll and receive a free gardening catalogue plus a savings certificate of $25.00. You will also have access to the many tips and expert information via their website!
  • Grow Organic:  If you are interested in organic gardening, enroll for free membership into this site! You can request catalogues, access tips and information, download helpful booklets, and so much more. There is also an extensive online shopping forum.
  • Blooming Bulb:  If you are a gardening newbie, this site offers helpful information on planting a variety of plants and bulbs. Just click on the name of the plant you are planting, and you will be given how-to instructions. Sign up for their free e-newsletter as well!
  • TreeDazzled:  Sign up to receive ten free conifer tree seeds! Just leave a comment on their site and submit your information, and your free seeds will be mailed to you.
  • Wildseed Farms:  Sign up to receive a free newsletter, catalogue, and flower identification guide! You may also download their newest catalogue and access professional planting tips.
  • Gardening Savvy:  Visit Gardening Savvy which is a place for folks to come together and share about gardening, how to grow vegetables, flowers, herbs and fruits as wells as share gardening tips and reviews. Membership is free!
  • Better Homes and Gardens:  Visit this site to download free landscaping plans, access expert information, and chat with others about your gardening dilemmas! It is free to join and there is a wealth of information waiting for you!

If I find two sites that disagree, then I’ll ask my neighbors. But for the most part, these free garden clubs will point me in the right direction.

In using time wisely to seek answers and expert advice, visit one (or more) of these free on-line garden clubs. If you find one that you frequent often, sign up for their newsletter which will come to your inbox. Happy tending!

Question: Where do you find answers to your garden troubles?