Huge variety of fruit in the food forest growing

Pears

There's many varieties of fruits growing and vegetables in the garden at this time. Pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes, aronia berries, blueberries, and so much more are quickly growing. The blueberries are already turning blue and I have been putting up fencing to keep the birds out. The grapes are getting plump as well, so I'll also need to put up additional fencing around them to keep birds out.

The vegetable gardens are in full swing. There's broccoli, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, onions, lettuce, spinach, cilantro, radishes, carrots, beans, squash, and melons all densely growing together. This type of gardening is called polyculture and has many benefits, such as companion planting, pest prevention, and artistic aesthetic.

Blueberries 

Nectarines

Peaches

Peaches

Grapes

Grapes

Grapes

Aronia berries

Corn, winter squash and cucumbers growing on trellis

Thyme

Yarrow and potatoes growing in pots 

Yarrow 

Blackberries

Cauliflower growing 

Cauliflower plants with lettuce & onions

Acorn squash 

Row of radish, squash and beans 

While this garden flourishes, my other gardens are steadily progressing but need much more attention. My other garden has lettuce and other greens, beans, and potatoes growing but I need to work over there a bit more, and then I'll highlight those gardens with some pictures to come.

Have a great garden week, everyone!

Lovely holiday stuffed acorn squash recipe

Oooh made something delectable that is a delicious dinner wrapped in fall season flavors! In fall, gardeners usually harvest winter squashes. Acorn squash are one of those fall season delights that are perfect for a holiday dinner.

For this meal, I cut he top and bottom of the acorn squash so that it can sit flat in he oven. I preheat the oven for 450 degrees. Then scoop out as much of the squash and chop with some onions, spinach, and vegan soy sausage in a skillet of oil. Toast two slices of bread, chop, then add to the soy sausage mixture. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until squash is soft.

Meanwhile bake squash in the oven while fying soy sausage mix, then add mixture to the acorn squash vessel. Bake for 30 mi utes or until squash is soft on the outside skin.

Of course I didn't take a picture of this meal  but I'll make sure to get a shot when I make it with the butternut squash for the upcoming holiday dinner.

But I did snap a picture of this rice, carrot, cabbage cooked with ginger, garlic, sugar and the microgreens I grew garnished on top.

Seasonal festive holiday Nature eco gifts

The fall garden still has some bounty left, like all the flowers and herbs. There are some cherry tomatoes and peppers I'm still harvesting. Actually I harvested peppers then pickled them yesterday before I had to go to my work's gala event.

When I got home, I cut up these squashes in the pic below and cooked them with rice, ginger, garlic, salt, carrots, and apple cider.

Flowers pressed

 With the pressed flowers, I'm using them to make holiday gift ornaments, as you can see below. Many of the flowers were wild and others I picked were some I planted from seed or bought from Lowes.

I'm cleaning the garden beds

I don't think I'll be planting any winter crops, though 

I did consider sowing seeds but it would probably be futile

 I have been doing this, in addition to cleaning my garden shed and the porch greenhouse. I put up new plastic sheeting for the porch so the plants stay covered. I'm debating about bringing them indoors...

I had a gala last night for a fundraiser for work, and the higjlight of my evening was eating the morel mushrooms! The chef said my plate was worth over 100 dollars! Fancy gourmet!

Cushaw, Butternut, Acorn Squash & Pumpkin Trellis garden

Cushaw bloom

Row of Cushaw, butternut & Acorn squash

Acorn squash

Acorn squash

Pumpkin

Rain for weeks grows BIG mushrooms & how to forage/identify Chanterelle mushrooms

I feel very fortunate to be in part of the US that is receiving ample rainfall. In parts of the country, such as California, are experiencing drought for months. On June 1st,  urban water users in California, had to abide by the state's first ever mandatory water restrictions, by reducing consumption to 25 percent. 
Even farmers found it more beneficial to start selling their water reserves instead of growing food! 
Much of the food that is sold in the grocery store comes from California, and this could really hurt our country's food supply. This is just another reason we, the people, should take food into our own hands--strive to make the home garden the primary food source, forage wild edibles, and spread the seeds of fruit around the world. 


Of course the persistent rainfall, here in Kentucky, is assisting in the growth of the squashes and melons. Below are photos of recent garden harvests, including recent photos of the growth of birdhouse gourds, squashes, and melons.

7/6/2015 garden harvest

This rainfall has also prompted the growth of many mushroom varieties, such as boletes and chanterelles. We harvested chanterelles today from the woods in two different locations, along with a gallon of blackberries. 

This mushroom, seen below, was incredibly impressive for its size. It was definitely a bolete, but we were unsure of the variety. We concluded that it was the Bitter bolete, which is classified as poisonous. 

Chanterelle mushrooms are quite distinctive, even compared to their look-alike, the Jack-o lantern and false chanterelle. For example, chanterelle mushrooms grow individually spread out over a large patch of ground, whereas jack-o lanterns grow clustered. Chanterelles smell pleasantly fragrant like apricots, as many have suggested. The cap is convex and usually vase shaped. The gills are referred to as false gills because they appear to have lumpy folds instead of true gills. Chanterelles grow amongst the ground floor around oak trees and conifers. I find chanterelles growing in people's yards mostly, and along the edge of the woods. 
Where you know there is a grove of pines during the months of July and August, you will also find Chanterelle mushrooms. Another way to ensure you have collected Chanterelles, is by the spore print. Lay a mushroom facing down on a white sheet of paper, and within several hours you'll notice a pink spore print.

Chanterelle mushroom forage #1, July 9th 2015

For three weeks, James and I have dedicated much of our time to foraging berries around the yard and in the woods. With the extra berries we have started to make jelly. So far we have stored over 20 jars of jelly in the fridge. I hope to sell many of these at $4-5 for each half pint. When making the jelly, I strain the seeds from the blackberries so that I can throw the seed out for growing plants.

July 9th chanterelle forage #2

July 10th 2015 chanterelle forage

We are still unsure what these pink blackberries are called, but we are picking them to save for seed. I may stick each individual berry into a pot of soil.