Spring & summer garden delights

I just realized I hadn't made a post since November last year. I have garden pictures to share since then! And of course the occasional dinner or dessert to share...

My goal this Spring was to clean up the old garden. I tried mowing, pruning,  wacking and hacking at weeds... but alas, it is a futile effort. It's not convenient for me to try to clean up the old yard diligently. Ultimately, the weeds won...I really don't have time to have a garden either. 

Although, I did till a small patch at my grandparents. I transplanted about 8 or so butternut squash that I started at the apartment. 

I also planted lettuce, spinach, radish and kale in a grow box. It had wheels it's convenient on the apartment porch. 

At the start of summer, I planted a flower garden and decorated for my grandma. 

The great part about summer is the harvest and food in season. I made several mushroom sandwiches, with some vegan mayo, fried onion and tomato. 

Foods like corn, beans, tomatoes, and squash are in season. They're excellent cooked separately but eaten altogether. 

I also harvested berries from the old garden, and made some kind of weird blackberry pie with biscuit dough and vegan creme on top. 

I also foraged a handful of chanterelle mushrooms on a hike. Theres no need to make them fancifully- I just fry them with light oil and salt. Served with garden beans and wild rice.

Towards the end of summer, I have been making an effort to hike in the woods at least once a week. Hiking has helped exceptionally in making my 'end-of-summer' blues subside a bit. It's making me crave a bit of hiking this fall. I find it safer and much easier to hike in the late fall. The best part of hiking is seeing all the different shroomies along the path. 

Chicken of the woods mushroom growing 
On a timbered log at the nearby state park.

I watched the chicken of the woods mushroom grow and was ready to cut it on the third day, but someone snagged it! 

In the next week, I'm going to assess the old garden for any Pears, peaches, and mulberries. I should be able to harvest pears and mulberries in a few weeks.

This was the size of the pears in June

The pears have likely dropped from rot,
been eaten, or filled the worms, so
 I'm not expecting any peaches!

The garden I started at the apartment didn't do much. I had a few peppers picked, and I may be able to keep a few plants going to keep harvesting peppers but I have too many plants to bring back inside for the fall and winter as it is! 

Tomato harvest! & other beautiful flowers

 

Pickling, canning, & starting fall garden

There is better news to report this week. I harvested tomatoes from the garden and have already used all of them in dinners. 

My grandparents gave me cucumbers that they were donated, and because there were so many, I picked them with fresh dill from my apartment garden. For seasoning, I added mustard seed, dill seed and black pepper, and the brine was made with half white vinegar, half water and salt. I used my instant pot on the steam setting for 1 minute to water bath can the pickles. To be honest, that was my first time water bath canning with the instant pot and I am still skeptical if I processed the pickles safely. I have always just used a large pot with a lid to water bath can pickles for 10 minutes, and that has always been successful. 

And, I have attempted the fall garden for the third time this past month. I hope this time it is successful, as I purchased 40 dollars worth of broccoli, cauliflower and kale plants.

As you can see below, the gardens are at different stages of growing. With the plants I purchased, I put up a fence around the patch to make sure to deter animals. I have put salt around the plants to deter bugs...we shall see I'd that helps...

Corn growing to the sky. 

I had to fix the tomato plants on their posts. I retied them, made sure every limb was on the post, and added any extra posts to secure the planta, as needed. 

In these garden beds, theres radishes up growing. Some carrot seed germinated and I hope they do fantastic amongst these Coxcomb plants.

Some if the remaining broccoli and kale i had went into these garden beds. I use netting to keep my cats out and course salt to keep bugs off. 

My grandmother's Coxcomb plants look even more extraordinary by the day.