Vegetable Garden for 2023

What is my favorite day of the gardening season?  My favorite day is the 1st day digging into the garden for the the initial seeds of the season. It is about four weeks away. As we prepare for the 2023 Veggie garden, I was working on the design a few weeks ago.  As we stared some seeds, our excitement builds.  

The most important element to keeping our garden happy is the homemade compost we add to the soil every year.  happy to have soaker hoses in the gardens so the water goes only where we need it.  

Shown are a few of the early sprouts of our vegetables and Morrisonite in gold statement pendant.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

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We need to support our brothers and sisters.

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Memorial Day 2020

Happy Memorial Day 2020.  Harvested kale from my backyard garden for breakfast today.  Kale & farm fresh eggs were fantastic.  Today is a somber holiday as we reflect on our freedoms in the USA.  I have family whom served my Father, Uncles, & cousins, as many of you reading this have.  We do not need a huge gathering to remember and honor those whom have served this country.  Take a few hours today and teach your family what this holiday represents.  If you do not have children read history and remember why we have this holiday.

As an avid gardener, I did not know very much when I started my own gardens. 20 years ago.  We learned from my Grandmother as well my other half's parents.  To Further our knowledge we used tv and books.   Below are two of our favorites.

My favorite book is by Barbara Damrosch Garden Primer.Garden Primer  It is where I found the idea for a three year crop rotation which I use and helps keep my plants thriving.  Even in years of extreme drought, I have an edible harvest.  We also use companion plants and soaker hoses to water.  it is a great way to reduce the water wasted by sprinklers in a garden.  Many this year and starting plants because they have extra time & are home to see them blossom & grow.  Good luck with your new garden & remember to water daily for new plants and not in the hottest part of the day.

Our favorite show was The Victory Garden with Roger Swain, hom spoke about the origin of the term Victory Garden  Wiki defines. He described his memories and why he loves gardening and digging in the dirt.Trial & error as well as our lessons learned from others mistakes helped teach us to be better gardeners.  Failure is Impossible on one of my favorite quotes from Susan B Anthony.  I believe when we work toward a goal in is a journey; whether long or short enjoy your journey. 

Roger Swain Quote I love.



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We are all dealing with this time in our own way  Remember to be kind., flatten the curve, stay home and stay safe.
Honor this Memorial Day and always.

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Garden Design Day 2020 SEASON

My favorite day is the 1st day digging into the garden for the the initial seeds of the season. It is about 2 months away. to prepare for the 2020 Veggie garden, I was working on the design last week. Today, we ordered some seeds of a few varieties we ran out of from last year.

Harvest 2017

Bell pepper seeds will be planted today. Our garden is planted for success.  We use a three year crop rotation to rest the soil and increase production for the Vegetable.  Hoping Mother Natures helps this years by giving a good freeze for the 6 weeks necessary to kill the pests from last year. The yo yo temperatures and wet spring increased disease last year and made it difficult for local farmers to plant crops.


PBS article about the difficulties last spring.  "For farmers, record flooding and a wet spring mean many fields can’t be planted" 2019 Wet Spring PBS Newshour

Looking forward to the seeds sprouting and the growing to begin in my plants. Several inches of snow on the ground now & below freezing temperatures outside.  Yes it is winter in Rochester, NY.

1/19/20 NOW members

Last Month I was able to attend the Womens March in Seneca Falls.  There were three fantastic days of sisterhood in this historic area. This is part of our NOW, National Organization for Women,  group on the 3rd day of the event at the First Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls.  Yes that is me in the feminist t shirt left of center.

Relatively new style in copper per customer requests for more copper please.  Also have copper bracelets, anklets, necklaces & tiaras.
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Labor Day and Taking Time off

 As a small business owner one thing we forget its to take care of ourselves.  I am using the time off to rejuvenate myself.  It worked wonders on Memorial Day weekend.  It is good to take time off and take personal me time.  I have started putting it on my calendar.  I always tell my entrepreneur  friends to do this, I need to practice what I preach.

How you spend the time is going to be your decision.  It will be different for you and me.  What relaxes me may not be your cup of tea.  Even a nice relaxing soak in a hot tub may be all you need.  think about a special  weekend with you significant other and both unplug and enjoy each others company.  The get away does not need to be a million dollar getaway and cross the ocean for it to be time off(down time).  Just relax and enjoy it. 

Enjoying the three day weekend.  The heat wave, over 90 today,  means we are spending much time in the pool.  Will be harvesting more from my garden this week.  Have made tomatoes into sauce twice this year. here is my harvest from last week.  guess what these are?  At right as the full plant and below as a close of of the edible part of the plant. 

Amazed it is Labor Day weekend all ready.  It seems like it was just the forth of July.  This summer seemed to zoom by for me.  would not know it is the unofficial end of summer by the 90's outside now.  As for me and fall it is way past time to start working on my show schedule for the end of year holidays.  Also to make some fall and winter items.  Hard to think of the fall items when it is so nice to just swim in my backyard.  Will have some new jewelry photos of my new items soon.  

Below is a piece of Owyhee Sunset Jasper.
more here   Rock slabs

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Who is the culprit

Seems I have a mystery in my veggie garden.  Who or what loves carrots?  and lives in the ground?  It eats from the soil level down? Can not see teeth marks either. No rot or decay just hollow shells of the carrots left when it was done.  What pests like carrot?  They say no one eats enough vegetables.  someone did in my garden.  This pest ate my raw carrots below ground and I saved about half my harvest.  so strange to have these disappear this later into the season.  The parsnips they were planting with are untouched. as you can see one of the parsnips not old enough is on top of the pile.

As for how the rest of the garden is.. it is in end of summer growth.  We are waiting for the next crop of lettuce to be ready to plant.  Lettuce seedlings are are sprouts about an inch tall right now.  at left is the carrot harvest with my snapdragons by my back deck.  Faux terra cotta pot and it has lasted over 10 years.

Below is Genny from Charlotte.  Great piece of beach glass from Lake Ontario.  Your orders are always appreciated.

 

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Happy gardening to all.  May you plant beads or seeds to harvest your dreams.

 

First Harvest of 2015

Welcome to the beauty of my gardens.  a few pic \s of what I saw this weekend..Please enjoy and share with your friends.

 Happy to say I am enjoying the first harvest of the veggie garden for this year. Having a home grown salad with my garden lettuce.  Harris seed grows fantastic and quickly in my garden.
Looking down on the snow peas at right with lettuce on both sides of the row.  Before long, the  snow peas will be 4 feet tall and ready for harvest.  I guess about a 3-4 weeks to wait.



The photo on the left shows the leaf lettuce  on the one side of the trellis from above.  Red and green leaf lettuce are being grown this year.   I should have my first head of lettuce in about a month.  Salads are on the table at my house most nights on the year.  They are especially welcome early like this and when the first tomatoes are picked. 

This is a close of of the snow peas on the right and was taken at ground level.  They were hard to see in the above photos. 

On the left here is the mesclun I harvested for my dinner tonight in the ground.  Below you can see how much there is of the harvest stacked on my kitchen counter top.  

For anyone who has not see this blog before I am an avid gardener and lapidary.  Most of my inspiration comes from nature as can be seen in my work.  Whether it is the arch of a branch, the stem of a bush or the pattern of a flower... I picture designs I make with wire and gemstones.  As a lapidary, when I am cutting a stone my design can take shape based on what I see in the natural stone.  With some pieces, I need to find a stone the right color and shape for my design.

My weeping cherry tree in the front yard.  Did not want to miss showing off some of my flowers.  Lucky to get a good shot this year.  My helper behind the camera is Herb. He does more then help me plant veggies when I am unable to kneel.  He has been a rock through this injury and recovery for me.  I could not be here now without him. He is a keeper.

Every garden has hidden gems.  I found this yesterday and was surprised.  Never had the trunk bloomed before.  May your week be filled with sunshine and nature's beauty.

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