Grow Write Guild: Your First Plant

(This blog post is prompted by Gayla Trail's "Grow Write Guild", 

a creative writing club for people who love to garden. 

Check it out here if you'd like to know more.)

I can't recall what my very first plant was. My mother was a gardener, and in our small apartment on the US army base in Schweinfurt, Germany, she kept boxes of flowers on the balcony. I know that somewhere there is a photo of me on that balcony helping her plant. I can't be more than four or five. I'm wearing red corduroy overalls, my blond hair is in long pigtails, and a smile lights up my face as my little kid fingers poke into the soil.

Fast forward, and we're in the backyard of our little house in the suburbs of East Greenbush, NY. My mother has planted flowers with seed pods that explode when you squeeze them with your fingers. I'm nine, and my brother is three. The burst of yellow seeds from the green pod elicits giggles of surprise, much like when you wind a jack-in-the-box. You know it's coming, but you still jump when the box pops open, even if it's just your heart giving a little skip.

When I am eleven or twelve, my mother has given me a little partly shady spot to begin my own garden. We have moved to Coxsackie, NY, and our house is a light blue Victorian sitting atop ten acres of field and woodland. The garden sits on the north side of the house, and is already full of lush, green ferns. I add a bleeding heart, and a group of pansies. I loved pansies as a kid - their painted faces made me think of colorful cats. I also loved the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. The pansies Alice meets among the flowers were my favorite with their feral faces and soft voices. (I still have dreams where I am dwarfed by plants, stalks of clover reaching the height of oaks.)

I weeded the pansy plot in the beginning, but as the summer stretched, I lost interest in the weeding and focused instead on our inhabitants on the farm. Our rabbits kindled and we raised the kits. The sheep and goats were moved from pasture to pasture. The chickens had to be fed. The dog needed attention. The cats needed love. I played Barbies with my cousins who had come to live with us. I caught garter snakes sunning themselves by the rusted water pump. I climbed the tallest pine tree to look over the field that had once been home to an orchard. I picked cherries from the cherry tree and grapes from the vines that had gone wild.

I entered one of my pretty little pansies into a 4-H fair, and got a red ribbon instead of a blue. The summer sun had hit that shady spot and warmed them up, and the weeds threatened to take over the pansy group. The pansy I entered was pale in the stem and limp in the leaves, but I thought the cornflower blue of the bloom was the most beautiful among them. I looked at the ribbon and decided the judges didn't see the world the way I did.

I have grown pansies only once since then. I prefer perennial blooms and vegetable patches. I planted the pansies last year to perk up the corner plot which faces the street. It was in an awkward stage where the green leaves of perennials were just beginning to unfurl from dead sticks and weathered mulch. My pansies were creamy yellow blooms among kelly green leaves. As the summer swelled, the blooms faded in the searing heat. The phlox, speedwell, and ornamental grasses stole the show. Still, I looked at the pansies and thought of flowers a hundred feet tall, blue ribbons waving in the wind.

Hardening Off

It's that time of year!



I have started putting the cole crops and onions into this nifty greenhouse thing I picked up at Home Depot for 25 bucks. It heats up nicely during the day and protects the young plants from the wind and biting cold during the night. I will put these guys into the soil next weekend, but for this week, they will enjoy the safety of the greenhouse while they acclimate to the chilly temperatures. This is a process known as "hardening off", and it's an important to-do step for your seedlings that you've sowed indoors.




Some people use cold frames to harden off their seedlings. Unfortunately, between a full time job and full grad coursework, I haven't had enough time to build frames (you can make some nice ones while upcycling old windows). Or, you can buy already made cold frames.

I am cool with this for now. I will begin loading more cole crops into it this week, and then put them into the ground. When it comes to the tomatoes and peppers, it'll be full up!

How about you? What kind of garden chores are you up to?

Pepper Favorites

I grow a variety of peppers each year, mostly to test varieties out. Also, because I end up with a crazy supply of pepper seeds.

I've decided I am really looking, this year, for a sweet variety that is prolific and delicious. I have many varieties started, so I will really pay attention and decide what ones are worth starting next year.

But, I do have some favorites, especially of the spicy variety.

Spicy

The compound that make the spicy peppers spicy is called capsaicin. It is an irritant that most likely developed as a deterrent against herbivores, and perhaps fungi. And we humans loooove some of the spicy for our cuisines.

Joe Long Cayenne - They weren't kidding when they called these guys long. This is a very prolific plant with good sized, hot fruit. I love watching these peppers turn red; they look amazing. I picked them and place them on top of my fridge to dry, and then stored them in a jar. I've put them into chilis and added them to a couple jars of pickles I canned. They lend plenty of spice!

Mustard Habanero - To be honest, I haven't tried other habanero types. I will sometime, but for right now, this plant does the job. It grows a ton of mustard colored, wrinkled habaneros that are super hot. Last year, my friend Liz Lemon* made an habanero jelly that was AMAZING. I am definitely going to make it this year to give out as presents - and to have on top of my cheese and crackers. Baked sweet 'n' spicy brie, anyone?

Fish Pepper - This is a gorgeous pepper plant with variegated leaves and striated fruit that can grow in different colors. The peppers are not as spicy as habanero or cayenne, but they do have a bit of a kick. I plan on planting a few of these out in the front yard among the flowers for added interest. I just love looking at them!

Sweet

Of course, who doesn't love sweet peppers? Lover and I eat quite a few of them in our meals.

Miniature Yellow Bell - I love miniature sweet peppers. I find the plants to be more prolific than the the large bell peppers, and they are easy to eat as stuffed appetizers, plus to throw in to omelets or main dishes. They also look super cute.

I don't have any other sweet peppers to recommend, as I haven't had super exciting results with many other varieties I have grown. I am going to make a valiant effort this year to grow the seven sweet varieties I have under the best conditions and find out if any of those are worth growing again. Anyone out there have any recommendations??

*This is not the real Liz Lemon, nor is that my friend's real name. But who doesn't want to be friends with Liz Lemon?

Tomato Favorites

I thought, being this is the month many New Englanders are starting seeds for this year's garden, I might list some favorite tomatoes.

I tend toward heirlooms (with one exception) because of their exceptional flavor and myriad of colors and forms. Hybrids are okay, but I buy only organic seed or seeds from environmentally responsible companies. I don't like to think of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides raining down on parent plants to provide billions of seed packets to the populace. These pollutants get into the ground, and drain toward the ocean. Once they hit the ocean, they contribute to ocean acidification (lowering the pH of the entire ocean is not a good thing) and general pollution and poisoning of the food chain (which ends up back on our plates - google "bioaccumulation" just for funsies).

But I digress. I could talk environmental science all day.

Today's "Favorites" post is all about tomatoes. Not chemical run-off.

Cherry

A cherry tomato is just that - a tomato that is not much bigger than a cherry. Some are smaller. They tend to grow in dense clusters. I've read they originated in South America, and have been cultivated since the 1800's. Neat!

My favorite varieties are:

 Sungold Hybrid - I was first given a packet of these by an ex-lover. When I popped that first fully grown sungold tomato into my mouth, I found myself sinking into a juicy, tangy euphoria. Summer Lovin', is what these little tomatoes whispered to me. What I thought would be just a summer fling ended up almost being a unrequited love story. The one that got away and all that. I spent years trying to find these tomatoes in heirloom vegetable magazines and in the organics shelves at the garden stores. When I discovered that they were a hybrid variety, my heart sank a little. But no relationship is ever perfect. I had sworn off hybrids because I like saving seed from year to year. I would have to make an exception for this perfect salad topper. Though, honestly, many of these do not make it inside my house. I usually end up eating them as they ripen on the vine.

Mexico Midget -These are teeny-tiny bundles of taste explosion. Good things really do come in small packages. I received this as a transplant one year from Seed Savers. This, and the Cherokee Purple I received, were my favorite in the bunch. I had no idea so much tomato flavor could be packed into such a tiny tomato. Last year, I did not get to plant any. AND I MISSED THEM. This year, that has been remedied. Because they are so prolific, plenty of them made it inside the house to be used in salads.


Paste

Paste tomatoes are fleshy without being juicy, and are nearly seedless. This makes them a great base for sauces and canning.

Amish Paste - I love this tomato. It's a large, meaty, Roma-type that is oxheart shaped and sweet to taste. This tomato is excellent for cooking, sauces, and for canning. Yet, I will often slice them up for salads and sandwiches, as they are good enough to eat plain. I plan on growing three plants this year (I usually only have one.)

San Marzano - This is an Italian paste tomato that is heralded as the best paste tomato in the world. It has a thick flesh with few seeds, and a strong, sweet flavor. I will grow two of these plants this year. I love making tomato paste, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and canned whole tomatoes. Roasted is delicous, too!


Beefsteak

Beefsteak tomatoes are usually big and juicy, and are wonderful to eat straight from the garden. This type of tomato is popular sliced for veggie and meat burgers, or for the top of salads. Some people really like to use them for salsas, too.

Cherokee Purple - This is my favorite of all. It's large, very juicy, sweet-tasting, and dusky in flavor. I also love it's dark color, which permeates all through the flesh. The plants are prolific, unlike many other beefsteak heirlooms. Can't wait to slice these up with a little salt and pepper. Some days I would just bite into one like it was an apple. Yum yum.

Brandywine - Second favorite beefsteak type. Wonderfully sweet with just enough acidity to offset the sweetness. The plant isn't very prolific, but the tomatoes are awesome enough to grow at least one plant anyway.

Black Krim - Third favorite. Nom nom nom  nom. All this talk of all these delicious tomatoes is really gearing me up for summer. As of right now, these are all simple sprouts under grow lights in the basement! Anyway, Black Krim has a fantastic, intense flavor with a slightly salty taste. If you're looking for a beefsteak variety that's not too sweet, this is the tomato to turn to.

This year, I am growing Yellow Stuffer, Pink Zapotec, and Green Zebra, as part of the search to discover a favorite stuffing tomato. Tell me, what are you growing, and do you have a favorite? Why?

Seeds in Brick-and-Mortar

No one should ever come to me if they need help restraining themselves on seed purchases. I want to become a more conscientious gardener, but there are so many varieties to try! Also, I can't resist the seed aisles. I look. And then I buy. But only the organic, non-GMO kinds.

Red Brandywine - In 2012, I grew the pink brandywine tomato. It was delicious, and hardy. It produced tomatoes even as others suffered from blight. The red brandywine is supposed to be less sweet, and still full of flavor. I look forward to trying it.

Delicata Squash - I have never grown this type of squash before. As we all know, I love to experiment. I also love winter squash for their myriad of shapes, patterns, and colors. Delicata is known as a winter squash, but it belongs to the family of summer squashes. It doesn't store well, but it does grow easily and can bring on the season of winter squash cooking early on, and you can save your butternut squashes for winter eating (I've even heard some people say this prefer this to butternut!).

Bushmaster Garden Bean - I try to grow as many veggies as I can that Lover will eat. He's not so good at eating his vegetables. Beans and peas are something he loves, so I plant several varieties of each every year. These are delicious sauteed, stir-fried, lightly steamed, or fresh.

All this garden dreaming has got me feeling warm and toasty on the inside. How about you?

Seed Order! Part 5!

This was the last of my online seed orders (in the latest rash of orders). I am trying a new supplier, Totally Tomatoes. I am, like, totally excited. :-p

 Mexico Midget - I love this teeny-tiny cherry tomato. It packs a lot of flavor! Last year, I tried Sweet Pea Currant tomatoes as my tiny tomato crop, and I vastly prefer this little guy. One plant is all I need, as they are very prolific. Popping one of these in your mouth is like having a tangy, fruity tomato explosion on your tongue. I cannot recommend this variety enough!

Yellow Stuffer Tomato - I was excited about trying a stuffing tomato, then I realized I had received seeds for two types already at the Gayla Trail workshop! As you can see, the cavity of this stuffer is fairly hollow, so you don't have to spend a lot of time scooping out innards. From Gayla, I got zapotec pink and green zebra. With these yellows, it'll look awesome! And, I can test them all out, and move forward with a favorite stuffing tomato for the years to come.

Sungold Hybrid - This is one of the few hybrid vegetables I will grow. I don't grow a lot of hybrids because I can't collect seeds for the following year. But these babies are a delicious type of cherry tomato. Imagine if summer had a flavor - I feel like these sun-kissed beauties would be it. Between these and the Mexico Midgets, I feel like my cherry tomato needs are met. (Yet, I do order new varieties each year just to try things - can't help myself!)

That was it for my order from Totally Tomatoes. What are your favorite kind of tomatoes?

Seed Order! Part 4

I ordered from an entirely new company for me - Kitazawa Seed Co. I am a big fan of Asian cuisine, so getting to order from this company was a pleasure.

 Kosaitai - This is a flowering brassica. You can eat the leaves, the purple stems, and the yellow flowers. It is best planted as a late summer to fall crop. It is very similar to bok choy in taste.

Siam Queen Thai Basil - This is a gorgeous basil with an intense licorice flavor and aroma. I am growing it mostly out of curiosity, to be honest.

Langkuri - This is another type of basil with a sweeter, milder flavor than Siam Queen. It flowers later in the season, bringing on a longer harvest.

Hojiso Perilla - A red and green shiso. Shiso is used for coloring, pickling, garnishing, and seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It's also useful for wraps and even sushi.

Okame Spinach - This spinach is slow to bolt, as it tolerates hot and dry conditions. Perfect for summer! Can't wait to eat this stuff!

Upland Cress - This cress has a mild, peppery taste. Lover and I love peppery leaves. This is a spring and fall crop.

Large Leaf Sorrel - I love the lemony taste of sorrel. I ran out of sorrel seeds, and ordered more. This year, I want to try sorrel soup. I think it's great to add to salads and stir-fires.

That's it for Kitazawa Seed Co!

Seed Order! Part 3

Yay! More talk about seeds! There is probably a disorder listed somewhere for gardeners. I admit to having a passionate (ahem...addictive) personality, and gardening is high on my list of passions (er....addictions)!

This order is from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This place has a fantastic supply of amazing heirloom veggies. And I LOVE heirlooms!

Tabasco Pepper - I've decided to try my hand at making my own tabasco sauce. Because apparently I am a glutton for punishment. (Have you ever made a hot sauce? I usually end up with swollen eyes and a deep, unrelenting cough reflex that makes my throat and lungs feel like they are on fire. But I prevail!) Also, another cool ornamental pepper for the front yard!

Costata Romanesco Zucchini - I usually grow Black Beauty. I decided to use my CSA zucchini for baked goods (zucchini bread and zucchini cookies are among my favorite summer treats). I wanted something more interesting for stir-fried, roasted, and grilled zukes. This striated squash holds naturally scalloped edges when you slice it, and it's recommended that you cook it while it's small, and still has the flower attached. Can't wait to try it!

Romanesco Italia Broccoli - I love the obvious fractal nature of this vegetable. Sometimes called broccoli, sometimes listed as cauliflower, it's delicious, nutritious, and looks neat. I've been wanting to grow it for years, but had yet to actually buy the seeds. So, problem fixed.

Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli - Isn't this beautiful? It does take up a lot of space. I want to see if it is worth it. I might grow it out in the front yard among the flowers. We'll see!

Thai Sweet Basil - It's funny. I don't like licorice, yet I love the anise flavor of Thai basil. This variety is said to grow up to 3 feet tall. It's going out front among the flower beds.

Utah Tall Celery - I grew celery last year, and it was AMAZING. Much more flavorful than store-bought celery. I think it did better than a lot of the stuff I grew. I would definitely recommend growing celery!

That was it for my order from Baker Creek. Let me know if you have tried any of these, or if you have any favorites you would like to share!

Seed Order! Part 2

Continuing the craziness that is seed starting and ordering time, here's a few more packets I ordered. Seed Savers Exchange is one of my favorite seed suppliers. They are more than a supplier, they are a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Not only is vegetable diversity fun for farming, gardening, and cooking, but having different variants of the same vegetable helps to protect our food sources. Blight might affect all tomatoes, but some tomatoes are more blight resistant than others, and can continue to produce for the season.

This year's order:

Hyssop - I love bees and butterflies. I love purple, as I may have mentioned in this blog before. I love herbs! Hyssop has it all! I can't wait to put this out in the front yard. This year, I envision a front yard with some cottage garden favorites like hollyhocks and echinacea, but also plenty of fragrant herbs. And, the occasional ornamental pepper plant. Maybe some okra. Edible flowers. You know, all the pretty stuff. Anyway, as I learn more about this herb's botanical uses, it may come even more in handy.

Lime Basil - Two things Lover and I find scrumptious are basil and limes. So this was a no brainer. As my tiny lime tree is still growing and has yet to produce limes, I will see how this does in some salads, summer drinks, and stir-fries. 

Red Malabar Spinach - I can't wait to try this stuff. Technically, it isn't spinach. But the leaves are large and spinach-like, and IT DOESN'T BOLT IN THE SUMMER. It's beautiful, and I think, if we get our fence project done this spring, I can grow it over the arbor of the gate. Super thrilled.

Black Krim Tomato - Delicious beefsteak variety. It's my third favorite after Cherokee Purple and Brandywine. Why do I need so many beefsteak tomatoes? I don't. But I love variety...and canning!

That was it for Seed Savers this year. But I have received many other seeds from them in past years that have done really well. Be sure to check them out if you haven't already!

Seedling Starts

February is glorious. Snowstorm ahead, and I can sit inside prepping seeds for transplant.


In one tray, I have planted several varieties of pepper - Mustard Habanero, Jalapeno, Joe Long's Cayenne, Fish, Sweet Buran, California Wonder, Corno di Toro, Quadrato D'Asti, and Orange Bell. This tray went on a heated seed mat, so I also included rosemary seeds, which love warm soil. I also had a weird packet simply called "Capsicuum anuum" (general latin name for pepper), and I planted those to see what happens. This year, I labeled markers and placed them. Last year, it was a chaotic mess of no labels. I just planted stuff and ate what I could. But, it's not the best way if you have limited room and want to plant favorites and a couple noobs... Label your plants!!


This is the set-up in the basement. I planted the seeds according to the packet directions, placed markers, and covered them with plastic. The light is off until the seeds germinate. The germination process only needs warmth and moisture. Once things start sprouting, I will remove the plastic and turn on the grow light.



The above tray is cole crops and herbs. I planted Waltham and DeCicco Broccoli, Late Flat Dutch Cabbge, Aichi (Chinese Cabbage), Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts, Violet of Sicily and Snowball Y Cauliflower, and Georgia Southern Collard Greens. The herbs I planted were lemon mint and lamb's ear. The plastic in the above picture is pulled back slightly to reveal the first sprouts of the year:


Baby Aichi! This Chinese Cabbage was the first to sprout last year, as well. They are in two different seed starting mediums - a sort of informal test. So far, all things seem equal.

I also planted Dorata di Parma onion seeds in a 4" pot. I want more onions and peppers this year, as the CSA I take part in gives me a ton of zucchini, eggplant, and summer squash during the summer months, and not nearly enough onions and peppers! I was drowning in a sea of squash and eggplant.

And I am not a big fan of eggplant.

We'll see how it goes this year. Lover is dreading the CSA, as he hates how it directs our dinner decisions. Personally, I love the challenge of not letting food go to waste, and I love that it makes me eat so many more vegetables than I would normally, even with my vegetable gardening!

Have you ever tried a CSA? What was your experience?

Seed Orders! Woot!

Ordering from seed catalogs is so strangely gratifying. I know I don't have enough room to grow everything, but this year I am determined to make it work. I have decided some things will even make it to the front yard to grow among the flower beds. I do it all organic, anyway!


Though I order from several places, I am simply going to list them, one supplier per blog post.

Tomato Growers

This is my first time ordering from this company. I got them out of Margaret Roach's resource links on her blog, A Way to Garden. The prices were fair, and there was a gift packet thrown in.

Sweet Pickle Peppers - I read about this pepper on somebody's blog, and I wish I could remember who. I couldn't get the pepper out of my head. A little sweet pepper that is a gorgeous ornamental, said to be tasty to the tongue, and great for pickling. How could I go wrong? A few of these will be planted out among the flower beds.

Stupice Tomatoes - Again, I read about these on that same blog. I didn't really think anything of them, but then I was looking at early season tomatoes. These were on the list, so I said, "Hey, why not?" They are supposed to mature early, be more tolerant of the cold than other tomatoes, and they are said to be delicious and sweet. They are also said to be prolific throughout the season.

Tumbling Tom Hybrid - Same blog. I really need to find out who it was and link here. I wanted a tomato plant that would do well in a topsy turvy. They say most cherry tomato plants are perfect for the topsy turvys, but I planted a sun gold cherry tomato plant in it, and I decided an indeterminate was not the way to go. I wanted something bred for the planter, that would produce a high yield. We're going to try out this guy.

Cisinero Tomatillo - This is a large and meaty tomatillo. I like using them for tomatillo pico de gallo and stir-fries. Last year, my friend Liz Lemon* made a delicious hot tomatillo salsa that I would definitely like to try canning myself. These tomatillos are supposed to be perfect because of their nice size and flavor.

 Purple Tomatillo - It's the color. I just like purple. I like the idea of making tomatillo dishes with different colored tomatillos. I LIKE PURPLE! I have grown this variety before, and while they were small, they were very prolific.

Thai Hot Pepper - A lot of my favorite recipes say "chop up two Thai chili peppers," and the problem was that in all my years of gardening, I had never grown Thai chilis! Obviously, this needed to be addressed. Another fun one for the front flower beds.

Cherokee Chocolate Tomato - My favorite beefsteak tomato is Cherokee Purple. The Tomato Grower's website was having a "Buy 15$ worth of stuff from us and we'll throw in a packet of Cherokee Chocolate tomatoes." So, why not? I've read there's no difference between the taste and texture of the two tomato varieties. Apparently, the Purple has a clear skin, and the Chocolate is a mutation where the skin is "yellow." So, the Chocolate variety looks similar except for a brownish hue, whereas the Purple is more of a red-maroon-purple mix.

In all seriousness, I didn't need more tomatoes. But, I think I am going to give away a bunch of my old tomato seeds, and start growing the varieties that truly interest me. I have all these other tomato seeds from other gardening ventures, gifts from people, and tomato varieties I have tested out. From now on, I want to grow my favorites, and try a couple new ones each year. Any that didn't pass muster one year will be passed on to someone else who might appreciate them more.

Now, off to finish crocheting a baby hat!

*This is not the real Liz Lemon, nor is it my friend's real name.

Inventorying All the Things

As I look through many patterns for bags, cowls, and baby sweaters, I wondered just how much yarn, needles, and hooks I had actually acquired over the years.

Garden planning is on the horizon, and I have bins filled with packets and bottles of seeds. I am trying not to buy anything new, though I may be out of some favorites and will need to order again. But I won't know for sure until I look through everything!

So, with my three day weekend in which I also enjoyed many social activities, I found time to pull boxes out of the basement. I used Ravelry's "stash" system to list all the yarn, needles, and hooks. Turns out I have many, many crochet hooks and multiples of 14" knitting needles. I am bringing all of my extras to the next Stitch'n'Bitch to give out to anyone who wants them. Yarn got stowed away in drawers, and implements into another drawer, all set for a rainy day and a new project.

(If you haven't been on Ravelry.com, check it out! Tons of free patterns, and with all the old yarn I have without a project for, I can check their database for patterns used with that same yarn.)

Then I pulled out the bins of seeds. Believe it or not, I have an excel spreadsheet with vegetable, variety, sowing depth, spacing, height, fertilizer needs, and notes of each seed I keep. It helps me decide what to order and what to plant from year to year. Seeds lose their viability over the years, but most can keep for up to three years at a good rate, while some can go for even more.

So, tell me, how do you plan and prepare?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Garden Workshop

 Garden author Margaret Roach brought garden author Gayla Trail to Copake Falls, NY for a special workshop on seed-saving and putting up the harvest.

Margaret Roach and Gayla Trail

 

Making an aromatic salt rub with sage, rosemary, and garlic. Mmm...

I chose nasturtium blossoms for my first infused vinegar.

I chose shiso leaves for my second infused vinegar.

The day was amazing. My friend Liz and I left bright and early to make it to the 9am workshop. We started with a lovely tour of Margaret's garden - it is extensive, and just exquisite! You can see some photos of her garden over at her blog.

We snatched some seeds here and there from her garden, and made lovely little origami packets to place them into and take home with us. I just love that there can be so much sharing when it comes to gardening!

And seriously, I have taken to thieving seed heads wherever I go now. Lover watches me as I move toward a clump of flowers and starts admonishing me before I've even taken my hand out of my pocket to pinch off the bounty. He kids, of course. I think.

For the afternoon in the workshop, we talked about drying and freezing our harvest. Then we made a salt rub and infused vinegars. So fantastic!

Liz and I walked out with bags of seeds, as Gayla did not want to bring any home with her! I also got all the books I have of hers signed. Check out her site at YouGrowGirl.com.

And on our way back, we stopped at a farm stand and bought a big box of plum tomatoes to do more canning.

We're addicted. It might become necessary to keep us chaperoned at all times.

;-)