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Thursday, September 5, 2013

A Little Gardening

If this fall garden produces collards, turnips, cabbage, mustard, and broccoli...I will be totally shocked!!!  It would be a first for me!!!   I Put these plants in the ground this morning after single-handedly :)  turning the soil with the gardening fork  and making new rows.  I know, you can't see anything!!!  The plants are puny looking.  This is my before picture...  :)



A friend stopped by today with a bag of Butternut squash...now I've never cooked butternut squash.


So I went on line and found this recipe.  Split the squash in half.   Place split sides down in a baking dish with a little water..1/4 cup...and bake for one hour in a 350 degree oven.  Scoop out seeds and stringy stuff, for the compost bin.  Then scoop out the soft, baked pulp into a bowl, add butter, and a little brown sugar.  To my surprise, this was really good!!  So tonight we will have the butternut squash, stewed cabbage, navy beans, and a pan of cornbread for supper!!!  I looked the beans earlier and put them on to cook with a little piece of fat back!!

Remember a couple of posts back...about the beautiful yard and large black walnut tree that belongs to a friend of my sister, Shelby?  Well she suggested I look up 'lasagna gardening' on line...as that is how she built her garden beds.  So I did...and here is my beginning...boy, do I have a long ways to go...



This is the third layer of old hay, leaves, mulch, etc., covered with an old sheet.  In Lowes last Monday I bought a couple of inexpensive rolls of burlap...which looks better spread in the yard...By next spring, if I do this right, this should be a nice rich bed to plant in...thanks to Shelby and her nice friend for sharing this information!



All of our topsoil has washed away down toward the pond.  This side of the yard desperately needs building up.  Hopefully, I can keep extending this bed.

Aren't you glad wheelbarrows are lighter weight and easier to push now??


Chives and Oregano in pots...




A little patch of Basil...


And...a watermelon...imagine that!!!




Oh, and a picture from Poppy...this was hanging up at the garden in a web.  Could this be baby spiders?  If so, they must be big ones!!!



6 comments:

  1. Hey, we planted a small patch of collard seed in a raised bed in our side yard. We are letting our garden rest and planted some crimson clover and buck wheat(I think?)This winter we are going to turn the ground and add chicken compost. Hope this helps the soil for spring planting. Oh yeah did you get the picture of daddy that I sent you by email?
    Love you, Vicki

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    1. Dear Vicki, Yes I just found the picture of your dad. He was so handsome, and looks like Elvis in this picture. Thank you so much for sending it. You are just so special!! I love you, Vicki!!!

      Your garden should be right next year and grow anything!

      Thanks again!
      Aunt Melba

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  2. You've been working hard, I'm sure you plants will do well with all that attention.
    I absolutely love butternut squash, my favourite way to cook it is chop it up and roast it with other veggies, if you google 'butternut squash' recipes, you'll get zillions !
    Is that a wasps nest/house hanging there ? I have something similar hanging from a tree and the wasps have been heping themselves to the last of the raspberries.
    As you say, if spiders live in there, they're bloomin' big ones.

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    1. I love roasted vegetables and had not thought about using the butternut squash that way. Thank you! The wasp we have build flat paper-like nests. Hornets do have a sack-like nest that hangs from a twig, or tree limb. I hope to see what hatches from this thing!!

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  3. Dear Henny,
    How you fixed the butternut squash is how I usually prepare acorn squash. Years ago there was a restaurant that used to peel the squash, boil it, and mash it with a bit of cream, butter, salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar. We have a dear friend who is such a precious southern gentleman. When something is really good, he says, "It's so good, it makes your taste buds want to shout "Hallelujah, and slap your forehead!" He said that years ago when I was but a child and it has stuck down through the years. Anyway, acorn squash prepared as referenced above is what we call, 'Brother Crumb good'.

    Lasagna gardening. Once while on vacation and dining at Cracker Barrel, I purchased a book of the same title.

    We used some of the principles involved, but as DH was involved, corners were cut and methods conformed to an 'A' type personality. I with all my 'artsy, contemplative, unhurriedly ways' have learned to accept some of 'my' projects will be intercepted at the pass and to find outlet elsewhere. So true about opposites attracting. *laughing* So as I didn't actually practice *authentic* 'Lasagna Gardening' you'll have to keep us updated of your progress and observations from this method. ;)

    The tip about roasting butternut squash is going to be employed, and soon!

    Love,
    Jen

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    1. Dear Jen,

      Now I want to see what an acorn squash looks like and try it. That sounds really good. I too want to try roasting the butternut squash.

      That is so funny about DH and the 'A' type personality! I know exactly what you mean! I will post how the Lasagna gardening is going...I start lots of things that never turn out like they are supposed to!

      By the way...I love pecan pancakes from Cracker Barrel...no matter what time of day we are there! :)

      Thank you for commenting. I always love hearing from you.

      Henny Penny

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