From April-October we walk to the West
Side Farmer's Market and the St. Paul Farmers Market (well, except for
the weekend we were feeling lazy and drove) every weekend. We change
our entire meal-planning and grocery shopping to include fresh veggies
as the staple of our food. It is healthy and fun because each weekend
is a different adventure!
Here is our find from a few weeks ago! Fresh cucumbers, garlic, green beans and salt wort (the best salad topping ever!).
It
was fun to get creative with our $7 worth of produce! We made cucumber
and greenbean pickles, added some of the cukes and garlic to a homemade
gazpacho and made a few tasty salads.
I will post some of my favorite pickling recipes soon!
August 16, 2013
June 24, 2013
Soggy Spring
What a wet, wet, wet, cloudy, wet spring we have had. This gardener, along with every other gardener I am sure, is sick of the soggy, sun-less days. My garden is also getting increasingly agitated with the weather, and I believe that the seedlings are protesting by just not growing at all. June gloom has been the theme of the month, and I hope that come July we will see some happy rays of sunshine.
What is curious is that the seedlings I started inside, babying them to become strong enough to withstand Mother Nature's mood swings, are hanging in there but are still not thriving I have done everything to make them happy, to no avail. My accidental garden though, is thriving.
When I say "accidental garden" I do mean that by some random chance, and with no doing of my own, we have discovered a thriving patch of vegetable seedlings that we never planned for or planted. Our compost pile that we have been using for the past three years finally fell apart- the palettes we used rotted away, so we decided to move the compost into our planter box as a the base for our soil. We were out of town for a week, and when we came back, we found what looked like gourd plants, everywhere! Somehow the seeds of the many pumpkin, zucchini and cucumbers that we had thrown into the compost found the perfect home in our compost. So now we have at least ten mystery gourds in the planter box and another 15 growing in what is left of the compost pile.
We also discovered that our chamomile plant from last year must have dropped seeds too, because we have about 7 or 8 different chamomile seedlings growing as well!
How is that for irony? The seedlings I have worked so hard for are barely surviving and the ones I didn't plant, are huge and beautiful. I guess nature does what it wants sometimes!
What is curious is that the seedlings I started inside, babying them to become strong enough to withstand Mother Nature's mood swings, are hanging in there but are still not thriving I have done everything to make them happy, to no avail. My accidental garden though, is thriving.
When I say "accidental garden" I do mean that by some random chance, and with no doing of my own, we have discovered a thriving patch of vegetable seedlings that we never planned for or planted. Our compost pile that we have been using for the past three years finally fell apart- the palettes we used rotted away, so we decided to move the compost into our planter box as a the base for our soil. We were out of town for a week, and when we came back, we found what looked like gourd plants, everywhere! Somehow the seeds of the many pumpkin, zucchini and cucumbers that we had thrown into the compost found the perfect home in our compost. So now we have at least ten mystery gourds in the planter box and another 15 growing in what is left of the compost pile.
We also discovered that our chamomile plant from last year must have dropped seeds too, because we have about 7 or 8 different chamomile seedlings growing as well!
How is that for irony? The seedlings I have worked so hard for are barely surviving and the ones I didn't plant, are huge and beautiful. I guess nature does what it wants sometimes!
June 14, 2013
White Picket Fence, Part II
Our fence installation is complete! The rusty fence and fear of getting tetanus from the old fence is no more. We now have a beautiful, maintenance free fence that actually serves a purpose and fences in the yard now instead of merely separating the sidewalk from our property.
We knew that it would look great to get rid of the old chain-link, but had no idea that it would look as good as it does! Winifred Manor is on its way!
The garden is looking better than ever, we have done massive clean up of the old junk that seemed to accumulate and soon a fresh shipment of red mulch will be delivered to really make the garden pop. I think it might be time for a garden party, no?
We knew that it would look great to get rid of the old chain-link, but had no idea that it would look as good as it does! Winifred Manor is on its way!
The garden is looking better than ever, we have done massive clean up of the old junk that seemed to accumulate and soon a fresh shipment of red mulch will be delivered to really make the garden pop. I think it might be time for a garden party, no?
May 11, 2013
White Picket Fence
We bought a fence today! In the next few weeks the old, rusty, chain link monstrosity that has lined our yard will be hauled away and replaced with a beautiful, maintenance-free picket fence. I know it is cliche but I have always wanted a white picket fence. We have been wanting to redesign our exterior for a while, but it is never a priority and it is so expensive. This will be a nice start.
As the fence is getting installed we are going to start stripping the paint on our window sills and repainting with exterior paint. Not interior paint. I shouldn't have to be so specific, but apparently no one was specific in the past when they painted our sills and thought that interior paint was sufficient. It was not. I don't care if it is lying around- don't ever use interior paint on the window sills. Because then they peel. And rot. And get carpenter ants. And you will be forced to repaint all your trim, and ain't nobody got time for that, but I guess we will have to make time.
While we are doing that we are hoping to install new shutters on all the windows. In a perfect world, depending on how the summer goes, I also want to add fish-scaling to the peek of our home and a gable. I will upload a sketch of what I hope we can accomplish this year on the exterior. It isn't the total redesign I want, but that will have to wait until more important projects are done- like that pesky garage. And replacing the upstairs bathroom. And dry-walling the entrance to the theater.
Another day, another project.
As the fence is getting installed we are going to start stripping the paint on our window sills and repainting with exterior paint. Not interior paint. I shouldn't have to be so specific, but apparently no one was specific in the past when they painted our sills and thought that interior paint was sufficient. It was not. I don't care if it is lying around- don't ever use interior paint on the window sills. Because then they peel. And rot. And get carpenter ants. And you will be forced to repaint all your trim, and ain't nobody got time for that, but I guess we will have to make time.
While we are doing that we are hoping to install new shutters on all the windows. In a perfect world, depending on how the summer goes, I also want to add fish-scaling to the peek of our home and a gable. I will upload a sketch of what I hope we can accomplish this year on the exterior. It isn't the total redesign I want, but that will have to wait until more important projects are done- like that pesky garage. And replacing the upstairs bathroom. And dry-walling the entrance to the theater.
Another day, another project.
May 1, 2013
Seedling Status: Failure
I don't know what the deal is. I can't keep my seedlings wet to save my life... or their life I guess. I think our house is way to dry and the lamp we are using is too hot. They were sprouting so great and suddenly dried up and fried even though I have been diligent with spraying them. Perhaps the spray bottle isn't getting them enough as well.
Either way, I would say that a quarter of the 98 cells are salvageable. I added new seeds to most of them to see if I can still have some luck. With the way our three April blizzards have gone, I am not very optimistic for May, so I think that I still have time.
Luckily there is a plant trade on May 11th at the community garden so hopefully I can get some seed starts there!
Either way, I would say that a quarter of the 98 cells are salvageable. I added new seeds to most of them to see if I can still have some luck. With the way our three April blizzards have gone, I am not very optimistic for May, so I think that I still have time.
Luckily there is a plant trade on May 11th at the community garden so hopefully I can get some seed starts there!
April 11, 2013
April 7, 2013
Seedlings
We finally got a relatively nice day in this never-ending winter. It was 54 degrees and nice enough to go outside and start planting all of my seedling cells. I got 98 cells planted and sitting on my kitchen table right now. Here is the inventory:
Lavender
Rosemary
Sage
Oregano
Basil
Cilantro
Thyme
Dill
Parsley
Pansies
Zinnias
Snapdragons
Cosmos
Tomatoes (Beefsteak)
Cherry Tomatoes (Sweet 100)
Pepper (Bell)
Melon
Cucumber (Straight Eights)
Spaghetti Squash
Pumpkin
Arugula
Beans
Catnip
Squash
Cypress Vine
I am also re-landscaping the walking garden. I am splitting my herbs between the herb garden and the walking garden this year. I found the most adorable herb stakes to decorate the walking garden with.
Oh, Mr. Sun, please come out soon!
February 28, 2013
Hello, Spring?
February is always the longest, shortest-month of the year. Now that we are in the last day of February- thank goodness it isn't a leap year- I am getting spring fever! I have all these home and garden plans but I cannot get them going when it is cold and snowy and the days feel all-too short. March starts tomorrow and so does my Spring Project list!
To kick start my Spring project list I submitted out bathroom for the DIY I Hate My Bath casting call. As I was thinking of all the things I would like to fix or remodel in the house if I had the expertise and skills, the number one room that comes to mind is our bathroom. I literally cringe when I clean it because no amount of cleaning will make our bathroom sparkle. There is only so much a fresh coat of paint, updated fixtures, new towels and a bath mat can do! It is hard to update a home on your own when you are still so new to being a homeowner. Most of our projects we have done without the help of professionals, but there are some things that you just need the expert help.
Until we either magically get the expert help, the bathroom will wait until we can really do it the right way- here is hoping it happens sooner rather than later!
Here is what is slated for our DIY Spring Project list:
To kick start my Spring project list I submitted out bathroom for the DIY I Hate My Bath casting call. As I was thinking of all the things I would like to fix or remodel in the house if I had the expertise and skills, the number one room that comes to mind is our bathroom. I literally cringe when I clean it because no amount of cleaning will make our bathroom sparkle. There is only so much a fresh coat of paint, updated fixtures, new towels and a bath mat can do! It is hard to update a home on your own when you are still so new to being a homeowner. Most of our projects we have done without the help of professionals, but there are some things that you just need the expert help.
Until we either magically get the expert help, the bathroom will wait until we can really do it the right way- here is hoping it happens sooner rather than later!
Here is what is slated for our DIY Spring Project list:
- Early-March- start our seedlings for the garden
- Throughout March- Spring clean everything, and I mean everything!
- Fan blades
- Under all couches and beds
- Every base board, trim and door washed
- All the windows- inside and out
- Clean the carpets and all the floors
- Clean all the drapes
- De-clutter all cabinets
- Wash down all cabinets and drawers
- March- Finish the basement set up
- April- Fix the guest bathroom door (it has only been off the hinges for three years...)
- April- New flooring in the mudroom
- April- Organize and put up shelves in the storage room, including creating a pantry space
- April- New fence for the front yard
- April-May- Re-landscape the new patio area
- April-May- Tear up the side garden
- April- Till and plant the early vegetables in the garden
- And if that isn't enough, I really want to make new curtains for all of the windows!
January 14, 2013
Goodbye Scary Basement
Most of our friends and family do not know that we have a basement. It is tucked behind our front stairs and is so scary that our friends have used it to film horror-movie scenes for their film school projects. At one point, they had left all of the creepy props from the film shoot in the basement and unknowingly I let the meter-reader from the energy company down in the basement with the eerily scary warning of, "I don't go down there. It is scary."
So we finally decided it was time to maximize all the wasted space and nightmare-inducing creepiness. We contacted Owen's Corning and they came up with a great plan for us to renovate the basement, add square footage and gain a whole new room in our house! The great thing is that if we ever have any water in our basement we won't have to replace dry wall or worry about mold because of their product! Here are pictures of the transformation. We are so thrilled with how great it turned out. We could not have dreamed that the basement would ever be liveable and useable space. We will post the finished product with the carpeting and furniture a little later! We still have to finish the entryway and stairs to the basement and hopefully that will be done once we have finished speech coaching for the season.
So we finally decided it was time to maximize all the wasted space and nightmare-inducing creepiness. We contacted Owen's Corning and they came up with a great plan for us to renovate the basement, add square footage and gain a whole new room in our house! The great thing is that if we ever have any water in our basement we won't have to replace dry wall or worry about mold because of their product! Here are pictures of the transformation. We are so thrilled with how great it turned out. We could not have dreamed that the basement would ever be liveable and useable space. We will post the finished product with the carpeting and furniture a little later! We still have to finish the entryway and stairs to the basement and hopefully that will be done once we have finished speech coaching for the season.
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| The scary basement BEFORE |
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| Another view of the basement BEFORE |
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| Studs going up |
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| Almost done! |
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| Goodbye creepy basement! |
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