Needle and Thread

The gardener stood in front of the carousel for fifteen maybe thirty minutes, though to him it seemed like hours. He would bend way down to read the packets on the bottom then stand very tall, almost on his toes, to read those on top, and only after carefully examining the selection in front of him would he reach out to turn the carousel. Each time it would squeak as if it were happy to be touched.

The gardener must choose his selection carefully. Once selected there is no turning back. The whole season hinges upon the varieties the gardener finally deems fit for his land.

Arriving home the gardener begins to fill with the joy of anticipation. The gardener quickly sets to work prepping the bed of soil. Small compact peat pots are set up in a beautiful line and the water is slowly poured over them.

The small pots begin to expand, filling with the life-giving water. With a gentle tug, the gardener releases the mesh pots exposing the soil within.

Carefully, the gardener sows the seeds, three tomato and one cucumber per pot, into the peat. With a brush of the fingertip they are covered and ready to sprout. 

  

Finally, with a click of the plastic top, the procedure is finished. Every pot is watered, every seed is planted, and nature is left to run its course. 

I brush off my hands and walk away, eagerly waiting the first sight of green.

Seeds!!!

As promised, week one of my four week venture to plant my garden has come to a fruitful (or should I say vegetable) end. With four varieties chosen and paid for I have finalized my seed selection. 

Been a While Eh?

Ray's Garden has been on an unannounced hiatus for the past month. Those of you reading now, thanks for not abandoning me.

Life for this novice gardener has been a little hectic as of late. Some great changes have been happening in my life which has, unfortunately, kept me from devoting time to this lovely blog of mine. But, never fear for I return with great hope for the future...

The spring is fast approaching. Winter's benumbing weather has begun to break and I now wake to the warming sun. I've begun to see sprouts of grass growing in my yard and my garden is starting to fill with the perennial annoyance of weeds. So, I say to myself, "self, it's time to get back to it".

With that in mind, I've made a weekly goal checklist. My hope is that by the end of the month and beginning of April I will have a fully planted garden ready to start growing.

Baby it's cold outside...

I woke up this morning to 7 degree weather and a ground that crunched at my feet. Stepping outside I look around at the trees that look so dead. The last leaf fell weeks ago and has begun feed the earth. My garden has done the same.

I shiver at the cold and at the idea that there are no plants to tend. The frozen soil is beyond all hope of tilling and even if I could break the ground I know that nothing would grow. So, I turn to my memories of the time I spent planting, growing, tending, and harvesting my garden.

But, I have more than just memories of my garden. As I look back in nostalgic bliss at the garden that kept me warm, I realize that I am fortunate to have recorded the season and enjoy knowing that I can share this warmth with you too. 

Fried Green Tomatoes (not the movie)

As a good ole' southern boy there are a few treats that I grew up knowing well. Pecan pie, deep fried catfish (and of course the hush puppies to accomp'ny it), and beans 'n cornbread are just a few of the delicious dishes I know and love. So, natur'lly, when my tomato plants decided frost be damned they was gonna bear fruit anyway, I knew what I had to do...

Thinking Ahead

Well, this season is starting to come to a close. Naturally I've begun to think about what I want to grow next year. I ponder the past season's triumphs and losses and think about what I've learned. Next year will be about trying to ameliorate my troubles by honing my gardening skills further. 

I want to see more tomatoes and not make the mistake of caging them late. I will find creative and inspired ways to avoid the pests that destroyed my yellow squash. I plan to keep the rabbits at bay with new fencing and perhaps I can save my beans. There you have it--I've chosen three crops already.
 

Another change my garden will see next year is a reduction of plants. I found this year that five was just one species to many. My garden is small and my plants grew well. So, next year I will grow four types. Some quick math will tell you that I have room for one more vegetable, then. 


So... Ray's Garden is having a survey!

I've added a poll to the site asking my readers what they think I should plant next year. So, it's up to you to decide. What will be? Corn? Cucumbers? Okra? Or onions? I look forward to finding out.

The poll will last till January 31st. On February 1st, I will declare the winner. 

Don't Forget Your Plants!

Heat! That's right, I said it and I'll say it again. Heat! It's been so freakin' hot lately that I've had no motivation to get out and do anything in my garden. I mean it, I did nothing for a good 2-3 weeks. Ok, I guess I did make it out occasionally to water. But, all that required of me was a simple turn of the hose.

Caution! Addictive Recipe Ahead.

I can't get enough of heirloom tomatoes. They look, taste, smell, and taste (I feel a need to repeat this) great. Next time you make it to your local natural food store, or farmers market definitely pick up a pint (or three) of these wonderfully flavorful and richly colored tomatoes. 

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have been passed down generation after generation. Because of this, they are considered to be a vestige of the antique tomato. They are more "true to form" than their cousins the hybrid tomatoes. Also, unlike hybrid tomatoes (which are what you mostly see at the supermarket) heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated. This helps to create the prized multifarious nature of the heirloom tomato. 

While waiting for my tomatoes to grow I have greatly enjoyed the many heirloom varieties available to me. I've used larger ones on sandwiches and burgers while using the smaller cherry tomatoes in salads. Salads, like this one!

Heirloom Tomato and Chickpea Salad

2 pints of Heirloom Tomatoes
2 15oz cans of Chickpeas drained and washed
2 C. Kalamata Olives
1 tbsp. Fresh Oregano finely chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste 
1 tbsp. Olive Oil


Cut tomatoes in half and combine in large bowl with Chickpeas, Olives, Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil. 


Yes, it is just that easy. 


I've been enjoying making many variations on this salad. By changing up the type of beans or olives the combinations are endless. I've even tried capers instead of olives. 

So, have fun, try something new, and enjoy good veggies. 

Tomato Haiku

Cage tomatoes young
A new gardener must learn
Or else they grow wild

No Vegetable Left Behind

I'm loving the harvest of lettuce, squash, and more beans than I know what to do with. But, I don't want to forget about those vegetables left behind. I still have tomatoes and carrot (yes singular) to think about. 

I have little faith in the survival of my carrots. Only one has really shown any growth.


















I am very excited about the tomatoes, though. They are surely going to be ready for harvest near the end of July and beginning of August. 

I'm looking forward to the continued harvest and growth of my garden.

Using Those Greens

 

Grilled Cheese with Garden Greens
serving size: 1 sandwich

1 Tbl Butter
2 Slices of Bread
2 T. Chevre 
2 T. Ricotta Cheese 
4-6 Washed Bibb Lettuce Leaves 
1/4 C. Jarlsberg


Evenly spread butter on slices of bread. Spread ricotta on un-buttered side of one slice of bread and spread chevre on other slice. Layer lettuce on one slice and jarlsburg on other. Put slices together to make sandwich.

In a pan heated over medium-high heat cook sandwich until cheese is melted. Turning once.

Serve hot. Perhaps with some fresh garden tomato soup. 

Enjoy!

Update!!

Right now the garden has been pretty easy going. While I seem to be having trouble in some areas there are others that are coming along very nicely. But, enough from me, take a look for yourself.

From the Soil...

Ok, so I've gotten a "little" behind on the posting.

Last time we saw my garden it looked like this.

Now, it looks like this.

 Yes, that's right, what was just an area of land infested with weeds has become a plot of soil which will (with any luck) produce a beautiful vegetable garden. 


Here's how I did it.

Sprouting Seeds Indoors

With Spring quickly passing and my vegetable garden still waiting for a good till I decided I'd start sprouting a few of my vegetables that I felt needed to get going. 

By doing this I'll ensure that as soon as I can get my garden tilled and ready for planting I'll have some of my early summer plants germinated and growing. This will help to ensure a longer season and better production.

Making the right choices

Decisions decisions...For a new gardener like me it's hard to know exactly what to plant. Looking through all of the differnent seed magazines, scanning the thousands of websites, and standing in front of the display at my local hardware store became a daunting task. So, finally I just force myself to go into to the store and pick 5 vegetables. In order to have a good shot at actually producing something I chose a few items that I'd grown as a kid. But, I didn't want to limit myself, so I chose a few items I'd never grown before. Here it is, the rundown of what I will plant.

All of my seeds are Ferry Morse brand. The descriptions I'm giving are what Ferry Morse uses on the back of their packets.

1)Big Boy Hybrid Tomato
       Description: One of the most popular hybrid tomatoes! Indeterminate plants produce large, deep red slicing tomatoes, some up to 2 pounds. Great for salads, canning or juice. Plants will produce until frost.

2)Derby (bush) Garden Beans
      Description: This All-American Selection has capacity to produce new pods throughout growing season. Stringless pods are very long and straight; most tender when 5-6 inches long. Disease resistant. 

3)Yellow Summer Crookneck Squash
      Description: A popular yellow summer squash with firm, tender, pale cream flesh. For best flavor, eat young fruit when 4-8inches long. High in vitamin A. 


4) Long Imperator #58 Carrot
      Description: Large, straight, smooth roots. about 8 inches long when fully mature. The flesh is firm, and the flavor is excellent. Perfect in fresh salads. One of nature's best sources of vitamin A. 


5) Bibb (or Limestone) Lettuce
      Description: A butterhead variety considered a real delicacy. Easy to grow. The small somewhat loose head is tender with distinctive flavor. Early starting is advised to avoid bolting to seed in hot weather.  

So there you have it. The lineup as it stands now.