The Garden Grows ~ Freezer Fill-Up

My herb garden is getting a good cleaning, and I'm adding new herbs (and ones I simply haven't planted again).  Many went into pots.  I learned homestead lesson #247 (that's a sarcastic made up number):  don't plant lemon balm directly into your herb garden.  It has roots like cement and spreads quickly.

I purchased my herb seeds from three different sources this year - High Mowing, Baker Creek, and Horizon.

Give a Woman an Herb Garden ~ Herbal Syrup ~ Lemon Balm

The Good Lord gave me a dry day, so I went straight to the herb garden.  The vegetable garden was still too wet.  I know the weeds are bad, but sharing a photo anyway.  I have to re-set the natural stones around it every spring, but I really don't mind it.  The bed on the other side (top) of the sidewalk is a flower bed.  I still have sage in some of it.

Homestead Happenings

We are so happy to see peaches on the tree this year.  This is our third year since we planted.  I'm so happy with this progress.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Today I am once again joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay-at-home Mom.   It's "Happy Homemaker Monday!"  

This is getting posted late due to my busy day yesterday.  I simply got going with dinner, while our oldest daughter came for a visit.  I never got back to the computer, ha ha!

Snow ~ From the Handiwork Journal . . .

The weather dropped in digits on Saturday.  I was not ready for that.  It was raining and cold.  And a bit windy.  I guess in our parts, our garden season just got shorter. 

And on Sunday?

It snowed.  Timmy was not happy either, as you can see.  Snow in May?  Unbelievable!  I refused to start a fire, even though we still had wood on the porch.  Crazy I say.  Just crazy.

More Rain ~ Chive Oil Complete ~ Tidbits

Although yesterday remained dry for the most part, it was still too wet to weed or plant.  I attempted to weed the last of the front flower beds, but it was still too wet.  I'll admit I woke up to 4am downpours again this morning.  I am a bit frustrated.  There is no way we can plant right now.  It could take several days to dry this all up.

 The potatoes, the majority of the plants, look pretty healthy.  I just need Mother Nature to give us a break this year.  Sheesh, so many of us deserve a bumper crop this season.

The chive oil is complete now.  I strained it and have it ready to try.  I would love to make homemade pizzas first.

In desperation to get some homesteading garden work completed, I cut some oregano to dry.  My jar is at the very bottom, so oregano is being restocked first. 

Homestead Happenings

The last two years have been not so good with planting new bushes, and grape plants.  Between having those two trips south, then a flooding of rain, most new plants we planted died.  And after two to three years of attempting to grow blueberries, we know we cannot (limestone).

Since then the new red raspberry bushes are taking flight (thankfully).  The cherry tree looks great too.

I've purchased three new grape plants (for jams/jellies, juice and wine) and we are using Grit Magazine's "plan" to put them in (for a starter arbor).