I've been busy trying to eradicate my weeds (yet another thing that brings Death to the garden, but y'all know how to deal with those). Clover may not seem much like a weed and for a while I let it self sow all over the garden. Last year they were allowed to grow in the paths. I would cut them and use them as come nice nitrogen mulch, but I just can't take them any more. They have gotten too huge and I can no longer walk down my paths without getting soaked.
I haven't gotten rid of all of them but I'm almost there.
I grew my Chinese cabbage in this little patch this spring. It is by the compost pile and doesn't get much sun. It does however get a lot of slugs and sow bugs from the pile. I decided to sow some lettuce seeds outside. Maybe they will grow. Maybe not. If they do they will be protected by the late afternoon sun. The sun may never be an issue. So far we are keeping to the one 80°F day in June. Today it is in the 60°Fs again. We may not have any heat this summer at all. Who knows?
I also planted some seedlings that I let get a touch big. They keep flopping over since their foliage is heavier than their soil blocks. I planted two mizuna, two tatsoi and three Komatusna.
The real excitement for the day was canning some pickled peas. I'm getting way too many peas from the garden. I can't possibly eat them all. I gave some away and decided to can some too. I'll probably freeze some more at the end of the week before I go on vacation (expect another paucity of posts after the 4th). I tried to use a lot from the garden to make these. I used snap peas, carrots (the Danvers that are slightly bitter, I figure they will be fine pickled), garlic, the first of the tropea onions, dill, dill seed from last year and chili peppers. I didn't have enough chili peppers. Some got cayennes. Some got serranos. And some got dried chilies from last year. If my canning liquid seems a little cloudy it is. I use sea salt, not the kosher salt you are supposed to and I use evaporated cane juice, not sugar. I don't really care if the liquid is cloudy so I don't follow the rules.
I don't usually pickle my peas, but this year I'm doing since Michelle over at From Seed to Table mentioned them and they sounded good. I also am not too sure when I'm going to get cucumbers for pickles. I'll use whatever I can get at this point.
I have a really bad clover infestation in the back gardens. I kept telling myself to cut them down weekly until they are gone, it never seems to happen though. I will await the taste test on those pickled peas.
ReplyDeleteHey Im doing a Tour of Gardens at my blog. Go add this one to it! Join us in the fun. I just got it up but really its up for tomorrow! LOL
ReplyDeleteI never heard of pickled peas! Not that I would have enough to pickle...maybe a half pint. See Daphne, you have way better peas than Granny!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of pickled peas, either. I bet they're good, though! I'm gonna have to pickle some okra this year, because I've never eaten any.
ReplyDeleteWould you like some of my heat? I'll be happy to trade you! And tat soi -- one of my very favorite greens!
ReplyDeleteThose pickled peas look (and sound) great, Daphne! I hadn't heard of them, either, but why not? And I can't bear to pull my clover. Mow, yes, pull, no. Gee. Maybe I should pull up stakes and move up your way. 60-degree summers work for me! Hope you all are going somewhere wonderful for vacation.
ReplyDeleteDan, The first taste test will come on July 4th. I did some refrigerator (so uncooked) pickled veggies which are mostly snap peas just for that day. I'm wondering if the refrigerator ones and the canned ones will taste very different.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Darling, what a fun thing to do. I love seeing others gardens. I haven't done a tour of my garden since early June though. Maybe I will soon.
Annie's Granny, Ah the one thing that I'm doing better at. LOL probably lettuce too. With all your heat I can't imagine you have lettuce still coming in. I guess if the weather is bad for one crop you get another crop that does well. I just wish I could order my weather. I'd pick weather in the 70s every day (heck I can grow just about anything I really love in the 70s. Sunny most days. Maybe every fourth day have a good rainfall overnight. :> I can dream.
EG, I can't say I've ever eaten okra. I think it is one of those heat loving crops that we don't grow much up here. I do laugh though. You say that you aren't growing snap peas anymore because they just don't produce. Move up north ;> they will produce for you here.
Stefaneener, no I really don't want the heat. I'd rather it be cool all summer long even if my corn won't produce anything. I do however want to see the sun again. I really miss it.
our friend Ben, I figure people pickle other veggies. Why not indeed. I love all things pickled. Well not beets. You can't make me eat those no matter how they are prepared. I'm hoping for 70 degree summers which I think we are getting this week. Yea!
I love the look of your garden ... and you looked very much absorbed in it.
ReplyDelete~ bangchik
Bangchik and Kakdah, thanks. I was very intent. My husband sometimes notices me outside and takes a photo. Not often, but occasionally. Our dining room window makes a great garden lookout.
ReplyDeleteI think I pickled the majority of my snap pea crop - 5 quarts at 1 pound of peas per quart. We're already into the second jar. It worked out great, I was picking a pound of snap peas about every three to four days but couldn't eat them that quickly so into the pickle jars they went.
ReplyDeleteThe refrigerator pickles are more crisp than the ones that I've processed. Now that the peas are on their last gasp I think I'll get out my freezer pickle recipe for the insanely productive zucchini...
I'm with you about the perfect temperature. Somewhere in the mid-70's is lovely.
I keep getting red clovers popping up everywhere. It's weird cuz they keep managing to hop into different beds. Those whores lol. They are so hard to pick out too cuz they rip before I can get to the roots :(
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I'll probably do refrigerator pickles for the rest of my crop that I can't eat. I like crispy :> and the ones in the fridge last quite a while anyway.
ReplyDeleteCynthia, when mine are small they are pretty easy for me to get out, but once they get big, watch out. They are really hard to get out then.