These irises were ordered last year and didn't arrive until fall. I planted them in a raised bed in the garden so they could get a head start on spring. I am surprised some of them bloomed in the first year. They are beautiful and I look forward to adding more flowers to the vegetable..
Read moreButterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
Butterfly bush is in full bloom and the butterflies are loving it. I guess we know why they call it butterfly bush although the pollinators love it too.
Read moreTranspiration
From https://harlequinsgardens.com/transpiration-and-why-it-matters/ Plants have many important functions, like making leaves, making flowers and seeds, growing, storing starches in the roots etc, but we humans are usually unaware of the vital function of transpiration. It is estimated that 98% of a plants energy is used in the work of transpiration. How does this process work? and..
Read moreSalsa!
[video width="100%" height="100%" mp4="https://ahippiefarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PXL_20210912_170806508.LS_.mp4" poster=""][/video] Fermented Salsa is also a winner in our household. You can vary the flavors anyway you wish and have either a mild one that everyone enjoys or a HOT one that will clear your sinuses. This is a blend of what the garden has to offer. Tomatoes, Jalapenos and Onions..
Read moreWrapping up another season…
As another season draws to a close in the Pacific Northwest we are still getting the last of the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. This has been a year for the cucumbers as they seem to be never ending. The real winners this year were SMR pickling and White Wonder both from MIGardener (www.migardener.com). We have..
Read moreGardening Resource – Pacific Northwest
For those of us in Zone 8b we have a great resource of information through Pierce County in the Edible Gardens Workshop Series. If you haven't checked this out, I would encourage you to do so. Although they are currently having to host these via Zoom meetings instead of in person there is still a..
Read moreBeauty in the Garden
A little break from the busy gardening season to enjoy this beauty that bloomed today. Never thought I could grow things I have only seen in floral arrangements. It makes it all worth it to have beautiful things to look at and delicious things to eat.
Read moreHello Beautiful!
Look what I found in the garden today. These are so pretty I have to classify them as flowers AND vegetables. These are the Spring Blush Tendril Peas from Baker Creek. http://www.rareseeds.com Can't wait to see if the pea is a different color, stay tuned for an update on that once they arrive.
Read moreFront Yard Garden
Today we started the first bed in the front yard area. This marks the first in ground area we have started at this house. We have had the bed prepping with chicken manure from the neighbor since last year so now we have really rich dark soil that should be just what the squash are..
Read morePickled Asparagus
This week we had the opportunity to get asparagus from the group that is driving to eastern Washington to get excess produce that would otherwise go to waste. We decided to pickle it to preserve it. We found an awesome recipe in WECK Small-Batch Preserving, see recipe below.
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