Gardens that inspire me.

While I have written about only concentrating on the rows of the garden this year I have serious dreams about the years to come.

First... resources ...
Mother earth News  August/Sept 2007 , then April /May of 2008  just for starters.

While this magazine is old, it is a wonderful resource, I have all too many of them but I still use them all on a regular basis.
The lay out of this company has changed over the years so do not be looking on the shelf for the style of cover only the name.

This is ONE of my FAVORITE articles  over three years ago it inspired me to re think all I knew about trees, bushes, and perennials.  It made me start doing real research about my foods.

This layout is the basic form of what I want to do with my garden.

Nuts on the back row, and fruit trees along the side... with berry bushes etc under and around them with my seasonal garden in the open space of this ?  depiction.

I generally have the perfect site for such a large endeavor, but yet to invest the time and money to ALL the contents.

I will need a shed house first for tools etc... it is too far from the barn to haul tools everyday.

I also need the shed house for another water source, while I want the shed house as water I will also be using the over flow of the 3000 gallon tank at the barn.  So I hope to have plenty of water.

While I will not be creating my dream garden this year I am getting it ready for the years to come, at some point, in the next five years I should say I hope to have my basics done, the nuts, fruit, berries all in the ground!   I still have some trees that need to come down as they are too tall, lanky and will eventually cause us problems in the years to come.  It is better to do a selection of healthy trees and keep what we can and what will serve the land well.

The new trees will bring texture, new woods, variety, and a healthier environment for both humans, birds, bees, and animals.  This is going to be very important for a 100 year plan.

There are many small kitchen gardens that inspire me... these are only a few

I would love to know what you dream of when it comes to your edible garden.

send me a picture, or an article I can look up.

My garden can always use more!

When Foods HATE other foods.

clean and simple... some foods are not companions... they are as different as the Eastern World, and our Western Ways In other words.. BE Careful , VERY careful...

You may want to print this for your records.

Beans can not stand Onions... ANY ONION FAMILY
Cabbage can not stand Strawberries, Tomatoes, or Dill
Carrots can not stand Dill
Cucumbers do NOT like Aromatic Herbs or Potatoes
Onions are as above horrible for any beans, peas etc.. (legumes)
Peas are also bad for Potatoes

Potatoes do not like peas, beans, sunflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes, turnips
Radishes do not like Hyssop
Tomatoes do not like Cabbage, fennel, or again potato
Turnips do not like potato

Why does any of this matter, it actually helps in your rotation!
Because the beetles that eat your potatoes are not as likely to eat your tomatoes the next year etc... This is one of the reasons you should look into crop rotations, three or five year but any rotation is better than using the same place for the same plants, pets, and issues year after year.

Foods that love other foods.

Ok... While I'm NOT a professional I have taken several sources and made a list of companion plantings...

Try these...
Asparagus... ( LOVES )... Tomatoes, Parsley, and Basil
       ISSUES... Asparagus is a perennial and thus can NOT be moved with any rotation plan, the male are eaten, while the females go to seed as seen in this picture.


Beans.... (LOVE)... Most herbs... most veggies (especially those who NEED lots of nitrogen)

     Potatoes, and Egg Plant are two favorites.

Cabbage... (LOVES)... Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion (entire family) Chamomile, Spinach, Chard's

Carrots ...( LOVE) ... Peas, Lettuce, Onions, Sage, Tomatoes, Peppers!
     ISSUES... remember Carrots take very loose soil, can not be disturbed for a hundred days or more! Therefore I do NOT suggest Onions! if you disturb the soil you will loose your carrots.

Celery... (LOVES)... Nasturtiums, Onions, Cabbage and Tomatoes

Cucumbers... (LOVE)... Beans, PEAS, Sunflowers, and the radish

Lettuce...(LOVES)... Carrots, Radish, STRAWBERRIES, Cucumber
     ISSUES... Remember Lettuces wilt or will go to seed in the heat of season, Strawberries and Cucumbers will SHADE the lettuce in the heat of the season lengthening the life of your lettuce.

Corn... (LOVES) Squash, Peas, Pumpkins

Onions ...(LOVE)...  Beets, Carrots, Lettuce, Cabbage

Parsley... (LOVES)... Tomatoes, Asparagus

Peas ... (LOVE) Carrots, Radish, Turnips, Cucumber, Beans

Potatoes... (LOVE)... Beans Cabbage, HORSERADISH, and Marigolds
     ISSUES... Potatoes are famous for beetles in order not to hurt your worms, one can only hand pick the beetles or have bags... BUT ... Marigolds help as do horseradish plants.  BUT remember Horseradish is another perennial that will not want to be moved in your rotation... ANY rotation!

Radish... (LOVES)... Peas, Nasturtiums, Lettuce, Cucumbers

Spinach... (LOVES)... Strawberries, and Fava Beans (not that common in U.S. but delectable!)  you have to shell them twice!

Tomatoes... (LOVE)... Onions, Asparagus (see asparagus above) Parsley, Cucumber, Marigolds, Carrots, Basil

     ISSUES... when you get your new plant (providing you don't use your own seed) when you do plant it... Plant it as DEEP as possible.  it will grow new roots closer to the soil surface as it grows and allow the main roots to pull in DEEP moisture from the soil instead of drying, being wet, drying, being wet.  It will help the life of your plant.

          ISSUES... While most places will tell you to make tomatoes grow UP, this is fine... but look at your tag is it determinate or indeterminate?   IF it is an indeterminate tomato allow it to grow along the ground... at each branch of your stem, cover it with new soil, or compost, it will grow new roots allowing the "suckers" to die back and feed the top limbs, buds and tomatoes until FROST kills the plant.

Turnips (LOVE)... Peas?

Cold weather focus

While winter is a down time for most.

My winter consist of walking up the mountain in order to feed, water, hay, and check on my horses twice a day, BUT only in the ice.  Snow I will drive up, but ICE... no thank you, unless the county or state wants to put up guard rails... (which is not going to happen)

Even without ice, my winters are NOT slow.
As an example... I am researching more and more about my garden site.  More and more about Forrest Gardening,  Permaculture, and your basic companion gardening.

I have such a small plot of land, but with the economy and life as hard it can be I only feel that much more determined to support myself, put food on the table for my family, and ... SAVE money by doing what ever it is I can.

As you can see several of my magazines are repeated.  Not in the same month but I keep things I know will be a positive resource later.  Each of these magazines have pages torn out that are of no use (adds, etc... ) But some are an easier read that the resources they quote for more in-depth information.

I doubt I will ever have a "beautiful" garden, but I do hope to have one that is functional.

While the site this year is FRESH, having been rested soil for the last 10-15 years.  It has much work to be done.  It is full of weeds... It is in need of tender care...   But at least now I have a plan in order to work a little, use even less, while making the rest of the garden more ready for years to come.  I have decided to use OLD European ways, not only rotating crops and compost piles... , but allowing rest to the soil every so often as well.

It is what it is... and I can only do what I can do.  We shall see.

I will how ever gladly post my plans, and progress along the way.

Focus for the new year 2011

I have to say welcome!

If you are reading this blog then... well you have Internet access, and although considered a life necessity, YOU MUST consider yourself lucky! Too many people today can not afford such things you want to call basic.  Internet is NOT a basic! It is a luxury some have come to think they deserve. It is no different than earning a book, earning an education, or earning a job/wage.

Basics again for those of you that have forgotten are. 
Food, Water, Housing, and Clothing 


All of which, MANY are lacking in these hard times.  So while you think I am being political I am NOT I am simply pointing out ...  You are more lucky than you think, as even these basics are not handed out, they are earned! 

I can only see what has happened, I can not imagine what will happen.  We as a generation (one off the WWII baby boomers)  have never seen a time with unemployment is over 9%.  I had never gone to a job interview I didn't get; until I moved to this area.  It is a repressing area, that does not pay a living wage as basic living here is more than most places I have lived.  Although it matches having lived in San Fran for a short while.... Although I get no benefits I had while out there.   The area (as with any) has its down side, but the up side is just a great, and thus the nearest town ... in 2009 and 2010 was always on the top 10 places to live in the U.S. thus again bringing in more people and less available.

I am NOT making "resolutions", I am only continuing the work I started YEARS ago.  Jerry and I moved to the "small" US mountains and I immediately started testing, and trying soils, foods, plants, and trees.

Why? Well I enjoy it, and two... I worry about being as efficient as I can be.  Why does it matter?  It doesn't to anyone else, but it is MY LIFE DREAM to know I can do it!

How may of you know how to can foods? 


How many of you have had the pressure of putting up enough food for your family?


How many of you have actually DONE the physical labor needed around your house and not hired it to be done? ... on that same line... how many of you know how to do it?

We as a people (yes myself included) have forgotten, have turned our backs on more than we know today
.
We as a people can not continue to live life without realizing what we are doing or not doing.

Thus far, we have our barn up! HUGE task marked off the list!
     We have four dwarf apple trees planted that as of today 1/3/11 they look happy and healthy!
    To see what I choose to plant and why see previous post...Apples  


I am likely to dry, freeze and make apple sauce as soon as nature allows me to.
Drying is the easiest thing, giving us healthy snacks all year.  Some have been chosen purely for their ability to be put away intact for winter eating, but I am sure as potting shed is after all the perfect cellar positioning I will try the other methods first.
I planted the trees only a short time ago... so I do NOT expect anything from them for years yet to come.  But this is just a basic I hope to expand as time and money allow.

I have done so much research on this tiny estate, my brain oozzzesss with crazy thoughts of Independence for me, Jerry and ALL my animals I have and will have to bring the estate full circle.

My task this year is to get rid of things I am not using, organize my house better, and continue on the estate.
this years estate task is ? easier...
1.     I want to build a fence around what I want to be a garden area. 
2.     I want to create compost piles for the garden area. 
3.     I want to create a small water area for the garden area. 
4.     I want to create mounds for planting in the garden area. 
5.     I want to share this area with the neighborhood so we may all benefit from what it can put out.

I do not expect to get this all done.  After all I have no real equipment and can only plan as if I live in a small area, with no tools.  All to be done by hand, as I will spend as little money as possible, but do it in a fashion that should last for years to come.

That is what I want for 2011!

What is it you want?