So it’s come to the beginning of another crop! With the garden soil prepared, I can now start sowing the seeds of my next crop, which will be broccoli and carrots!

I plan on planting them continuously at 2 week intervals, so as to have a continuous amount of food available!

I love both of them, and my family eats them almost daily, so it will be great

Here’s to hoping they grow healthy and strong!

Peace and love!

Clean radishes

Here’s a breaking news update on the Senate Farm Bill and the latest message (from the Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition) to  deliver to our Senators. Please pick up a phone to call Senators Cantwell and Murray.

Share this information with your networks.

Farm Bill Process
The Senate began their debate of amendments to the Farm Bill yesterday morning. Unfortunately, they missed their biggest and best opportunity to help hungry families and seniors by rejecting the Gillibrand amendment that would have eliminated the $4.1 billion cut to SNAP. Sen. Murray co-sponsored the amendment and Sen. Cantwell voted for the amendment. But in the end, the amendment failed to get 50 votes on the Senate floor, ultimately defeated by a vote of 26 yeas to 70 nays.

If there’s a bright side to this, the Senate also defeated a number of even more damaging amendments proposed by Sen. Roberts that would have tried to instill many of the cuts proposed in the House Bill, including an amendment that would have greatly restricted Categorical Eligibility and eliminated Heat and Eat entirely. Additionally, Sen. Brown has introduced an amendment that will be debated on the floor that would add $10 million to the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program as well as add funds to other programs that help farmers markets and increase access to nutritious, locally sourced produce. This is an effort that we support since the Senior FMNP helps low-income seniors have access to the fresh produce that they need to stay healthy in body and mind, but $10 million will be a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the cut to SNAP—our first line defense against hunger. Even if this amendment is added to the bill, the Senate will be voting on a final package as soon as tonight or possibly tomorrow morning, that will cut SNAP by over $4 billion—a cut that will take $90 per month out of the SNAP benefits for 232,000 households in Washington.

Tell Senators: Support the Brown Amendment but Vote NO on the Final Farm Bill
Call Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Murray now and ask them to support the Brown amendment. Let them know that we support adding funding to the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program because if the cuts to SNAP proposed in this Farm Bill take effect, then we need to make sure that seniors have all the assistance they can get to have access to nutritious food that they can’t otherwise afford on a fixed income. We need this amendment to get the final Farm Bill package in the best shape in can be should it pass the rest of the Senate, but in the end, we still need our Senators to vote NO to the final Farm Bill package, because the proposed cuts to SNAP are unconscionable. No Farm Bill this year is better than living with the consequences of a Farm Bill that slashes SNAP and as a result, increases poverty for hungry families with children and seniors. The Senate can always go back to the drawing board and save their yes vote for a Farm Bill that does not make unconscionable cuts to SNAP.

Senator Murray-1-866-481-9186
Senator Cantwell-1-202-224-3441

•    Vote YES on the Brown amendment to increase funding for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
•    Even if that amendment passes, vote NO on the final Farm Bill because of the unconscionable cut to SNAP—our first line of defense against hunger.

We had a very sunny day here but the forecast heavy winds from the north also appeared making it quite chilly if you were out of the sun.  The winds also gave me a convenient excuse not to get the bike out.  This was fortunate because my legs had called it a day as far as cycling went after quite a heavy schedule over the past week and I would have been embarrassed by my struggles to pedal up any hills.

I was able to put the time to good use and mow the middle lawn and run the hover mower over the grass round the greenhouse and the drying green.  The sight of a neatly mown lawn always lifts my spirits so I was quite cheerful in spite of being a bit tired.  I also used our strimmer with its new battery.  The tremendous vim with which it dispatches unwanted vegetation makes us realise that we should have changed the old battery about two years ago instead of struggling along with it.

I dead headed some more daffodils and they have almost all gone over now.  The tulips are in transitional state.

What looks like a cream topping for a cup cake is in fact a tulip seed head.

Serenely flowering still

A glance into the pond in search of tadpoles to photograph revealed two cheery grown up frogs instead.

New flowers and plants are appearing all the time now.

The smallest flowers in the garden on a berberis

Some flamboyant ferns unfurl

Some well established plants still please the eye.

A bergenia blends with the grape hyacinth behind

Having finished my mowing tasks, I got out the slow bike and pedalled through the park and along the river to inspect the bluebells.  They were worth inspecting.

I cycled on down to Skippers Bridge and back on the other side of the river.  I passed a heron with its back to the river….

…and admired the blossom along Elizabeth Street.

When I got home, I found that the visible frog population in the pond had doubled.

After lunch I got out my big lens and focussed on a pair of goldfinches high in the walnut tree.

I am hoping for some decent weather this summer so that I can get some practice in with this lens  (150-500mm). It takes a bit of getting to know. My grip is so wobbly that I probably need to use the image stabiliser function or get used to taking my tripod with me.   It is all a bit of a weight to carry about so I need some good weather to make it worth the trouble as I want to be able to settle down for some time when I have got everything set up right.

Sandy arrived and we went off to the Moorland Feeder Station as we wanted an outing that didn’t involve any exercise.  As an experiment, I left Sandy behind the screen…

You will notice that he has shaved his beard off for the summer.

…while I set up a little stool among the trees and watched the birds on the other side of the glade  with my big lens still on the camera.

A great tit getting well ruffled by the wind.

An unusual woodpecker shot

Although I was sheltered from the wind, Sandy was getting pretty chilly in the open so we didn’t stay too long and headed off to watch harriers from the comfort of his car on the moor.  The hills are definitely beginning to show some green at last.

We saw two hen harriers doing an aerial food pass which was exciting but the birds were too far away for a good photo.  I put this one in just to record the fact that we did see a harrier.

The powers that be have put up a feeding post near one of the nests and when the chicks fledge, they will put food on it and it should be possible to get a good picture of them then.  They think that there are three pairs on the moor this year.

I had to have an early tea because the choir committee had a meeting to consider the arrangements for our forthcoming concerts.  We just managed to finish the meeting before it was time to go to the practice.  The choir are singing a small number of songs, most of which we can sing not too badly so perhaps the concert will go well.  One or two of our efforts need  as much work as we can possibly fit in but the main attraction of the evening is to be a visiting tenor singing a selection of popular tunes and we will shelter beneath his wings.

The flying bird of the day is a greenfinch, quite a rare visitor at the moment.

]]> http://donna8denim.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/is-commercial-real-estate-the-right-choice-for-you/ Wed, 22 May 2013 22:24:41 +0000 donna8denim http://donna8denim.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/is-commercial-real-estate-the-right-choice-for-you/ Let the following advice lead you to more successful commercial real estate ventures.

Whether buying or selling, negotiate. Ensure that your voice is heard, and that you are offering-or receiving-a price that is fair for both parties.

Calm and patience are both sound practices when you are searching for commercial property. Don’t invest in a hurry. You’ll regret it quickly if your lack of research results in a property without much re-sale value. You should be prepared to wait an entire year before a worthy investment becomes available to you.

machinery movers uk info The location of your commercial property is key to its value and its potential suitability for what you have in mind. Think about the type of neighborhood the property is in. Also, consider local growth projections. Since you will likely still own the property in ten years, you want it to be located in an area that is likewise still desirable in ten years.

If your property deal requires inspections (as it should), look at the inspector’s credentials. There are many non-accredited people who work in such fields as insect removal. Staying on top of this will help you avoid issues after the deal is completed.

When interviewing potential brokers, ask them to tell you about their experience level with the type of commercial investments you are interested in. Look for brokers who specialize in commercial real estate. Sign an exclusive agreement once you’ve found a broker you want to work with.

One major part of commercial real estate deals is inspections. When property you are involved in is being inspected, take steps to verify the legitimacy of every inspector. This is true when working with pest or insect removal, since many people who are non-accredited work in these fields. Reviewing credentials will help you prevent major issues after you make the purchase.

Confirm that basic utility services are already situated at the commercial property. The property must have access to electric, water, sewer and maybe gas for it to be a viable commercial real estate purchase.

Have property professionally inspected before you decide to put it up for sale. If they flag issues that need to be fixed, repair them before you list the property for sale.

To initiate a commercial loan, the prospective borrower must first request an appraisal. The bank won’t accept it as valid. Spare yourself further hassle by initiating the request yourself.

Advertise your commercial real estate far and wide. Many sellers mistakenly assume that their property is only interesting to local buyers. Many private investors find it appealing to purchase properties that are affordably priced outside of their direct area.

Always include emergency maintenance on your list of need to know things. One way to develop such a list is to ask current commercial investors who they use in the event of an emergency repair. Have their phone number handy and know how long it will take them to arrive in an emergency. In case a maintenance emergency should happen, you can use the information provided to lay out an emergency business and customer service plan to save your company’s reputation in case your business is interrupted.

This article has a lot of suggestions to utilize when you are investing in commercial real estate.

I spent a majority of those frozen days cursing my cold toes and remarking at the beauty of crisp white landscapes in nearly the same breath. I was conflicted. I have a love – hate (more love than hate) kind of relationship with Winter. Judging from the posts from some of the blogs I follow from those out in the middle of the country, our Spring thaw came far sooner and judging by the sun burn on my chest from a few hours basking on the deck yesterday afternoon, it seems as though we may be on a fast track to Summer. Or maybe not.

How I love you Northeastern weather, your ability to change at the blink of an eye, or rather, at the turn of a breeze.

In love – hate situations I often try to let optimism overrule, canceling out some of the hate, minimizing it to a a mere speck of what once was ungratefulness or ignorance. Another subject that falls victim to this scenario of conflict is that of radishes. I plucked a packet of radish seeds from the display, tucked it into my basket and justified this selection with thoughts of a quick harvest. I would be able to tell early on whether or not my garden was going to produce anything worthy of consumption. I didn’t realize just how quick and mighty these little bulbs of magenta were. There fuzzy leaves were the first to climb up towards the topaz sky of early Spring. And soon, splashes of deep pink and red flashed from under clumps of dirt. The radishes are ready for harvest.

A wave of anxiety came up through the collar of my shirt, I had no idea what to with these marvels except stare, slice and add a whole lot of salt to mask the bitter bite of misconception I was holding on to.

I munched on a small sliver, anticipation bitterness and disappointment. Ready to hand the whole plate over to my radish-loving mother. Instead I savored every bit of home grown goodness (before handing off the plate to someone who looked like I was about to provide them with fine chocolate). And quickly got to thinking about the best way to add these to something elegant.

Enter Radish Quinoa Salad.

Adapted from A Couple Cooks

Serves 2

Ingredients

For Salad

1 bunch radishes, greens removed

3 chives, chopped

2 tsp capers, drained

1 cup cooked quinoa

Handful of baby spinach, sliced into thin strips

2 TBSP toasted walnuts

1 cup white beans, rinsed and drained if canned

For Dressing

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

squeeze of fresh lemon

salt and pepper

Directions

Cook quinoa according to package directions, allow to cool. For quick cooling, spread cooked Quinoa onto a baking dish in an even layer and allow to sit out on the counter for several minutes.

Thinly slice radishes and place them in a medium sized bowl with chives, capers, and spinach. Add ingredients for dressing, toss to coat evenly.

 Mix vegetable mixture with quinoa and beans. Split onto two plates for serving, Sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

Ok, the last six months of 2013 plans.  We had a few hours to fill during our drive home from Boston (yay, minimoon) and started talking long and short term projects.  We found it’s best to be on the same page with projects otherwise you end up with our master bathroom—a room that’s sort of started but not really.

Since it’s a holiday weekend, we figured it’s time to start projecting and we came up with these short term goals (as in the next few weeks)

1. Landscape the front of the house.

We did a good job weeding and cleaning it up a few weeks ago so we didn’t look like those neighbors everyone complains about.  We didn’t want to get too involved since we feared poison ivy on the big day.  The game plan is to plant some annuals, remove the big ugly bush by the front door and mulch.  If possible, remove the rest of the stones from the mailbox.

2. Clean up the side of the house.

We’ve been avoiding this for two years.  This summer we plan to figure out this area a bit better but this weekend’s goals are just to clean it up to see what we are working with.

3. Hem the curtains.

I needed a longer ironing board than my baby one.  Good thing my mom bought a new one because she gave me her old one! Woohoo to hand me downs.  This is a project that should take too long, at most an hour.

4. Install Sam Adams Beer Bottle Opener

Speaks for itself.  Greg already picked out the bottle opener’s new home.

5. Find our counter/table tops.

The house got messy the day before/of/after the wedding and we didn’t have the energy to deal with when we came home from Boston.  This weekend we begin Operation Organization.

I bet you’re asking what is Operation Organization, let me tell you—

Mid Term Projects

1. Operation Organization.

Reorganize our closet, cabinets, and drawers.  What worked for us three years ago when we just shoved items in a drawer isn’t working for us now.  We need to develop a clear plan on action and dedicated homes for our items.  And Greg needs to create new shelves for our hallway closet.

2. Wet Bar

It’s on the summer’s project list, we’re converting the wet bar closet into a functioning closet without a sink.

3. Pavers

Our side yard’s shrubs are edges with railroad ties.  We want to remove the eyesore and replace it with pavers which continue into the backyard edging the mulch around the deck.  We used leftover river rock around the deck and it did the job for one summer but needs to be replaced.

4. Basement Doors

Finally finish painting the basement doors and install doorknobs.

5. Talk to Patio Enclosures

As much as we love our patio, we have a few issue with the windows.  We want to talk to Patio Enclosures to see what our options are.

Long Term Projects

1. Basement Flooring

Last year we replaced all the drainage outside and the sump pump inside the house to see if it reduced any of the water issues we had in 2011.  After one massive hurricane, our basement remained dry.  We now want to reinstall some type of carpet downstairs.

2. Office Fun

We’re debating attempting to install hardwood flooring in this room and then building a massive built in desk for us.  This is a very tentative plan.

3. Master Bathroom

I know we keep saying, “Maybe this year”.  So I’m going to be consistent, maybe this year.

4. Hallway

We want to spruce it up with a coat of paint and hang some lovely prints we purchased.

What are some projects you have planned for yourselves?

Nettles (Urtica dioica) really is a great plant species, and not just for eating. Don’t be put off by online diatribes about nettles being ‘unpalatable, disgusting or only survival food’, or statements such as ‘nettle recipes exist for the sake of eating an ingredient because you can’, etc, etc. The secret is in understanding when to pick them (young, early season tips only) and how to prepare them to really get the best from them.

Also, I don’t buy the argument that they are a hassle to prepare.  They are most certainly less hassle to clean and prepare than some other veg we grow and prize e.g. globe artichokes. OK, an extreme example perhaps, but comparable with spinach, for sure.

Yes, nettles can be invasive in a garden, but if you have space for a patch they grow (too?) unabated, demand no attention and offer up a welcome lush green and nutritious crop during the hungry gap (our’s at least – it is longer than most). Later on, they are fabulous refuges and food for insects (and corncrake refuges here too), make superb nitrogen-rich liquid plant food and can help activate your compost heap. For all these reasons, I love my garden nettle patches. Of course, you don’t need to have them in the garden, there’s plenty to forage from urban wasteland, woods and meadows.

You might think that living where I do that a crop of pristine unpolluted nettles should be easy to forage.  Well, it is true that we have significant nettle patches in the garden but nightly visits from deer, the dogs cheerfully marking their territory (including the nettles) and most recently, a wily sheep in occupation, make most of our nettles effectively unpalatable.

Even if I wanted to run the ‘urine gauntlet’, I’m reluctant to take an early crop of young nettle tops from our biggest patches. On occasional years, corncrakes arriving from their long migration take a welcome break in this early cover in our garden, especially if the irises have yet to get going, as is the case this year.

The rasping call of the males resonates for a few nights before they move on to more productive machair areas to establish breeding territories. I was optimistic that a corncrake may visit and benefit from our nettles as cover, but our very late i.e. non-existent spring means there was no cover to attract the first arrivals this year.  They must have felt very exposed on arrival.

I shouldn’t exaggerate about our non-existent spring.  It did occur on Sunday past after all, which was glorious and confusing all at the same time.  I was fly fishing on Saturday wearing 3 layers of fleece, couldn’t feel my fingers and abandoned the outing.  On Sunday, we were bewildered by the novelty of stunning sunshine, but not just that – warmth and managed  t-shirts all day and a swim (for the dogs anyway, I’m not quite that hardy). Monday, same old, same old northerly wind, rain and low cloud.  Where art though spring?  Or please can we cut to the chase of summer?

Spring wildlife spectacular

Despite the less than ideal conditions, the wildlife is undeterred and the breeding season is in full swing.  Lapwings and redshanks show their irritation as I pass by their breeding territories on my local run.  I know exactly when and where to expect the next irate protective parent to rise from the vegetation to give me an earful as I pass by.

I watch the oystercatchers nesting round the bay having their frequent and noisy altercations with a pair of local ravens.  Gregarious eiders also nest around the bay, the gentle and soothing call of displaying males resonates on (rare) still nights.  Females will soon form crèches with their broods to help protect the vulnerable ducklings from predation.

The spring migration is ongoing and we currently have reasonable numbers of whimbrels on passage north, stopping at the bay at the bottom of the garden on their way to breeding grounds from Greenland across to Central Siberia. Male cuckoos make their presence heard and wheatears dart around the garden, a flash of white on the rump making them stand out against the grassy backdrop.

We have had spectacular views of a pair of hen harriers and short-eared owls hunting daily across the garden, often flying within a couple of metres of my office window.  This is very distracting while I am working!  Many parts of our garden have remained largely ungrazed for years and the sward is longer than the surrounding common grazing vegetation, so we have a genuine vole hotspot that is proving very fruitful for the local short-eared owls.

I have seen them hunt successfully on a number of occasions, once taking a short-tailed field vole literally from under the kitchen window.  I never tire of watching their graceful billowing flight.  One owl has regularly taken to saving energy by scanning the grass in the garden while perching on a favoured fence post.

Another rare and spectacular wildlife watching experience happened this week.  For the first time since we have lived in this house, we had a visit from an otter in the bay at the bottom of the garden.  It is not at all rare to spot otters here and we have had many very close encounters, but our bay is unlikely to form the core part of an otter territory due to the large component of the day when the tide is some distance out of the bay.

However, this young otter appeared to be exploring the area with a view to establishing a territory.  It ran up and down the grassy slopes at the bottom of the garden, methodically exploring overhanging rocks some distance from the shore, before returning periodically to play and feed in the seaweed on the rising tide. It was delightful and a privilege to have such prolonged views of this secretive mammal from our window.

Nettles: weeding and feeding

My pristine young nettle tops were picked from my raspberry beds where no marauding beasts have access.  This served to let the new rasp shoots have more space and light to grow. I find this to be the only downside to applying old manure (pig in our case) to permanent beds – weed seeds proliferate.  The nettles are small beer though – I’ve got my hands full with the chickweed later in the season.

I have a pretty extreme reaction to nettle stings, so I harvest using heavy-duty rubber gloves – gardening gloves are not robust enough and I learned my lesson the hard way when I was stung through them.

Although sensitivity to stinging nettles does vary between individuals, my sensitivity has very much increased as I have got older.  I remember, like most children, running through nettle patches and coming out with the familiar white blotches and associated red rash, but it never really hurt as much as just irritated slightly. I would just grab a dock leaf (Rumex spp.), rub it vigorously over the affected area, usually my knees, until my skin turned green from the dock and then continue on my merry way.

Now, even the slightest brush against the youngest stem covered in the small silky irritant hairs, which contain histamine, serotonin and formic acid among other things, is to be avoided. These hairs generate the familiar rash but this is coupled with considerable pain.  Although the rash looks the same, the pain stays and I can feel the effects for up to 2 weeks after being stung and the area of skin remains tingly and sensitive, which is a bit disconcerting. I wonder how common increased sensitivity is with age and expect it isn’t unusual, just unpleasant!

Preparing your nettles

I wanted to incorporate the nettles into pasta.  The best way to deal with them for this is to blanch the young tips, plunge them into boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes, then refresh in ice cold water to retain the vibrant colour.  The stings are now gone and the nettles can be handled.

All stems should be removed and the leaves squeezed lightly before blitzing in a food processor to a fine texture.  The nettles then need to be squeezed hard to remove as much moisture as possible as this will impact on the texture of the pasta.

Nettle pappardelle

I wanted to make a rustic hearty pasta to accompany the pork and thought pappardelle would be a fitting choice for the nettle and to complement the gutsy flavour of the pork scaloppine. I have used the same pasta recipe for about 20 years as it has never let me down.  It is from Nick Nairn’s first book ‘Wild Harvest’. The standard recipe calls for 150g of flour (plain, but I use ’00′).  For this recipe I used 180g to offset the additional moisture the nettle brings to the mix.  I got away with it.  Just.

Ingredients

180g flour, ’00′ or plain

1 whole egg, medium

1 egg yolk, medium

80g of fresh young nettle tips, rinsed, blanched and refreshed, trimmed and blitzed

Method

• Combine the flour, eggs, blitzed and squeezed nettles together in a food processor for 2 – 3 minutes. The mix should resemble fine breadcrumbs, not be gooey.  Add a bit more flour if it is.
• Tip out the dough and knead briskly for 1 minute.  Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for an hour.
• Cut the dough into 2 pieces, flatten each with a rolling pin to 5 mm thick then roll and refold the dough 7 times until you have rectangles about 8 x 18 cm.  This is important to work the gluten to get a shiny dough and gives the correct al dente texture after cooking.
• Using a pasta machine, set the rollers at the widest setting, pass through the dough and repeat, reducing the roller setting with each pass until the penultimate setting.  Pass through at this setting again and hang up to dry for at least 5 minutes.
• Lay the pasta sheet out on a lightly floured surface and roll before slicing about 2 cm wide to produce rustic pappardelle ribbons. Hang them up again until you are ready to use them.
• To cook, place in salted boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.  Check the texture as you cook.

Pork scaloppine with prosciutto, capers and balsamic vinegar - a fitting accompaniment

Ever since I got a hold of our local Old Spot pork, one particular recipe has been pouting at me and I knew it would work very well with this nettle pasta.  I saw this recipe on the The Garum Factory blog pages.  The pork is sumptuously blanketed in prosciutto with pungent sage delicately folded within which also shines enticingly through the prosciutto. The sauce is perfect with the pork – and the nettle pappardelle.

Jody and Ken are not just accomplished chefs, but Ken is also a superb photographer.  His images capture the essence of this recipe and my photos would simply not hold up to their exquisite gallery of images that accompany the recipe. I do not reproduce the recipe, but it can be found here.  Thank you Jody and Ken.  It was really delicious!

My pork scaloppine and nettle pappardelle

When planning a major home renovation project, hire a professional architect or designer to create your plans. If you or a member of your family do not have professional training in this area, the plans you come up with may not be sound. Professionals are well qualified to create successful plans and to adhere to local building codes as well.

rainscreen cladding Light-colored roofing is a great investment. This lighter color helps reflect light, making your attic and the rest of your home cooler. It is possible to realize great savings on your energy bills in this way.

Add an unusual addition to your home to give it character. A wine cellar or a library brimming with shelves are wonderful spaces in any home. Future home buyers and guests will be impressed by your improvements.

Vinyl flooring is an affordable alternative to more expensive materials like stone or ceramic. Vinyl is durable, strong, and water resistant, and comes with an adhesive backing that makes installation a breeze. Vinyl flooring comes in sheets for large-scale flooring projects, and it’s also available in individual tiles for smaller jobs.

If you might be planning a home improvement project at some point in the future, start collecting ideas now. If you continuously hunt for home improvement ideas, you will have a wealth of interesting projects in mind once you are ready to start working. Do not concentrate on finding the right colors for your room, it just stresses you out!

Think about getting a pergola if you feel like your home is boring. This beautiful addition to gardens has become very popular with homeowners for its elegant, natural appearance and the shaded charm it brings. With just a little help, a pergola can be installed in a weekend.

If you’re looking for decor, solar lights are a good option. If strong lighting is what you require for a pathway, you probably need electric lights. They do cost more, but work better and for longer.

To quickly enhance your overall landscaping, look to plant mature plants instead of seedlings. Flowers that are matured will give an instant beautiful look, and they also will fill in any spaces. Seedlings are fragile and take time to mature, meaning it could be months before you see any benefit. Fully mature plants and flowers create the impression of an attractive, yet low-maintenance home.

When improving your home, you can personalize but you don’t want to differ too much from neighboring properties. For example, it is undesirable to have odd additions such as a widow’s walk on your home unless this is typical of your neighborhood. Outlandish things like that can make it tough for you when you wish to sell the house.

Take the information gleaned from the above article and apply it to your future home improvement projects. Keep your home up and take good care of it. It is an asset that benefits not only you, but also your descendants.

Wild strawberry in my yard

So inspired by the wonderful TED Talk of Rob Finley, I decided that even though it’s probably a little late I will conquer the weeds and restart my garden.  My garden used to be a fairly pretty and successful thing.  But then year’s of garden misfires and stress elsewhere I kind of let it go.  Always I said, I’ll work on it the next day, week, month… but that time never came.  And then like with most neglected things you are so embarrassed  so overwhelmed with the enormity of fixing it that you just put it out of your mind.  It was easy with my garden.  It’s nearly impossible to see from our kitchen window and there was never a reason to go into the back yard.

The beds with frames removed.

Finally I confronted my folly and it was ugly.  Not only was the garden severely overgrown but the monkey grass behind it was taking over, growing to a height that had easily passed the fence behind it. I felt hopeless, there was nothing I could do to fix this mess.  However, I would promise myself every week that I would do something about it, even though I clearly had no idea even where I would start.

Frames and dismantled pipe trellis

What was a big help besides Mr. Finley’s great talk was that my housemate and a friend tackled the Monkey Grass issue.  It took  three weeks of yard waste recycling (95 gallon cart) to get rid of all the cut leaves.  The next part was removing the raised bed frames to more easily dig out the weeds and old plants from the bed.  Now I am in no way, shape, or form in top physical form, I would barely agree to good physical form.  However, when I want to get something done I’m stubborn as hell.  So I work until I can’t catch my breath and my back pain is at about a 7 or 8 then I take a break.  It took a couple of tries but I got all the frames up and away from the beds.

The first two beds weeded

Today I started the weeding process.  It’s slow going because all I’m using is a shovel.  A rototiller probably would have helped but I’m afraid of  most power tools.  I can use a drill and that’s about it.  So it’s slow going but it got done.  Well two beds at least.  Hopefully the other two beds finished tomorrow, then frames back down, buy dirt and then FINALLY plant some s#*%.

On a slightly related note, this year seems to be good for wild strawberries.  I wonder if I should attempt the more cultivated variety.

Jump To (works on YouTube only):
0:20 – Cinder Block Garden
3:12 – Squash, Cucumber, & Beans
3:36 – Lettuce, Broccoli
4:03 – 100% Free Organic Compost side-by-side comparison
4:45 – Vertical Tomato Plants
5:17 – Rooting a tomato sucker on the plant
6:14 – Hot Pepper – Need HELP w/Them!
6:35 – Bugs eating my Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage…ideas??

I’m really needing advice on my Peppers as they’re not doing very well in general….they seem sluggish, slightly wilted, and yellow’ish leaves. Anybody with ideas, please comment below as I’m looking for fixes.

Also, I haven’t caught any bugs in the act of eating the Cabbage and Brussel Sprout leaves but I’d be open to some easy fix ideas in that area as well.

MHP Gardener – http://www.youtube.com/user/mhpgardener
LDS Prepper – http://www.youtube.com/user/LDSPrepper

More to come soon!

God Bless.

This morning I pulled the first of our French Breakfast radishes and ate them for . . . breakfast!  All the seeds I tucked into the soil last month are becoming recognizable as their correlating vegetable plants.  Simply amazing!  Carrots, kale, shallots, radishes, lettuce and snap peas are following the instructions God imprinted into their previous generations: grow and prosper!  I think I love the peas the most.  One of my favorite summer pasttimes is standing in the evening garden grazing on peas ’til I’m full–the best kind of feast!

We also have an artichoke plant that is looking prehistorically large, with its long spiny fronds and beautiful, green-petaled fruit.  There are nine artichokes on that one plant!

I have planted two boxes of potatoes, and have yet to plant squash, lemon cucumbers and  tiny Sungold tomatoes.  Rick is enlarging the garden by three boxes this year, and we’ll have no trouble filling those boxes as fast he finishes them.  I know it’s been said many times and in many ways, but there truly is something so magical, so fulfilling and grace-laden, about growing some of our own food.  If you haven’t tried it, I strongly encourage you to do so.  I’m confident you’ll agree with me that there are multiple benefits to the investment of time in a garden.

Sunscreen

There is no sun on the garden today; it’s rather overcast with an occasional drizzle. However, we know the summer sunshine is just around the corner, and to be ready, River Bar Soaps has formulated a sunscreen bar which we hope will be a welcome addition to our product line.  This formulation consists of oils, butters and zinc oxide, and it will not have those artificial chemicals that are difficult to pronounce! I will be pouring our first batch today and am excited to offer this new product for the summer season.  Other products we’re working on are a natural insect repellant and poison oak soap.  Stay tuned for these products in the coming weeks.

What an incredible surprise! Rosella jam in a few years people! For now, it’ll be a red fruity star in the bottom of my champagne!! xo

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.

So far, we’re making water balloons.

We’re gardening, from seed. This is a dicey undertaking. At this early juncture, some of the seedling have given up the ghost. But we’re hopeful. Our seeds came from Broomfield, CO-based Botanical Interests. Come on, babies, you can make it!

Wherever we go, whatever we do, we’ll keep on adventuring and exploring. And we’ll wear lots of sunscreen. May your summer-to-be be awesome.

The 4 plots I worked on

There were four plots of land that needed to be reworked. All but one had been used for gardening last year. The one exception had a lot more grass that was more deeply rooted – it proved very difficult to remove. Grass is seriously a force to be reckoned with – don’t let it get out of control! (It wasn’t until I began writing this blog post that I remembered I had already learned this lesson a few years ago when I was living in a house that had been uninhabited for a year or more and I had to de-weed the front and back yards. I definitely blocked those few days out of my memory!)

La grelinette on the really overgrown section

Anyways, with my trusty grelinette (brand name of the tool shown in these pics) and weed-wacker, I conquered most of the grass in these areas. Once everything was passed over with the grelinette, then I went back over each section and used a hoe (ha!) to render the earth finer. It was important that very few clumps of grass and roots were left behind to avoid any maivaises herbes popping up as things start growing and to make it easier for whoever will be using the grelinette next year!

Me using la grelinette

At first, I was very careful to wear gloves while working. When mixing up this earth that had been covered and rained on for several months, I encountered some yucky things – tons of worms, anthills, rotting plants, as well as some stray horseradish roots which went into the pantry. I didn’t want to touch any of it because I can be kind of squeamish. By the end, I was sitting in the dirt wearing shorts, using my bare hands to remove the plain dirt from the old grass. Sometimes, I’d pick up a worm or two. Just the week before, I would have freaked out and screamed, but by the end of my week on the farm I just tossed it aside. I think my initial squeamishness was just a question of not being familiar with the work. As soon as I had a little experience under my belt, I was no longer afraid. If only people in the world could undergo the same transformations regarding more serious topics than worms…

1st pass almost done

Gundula doing 2nd pass – you can see the difference between the darker dirt in front and the lighter dirt behind in which the clumps are still too thick

After all the earth had been worked (sometimes a third pass with the hoe was necessary to make sure the dirt was fine enough), I sprinkled compost all over the plots with a pitchfork (and sometimes my hands!). Then the fun part began. Gundula and Louise consulted last year’s garden map to ensure that the new plants wouldn’t be planted in a section where they had been planted last year. They sketched out the garden and we measured out some rows for the broccoli and leeks. Early in the week, we went to a local farmer’s market to pick up seedlings they had ordered from a local gardener a few months ago.

Compost sprinkled on top

Dirty hands – don’t care! Who am I?

The rest was easy: we dug holes for each seedling, sprinkled compost in each one, mixed it in with the dirt, and placed each seedling inside. After a little water for each plant, that was it! I was so happy to see the little tomato, lettuce, broccoli, and leek plants.

Tomatoes!

Broccoli and leeks with anti-hen fence erected

Working in the garden was so pleasant and gratifying. Some days it was a little rainy, but most days it was sunny and warm. The peaceful countryside was exactly the right antidote to the grating cacophony of the city – birds chirping, goats and cows bleating and mooing, the rooster crowing randomly, and one single car driving down our dead-end street, causing me to look up because I was noticing ONE vehicle (!!!), were all I heard.

The grelinette/hoe action was very meditative and difficult physically. I loved sweating and “earning” my big lunches and goûters with this work. Sometimes Gundula and Louise would join me, and we’d hang out and talk or just work together in silence. The hens and le coq would always come to eat the worms, and the dogs and cats would come to watch the action or sunbathe. My very favorite part of working in the garden was that without fail, within five minutes of beginning work, Lunette the cat would come find me and stay with me the whole time. She would rub my leg or the tools I was using – one time when I was squatting to dig a hole, she even climbed on my back and got comfy!

Lunette <3

As I was working, I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe farming used to all be done by hand!” This is just one tiny organic garden and I know that most produce being grown these days has a lot more machine help. But, I am glad I got to see how it feels to tend a garden by hand. It makes me appreciate food even more when I see how much hard work goes into creating it. It was also really exciting to see compost being put to use – I would put things in the green bin in the kitchen, empty that bin onto the compost heap outside, and right next to where I emptied it is where I would get wheelbarrows full of decomposed compost (redundant, but you get what I’m saying right?) to sprinkle on the garden. The circle of [plant] life!

Stay tuned for more posts about goats, cheese-making, and some visits to nearby towns!

One of the most fun things about my house, is discovering the things that are coming up in the garden. This is my first spring here, so there are a number of surprises. One of my favorite things thus far, has been the two huge rhubarb plants in the back yard. I have no idea how old they are, and if they have a story (I’m sure they do, but it isn’t mine) and I’ve spent the last few weeks, harvesting, and prepping the rhubarb for some delicious thing. It isn’t the “best” rhubarb in the world, the stalks are a little gangly and woody, and they are mostly green-ish, but I still managed to get quite a harvest, and have put quite a bit in the freezer for future jams, bread, and pies.

Yesterday I was feeling like I needed a domestic project though, and so I wandered out to the garden to see if there was anything interesting to harvest. I ended up picking a handful of rhubarb, and immediately came inside to start on a simple syrup. I wanted to create something fresh, and herbal, and decided that rosemary would pair wonderfully with the tartness of the rhubarb. I tend to lean away from using rosemary in conventional ways, because the flavor can be really overpowering, and generally speaking I think it gets overused… but give me a rosemary pairing that is a little outside of the box, and I’m all over it (rosemary thyme sugar cookies are my favorite things on the planet). Rhubarb rosemary gin and tonic anyone?

My  favorite part (or one of my favorite parts)  of my new job is playing bar tender, and coming up with new and unusual cocktails that have a fresh market flair to them. The lemon-basil vodka tonics have been a smashing success, and have a permanent home on the menu, and the Cucumber rosemary gin and tonics have had great reviews as well… Now if only the summer weather would stick around. Hello Oregon, we are ready for the refreshing cocktails!

As I simmered the rhubarb with sugar, water, rosemary and lemon I started to scheme all the tasty things I could do with the concoction. My immediate thought was of course the gin and tonic (because it sounds delicious, right?) but there was also a bottle of Prosecco in my fridge staring me down, and what better to pair with a bit of bubbles than a wonderfully pink and herbaceous syrup? (I’m actually drinking this right now, hello-wine Wednesday! its fabulous. I don’t usually drink in the middle of the day, but I had to take some photos for this post, and when in Rome/ when it is your weekend you drink the rhubarb rosemary bubbles for lunch).

For those of you who have not cooked with rhubarb, it disintegrates into a stringy mush of swamp water fairly quickly. Don’t let this deter you… the end product is totally worth it. Once the syrup was fully infused with the rhubarb and rosemary flavor, I strained off solids, and the result was a beautiful pale pink liquid. No more swamp water, hello cocktail possibilities. (plus the rhubarb mush is totally delicious, and I would highly recommend eating it by the spoonful, spreading it on toast, or putting it in a crepe.)

I’m totally obsessed with the blush color of the syrup, something about it just makes me feel very lady like… perfect for brunches, bridal showers, or just a Wednesday afternoon. The party-thrower/ hostess in me wanted to add a little more flair to the cocktails, so I froze some rosemary in my ice cubes. It is so simple, and presents amazingly, and can be done with any herb or edible flower. I love adding mint or lavender to ice cubes for lemonade, and borage blossoms and rose petals make a beautiful addition to any punch.

Rhubarb Rosemary Simple Syrup:
Equal parts sugar and water (I used 2 cups of each)
roughly two cups of diced rhubarb
juice from 1/2 a lemon
4-5 small sprigs of rosemary.

Combine water, sugar, rosemary, rhubarb and lemon juice in a sauce pan. Slowly bring to a boil, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain out solids and save for some delicious snack.

I’d love to see what other delicious ideas people have for this syrup, and highly encourage you to share them here!

Rhubarb Rosemary Gin and tonic:

2 oz gin (I used Ransom gin, my absolute favorite)
1 oz rhubarb rosemary simple syrup
tonic water to taste
garnish with lime wedge & sprig of rosemary.

Rhubarb Rosemary Prosecco Sparkler
1-2 oz of rhubarb rosemary simple syrup (or to taste)
top off with prosecco & a rosemary garnish.

Blame it on the lethargy of our on again-off again spring, but things have been kind of quiet here from Hardacre Community Garden on the blog post and social media front. That’s not to say, however, that there hasn’t been a lot going on.

Perhaps the biggest news of the 2013 season thus far is that Mike Boyle was recently awarded the United Way of East Central Iowa Volunteer of the Year honor. Mike has been an integral component and driving force behind Hardacre Community Garden from the projects inception, and is actively involved in many other local causes. With this award, Mike will receive a $500 prize to donate to the charity of his choice, and he has graciously decided to put that money toward continued efforts with the garden and collaborating with local high school classes to combat food insecurity in our community.

We couldn’t be prouder of Mike for earning this prestigious honor (and must agree it’s very much deserved) and wish to thank all of you who participated in the voting.

Of course as this all came to pass our 2013 season, though a bit delayed by the weather, slowly but surely got underway. This will be the gardens fifth summer in existence, and this year we will work to maintain plots at both the historic Hardacre property on the west edge of Tipton, and at the Cedar County Historical Society museum just northeast of town. Our goal will again be to better the impressive marks we’ve established in years before. It will be quite a challenge to match the record 14,000 pounds of produce that we helped to distribute in Tipton and neighboring communities last year, but we’re eager to prove that we are once again up to the task.

Here are a few photos of our early season progress in the garden. Once again this year we will post images on this blog and on our Facebook page to share with our friends near and far.

If you would like to get involved this year, feel free to leave a message in the comments section below, or email us at hardacregarden@gmail.com