.....just a journal of mostly photos of my gardening adventures... minus the backlog of over 1000 photos not yet uploaded! Also, I find myself collecting some recipes and just good ideas so this is the perfect place to put them. More pictures are on Pinterest at pinterest.com/laurelWisconsin.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Lettuce in rain gutters
Hmmm…. I think the first one that the water can drain from the top on all the way down is a good idea. Another idea I thought of was to take a fence panel and attach it to the house on the deck. Then make a pull up blind of sorts with plastic to lower when it needs to be covered and it will act as a temporary greenhouse.






I’m starting to like the idea of hanging them like the second on the right. It would involve plant hangers and potentially be more creative than permanently attaching them…. and if it didn’t work.. I could hang flowers on the hangers.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Indoor Seed Starting
Equipment Supplies Order & Unboxing from Greenhouse
Published on Dec 18, 2012 by Brandon Marshall
Here you will see the setup of supplies to start our seeds this year.Serious Gardener and Chef found this company online that seemed to have very reasonable prices. We ordered the following..
* Seed Propagation Heat Mat
* Agrosun Florescent Lamp 48"
* Agrosun 48" Light Tube 2450 Lumens, 40 watt each
* Standard 1020 Trays w/ no holes
* 2" Vented Humidity Dome for 1020 Trays
* 7 " Vented Humidity Dome for 1020 Trays
* Traditional Inserts #2401, 4 open packs per insert (10 pack)
Here is our seed order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIEOdJDcVUY
See the construction of our Raised Vegetable Gardens Bed here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRhEpOb0Al0
http://www.thelifeandtimesofthemarshalls.com/2012/12/planning-starting-of-our-spring.html
How to Start Vegetable Seeds Indoors
in Winter for Spring Planting!
Published on Dec 22, 2012 by Brandon Marshall
Serious Gardener and Chef show you how to start your own seeds at home allowing you to grow a greater diversity of vegetables! Start with the right pots, soil, and seeds and then follow Chef Brandon's detailed steps to grow healthy, successful seedlings indoors for the next Spring to transplant in your garden. The setup that we have includes using a Seed Heat Mat, Garden trays, Inserts, & Domes and 48" Grow Light. Once finished we will have 96 vegetables to transplant in our Spring Vegetable Garden!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
It’s December 16th….
……and I’m working outside! I need to put blocks along the back of the raised bed and
I thought maybe dividing it in parts would be a good thing….
In case I forget what it was like I included a picture of it with all the tomatoes last year….
and a picture of how I want it eventually!
Egg Cartons
I’m saving egg cartons and getting these silverware containers at thrift shops for no more than $1.00!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Winter Squash
Very nutritious -Mostly carbs, with some protein, they are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a VERY good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese. They also contain some Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
Stores REALLY well - Winter squashes have a hard rind on them that really helps them keep their shelf quality. Some actually improve in flavor after curing and storing. The Banana types and the Hubbards are huge and can feed quite a crowd from a single squash. Most will tolerate chunks being cut out of them over a few days without any noticeable loss in flavor or taste.
- Table Queen (acorn type) 1 to 2 months
- Butternut 2 to 3 months
- Hubbard types 3 to 6 months
- Banana 3 to 6 months
- Buttercup (turban type) 3 to 6 months
- Sweet Meat 4 to 6 months
Easy to grow - because of how fast they sprout and how quickly the long vines grow. You do need some room for them to roam though.
Easy to harvest – Harvest all types of squash and pumpkin before frost begins. Squash are ready for harvest when the rind is hard enough to resist fingernail scratches. Cut the stem 2 to 4 inches from the fruit. Pumpkins without stems do not store well. Hubbard-type squash stores best with the stems completely removed. Handle fruit carefully to keep them in good condition.
Cure for best storage. Nearly all mature squash, except acorn types, will benefit from a short period of curing. Curing is holding squash and pumpkin at a temperature favorable for healing cuts and scratches and for forming a protective corky layer over injuries and cut surfaces of the stem. Cure squash and pumpkin for 10 days at temperatures of 80 to 85°F.
Storing your bounty – Squash and pumpkin deteriorate rapidly if stored at temperatures below 50°F. The best storage temperature is between 50 and 55°F. Fruit that has been exposed to freezing before harvest also will deteriorate rapidly.
TASTE DELICIOUS?! Roasted, pureed and in soups!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Still green!
Seeds for 2013…. maybe….
From Botanical Interests
Squash Winter Lakota Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Melon Muskmelon/Cantaloupe Minnesota Midget Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Eggplant Black Beauty Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Kale Red Winter Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Lettuce Leaf Red Velvet Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Pepper Sweet California Wonder Orange Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Pepper Sweet California Wonder Organic HEIRLOOM Seed
Pumpkin Sugar Pie Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Squash Summer Black Beauty Zucchini Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Squash Winter Vegetable Spaghetti HEIRLOOM Seeds
Tomatillo Toma Verde HEIRLOOM Seeds
Tomato Pole Beefsteak Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Watermelon Sugar Baby Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Bowling ball art!
Cool stuff… you can see how far we’ve gotten with this…
We found our bowling ball in the yard and put it on a hanging basket hanging upside down.
So many possibilities, so little time!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Blueberries
So I had to protect them from dogs and people walking over them but the tomato cages clearly weren’t bright enough since I almost fell over one while walking through the yard. So… what else… green fencing with leftover green Christmas greenery… remember it going to snow!!!





