garden news

Our garden is going very good this year. We have not planted our own garden though but are sharing my brothers. So its smaller and less for me to keep up with. I knew with having a baby early tis spring ( Feb. 4th) that I would not want a big garden to take care of. I knew I would be extra busy with the new baby and school!

I just picked our first yellow squash today! I love yellow squash, either boiled or fryed,its yummy! We are eating fresh cucmbers, cabbage, brocile, swish chard,califlower, and carrots now too. I noticed today that the green beans are blooming now, so before we know it we will have fresh green beans as well.

Also just a few days ago the boys and I harvested the onions and garlic. Both did very well. I have spread both out on a covered porch to dry better and then will hang them up. The onions don't keep to well for very long, but I just have enough that I will use up soon. For the garlic it keeps farily well till fall time, in which at that time I plant some for the next year . This last winter my Dad peeled the rest of the garlic that we hadn't planted or used up yet at that time and put them in a zip-lock bag to freeze. It sure is handy. I just grab out what I need for what I am cooking and its already to use! And of course they kept for much longer than they would have other wise. I will defiently do that again with my garlic this coming winter.

The potatoes should also be ready soon too. Always so glad to have fresh new potatoes. So yummy!!

For my readers out side of Texas you will notice that we harvest here so much ealier than other places, epesially my home place of Alberta, Canada. Thats because we plant so much ealier. We usually plant our early things like greens, onions, and cabbage in late Janaury, and the potatoes, beets ,carrots, and other such things about the middle of Febuary. Our last chanch for frost here is usully about Easter time. This year we were alittle later with the potatoes because of the weather.. We had snow here on Feb. 11th! About 7 in. We have not had a snow here like that in several years. It was so nice!! The kids had a blast , and I got lots of snow pictures!! But the snow only lasted parts of 2 days.

Most of my canning starts the middle of June and I am usually all done by middle of July, with tomatoes and making picles the last things going. I cann and freeze alot of vegtables. Its alot of work at th time, but so handy to have after its all done!!!

We could plant a fall garden ( cool weather vegtables) but I am always so happy to have the garden over for the summmer that I am not eager to plant any thing eles till the next spring. And besides I start the kids school by end of July or early August so I really do not have time for any more garden work. I start thier school early so as to finesh up early in the spring when I start to get busy in the garden. Though this year I still have one son still doing school.