Better Late Than Never!

It seems like there's been one setback after another regarding the garden this year! The weather, the disc we bought didn't work well, Brian had to go out of town, and newborn goats the week of planting etc. So, I decided to fit what I can in where there is exposed soil around the grounds!

First, I had some herbs I needed to put out, so I planted the basil and rosemary in the kitchen garden in the side yard. I also had a little room in the back to place a cherry tomato and a cayenne pepper plant. It's not much to look at (needs a good perimeter weed whacking...), but I'm already harvesting oregano, sage and thyme! I let dill, cilantro and parsley go to seed every season, got some of those coming up too!

I have said before that we lack quite a bit in landscaping, and currently only have a few daylilies growing in the front bed, so I intend to go ahead and put a few tomatoes, peppers, bush beans and cukes in there this year. I have a trellis that'll work great for the cukes. Perhaps I'll throw in some sunflowers, too. I started working on it this morning, but as you can see below, it'll be a few days worth of work assuming the weather cooperates. I pulled weeds til it got to 82°, then gave up!

In other news, little goaties will be 3 weeks old on Sunday! They're growing well, and are very curious and friendly. We've been calling Samson "Junior", he's a lot like Deenis- always right there into everything LOL

Rusty the Accidental Roo and Specker got into it a few days ago. Specker is in the clink for a few days to see if perhaps we can encourage a change in the pecking order. Quite honestly, it seems the chickens on the whole are all  getting along better since we moved Speck... We shall see...

Well, I'm just sweating it out under the shade tree out back here with my phone and bluetooth keyboard, hope everyone is   their day!

Seeds Arrived! Hurry, Spring!

Just last Friday eve I entered my Baker Creek, and they were already in my mailbox this afternoon! We've ordered from them for about 5 years or so now. The order is always received quickly! There is a full list of what all we ordered here, but I am especially excited about a few varieties in particular. I'll link to the order page for each if you're interested:

First, I FINALLY got around to ordering Mexican Sour Gherkins Cucumber. Pickled veggies are a staple in my every day diet, and I have been very curious as to how these might taste when pickled in Dad's Dilly Bean brine.

We have never really had good luck with large carrots, so we thought perhaps some of the smaller rooted varieties might be something worth trying instead. I wanted Parisienne, a sort of radish sized and shaped variety, and Brian was eyeing the narrower Little Finger, so we went with both! We were also given a second packet of Parisienne as our free gift! Can never have too many carrots.

Then, there are the grains, Golden Giant Amaranth and White Sonora Wheat. I am not sure exactly how they will fare in Zone 6a here, but I thought it was worth a shot. I'm really interested in grinding flour and making breads and tortillas.

Brian insisted we order the world's hottest pepper, the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper. An old classmate of mine commented that they are "ridiculously hot". In the past we've grown Habaneros, which are great in chili when used sparingly. I guess, we'll have to see!

I had mentioned maybe a week ago that I'd like to expand my herb garden and begin market selling at some point. Baker Creek has many herb seeds to choose from, although they don't specialize in them. I ordered 9 different varieties to add this year! At some point, I may put in an order to Richter's Herbs, who specialize in herb seeds and plants as well. I have a little research to do regarding the planting conditions of a few of them yet.

I was honestly in a pretty grumpy, cabin feverish mood this afternoon, but as soon as I saw that envelope in my mailbox, it was all good LOL Are you planting anything new this year? Have any advice concerning these I mentioned? Comment below!

You may order a FREE Baker Creek Seed catalog HERE.

HERBAL MEDICINE: Tinctures

Perhaps the most prevalent method of making herbal extracts for ingestion are simple, yet highly effective, tinctures.

Thyme/White Vinegar Tincture

Tinctures can be made using either vinegar or alcohol. Alcohol is generally accepted as the better, more potent choice for medicinal purposes. However, the vinegars are very versatile and can be used for culinary purposes as well. If you plan on primarily using your tinctures to treat small children medicinally, use vinegar.

MATERIALS:

Clean Glass Jar

Plant Material

Solvent*

Cheesecloth

Small Glass Bottle

*Choose One: Vodka, Brandy, White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

PROCEDURE: 

Stuff plant material into a clean glass jar. Pour chosen solvent into jar, enough to cover your plant material by an inch or two. Place the jar in a sunny window for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the plant material out of the solvent with cheesecloth and store your tincture in a small (preferably dark colored) glass bottle in a dark, dry, cool place.

HARVEST: Air Drying Herbs

You can easily dry your herbs using materials found around your home. I recommend this method of drying for large batches, especially for woody stemmed plants. 

I have found that it's much easier to process large batches of herbs by air drying than by dehydrating, especially woody stemmed plants with small leaves like Thyme. Be advised though, air drying can take several weeks as opposed to a day in the dehydrator.

MATERIALS:

Coat Hanger

String (Thread/Yarn/Twine, etc)

Fresh Herbs, washed and dried

PROCEDURE:

Gather herbs together in small bunches  by the stems and tie together with string, leaving ends 5-6" long. Tie ends of string to the coat hanger, letting the bunches dangle freely. Hang the coathanger in a dry, ventilated place away from direct sunlight. Allow herbs to hang until leaves are completely dry and crumble easily. Strip leaves from stems and store whole in a glass jar in a cool, dark, dry place. They store well for at least a year, after which they will begin to lose some potency.

When you need to refill your pantry shaker, pour your dried herbs into a small blender or mortar/pestle and grind as needed.

HERBAL MEDICINE: Herb Infused Oils

Making your own infused oils is incredibly simple,  and can save you money!

Herb infused oils are extremely versatile. They can be used medicinally internally, as well as in herbal soaps and lotions. They are also great paired with vinegar for dressing salads!

MATERIALS:

Plant Material

Olive or Coconut Oil

Clean Glass Jar With Lid

Small Pan of Boiling Water

Cheesecloth

Dark Colored Glass Vial/Bottle

PROCEDURE:

Pack a clean glass jar with plant material. You can use leaves that have been chewed on by insects and young stems that you may not want to dehydrate, too. Pour enough olive or coconut oil over the plant material to just cover it and close jar. Put the jar in the pan of water for about 10 minutes. Remove jar from water and place in a sunny window for two weeks, shaking the jar nightly. After two weeks, strain the plant material out of the oil using cheesecloth, and store your oil in a (preferably dark colored) glass bottle in a cool, dark place.