Monday, July 1, 2013

Yippee Harvest, Storm, Wreath & Drying Herbs


Yippee! I am starting to get a little more produce from the garden.  Lettuce and radishes for one day!


We had a bad storm pass through.  I have two blackberry bushes planted behind our house and the wind took them down.  I am happy to say we propped them back up and most of the branches will be okay!  I guess you are suppose to trellis the blackberry bushes but I never do anything right so mine were just shaped into bushes.  They are loaded with blossoms and fruit though!


Another day I picked Sugar Daddy Peas, Lettuce and one Mustard. I think the Sugar Daddy Peas are done now but I froze quite a few for this winter.


It is cooler today but we have had some hot, humid weather!  It looks like Coco is trying to tell me, "Whew! It is so hot working outdoors!"


More radishes, lettuce and a pak choi.  I forgot about these radishes planted among something else so was happy to find them!


More Shelling Peas, a couple green onions and I found two more strawberries!  


Oh, no!!! Where will I put all this in my freezer!!  We bit the bullet and bought a quarter of beef.  Happy to say it did fit in the freezer!  We have never done this before.


And more lettuce!!  Love my salads!


And more shelling peas! This was the last of them.  I pulled them out for the compost pile and got some of that area weeded.  It was b-a-d!!!!!!


Melissa redid this wreath for my front door!  Isn't it pretty and cheery!  I have to have a thin one as it will get squashed by the screen/storm door so this one works well.


I have been drying things for the winter.  This is dried Oregano, Lovage, Raspberry leaves and Lemon Balm.


This is my bed of cabbage.  It is doing well so far.  Keeping my fingers crossed!!!


I pulled one out yesterday and three little carrots to make cole slaw!   I figured with 12 heads of cabbage I may as well start using them!!


I have two elderberry bushes and I cut some yesterday to dry.  I wasn't sure at what stage I am suppose to harvest them so hope this was the right time!   One of the bloggers, emilysincerely,  makes an elderberry tea using dried elderberry flowers and dried peppermint to drink during the winter to help her stay healthy.  Since I had bronchitis a couple times last winter I think I will try that this year only using my spearmint with the elderberry blossoms!


I have been cutting small bunches of lavender and hanging it up to dry. I wasn't sure how large of bunch would dry okay so mine are pretty small bunches.  Plus the fact I don't have much patience to cut a lot at a time!! 


My last picture to show you is of a teapot that I really love.  On the side it says "He Fills My Life with Good Things" from Psalm 103:5. It only holds two cups so I don't use it very often.

I was looking for a picture to put on the front of one of my gardening notebooks.  I found one of Indian Paintbrush in front of Lone Peak, Big Sky, Montana.  It also had a saying on it that I liked by G.K. Chesterton.
"One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak"


24 comments:

kitsapFG said...

My goodness that is a lot of cabbages in that one bed! We like cabbage, but a little goes a long way for us as we like other things better. What are you plans for all that produce when it is harvested?

Shawn Ann said...

Your cabbage bed looks so perfect! How awesome that you filled your freezer with some farm fresh beef! It is so yummy strait from the farm! Some better than others, but still great! Love your little tea pot. My daughter got one about that size for Christmas, I put it under the Keurig and she has the perfect little pot for a tea party! She uses some pretty little espresso sized tea cups.
Always nice to find surprises in the garden! Nice harvest!

Daphne Gould said...

I love that bed of cabbages. Every cabbage the same. Mine are never like that (which if I think about it is probably better since I can pick one and then wait for the next). I've always got one small, one large, one that had the top chopped off by something and is a Frankenstein growing multiple heads.

Annie*s Granny said...

That cabbage bed is beautiful! Each cabbage looks like a clone of the other! Don't you just hate to pull one and ruin the "design"? That's my problem, I try to plant for "pretty", and when I have to harvest something, it ruins the "pretty"!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi kitsapFG, My plans for the cabbage is to eat a little in fresh cole slaw as it matures and then to make freezer cole slaw with what is left as my hubby loves it. Thanks for visiting! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Thanks Shawn Ann,Our beef was fed no hormones but was part grass fed and some corn fed. I would rather have had all grass fed but this opportunity came up so thought I would try it! Thanks for stopping by! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Daphne, Your way of growing cabbage probably is a better way in the long run but something ate holes in mine last year so we have a wire cover over them this year! Thanks for visiting! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Annie*s Granny, Thanks. Yes, I do kind of hate to pull one out and ruin the design but afterall I am growing them for eating and not for an art show! LOL Oh, well, it was pretty for awhile till I pulled one! Thanks for visiting! Nancy

nutmeg gardener said...

Nancy, that is just about the most perfect looking bed of cabbages I have ever seen! Your harvest looks gorgeous all around!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi nutmeg gardener, Thanks! I didn't do so well growing cabbages last year but hoping for success this year! Glad you could visit! Nancy

Jenny Rottinger said...

That cabbage looks so lovely! So far I only have 1 head of green and one red that are good size. The rest were eaten down by bugs and rabbit.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Jenny, Thanks! I am sorry that your bugs and rabbit ate most of your cabbage. I have a cover over mine and so far so good! Glad you could visit! Nancy

vicki said...

Hi, Nancy, your garden is doing really well. And those cabbages!! I am envious of that cabbage bed. It is beautiful! The wreath on your door looks lovely.

Have a great evening.

:)Vicki

farmhouse-story said...

your cabbages look so cute all lined up! love the dried herbs and the sweet wreath:) have a great 4th!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi vicki, Thanks. I have a cage over the cabbages. Also over the beans. The wreath on the door does look cheerful I think! Thanks for visiting! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi lynn, Thanks! I am not sure how much I will use the dried herbs but will find out! I do like the wreath on the door too. Glad you could visit! Nancy

Lisa said...

Your cabbage bed looks absolutely perfect! What a pretty picture! All your produce you harvest always looks so fresh and picked-at-just-the-right-time. We don't trellis or stake our blackberry canes here either, though every year I'd like them to be but other things take priority. They'll probably be fine. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos. You've been busy! Coco is so cute.

Kathryn D. Duke said...

well we are certainly ALL impressed with your cabbage...where are the bug holes like in my leaves??? what is your secret??? please...

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Lisa, Thanks! I made cole slaw from one cabbage and it was good. So now it does not look so perfect out there! We have just started picking a few red raspberrys but the black ones are not ripe yet! Glad you could visit! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Kathryn, Thanks! The reason my cabbage does not have bug holes at least so far is because my hubby made a wire cage to go over them. So far, so good! Thanks for visiting! Nancy

Bernideen said...

Looks like the time has come that you are enjoying the fruits of your labor - won derful garden!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Bernideen, Thanks! It is finally starting to produce things! Always seems like it takes forever! Glad you could visit! Nancy

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

Your garden is yielding beautifully. I only have salads this year, but they are so yummy that next year, I'll try growing more things.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse, Thank you! Glad to hear that you are going to grow more next year! Good luck! Glad you could visit! Nancy

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