It started as a greenhouse...

It started as a greenhouse that turned into a garden shed... but this year I have found a new, permanent use for the structure...

Moving the building to its new location, closer to the house...

Adding the new floor...

 Cutting the access door...

Framed in to protect from sharp metal edges... (the access ramp is temporary, we'll build a better one shortly!)

And Herdie and Gerdie have a new home!!!

The Geese have FINALLY moved in!  I'm ridiculously excited!  If you follow Woodside Gardens on facebook, you've seen me gushing about these critters all winter.  Herdie and Gerdie are a 1 year old mated pair of Toulouse Geese.  I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them, and I've been waiting for the snow to melt for MONTHS so that I could set up a proper shed and run for them.  The geese are beautiful and very friendly (toward me, not everyone...), but the best part is this...

Breakfast!

It's mating season in the goose world, and although she won't lay all year long, Gerdie is giving me one of these every 2 days right now!  Her eggs average 160 grams (she won't be fully mature until next spring at 2 years old) which is approximately the size of 3 chicken eggs!  Scrambled goose eggs with a little sea salt and dill make the best breakfast ever!  I have saved all her egg shells, by drilling a small hole at each end and blowing the egg out, and they will be used for some craft projects in the future.

I love this basket of egg shells sitting in my kitchen window!

Do you have geese or other poultry?  Come on over to the facebook page and talk about it!

A quick picture update...

Some New Additions to the Garden This Year...

I've done a lot with my garden this year, and its time I updated you all on the progress. Up to this point, it has just felt like some boxes of dirt with a fence around it... but now, I feel like my garden has finally started to develop some "bones". It has become a destination, rather than just a designation. Here's some pictures of what has been added...

I made good on my promise to turn the old greenhouse into a potting shed. This is my new greenhouse. It is detachable, and will fit onto any of the four existing raised beds so I can easily practice crop rotation, even with my tomatoes and cucumbers. There are four door panels, which can be opened individually, so I can control the temperature AND the cross breeze.

I designed this new flower bed to give somewhat of a visual screen to the compost pile. I kept with my tradition of using materials off the property, so I hand-picked all the rocks and built the wattle fence in the background out of willow and alder that I thinned from the endless supply along the edge of the yard.

The entrance to the vegetable garden was lacking in character, so I decided an arbor was in order. This was built out of recycled materials, mostly leftover from last years house re-model, and more willow and alder from the yard.

I needed another trellis to accommodate my beans, so this was the solution... also made from willow and alder.

In the near future, I'll post some photos of how the vegetable garden and surrounding flower gardens are looking now that everything is green and beautiful. The garden is absolutely bursting right now!

For future posts... does anyone have questions or need information on a particular topic? Ask me!

Goodbye to the Greenhouse...

After looking at the pictures of the 2010 tomatoes and cucumbers compared to what they looked like this year, and in 2009, I have decided to say goodbye to the greenhouse.  Well, not goodbye, exactly.  It will be transformed into next years potting shed!  Last year, the greenhouse was out of commission, so I erected a hot-house of sorts.  I bent some old tent poles into one of the raised beds and covered the whole thing with clear plastic.

By August, this is what it looked like in there...

2009 and 2011 the tomatoes and cucumbers were planted in the greenhouse.  There isn't a consistent temperature inside at all, and although I have a fan system set up, it doesn't seem to make much difference.  I don't have raised beds installed, so the plants are in large plastic rubbermaid buckets.  They were all spindly, putting out few branches and only providing 2 or 3 fruits per plant.  Seriously, it was so pitiful that I didn't even want to take any pictures in there this year!

So, the greenhouse potting shed, will be put to much better use next year, giving me a small area for transplanting etc., but more importantly, a place to store all my assorted pots and containers, as well as garden tools, or anything else I can fit in there!  Instead of growing the tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse, I will build a moveable frame (I practice crop rotation) to which I can attach plastic each year.  Then I can plant them in one of the raised beds and attach the frame over the top.  Hopefully, the harvest will be much more bountiful in 2012!

Harvesting the garden...

I can't believe that we are eating out of the garden already!  Last night, we ate our first head of Broccoli with dinner!  Broccoli is so yummy when its fresh from the garden!

Lily and I decided to do some more harvesting today... Lettuce, Turnip, Radishes, Lemon Balm and Cucumber for lunch, and more Broccoli for the freezer.

The tomato plants have all set fruit, and some of them are getting rather large already.  The squash has the biggest blossoms I have ever seen, and the little squashes are dark green and beautiful!  I'll follow up with some more pictures soon!

Sigh

I wish this was a post about starting seeds for the garden.  Unfortunately, due to an impending house remodel, (the little one is so big she needs her own room!) I will not be starting any seeds in my house this year.  I have a ton of seeds which will be planted directly in the garden this year, but my tomatoes, cukes, and most likely summer squash, will have to come from the local nursery this year.  I don't feel too bad, because the local nursery is not a chain store, and the owner lives (and starts his seeds) only about 5 miles from my house.  I am looking at this as an opportunity to support a local small business.  But of course, if anyone close has extra seedlings that need a new home, I would be happy to be a foster-gardener!

I have been watching the snow melt, ever so slowly, and my garden is starting to come into view again.  It is making me ache to get my hands in the dirt!  I have so much to do this spring, and waiting for that snow to melt is a slow torture for me!  Fences have to be moved, compost needs to be added, and I need to get the greenhouse ready for its new beds!  At least the greenhouse will be productive this year!  Last year it was out of commission due to it needing a new location in my yard.  Now I just have to build the new beds inside, and fill them up from the lovely compost pile I have been nursing for a few years now!  I'm so anxious to see the green and smell the plants, I can't hardly contain myself!  Hopefully my next post will be about getting those garden prep chores out of the way.

Bring it on, Spring.... I'm waiting!

First frost, but still harvesting!

It officially frosted here for the first time last night.  There was a very thin sheet of ice on the windshield this morning, and the temp read 33.8 when I woke up.  Realizing that I still had green beans to pick, I made my way out to the garden as soon as the sun warmed things up a bit, expecting the worst.  I was delighted to find most of the green beans still in pristine condition!  I pulled each plant, one by one, and picked all the beans off, setting the bare plant to the side.  I plan on letting the plants wither a bit, then I will chop them up and till them back into the soil to provide some added nourishment to next years squash plants.  I picked about 3 quarts of green beans in all!  And as an added bonus, I got about 30 small tomatoes that were still thriving as well (green, of course).

I still have 2 large cabbages to pick, a few brussels sprouts, and lots of kale and turnip greens.  They all do fine with a little frost, so I will hold off a bit longer for them.

So, how do I feel about the success of this years garden?  Over all, things went very well!  I will grow more green beans next year for sure, and lots of summer squash, although the squash will NOT be under plastic.  It just got too humid, especially with all the rain we had, and the mold ruined what could have been a bumper crop.  Tomatoes and cucumbers will be back in the greenhouse next year, where they belong.  I will grow fewer cabbages, lots more broccoli and turnips, and plenty of spinach and kale.  I will NOT be growing brussels sprouts next year, or eggplant.  I think I will try artichokes as my experimental crop, and potatoes are on the list as well.

Are you still harvesting from your garden?  What has been your biggest success/failure this year?

Uh Oh

So, in the past, I have never gotten a squash plant to get bigger than 8 inches or so in total diameter.  Why then, shouldn't I be surprised when the squash plants are now threatening to take over the entire hothouse, and choke out the cucumbers?  I'm going to have to trim back the leaves on that side of the plants!  Next year the squash get an entire bed to themselves!!

I got a few pictures last night...

Managed to snap a few pictures last night of the new setup in the yard...

Here's my new clothesline!  Its cemented in properly and is much sturdier than I expected!  You can see the new Lilac planted to the right.  I'm hoping that in the spring it will scent the laundry as it drys.  Drying the laundry outside is something that can save a ton of energy.  Our dryer is electric, so it will be nice to see that bill drop a little!

This is an old photo which shows the old location of the greenhouse, on the right.

This photo was taken standing on th corner of the deck, by the grill.  Rob just dragged the whole thing across the yard with his pickup!  And the yard now feels HUGE!  We will be getting rid of the dog house soon, and that will open it up even more.

Last but not least, the new chiminea!  We've used it 2 nights in a row.  I've wanted one of these for years!

Happy birthday to me!

I have the most wonderful husband in the world.  Yesterday was my birthday.  In the pouring rain, he managed to move my greenhouse (YAY!) to its permanent location, install my new solar clothes dryer (LOL, such a fancy name for a clothesline!), and purchase and assemble a new chiminea!  As soon as the rain stops I will have to take some pictures!  And now, I have new places that need flower beds!  Then, to top it all off, he dug a big hole today, filled it with good soil, and planted my lilac bush for me.  Yard work is such a great birthday gift!

Starting the harvest...

Today I harvested more snap peas and some of the green onions. The peas will still produce for another 2 months if I keep picking every 2 or 3 days, and the onions needed to be thinned very badly. I have one absolutely huge cucumber, which I just don't quite want to pick yet. There are also quite a few babies, which might at least get to pickle size if the weather doesn't get too much colder. The tomato plants are still looking pitiful, with one green tomato about the size of a golf ball. Maybe I'll at least get to eat this one! Carrots are small, almost not worth mentioning, but they are still trying, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt until the last possible moment.

I went ahead and turned under all the spinach and kale... they were definitely not doing anything. The cabbages look healthy, but there are no heads. I will give them the benefit of the doubt as well, but I'm not holding my breath.

Next year I think I will try heirloom seeds for most of my produce, along with better soil. Hopefully this will make the difference!

I also turned the compost again today, getting the top layer (wet from the rain) into the center of the pile. The center was bone dry, so I obviously need to water it more often. We just haven't had enough rain this year, even though the last 2 weeks have been very rainy. I'll just keep at it!

Already thinking about next years garden...

So, with the exception of a few plants, this years garden has been a real failure for me. I need to start thinking about next years garden and what I will (and won't) plant in it. I'll start out with a list of what grew and what didn't.

Grew Well:

Snap Peas
Cucumber
Onion
Strawberries
Rhubarb

Didn't Work Out:

Beans
Zucchini
Broccoli
Carrots
Radishes
Spinach
Kale
Cabbage
Eggplant
Peppers
Tomato
Beets



I have to start by asking myself how much of the failure could have been prevented? I need much better soil in the raised beds, that would make a difference all the way around. I neglected my garden for 2 weeks during the beginning of the hottest part of the summer. This was due to Lily being born, but it was neglect all the same.


So, what am I definitely NOT growing again next year? Eggplant, Peppers and Beets for sure.

What am I definitely GROWING again next year? Snap Peas, Cucumber, Onion, Strawberries and Rhubarb, for sure, obviously. But what am I not willing to give up on quite yet? Cabbage, for one. I love cabbage, I cook with it all the time, and Alaska is know for its ability to grow prize winning cabbages, which tells me that I am just doing something wrong. I also know that even if I say I am not going to, I will end up with at least 2 tomato plants again next year. I think I will try Zucchini again as well, as this is just something I really want to have an abundance of in the fall. I think that next year I just need to scale it down a bit, and try to focus on a few so-far-unaccessable-to-me vegetables, and a few tried and true favorites. I will not give up, and sooner or later I will have an amazing vegetable garden every year to feed my family!

I just couldn't help myself

So I broke down today and purchased 2 cucumber plants from the local greenhouse. They are now living happily amongst the peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. I had moved my herb garden out of the greenhouse to its more permanent outdoor location, and there was this empty space on the shelf that was just begging to be filled, as well as 2 pieces of soaker hose that was just watering the floor. I have actually never tried growing cucumbers before, so we'll see how this goes. Really, everything in the greenhouse is an experiment this year.

Garden Happenings...

Here's some photos of the progression of the garden so far...

Mixed Radishes

Wild Raspberries

Sitka Roses (behind them is where my Rock Garden will eventually live)

Lots of Cabbages!!!

Snap Peas

Broccoli

Zucchini

Rhubarb

Spinach

Kale

This is not everything in the garden, obviously, but gives a pretty good representation of how things are doing.... And remember, its only June 4th, and this is Alaska... I have no complaints so far!

Spring has sprung!

The weather hasn't been all that nice for the last several days, but the plants are sure loving it! Here's one of my Lilies... finally blooming! This plant has several buds, one other Lily has already bloomed, and the other 6 or 7 show no signs of blooming yet, but are looking very healthy. The radishes have officially broken ground this morning, so the only thing I haven't seen sprout yet are the pole beans and the carrots... all in good time I suppose! I'm pretty sure I'm going to be inheriting 3 more tomato plants from Mom, she just sold her house and doesn't want to plant the garden or greenhouse now. I'm not sure what type of tomato they are, but they are blossoming, so we should get some produce from them!

Rob just got the new coils in the boat motor, so were off to the lake to see if that fixed the problem... here's hoping!

A few photos... and dang is it hot outside!

It is 4pm right now, and my thermometer (on the coldest corner of the house) is reading 78F! Last year I don't think it got above 70F all summer long. Alaska weather is nothing if not unpredictable! {{UPDATE... 4:30 pm.... 80F and still rising!!}}

Here's a couple of random photos taken a few minutes ago....

My Great Dane, "Sleeping Lady", named after my favorite mountain and looking particularly majestic herself today

The first "Sitka Roses" (wild in Alaska) blooming... mmmmmm, wild rosehip jelly this fall!

High-bush cranberries (also wild in Alaska) in full bloom as well. There are about a million things you can make with these!

I just checked on my greenhouse, and boy am I glad I did! It was over 100F in there, even with the vents open and the fans on! I have the door propped open now, so hopefully it will cool down a bit. I try to keep the temperature at around 85F during the day, the plants seem to like that temperature the best. At least I know to only water the gardens first thing in the morning, or late in the evening... I would hate to sunburn them this early in the game!

One more and I'll be done!

Everything except the radishes got planted today! I planted 4 red cabbage, zucchini, pole beans and carrots... and the snap peas are already starting to poke above the ground!!! The spinach and kale are making an appearance in the greenhouse as well. All in all, a very productive Saturday! Tomorrow I'll plant the radishes, and the garden will officially be in!

Plants in the garden!!!

I planted the cabbage and the broccoli today! I'm so proud of myself! It is definitely time to plant the remainder of the vegetables, so that is my goal for the weekend... to get everything in the ground. (With the exception of the spinach and the kale which will stay in their little flats until they are the right size to be transplanted.) It feels good to be accomplishing so much, being as uncomfortably pregnant as I am at the moment. I just went out to check on my little garden, and I have to say I feel a certain tenderness towards those little plants. I raised them from the tiniest seeds and they are going to give back so much more than I put into them. Its truly a humbling thing, when you think about it!

Here's a few pictures of today's progress...

Happy little herb garden


Cabbages... think I'll supplement with a few Red Cabbage as well


Lots of Broccoli


Zucchini going into the ground tomorrow!!!

The cabbage and broccoli, obviously, have weed fabric covering their beds. This is primarily for 2 reasons... 1) These two beds were positively overrun with weeds last year, so hopefully this will kill the problem, and 2) I am hoping that the weed fabric will hold in some moisture and heat, enabling the plants to do their very best. I will be covering the fabric with mulch, once I am sure that the plants are thriving, and once I am sure there will be no more plants going into those beds. I think I will be adding 4 Red Cabbage plants to the cabbage bed, but I don't know that for sure at this time. The bed the zucchini is going into has weed fabric as well, but this is just for the warming factor, as weeds weren't really a problem in that one last year. Its sure going to be a busy weekend!!!

A little more each day...

I just finished planting the Snap Peas and the Green Onions. The Snap Peas went directly into one of the raised beds, and the Onions are in containers in the greenhouse for now. I'm really starting to feel like I'm getting something accomplished! The Broccoli and Cabbage will be spending their first night truly outdoors tonight, in preparation for planting them in the raised beds... hopefully tomorrow! I'm a little nervous, not wanting to loose any plants, but it hasn't frosted here in several weeks and I'm sure they will be ok. If all goes well, the majority of the rest of the vegetables should be in this weekend, weather permitting of course!

I am contemplating whether or not I want to weigh and record the amount of produce I get from the garden this year. It would help me realize how much cost savings I get from growing my own, but as this is my first year of serious gardening, I don't want to get carried away either. I have time to decide, obviously, but the more I plan things ahead, the more likely I am to follow through. This year I have definitely put more thought into planning the garden than ever before, researching, organizing, and researching again... and I hope it really pays off. Everyone has to start somewhere, right!?

Got some beets planted!

I just finished planting the beet seeds I have been soaking for the last 7 hours or so. My garden layout continues to get tweaked a bit as I go... no big deal. I decided to plant the beets in the barrel I had delphiniums in last year, and they will be accompanied by the sunflowers that my son has started in the kitchen window. I decided to plant them here because the foliage is so pretty, I figured it deserved a bit more of a prominent place in the landscaping. I also purchased some radish seed and some green onion seed today. The radishes will replace the beets in the raised bed with the snap peas (which I am soaking tonight to be planted tomorrow,) and the onions will be planted in containers (I don't know where I will have these yet.) I think that it will be safe to officially plant the raised beds this weekend, but I will be watching the temperatures overnight for a few more days, just to be sure. If I have to wait one more week to be safe, so be it!

Seeing as how I am trying to save my family some money by growing our own vegetables, and some of the motivation is due to the current financial crisis, I think I can classify my garden as a Victory Garden, or maybe a Freedom Garden would be more appropriate. Here's to freedom from pesticides, high food prices, and letting others dictate what chemicals go into my family's bodies!!!