Basement Salads

I'm experimenting with what I can grow in the basement (to eat) overwinter. Already some things haven't worked out and others have proven successful.

What hasn't worked: I bought some of that moisture retaining potting mix because it was dirt cheap on sale. Seeds rotted in it. Stuff that wouldn't germinate: beans, peas, cucumbers, squash. I have 1 bean, 1 pea and 1 squash seed (by another method). *Might be good for houseplants, but not for starting seeds.

What has worked: Greens continue to do well and we are eating regular salads. I'm hoping to get to the point where daily salads are an option. It looks like I can cut from the same pots about every 5-10 days. I'm leaf-pruning, rather than topping plants off. Growing: Red Russian Kale, Lettuces, Frilly Mustard. Other happy plants- cilantro, oregano, parsley, jalapeno, a volunteer tomato plant, eggplant, alpine strawberry (no fruit yet, but coming).

The New Experiment

This one is set up with 3 shop lights fairly high over plants.

This is working out fine for already established plants, but

seedlings aren't loving it. In this picture- jalapeno, calendula, violas,

brugmansia, oregano, parsley, green onions, chard, alpine strawberries,

1 squash, 1 pea, 1 bean, alyssum, turnips, eggplant, 1 fig, stocks,

pomegranate in foreground.

Greens doing well

frilly mustards- my fav

 Mixed Greens

I was swooned by the internet powers to order this LED light.

It may significantly reduce energy deman, but it is not proving to grow

better or faster plants. Plus, it's really hard to look at or be near it.

How to overwinter a Jalapeno to eat from

Yank Jalapeno from pot it was in.

Wow, that's a small root ball.

 Line bottom of pot with leaves. 

Adds fiber, minerals, beneficial microbes.

Stake it. Harvest all peppers to help

adjust from transplant shock. Energy to go to

new root making.

New peppers already forming. No new flowers yet.

Happy Oregano & Parsley

Alpine Strawberry & Green Onions

From front to back: 1 pea, 1 bean, 1 tomato

Back row: Stock, Eggplant

Middle: Stock, Violas

Front: Chard transplants, Dill, Alpine Strawberry

Other set up. Much closer to lights.

 Cilantro

Overwintering Non-Edibles

Fuschia

 Coleus cuttings have already rooted (from Oct 4)

 Various houseplants in the basement...

And Houseplants in the windows...

Spider plant, Meyer Lemon, Fragrant Olive, Fern

Outdoor Activities

Fall Blooming Speciosus Crocus- bloomed w/o leaves Row 2

Saffron Crocus is sending up leaves.

Had 2 blooms. Rows 1 & 3

 Planted to the right of the East side Orchard entrance

I've been planted Darwin Tulips & Purple Sensation Alliums on the streets.

Still need to plant the spring crocuses in the new 2016 bed.

Critters (in the basement garden)

Food stuff

Cauliflower Patties- from the Cauliflower Tot recipe

So good.

Crap I need to do when the Queen is done napping

Put away laundry.

Happy (if possible) Election Day and Late Fall!

Peaed Myself

Of course the peas are peaking the week we have temps in the mid-90s! Geesh. Don't give me no mid-90s until later June, please.  Good thing I could share them, because I'm eating peas in the garden, peas for snack, peas in meals, peas on the side. I think I've peaed myself to death. 

In food
And at the same time it is Black Raspberry season. My second planting that I did last year is really doing well, so we have lots this year.

 I rarely make desserts, but I can handle a scone as they

aren't too sweet. Plus, the blackberries were melded into the

dough so I didn't have to deal with my fear of dead fruit.

 Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

These were yummy, but I only got 1, because I live 

with a piggy.

Due to the heat and AC loathing I cooked as little as possible this week. Among the dishes was this

this Yum Woon Sen. It was suppose to have pork in it. I subbed tofu and added shredded carrots and more herbs- cilantro, thai basil and mint. It was very good. 

I also made Black Bean and Slaw tacos and Bowties with snap peas, ricotta and lemon. Both were excellent. I think I need to make these pancakes with black raspberries instead of strawberries. Strawberry season is wrapping up. 

In flower

 Scarlet Runner beans

and Swamp Milkweed.

Many thanks to Holly for more swamp milkweed babies.

In projects

The newest chicken coop/run is still in progress. The girls are still not allowed free range or even unsupervised time in the run (too many holes, too small babies, too many lurking cats). Two features I added to this coop are- the ramp has sand embedded in the paint to help them grip. I got this idea on a forum. Below the ramp I put an old litter box, drilled some holes in the bottom and filled with play sand. This has 2 purposes- the sand is grit for digesting food and they seem to consume a lot of it and it will double as a dust bath area.

The Speckle Sussexs go toe to toe in establishing

the pecking order (below)

 Poppy with sand on her beak (below)

She likes me best.

In critters

This moth was spotted almost blending in with the lavender walls of my bathroom. Here it is on the ceiling. I think it's a Raspberry Pyrausta, but those typically have white lines as well. Maybe they were rubbed off? There are few moths this color. The larva of this moth eat Monarda, which I have a lot of. I may post to BugGuide for another opinion. 

Merry Pea Season to all.

Intersession

I am between semesters and seemingly between big gardening seasons. It has been cool, rainy or gray most of the week and as of late. I got the big garden in and now I wait for summer delights- eggplant, tomato, basil, squashes, peppers.

Kiddo and I took a quick hike at a local nature preserve.
Either I rarely hike when Poison Ivy is in bloom or I don't notice it, but this is what the flowers of PI look like in full glory.

 PI flowers

 Box Elder sapling

Poison Ivy is often confused with Box Elder saplings. PI is on the left and BE is on the right.

PI can take the form of a shrubby plant or a vine. Both have leaves in 3's. BE has more serrated leaves and green woody stems. 

Wild Quinine (below)

 Bradbury's Monarda with mating bugs on top (below)

 A forest Milkweed. I need to go back in a couple of days 

and check out the flowers for ID. Very cool. (below)

 White Wild Indigo (below)

 Penstemon digitalis (below)

 Yarrow (below)

 Green Dragon

 Moonvine- not to be confused with the non-native

annual with huge white flowers. This one has crescent-shaped

seeds, which I believe is where the name comes from.

 Viola palmata (maybe?) below

 Wild Yam vine

I really like these leaves. I think it's the palmate veins that

attract me.

 A putty-root orchid! Found along the trail.

Karst Topography

Stemler Cave Woods Nature Preserve sits atop an underground cave system and the area is full of sinkholes. This geological condition is called Karst topography. We are lucky to live so close to this unique landscape. Some of the sinkholes fill with water, some do so temporarily and others permanently. Because of their relative shallowness and impermanence they make great amphibian ponds. 

Fungus Amongus

 White Coral Fungus? I can't find my Mushroom

Field Guide!

 Red Jelly Fungus (above)

Wood Ear Fungus

One of the largest ones I've seen

Critters

Mama Wolf Spider with babies on her back

 Spittle bug on Narrow Mint

 Zabulon Skipper (male) on nasty honeysuckle

What Fire can do

I wish I had a before picture of this. 

Volunteers put in many hours each year pulling the

invasive Bush Honeysuckle and burning unit by unit thereafter. 

The reason you can see the forest AND the trees is due to these

efforts, otherwise there would be no view of the forest floor here. 

I love that this special place is so close to home. 

Wish there were more.

Back at home

First of the Snap Peas

I made a cold Peanut Noodle Salad with these 

and plan on making Bowties with Ricotta, Lemon and Peas

next. 

 Indian Pink- Spigelia marilandica

(above-native) just started blooming

I started this Blue Angel Salvia

from seed. The blue is amazing and the blossoms

are huge!

Chicken feeders: Greens & Nasturtiums

covered with wire enough so the chickens can eat greens 

w/out killing the plants. The new coop in the background. 

The Dome in Summer

 The madness within. Everything going to seed.

Cleaned up and planting more in this area (below) in the Orchard,

Holly, arborvitae, Black Eyed Susans, 2 kinds of Monarda, 

P Coneflower, 2 kinds of daisies, asters, blueberries, lilies

Rosa showing the feeding station below the new coop. 

The older girls love it so much I haven't fully enclosed it yet, as

it is suppose to be for the young gal's new coop. 

Next Generation

The curious little ones. 

They like me.

They really, really like me.