A Look into Making Zesty Salsa

Canning season is here. Well, it's been here, I've just been behind with writing about it. Here I will show you some of the tasty ingredients, and just SOME of the work I put into making my Zesty Salsa.

August Harvest

 

Harvest is in full swing. The realization that autumn is just around the corner is finally hitting me. Hopefully the garden has another month or so before frosts start to be an issue. I can already tell that the shorter days are sneaking in. In this post I just wanted to share quickly some of what I've been harvesting this August.

 

Mindful Mowings

A soil worker taking a break.

 

Things seem to get so busy in August. Soon I'll be overwhelmed with tomatoes to preserve and hopefully other bounties. However, it is important to remain mindful of what helps your garden grow and to not neglect your soil. And if there is one thing a gardener wants for their soil- it's compost.

 

Deer Chaos in the Orchard

 

The other day I was training tomatoes in the garden, when I heard a strange sound coming from the orchard...

Late July Garden Tour

 

Welcome to MegaGarden, July 2013. Things have been growing a great deal (vegetables and weeds!) and while I've been extremely busy with non-gardening and gardening alike... I realized that it would be kind of nice to have at least one post this month that showed how things were progressing.

Caterpillar Wars

 

It seems that just when you think you have caught up with your garden work, some other task becomes of utmost importance. With the garden 98% planted and growing along, it seems to be entering a period of time when pests become a big problem. 

Many Mints

 

MINT! I'd like to introduce you to the resident mints growing in the garden.

 

June Garden Tour

 

It's June and the garden is in full swing. I've spent a lot of time out there over the past couple months, so I decided to finally post an small garden tour to show how things are growing. Also, I'd like to prove that the reason I'm not blogging more is because I'm out there getting dirt under my nails.

 

Frost Victims

 

"A gardener learns more in the mistakes than in the successes." --Barbara Dodge Borland

It is said that if you're not loosing part of your crop to the weather, you are not planting early or late enough in the season.

This was the case for my garden this year unfortunately. Read on to see what a frost can do.

Tomatoes First Sleepover

 

 

Enough is enough, of these crazy tomato seedlings inside the house! It's time that they spend their first night outside- their first sleepover with reality.

 

Garden Stakes on a Limb

 

Arbor Day was just two days ago. Many people like to plant trees and shrubs in honor of the holiday... other options could be hugging trees or generally admiring them. Whatever your preference. Here is a garden tip that can help you honor trees in a different way.

 

Hardening Off the Titan Tomatoes

 

Last post I discussed the transplanting or repotting of tomato seedlings. So here is an update on all those young tomato plants and their seed shelf neighbors.

 

Repotting Tomato Seedlings

 

Tomato seedlings... can I even call them seedlings anymore? They seem like they deserve to be called plants now, but until they are physically in the soil of my garden I will have a hard time not forcing a diminutive on these cute little ones. Regardless, these babies need to be transplanted. Read on to learn how.

Sown so far

 

Basil

What's growing this time of the year? Not a whole lot outside, the weather finally broke out of the 30's (Celsius) for the past couple days, but it's not exactly spring JUST yet. Even still there is no reason to not get a grow-on inside in preparation for inevitable warmer days to come. Here I'd like to share what seeds I've started indoors so far. 

 

Cat Grass = Success!

 

Aching for some greenery? Sown only five days ago, I have my first garden harvest of the year... just not for me.

 

Feline Inspectors

 

Gardening isn't just interesting for people, pets are curious too. My cats helped me start off the 2013 gardening season as you will soon see.