See Y'all

gone to gardenbre2


... to daydream and brainstorm about my second year of gardening in 2009 ... come on over ...

(but feel free to read all about my adventures last summer) ... ahh, last summer ... why does it have to be so DANG cold here now)!

gardening blog list

I came upon some other gardening blogs on the site, 'this garden is illegal' ... it contains quite a lengthly blog list ... I'm really in need of reading about gardening now that the the season is over ... not to mention there is time to finally do so now too!

seed collecting/10-year gardening journal

at some point I am going to have to get more organized ... I know I'll probably have to break down and get a gardening journal if I am ever going to be able to keep proper track of plantings ... there's a 10-year journal at Lee Valley I could pick up for about $40 so I suppose it's $4/year and it would be good to get it this winter so I can transfer all my muddied info in little notepads and scraps of paper that I've collected over this past gardening season while there's a lull in the 'growing season' -- http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=43043&cat=2,46154,46145



I came across some origami seed packet folding instructions and this particular one works well with 2x2" post its (it becomes a 1x1" packet ... not great for big seeds will work for some of the smaller seeds I've collected like David's tomato seeds ...


This one is a little fussy for a 2x2" post it but would work well using a larger piece of paper albeit it really needs to be accurately folded to look good (click on the image to see the full-size image)

Vacu Sealer

I made a decision to buy the vacu sealer on-line through sears.ca and can't wait to get it now! It's a Kenmore/MD 'Seal-n'Save Select Automatic Vacuum Sealer from Sears Canada (www.sears.ca)

I just found this site info on YGG - it looks like a good download! http://www.foodsaving.com/canning_guide/

Also on the YGG site, Renee says, "I just got the October issue of Bon Appetit and they have a section on canning! They found some cute jars I might look into for next season. Although they look just as pricey as the ones you found. The link is really long, but just search “jars” on the Sur la Table website. They are made by Leifheit." I did a search on this type of jars too (Gayla mentioned she'd thought they were right up her alley as well in the posting right after Renee's) ... (see below). The jar lifter works on these jars (Gayla mentioned that it doesn't really work very well on the decorative weck canning jars though FYI as there isn't any neck on the bottle for them to hang onto ... the magnetic lid lifter isn't helpful either as the lids on them are glass!



Leifheit Jars


Also @ http://www. weckcanning.com has some really good-looking jars.

Weck Decorative Jars

Day 29 - the very last day (31 Oct 08)

Overview (Left & Right Diagnals)


I broke down and went to the plot on the very last day it was open (I am going to go see if I can still get in during November) but I thought I'd pick up some of my tools and the bagged hoses I'd be absolutely lost without if they were taken ... and I thought I'd see if there was anyone around to ask whether or not we really had to take absolutely everything home. I checked the bulletin board and found that Lynne, our President had posted a letter about the letter sent out by the City. She assured us that it was just a form letter and that we could in fact leave things in our tool sheds so long as we'd closed the plot down, etc.

It was a beautiful day (about 16C) and the sun was falling on my empty plot and you just KNOW things could still have been growing there if they'd let us stay longer ... I wanted to remember where the sun falls on my plot and where my tools were so in Spring I can hit the pavement running ... and so I took photos of

the tools I took home and
put @ back of the garage
(there's another bag of
hoses that connect the
garden to the faucets)


the hut from a distance


c/u of hut (and pig's butt)


... some stuff along back
wall (that dirty white thing
underthe wood is the lawn
chair I useto lie upside down
on if my back begins to hurt
while I work - who cares if I
look eccentric to any of the
other gardeners ... as if it's
even possible - we just all R


nice shot of the front of the hut


... front of the hut (I moved sticks
off herbs so in Spring they'll be ok)


Gate & Garden Left


Gate @ the Center


Gate & Garden Right


c/u of Hens & Chicks


Compost Corner


Compost (from hut)


I take (what I call) Overview Shots usually
with my lense poking through a hole I've
made in the chickenwire outside the plot...

Overview (Compost Corner)


Overview (tomato patch)


Overview (center)


Overview (tomatilloes/herbs)


Overview (videla patch)


Overview (far right)


Overview (Right Diagnal)

Bye Garden (this is the farthest corner of my plot - the last shot I take as I leave the Allotment Gardens - but remember I am going to come back to see if others actually continue t garden after the final notice ... (I think there will be some who do)!

So After the Bob

I suppose when I look back at what I did in the garden last Thursday, I realize it's not really a 'crewcut' per se; but rather just a 'bit-of-a-bob'...

So After - there's a huge part about gardening - its' raison d'être, that makes me realize I really do need to quit the day job ... all the bones & stuff post my dog day afternoons of dirt digging and dealing with stuff the cat drags home - to mix metaphors - but I know you know what I'm talking about ...



... I've made the bowl to house the
minestra ... and grown the sage to
flavour it well, etc, etc, etc ... and all
that takes time - a great deal of time
& energy - all for a bowl of soup - one
that comes together & marries this well

I looked up the word 'minestra' and found out it loosely means 'wedding soup' because it's made of ingredients that marry well together " (not one served at weddings as some erroneously believe) ... it is to Italy what potage is to France - a basic, delicious vegetable soup composed of what is fresh and in season" ... mine's full of beans (heheh) - eight whole cans of canelli beans (that I had to hunt down in over 3 different health food stores since they each only stock a limited amount). I looked up canelli too and found that it's a "little (Italian) town ... situated at the entrance of the Langhe hills, along the left bank of the Belbo stream. The territory is covered in vineyards and a centre of production of the Asti Spumante, the slightly sweet, bubbly white wine, which is a symbol of Cannelli and also of the whole province of Asti." This pleases me immensely since I really like Asti Spumante - now who would have thought beans & bubbly ... (of course, we all know fava beans go with a nice Chianti right - Silence of the Lambs) - but I digress ...

... again, one little bowl of something
holds so much meaning to a gardener
ie, remember my mystery plant the one
that got away & wandered 20 feet plus
into my neighbours garden ... well this
is what that amounted to ... in a material
sense ... one teeny-tiny, dish of diced pulp!
See Below --> 'Its Alive' 15 October 2008


... and this little rival dish of slop took up
the entire corner of the garden by the hut



here they are on their way home - BTW
you're looking at the biggest ball-shaped
one & the one that looks like a banana!


... these are them out in their garden growing


... my minestra close up in the pot


lined up & ready for the freezer


... looking all toasty and hot right
now but not for long - alongside
their friendly frozen pesto & toms


... my chard's close up shot with
raisins/cranberries, pine nuts
and lots & lots of toasted garlic!


... oh and pizza made from nothing
but the freshest tomatoes and garlic

Day 28The Garden's Crewcut

ok so here it goes ...

... WELCOME TO MY LAST
DAY in the GARDEN of '08


I borrowed three pairs of shears from Deborah and set out to cut the garden down on Thursday (after receiving a letter from the City reminding us exactly what our obligations were & threatening to do it for us if we didn't).

BEFORE the SHEARING (Overview)




A little before & after

THE TOMATO PATCH
believe it or not this is one
& the same patch of land !!!



AFTER THE SHEARING (a little look from the left & then one from the right)


THE HUT
... it got its bangs cut


aagggHHHhhh!
(mind you 1/2the stuff
I just brought with me ...
I mean a girls gotta eat)


... everything's done just in
the nick of time - by sunset!


A closer look at the c/u


The hoses used to attach to the
faucets outside the plot is on the
left & on the top (inside the pile
of the four green garbage bags)


... SO SORRY but I just wanted to
see these BEFORE's one last time!






Bye Bye