Food from the Earth

Perhaps this seems a few months late - in fact I did write this piece in the Spring. However it applies today because I'm preparing my garden beds for my Autumn Cover crop...

and God's promises are valid every day.

Ps. 104: 14 "He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate - bringing forth food from the earth."

Looking at the ground, it doesn't look like much - rocks, brown dirt, worms. It lays there, so passive, so still and calm. It receives the sunshine and the rain, knows the touch of frost and wind. Constantly shifting from Brown to Brown.

But Dirt has a secret life. Seeds are covered with Earth and the miracle of Green appears, neck first (revealing how risky Life is), then unbending its head to shake off the, now unnecessary, seed shell.

A vibrant seedling erupts from what looked like a Barren spot. As if that contrasting Green wasn't miracle enough, this sprout holds the promise of sustenance - it is Edible. When it grows large, it will sustain my body, bringing nutrients from the indigestible Earth into a form my body can use and a taste my tongue can enjoy.

Planting seeds and raising crops is often used as a metaphor for Faith, a lesson to Slow Down - return to humanity's Roots - the miracle of life. But even as a budding farmer (Agronomist, perhaps), this verse reminds me to meditate on Creator God, who established these systems that I take for granted. He is All Sustaining; by His will we live; for His pleasure. He gives Good Gifts to His children (Mt. 7:11) - all of us benefit from His Goodness whether we live by Faith or not, for He desires that none should be lost (2 Peter 3:9). He is So Good.

Updated Garden

Hello All -

Some of those pictures, mainly the squash ones were a month out of date, so I thought I'd update you. These were taken after the lovely heatwaves we've been having and the squash and tomatoes are loving it!

Also, the last picture of yellow summer squash isn't very good, but we ate them right after I took it, so it'll have to do...they were soooo tastey! The camera lens lid is above them to give context. Can't wait for the next one - tomorrow probably!

So, I think these were 'Heart of Gold' Acorn hybrid starts, but they are dark green stripes on medium green bodies, no creamy color outside...but I can't find the tag - must have been buried during all the watering. (That's my row of sunflowers against the house.)

They are growing up a triangular trellis Bryce and I build out of bamboo after looking at this one and deciding we could just do one side with less bamboo. Fortunately, our squash hasn't overwhelmed it yet - slow year, I guess.

You can only see part of it, but the one on the very left is the size of a small pumpkin and quite round, not scalloped at all. I'm excited, but unsure when to pick it...

My first Green Bell Pepper...

The farthest along Sunflower Head. Almost all of the stalks are developing heads now that the heat set in. Most of them are 8' tall - not bad for such a small seed. I can't wait to see what happy shade of Cheerful Yellow they are!!

Garden Pictures

Cheap Beer catches Slimy Things!

Disclaimer: When titling this blog, I was truly only thinking of slugs and snails, and not of the men who stereotypically drink cheap beer. :-) I also thought of taking a picture of my catch, but then thought you might not appreciate the visual.

So I finally remembered to put Cheap Beer on my shopping list - I'd heard and read that Slugs are attracted to the smell of beer, and if it's deep enough, they will fall in and drown, saving all your plants from their devious nighttime munching. This spring I waged a daily war with the slugs and snails of my yard, especially over my tender squash starts. Several mornings I went out to find that another sprout had been mercilessly chomped to the stem. Buggers!

At the store last week, I browsed the section of refrigerated beer I never look at - the cans! I took a full five minutes to look over the options, focusing mainly on price per ounce. Walking up and down the aisle for the third time, I felt conspicuous as other buyers went straight for their favorite bottles. I finally chose the cheapest, and a local brand, Rainier. The can says their hops grow in Yakima. Bonus. Cheap And Local! I put the pack in my cart and immediately started looking at the microbrews to prove I was above consuming beer that costs less than $1 per 16 ounces. (Oh, the Horror!) A box of Deschutes, another local company, almost jumped in my cart. But, in the end, I decided not to buy any more alcohol this week. I have wine at home. My budget prowess said no.

After hiding Rainier in my cart under the lettuce, I pulled into the checkout lane. I bravely placed the beer on the conveyor belt, but when the clerk passed it over the scanner, I confessed that I don't usually buy Rainier. I felt dirty buying beer in a can. I almost had to buy a microbrew to pay penance. We laughed, he graciously carded me, and I took my 'treasure' home.

That evening in the twilight, the slug's witching hour, I filled two pie plates in garden areas they marked that day with their slime. I stalked them. I wanted them dead. It was them or me (ok, actually my food, but it works in the grand scheme of things). I went to bed, hoping to find a nasty catch in the morning.

And, sure enough, I did! It was not the spectacular 200 slugs one story claimed, but a modest catch of 13 rigid, floating bodies. Not bad.

So, if you've ever wondered if beer kills slugs, it does! I noticed that the beer was smellier (thus more attractive) on the evening it was put out. A small container left out over another day and night caught zero. I guess those buggers like the foam of fresh hops. Yuck!

Second Wind

First of all, I apologize, Dear Reader, for my long absence. Thank you for coming back and reading my update.

With the beginning of May, the gardening season kicks into high gear and time just gets away from me while I'm outside. I harvested enough Snap Peas to give a bag to my neighbors, after eating my fill for 3 weeks in a row. I also had a great crop of Blueberries, Rhubarb, Radishes, Spinach, 2 kinds of Lettuce, a few spring Beets, Green Onions, and Nasturtiums out our ears. I've been nursing along Brocolli, Cauliflower, Collards, Mustard Greens in the heat these 2 weeks, but my four tomato plants are loving it! My Sunflowers are 4 feet tall and my first crop of Bush Beans are flowering. My squash plants are starting to rocket up my trellises. (Did I mention I love growing food?)

With the (eventual) arrival of Summer, the fruit season gets fully in swing,. I finally got my water-bath canner this year and have made Ginger-Rhubarb Sauce, Elderberry Syrup, Raspberry Jam, Wild Red Huckleberry Jelly (yes, we picked them!), and a 3 bean pickled salad.

We've also decided on a church to stick with, after six months of active searching (over a year in the making, really).

Combine the season with the inevitable lull in 'having something worthwhile to say' and there you have it. A few other things happened - taking the cars in for servicing, cleaning up our condo between renters and subsequently showing it to all interested parties, three anniversaries, one birthday, a mother's day and a father's day, news of a new nephew in the works, and learning where I can buy local eggs and raw milk.

Whew! Here's to my second wind for blogging!
(I will be posting pictures of my garden.)