Time to Plant Tulips

Each summer after the tulips have finished blooming and are starting to die back I dig up the bulbs that I planted 3 years prior so they can be divided. I started doing this 20 years ago with a total of 30 red and yellow tulips. I now have over 600 bulbs planted and I can't count the number I've shared with friends.

The picture is of the tulips ready to be covered. The yellow stuff that looks like grass seed is really rice hulls that is a great addition to help loosen the soil.

I also like tulips in a line vs planted in clumps. Almost all of the planting beds in the yard are lined with tulips and they make an awesome display in May.

Rosemary for the Winter

Each year I grow the herb rosemary in my garden. I just love fresh rosemary with potatoes. The plant produces so much rosemary that I also dry the limbs so I can use them throughout the winter. Each year around this time I dig up the plant, pot it, and bring it inside. I've had pretty good luck with the plant making it through the winter but I have lost some as well. I generally don't get any fresh rosemary during the winter - the plant goes dormant - and like me is just trying to make it until spring. That's when I'll put it out in the garden again.

My favorite potato recipe using rosemary. The ingredients are approximate since I've never measured the amounts - I just throw in what looks right.

2 TBS Olive Oil
2-3 Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, diced or sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tsp garlic powder (you can use fresh as well)
1-2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1-2 TBS fresh)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil. Put the potatoes in oil making sure you don't burn yourself. Add the onions and green peppers and spices. Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are soft, turning frequently so they don't burn. Serve hot with ketchup.

Planted Garlic

I planted garlic that will be harvested late in July 2010. The garlic cloves that I used were some of the cloves that I harvested this year in July. I planted the variety of "Siberian Red". The cloves were big so I'm hopeful that they will produce big cloves again next year.

I use the garlic for homemade salsa and spaghetti sauce and, of course, any other dish that calls for garlic.

I love garlic.

Garden Pictures 2

My tomatoes are growing slower and smaller than in years past. I think the cold spring, minimal water in June and July are the main reasons. I'm starting to get some off them the plants now but I'll probably have to buy tomatoes to make all of the spaghetti sauce that I plan on making.

Tomatoes - finally starting to bear fruit

I grew green peppers somewhat successfully but I've never been satisfied with the size, quantify or taste of the green peppers that I grow. Anyone have any tips?

My harvest today

Flowers

There are still flowers blooming in the garden

Harvested Garlic

I harvested over 30 heads of garlic today. I've got them in the dark drying out so I can use them to make spaghetti sauce once my tomatoes ripen.


Below is a view of my onions. They will be ready to harvest soon and will also go into my spaghetti sauce.

Strawberry Jam

Strawberries are ready for picking here in Green Bay so today I went to Sunny Hill and picked a flat of them. It was overcast, the berries plump and ripe both which made for pleasant picking and even better eating.

When I got home I put up 5 pints of strawberry jam and froze the rest to use in smoothies. The strawberry jam is very easy to make by following the instructions in the Sure Gel package.

Strawberry jam on the cooling rack

And since I had the water heated up to do the water bath for the strawberry jam I decided to make some BBQ sauce. I have a recipe that I found on the internet years ago that is supposed to be a knock off of KC Masterpiece - my favorite. I don't think the sauce tastes like KC Masterpice, however, it is better! This is also an easy recipe that just requires combining the ingredients, simmering on the stove for an hour and then putting them into jars with a 45 minute water bath.

BBQ Sauce

Garlic scapes

The garlic planted last October in the garden is growing well. The garlic scapes were at the point of needing to be removed. The scapes are removed so the plant will put more energy into the garlic bulbs and not into creating the scpaes (seeds). I've been told the scapes can be using in cooking but haven't used them myself. An interent search turned up a few interesting looking recipes.

Garlic scapes before being removed

Growing Hops

I'm growing hops to use in our home brewing process. Below are a couple of pictures of the progress of the vines. Hops vines grow 20 to 30 feet per year. I planted them on the south side of the house under the eves. Then put in twine from the ground to the underside of the eves on the second story. The hops have already reached the eves and, in some cases, have grown another 6 feet hanging down.

The variety I'm growing is "Mt Hood". Good for making honey wheat beer.

This picture was taken April 15.

These pictures were taken June 15.

Garden Pictures

Below are a few pictures of the flowers currently in bloom in my garden. Enjoy.

Iris

Signs of Spring in Green Bay

I finally have evidence that our long, long winter may be coming to an end. The first of my bulbs have blossomed. This is crocus, a very small, low to the ground plant and is the first thing to add color to my garden in the spring. It always lifts my spirits to look out my kitchen window and see them.