The Front Porch Swing

[heartsizedfarm]

It's quiet here today.

Let's play a new game. 

What is something that you would like to be that most people don't know about?

I'll go first.

If I didn't have kids, I would be a storm chaser.  

Beachcomber. Me and a dog and a shack on the beach. Waves tides weather. Simplicity itself.

 

[lovingmyhens]

If I didn't have kids and I had unlimited funds, I'd open up a coffee shop/bookstore/cafe. I'd employ someone who loved to bake and I'd sell books...old and new. It would be a place where folks would come and hang out, meet friends, make friends. I'd want to go somewhere far away from where I am now-a place that has mild winters, preferably near the water.

Maybe the person who I hire to bake would teach me a thing or two about baking!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

If I didn't have kids and I had unlimited funds, I'd open up a coffee shop/bookstore/cafe. I'd employ someone who loved to bake and I'd sell books...old and new. It would be a place where folks would come and hang out, meet friends, make friends. I'd want to go somewhere far away from where I am now-a place that has mild winters, preferably near the water. 

Maybe the person who I hire to bake would teach me a thing or two about baking!

I love that kind of place. I would definitely hang out there.

 

[Beekissed]

It's a gorgeous day out and the breeze feels like a kiss from the Lord! Got my first plowing done and the chickens have gleaned all the surfaced grubs, bugs and worms from the soil. It's funny when you get the tiller out and they know what it's for and start to gather round.

Got some starter soil for my seeds and will be planting those today and placing them in a sunny spot indoors. Never got this kind of soil before but it's organic and has worm castings and bat guano in it....yay for worm and bat poop!

Am mixing that with mushroom mulch and hoping this mix makes for strong seedlings.

I tried to stay with heirloom seeds this time as the last garden showed them to be the best and most vigorous producers:

Cherry tomatoes: Matt's Wild Cherry
Tomatoes: Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Big Rainbow, Tigerella,
Peppers: Kaleidoscope Mix
Hot Peppers: Hungarian Yellow Wax, Jalapeno
Cukes: Boston Pickling
Squash: Yellow Straight Neck
Lettuce: Buttercrunch, Winter Density(Romaine), Cimmaron(Romaine), Freckles
Spinach: Giant Noble, Space
Radishes: Crimson Giant
Pea: Snap Pea Sugar Sprint
Onions: Candy(sweet, large)
Herbs: Chives and anything else I find at the nursery that I have room for!

Flowers next to the garden to bring in pollinators and attract not so beneficial bugs away from my garden: Milkweed, Coreopsis Baby Sun, Monarda, Rudbeckia Autumn Colors, Calendula, Sunflowers, Nasturtium, Wild flower mixes, and whatever I find to throw in there.

In between the rows we'll be planting White Dutch Clover to attract honey bees, to crowd out weeds, retain moisture and fix nitrogen in the soil.

We've scaled way down this year on the garden so will not be planting potatoes or corn...maybe will sneak in a few pumpkins or gourds if I find the space. I'm going to be doing square foot gardening this year and also companion planting, which I find really maximizes garden space and creates more shade where it's needed for certain plants.

Will not be mulching with hay this year but will be using weed suppression cloth on mounded up garden rows. I've never done that before and am looking forward to it. I think I'll be placing some leaves on top of the beds before placing the cloth so that I can attract some worms into that space and retain more moisture.

What's everyone else planting this year?

 

[Blooie]

It's quiet here today.

Let's play a new game.

What is something that you would like to be that most people don't know about?

I'll go first.

If I didn't have kids, I would be a storm chaser.

I would like to fly - not ride in a jet - but actually sit in the cockpit and be the pilot.

 

[Blooie]

Bringing home the run! Can't build it today, but hope to get it done tomorrow before the snowstorm hits Saturday and Sunday.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I would live to find Mortgage Lifter tomato seeds around here, but no luck!

Black Krim tomatoes grow best here.
Hubbard Squash
Yukon Gold potatoes
Kestrel hybrid beets
Basil, parsley, okra, cilantro, watercress
Touchstone gold beets
Delinel beans (lots!)
Pinares lettuce
Milan turnips
Hilde lettuce
Topsi radish
Marigolds
Four different garlic types
Borage, fennel
Goliath broccoli
Telephone pole peas
Spinach, kale
Nelson hybrid carrots
Zucchini

 

[Blooie]

I would live to find Mortgage Lifter tomato seeds around here, but no luck!

Gurney's sells Mortgage Lifters....

 

[Beekissed]

I would live to find Mortgage Lifter tomato seeds around here, but no luck!

Black Krim tomatoes grow best here.
Hubbard Squash
Yukon Gold potatoes
Kestrel hybrid beets
Basil, parsley, okra, cilantro, watercress
Touchstone gold beets
Delinel beans (lots!)
Pinares lettuce
Milan turnips
Hilde lettuce
Topsi radish
Marigolds
Four different garlic types
Borage, fennel
Goliath broccoli
Telephone pole peas
Spinach, kale
Nelson hybrid carrots
Zucchini

Got these seeds from Pinetree seeds. I'm tired of getting bedding plants from nurseries...seems like they never do any good anymore. Oh, they look lovely when you get them and they grow nice but don't seem to yield any fruits like they used to do. I know I'm paranoid but I think it's the government's way of controlling how much food we can produce on our own....I've seen the steady decline of productivity from nursery stock over the years and finally figured out that they are no longer a good bargain for the money.

The last garden we had we noticed the heirloom tomatoes my brother started from seed were the healthiest and most vigorous of all the plants we put in and they also yielded more harvest, so this year I'm back to starting my own seedlings.

 

[TexasLisa]

If I didn't have kids and I had unlimited funds, I'd open up a coffee shop/bookstore/cafe. I'd employ someone who loved to bake and I'd sell books...old and new. It would be a place where folks would come and hang out, meet friends, make friends. I'd want to go somewhere far away from where I am now-a place that has mild winters, preferably near the water.

Maybe the person who I hire to bake would teach me a thing or two about baking!

That is what I would love to do too. I got my idea after reading American history and read how they would go to the inns and sit and talk. I want that camaraderie. I can bake too! I also want to fly, be an explorer, go into outer space, etc.

It's a gorgeous day out and the breeze feels like a kiss from the Lord! Got my first plowing done and the chickens have gleaned all the surfaced grubs, bugs and worms from the soil. It's funny when you get the tiller out and they know what it's for and start to gather round.

Got some starter soil for my seeds and will be planting those today and placing them in a sunny spot indoors. Never got this kind of soil before but it's organic and has worm castings and bat guano in it....yay for worm and bat poop!

Am mixing that with mushroom mulch and hoping this mix makes for strong seedlings.

I tried to stay with heirloom seeds this time as the last garden showed them to be the best and most vigorous producers:

Cherry tomatoes: Matt's Wild Cherry
Tomatoes: Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Big Rainbow, Tigerella,
Peppers: Kaleidoscope Mix
Hot Peppers: Hungarian Yellow Wax, Jalapeno
Cukes: Boston Pickling
Squash: Yellow Straight Neck
Lettuce: Buttercrunch, Winter Density(Romaine), Cimmaron(Romaine), Freckles
Spinach: Giant Noble, Space
Radishes: Crimson Giant
Pea: Snap Pea Sugar Sprint
Onions: Candy(sweet, large)
Herbs: Chives and anything else I find at the nursery that I have room for!

Flowers next to the garden to bring in pollinators and attract not so beneficial bugs away from my garden: Milkweed, Coreopsis Baby Sun, Monarda, Rudbeckia Autumn Colors, Calendula, Sunflowers, Nasturtium, Wild flower mixes, and whatever I find to throw in there.

In between the rows we'll be planting White Dutch Clover to attract honey bees, to crowd out weeds, retain moisture and fix nitrogen in the soil.

We've scaled way down this year on the garden so will not be planting potatoes or corn...maybe will sneak in a few pumpkins or gourds if I find the space. I'm going to be doing square foot gardening this year and also companion planting, which I find really maximizes garden space and creates more shade where it's needed for certain plants.

Will not be mulching with hay this year but will be using weed suppression cloth on mounded up garden rows. I've never done that before and am looking forward to it. I think I'll be placing some leaves on top of the beds before placing the cloth so that I can attract some worms into that space and retain more moisture.

What's everyone else planting this year?

I planted onions, potatoes, tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, radishes, lettuce, kale, broccoli, bush beans, corn, zucchini, yellow squash, and watermelons. I am still thinking about the White Dutch Clover. I haven't made the plunge on that yet.

Lisa