Tansy, Chipmunks & Tools

It’s been a busy week. Yesterday I had to further cut down my ten foot tall Tansy that was blocking sunlight to tomatoes and squash and peppers. The Tansy has bloomed and has pretty little yellow cap flowers that smell sweet rather than flowery. The Tansy flowers dry easily and are a nice addition to Potpourri.

Then there is the rascally chipmunk digging up my pea seeds, removing the pink seed cover and chomping on the newly sprouted seeds. I sprayed the pea bed with animal repellant, which is thoroughly repulsive and I put an ultrasonic solar animal repeller aimed right at the bed. I bought three of these things from www.animaloff.com. Quickly entering the As Seen on TV Sucker club.

Ms. Chipmunk ate seeds right in front of me and with the ultrasonic animal repeller aimed right at her. I could see the red light flashing detecting her movement. She did not leave my garden until I yelled right in her seed-stuffed puffy cheeks, “YOU are not allowed in here!” So yesterday, I worked on the outside of my garden, the side that backs to the woods, and cleared weeds and patched a large section of fence with small gauge wire fence and then rocks along the base of the fence for those dig-ins. Hopefully, this worked as I re-planted the pea bed after. The ultrasonic animal repellers are going back for a full refund.

Harvested:

• Napoles Carrots — I stuffed a gallon Ziploc bag full of these huge orange beauties
• 3 Heads of Snow Crown Cauliflower — I am the only one who eats cauliflower so I only grow it for myself. The heat we’ve had this summer gave the cauliflower a purplish blush.
• Mini Red Bell Peppers
• Northern Delight Tomatoes — these are small 2″ round tasy tomatoes.
• More cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini — Don’t forget that chickens love overgrown summer squash. I cut them into chunks right there in their yard for them. We are too close to our neighbors to let our chickens run wherever so they have a large fenced yard and coop.

I have a gardener’s apron that ties around my waist. I have these things in my apron pockets that I never go into my garden without and which makes my time there easier and more efficient:

1. Sharp-pointed Garden Shears
2. Twine
3. Plant Labels
4. Permanent Marker
5. Gloves

For suppers past week:

• Sliced Cucumber, Grilled Yellow Squash (Olive Oil & Herbs), Grilled Chicken Breast, Pasta, Fresh Green Beans
• Cheesy Eggs with Bacon Burritoes with peppers and onion
• Matt’s Green Bean Casserole
• Homemade Pizzas with blanched Yellow Squash, Mini Red Bell Peppers, Green Pepper, Onions, Sliced Olives, Mushrooms and Pepperonis

What came from the garden or farm for the above foods:

• Cucumber
• Yellow Squash & Zucchini
• Herbs- Basil, Oregano, Parsley, French Thyme
• Red & Green Peppers
• Green Beans
• Onion
• Eggs

Matt’s Green Bean Casserole

2 Large Handfuls Green Beans, trimmed

1 Can Cream of Potato Soup

1 Onion, sliced and caramelized

3 slices Bacon cooked crispy and crumbled

Fresh Basil & Oregano

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Throw all ingredients together in casserole dish, cover and back at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until bubbly. Even the 12 year-old wolfed this down. Delicious!

It looks like the unknown chickens from the Hatchery are all roosters!

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