As the snow melts.....

......spring does start to show up

The Rhubarb is showing off it's love of spring's cool weather and starts to pop up.  Course around the rest of the yard you see the grass starting to poke through the remaining snow but here in this garden that gets full sun we see the rhubarb is growing.  I am wondering if I need to cover them or just let them do their own thing as they seem to be doing ok just as they are

 Mean while in the greenhouse signs of spring are popping up everywhere.  In there the snow never covers the ground but the melting snow does water it.  Here you can see the garlic chives starting to grow.

Here the apple mint is fighting with while clovers for growth.  Looks like the mint is winning but you never can tell with those pesky clovers.

So what is showing off it's spring growth in your garden?

HEGT - June 2012

A few days late but here we go....it's time for the June edition of the Harvesting Edible Garden Tour.  Every month on the 21st (supposed to be anyways) we gather together around the blog table and read what everyone is harvesting that month.  Since I started the Farmers Market I harvest herbs every week and this month the 21st landed on Market day.  But that doesn't mean I didn't take pictures of what I was harvesting.....so fresh from the Market here is what Irish Gardens harvested this week.....actually all month.

Ok so the Rhubarb I didn't harvest all month just Thursday.  From left to right the herbs are:
Sage
Mint
Dill
Rosemary
Lemon Balm
Chocolate Mint
Marjoram
Chives
Oregano
Basil
Rhubarb

So what do you have that you can harvest in your garden?  Any veggies out there?  Add your post to the link below so others can visit and see whats harvesting around the blog table.

Harvest before the storm

 This morning I went "shopping" in my greenhouse and kitchen garden.  Here you can see Rhubarb,Garlic Chives, and Cucumbers.  That wasn't all that was harvested though.

 Nope I also got the last of the pea's off the vine.  Not a whole lot this year but thats ok with me. But the harvest shopping spree didn't stop there.

 From left to right front row is Basil, Rosemary, Pesto  Basil.  And in the back row is Variegated Mint.  Talk about a nice smelling cutting board.  But that wasn't all I picked up.

Nope a big pile of Lemon Balm.  Now that is some strong smelling herbs there.  My kids smelled it from another room.

I harvested early this morning as it's the best time to harvest herbs but some days I also harvest in the evening after the heat of the day.  Today my evening harvest time was stormy.  So it looks like Mother Nature truly did read my blog and gave me and the gardens some very much needed rain.  I just hope that she doesn't go over board and give us too much rain like last month.

Oh well rain is rain and it is needed.

KinderGARDENS - Giving the kids the camera

Welcome back to KinderGARDENS, a weekly post hosted by The Inadvertent Gardener.  This weeks assignment was to give the kids the camera. Telling my two about this they wondered why.  I just told them that we want to see the garden through their eyes.  So here are just a few of the pictures that Shannon and Aiden took....with an explanation as best I can get.

To start us off we will go with Shannon's pictures.

Silly face but taken by herself.  Shannon is holding a Rhubarb leaf.

 Another silly face with the Hyacinth Bean plant

 A very cool picture she took of a Pumpkin flower.

Shannon picked some blackberries and took a quite clear picture of them.

So now that we have seen the talents of my 8 year old lets see what Aiden guy my 4 year old did.

Aiden although only 4 did quite well at getting clear pictures.

 Lemon balm taken quickly yet clearly.

 He made me do it.  I didn't want to pose or get a picture taken but he asked so nicely.

 Running all over the yard Aiden was very selective as to what he chose to take a picture of.  He insisted on this one much like the picture of me.

Yesterday he asked Shannon and I to pose with buddy.  Shannon suggested to do so in front of one of the gardens to keep with the post theme.  Buddy didn't want to look at the camera but thats ok.  Still a good picture.

So thats my contribution to KinderGARDENS for this week.  Stop on over to The Inadvertent Farmer and see what others posted.  Kids are talented.

Harvesting Edible Garden Tour - June 21, 2011

Another month has passed by and brings us right back to the 21st.  A day in which I like to show off what I have harvested this past month.  Today is also the beginning of Summer.  Given the fact that it has been increasingly warm the past few weeks my harvest tally is up.  So on to a few pictures of what I have been harvesting...take a walk through the gardens with me.

We will start our tour at the Garage Garden area.  Where pea's, beans, and corn are growing.

 The peas are climbing and happy.  Buds are making way to fat yummy pods full of peas

 Not much I know but hey it's the first harvest of the pea season.





Next we will travel West to the Strawberry bed.

 The white strawberry plants I started from seed are very happy in their new home.  The strawberry bed has blooms popping up all over.  These pretty guys are just about ready.

The will never turn red.  White strawberry plants lack a chemical that allows them to ripen to red.  They grow green like all strawberries do but then slowly turn white.  Only 3 so far but hey it's just the first year.



Continuing our Westward travel we will head into the Greenhouse to see what's harvesting in there.

Along the south wall we see Rhubarb happily growing and soaking up the sun.

Big leaves that were able to grow basically bug free.  Healthy red stalks ready for freezing.

In the center isle we see the Mint.  Famous for growing fast.  It seems every other week it looks like it needs trimming.

This harvest went to the gardens.  Because it grows so fast and I only need just so much of this I like to spread it around sometimes.  I like to take the cuttings and just kinda toss them into some of the garden beds to help with bug control.


Outside the greenhouse the extension garden and Vine bed are growing well but nothing to harvest yet. So we will head South for a little bit and check out the Arbor.

The water fountain that sits under the Grape arbor has now become a home for Alpine Strawberries.  I thought it would look cool to see the runners falling over the fountain as water does.  Of course this variety doesn't seem to produce runners but thats ok.

Because it did produce 1 very nice looking juicy strawberry.



Heading North-West now we go around the corner of the house and see the Kitchen Garden.  Where more corn is growing along with Broccoli and Cauliflower.

After last years failed attempt at growing broccoli I finally got one growing.

It may have been small and only one but who cares.  I got one to grow.  I may have waited a little too long to harvest this one as it seems that it was almost to the flowering stage.

So I hope you enjoyed the quick tour of IrishGardens and come back soon.  What is Harvesting in your neck of the world?    I would love to read about it.  Make a post and add your link.  Come back later and take a tour of another garden.

Harvest Memorial Monday

Harvest Monday this week is also Memorial Day.  Thanks to all those who have gone before and served our country to keep is safe and free.

Herbs and Rhubarb were harvested yesterday adding my Mint harvest list to well a lot.  The round basket has wilting Chocolate Mint and the Square basket has wilting Spearmint.  I say wilting as it was hot and buy the  time I took the picture they were indeed wilting making it look like there is more room in the basket than there was.

Stop on by Daphne's Dandelions and see who else is harvesting this Memorial Day.

Thriving Thursday - Perennials

Spring has finally and officially come to Irishladysgarden.  Half way through April and Finally something to truly post about.  Ok so thats not true as I always find something to post about.  Today is Thriving Thursday and it's all about Perennials.  Specifically I want to see all the signs of life outside the home.  Tree's budding things like that.  If it is something you planted even better.

So for my entries:

The Lilac tree in the front yard next to the driveway is looking very green today.  Just looking up at the branches made me smile.

Not a flower or tree but a perennial indeed.  My Rhubarb takes center stage in my edible kitchen garden as a perennial back for it's second year.  I can just taste the strawberry-rhubarb jam I made last year from this planting.

A forest?  No it's carrots.  The carrots that over wintered in the Greenhouse have begun to grow like weeds again.

One of the trees we planted last year - A Sargent Crabapple.  A lot more leaves this year course it is another year older.  This guy measures in at 20" so he was in and out of the snow all winter but did have a car port land on him.
He is truly a thriving tree after that fiasco.

My Pink Rose bush that was featured a lot last year here because of it beautiful flowers has woken from it's winter nap and is quickly growing new leaves.

The Lilac tree we planted at the same time as the Crabapple is also showing signs of it's survival from our harsh winter.  This guy is only 6" tall so he was burried under all the snow the whole time.


Now it's your turn.  Show off the spring that is in your yard.  Add your post's link to mrlinky below and post a comment.  Come back and see who else joined in and what they are posting about.

Rhubarb Part 4 - The taste test....the best part

Now for the best part of this whole evolution...The taste test. I placed lables on all the Jars so we know the date they were made. The Melbby part was because it was made by me (Melissa) and the Rhubarb was from the gardens of Melissa and Debby (my mom).

After hearing the small pop and air being sucked in here is what the Jam looks like now. It smelled wonderful and it was more solid than when first placed in the Jar.

We popped a few slices of bread in the toaster and then spread the Jam on... ...mmmmmmmm looks good.

Shannon trying the first bite of our first Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam. She loved it and so did the rest of us. We brought 2 Jars to my Mom....had to as she helped supply the ingredients, and we even gave one to the neighbors. For my first attempt at making a Jam I am very very pleased with the results.

Rhubarb part 3 - Making the Jam

Step one....the ingredients. For me it was Strawberries, Rhubarb, 1/4 cup water and the Fruit Pectin. Once my Jars were to the boiling point I turned these guys on to start. The Rhubarb has been washed and cut. A few along with some strawberries sat in the fridge with a little sugar over night only cause I had to wait for the remaining Rhubarb...(I didn't have enough so my Mom gave me some of hers). Most recipies want crushed strawberries but as I found out while cooking the bigger slices of strawberry were the last to disapear. The strawberries if crushed would have been done way before the Rhubarb would.

Ahhhh Rhubarb stew....As you can see the strawberries are starting to disapear. This is good.

After they reached the boiling point and most of the strawberries were gone it was time to add the sugar. The recipie called for 5 1/2 cups but I thought that was way too much so I just did 3 and almost a 1/2. At this point you need to be constantly stiring. Once boiling again keep the boil hard for 1 min...this just means you want a good hot Jam.

The Jam is done cooking time to add to the Jars. Remove only one Jar at a time to make it easier....remember they are hot. Fill the jar up to the hight recomended....for me it was 1/4" from the top of the rim.

Next make sure that your rim is clean and has nothing on it and place a hot lid on top. Add the band and either set a side till all Jars are filled or place back into the pot of boiling Jars.

This step is interesting. Not all Jams or other canning items need this step. In fact I found some recipies that didn't need this step for this Jam. But regardless this is what I did. Once all the Jars were filled and lids and bands on they were all places back into the pot the Jars were cooked in and once again brought to a boil for 10 min.

After the 10 min was up it was time to remove the Jars and set aside to cool. It is hard to see in this picture but in the back row the Jar on the left in the center of the lid you should see a little bump but the one just to it's left doesn't. As the jars cool you should hear a small pop as the center bump is sucked in. Once the Jars are cooled to room temperature you should test this. If the lid depresses when you apply pressure it has not sealed yet but if it doesn't then you are good to go. They won't all seal at the same time....but it is kinda cool to hear them go. When you open one of the Jars that is sealed you may or may not hear a pop but at least you should hear air. After opened the lid center will depress...at this point it is good.