Yippee it’s Burpee time!
Y’all know what time it is? Yes, it’s still winter, but …… this is the time to start thinking about starting those seeds for planting this spring. The hubs and I have started taking inventory of which seeds we need to replenish, making plans on what we are and aren’t going to grow this year, how and when we are going to plant, well, you know, all that good stuff.
This is what we bought last year. We tried a few new items last year and quickly learned they do not do well in our soil. So, we are marking off Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and Broccoli. We are also marking off Sweet Banana Peppers and replacing them with Pepperoncini and Jalapeno; they seem to sell better at the Farmers Market.
And here is a comprehensive, well maybe not comprehensive, but a list, of what we will be adding to our other list. Notice some things have been marked out; that’s because we already have these seeds on hand so no need to buy more.
I would like to companion plant this year but the hubs thinks it’s too much trouble. What do y’all think? Should we? If you think yes then please help me convince him by leaving a comment and I’ll make sure and read it to him! Thanks Y’all.
Also, if you have any questions about seeds or gardening just ask. We will be glad to answer your questions to the best of our knowledge.
Okay, now get out and get to planning and get ready for planting!
God Bless,
Dana
Can You Put a Price On Knowning Where Your Food Comes From? Is Gardening Worth It?
Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Posted by Dana
As gardening season comes to a close I am reminded of all the harvest I have canned for feeding my family though the winter months.
I have canned green beans, squash, kraut, tomatoes and pickles. I have in my freezer many, many bags of corn and cabbage.
Is it worth it all the hard work and labor that is put into knowing where my food comes from? My answer, a resounding ABSOLUTELY!
And I am not the only one that feel this way. A very dear friend of mine, Mrs. Tangi Wheet, feels the same way. As a matter of fact, she is the inspiration for this post.
She writes …..
Is gardening worth it? Can you put a price on knowing where your food comes from?
Well, for kicks and giggles, let’s do a little math. I will not count labor, because I don’t know how long I have spent out there, but I enjoy it so much, that “labor” is way too severe of a word.
Actually, for me it would be therapy, so that’s MORE savings, right? What is therapy running? $100 an hour?
Anyway– We put in $42.36 into our garden. That includes seeds, tomato plants, jute string, and weed barrier.
To date, we have picked close to 300 lbs of organic produce from it. Just this morning I have picked 32.8 lbs of organic tomatoes that would have cost us about $60 at market or grocery store.
Is gardening worth it? At the Wheetshire, without a doubt!
Here are a few pics of her beautiful garden and her bountiful harvest.
Tangi is a beautiful, talented, Christian woman (whom also happens to have a green thumb) and I am proud to call her my Sister-in-Christ!
Hopefully, I will be able to share more of her talent in the very near future.
Canning season has started!
Whew, have I been busy or what? Last week was busy, busy, busy, which made for very – long – days!
Not only did we have revival going on at church but my Aunt Peggy called me last Monday morning and told she has some Roma (green) beans that I could have I just needed to come pick them.
Break green beans into bites sized pieces. The good thing about Roma’s is they are stringless. So they are so easy to break.
So, Tuesday morning I was up bright and early (5:30) to be at her house by around 6ish pick a bushel of Roma’s.
I was so excited to get the beans. But picking them was not fun! I forgot to take me a bucket to sit on while picking so I had to do a lot of squatting and bending over. And let me tell you I felt every bit of it over the next couple of days!
But, the end result of fresh from the garden green beans was well worth the effort and pain, not to mention the corn she offered up, all I needed to do was come get it!
That I would get later in the week (Friday morning)!
Wednesday morning was another early morning as I had to arise early to start the process of canning green beans. Only to find out that I couldn’t find my lids for my jars. They were NOWHERE to be found. I looked every where I thought I could have possibly stored them, NOTHING!
This prompted a trip to Wal-Mart before I could even get started on my beans. So, off to Wal-Mart I go,
……….. on a Wednesday morning,
……….. the day when the residents from the local retirement homes make their weekly trip to Wal-Mart!
It was a sweet experience!
So, I finally make it back home and start on the beans again, a late start, but I was finally ready to go …………… so I thought!
I was confronted with another dilemma. I don’t have a pressure canner so I have to borrow one from my mother and I had forgotten to get this from her. So what did I have to do, that’s right make a 20 minute trip (one way) to her house to get the canner.
Now it’s already going on dinner time and I was planning on being close to being done with canning my beans by this time! Ha!
I get the canner and head back home.
Finally, I can get something done.
I got done canning my beans around 8:3o Wednesday night!
Thursday morning I was going to try to sleep in ….. Nope, didn’t happen. Had to go to my garden to harvest my crops. Got plenty of squash, zucchini, cucumbers, radishes and broccoli.
Now to catch up on some laundry that had been pushed to the wayside.
Oh, did I mention, I hate to do laundry! Well, I do! I will do anything else I possibly can to keep from doing laundry!
I know, I know, it has to be done, especially if we want clean clothes, but I really, really do not like doing laundry!
Anyway, Friday morning arrived and I was ready to go! Out of bed around 5:00.
Washed my cucumbers and put them in a brine to get started on some sweet pickles.
Was at Aunt Peggy’s around 6:20 to pick up corn. Got it!
Headed to my mother’s house after a quick stop at the Dollar Market for freezer bags.
My mother and I shucked, silked and cut off the cob about 140 (we had 150 or so, but I froze some of it on the cob) ears of corn.
Back home to cook the corn. Got it cooked and ready to cool before bagging.
Supper then church.
Got my corn bagged and in the freezer! My day ended around 10:30!
Saturday morning, time to do more laundry.
Did I mention, I hate doing laundry! Well, I do!
Now I am working on getting the process of canning and freezing green beans and corn posted on the website. Hopefully, I will have that posted in by Thursday or Friday.
So, keep watching for it! Everyone have a great and blessed day!
southerngalscook.com 
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