Hence, no updates because there are no pictures.
And it couldn't be at a worse time! Everything is coming up and looks amazing. But what I really love is the smell. A garden has different scents throughout the year and my favorite is the Spring Scent. The earth gives off a musty, damp smell and the newly blooming flowers (in my case lavender, white lilac, and some crazy red flower/shrub) give off the most amazing aroma. It just smells alive.
I planted 3 heirloom apple trees last week - pearmain, suntan and a pippin cross - as well as a Santa Rosa plum. All 4 of the are beginning to bud out. In fact, the plum has very defined green leaves already. Not too shabby for what I thought was a dead bundle of sticks when I opened the box. If you have a desire to plant fruit trees, I suggest checking out http://www.treesofantiquity.com. They had a wonderful selection and the prices were very fair.
As the month winds to a close, I'm hoping that the bees will be installed and I'll finally have a real fence built around the chicken run. But as is the way with an active garden - there are always more plans and changes then time to do them in...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
What's in the box? Mushrooms!
I'm a mushroom lover. As a kid, I looked forward to spring so I could head out with my grandpa morel mushroom hunting. I loved wondering around the forest, pushing leaves around with my stick and trying to find the biggest mushroom.
So imagine my joy about 3 months ago when Finn and I found 2 mini-morel mushrooms growing in our backyard. Despite my childhood knowledge, I couldn't bring myself to eat them out of fear that they were possibly false morels. If only we could grow our own mushrooms...
And then - kismet! Two months ago I found a cardboard box at the garden store that promised I could grow mushrooms at home, if i just bought and brought it home. Since I can't hunt mushrooms, I could grow them! Awesome!
Per instructions, we had to wait until at least Feb. 9 to open it. So, for a few weeks, the mushroom box sat on my laundry room counter completely sealed so it didn't become contaminated.
Finally, about 2 weeks ago, David and the boys mixed up the contents of the box, watered it well, and sat it out of direct sun and ambient light in an area of at least 65 degrees.
And now we have mini-portabella mushrooms! They're doubling in size daily and should be ready for harvesting sometime next week.
For the record, if you ever want to hunt some of the best morel mushrooms in the world, head to Mesick, Michigan - Morel Mushroom Capital of the World and my preferred stomping ground.
So imagine my joy about 3 months ago when Finn and I found 2 mini-morel mushrooms growing in our backyard. Despite my childhood knowledge, I couldn't bring myself to eat them out of fear that they were possibly false morels. If only we could grow our own mushrooms...
And then - kismet! Two months ago I found a cardboard box at the garden store that promised I could grow mushrooms at home, if i just bought and brought it home. Since I can't hunt mushrooms, I could grow them! Awesome!
Per instructions, we had to wait until at least Feb. 9 to open it. So, for a few weeks, the mushroom box sat on my laundry room counter completely sealed so it didn't become contaminated.
Finally, about 2 weeks ago, David and the boys mixed up the contents of the box, watered it well, and sat it out of direct sun and ambient light in an area of at least 65 degrees.
And now we have mini-portabella mushrooms! They're doubling in size daily and should be ready for harvesting sometime next week.
For the record, if you ever want to hunt some of the best morel mushrooms in the world, head to Mesick, Michigan - Morel Mushroom Capital of the World and my preferred stomping ground.
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