Old 2 New - Memories Get A New Life

The excitement shimmered in the cold January air. Hundreds of foot prints made a path in the deep blanket of snow to a rambling pole barn.  A wooden Indian greeted us at the door with the aroma of coffee, donuts, and a scent that only old things carry.  The low rumble of conversation filled the space with hope, desperation, and conspiracy.  People mingled around the room or floated like butterflies from table to table, caressing, examining, and taking notes.  It was a day date for my husband and I, and we were at an auction. 

Now, some of you might snicker over the location of our date. Truth be told, once upon a time, I would of too. Then this small town girl who was a wanna be city slicker, married a farm boy.  But we will be getting into that in some upcoming posts.  Back to the story.... er.... day date.  My hubby knew what he was doing and it is one of the fondest memories I keep close to my heart.

I love old things.  I love the mystery that the items are cloaked in..... Where did it come from? How was it made?  What was it's purpose? These are the questions running through my mind as I lightly trace my fingers over it's surface. There is usually something that calls to me. The patina of the wood, a gentle curve of a frame, or the heavy smooth weight of the piece.  I look at garage sales, I look at resale shops, and sometimes the side of the road.  But my favorite place is at a farm auction.  These are generations of pieces of somebodies lives.  They made a home with these items. They have witnessed the good and survived the bad.  And I can't wait to find out their story.

That day, as Farm Boy and I walked around, my vision was filled with a life time of collecting.  The previous owner had literately been a collector.  OF EVERYTHING. I watched people with notebooks biding and crossing things off the list.  Piles of bids won were being stacked in corners to sit under a watchful eye.  My stomach hurt as boxes full of treasures went for next to nothing.  Then the moment happened.... I raised my hand to bid. Never mind that my hubby was on the other side of the room watching a item of interest, or that I didn't even have a bidder's number.  All I remember is that it was a box full of pictures in a grouping with a very large (over the fireplace large) framed picture of a young woman. The scrapbook side of me was oohing and ahhing, while the family tree side was flipping out that someone was selling family photos. Well.... I won the bid. And then my pile started to grow. We left with a loaded down vehicle and lots to talk about. That was 2 years ago. I have since resold most of what we purchased and have Farmboy on the look out for more. NOT that I have to twist his arm to much, that man is an auctionoholic. lol. 

With my love of old things and natural inclination to create, I took it a step further this month. I have rented space at a local antique store. You can view my booth, along with all the others, at www.reincarnationresale.com.  

Till next time...... 

Let's START some seeds!

It's here, it's here! My honest to goodness favorite part of gardening. I am not sure if it is the mothering or the miracle of the act it's self but I LOVE to start seeds. Big ones, fat ones, small ones, odd ones.... they all make me feel the same. A jump up and down excitement to watch those perfect little sprouts take off and produce an abundance of food. The knowledge that I can do that, grow my own, makes me feel 10 feet tall. Or..... maybe it is just the word FOOD. Maybe that is the true reason, lol, because I am addicted to food. Not to mention all the VARIETIES that you can not buy from the big box stores.  I mean, this year alone I have 45 different heirloom tomatoes. That is right... 45 and I can't wait to try every single one of them.  The process itself is pretty simple. I built myself a grow stand. Now, you can buy one for a nice chunk of change from a few seed catalogs, or you can do like I did. Read on to find out how:

                                *Standard seed starting supplies. Seeds, dirt (seed starter is sterile), and a tray.

First  you start out with the basic seed starting supplies. You can use any seed starting mix of your preference. Seed starting mix is sterile, meaning germ less, to help give your little seedlings a head start. No fighting with fungus or weed seeds for these little guys. Make sure you dampen your soil as it will be as dry a dust. Water just enough until it cakes in your hand. Then fill up you trays. I like the peat moss or coconut husk variety. I can just plant it in the garden without disturbing the delicate roots of some plants.

                                  * Filling pots with dampened seed starting mix.

Then plant as normal. I usually place 2-3 seeds per pot and I will share with you why in a minute. Use a tool or the end of a pencil ( I do) to make sure your depth is close to accurate (lol). Follow the directions on your seed packet. Some seeds need light.... some need dark to germinate. Just follow the packet and you will be fine. I use duct tape on the outside of my flat to identify the varieties. And I make a paper list with a master seed list on the computer. I know...little over board, but if you know me, you would understand. : )

                         * Started Seeds with labels on tray. I even label the tray using the alphabet. 

Now onto my light stand. I use a general 5 tier metal baking stand. The metal style allows light to shine down between slates and heat to travel easier up. My lights are just plug in shop lights that are 4 ft long. I use a warm (soft) and a cool (white) light in each fixture to ensure a complete spectrum of light. That is it. There is two fixtures a tier and I use "S" hooks to raise and lower the fixture. They should come with chains. Make sure it is the plug in variety. And the only other thing is a heat mat on the bottom tier of the stand. My " greenhouse" is a finished room off the garage that I heat with a plug in heater set at 60 degrees. Between the lights, mat, and heater my room is general around 80 degrees during the day. When I turn my lights of at night it is around 60 degrees.

                                              * Grow Stand with young tomatoes.                                                                  

When about 60 - 80 percent of your seeds have germinated remove your dome (clear plastic top).  Then just water as needed until you have a full tray of seedlings.

 * Basil seedlings.

 

Now on to the reason I plant 2 - 3 seeds a pot. It is a very funny story now and receive a few chuckles on Facebook, but I wasn't laughing then. You would of thought I lost a loved one. My beautiful tomato plants were going great. All the seeds had germinated. I was so proud of myself. I had even pulled all but one seedling per pot like you are suppose too. It was sooooo HARD! Those little babies, that I mothered and loved, struggled to poke their tiny little heads out of the dirt. Each one capable of producing mass amounts of mouth watering deliciousness. And I am suppose to rip them out and compost them. UUHHHHH NOOOOOO, THANK YOU. But I did it. Unlike last year, when I tried and failed. I transplanted them. What was going to be 200 tomato plants turned into 400 plants. Yeah... .well, this year I had no problem ripping those suckers out and throwing them into the compost pile. I have started 1300 this time and NO WAY am I planting that many. lol. 400 was enough work, and I plan to sell the rest as plants at the market this spring. I had two tiers done and went about my day. That night, when I went in to check on everything, it looked like a war had gone on between the seed trays. There was dirt everywhere and drunken stumps, with holes dug all over the place. I just stared in disbelief! What the!?!? As the numerous animals in my yard and the possibilities of them doing this ran through my head, a clear as day picture came to mind. A picture of a cute fuzzy grey mouse with sad little black eyes. And I felt like he had just sucker punched me! I had seen evidence that I had a guest in my room, but I thought nothing of it. I live in the country, surrounded by fields. But he just ate my plants for a snack. Well.... I fixed him. I have a barn full of kitties and a few would love to be in a warm cozy dry room for a few nights. I think they ate him for a snack, because my plants are whole, and I haven't seen evidence of my guest anymore. As to my poor tomatoes, I just waited for the other 1-2 seeds that were late germinators to sprout and transplanted them. That is the reason to double plant, it is to ensure you have enough for what ever reason: say a mouse eats them. lol. Or you drop a whole tray because you are clumsy. Or you didn't know that your new baby ducks and chickens will EAT all things green. lol. Yup. So if you are anything like me, play it safe and OVER plant those babies.

                                                     *My grow stand with last years starters.

That is about it for my Seed Starting 101. Get out there and start growing your own food. Try some new varieties. Just remember to harden them off before you transplant them. We don't want all our blood, sweat, and tears to be for nothing.

Winter Seed Sowing - Give it a try.

I am very excited to try this for the first time. I attended a class taught by Monica Milla at the local community college. She is a master gardener and has additional information on her website www.thegardenfaerie.com. She also has a blog at www.fardenfaerie.blogspot.com.

The technique is simple, letting Mother Nature take its course. The basics are to start seeds in “mini” greenhouses, which are placed outside. That is it. The only maintenance is to ensure there is adequate moisture.  As the temperatures warm up the seeds will sprout. Removing the tape, you can vent the lid and when there is a set of true leaves, you can plant.  No hardening off, or extra supplies. Seeds that are self-sowing would be a great choice to start this way. Most veggies and annuals can be started too. It is also beneficial for those seeds that need stratification, as the temperatures highs and lows weaken the hard seed shell. I used the containers shown in the photos and trays with dome libs. For my first try I started: cone flowers, black eyed susans, poppies, dill, ornamental grasses, leeks, onions, kale, morning glories, peas, and a few others. I can hardly wait to see the first sprouts. lol.

First drill drainage holes in your containers, making sure to do top and bottom. Then cut your container open leaving about a 2 inch section to act as a hinge. The handle will not bend so make sure it is along a flat side. As you can see from the pictures, I used my hack saw. lol. If my hubby only knew what went on when he wasn't home. He would be afraid, VERY afraid. Fill your container with soil about 2 inches deep. Make sure to use a standard potting soil mix like Miracle Grow. Compost, seed starting soil, and top soil are either to light, or to heavy.  Sow your seeds, duct tape your seams closed to retain moisture and label your container. Viola. Put "mini" greenhouse outside where it can catch rain, snow, and sunshine. Check for condensation and sprouts. Have fun my fellow gardeners.

SNOW DAY!

As I write this, it sounds like I am entertaining the whole WWE circuit. I had plans to catch up on housework and start some seeds today. Nope, Nada, NOT going to happen…..  Because we had a SNOW DAY!  The wrestle mania howls, shrieks, body slams and bellows are my three yahoos. So between loads of laundry and refereeing, I pulled up a play-dough recipe on Pinterest. Success! Not only did my Hulk-O-Manias stay busy, but we came up with a few craft ideas for decorating their rooms. We made "fossils" with their favorite plastic animals. I plan to put them in a picture frame. The recipe was simple. We even “baked” ours to dry them out for painting.

 

Homemade Play-Dough

2 ½ c. Flour

2 TBSP Cream of Tartar

½ c. Salt

1 ½ c. Boiling Water

1 TBSP Oil

I put the tea kettle on as I mixed the dry ingredients. Used my Kitchen Aide with the paddle attachment and viola….. ready to use play-dough. I did not color this batch. You can use any food coloring. There were several recipes that used Kool- Aid or Jell-O to scent and color on Pinterest.  I will definitely use this again. Could be good activity for a rainy day.

 

 

Where is the Eggplant?





My family and I took a mini vacation. Our destination was built around an auction my hubby wanted to attend. As we traveled whining roads, with a breathtaking rural backdrop of large white square farmhouses, my children’s excitement grew. The first sighting of a black carriage being pulled by a single horse was amazing.  The game started of counting how many we passed before we arrived at the hotel. Sighs were long and loud as we entered a small town, only to be replaced with shouts of glee when we exited and came across more. As much as I will cherish these memories, none will mean more to me than “Where is the Eggplant?”.

We had spent the day traveling the area and enjoying Amish Country, when we stopped at a farm supply store. As we started to walk thru the aisles, two of my yahoos went missing. I called them and followed the tiny voices to a seed display.  I rounded the front of the display and my oldest is standing there holding two seed packets and asked “Where is the eggplant?”.  Now I know this doesn’t seem like much, but my little man is living with autism. At that moment, my eyes welling with tears, my heart about to split, all the hard work was justified. Why you might ask? Four years ago, Shag Bark Hickory Farms didn’t exist. There was just a stay at home mom who fought tooth, nail and stick to help give her son those words. If we couldn’t afford the therapy, I researched and then used it with him. The local library was my best friend.  And if the library was my best friend, the garden was my sanity. After a pretty rough time, I read an article about programing being dropped for young adults pertaining to work assistance. Thankfully Michigan is still one of the states with assistance past the age of 18, but who knows how long that will last. I want my sons to be productive members of society, able to support themselves and a family if God is willing. We were already generations of a farming family and I love…. No NEED… to garden.   So that is how SBHF came about. It was not easy. My time was now divided, and it became the subject of a few disagreements. Blame it on my Irish ancestry and the inherited stubbornness, but this was it. The one thing that makes work, well NOT work.  But last year when we moved to the five acre plot, self-doubt ran wild. I don’t know how many times I heard “I don’t wanna pick the tomatoes”…. Lol.   It became a family joke and made my stomach hurt at the same time. Was all this going to be worthless in the end?

As I write this, just days later, the moment still brings tears to my eyes.  My hubby is just shaking his head, giving me a look that clearly states I am certifiable. But he was holding two seed packets he had already chosen. One was carrots, understandable since his 4H project is rabbits. The other packet being his favorite fruit, was watermelon. He picked them out, with a desire to GROW seeds. Maybe..... I AM doing this right. Eggplant is a mystery to me,  on the whys. We couldn’t find a single packet on the racks that day, so he was disappointed when we left the store. But mom has that wonderful bucket full of seeds and will make darn sure he has some come planting time.

 

Let's Talk Squash

The middle of winter has arrived with blistery northern winds and subzero temperatures.   Apparently, 20 degrees was too warm of us here in Michigan. Mother Nature has turned down the thermostat and delivered an old fashion winter.  It has been a while since a true Michigan winter was upon us. Plans for a high tunnel have been postponed. Who wants to be out in 5 degree weather trying to hammer support rods into a frozen snow covered landscape. While I might be in love with winter, I do not LOVE the 5 degrees. I am very grateful for our corn furnace, chugging along keeping us toasty warm. With the cooler weather, my hands have been itching to create warm cozy creations. Quilting and Crocheting are my top choices, although felting is a skill I desire to learn. I have been earnestly working on my hubby to let me get a small flock of sheep. “It would be a great learning experience” has been my line of reasoning. I co-lead a 4H group with two of my children enrolled. When, in fact I just want to learn how to spin wool.  But on to the subject I had already promised. Let's talk squash.

I have to confess that squash is just not inspiring me at this moment. Lol. It might be the months of eating squash and trying to find new ways to cook with it. Stuffed squash, cubed squash, squash with brown sugar and marshmallow, breads, cakes, roasted squash, you name… I probably have cooked it. My Favorite Recipes board on Pinterest is loaded with squash recipes.  But I do have to say I love to grow squash. There are so many varieties out there.  There is summer squash and winter squash (think zucchini vs. pumpkins).  What most people do not know is there are four main squash species. You can grow one of each and not worry about cross pollination. Meaning, you can save seeds from each, and they will grow “true” to seed or produce the same squash again. For someone with limited space this is great news. For those who would like to learn more on the subject, I highly recommend “The Complete Squash” by Amy Goldman.  Squash is part of the Cucurbita family. I will abbreviate with C.

C. Pepo: Think summer squash. They are quick growing. Zucchini and Scallop varieties would be in this group. Although I grow them every year for the market, I love other varieties more. Pick a new zucchini this year, not the standard green or yellow. There are many more in a rainbow of hues.  Think French or Italian.

Fordhook Acorn: Small, tan, and ribbed. These cuties are 1 ½ lbs. with grainy mildly sweet flesh. Great shelf life.  Perfect for stuffing and individual servings.  Introduced in 1890 by Burpee.

Winter Luxury: I was impressed with this little baking pumpkin. Not only was it prolific (with very long reach), but it was covered with a web like netting. Very striking and unique. The flesh is smooth, sweet, and fiber – free. I liked it better than Amish Paste. The only down side is that it is not the best keeper.

Patisson Strie Melange: A French Scallop mix that is striped, warted, and sports many colors. Pick young to eat or let age to use as fall decorations. One of my favorites and receives a lot of attention at the market.

C. Maxima: These come in all shape and sizes. Hubbard, Buttercup, Mammoth and Turban are examples of this species of squash. I always have a hard time in this variety just selecting a few.

Galeux D’Ensines : A French baking pumpkin with gorgeous salmon colored skin covered in tan warts.  A true beauty that has become popular for fall decorations.  One of my favorites.

Guatemalan Blue Banana: This was a trial squash last year and my customers raved about it. The Banana group is noted for their fine table quality. Dark “Blue” with light stripes, thick firm golden flesh.  Can be sliced to bake or roast.

Blue Hubbard: This one comes large or mini. Either way they are unique. “Blue” with warted skin and the shape of what makes a Hubbard stand out. Fine grained yellow sweet flesh. Excellent quality.

C. Moschata: These would be your cheese pumpkins, butternuts, and other necked varieties. They tend to harvest later in my experience, but still well worth the wait.

Musquee De Provence: A cheese pumpkin for the South of France. Shaped like a wheel of cheese ripening from green to burnt sienna. Deep orange flesh is dense and of superb quality.

Seminole: I know I listed this in the previous blog, but it is that good.

Yokohama: The skin of this reminded me of black velvet. While the texture wasn’t there, the color was that amazing. Very flat, ribbed and dark-green with tan skin. Has a dry, fine-grained and sweet flesh. Another trial from last year that did great.

C. Mixta: With a limited seed list, this group has some interesting varieties including Cushaw. I have not ventured into this group much. I will strive to plant at least one new variety this year. Lol. There has also be a name change for this group, although not all the seed catalogs are reflecting it. C. Argyrosperma is the correct species.

Tennessee Sweet Potato: Beautiful pear-shaped fruit with white skin and faint green stripes.  Old descriptions in seed catalogs compare it to a sweet potato, but I think more like a regular potato.

Well, that just about covers the ins and outs for the squash world. All the listed varieties can be found in either the Seed Savors Exchange or Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds websites or catalogs. Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Until next time,

Christi Kotus

As the Snow Flies

As the snow flies, the mercury drops and we huddle in our cozy sweaters. It is winter in my little corner of Michigan. There is a white blanket of frozen-ness covering the world out my window. Yes, frozen-ness. Everything is frozen, waiting to be awakened in spring, snuggly blanketed by white fluffy insulation. Some might find this dreary, and wish for this season to pass. Not I! Blame it on my Canadian ancestry or my love of gardening, but winter is enchanting to me. The quiet stillness of a landscape washed anew with a gentle snow fall. The nose pressed to the glass anticipation of waiting for the mailman to deliver small bundles of wonder containing thousands of seeds. Curling up in my favorite spot with a cup of hot tea, dreaming of spring. And it's when I plan my garden for the next year.

For those who are just getting to know me.... my garden is five acres. Five acres of dirt stomping, vine growing, bug exploring, soul soothing GOODNESS. And it falls under the name of Shag Bark Hickory Farms. I am already excited about the 2013 year. My seed bucket is FULL of those little packets of miracles and my wish list is still to many pages long. lol. I mean..... I ONLY have 5 acres. That's not a whole lot for a lady like me. See, I have a love affair with them all. The squash, tomatoes, melons, beans (fresh and dry)... you name it. But they all have one thing in common. They are heirloom seeds. What is an heirloom? The long and short of it: It is what your grandma would of grown in her garden. And her mother, and her mother.... and so on. I am not going to get on a soap box about the benefits verses hybrid seeds, but I will share that it is personal. I have three beautiful children and two have Autism. My way of coping with the first diagnoses was to research, research, research. There are some real concerns about our food supply. I was unaware. So imagine my surprise the first summer I planted a heirloom tomato. I fell in love. There is nothing like the mouth watering goodness of a vine ripend heirloom tomato, still warm from the sun. The love grew from there to squash, then to melons. This year I am fascinated with radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, and anything French. Let me share with you some of my favorite varieties.

Purple Tomatoes: Smoky with a hint of citrus, wonderful. Nyagous was my favorite last year. Roasted, it was absolutely heaven. Made such sweet sauce, my oldest was caught eating it out of the pot.

Currant Tomatoes: These little bits of pure flavor burst in your mouth. There are thousands of them on a single plant.

Ancho Peppers: Also smoky. Wonderful in chili or any dish you would like to spice up.

Seminole Pumpkin: (C.moschata) Sweet dry flesh in a small package. Prolific with great pest resistance. A must grow. Wild in the Everglades.

Butternut Rogosa Violina "Gioia": (C. moschata) Italian type, violin shaped with wrinkled tan skin. Deep sweet orange flesh, great for baking. This one surprised me. I didn't expect it to be 3 ft. long. Late, but well worth the wait.

Dwarf Blue Curled Leaf Kale: Hearty deep blue green leaves with a mounding habit. Gorgeous for an edible garden as a boarder plant. Still going in our 20 degree Michigan weather.

Plum Granny or Queen Anne's Pocket Melon: Bland in flavor but makes up for it in fragrance! Beautiful ornamental with history as being used in pockets for perfume. Tigger and Rich Sweetness are similar with flavorful sweet flesh.

Prescott Ford Blanc Melon: Unique French Melon. Ribbed with warts, bumps and grey-green skin that ripens to straw. First mentioned in 1860's, but probably older. Nothing like it when picked at perfection.

Rotonda Bianca Sfumata Di Rosa Eggplant: Mild and delicious large Italian. Round with rose-pink blush. Beautiful.

I could go on and on. Did I mention my seed bucket was full? But there will be other blogs and lots of weeks before planting to tell you about them. My most ear-tagged seed catalogs are:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company

www.rareseeds.com

Seed Savors Exchange

www.seedsavorsexchange.org

Next week: The different classifications of squash with a few of our favorites of each. Check out Shag Bark Hickory Farms on facebook. We have weekly recipes, specials, and market information. Find me on Pinteret with boards for the Farmer's Market, Shag Bark Hickory Farms and many others. Not only do I love gardening, but I like to craft and refurbish.

Until next time,

Christi Kotus