green bean canning

 As you can tell from my latest posts gardening occupies much of my time. I do receive satisfying joy being and working in my gardens.  Organic vegetable gardening has been our goal for some time and we are working very hard to make it happen, but we realize at the beginning of the process it does not always produce the prolific abundance we remembered our gardens of past years producing (this was over twenty years ago). It is a definite challenge but an equally definite interest to make our soil fertile  while  maintaining pest control without the use of chemicals. 

Today was not my first green bean picking, but it was the first time I had enough to preserve with canning.

Today hollered summer with the heat and humidity, therefore, keeping hydrated was important as I picked my beans. I carried along a jar of iced water with a spurt of lemon balm tincture which refreshed nicely.

This winter when pressure canning was still a dream, I ordered a new pressure canner since mine was rather old and I felt it needed some attention and might not be as safe as I would prefer. I bought mine here, it holds four quarts at a time which is perfect for my canning needs.

I have never owned or used a canner like this one one and it appeared a bit intimidating at first with the screw lock knobs, but as far as the  steam and weight it works just like my other canner.

lavender joy

The bumble bees

love my lavender

They’re on it all the time

Drinking up the pollen

when the weather is sublime.

It felt as if I was a thief of sorts, cutting the lavender stems as I was one morning. The bees swayed and dipped on the profusely blooming lavender. If I were a bee I would most certainly choose the nectar of lavender too as I swayed and dipped drinking lavender juice. This year has been a joy to this particular lady gardener as I had not been able to find a happy lavender spot for over 20 years until now. That is a long time to wait to have a happy lavender growing garden. 

Lavender requires certain things to make it flourish. Well-drained soil, even rocky, and limestone enriched soil also helps lavender to grow strong.

 During the warm afternoons we are sipping... what am I saying?... drinking heartily, lavender lemonade tea. First, you make a lavender syrup by taking 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Bring this to boil adding 1 cup lavender blooms. As soon as it boils put a lid on your pan and allow to steep for about 10 minutes or so, strain all lavender from your syrup. Add this to freshly brewed black tea and lemonade to taste.

The lavender syrup should be stored in the refrigerator.

• It always seems to me as if the lavender was a little woman in a green dress, with a lavender bonnet and a white kerchief. She’s one of those strong, sweet, wholesome people, who always rest you, and her sweetness lingers long after she goes away. ― Myrtle Reed

march & april & may

 Due to the course of things and the months squeezing in terribly wonderful ways, my own remedy is to create one blog post to embrace the months of March, April and May. Here is my attempt at the highlights keeping in mind I do this as a means for my own form of posterity. And yes, I am posting this the last week of June, of course, though it was began in April!

MARCH

During one of Ivy's spring break days we spent a great deal of time in the woods and then came back to a snack of popcorn, cheese, and warm tea enjoyed outside. She loved borrowing my Canon Rebel camera to take pictures of me😊.

A small gathering of young ladies and mothers for an overnighter beginning with pizza on Friday and ending on Saturday afternoon with a high tea.

Some days in March were unbelievable cold, others were unbelievably warm. On those days of warm temperatures I could not resist taking a little time for tea and stitching on the quilt I began this winter. It is sewn using the fabric of my fathers' pajamas, the ones I inherited when he died in February 2011. During the move I found a bag of his pjs that I intended for creating a lap quilt. This was the winter to make it. I did the piecing on the sewing machine, but the true delight was in the hand stitching on cold winter evenings by the fire.

APRIL

                               Resurrection Sunday gathering

Drying dandelion blossoms for making salve and continuing with  a calendar of firsts journal.

 Embellishing with cast-on flowers and an initial for one of Violet's summer dresses.

And a pair of boots to keep the spring mud off my feet!

Practicality is the key.

MAY

A trip to Louisville to gather Charlotte and her things for coming home during the summer months. This was taken on the walking bridge between Kentucky and Indiana.

A decided place composed in the front lawn to plant a variety of zinnias, calendulas, and sunflowers one bright morning in order that I may enjoy composed moments when they bloom.

An evening watching Breanna dance...oh, how I loved those times of my life with my own children performing, and now I am watching my granddaughter's performance.

Last but not least, on the 29th Charlotte entered into the second decade of her life. Twenty candles were lit with family and friends gathered to celebrate. When she was born I remember thinking how old I would be when she turned twenty. She is twenty...but surely I am not that old!

the garlic harvest

 I sat outside on a little cane -seated blue chair at the edge of the patio preparing my cured garlic for storage. It was early enough in the morning not so hot, a gentle breeze whispering and  the sound of the farmer's tractor cutting his hay field could be heard. A cutting board sat on my lap, a pair of scissors in my hand and a rag to wipe off any excess dirt before laying the bulbs in the basket at my feet, some of which will be placed within a mesh bag and hung in the pantry for future use.

Back late last summer I ordered my garlic from Mad River Garlic Growers in Ohio, deciding on the Italian Purple and Doghouse varieties. I'm now dreaming of the next growing season  and am tentatively deciding on growing some other varieties.  This was a good company, they provided helpful growing tips and mailed the garlic bulbs at the correct planting time within your region.

These particular photos were taken about three weeks ago when I harvesting my garlic and hung it in the shed to cure.

"There is no such thing as a little garlic." 

                                                                             ~Arthur Baer