Welcome December?

Is it possible that it is really December?  The weather here being so lovely and warm, makes me feel like, Halloween should only be next week.  I am so confused 🙂

I suppose it is a good confusion, since I am still gathering out of my garden regularly.  Although, there is warning of cold moving in, and great wind outside whipping back and forth as I type.  The tomato vines have crawled way up into trees.  So, I will have to collect a huge box of green tomatoes, and close them up, hoping they will ripen up on their own with the help of their own gas (ethylene?).

We have enjoyed some of the most delicious turnips this week.  Sweet and delicious in every way.  Do I hear rain?  Oh my, I think so.  Excellent news for the continuous stream of wildflower seeds and poppies I have tossed into the dirt.  Poppies need a cold snap.

Cool weather vegetables are growing, making my heart so full and happy…

I have two varieties of lettuce right now, which I collect almost every night for dinner.  Whilst broccoli, cabbage and spinach grow and grow.  Oh and brussels sprouts too, yummmmm!  I love to eat vegetables.  Mmmmmm…

Our garden project out back is officially complete, and ready for more planting.  Both Mister Lovee and I have put in lots and lots of hard work.  We dug down many many inches, in each bed, and lined them so no gophers can get in and steal my growings.  A huge endeavor, but one you only have to do once, which has grand benefits.

I dug out most of the beds, Lovee perfected them and lined them, then put the dirt back in plus manure and compost soil.

I love team work.

It took me a long time to learn how to be a good team member, as I normally take over and do everything myself.  Growing to a place where I can be open to being a team member is huge for a rotten sort such as myself 😉

We have 8 beds in our expanded vegetable garden, and Mister Lovee enclosed the perimeter with chickenwire, to keep the rabbits out.  I am soooo thankful to him!!

I can't wait for spring planting!

Right now however…

I am collecting huge quince for jam making (although the rodents took off with a lot of them), turnips, bell peppers, habanero chilies, lemons, tomatoes and beloved flat leaf parsley.  A huge staple in my cooking.  This parsley is not bitter and stinky.  It is mild, with a bite of sweetness, much like honey, at the end.  It has self seeded itself to become a big part of the garden, growing in many places.

The garden has grown, and has integrated itself into our lives in a deeper way.  Easily, lovingly, beckoning us…

Gifting. 

Not just edibles and flowers, but peace and time for reflection.

Plus, some hard physical work, for good measure.

There is nothing that adds a skip to my step, and a giggle to my overall demeanor, than a basket full of little collections from our own parcel of earth.

This is a perfect time to start planning and reading up on gardening for spring, if you are interested?  Container gardening is quite rewarding also.  You can even have a little herb garden on your kitchen counter if you don't have a place for pots or planting in the ground.

I remember in the 70's (from photos) and 80's (from experience), almost every house I went into had an abundance of houseplants.  Creeping Charlies crawling all over the place.  Pots in window sills, on counters.  I miss seeing that in more homes these days.  Do you keep houseplants?

One thing that caught my attention when I first met Mister Lovee, was his enormous collection of potted plants.  Lots of interesting cacti and succulents.  I think I need to add more green to my inside world.

The herbs that do really well in pots for me, are mint and rosemary.  The mint loves to be kept moist, the rosemary wants to be well drained.

Funny lil' group photo –

Tree Stump, giant squash, rosemary, bell pepper.

Oh and, if you are lucky, you will find a rogue pumpkin here and there, still…

Warm sunshine, orbs of light…

But, lets not forget my favorite spot to graze in…

The nasturtium patch…

One of my favorite edible flowers, that nasturtium.

I eat the flowers and the leaves.  I am crazy about the leaves.  They have this faint wasabi-ish horseradish bite at the end.  I can't get enough.  I was thinking about making sushi, and rolling some in nasturtium leaves instead of seaweed.  Must give it a go.

I know some of you love the seeds pickled, I can't wait to try this!

My sweetie below (one of my sweeties), as the sun sets to the west…

He is after any mice he might find in those long tubes (he never finds any).  He moves them all over the yard, even though they are about 20 feet long.

Crazy little mad dog, whom has my heart in the palm of his paw….

Off I go, to see what the winds bring.  I already spent 3 hours out there tending to blowing things.  But I hear more nature chaos as I type…

See you sooooon!

 

Love, V

 

 

 

 

ps:  One of my greatest obsessions is watching old episodes of The Victorian Kitchen Garden (that, and the Two Fat Ladies).  I shared this glorious episode here with you in the past.  I was going to share January with you today, but I will save it for January.  Instead, I will share this one below.  At about 4 minutes into the video below, you will be gifted with extra wonderful old photos and tales…