From Sow True:
From Southern Exposure Seed Exchange:
Arkansas Little Leaf Pickling Cucumber
And I have planted Georgia Southern Collard seeds from Botanical Interests.
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I don’t really care for fresh cucumbers. I don’t hate ’em. There is no spit-that-out-it’s-nasty reaction. I just tend to eat around them in salads. But, I do love them pickled. My paternal grandmother’s sweet pickles are the best in the world, hands down. But, pickling in general is a new trick I am learning.
I have a coworker who is a pickling god and he has inspired me to experiment. I have pickled jalapeños and banana peppers and those have turned out well. (Equal parts vinegar and water, boiling poured into jars stuffed with peppers, lidded and flipped over to seal as they cool.)
A couple of years ago, I saw pictures online of some bitty cucumbers that look like thumb-size watermelons. On investigation, I learned that they are called Mexican sour gherkins. I got a packet of seeds and Chuck put them in one of the raised beds this summer.
Two important things to know about these cucumbers. One, they are climbers. Two, they will consume your garden given half a chance. They tried to eat the bed they were in and when I tried to lift them up to some bamboo poles that Ursula brought me, they were putting out extra roots. Next year, they get something to climb on from the beginning.
When I tried pickling them, I didn’t take the tininess into consideration. I turned them into sweet pickle raisins. And, no, you cannot use those little rocks for anything. I think that if I will put boiling sweet pickle solution on them and leave them a little while, they will work.
I did make dill pickles with them and they are tasty. I stuck a couple of cloves of garlic in a couple of half pint jars that I had filled with whole cucumbers, shook about a tablespoon of dried dill in each one and poured boiling 50% vinegar over them. A couple of weeks later, I took a jar to my dad and we tried them out.
Yum.
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I harvested turmeric yesterday and gave a piece to Trey for his sunroom.
August 29 plus 265 days equals what? Middle of May? Ginger should be ready then.
Turmeric in a pot -
http://www.featureshoot.com/2014/09/walter-schels/
This man decided to confront his fear of death by taking pictures of patients in hospice before and after their deaths. It’s very moving.
We try not to talk about dying and I think we do ourselves a disservice by that avoidance. I believe we need to discuss allowing people ways to opt out when they feel like that is the correct thing to do. Death is inevitable and ignoring its eventuality is absurd.
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I planted Jerusalem artichokes around February. Today, I noticed that they are blooming.
I’ll add a picture later when my camera has charged.
Addendum:
This is what they look like blooming. at first look, very similar to the swamp sunflowers by the shed and on the side of the house, but with different leaves and very different roots. Also, slightly different bloom times.
This is what the sunchokes look like up close.
And this is the swamp sunflowers. They are just starting to form buds.
Both plants are great to feed pollinators at the end of Summer and in the Fall. Both freeze to the ground in Winter. Both are very tall and flower heavily with yellow blossoms.
Only one will feed you.
I am the Audience 