SPRING GARDENING

Big dark clouds didn’t stop our dedicated gardeners. They trickled in one by one, no one empty handed. Some brought cardboard and kneeling pads, others brought plants and fertilizer. Within a few minutes of our starting time everyone was there and eager to get to work. We dug trenches, cut and laid cardboard, covered the cardboard with straw, weeded the raised beds, and planted over one hundred broccoli, Brussels sprout and cabbage plants. In less than two hours, we were done. Everything was cleaned up, put away and our gardeners left one by one. Again, no one was empty handed. We left with bags full of parsley, rhubarb, thyme and chives.

But most importantly, we left with feelings of accomplishment, hope and excitement for what this gardening season holds.

Chives in blossom.

Sweet corn popping through the soil.

Below is a recipe recommended by Dianna for the rhubarb in the garden.

Rhubarb Meringue Squares

Crust
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
3 cups fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Topping
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8x8-inch square baking pan.

Crust: Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth;beat in egg and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and mix into butter/sugar mixture until a stiff dough forms; press into bottom and 1/2-inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.
Filling: While crust is baking, in a saucepan over medium heat, mix rhubarb, sugar cinnamon and 2 tbsp water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes. In a cup mix 2 tbsp of water with cornstarch, add to saucepan, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Spread over baked crust.
Topping: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over rhubarb layer. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

The Frost is Over!

Even the little ones enjoy planting!

We had to put off planting the rest of the garden this past weekend since the last frost of the season was last night! Now we can get the tomatoes, peppers cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower in. Not much else to report on the garden except that I think it will be our best ever! Thanks so much to all who have put in time and energy into making this season a success.

The Garden is Almost In!

Teaching the next generation how to plant potatoes.

We have spent the last week putting in all the seeds. There was no reason to think that it would really frost another time when the weather has been so warm and nice. But it is suppose to dip below freezing Saturday and Sunday so we held off on planting the tender plants like tomatoes and peppers and some flowers.

The garden before planting. Thanks to Jay and Dave it looks great.

The good news is that we got the potatoes, squash, melon, corn, and beans planted so that when the weather turns warmer next week they will grow quickly. Planting wasn't just a matter of putting seeds into the ground. No, no, no. It was laying out boxes around the plantings and then piling on straw and compost to hold the boxes down and give the weeds no room to grow at all. That is why it took just a little longer to plant the garden this year, but we hope that it will save many hours in pulling weeds later. Even though we have worked hard, it has been good to spend time talking and getting to know each other.

The strawberry patch with flowers already coming on.

Apple trees in blossom.

The Garden is Growing!

Asparagus pushing up thru the ground.

The main part of garden is plowed up and looking good, ready for planting thanks to our friend Farmer Dave Reed. Yesterday we had a chance to plant sweet potatoes, melons, and squash. Since there isn't a chance of frost anymore, the next thing to do is spend a day planting all the vegetables and cover every inch of ground with straw or leaves before the weeds start growing. Right now it is perfect planting weather and the ground is perfect to plant in too.

Rhubarb ready for picking.

Everything we planted last week is coming up right on schedule. I love to visit the garden to see all the new sprouts! Every time I go to the garden it looks different. The asparagus bed is producing this year but we have to wait one more season before we can sample to goods. Several people picked the rhubarb yesterday. It looks like it's going to be a good year for the garden this year.

The sweet potato patch planted by a very sweet lady.