I planted most of the garlic. I took some to the new garden and planted there.

I dug some strawberries plants from pathways in my backyard and planted them in the new garden on Saturday, September 14, 2019. I made a bed between the two fences and planted them. I planted the garlic among them.

 

Week 1 & 2

I sowed garlic bulbils there as well. The hay I laid down back in July smothered the grass and kept the soil moist. It was easy to dig and plant the strawberry plants.

Zucchini

I harvested one zucchini from the squash plants in the new garden. They flowered a lot. I layered hay on some beds and around the squash plants. I used glass clipping as well. The hay I layered in the pathways a month ago smothered the grass in the pathway. So I removed some layers to mulch the beds.

Sorrel

The sorrel plant is growing in the new garden.

I harvested from many sorrel plants at home. I harvested a lot. I wash them, chopped and froze in gallon zip bags. I harvested the outer leaves to freeze. I left the young leaves for salad. I didn’t harvest from few plants so that I have enough for cooking now. Although I have many lamb’s quarter plants to use in my cooking.

Dandelion:

I have few young plants in the garden. I harvested twice this September to make egg, fruit, and sorrel salad.

Chives

They are growing and I harvest them for salad dressing including my Kefir Dressing.

Egyptian onion

They started to grow and I started to harvest some for cooking.

American Persimmon

I noticed on September 10, 2019 that two persimmons that turned orange. They are still small.

Dry Herbs: I have hung herbs including different varieties of mint in the garage for months. I started to store in Zip bag and store away for winter.

 

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Week 3:

I didn’t do much in the garden this week.

It rained a lot this week. The kids didn’t go to the garden much to harvest raspberries. Therefore, there were over ripe. I harvested about 3 cups of raspberries. There were many insects in them. I rinsed in vinegar water to get rid of the insects and froze them.  I could use it to make raspberry sauce for cream cheese cake.

Many plants flourished in my garden due to the rain. Strawberry plants are covering their patch to the point they seem to compete with sorrel plants for space.

 

A rutabaga is growing big.

Few turnips greens are growing great as well.

The green bean is producing well. The kids snack on it. I harvest the young green beans for salad. I harvested few dry beans. However, because of the rain, the dry beans are wet on the vine.

I am glad I replanted garlic cloves late August, early September. Garlic is generally planted in October. But because they stay in my garden year around I didn’t want to wait October to replant them.

Week 4:

Sorrel: I harvested a lot of sorrel the last Saturday of September. I made egg, fruit, & sorrel salad. I rinsed, chopped, and froze about a gallon of sorrel leaves as well.

 

Wild arugula: I harvested some for salad. I spotted two arugula plants for the first time this summer. I have 4 plants now in the garden.

 

Sunchockes: They flowered and most of them are down due to the rain.

 

Giant mustard: some of the seeds are dry. I spread some in the garden.

 

Raspberries: I harvested about 5 cups. I rinsed and froze them. Because of the rain, the kids don’t go much in the garden this end of summer. The berries are overripe and damaged by insects. I tend to harvest them so that they don’t go to waste. There are some raspberry canes at the fence in the front yard garden. The kids pick berries there easily each time they are out of the house. They don’t request to go in the garden much anymore since they get enough berries along the fence few feet from our front door on their way to the car.

Zucchini: I harvested 6 zucchinis from 4 plants I have in the new garden I set on our second property. I grated them and put in the freezer. Each freezer bag has about 2 cups of grated zucchini. I froze 18 bags of them. I generally don’t store fresh vegetables in the refrigerator. I prep them and freeze. The prep time might take longer but it is easier for me to use these vegetables in my cooking later. Freezing vegetables allows me to avoid waste. I cook with vegetables straight from my garden during summer while I freeze the excess for winter use.

 

Winter savory: It didn’t do well in summer. Now with the rain and the cold, it seems to get its green color back and flourish well. Winter savory survives well in my garden till early winter.

 

Wild thyme: It growing well. I have made herb oil with wild thyme and winter savory in spring. I could easily make some again.

 

Sage: It struggles a little this year but it seems to be growing fine now. I have cut some young stems and planted in the garden. Most of them are growing in the wet garden. We are getting a lot of rains. I have pinned down some stems from the mother plants and cover with dirt to root them as well. I would propagate them later. Sage plants tend to get woody after few years I remarked. I think it helps to keep propagating them to increase production.  I have propagated winter savory as well. I took this year and last year growth with some leaves on them and planted in the garden where I wanted them. They rooted easily in moist soil. I use herbs from the garden in my cooking. They are my main source of spice at the moment. I stopped buying seed spices and just use my herbs. I dry sage for winter use. But I like to make herb oil with winter savory and wild thyme for winter. To make the oil, I chop the clean herbs, pound and mix in extra virgin olive oil and store in a jar that I keep in the freezer. To use it, I take the jar out few minutes in advance and scrape some and return the jar in the freezer.

Egyptian onions: They are growing well. I have been using them in the kitchen. I have not come around to start freezing yet. I froze a lot of them in spring to use in winter and would try to do it again before it is too cold outside.

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