Fwd: [thesimple_life] not too late for a simple start to a garden!

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The Simple Life

by Sheryl Simons

 

If you are a flower gardener, this may well be your favorite

time of year. Plants are going on SALE! The other day I had lunch

with a friend and we toured a few garden centers, and did come up

with some good deals. They probably won't bloom until next year.

That's okay. The perennials are past their prime, but will be nice

and robust for next year.

 

It's a little late for vegetables around here, unless you are

thinking about some cool season crops, but unless you start them from

seed you won't find any plants you can buy around here. I don't know

why that is, but my guess is that the growers are just burnt out.

They put so much into selling their spring plants that they just

can't bring themselves to start some fall plants. But you can!

Carrots grow to full size in 60 days, spinach and lettuce in about

45.

 

With protection, such as a row cover, it's not too late! You

could even get by with a few fast-growing heat lovers like onions and

green beans, if you like. 1/2 inch pvcp pipe, which is bendable, or

heavy wire, can make a good frame for a row cover. Look around and

see what is available in your yard or farm. I always thought those

wire hoops from an old hay rake would work well, but never had any.

Or, just to make a Tee-pee frame would work too. Got some old sticks

laying around, or some scrap boards? The veggies won't care, but it

will come in handy when old Jack Frost starts to visit. We don't

know when that will be, but watch out for a full moon and clear

nights. Mid September is always a possibility around here. But with

row protection, (I use old blankets from yard sales), you can have at

least an extra month of growing, if not more. How's that for some

grocery savings? Just think how many peas, or carrots a family could

eat in a month? Free carrot sticks instead of potato chips? For one

family that could be forty dollars a month, or more. And anyone who

has a small empty area in a yard can grow a few carrots. And keeping

them in a cool dry place you might grow carrots to last to New Years,

or beyond!

 

Hope you already bought your seeds, though because seed

companies have grabbed up their seeds back in July. Why is that?

There are lots of seeds to plant yet!!! (I hope they are listening!)

 

But flowers, shrubs and trees are on sale, too. I didn't need

another butterfly bush, but when I found one needing some attention

for $1, I had a place for it. It's really " blooming " now that its

out of its pot. Never know what you might find!

 

Simple Fajitas

 

How easy can this be? Cook up some chicken breast, by grill, or

pan. Slice. Tender cook green peppers, red peppers, onion strips,

and what ever you like on your fajitas. Steam the tortilla shells,

or you can serve them right out of the wrapper. Have some salsa,

lettuce, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, and sour cream on the

side. Nice and simple. And easy.

 

" The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. What ever

your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work. " ~~ Oprah

Winfrey

 

" A person without a goal is like a ship without a rudder. " ~~ Denis

Waitley

 

" Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by

them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them.

And there's no telling what will happen when you act upon them. " ~~

Jim Rohn

 

" If you want to reach a goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own

mind before you actually arrive at your goal. " ~~ Zig Ziglar

 

 

Keeping it Simple,

Sheryl

 

Contact me with your favorite recipes, questions, comments and simple

living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life or

thesimple_life/

[Guest guest]

> Plants are going on SALE! The other day I had lunch

> with a friend and we toured a few garden centers, and did come up

> with some good deals. They probably won't bloom until next year.

> That's okay. The perennials are past their prime, but will be nice

> and robust for next year.

 

Yeah, I'm counting on sales as I start to put a grass free front yard

garden in place this fall.

 

> It's a little late for vegetables around here, unless you are

> thinking about some cool season crops,

 

I've got both beds of the hoop house planted and one has sprouted

already. I'm aiming to get the plastic up in early October. I didn't

get broccoli seed started and you sure can't find starts in the

fall-so I planted a lot of kale. Next year I'll have broccoli.

 

I bought canning supplies last weekend and have a half bushel of pears

ready to can tomorrow. I want to can pints of pear slices in a light

honey syrup and pear sauce. I have no idea how much a half bushel

will make. This will be my first venture into canning. I'm looking

forward to it.

 

I haven't found a source of bulk roma tomatoes yet, I want to can a

LOT of diced tomatoes and my garden isn't supplying enough for that,

though I'm drying dozens.

 

For anyone who cans--do you ever can slicing tomatoes? How do they turn out?

 

I don't need sauce, I never use it, but I generally use several 15 oz

cans of diced tomatoes per week so I need to put up a lot.

 

Ellen