Gardening | One Hundred Dollars a Month

Ugly Tomato Contest – Enter to Win a Compost Bin + a Pair of Garden Boots!

July 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Attention tomato growers…

If you are growing tomatoes this summer you will definitely want to be on the look out for an ugly tomato growing on your vines. Simply Snap a picture of your ugliest tomato and submit it HERE to the Ugly Tomato Contest, sponsored by Relish Magazine. The winner will receive a new pair of gardening boots + compost bin from Gardener’s Supply Company.

This contest ends July 31, 2012, so get your entries in asap!

Thanks Queen Bee Coupons

If ugly tomatoes are not your thing… Then you may want to check out The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table By Amy Goldma n instead. The book is filled with over 250 photographs of tomatoes and 50 recipes. The pictures are like little works of art. You’ll love.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: heirloom tomatoes, relish magazine, ugly tomato contest

Mavis Garden Blog – Giving to Those in Need… Is Cool.

July 19, 2012 9 Comments

After picking another whopping 32 pounds of carrots in the garden yesterday, I stood there trying to figure out what I was going to do with them. The food bank in my town is rather small, and they already receive fresh produce from a local grocery store, so although I can donate fresh fruit and veggies, I just can’t do it in large quantities.

Reading the comments on a previous story I had written, Lisa suggested I donate my extra produce to the Rescue Mission. So after washing the carrots off, the kids and I hopped in the car and made a trip to the Rescue Mission in downtown Tacoma.

Basically, the Mission serves the greater Pierce County area homeless population. The Mission not only serves more than 1,800 meals each month to people who would otherwise go hungry, but they also provide shelter, job training, addiction support, and homework assistance to homeless children who have parents being served by the Mission.

We were able to donate just over 32 pounds of carrots yesterday, and it felt great. Giving back is cool. Especially when you are giving to people who really need it. Food is such a basic thing and I think we should all have it, no matter what our circumstances are.

So if you planted a large garden this year, and you find yourself with more than you can eat or pass along to friends and neighbors, rather than composting it, find an organization who can use it.

Peace Out Girl Scouts, I’m off to play in the dirt.

Need help finding a local food bank? Head on over HERE to f ind a food bank near you.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: giving back, heirloom carrots, mavis garden blog, tacoma resuce mission

How To Grow Your Own Food – Mavis’ Vegetable Garden Tour

July 19, 2012 12 Comments

Well, it’s official. I am starting to feel overwhelmed. There are so many things going on in the garden, it is now becoming increasing difficult to group them into one post. So today I’ll show you what’s happening in the main garden, and tomorrow and show you the greenhouse and the side gardens. How’s that? Does it sound like a deal?

We now have oodles of young celery stalks growing in the garden boxes. There is so much of it, I am tempted to start harvesting some now instead of waiting for it to bulk up. But I need the poundage, and every once counts, so I suppose I’ll wait, unless I’m in desperate need of some celery for a recipe.

I few weeks ago I started a second round of pumpkin and squash seeds. I was able to plant a few of them out yesterday, and hopefully I’ll be able to get the rest in the ground today.

There are more shelling peas to be picked, zucchini to keep and eye on, and I suspect the Copenhagen cabbage will be ready to harvest in another 3 – 4 weeks or so.

The pole beans and finally starting to climb the teepee poles, radishes need to picked again and I still have no idea what kind of volunteer squash I have growing in one of my garden beds.

Check out the Hubbard squash! Wahoooo… It’s totally rockin’. I’m hoping the Hubbard squash will continue to spread out and cover the entire hillside.

Pears! We have {a few} pears for the first time in 4 years. The Girl and I are so excited about this. Actually, over the moon would be more like it.

And finally, here is a view of the garden from the back of the 16 raised garden beds. Grow baby grow! 2,000 pounds…Here I come!

To view more of my garden tours, which include pictures of my garden and other’s head on over HERE and take a look around. The French Laundry Tour is especially amazing.

Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy $10.49 ~ Amazon

Filed Under: Garden Tours, Gardening Tagged With: garden tour, Gardening, heirloom vegetables, mavis garden blog, Seattle Garden Blogs, vegetable gardening

How to Grow Your Own Food – Weigh In Wednesday

July 18, 2012 14 Comments

This year my goal is to grow 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think I can do it. With 16 raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a raspberry patch and a few more planting beds sprinkled throughout our property, I believe growing 2,000 pounds of food is an attainable goal. Even if I do live right in the middle of high maintenance suburbia, and my neighbors think I’m nuts. ~Mavis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This past week I was able to harvest over 38 pounds of fruits and vegetables from our backyard garden. I could have picked more, but I feel really good about having surpassed the 10% mark. Carrots, beets and a whole lot of peas were gathered and with the raspberries finally starting to make their appearance, this week is shaping up to be a good one.

The problem I’m facing now, {and why I didn’t pick as much as I could have} is what to do with all this food. We all know growing vegetables is a lot of hard work, but as each day passes, I finding out that preserving the bounty is becoming increasingly harder with all the different vegetables that need to be dealt with on a daily basis.

Maybe getting a booth at the Farmer’s Market wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

Here is what I have harvested so far:

Basil 1 lb 12 oz

Beets 30 lb 40z {how to can beets}

Blueberries 3 oz

Broccoli 4lb 14 oz

Broccoli Rabb 1lb 6 oz

Cabbage 25lb 7 oz

Carrots 35 lbs 11 oz

Cauliflower 2lbs 3 oz {cauliflower hummus rocks!}

Chives 14 oz

Kale 1 lb 4 oz

Lettuce 14 lb 0 oz

Butter Crunch 12 oz
Mixed Greens 4 lb 2 oz
Romaine 10 lb 11 oz

Mint 2 lbs 9 oz

Onions 2 lbs 5 oz

Green Onions 14 oz
Red Onions 2 lb 1 oz
Scallions 6 oz

Oregano 2 lbs 7 oz

Mushrooms 9.25 oz

Shiitake 9.25 oz {read more about how I grew mushrooms}.

Peas 1lb 2 oz

English Peas 21 lb 11 oz
Sugar Snap Peas 8 lb 1 oz

Peppers

Jalapeno 2 oz
Sweet Peppers 3 oz

Radish 12lb 5 oz

Easter Egg Radish 2 lb 3 oz
Crimson Radish 1 lb 5 oz
French Breakfast 8 lb 13 oz

Raspberries 4 oz

Spinach 2lb 5 oz

Sprouts 10 oz

Strawberries 6lb 1 oz {dehydrated strawberries are awesome}

Sprouts 10 oz

Mung Bean Sprouts 7 oz
Sandwich Sprouts 3 oz

Swiss Chard 23 lb 15 oz

Tomatoes 1 oz

Sun Gold 1 oz

Zucchini 1 lb 8 oz

Miscellaneous 8lb 2 oz {This means we let someone come and pick vegetables, or did not get a chance to weigh them individually, and this was the total weight of all the vegetables combined}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So that’s what I’ve grown so far this year… How about YOU?

Are you starting to feel overwhelmed with all the vegetables yet?

Total Food Harvested in 2012: 221 lbs 13.25 oz

I have spent a total of $$484.86 on seeds, soil, plants and supplies for this year.

The Complete Kitchen Garden By Ellen Ecker Ogden ~ Amazon $9.98

Filed Under: 2000 Pounds or Bust, Gardening Tagged With: 2000 lbs or bust, 2000 Pounds or Bust, Gardening, heirloom vegetables, how to grow your own food, mavis garden blog, Raised Garden Beds, Seattle Garden Blogs

Mavis Garden Blog – Green Arrow Shelling Peas

July 17, 2012 20 Comments

This morning I went out to the garden to check on the Green Arrow shelling peas. Even though I planted the shelling peas and the sugar snap peas at the same time, this year for whatever reason, it seems like the shelling peas are taking there own sweet time to develop.

Which is a totally stinks because I had planned on planting squash seeds in the same location around Mid- June.

After the first round of picking I had harvested 8.5 lbs of fresh peas. If I had to guess, I’d say there are about 3 more baskets worth of peas to pick today, and there will probably be just as many to harvest in another 2 weeks.

So now the question is… What do I do with all these peas?

I’m thinking about canning some today {if I can bribe the kids into shelling them for me} but I would also like to fix some for dinner tonight as well.

Do YOU have a {simple} fresh pea recipe you can recommend?

My brain is overloaded.

♥ Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: english peas, frugal living, Gardening, green arrow peas, grow your own food, mavis garden blog

Mavis Garden Blog – What to Plant in Your Fall Vegetable Garden

July 16, 2012 22 Comments

This morning I started the process of planning out my fall vegetable garden. Normally I wouldn’t be so gung- ho about fall planting, but since I’m trying to grow 2,000 pounds of vegetables this year, I figured I needed to get my act together pretty quick. Even if it is only mid-July.

In addition to carrots and various greens, I am planning on growing the following vegetables -

Gourmet Beets
Broccoli Romanesco {this looks so cool!}
Broccoli Raab Rapini {Chickpeas with Broccoli Raab and Bacon recipe}
Artichoke Green & Purple
Cauliflower Chef’s Choice Blend
Bok Choy White Stem
Kale Italian Lacinato Nero Toscana
Lettuce Mesclun Gourmet Baby Greens

I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to grow vegetables in the fall, but up here in the Seattle area the climate is perfect for fall crops. We typically don’t see a frost until around late October or November, and so it’s kind of nice to be able to squueze as much as possible out of those 16 raised garden beds of mine as I can.

How do I plant my seeds?

Luckily a couple of my neighbors save their plant and vegetable containers for me so I don’t have to buy any {but if you do, HERE is a great idea of where to get them}.

I simply rinse out the containers with hot, soapy water and then fill them with moistened Miracle Grow Seed Starting Soil {I should buy stock in this stuff}.

Then I plant the seeds according to the directions on the packet and place them under grow lights in the rec room.

Of course if I had it my way, I’d probably fill my entire kitchen with seed trays. But something tells me it might send my rather tolerant Husband over the edge.

So that’s what I am planning on growing this fall… What about YOU?

Will be be planting a fall garden this year? If so, what will you be planting?

Do you think I am leaving anything out? Is there something else I should try to grow?

Stay Green,

♥ Mavis

If you are looking for a set of grow lights, Amazon currently has the Hydrofarm 4-Foot Jump Start T5 Grow Light System on sale for $59.99.

I picked 2 of these grow lights earlier this year and have been very pleased with them. Amazon also sells a smaller version {large enough for 1 seedling tray as well}.

Light system for starting seeds, propagating cuttings, and growing indoor flowers and houseplants
Feather-touch height-adjustment mechanism raises or lowers fixture easily; energy efficient

Premium-quality UL/CSA-listed fluorescent fixture with wide reflector provides maximum coverage

T5 high output grow light fixture and bulb. 6′ grounded cord with on/off switch

Measures approximately 50 by 18-1/2 by 30 inches; full 1-year warranty

See more Grow Light Options

* Amazon prices can change at anytime.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: botanical interests seeds, fall vegetable garden, Gardening, grow lights, heirloom vegetables

Mavis Garden Blog – Out With The Old, In With The New

July 15, 2012 15 Comments

Yesterday, I worked on cleaning out the pea bed.

I’m not sure exactly how large it is, but if I had to guess I’d say about 2′ by 30′ or so. Earlier in the spring I planted sugar snap peas, and over the past month we’ve been snacking on them and enjoying the fresh peas in stir fry dishes and on the grill. But the pea party is over.

When I originally planted the sugar peas in the spring, I had hoped they would grow up the trellis I had built, but no suck luck. I planted way to many seeds, and although the plants were healthy and strong, they were crowded, and never seemed to latch on to the trellis.

As I was pulling the vines back, I noticed something peculiar.

A hidden stash of opened pea pods.

It appears that either Scott the Squirrel, or Chippy the Chipmunk had found a secret hiding spot at the base of the vines.

What a bunch of stinkers. Has this ever happened to you? My backyard critters have swiped berries and tomatoes before, but peas? That’s a new one. Who knows, maybe they mistook the peas for peanuts. What do you think? Have you ever had this problem before?

So what’s going in next? Beans, beans and more beans.

Mayflower Pole Beans
Dow Guak Footlong Beans
Tiger’s Eye Heirloom Beans
CowPea Black Eyed Peas
Gourmet Baby Greens {I’ll plant these at the base so they’ ll be in the shade}.

This will be my second planting of beans this summer. I already have my first batch planted in 2 garden boxes with some carrots, and they are just getting ready to flower. So hopefully it won’t be too much longer until we can start harvesting those.

So what’s new in your garden? Do you succession plant like I do, or do you just use the garden space once before tilling everything under in the fall?

Oh, and if you’re looking for some tighty whities for your squirrels… Check out these Squirrel Underpants. Amazon has them for about $6 a pair right now.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: bean trellis, beans, Botanical Interests Seed Company, gardneing, heorloom beans, peas, squirrel underpants

Mavis Garden Blog – Help! There are Ants on My Zucchini Blossoms

July 14, 2012 28 Comments

If you’re a vegetable gardener, your heart probably skips a beat each summer when you spot the first round of baby zucchinis growing. The second batch is usually as equally exciting. And then typically, it goes down hill from there. Thoughts of “what am I going to do with all this zucchini,” will soon enter your mind and you’ll be trying to figure out how to unload the baseball sized vegetables on to your friends and family.

But today, I want to talk about the babies.

This morning I walked out to the garden with a knife in hand to harvest a few young and tender zucchinis for breakfast. This is our first pick of the season, and I had been planning to make a special breakfast for the Handsome Husband all week with them. But as I was slicing the zucchini from the stalk, I noticed something peculiar.

Ants, and lots of them. The ants were covering practically every zucchini blossom in my patch.

But why?

What does this mean? I have never seen ants on my plants before. Am I doomed? Is there something I should be doing about this so my crop isn’t decimated? Since I don’t use chemicals in my garden {well, besides the two treatments of Miracle Grow each season on my tomato plants} I’m wondering what I should do.

How does one get rid of ants?

Help!

♥ Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: ants on plants, channel your inner pilgrim, Gardening, mavis garden blog, Seattle Garden Blogs, zucchini

Mavis Garden Blog – Channel Your Inner Pilgrim Episode 1 : Free Carrots

July 13, 2012 54 Comments

I’m pretty sure my family is not going to be able to eat 2,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables this summer. So I’ve decided that each week, as my crops ripen, I’ll give some of it away. For free.

I hope you enjoy the video.

♥ Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening, Mavis TV Tagged With: carrots, channel your inner pilgrim, Gardening, heirloom carrots, Mavis, mavis pilgrim, pilgrim

How To Grow Your Own Food – Mavis’ Vegetable Garden Tour

July 12, 2012 30 Comments

There is so much going on in the garden lately, I don’t even know where to begin.

For the past week or so the weather in the Pacific Northwest has been in the mid 70′s, which is of course the perfect weather for growing vegetables. With exception to the 120 heirloom tomato plants I’m trying to grow, the soon to be pumpkin patch is my favorite spot in the garden right now.

But there is a problem brewing. Because I tend to plant seeds on a whim, sometimes I don’t always see potential problems until they present themselves. The pumpkin patch is a good example. In about another week or so the pumpkin vines will be on the lawn.

And that’s a problem. Here in high maintenance suburbia, a man’s lawn is like the holy grail of manliness.

The hours spent mowing, weeding and nuking the thing with fertilizer is considered time well spent. Having a lush green lawn is pretty much equivalent to having a shiny new boat parked in the driveway.

So I need to figure out {and quick} how to train the pumpkin vines away from the grass before the HH comes out with the weed wacker and destroys them in a fit of rage.