Sunday 30 July 2017

Stuff is growing here - big time

I found my camera.  Oddly enough, it was right where I left it 😏.
little Indigo Rose cherry tomatoes - should be ready this week?
I haven't grown these before so I'll keep watching them


so many tomatoes on each plant
I understand plants send out an SOS to grow more seeds or fruit, which of course contains seeds, when they feel threatened, and threatened they must be with constant attempted drownings from day to day.  Some tomatoes I've not grown before like the Oxhearts have a large amount of huge tomatoes, but the plants themselves appear to be dying off, basically drowning.  Oh I hope the fruits turn red soon.

huge yes
lots of fruit

these Purple Russians really want to be ready in time
for the party - what party? - they seem to know

yes!  they are starting to turn colour - whew - I thought
this was never going to happen 






tomato plants as far as the eye can see - well not really but
loads of tomato plants doing very well


heirloom romaine getting nice and plump for eatin'

happy cukes and carrots - to be ready soon, very soon

I see you hiding behind those big leaves

ah ha! you can't hide from me


Jimmy Nardello (that sounds so cool)
peppers are starting to colour up 

Bullnose peppers getting ready to go to your house






eggplants getting bigger in the greenhouse

 Just wanted to share my happy place with you.
Jo

Wednesday 26 July 2017

Hooray for Raised Beds


Raised beds are our salvation this year.  I knew they were a lot of work when we originally started the gardens.  There was some complaining from the boys a few years ago, but I insisted we plod along and get the twenty-five 50’ long, the eighteen 100’ and the five 60’ rows, all 30” across, done.  I wanted the hills to be high enough that we didn’t have to dig deep down to plant our beloved seedlings.  It turns out I didn’t realize how making those “hills” would be the best thing we could have done to ensure the growth and non-drowning of our tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, onions, peas and beans this year. 

Aside from the lack of sunshine, the tomatoes are growing at an alarming rate.  I can’t count how many times we say “These tomato plants are crazy” when we’re pruning them.  There are so many tomatoes.  I understand the plants have sent out an “SOS” message and are producing like crazy, but it still is amazing to see it happening.  Some are starting to show their true colours, particularly the purple ones.

I received a good response on facebook yesterday when I posted free carrot thinnings/tops.  If you missed it, it will happen again soon with the next round of carrots.  I do believe we’ll be eating lovely fresh carrots in a couple or a few weeks.  The beets are growing sporadically as we planted them that way and will continue until end of summer, whenever summer gets here. 

I am really banking on a long warm fall this year – oh please let it be a long warm fall.  None of this below zero temperature at the beginning of September, then another to finish off our food. 

The Salad Greens – what can I say – they absolutely Love the cloudy days, cool nights and are thankful for all the water.  I have yet to turn on the irrigation system in the gardens.  I have used it a couple of times in the greenhouses, but not lately as the ground is flooded in there.  I actually have bruises on my shins from my rainboots, which I wear just about every day. 

The cucumber plants now have cucumbers on them.  What a relief.  We had no cucumbers last year since we didn’t put the plants in until the end of summer.  No matter what job you do, there is never quite enough time to get everything done, right?  Last month we put a priority on making sure those cukes were planted and made trellises for them to climb.  We’re good now and looking forward to that first juicy crunchy bite. 

We started harvesting the garlic today.  It’s quite a process.  Each bulb and stalk are carefully dug out of the ground, and there are hundreds, fewer than last year, but still hundreds. We gently place the entire stalks with soil still attached on racks in darkness so no bulb is touching another.  They will sit drying and curing for two weeks.  Then we’ll brush off the soil and the outer dirty skins and cut the little root hairs to look pretty and the stalks to about two inches in order to present to you the most lovely, and huge this year, white garlic bulbs.  I’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready to buy. 

Each week now provides us with more wonderfully nutritious food to eat such as:
Beets  $3/pound
Beet Greens  $3 bunch
Celery  $2 bunch
Chard  $3 bag
Edible flowers   $3 bag
Green Onions:  $2 bunch of 10
Herbs, fresh:  basil, bay leaf, chives, citrus thyme, dill, lemon balm, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme  $2 bunch  
Herb Mix: a mix of several fresh herbs  $3 bunch   let me know if there’s an herb you’re not fond of
Kale  $3 bunch
Lettuce heads:  heirloom romaine and iceberg (not like that stuff at the grocery store)  $3 mixed bag   
Mustard Greens   $3 bunch
Onions, white  $2.50/pound
Orach, red  (spinach better for you than spinach)  $3 bag
Salad Greens, washed and table ready:  includes green spinach, strawberry spinach, wild spinach, orach, arugula, parsley, mustard and various soft and crunchy lettuces and other green stuff growing on the property and edible flowers  $5 bag   
Swiss Chard   $3 bunch

Granola, with fruit  $8 /500mL jar  
Granola, with nuts and fruit  $10 /500mL jar
I make it fresh when you order  

Pesto, basil  $4.50 125mL jar

Plants, basil:  Genovese, Greek, Lemon   $2 each  

Sunflower Shoots  $2 bag  I add “if they choose to be ready”, but it looks good as of today

I really want to attach pictures but my little digital camera is missing.  I think the cats hid it on me.  I know it’s in the house because I have the memory card from it and I wouldn’t take that out of the camera outside.  If you know where it is, please tell me. 

I grow sprouts for those who have regular weekly delivery.  If you want me to grow some for you, please let me know.  It’s certainly do-able.  I don’t like to waste the seeds if the sprouts aren’t going to be delivered to someone. 

Day Brighteners is a non-certified organic farm, where we practice sustainability and environmentally-friendly farming.  We always use non-GMO and organic/heirloom seeds.  You are very welcome to drop by most days, but if it’s picking/packing/delivery day (Friday) you take your chances on getting the tour.  Calling or emailing first is a good idea.  We do appreciate your business very much and would like to hear from you with any comments or questions you have.  

We deliver to Kemptville and area Friday afternoons to and to Merrickville and Ottawa Saturday or Sunday.  We start picking Thursdays, so please email me or call me by Thursday afternoon for delivery to you.  If you’re outside our delivery range, we’ll make a special plan for you. 
Thank you.  

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'm happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  If you want to know how to receive delivery of our nutritional goodness, see Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.
Until next post, have a great every day.  
Jo

Wednesday 19 July 2017

It is definitely growing season here now

A lot is happening here these days.  
The basil inter-planted between the tomatoes and in various gardens is doing great.  
Garlic should be ready to harvest in a week or so. 
Green onions are plentiful.  
My bay plant must love the un-sunshine as it’s growing better than any I’ve had in the past.  
I always think how peculiar it is that dill and cucumbers aren’t ready at the same time.  That’s why we’re growing it at different stages, in the hope both foods will meet eventually.  
White onions are big enough to share with you right now.  They are great flavour raw sliced thinly.  
We pick the kale plants clean every week and every week they grow back hardier, which is quite amazing. 
Eggplants in the greenhouse are doing better than the ones in the garden, which is the way it should be, otherwise why a greenhouse at all.   
We might be eating carrots in a couple of weeks.  
I’m really betting on red tomatoes soon (think positive happy encouraging thoughts).  
Pole beans are rapidly reaching for the sky.  Bush beans are producing but not quite enough for orders yet.  I pushed more beans, peas and snow peas into the ground this weekend so they’ll come about in a few weeks adding themselves to the ones already growing. 

I’m out of granola myself so will be making it again this week.  Let me know if you’d like some.

Here are some pictures of everything growing here so you can enjoy and get excited along with us about the foods to come.
some pansies and sweet william for our salads

sweet william up close

stunning calendula flowers

tomatoes trying their very best to be red or whichever
of the many colours they intend to be

bachelor buttons hanging out with calendula and
sunflowers - who planted the sunflowers in there?

varieties of basil plants

cucumbers climbing our hand-made trellises 

first planting of carrots growing for us

mostly onions here

eggplant currently the size of ... an egg, oddly.

one happy bay leaf plant


I have to say that the mosquitoes are absolutely brutal out there chewing on any skin we might leave exposed, which is sometimes lots due to the high temperatures.  No pictures of mosquitoes are there – who needs that negativity? 

Eats this week are:

Beets  $3/pound
Beet Greens  $3 bunch
Edible flowers   $3 bag
Garlic Scapes:  $3 bunch of 15
Green Garlic  It’s picked fresh, to be used right away, not cured yet, mild garlic flavour  $2 each
Green Onions:  $2 bunch of 10
Herbs, fresh:  bay leaf, cilantro, citrus thyme, dill–so much beautiful fresh dill, mint, rosemary, sage, tarragon   $2 bunch  
Herb Mix: a mix of several fresh herbs  $3 bunch   let me know if there’s an herb you’re not fond of
Kale  $3 bunch
Lettuce heads:  flame, heirloom romaine, speckled, tennis ball, red salad bowl  $3 mixed bag   
Mustard Greens   $3 bunch
Onions, white  NEW  $2.50/pound
Salad Greens, washed and table ready:  includes green spinach, strawberry spinach, wild spinach, orach, celery tops, sorrel, arugula, parsley, lovage, mustard, cress and various soft and crunchy lettuces and other green stuff growing on the property and edible flowers  $5 bag   
Swiss Chard   $3 bunch

Granola, with fruit  $8 /500mL jar  
Granola, with nuts and fruit  $10 /500mL jar
I make it fresh when you order  

Pesto, garlic scape  $4.50
Pesto, basil  $4.50 125mL jar

Plants, basil:  Genovese, Greek, Lemon or Thai  $2 each  See picture attached.

Sunflower Shoots  $2 bag  

I grow sprouts for those who have regular weekly delivery.  If you want me to grow some for you, please let me know.  It’s certainly do-able.  I don’t like to waste the seeds if the sprouts aren’t going to be delivered to someone. 


If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'm happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  If you want to know how to receive delivery of our nutritional goodness, see Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.
Until next post, have a great every day.  
Jo

Wednesday 12 July 2017

How on this earth is it July 12 already?

Let me tell you about the goings-on here for the first part of July.  Again, the rain is not stopping the lettuces, mustards, onions, salad greens, beans, carrots, cress, orach, celery, , cucumbers, beets, peas and weeds from growing fantastically.  The tomatoes and peppers are suffering slightly but not as much as one would think from lack of sunshine and warmth.  The few days we have had in the last couple of weeks added great height, width and fruitness (good word) to the tomato plants.  We pinch off the suckers on each of the hundreds of plants for hours and hours about every three days.    If we don’t prune them, we’ll have a jungle o’tomato plants out there with more leaves than tomatoes. 

It’s impossible right now to get into lowers portions of the gardens to make new rows.  The plants waiting patiently in their pots may not get into the ground at all this season L.  Thanks to the many who came by and bought some to take home to place into their care. 

We plant new beds of salad mix each week as one bed only lasts for about three weeks before it bolts and/or tastes bitter.   We’ll keep planting the roots such as beets, carrots and green onions every week or two so will continue to enjoy them into the Fall months.   I now grow pea shoots and sun flower shoots indoors to keep them out of chipmunks’ reach.  We start basil every week so there are always plants available for you to buy and for me to make pesto once the leaves get large enough.  Yesterday, we sowed some cauliflower, broccoli, rapini and various cabbages for fall harvest.  We’ll take care of these in little pots for the next few weeks until we plant them out.  And, of course, will hope for the best that the gardens will dry up a bit so we can actually do that planting.

I hope all of this talk about food makes you hungry so you can enjoy the following:

Beet Greens  $3 bunch
Curly Cress  $2 bunch I keep it out of the salad now, you can add your own if you like
Edible flowers   $3 bag
Garlic Scapes:  $3 bunch of 15
Green Garlic  It’s picked fresh, to be used right away, not cured yet, mild garlic flavour  $2 each
Green Onions:  $2 bunch of 10
Herbs, fresh:  citrus thyme, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon   $2 bunch  
Herb Mix: a mix of several fresh herbs  $3 bunch   let me know if there’s an herb you’re not fond of
Kale  $3 bunch
Lettuce heads:  heirloom romaine, speckled, tennis ball, tom thumb, red salad bowl  $3 mixed bag   
Mustard Greens  looking pretty healthy right now  $3 bunch
Snow Peas  $3 bag
Salad Greens, washed and table ready:  includes green spinach, strawberry spinach, wild spinach, orach, celery tops, sorrel, arugula, parsley, lovage, mustard, cress and various soft and crunchy lettuces and other green stuff growing on the property and edible flowers  $5 bag   
Swiss Chard   $3 bunch
  
Sunflower Shoots  $2 bag  we definitely have lots this week

Plants, basil:  Genovese, Greek, Lemon or Thai  $2 each

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'm happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  If you want to know how to receive delivery of our nutritional goodness, see Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.
Until next post, have a great every day.  
Jo

Wednesday 5 July 2017

This Week's Special Feature

is Heirloom Romaine Lettuce.  It's so beautiful right now.  Imagine your favourite Caesar Salad recipe with this lovely rich-in-colour speckled lettuce.   Or every use for a nutritious green in salads or sandwiches, wraps, burgers and more.  It’s much more interesting and better for you than plain old iceberg from the store. 



We have many heirloom, colourful, crispy lettuces right now such as red salad bowl, tennis ball and tom thumb (small heads of crisp butterhead lettuces), speckled and flame to name a few.  The rainy weeks and dark days are friends to my salad ingredients – no complaints here.




And we finally started staking and doing the Florida Weave with the tomato plants.  No, that’s not a line dance, it’s what we do with baler’s twine carefully weaving in between each tomato plant and around the stakes we pounded into the ground between every second or third plant.  This supports the tomatoes so we’re able to trim off those unnecessary bottom branches which would normally hold up the plant but take up way too much room.  The fruits will be healthier for it.  Ah, don’t you just long for the summery taste of that first tomato – soon soon soon. 


Speaking of firsts, there are some snow peas ready, not a lot but some.  Beets are ready this week.  It’s clearly the week of readiness in the garden of greens here at Day Brighteners Farm.

Celery is holding out for another week or so, but it’s definitely growing chubbier stalks for you. 

Weeding and laying straw under the beans we salavationized (new word) last week helped and they are now climbing the ladder of success – well, the trellis of success we made for them anyway.

Here’s the list of foods for you to enjoy this week:
Beets NEW $3 pound
Beet Greens  $3 bunch
Curly Cress  $2 bunch I’ll keep it out of the salad, you can add your own or
Edible flowers   $3 bag
Garlic Scapes:  $3 bunch of 15
Green Garlic NEW It’s picked fresh, to be used right away, not cured yet, mild garlic flavour  $2 each
Green Onions:  $2 bunch of 8
Herbs, fresh:  citrus thyme, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, stinging nettle, tarragon   $2 bunch  
Herb Mix: a mix of several fresh herbs  $3 bunch   let me know if there’s an herb you’re not fond of
Kale  $3 bunch
Lettuce heads:  heirloom romaine, speckled, tennis ball, tom thumb, red salad bowl  $2 each 
OR Mixed Bag  $3   
Mustard Greens  $3 bunch
Red Orach  (spinach more nutritious than spinach)  $3 bag
Salad Greens, washed and table ready:  includes green spinach, strawberry spinach, wild spinach, orach, celery tops, sorrel, arugula, parsley, lovage, mustard, cress and various soft and crunchy lettuces and other green stuff growing on the property and edible flowers  $5 bag   
Snow Peas not many yet but still yummy $3 bag
Swiss Chard   $3 bunch

Sprouts  $3 /bag
Sandwich Booster  (clover, alfalfa, radish and mustard)  
Spring Salad Mix  (broccoli, radish, alfalfa & clover) 

Sunflower Shoots – should be ready by Friday  $2 bag

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'm happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  If you want to know how to receive delivery of our nutritional goodness, see Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.
Until next post, have a great every day.  
Jo