We are already mid-June. Time flies.....
Lets start this blog with my favorite topic: the garden.
In March, our (last years) palm chards turned into flowery bushes. Early spring, the bees (and bumble bees) are quite happy to find a source of fresh pollen. About 1 month later, the same palm chards where infested with (grey)aphids. On one of the various gardeners's blog I follow the writer suggested to leave the infested plants in the garden to promote the venue of the ladybugs. I was quite skeptic about the whole thing and I was scared that the infestation would move to other plants in the garden. One day, while planting beets, I walked along one of the chard and guess what?
It was nearly clean up of all aphids and there were ladybugs !!!!
So it worked!
Not only the various insects above ground were happy that the chards stayed a while longer; the insects in the ground benefit from the undisturbed soil.
I will have to see if I can harvest seeds from the dry pods. This would be just perfect!
There are many flowers in the garden for the pollinators: on the left is my herb garden with a beautiful purple borage plant. on the Right: one of many comfrey plants.
And of course, in the spring, we enjoy the fantastic smell of the elderberry blossoms.
This year, I made 2 batches (about 6-7 liters) of elderberry blossom "champagne" (called champagne because of the bubbles and not because of the alcohol content)
I have used the same recipe which I posted last year (see June: it is still raining, 2018).
Here it is again :)
Pick about 9 big blossom heads in the middle of the afternoon, on a sunny day to make sure that the blossoms are open. Leave the blossoms outside for about 30 minutes to let the insects escape (wash if desired). Place the blossoms in a glass jar (or alimentary plastic bucket) that can contain at least 4 liters.
In a pan dissolve 400 gram of sugar in 2 liters of water. Stir well and let cool. Add another 2 liters of cold water and poor gently on the blossoms. Add 2 sliced organic lemons and 2 tablespoon of cider vinegar. Cover the opening of the jar with a cotton gauze or cheese cloth and macerate 36 hours in a warm place, preferably in the sun. Careful with ants if you place the jar outside over day ! Stir daily. After 36 hours, remove the flowers and let ferment another 3 days in a warm place and covered.
Filter and fill "swing top" bottles leaving 2 cm at the top. You can use other bottles but know that this drink will still ferment a bit, creating extra pressure in the bottle. You need a bottle that closes well.
Will store for at least 6 months. Delicious cold in a hot summer afternoon.
We were happy to get visitors from Holland: Monique and Guido. This was unexpected, kind of a last minute decision. THANK YOU!! They came over during the long weekend of Ascension. We had gorgeous weather and we did put them a bit to work, haha! Getting ready for the septic system, we are removing the whole ground floor of the main house. Mike is using the material as fill for the inside of the gabion wall. The outside of the wall is a puzzle of interlocking nice big stone.
During her stay, Monique inspired me doing things I have not done for a while, for example: working with wool. And funny enough, in April, I did visit a sheep farmer the day they were sheering the sheep and I brought back home bags full of wool. I will have to make time to inspect the fleeces and decide what could be used for felt, which part I can turn into rough yarn for the PegLoom (google: G&M Peglooms Beltrum) and which fleece I can use to make one or more full felted fleece rug. Lots on my plate with those projects.
With Monique, I talked about plants and gardening, a passion she has but is not using at the moment. A bit like wool working for me. Prioritizing because of too many interesting projects: that is called LIFE.
Monique showed me a good way to dry elderberry blossom. Using a needle and sowing thread we perforated the tails of each blossom, making a garland which we could hang in the attic to dry. This smelt amazing. We will be able to use them as infusion during the winter months, helping us through flu and cold sick times.
Monique was also a great help fighting the snails and slugs in the garden. Spring is a time where those little creatures are coming out of the winter hunger. They attack the young tender leaves of the plants literally killing them.... So around 22:00, we would get equipped with torch (or head lamp) and a jug half full of water, hunting slugs and snails throughout the whole garden. This would take us about one to 1h30. I do think this was necessary. I do not hunt them anymore, there is now plenty to eat beside my garden plants.
And look at the potato field! Doing amazing!
In the early days, a potato crop was used by farmers to turn a prairie into a planting garden. So, last week, I cut the grass, creating a whole new potato field. I have placed the germinated potatoes directly on the grass covering the whole thing with a layer of about 20 cm hay.
Beside the existing potato field planted using the conventional method, I will be able to harvest 2 other varieties.
Curious if the second method will work as well as the conventional one. Any experience is a good experience, I have nothing to loose ;)
I have harvested all the broad beans, leaving the pods and the plant cuttings right on site to compost.
I have cut each plant at ground level leaving the rooting system in place. Beans are nitrogen fixers, they are feeding the ground. Leaving the roots in the ground will also promote life in your soil.
In the garden, most of the veggies have been planted: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, different varieties of squashes, beans, corn, zucchini, ... Everything come from seeds.
The onions are growing and the garlic will be ready to harvest end of June. As for the cabbages, we will have to see if the second planting will grow as well as last years.
I have added flowers all through the garden, including sunflowers.
For the first year, I have used the Hugelkultur bed. Various squashes have been planted, gherkins (to pickel) and chard. On the very top, I will add climbing green beans.
All that planting outside gives me room to start planting in the poly-tunnel: tomatoes, chick peas, asparagus, basil, parsley, salads, .... and of course, marigolds!
The chicks have been growing up, getting to be little teenagers now. The next group is being born as we speak and there is another broody chicken since a couple of days.
Getting back to the main house, this is what the ground floor looks like....
Heavy work for which we will ask "younger" help.
The idea is to remove the whole ground floor. You can see that the concrete floor is quite thin.... No real foundation here. People used to live on dirt floors in the 1800 century, right?
The pipes for the septic system are set at the right angle for optimal water flow. Covered with a layer of river stone to allow drainage of the natural ground water. Then insulation on which the solar radiant (water)heating floor system will be placed in the concrete floor. This system will work in combination with solar panels. In the winter months, a special wood stove with a coil around the exchange pipe will add heating to the water system.
This will be a great luxury item in this house. Along with the ventilation unit installation, this should help reducing the dampness of the place to normal levels.
I will end this chapter now. Tomorrow, the work for the septic system should begin. I say "should" because you never know with the French artisans....
And keep an important date in mind: July 18th !
I'll be writing soon and thanks for following us xoxo