Town House Homestead Tuesday

I wish this could be a longer post today, but the activity around here preparing for Spring, has kept me doing just the ordinary stuff. My daughter was able to return to work today, but still will need to be slow and careful so her back will continue to mend. We have a lot more work to do to prepare the hive for the soon to be here bees, and we hope that that can start this coming week. One minute at a time.

I was able to afford another light for my germination shelf and it is already up and working. I am so ready to be outside all day, but the weather has been so mixed up lately. 

Seedlings are starting to pop their little heads through the soil and they seem so happy. I love nature and it's wonders. Every morning is a new sight. These are calendula seedlings. I have a good amount of flower seeds working. Along with the calendula I have butterfly milkweed, chamomile, marigolds, and sun flowers. If these grow well they will be in the pollinating garden surrounding the newly installed hive. 

I have some container tomatoes started also. I will be using containers again this summer for some vegetables because the food garden will come as we keep growing. I also have green onions, crimson forest bunch onions (red bunch onions), and shallots also getting their groove on. These can be put in the pollinating garden this year. There's lots to be moved to this new garden from around the yard too. We will continue to be busy I think. I hope to start some peppers and other tomato varieties so that I have at least one of each so we don't get bored with tomatoes. 

To end this short post I am sharing some more green. I hung my holiday kitchen apron and pot holders up this weekend. It's reminding me that I need to get to some more sewing, and get a few more projects done. So, love life and enjoy it. Do some simple gardening and brighten your life and those around you. Be cheery. That's what's been happening at the new Town House Homestead. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week. 

Town House Homestead Tuesday

One foot in front of the other and keep on going has always been our philososphy. I would love to be showing you more progress on the basement renovations, but they once again have stalled. Although we have unpacked a few boxes for my daughter's studio we have been trying to regroup from the newest dilema. The furnace needs to be replaced and when the company that flipped the house did renovations they installed a defective water heater and guage. In a couple of weeks they will both be replaced and we'll have a new slate to work with. It's really a great thing that we hadn't finished painting the floors. We also got some of the items relisted on her store so that we could continue in a forward motion. Still lots to get done there, but every day is a new day. Follow the progress of her store at poetcharms.etsy.com. 

She found this chair in the hallway at work and brought it home. This is the second such chair they have cleared out. The legs were bent inward on one side, but after she removed the seat she was able to stand on it and bend it back to where it should be. It got cleaned and painted and is now at her computer desk.

Our 85 year old neighbor came to the door the other day with this bag of apples. She was checking on us because she hadn't seen us out working on the gardens and thought we would like to make a pie and relax. I haven't gotten to the pie yet, but I have eaten a couple of the apples. They are fresh and crips.

My daughter was given a bag of jalapeno peppers by a co-worker. There was 1.5 pounds which was enough to make half a batch of candied jalapenos. I love hot peppers on sandwiches and there you have it more to put on the basement shelves.

I was given a few organic items to save the seeds from. Here is a chili pepper that was hot and awesome. I did say I liked it hot. The seeds are drying and to keep from wasting that lovely pepper I added it to honey to add to marinades. 

This is an organic tomato that tasted full on summer. Some of the last I suspect on his vines. The seeds are soaking in some water to separate and will be dried as soon as they do. I also saved some jalapeno seeds. Now that this process is under way I'm sure hoping to be able to get the garden in next year. In the meantime I will continue to use the local farm markets and building the food storage. So glad we did now that a new furnace and water heater have to be installed. That's what's been happening at the new Town House Homestead. Thank you for stopping by and have a great week. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

It's been a good summer for us as far as growing, receiving, and eating better vegetables. My tomato plants in Karen's garden have done better than I thought. They are container tomatoes and I know next time I try, I will use much larger containers. Buckets probably. 

The tomatoes in the left picture are some of what we've grown. I ate three on the way home and shared some with Karen. I know there will probably be more, but these are just the right size for Bruschetta and I'm looking forward to it now that I bake my own bread, made carrot top pesto, and make my own mozzarella. Now it will all be home made and home grown. The large bowl of tomatoes was a gift from my daughter's co-worker. They will be put to good use in a sauce or relish. I have some in the window to ripen and with temperatures headed up to ninety degrees this week it shouldn't take long. I also have a couple of Basil cuttings rooting to continue the herb season. The original plant is growing very well on the deck. I will be taking a couple more cuttings and harvesting more soon.

This collage is of my butternut squash growing in buckets in Karen's back yard. They don't look very large, but here I am standing next to them. 

I'm not sure if we'll harvest any squash from the plants, but it's been exciting because I saved the seeds from a squash last winter. A ground hog has eaten a lot of Karen's vegetables, but they haven't touched the squash yet. We are hoping. It's been a learning season for us. That's the news today from the townhouse homestead. I keep cooking and canning and learning. I'm finding that at this time in my life my brain is like a sponge that can't get enough information so what I am learning I am turning into fun, not work. Thank you for stopping by to visit and have a wonderful week.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Staying busy and still learning. I am very grateful for all that has become available to me. My daughter has become a very confident bee keeper. She doesn't have her own hive, but a co-worker has let her help with her new hive and learn. She says it feels good to be around them. She suffered her very first sting this time. However, it was a stupid move on her part. After working the hive she bare handed picked up some of the scraped off honeycomb that had bees stuck in it and she assumed they were dead, but before dying one got her on her hand. She thought it would be worse but now she has her baptism sting behind her.

Here are some pictures of the latest check on the hive. I was feeling a bit more comfortable around them, but at the same time I was learning how to use a new lens for the camera. 

It was interesting to see how the hive works and I know she's ready to have a hive of her own when she has her own home.

The garden is coming along. The buckets have butternut squash growing. I'm not sure what will happen, but the plants were started from seeds I saved. The rest of the garden is my friends and together we are learning. She's harvested beans and has peppers and cucumbers coming. The broccoli is also getting larger. 

My container tomatoes are doing well. I was hoping for a better and different turn out, but I'll take my blessings as they come. We do have tomatoes after all. Since I can't garden here at the townhouse I am grateful to my friend for sharing her garden space. We are learning together and she's been inspired to want to grow more. Thank you for stopping by to visit and have a great week. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Today I feel relaxed and finally in control of life. I've been able to handle the happenings that have come my way and I feel in a better place with what may come. I've learned to just let life happen and the answers will come. The weather has been cool and rainy. We are dealing. Some sun came through yesterday, but the cool and damp is here again and will stay around for a couple more days. I know there are many in this country who would welcome this weather so complaining is senseless, but who can complain when the garden is getting what it needs. 

A month ago a friend let me take my container tomatoes to her yard and give them a chance to grow. Getting to see my tomatoes growing has been good for me. I haven't been able to garden in years and to see them grow from seeds I started feels good. Very therapeutic and relaxing. I have seven containers growing tomatoes and all are doing great.

My basil and rosemary are fairing well with all the rain so far. I lost my basil last year to a fungus so I am watching closely. I've tried growing plants inside, but the little light we get is not enough for inside growing. I also have parsley doing well and have harvested a good amount this summer. I use a lot of parsley in my cooking. 

This is the progress of my secret garden. (I'm smiling here.) To not be able to container garden in a residence that we pay dearly to live in is quite distressing. I have seen so many Topsy Turvey tomatoes growing here and nothing is done so I am being defiant and have a pot of "Gorilla" carrots growing. If I get a dozen carrots I do, and if I don't I don't. In a little more than a year from now I may be planning a garden plot of my own, but for now I am using the farmer's markets and doing whatever I can and loving seeing the miracles happen. That's what went on at the townhouse as far as gardening this week. I wish everyone a happy and relaxing 4th of July and hope everyone stays safe. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday.

My goodness are we getting busy, but busy with fun things. Spring so far has been wet. Pouring rain almost every day and then sun. Fairly warm temperatures, but not the best. It's all up to Mother Nature. We had a graduation to attend this past Saturday. I did some baking and took it along.

I baked a cinnamon tea ring and some strawberry short bread bars and put together this party platter. 

I checked in on the tomato plants. They have been in the garden for less than two weeks and they are growing fast. They are container tomatoes and I'm hoping for a good yield from them. I have seven containers altogether. 

Yesterday I harvested the first of my herbs to dry. Here I have Cilantro and Parsley. The notes are the name and date they were put to dry. Just so I can keep track of my yields. 

The most exciting adventure this week was my daughter's. A co-worker is teaching her more about bee keeping and Sunday she got some hands on experience. She will be helping to care for this hive over the summer. This has been a dream of hers and she said she wasn't the slightest bit nervous. That' some of the activities here at the townhouse. There's always something to keep us busy and I'm sure it's the same for you. Thank you for stopping by to visit and have a wonderful week.