Planting Tomatoes

Before the plant sale I took out the plants that I wanted to keep.

The week after the plant sale was beautiful - sunny, 75F - perfect spring/summer.

So, silly me I planted all my plants.

Two days after I planted everything, we had freezing temps. For. The. Whole. Next. Week.

I covered everything, but the peppers aren't looking so great.

These pictures will probably be the peppers memorial service. Remember those beautiful peppers? Oh, yes they were just starting to live, so sad....taken in the prime of life.

This is how I plant my indeterminate tomatoes.

Dig a nice deep trench and amend with kelp (fertilizer) and crushed crab shells (calcium).
Put the tomato to bed in the trench and pull the soil covers up to its leafy chin.


Water deeply.

This is how close I plant my tomatoes.

Remember I grow my tomatoes up not out - so it works.

These are the covered beds I made - I'll show you how in my next post.

In these beds I planted the peppers -poor frosted peppers :(

In this bed the cabbage and broccoli are nestled. On the far right of the covered bed I have Golden shallots.

The bed in front of that has peas and onions.

More tomatoes.

More tomatoes!

The dearly departed peppers.

Really I am sad about this!

Broccoli and cabbage.

Winter Chickens and A Purple Girl

Here are a few pictures of the Ladies.

You can tell Winter is in full swing: cabbage and warm mash for all!

Cheap chicken entertainment - a hanging cabbage.

There's Butter!
She's busy catching that cabbage.

Zela and Lavender

And a purple chicken!?!

I nicknamed her Turkey.

She started moulting and her sisters picked on her, so.....I Blukoted her.

It's a spray that covers up the bare red skin and doesn't taste very nice.

There are a couple other Girls developing bare spots, so I might give them a little dash of Blu kote too, if Carol doesn't mind.

Winter is hard on a chicken. :(

Isn't she cute?!?

Little cutie!

I noticed her attitude changed, when she realized she wasn't going to be picked on any more.

She's more assertive and was *sigh* picking on the Barred Rock girl, while she was taking a dust bath, yesterday.

A lot of Carol's Girls are getting friendly, as you can see from this video.

They like to be held and snuggled.

The only problem - I only have 2 arms!

Spicy Cabbage Relish

This is hot and tasty! Perfect for using up extra cabbage.

Spicy Cabbage Relish

Chopped veg. to equal 11 cups - cabbage, cauliflower, onions, green tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers.

5 Tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger

2 1/2 cups vinegar

small hot chiles - your choice

Combine chopped vegetables; sprinkle with salt ; mix well. Let stand 4 to 6 hours in a cool place or 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Drain well. Rinse and drain.
Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large saucepot. Simmer 10 min.
Add vegetables; simmer 10 minutes.
Bring to a boil.
Prick each hot chile with a sharp knife. Add one hot chile to each jar.
Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.

You don't have to use the chiles, if you want a cooler relish.
Process 10 min. in a boiling water canner.

Or skip the canning and eat!