Earth Day 2022

 I wish we would stop and think about this planet that we live on more than just one day out of the year. It should be 365 days of Earth Day.

On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million Americans took part in Earth Day events, eventually leading to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The first official Earth Day was in 1990. In 2009, Earth Day was officially renamed by the UN to International Mother Earth Day. Organizers hope to plant 7.8 billion trees during this year’s Earth Day activities.

I think we, as a species, can do more than commemorate. It's estimated that more than a billion people, in over 180 countries, are believed to mark this day by holding rallies, planting trees and generally cleaning up the outdoors. I hope it's not too late. I have my own personal beliefs/fears on this subject.

Just in this year alone, I've witnessed some events that make me take pause here in my little corner of the world. From an unheard of, record breaking snow storm in mid-April in western Washington state to...

some major flooding that caused many thousands of dollars in damage, not just once this past winter, but there were 3 times that the Cowlitz River came over the banks...

to skies so filled with smoke that they turned yellow and blocked the sun for many, many days in September 2020...

and when we could finally see the sun, it was pink because of the smoky haze.

We've got to do better than this. We've got to be better than this.

I can only tell you what I am, personally, doing to change in my little slice of the Earth. First and foremost, none of this timber, on this property,  will be going anywhere unless nature takes it out.

Rather than buying everything that I need in the store, I've learned to grow my own produce. Today was carrot planting day. I think these 5 varieties, of which, one is a landrace, will fill my yearly carrot needs quite nicely.

I tend to purchase the majority of my seeds through Baker Creek. There is a reason for this. They sell only heirloom and OP varieties. What that means is that I can save seeds from any of these and they will grow true for me. If you want to view Baker Creek's website, click here.

So, why do I knock myself trying to get this area seeded in and planted? Well, that goes back to an Earth Day concept. Instead of purchasing vegetables that were shipped from all over the world, I want to save the fuel it would take (not to mention the pollution) and simply step out my door and pick what I may need for a meal. I'll be getting chickens up here soon. I'm going to have a rabbit or two. We want some ducks. We're debating on getting alpacas/goats or pigs.
I digress....
I garden. I make things from scratch. I try to lessen my carbon footprint in many, many ways.
Those are some of the things I do to try to save this planet.

We've no interest in removing any trees from this property.

We don't let anything go over the bank down to the creek below. We keep that area as natural and pristine as possible. I'm actually putting in fig trees to act as a buffer.

I discovered some old tires under my favorite cedar tree that we will be removing and repurposing into flower beds. I'll put them by the pig pen and plant them out with borage. These tires will not be going into a landfill. They won't be pretty, but they can certainly be used to grow flowers in.

When this fir tree drops it's cones and the seeds take hold, we won't be just pulling them up and discarding them. They will be transplanted into other areas on this property.

And I can't wait for these apples to come on! I'll be making applesauce (no more little plastic containers in the landfill), dried apples (no plastic waste). If we all take small steps it will, eventually, equal a huge step.

Happy Earth Day 2022.

June Vegetable Garden Update

These are Cranberry Beans. I do not know if they are pole or bush beans, so we shall see.

These are a very rare Arapaho Fish Hill bean. Another one of those that I'm not sure if they are bush or pole.

The peas have gone gangbusters! There are a few of the vines that have gone 6 feet tall.I have 3 different varieties planted. I have Oregon Sugar Pod, Sugar Snap and Spring Blush.

Spring Blush pea blooms. These are super pretty and they are a very prolific variety.

These are Blooming Prairie bush beans on the top tier. On the next tier are Dragon Tongue bush variety. I seeded in nasturtiums in the bottom to draw in the pollinators.

In this raised bed, I have a Jibai Shimoshirazu cucumber, a cucamelon and some Pink Surprise calendule planted in the middle.

Red Romaine, mixed Bachelor Buttons and Strawberry spinach.

Bok choy, Sword lettuce and cilantro

Sword lettuce

In this bed, I have a French heirloom carrot variety called Longue Rouge Sang. I also have some Pink Plume celery seeded in.

Purple Emporer nasturtiums

3 heirloom tomatoes: Oregon Spring, which is a determinate variety. That means it will only grow so tall, set all it's fruit at once and they will ripen, pretty much, at the same time. I've never grown a determinate variety. I also have a Blue Beauty and a Paul Robeson. These two are indeterminate varieties, which means that they will produce fruit all season and will continue to grow until frost kills them. These tomatoes got a deluge of rain and a barrage of wind. They aren't liking it and their leaves are showing that. I'll prune them up after this week, as we are expected to have showers, off and on.

This is supposed to be a yellow zucchini. I'm not really sure what it truly is because my neighbor gave it to me and she's not really known for her memory or her accuracy in relating events. Anyhow, it doesn't look good at all, so I'm, most likely, going to pull it and replace it with something else.

Lacinato (Dinosaur)kale, Drunk Woman Frizzy Head lettuce and fenugreek with some round Parisienne carrots mixed in.

Yukon Gold potatoes

White, yellow and red onions with a row of bolting Watermelon radishes.

These are 4 Spaghetti squash plants that the neighbor (the yellow zucchini neighbor) gave me. She said she wanted yellow zucchini but got Spaghetti squash instead. I asked her if she ever reads the tags that are in the plants. I also seeded in some broccoli rabe (spring rapini), Buttercrunch lettuce and Asian chives into the bed. That neighbor gave me the squash back in late March/early April. I planted them with no great expectations of them surviving the night, let alone the frosts we were still predicted to have. They not only survived, they have thrived.

I have both red and green yard long beans in these containers.

I seeded in Chioggia beets with dill and with purple coneflowers. We shall see how well these companion plant together.

These potatoes are a fancy red skinned, gold fleshed variety that I ordered. I can't remember the exact name. I also have some Red Kennebuks going, too.

This bed is a mix of Tanya's Pink Pod and Maxibel bush beans. These are 2 of my favorite varieties.

I have collard greens and Peppermint Stick zinnias seeded into this bed.

I have planted both pink and white dandelions this year. I can't remember which this one is, exactly.

Drunk Woman Frizzy Head lettuce. I grow this because of the name.

Other than a small section that I seeded in with those French heirloom carrots, Longue Rouge Sang, there are 3 types of beets in this recycled tote raised bed. I use this for my bigger root vegetables. I have Golden, Chioggia and Yellow Mangel beets growing in there.

Jerusalem artichokes aka sunchokes. These are a member of the sunflower family.

I'm attempting to make one of those "spaces" here. You know, those spaces that draw the eye...we'll see if it works.

Top tier is Flood pole beans, middle tier is Borlotto di Vigevano Nano bush beans and the uze...nasturtiums to draw in pollinators on the bottom.

This is my nasturtium stand. I do have a feverfew up on the top.

We bought six of these hanging baskets for pops of colors.

Mystery yard long beans. I acquired these in a seed trade and I have no idea of if they are red, green, purple or spotted! These are going to be a Wait-N-See.

Purple Podded Pole beans

I have become friends with some local gardeners in the area and they were very kind and gave me tomato starter plants. I was grateful to recieve them. I am growing 6 different varieties in 5 gallon grow bags under a 6 foot tall trellis. I'm pruning them all to a single stalk and using plastic trellis clips to run them to the top. I have an Early Girl, Marglobe, Gold Nugget, Yellow Pear, Red Cherry and a mystery tomato plant that is another Wait-N-See.

A better look at those tomatoes. These suckers are healthy!! They are nothing like those finicky heirlooms that I have out front.

The rest of my nightshades. I have a white eggplant, a Black Beauty eggplant, 2 Italian sweet peppers and a Jimmy Nardello sweet pepper. All of these, but the white eggplant, were bought through our county's Master Gardener's plant sale this year. I can't say as I'm very impressed. That's where I got those raggedy looking heirloom tomatoes out front, too.

This is a volunteer Bronze Beauty calendula. I planted this with my Vintage Wine tomato last year and, apparently, it evicted the tomato and took up residence. I am just letting it have the grow bag.

Someone, years ago, gave me an iris bulb. Today, I have several in a large pot. They decided to bloom. Irises are my favorite flower.

We only had 2 rose bushes that survived the move.

Orchard Baby corn. Baker Creek Seeds says it will grow just fine in a container. I gave it a pool. We'll see.

Looking back toward the peas through our dog pen.

How the raised bed portion of my garden is set up.

We got permission to plant a couple of apple trees from the manager. An awesome friend bought us 2 as a housewarming present (we just bought this new fifth wheel and moved to this spot in March). We have a Golden Delicious and a Fuji.

Our outdoor kitchen on our new fifth wheel.

We had originally bought this privacy screen for our old place, to go on the fence. It works nicely as a dog funnel to direct them into their yard.

The front of our new fifth wheel.

Our grapes went fully in-ground over here.

This is like an outdoor living room. We have a set of patio furniture to go in there. Right now, however, it is holding a whole lot of canning jars and junk from our old place. We're slowly weeding through stuff. This room has electric and cable run out to it.

Our new fifth wheel in our new spot. That canopy is a really handy thing to have.

Everyone has wind chimes. I have a rubber chicken.

I still have my Pink Lemonade blueberries!

I saved the best for last. This is the view we have from our living room window. Thanks for taking the tour with me!