I've been joining quite a few challenges this past year, really kicking it into high gear in the past 6 months. I'm enjoying them, but I decided I wanted to put something together for all of my followers. I love seeing your creations and wanted an excuse to show them all off! So this month, I'm asking you to create a miniature garden, fairy garden, container garden - almost anything - and share it with me. You can email it, share it on my YouTube, Facebook or tag me on Instagram! All social media links are below. Be sure to use the hashtag #JuneFairyGardenChallenge2019
This is basically a tour of the Armstrong Garden Center in Claremont (735 E Foothill Blvd, Claremont, CA 91711). I made a trip here last month and also created a video of the items I purchased.
I picked up some small fairy garden accessories, including a new baby, and some new colorful flowers and foliage. I spent more than I would have liked to, but it's hard to contain myself when surrounded by such beautiful things!
#SunflowerChallenge2019 is off to a great start! The video will show you the progress these seeds have made in the last two weeks, including adding a new variety of sunflower; Dwarf Teddy Bear. I've seen a handful of others participating in this challenge that have planted this variety so I thought I'd give it a go. Some seeds weren't doing great so I've added some more seeds in the hopes that I can get some sprouts going before I put them in the ground.
It's time to report on my success in the Great Garden Experiment Challenge. Carrots are sprouting! The seeds in the container are doing great and I'm even seeing life from the seeds in the ground, planted in my new raised flower bed. I am grateful for the heavy rain we've been getting here in Southern California.
I'm having a little more trouble with the Three Sisters method since I can't tell what is a bean sprout and what is marigold, but I'm confident that in just a few weeks I'll be able to figure it out and hopefully see even more growth. I'm pleased that the corn is showing the most growth. Again, thank the heavens for all this rain!
This was a recent project I started for my food garden. I cleaned up the area and created a raised bed with cinder block borders to plant my favored Golden Berries and a tomato variety. I haven't decided yet what to plant in the holes of the cinder blocks, but that will be figured out in the future.
Unfortunately my carrot and brussel sprouts are showing no signs of life, but the rest of this area is doing quite well, especially the radish. I've never been a huge fan of radish but I have read about a radish soup which I am ready to research and try.
As if one garden challenge wasn't enough this year, here is another. It involves sunflowers, which I love, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to invite a variety of sunflower into my garden! This challenge was presented by Nick's Allotment Diary and contains three categories, all of which I plan to get involved in:
1. Tallest Sunflower 2. Biggest Seed Head 3. Most Unusual
By using #SunflowerChallenge2019, you can search other entrants. I planted my seeds on April 30 and have until October 1 to let these beauties bloom.
My entries for most unusual will be Velvet Queen, Italian White and Autumn Beauty Mix. Entries for biggest seed head and possibly tallest will be American Giant Hybrid, Pike's Peak and Mammoth.
I spend a lot of time on YouTube and came across a new garden challenge posted by Cara Grandle that I was grabbed by. The Great Garden Experiment 2019 has three parts, with a question associated to each.
1. What are you doing for the first time? 2. What frustration/challenge are you determined to conquer? 3. What are you growing into or is there a new skill you're bringing to your garden journey?
The Three Sister's method of planting is a first for me as well as corn, which is an integral part of the method. As mentioned before, I spend a lot of time on YouTube and a lot of it is watching videos of other gardeners. Many use the Three Sister's method which, upon doing some research, has been a method used by Native Americans for a very long time. You can read more from The Farmer's Almanac. This combination of corn, beans and squash will be seeded in my front flower bed that I'm sacrificing for the food garden expansion. It's not a real sacrifice considering I couldn't win the battle with weeds in that area - I just can't understand why that area gives me the most trouble with weeds!
Now on to the carrots. The first time I tried to grow carrots from seeds, they came up very tiny and had a small yield. Within the last year I went forward with a second attempt - it was a complete fail. Needless to say, carrots absolutely fill the requirement for question number two; a frustration I'm determined to conquer. This time I plan to plant a few different types of carrots, each in the ground and in a container. I want no room for error!
The third question was addressed with my new raised bed, but I think it can be addressed better with another new addition to my garden that I will reveal in a future post. Stay tuned!
According to Wikipedia, Okroshka is a traditional Russian cold soup that can be prepared many different ways. It mostly consists of vegetables which is why I thought it'd be a good recipe to try with fresh finds in my garden. I used radish and green onion picked that very morning from my own yard.
In addition, I purchased the rest of the ingredients at the local market. I did some searching online for recipes and picked a little from here, a little from there. My soup will not be traditional since I don't have access to the traditional ingredients, but here is what I ended up using.
Okroshka
5 radish, diced
1 cucumber, skinned and diced
2 green onions, diced
8oz cooked ham, diced
2 russet potatoes, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
2 sprigs dill
2 cups sour cream
2 cups mineral water
salt to taste
I know traditionally the only thing in this soup that is cooked is the egg and meat, but I really do not like raw radish or onion, so I threw them in the frying pan with the potatoes to cook them down as I boiled the eggs. Let everything cool.
The sour cream and mineral water were then mixed and all other ingredients tossed in. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. For the pleasure of my own taste buds, I added a dash of red pepper chili flakes.
This soup was surprisingly good considering the "broth" is mineral water and sour cream (which I honestly had very little faith in). This would be a wonderful Summer dish and I plan to make it again, this time with homegrown cucumbers and dill since they'll be ready by then.
Welcome back to Sweet Miah and Jessica's farm! They've been keeping an eye on this Blue Star Creeper, helping it grow healthy and happy. I've had trouble growing this is the past, but at this point, I think I need to get these succulents out and allow this ground cover to fully take over. It's beautiful!
Existing strawberries and blueberries along with the new additions of Fairy Tale Eggplant and low-cost flowers helped spruce up this area of my food garden. I have renamed this area Rabbit Hill. I've also had these rabbit statues for over 15 years. I love outdoor decor that can withstand the elements!
Guest appearance in the video below by my dog, Mr. Peanut!
The twins had their babies at the end of April, just minutes apart. Ruth-Ann (in the yellow dress) is holding her newborn, Jay, a healthy baby boy. Her sister, Doris, rocks her baby boy, Red, on a matching flower petal receiving blanket. So pure and sweet!
You may notice that the boys do not have wings, but I assure you that they are fairies. Much like newborn humans that may not be born with hair or teeth, baby fairies are typically not born with wings (they form within the first few weeks). The boys were born less than 24 hours before I was able to capture the moment below, which is why they are wing-less! What a wonderful learning experience.
