Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn—7:00 am, to be exact, which, let’s face it, is still technically nighttime for some of us. After a quick breakfast that consisted of strong coffee and questionable life choices, we stumbled into the office like zombies on a caffeine hunt. Another day or so, and we will be ready to go.
After working on the computer, I was a little hungry so I went to the frig and got something to eat. Then Mary came in and asked me what I was eating. I had a good answer!
Breakfast was interesting!
We passed by the rain gauge on our morning trip to the garden. We got over two inches of rain in the last two days, which we certainly needed! The garden is soaking it in, and the new plants are smiling!
We got almost 2 1/2 inches of rain!
Mary trimmed her roses this morning, and I planted twelve pepper plants and added the straw mulch around the babies. The peppers are enjoying the new soil and bright sunshine. In about 90 days, we will have all sorts of peppers to add to our meals.
We got the new peppers planted!
We left the onion bed alone because we pick from it daily. There is nothing like fresh veggies directly from the garden. The average American eats 20 pounds of onions per year. In our family, I do thirty and Mary does ten!
I’d tell you an onion story, but it might make your eyes water.
Our onions are going wild!
Our onions seem to be happy all year-round!
We have to hang the big onions out at the end of summer so they can cure!
The Swiss chard is looking very nice. We picked and delivered a large bunch of chard to our neighbors and to the gym where we work out. Boiled for about seven minutes, chard is an excellent replacement for spinach, and it does not turn grey after boiling.
The Swiss chard is coming on strong.
Here are some trivia facts about Swiss chard:
Origin: Swiss chard is native to the Mediterranean region, not Switzerland.
History: Swiss chard was cultivated in ancient Rome around 300–400 BC. Swiss settlers introduced it to the United States in 1806.
Name: The name “chard” may come from the French word carde, which means “cardoon”. The name “Swiss chard” was used to differentiate it from French chard.
Uses: Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be used to wrap tamales.
Nutrition: Swiss chard is high in fiber, which can help with weight management, heart health, and cancer risk. It also contains dietary nitrates, which may improve exercise tolerance.
Growing: Swiss chard prefers rich, moist soil in a sunny location. It can be grown in containers.
Thinning: When seedlings have their first set of true leaves, thin them to one plant per cluster. Thin them again when they are 4–6 inches tall.
Pests: Flea beetles and leaf miners can be a problem for Swiss chard.
When we dig in the garden, a lot of dirt remained on the top of the beds, so Mary had her whisk broom and cleaned everything up! After she was done, the beds were looking pretty snazzy. Later on we will add squash, beans, eggplant, Cucumbers, potatoes and in a month we will add pumpkins, watermelons, and corn!
After working in the garden, Mary sweeps away the residuals.
Garlic matures for eighteen months, and these guys are almost ready to be pulled. We love our fresh garlic. There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. Garlic has long been used as a seasoning staple throughout Asia, Africa, & Europe. Garlic didn’t become widely accepted in the U.S. until around 1940. Today, Americans consume more than 250 millions pounds annually.
The garlic will be ready in another month!
Mary worked for an hour making a fabulous salad, mostly from our garden. It is a lot of work to make a good salad and each slice and dice is done with love! We watch TV while doing meal preps and I am there to help chop up the more difficult pieces.
My skills are honed to that of a professional chef! I can toss a cabbage into the air and with my Ginzu knife (from the Home Shopping Network), I can prepare a bowl of coleslaw before the leftover cabbage coms down! I do yell, “Haw Cha So” while the blade in thrashing about at the speed of sound!
Salad for lunch/dinner! The rollaround TV helps!
In the middle of the afternoon, I went to the market to get some necessary goodies. I brought back four bags of groceries including a four-pound hunk of corned beef! If I cannot find Irish soda bread tomorrow, I will make it myself.
We had a fantastic dinner. Mary even made a fruit tray with fresh apples, strawberries, and oranges just picked. Oh my, it was terrific!!
