Mary Loves Her Garden!
When we first got together, Mary showed me her garden and later on, she cam to my house and I showed her mine.
After discussing the gardens we decided that wherever we go, we needed a GARDEN. So, in early 2022, we contracted for a small garden; did we say small?
This garden covers an area of 35' by 50' and consisted of five raised beds whose edges are a perfect match in height so when Mary sites down to work!, she can reach acrosds the bed!
It took almost six months to complete but it has all the bells and whitles we wanted including power, individual valves in each bed tied to an internet controlled controller, water for sure and a bottom of the bed drain in case of too much water,!
Six months in the works and it indeed works! (Click for full-sized image)
Everything went wild including Mary!!
We added grapes in the back!
We love the cucumbers especially when making zoodles!
We had melons all summer long!
String beans by the tons!!
We cured the onions on their own stainless steel support.
Did You Know? - Curing onions is a process that dries out the onion's outer skin and neck to prepare them for storage. The goal is to protect the onion's interior from rot and mildew. Here are some tips for curing onions:
Temperature: Keep onions in a warm, dry place with a temperature of 75–90°F.
Airflow: Make sure onions have enough space to allow air to circulate. You can use a fan or place onions on a bread cooling rack.
Sunlight: Keep onions out of direct sunlight. If you need to cover them, use a light cotton sheet.
Turning: Turn onions every few days to ensure they dry evenly. Drying time: Cure onions for 2–4 weeks.
Curing indicators: Onions are cured when the outer skin is dry and papery, and the neck is dry and brittle. You can also test by moving the onions to see if they rustle.
Storage: Once cured, you can store onions in mesh bags or braid the tops together and hang them. If storing in a root cellar, make sure onions are as dry as possible. Check onions often and discard any that are soft or sprouting.
Onions that aren't cured properly won't store well and may rot. However, not all onions need to be cured. For example, in warm climates, you can dry short-day onions for a few days and then refrigerate them.
The Japanese "Yard Long" beans are a special treat!!
Mary makes a salad... FRESH!!!
The tomatoes are always a treat!
Mary's world famous "Tomato Pie"
We have twenty different varities during the summer.
The trellises are entertining for our guests!