It is time to pick out a pumpkin.
Guess what, my parents grew our pumpkins for the 2021 pumpkin carving party.
Let us get started!
A few of our fun creations!
A Jack O Lantern sways fitfully in the wind ~
A flame dances wildly from within ~
It's there to BEWITCH!
Beware; It's Dark! Run In!
SB
we have had our summer evenings, now for October Eves!
Humbert Wolf
Trick or Treat
Happy Halloween to you.
First hard autumn frost, October 22, 2021.
Hello Friends,
I am sharing my article for the
October Issue Cameron Chronicle
"The Little Paper With Personality."
Putting the Garden to Bed
and
Planting for Spring
By Carla TePaske of Cameron WI ~ The Little Garden That Could
We soon will be raking leaves and buttoning up the house for winter. Put your leaves to work for you. Use them as a mulch for your garden. Spread your leaves in the garden and landscape beds to reduce weeds, protect the soil surface, reduce watering, and provide so many other benefits. Adding mulch is one of the best things you can do for a healthier garden. Shredded leaves are of the best types of mulch around. Over time, the leaves will break down and return all their nutrients back into the soil.
It is time to think about tulips, daffodils, allium and crocus. Select quality bulbs. Pick the right spot, at least 6 hours of sunlight and well drained soil. Plant your bulbs deep enough. Check your package for the planting directions. Place them pointy side up. If you do not see a pointy side, look for where the roots come out.
Water well.
Protect your bulbs from critters. Spread a layer of mulch to hide your bulb holes. If that does not help, weigh down a piece of mesh or chicken wire over the soil to keep critters from digging. It should be safe to remove the protective mesh or wire after the bulbs start to sprout out of the ground.
Lolly, Holly, Molly, Dolly and Polly are all doing well. They have enjoyed summer evenings out in the Chicken Tractor. As winter approaches, we will winterize the chicken coop and our hens will be snug.
This season I have been drying marigolds. I plan to toss the petals into the coop for a touch of summer in the middle of the winter.
I have two large coffee cans full of marigold petals. Each time I open the can, I will smell summer.
For more about marigolds and chickens click here.
Advice From a Chicken
Hatch good ideas ♥ Cackle with your friends ♥ Give your sweetie a peck ♥ Start from scratch ♥ Stick together ♥ Look after your brood ♥ Don't let life ruffle your feathers ♥
We have enjoyed a beautiful October. As I write this post, we have yet to have a kill frost. The above photo is the hanging basket our son Atticus gifted me for Mother's Day. It has done so well, it is still blooming!
The zinnias continue to bloom as well. The colors are just lovey!
Adding pumpkins to the ever growing flowering pots.
Adding corn and pumpkins to my red, white and blue summer display, to make it an autumn display.
The real show stoppers of my autumn display are the orange mums. Orange mums are my favorite.
♥ The Best Things in Life Are Not Things ♥
This Sunday, October 24th we will host our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. To get all ready, it is time to decorate for Autumn and Halloween. My mom gifted me my Pumpkin Man many, many years ago. It is one of my very favorite decorations.
Pumpkins, ghosts and more.
This amber candle holder was a recent .99 cents thrift find.
I collect nutcrackers. I created this display on top of our fireplace.
The wind kicked up today and I can feel the change in the air. The October winds are officially blowing Autumn in.
Hello Friends,
Do you remember my spring post about growing potatoes in pots?
Click here to read Growing Potatoes in Pots
We harvested our crop and I am happy to report it was successful.
We enjoyed Potato Soup for dinner last night. It brings a smile as you cook, knowing you grew what you are going to eat. We are very pleased with our growing potatoes in pots. We plan to do it again next season.
The bottom of our bushel baskets did rot away. I think I can plant potatoes in the baskets again next year, but that may be it for for the bushel baskets, they are falling apart.
Our potatoes on our drying rack.
Did you try any new way of growing something? Please share how it did for you. I enjoy learning new ideas, tips and tricks from you all.
♥
Carla
It is Wednesday and that means it is the Hodgepodge. It is a High Five's for Farmer's Hodgepodge. High Five's to all those farmer's who produce the food we enjoy at our table.
On to the Hodgepodge.. Joyce asks the questions .. we answer the questions.
1. What obligation do you believe you have to your country?
I believe I should do my best each day to make our country a great place to live. How I do this is, to be a responsible citizen. Doing my best each day as a wife, mother, friend and kind stranger to others.
2. October 12 is National Farmers Day? Do you know any farmers? What do they farm/grow/raise? Are there any farm stands where you live? Do you shop there?
I do shop at other local farm stands. We enjoy knowing where our food comes from.. Know your farmer.. Know your food.. I am very passionate about farming and real food.
3. What's a skill you think everyone should have? Tell us why?
I think everyone should be able to read and write. I witnessed the pain of someone who could not do both. I realized quickly not to take reading and writing for granted.
4. Favorite thing you've purchased this year?
We had central air put in our home this spring. We use to have window box A/C units. Having central air this summer was refreshing.
5. What's your favorite place to visit in the fall?
Our local pumpkin farm and the Chippewa Valley apple farms.
Paul Harvey ~ So God Made a Farmer
Wisconsin Cranberries
Hello Friends,
My sister and her husband work and enjoy living on a Wisconsin cranberry marsh. This season our son Sam helped with harvest. I am sharing a few photos from harvest and a video. I encourage you to watch and share the video, it is always a good thing to learn how our food is grown and harvested.
Enjoy!
Copper River Cranberry Co. Merrill, WI ~ A member of the Ocean Spray
Cranberry Cooperative... Yes, Ocean Spray is a Farmer-Owned Co-Op, not
one of the big beverage corporations. So when you're picking out that
fruity beverage, help out a local farmer by buying Ocean Spray Brand!
Copper River Cranberry Co. is a family-owned farm near Merrill, WI
doing their best to provide you with the highest quality cranberry juice
available. Thanks for watching!
Our son Sam, in a sea of Wisconsin cranberries.
Hi Friends,
Today I am sharing the article I wrote for the Cameron Chronicle, "The Little Paper With Personality."
This is the article for the July issue. We were in the middle of a drought, I shared tips and tricks for watering and dealing with unwanted visitors in the garden.
When Gardening is Not all Roses!
By Carla TePaske of Cameron, WI ~ The Little Garden That Could
A good rain in June sets all in tune. Well, we all know that is not how our month of June was for us living in the Cameron area. June has been hot and dry. Here are a few tips on watering your hanging baskets, containers and garden.
Hanging baskets can dry out quickly from the wind and sun. A daily soak is recommended for hanging baskets. Water until you see water drain from the bottom of your hanging basket. I keep gallon milk jugs around the garden filled with water, it is convenient if you see a plant stressed to give it a quick drink. Another trick I learned from my neighbor who had many hanging baskets around his home is the following. Purchase a kiddie pool, fill it with water, each evening place your hanging baskets in the pool. The roots will soak up the water during the night. The plant will be all hydrated and ready to go in the morning as you hang them up for the day.
Watering your container plants daily in dry windy conditions is recommend.
When watering the main garden using a sprinkler system, use a tuna can to measure water. One inch of water is a good amount when watering your garden, using a tuna can, you can see that yes, you are reaching the one inch amount.
Deer, Rabbits, Squirrel, Oh My!
Many of us deal with unwanted visitors to the garden. Here is a stinky recipe that will help keep those unwanted visitors away.
You will need:
A gallon jug
Spray bottle
Blender
Milk
Eggs
Dish Detergent
Cooking Oil
Stinky Solution
1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon Dish Detergent
1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
Add everything (except dish soap) whip on high in blender. Let settle, add dish soap, pour into gallon jug. Fill remainder of the jug with water. Let the solution sit in the sun to get stinky.
After the solution has had time to get stinky, pour into your spray bottle, spray the boarder of your garden and plant area. Must reapply after each rain.
A garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever. Richard Bries
The following recipe is from Frances Palmer. I did a book review of her book ~ Life in the Studio ~ Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity by Frances Palmer
I am going to share her Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe, it is wonderful!
Roasted Tomato Sauce
3 pounds of tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and basil
Preheat oven to 400° F
Spread the tomatoes and garlic in a small roasting pan or shallow ovenproof dish.
Pour olive oil over them, then sprinkle with the salt and red pepper flakes.
Scatter the herbs over the top. Roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the tomatoes begin to collapse and the tops are a nice blackened brown. Let the tomatoes cool until they are at room temperature.
Place food mill on top of large bowl. Scrape everything from the roasting pan into the mill. Puree the mixture. Pour into freezer containers.
On a cold January pull out of the freezer to use in beef stew, pizza, pasta and soups.
And the taste of summer will be back warming you.
