PinHead Greenhouse

Everyonce in a while I see a pinhead that makes me want to smack my forehead and say "Why didn't I think of that?" Here's is one of those forehead smackers. You can find detailed instructions at swingncocoa.

A quick green house visit

After having some success in the greenhouse last year, this spring has become a season of renewal. After finally getting the broccoli monkey off my back, I am back again with gusto, am an even trying Romanesco broccoli this season as well as Cauliflower. Of course some seeds do not need the greenhouse to jump start their growth- so the chard, lettuce and basil will have to wait until it gets a bit warmer. But I already have sown radishes and beets in the "ground".

Home Improvement Goals 2012

Every year I make a list of goals to accomplish for home and hearth. Last year was a loss, so some of these might seem familiar! DIY Goals for 2012
1- Finish the Garage- I have been putting this one off for awhile. The Idea is to finish the garage with walls and a ceiling, and some wall storage units. Hopefully for the future as I plan to make it my work space for retirement.
2- Build a new green house- or rather, build a more permanent green house space rather than the giant ziplock bag I have now. Already planned and ordered, have the perfect spot for it. And it should help winterize my bedroom windows as well!
3- Bike storage- I need a shed for my Bicycle(s) and Romeo’s trailer. This has been in the plans forever- Bought a pre-fab shed, but after reading the instructions almost gave me a seizure, I am going a bit simpler on design. And yes I will use material from shed kit to build this!
4- Enclose The porch: another long term goal. I think I am getting close to knowing what I need and want for it.
5- Remodel the Main Bathroom- Needs paint, a new toilet, new vanity. I need to get to the “as-Is” department at Ikea!
6- New cabinets in Kitchen- Slowly, but surely my Kitchen needs an upgrade. Found cabinets I like that won’t break the bank to badly.

Early Spring Walk

Basil starts in the green house

Thought I would post some pics of an early spring walk around the community garden and ending up in the green house:

Garlic scapes in my plot

Below: some interesting trellis designs made by friends Matt and Catherine

out of bamboo:

Sugar peas in Catherine's garden The Rob Johnson Memorial Greenhouse

Clint Eastwood Rowdy Red And Spoon Tomatoes make an appearance A Purple Vienna Kohl Rabi start

Chard!

Black Prince tomatoes! Lots of fried green tomatoes and salsa if these tomatoes all come out ok

and lots of leek and potato soup if these leeks all get big

Hot Time in the Ole' Green House Tonight!

I was out in the greenhouse picking some of the fruit off an jalapeno pepper. Don't know yet if I will dry them, pickle them or make pepper flakes. Adding the greenhouse was great for self pollinators like peppers, not so much for my mini cantaloupe, as it needs a pollinator, and I apparently was not it's type.

Another Rob Home Made tool

Ever wonder how to water those seed starts? Do you use a hose and sprayer (my water wand has a mist setting so it is doable, but still gets water everywhere.
Well, I used the logic of my fore fathers (er rather fore grandmother). She used to make a "spritzer" bottle out of a mason or a mayonnaise jar and lid with holes punched in it, for when she ironed clothes. Well, this is 2010, I took Grandma's invention and one upped it! I took two plastic bottles I found in the trash at work, 1 wide mouth Gatorade bottle and 1 regular water bottle. (Yes the food service still gives out bottles of water- they haven't seen that light yet, but they have started to compost their leftover veggies bread and wrappers- so I'll let them off the hook this month)

Anyway, I digress, I simply drilled some small holes in the caps of the bottle. Now I just take my bottle set up directly to the seed starts-no mess no fuss.

Plants are happy (haven't seen any yet but I am sure they are pleased with a good drink of water), Rob is happy, The only person around here who isn't happy is Romeo; he likes hose water!

Ready to plant!!!

I am so ready to get started in the greenhouse. Yesterday I had to fix a small mishap, (the green house, which is basically a glorified tent, blew over- so I put the stakes in.
Well- long story short- the floor is in- I was going to use wood chips for a floor, with cardboard underneath, rather than gravel, in case I have to move the green house or something, The wood Chips would do much less damage to my mowers, I figure. But instead I decided to use Rubber Playground Mulch, Made from recycled tires. Less hassle and does not attract insects. I would hate to have to hatch my praying mantises in the green house!
I also ordered some seeds from Containerseeds.com, a company I have dealt with before and had some success with their seeds. I chose Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe, to try my hand at cantaloupes, considering I had success with the worlds smallest watermelons last year, I decided to go with a purposely small melon this year, designed for container gardening. Also got some ground cherries, Aunt Molly's, and some tomatoes.

Red Robin Tomato

I went with Tumbler, a fun tomato to put in hanging baskets, Window Box Romas- which did well in a shallow planter for me last year, and Red Robin which had to be the most prolific little cherry tomato I have ever grown! I got Red Robin seeds to start a plant or two for my mom, as they are supposed to grow wonderfully indoors, her kitchen window being one of the only places that gets a decent amount of sunshine!

Easy Up? Greenhouses and cooking school- The Weekly Challenge Update

Putting up the Greenhouse Well it finally got nice enough outside (read No Rain!) to put up my green house, from flowerhouses.com. Easy "Pop Up Assembly" my ass, although it wasn't that hard to set up after you figure out the instructions, which I did glance at - last night. Instructions??? I don't need no stinkin' instructions. It went up like IKEA furniture, whose instruction sheets are a language all their own. Now to decide where to put the shelves. The Shelves? I am going to reuse some shelving in the scooter shed. And I need to find some big squares of cardboard to put down as a floor. Then gravel over it. And hopefully this week start some seeds!Also this week I signed up for a class on cooking borscht two ways (I love borscht- and this would also allow me to learn to make it- new use for beets. And I will find out if you can freeze it as well though I don't see why not)
Sharon's Independence Days Challenge: Year 3, week 5

1. Plant something: Nope

2. Harvest something: Sprouts

3. Preserve something: Saved some bread for bread pudding

4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Going to reuse some shelving in the "Scooter shed" in the greenhouse!

5. Preparation and Storage: Set up the greenhouse.

6. Build Community Food Systems: Signed up for a class on cooking Borscht!

7. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new): Pickles, Pickled onions, pickled tomatoes
　
　
Freeze Your Buns off challenge- No changes this week.


One Small Change- Started sealing the outlets and Light switches on the exterior walls-


Food waste reduction challenge- No changes- ate some pizza the next day for lunch at work, Find that I think ahead before cooking supper- as in "What can I make that I can eat leftovers the next day" type of thing.

The Growing Challenge (Extreme Evangelist Edition)- Set up my greenhouse… now to start those seeds!