Regenerating...

Recently, when I looked in my veggie bin in the pantry, I had a Vidalia onion that was getting soft and had sprouted. I decided to let it go for a while, and a few days ago I decided to see just how many new onions I had growing inside that skin.

 

I started peeling back all the layers and by the time I was finished, there were four distinct plants growing inside. I finished separating them and placed them in a jar with just a bit of spring water so the new onions could sprout roots. 

I change the water twice a day, and yesterday morning each onion had new roots. I'll give it another couple of days, and then these will also be planted in my metal sinks in my garden.

 

 

I also pulled a head of garlic, separated all the cloves and then peeled each one. Some of the cloves already had green sprouts, but they needed roots, too.

 

I grabbed the sweet, little bowl that used to belong to Shelly's great grandmother. Shelly gifted it to me, saying that it belonged in the farmhouse. I use it quite often, and it seemed perfect for this purpose. Again I added spring water and floated the cloves in it. After only one day, the garlic had sprouted new roots and tops. 

 

Most garlic is planted in the fall, but I know it can be planted in the spring, too. I decided to give it a try and see how it does through the summer. I'll likely cover it when the weather is particularly hot, but other than watering early morning or late day, it won't get further special treatment.

 

So, from what some might call a rotting onion, and a sprouted head of garlic, I'll end up with four more onions and six new heads of garlic. This can also be done with celery and potatoes. I'll likely salvage the roots from the next head of celery I purchase, and all the potatoes that sprout before we use them. I kind of love this process of not wasting food. What do you think?

 

Tuesdays With Tag - Jim Dandy...

 

 

Hi, Everybody! 

Just me, playin' "Farm Dog" again these days.

Mom and Dad have been workin' in the yard, and lately, Mom's concentratin' on the kitchen garden next to the back door. This bed has really gotten away from her since the "Invasion of the Hollyhocks", so it really needs some serious attention.

Today bein' the 23rd of May, you'll notice that the hollyhocks are already up over my distinguished head. They're gonna be tall ones again this year. The problem is that they propagate like bunnies. They're in the back of the flower bed...in the front of the flower bed...and they've choked out even the chives and mint! They're like Audry II on Little Shop of Horrors! We need to get 'em back under control.

As much as Mom loves doin' the work, her knees and back protest, so we're back here in short spurts. At this rate, it's gonna take another week to clear it out, but it will be worth it. When she's done, there'll only be controlled hollyhocks, hostas, lavender, delphiniums, and some ground cover that smells like thyme. Then she might move the bird bath back in where it used to be. But, maybe not.

Where it is right now, it's kind of in the open. If she moves it into the flower bed, a certain someone whose name begins with "Clau" and ends with "dette" might be sorely tempted to harass the birds. See, one of her favorite spots is under the cool umbrella leaves of the hollyhocks. Mom says it's a perfect hidin' place away from us, but it would also be a perfect spot to ambush avian visitors, and we don't want that! I guess it might have to stay where it is.

Anyhoooo...between supervisin' Mom, guardin' the back door, and lyin' around in the grass, I'm just lovin' every second of this weather. This could be a year-round situation for me and I'd be one happy Corgi. How about you? Is it nice where you're livin'? I'd love to know. In the meantime, if you're lookin' for me, I'll be in the yard.

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

With Two Cats In The Yard...

 

 Much of my day was spent outdoors on Sunday. I moved our outdoor furniture out of storage, washed everything on the lawn, and once it was all was dry, Handsome helped me move it all up to the porch.

 

 

Of course, I always have a little extra help. Do you remember the circa-1970s song "Our House"? I think of it whenever I see Claudette and Crystal hanging out in the yard. (Sorry if that causes you to hum the song all day now.) The girls think we did all of this for them!

Once this much was finished, I'd stopped for the day. I had done a little weeding in the kitchen garden first, but as the weather got warmer, I opted to do porch work instead. I'll keep weeding a bit at a time, as my knee precludes me accomplishing very much from a kneeling position. Consequently, there's a lot of bending over, pulling and puffing. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

The lilacs are in full bloom now, so whether I'm outside or indoors with the windows open, the breeze carries their sweet fragrance into the house. As you can see, our volunteer black raspberries are lush this year, so I know there will be jam made once their fruit ripens. There are two or three new patches in the field, too, that will be harvested at the same time. Something to look forward to, for sure.

Handsome and I calculated that I need just over three yards of soil for the raised beds, but I'm going to make a call today to order four. That way I'll have plenty to put into my pots, too. I don't have any appointments on the book this week, so I'm going to do some gardening, and continue preparing for the sale in Larsen on the 3rd. 

I hope the weather is nice where you are. Here's wishing you a wonderful week, filled with possibilities.