Exotic Gardening Thoughts

It has been a busy summer here at Exotic Gardening Farms and Wildlife Habitat. The flower garden is not looking good due to lack of rain and my lack of time for weeding. I do see lots of rose hips forming however and am anxious to pick them to make jelly as well as other items once the first frost hits them. I also noticed hops on my vine and am waiting on those to be ready to pick.

Today I will finish dehydrating some grapes for raisins. I still have oranges, grapefruit, apples, tomatoes and pears to can. I will make more applesauce and juice from the apples. The tomaotes will yield more tomato sauce and tomato juice. I have plenty of plain pears so may make some more cinnamon ones or look for a new recipe. The citrus I will juice and use the peel to make zest and candy. I just found out the white part of the citrus has medicinal value and so I will save some of it to dehydrate. Jon said to just add it to any food to gain the medicinal value.

I have some oregano oil that I used a sun distillation method on that looks like it is ready to preserve for winter usage. I am thinking of using it in some of the lye soap I made.

Today the soap will be ready to come out of the first mold, be cut and begin curing. Later, when the canning season settles down, I will hand mill the soap and add herbs, color and fragrance. Once my molds are free again I will make a second batch of lye soap. It should be a nice soap when it is done. At this stage it has lard, olive oil and cocoa butter in it.

Soon it will be time to get Leonardo sheared. I am really looking forward to my first kid mohair. It should spin up into a nice batch of yarn that I can use to make something or the other with. With winter just around the corner I am looking forward to some time off from yard work so I can begin spinning and weaving again. They say for everything there is a season and that is beginning to make sense the longer I live here.

So far here is a list of what is canned and stored for winter. While I would like to see more vegetables such as green beans and corn on the list I don’t think this is a bad start at all. I have 280 packages of food so far. My goal was 1500 packages. The weather has not been real cooperative and the corn and green beans did not do well. I had planned to can 100 pints of corn, 100 pints of green beans and freeze 100 packages of brussell sprouts (which have not come in yet) and 100 packages of sugar snap peas. If I fall short this year, there is always next year.

Canning Jar Or Bag Size - Number Of Jars Or Bags - Type Of Food 

Pints                 2          Strawberry JuiceHalf Pints          1          Strawberry JuiceHalf Pints          6          Rose JellyHalf Pints          2          Rose Honey2 pounds          2          Honey Wheat Bread1 1/2 pounds    2          Honey Wheat BreadN/A                 1         

N/A                 4          Peanut Butter and Oatmeal CookiesN/A                 5          Dinner RollsN/A                 1          Honey Spice CookiesOne and a Half Pints     1          Chicken BrothQuarts             3          Chicken BrothPints                14        StrawberriesHalf Pints         1          StrawberriesPints                1          SpinachHalf pound       5          Sugar Snap PeasOne and a Half Pints     3          Grape JuicePints                8          Grape JuicePints                1          CarrotsPints                1          Grape Jelly4 Ounce Jars   14        Grape JellyPints                13        Tomato JuiceOne and a Half Pints     4          Tomato Juice4 Ounce Jars    7          Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena Jelly6 Ounce Jars    1          Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena JellyHalf Pints          3          Mixed Herb Vinegar4 Ounce Jars    9          Mixed Herb VinegarPints                 1          Black Stem PeppermintPints                 2          SageQuarts              1          Lavender Flowers

Quarts              1          Chocolate Mint

Pints                 1          Lime BalmQuarts              1          RosemaryQuarts              2          TarragonPints                 1          TarragonQuarts              1          RaisinsPints                 1          OreganoQuarts              2          CherriesHalf Pints          1          CherriesQuarts              1          Dill WeedQuarts              3          Passion Fruit MojitoHalf Gallons      3          Dehydrated Potatoes12 ounce          2          Roasted Garlic Italian VinaigretteHalf Pints          4          Raspberry Syrup30 ounce           1          Strawberry JamPints                  1          Honey Cinnamon Pecan PeachesOne and a Half Pints     2          Honey Cinnamon Pecan PeachesQuarts              1          Honey Cinnamon Pecan Peach Sauce13 ounce          1         

13 ounce          1          Mixed

Liters                6          Pomegranite Juice

Sheri

Have you ever wanted to learn to make dream pillows? If so, now is your
chance! I am offering a class on making dream pillows using a pleasant
dreams blend.

The class will cost $10 per person and you will take your dream pillow
home with you at the end of the class.

If you wish to take the class, please email me with your name and phone
number so I can call to confirm that you will be attending.

The class will be held on September 27 at 2pm here in Marion, Indiana. 

Thank you,
Sheri

It seems like the preparation for the garden never ends. I have already started ordering seeds for spring and plants for fall planting. We are still trying to get the yard cleaned up and the roof repaired from the storm damage in June. It sure takes a lot to keep a farm going, especially when the unexpected happens.

I sent in several seed orders already. For fall planting I ordered some hard red winter wheat. For spring planting I ordered Brussels Sprouts ‘Rubine,’ an Amaranth mix (for grain), a beneficial wildflower insect mix, breadseed poppy, perennial sorghum, Amaranth ‘Golden Giant’ (grain), Turnips ‘Noir d’Hiver,’ Seakale ‘Lily White,’ Spinach ‘Monstruex de Viroflay’ also known as the Monster of Viroflay, a Wild Garden Kale Mix, Regina Fiber Flax, Evelin Fiber Flax, Luffa, organic Nankeen Cotton, organic Mississippi Brown Cotton, Red Foliated Cotton, organic Erlene’s Green Cotton and organic Arkansas Green Lint Cotton. I should have plenty of grains and fiber for processing next fall!

I also sent in several plant orders which I am anxiously awaiting arrival of. From Logee’s I ordered a Musa cavendish ‘Super Dwarf’ and a Vanilla planifolia variegata. From Forest Farm I ordered two Sapindus drummondii trees so I can grow my own soapnuts as well as three Lindera benzoin shrubs. I have been looking for the Lindera for quite some time and hope that I end up with a mix of male and female plants. The berries can be used as a substitute for allspice and the butterflies simply love this plant. I also placed an order with Gourmet Garlic Gardens for a Gardener’s/Epicure’s Delight Assortment of garlic to plant. The assortment will include a mix of mild, medium and strong garlic’s perfect for my growing zone.

We did get the Union Loom Number 36 home and I am working on threading it now. This is a real job to say the least. In the meantime I am still working with my knitty knifter looms on two other projects - a sweater made of wool and mohair and a blanket that I plan to felt. The blanket idea came about as a way for me to use the small amounts of handspun yarn I have been learning to spin.

In a few more weeks it will be time to get Leonardo shorn for the first time. I am looking forward to having my own mohair to spin. The sheep, Johnny and Pearl, are fitting in nicely and are such sweet animals.

We are planning to add a small shop that hopefully will be open sometime next summer so I can have a place to set up my goat milk soaps, bubble baths, bath fizzies and other farm products to sell. I also want an area to sell extra produce.

The greenhouses will have to be rebuilt soon so I have a place to bring my plants in for the winter. The plastic is trashed on them from the tree branches hitting them during the storm. Jerry wants to redesign the greenhouse to make it wrap around the house and make it bigger. Bigger is nice, but that will take more to heat it.

This afternoon I will be working, trying to earn a few more pennies to add to the project fund. It will be nice once the farm earns its own money. This farm business is a full time job plus some.

Sheri

I located some Leicester Longwool Sheep earlier this summer here in Indiana.  I contacted the lady who said she did have some for sale. We arranged pick up to be on my birthday. We actually ended up getting them the day before which was great since I kept dreaming of the sheep and found myself anxiously awaiting pickup time.

 The lamb ram is named Johnny (white) and the ewe is Pearl (black). These sheep are so sweet and pretty. I can hardly wait to spin the fiber.

After looking at a lot of sheep I am glad we decided to choose these. They don’t get excited, even when our dogs bark at them. They come up to us for attention and follow us around when we let them out into the yard.

We need to find a better way to feed them their hay however as it does get in their fiber, especially around their faces.

Sheri

We went to look at a buggy for Beauty to pull and met a lady who raised bees. I mentioned that some honeybees had taken up residence here and needed a hive. Judy, the lady who was showing us the buggy, said she had some and gave us one.

We got it cleaned up and set it out in the bird garden under a tree. The other lady said to put some sugar water out there to attract the bees. I have that done but have not moved the bee hive yet. I am hoping she will find someone to come help us get set up.

I am excited to have the hive and although she said it would be two years before we would get any honey, I am happy that at least the bees will be safe here.

Sheri

We finally settled on a name for our angora buck - Leonardo. He seems to like it although it will take some time for him to get used to being called something other than little boy which is what we had been calling him.

Tulip, our cashmere goat, has taken quite a liking to Leonardo. The two of them are stalled together, right next to the dairy goats. Needless to say the dairy goats are acting like they are really missing out, but they were the ones who wanted to beat the two smaller goats up all the time.

We have spent most of the day working on the room next to the stalls. We thought we were going to make that a sheep room - but suprise, there is concrete curbs and a metal stand in there that is unmoveable without more work than we want to invest. So, back to the drawing board. We have decided to use the room as a milking room and feed room instead.

We are considering purchasing a pair of Leicester Longwool Sheep in late July or early August once they are weaned and need a new stall area to keep them in. One is black and the other one is white.

Sheri

Sometimes nature sure suprises us. Today, as I was cutting dill for our salad, I noticed some caterpillars. I came inside to research and grab the camera. The caterpillars will be black swallowtails eventually. Needless to say I won’t be harvesting from that dill patch anymore until they are gone, that is, if anything is left then.

 I also wanted to share some photos from my garden with you.

 Sheri

Last night we brought our six month old Angora buck home. The girls, even Tulip, are being a bit pushy. The buck is rather timid and has not started showing them who is the new boss yet. He did ok in the pen overnight and is eating, but not with the girls yet. Jerry keeps reminding me this is the way it goes everytime we bring a new goat in.

He does not have a name yet. I think we should name him Loverboy! He is such a sweet little guy and after all he will have all those does to himself!

He came with health papers and is CL free. Woo Hoo! I cannot wait until spring to see what the babies he creates look like. The lady we got him from said his father was huge. She had got rid of him in favor of a white buck. His mother was a pretty good sized doe and just loaded with fiber. His fiber is so soft. Of course the first cutting is always the prime mohair.

Sheri

I really expect the winter months to be bad this year due to increasing prices and the fact that the stores are already having bare shelves. With the produce season in full swing, prices should be coming down and store shelves should be fully stocked. Even though no one really knows what lies ahead it is better to be prepared than to do without.

So far I have put up quite a bit for winter. I go out eraly every morning to see what is available to can, freeze or dehydrate for that day. Last night I was blessed with ten dozen canning jars - that makes almost 500 jars! I only need 1,000 more! I just might make it.

Here is what we have put up for winter so far - and the list grows daily.

6 half pints of rose jelly

2 half pints of rose honey

2 two pound packages of honey wheat bread

2 one and a half pound packages of honey wheat bread

1 package of orange sugar cookies

4 pacakges of peanut butter and oatmeal (mixed flavors) cookies

4 packages of dinner rolls

1 pacakage of honey spice cookies

4 pounds of noodles

3 quarts plus 1 1/2 pints of chicken broth

5 pints plus one half pint of strawberries

1 pint spinach

3 half pound pacakges of sugar snap peas

1 pint of carrots

1 pint plus 14 four ounce jars of grape jelly

7 pints of tomato juice

7 four ounce jars plus 1 6 oz. jar of lemon balm and lemon verbena jelly

1 half gallon of mixed herb vinegar which I will divide up once it is ready

1 pint black stem peppermint leaves

2 pints sage leaves

1 quart lavender flowers

1 quart chocolate mint - still filling the jar

1 pint lime balm - still filling the jar

1 pint rosemary

2 pints tarragon

1 pint oregano - still filling the jar

I have raisins in the dehydrator. I have no idea how many I will get but I am guessing around a pint. I may package these in little zip bags to make division easier.

 I am heading back outside now to see if there are anymore ripe strawberries or any vegetables ready to harvest.

Sheri

It has been a busy time here at Exotic Gardening Farms over the past few days. I have been canning more food as it comes on. I have frozen sugar snap peas, canned spinach and strawberries. My first picking of strawberries today came to five and a quarter pounds of fruit. The plants will continue to produce berries for several more weeks so there is much more to come.

We have been working in the garden trying to get rid of the creeping Charlie that wants to take over and laying paths. I cannot wait until all the pathways are laid so there are nice places to walk. The weed cloth simply became covered in weeds in too short of a time plus our ground is rocky so walking on it was difficult.

The aristolochia vine I planted when we moved in has not done much. It did bloom once, has grown a lot but there were no butterflies laying eggs on it until this year. I went out the other day to find close to fifty pipevine swallowtail caterpillars eating my plant. I am thrilled.

Tonight my epiphyllum oxypetalum has finally bloomed for the first time since I got it which was back in 1998. It has two beautiful, fragrant blooms. See the photo above.
Sheri