2021 Airscapes Raised Beds

[Sher]

Nice surprise, and beautiful job growing them!

[airscapes]

May 22, 2021 8:53:54 GMT -5 Sher said:

Nice surprise, and beautiful job growing them!

HA! I have virtually nothing to do with them growing.. put peas under dirt, keep squirrel  out, wind string back and fort, water when needed.. much less tech than hydro based.. Just wish I had enough room to grow enough to last the entire year.  Picking, shelling,  blanching and packaging and freezing is more work then then grow part!

[campingcorgis]

Wow!  Beautiful and looks like you'll have plenty!  

[airscapes]

Had a hand full each of peas the other night as a taste.. god they are good.. After 3.5" of rain over the last 2.5 days I had to pick more that were ready.. really cold out there today in the rain..

Will wait a few more days before shelling and blanching as there are another couple bowls  worth that will be ready.. 

[Sher]

They look so tasty!

[Shawn]

They look great

[airscapes]

Changed the fluid in the bucket today and put up the majority of the support system.  Won't add the grid until the plant is a bit taller.  I am hoping with the Tomato formula nutrient it will really take off.  I expect the dirt dwellers will go to town over the next week now we have had a lot of rain and it will be getting warm later in the week.

[airscapes]

Picked a bunch more peas and still have 2x to pick as they finish up ..

First Pea Shelling of the year.. Poor Simone worked all day cracking those sweet tasty green pearls out of the pod. We blanching and prepped for freezing.. After tonight's rain there will be this many or more again!!!  

After bagging them we ended up with 2.4lbs in 8 bags of 2 servings each.. but really worth the work!

PS.  If I posted this else where let me know.. I thought I did, I remember pasteing in the link, but don't see it.. getting old.....

[airscapes]

This morning I cut 2 heads of Iceburg lettuce.  I don't normally grow lettuce but since I had the seeds...
Not even sure if it is done but we are about to get 5 days of mid 90s so better to get some now.  Other heads are not yet ready.

[Shawn]

Peas and Lettuce, very nice and they all look wonderful. 

We will be getting the 90's weather here too.

[Sher]

You really have a green thumb, airscapes. The pictures of the peas, especially, looks mouth-watering.

[airscapes]

Jun 4, 2021 13:28:13 GMT -5 Sher said:

You really have a green thumb, airscapes . The pictures of the peas, especially, looks mouth-watering.

My canned response to the green thumb.. Full Sun, Well drained soil, sufficient fertilizer, water.. Mother Nature does the rest.. my thumbs got nothing to do with it!    
But thank you for the compliment! 
OMG the peas are soooo good, once you blanch and freeze not quite as mouth watering, but still way better than store bought.
I don't grow sweet corn but my wife will go buy 6 or 8 dozen ears at a local place that grows it, blanch and slice off the cob and I vacuum seal it to freeze.  We are still eating last years!  She made bag of store bought frozen corn last week and it was YuckO compared to the local stuff.  Love me my food saver, was a very worthwhile purchase.

[airscapes]

Hopefully the peas will hold up for a day so my wife can grow some skin back on her thumb.

[campingcorgis]

Yikes!  Have you considered getting some kind of contraption to help with the task?  There seem to be a few options out there, that are meant for the home gardener.  The one at Lehman's sounds interesting.  

[airscapes]

Yup, I offered but she said no.. the peas have a little nib that attaches them to the pod, she does not like them to be on when she cooks or eats them.. So I am not allowed to help since I don't take the time to remove them.. nor would a crank pea sheller...

[airscapes]

Peas and Tomatoes have been getting most of my attention since the rest of the garden kind of just takes care of itself.. so a little love to the other cold weather started crops.. 

Left to right Garlic, thyme and Parsley  (from the DIY Bounty) and iceberg lettuce, weeds and Iris at the far end.. my neighbor has a weed farm.. 




Garlic left Onions right, chive are far end (they are perennial)  and yes that is a fig tree the previous owner planted just before they moved out.. surrounded by weeds! 
 




And more Garlic and onions.. 

[campingcorgis]

Looking great!  

My neighbor told me about a letter she received.  Anonymous, telling her that her yards needs attention, etc., etc.  Personally, I think her yard is fine and there are certainly worse ones in the area.  And, she is actively working on it.  Mind you, she's medically retired, has 3 young children, 1 dog and 1 goat.  She & her hubby, hired a contractor to enclose the yard with a fence.  The contractor built HALF of the fence and then pronounced it complete.  Said he fired the sales guy that gave the quote, and this is all the payment covers!  What??!!  

Anyway, I don't know if there is a "good" way to approach a neighbor about their yard...but good luck to you!!!

[airscapes]

It is what it is.. the neighbor before never took care of it either but he did cut the trees down which is good for my garden..  Just don't want the weed seeds (plants I don't want)  growing in my beds.. b

The family has been in the house about a year.. He asked me what to do with the back yard.. I was like you gota get it all cut down and keep it that way before you can "do" anything.. He is a sleep tech at a hospital and not very "handy" and I don't think his wife speaks any English.  They are all very friendly and his kids brought us a little Christmas gift even though we had never met them with the pandemic and all. They  did get a lawnmower and his  wife  has run 2 times..  I do wish she would wear shoes for safety when using the mower rather than sandals..  I will have to mention that to the husband next time we chat. 

[Shawn]

We have always kept our yards clean and clear.  However have had neighbors that yards are a mess.  I have never said anything except for when their garbage heap grew.  I did ask that they please move it as when the wind blew it came our way.  Since then they have apologized,and cleaned up their yard really well.  That was many years ago.  Now the wife and I are friendly and their three children always talk to us. 

In my last house we kept the yard clean and clear to.  We did not have flowers or shrubbery there.  Just an orange blossom tree and one other.  That neighbor would tell me CONSTANTLY to place flowers around my fence, to do something with my yard because when she looked out her kitchen window she saw dullness.   I actually said (after the hundredth time), that she was welcome to come plant things at her expense if she wanted sunshine and light.

As for doing hte lawn, I have a ride on mower and I must say I too wear sandals.  I want my feet and toes to get the sun and not be white as a ghost.

[airscapes]

Jun 11, 2021 3:47:11 GMT -5 Shawn said:

As for doing hte lawn, I have a ride on mower and I must say I too wear sandals.  I want my feet and toes to get the sun and not be white as a ghost.

maybe not as bad on a rider but I would think it could be.. 

Mower safety