Walnut Hill Farm • Brodhead • Wisconsin
This uninvited pine snake (over 3 feet long) decided to shed its skin right next to the pool deck. What is fascinating...is that it is the first snake skin I have ever seen that was TOTALLY intact! You can see everything from the eyes and mouth....all the way to the tail! It totally freaked out the dogs....and I asked Nash to hang it on my bulletin board in the greenhouse....and I haven't seen my little resident tree frog since! Oh my....
Johnny's Selected Seeds describe these as "exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomatoes leaving customers begging for more. Vigorous plants start yielding early and bear right through the season." And that description is dead on! Early, beautiful, and EXCEPTIONALLY SWEET! Start boiling the water, we're going to have pasta tonight with these gems!
A beautiful harvest!
The colors of summer!
These are Bulgarian Carrot Chile Peppers from Hudson Valley Seed. "A spectacularly cute hot pepper, each about 2- to 2½-inches long, with extremely shiny skin and a carrot-like form. Its fun shape belies its heat, which is significant." When mature, its color ranges from gold to deep orange. Happy 4th of July to all!
are being shelled, blanched and frozen, so we have some of this summer bounty with us all year round!
and that means Garlic Fest is not far behind! What elegant looking dividends from our garlic plants...and so tender and delicious! Chef Payson at Calihan Catering is pickling them and making incredible compound butters. Thank you, Chef!
are a cool season crop and are usually planted in the early spring. This year's crazy spring weather prevented us from planting these until late April. Although they don't usually thrive in hot weather, I have found if they are well watered, they continue to produce.
We planted the orchard in 2014 and were worried that we may have put it too close to the Black Walnut trees in the woods. But this Bartlett pear tree is finally producing its first fruits! Aren't they lovely?
John really enjoys his ‘gator,’ riding around the property and checking on the different plantings. This weekend the horseradish was in bloom. What an interesting plant…a member of the Brassicaceae family and a relative to plants such as mustard, broccoli, kale, and radishes. It is cultivated for its thick, fleshy white roots.
The “hotness” from horseradish comes from isothiocyanate, a volatile compound that, when oxidized by air and saliva, generates the “heat” that some people claim clears out their sinuses. The bite and aroma of the horseradish root are almost absent until it is grated or ground. During this process, as the root cells are crushed, isothiocyanates are released. Vinegar stops this reaction and stabilizes the flavor. For milder horseradish, vinegar is added immediately.
(horseradish.org)
and I know all the reasons we need to do it! I just don't like deciding who stays and who goes! They're all precious to me...I've raised them! In this case, I waited too long to thin the radishes...but it was a happy mistake. These have provided beautiful garnishes for this weekend's meals. Let's hope the others, left in the ground, will plump up and become beautiful little globes.
when mulching the raised beds! A bale of this cut grass literally rolled down onto our property, getting stuck in the sumac, when neighbors were mowing last year.
That might be a slight exaggeration. But we know that these recently planted bushes will be loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin K, manganese and vitamin C. And there's nothing quite like picking your breakfast right from the tree!
I'm going to be a grandmother! Happy Mother's Day, Grace!
We miss you! But you are in our thoughts and hearts this year as we plant our gardens!