08/31/2026
🌧️ MONDAY MORNING FROM THE RIVER BOTTOM! 🌧️
The rain this morning is MUCH appreciated! 🙌🏼 It is soaking all that lovely grass in the garden, which means it should be much easier to pull out. And let me tell you…this past weekend I officially started the MASS W**D — aka GRASS — TAKEOVER in the garden. 😂
Somewhere under all that grass I knew there were carrots…AND I FOUND THEM! 🥕🥕🥕
Now that I have rescued them from being completely choked out, I’m thinking we may actually have a pretty good carrot crop!
And here’s a little garden tip: don’t be in a hurry to pull those carrots! Carrots are pretty frost tolerant, and leaving them in the ground into the cool weather can actually be a good thing. Cooler soil helps carrots develop more sweetness, and you can harvest them as you need them rather than having to pull the whole crop at once. Just keep an eye on the weather and protect them with a good layer of mulch once we get into the really cold stuff. 🥕❄️
🌿 NOW LET’S TALK ARTICHOKES…
This is my first year growing these babies and, as most of you know, I LOVE ARTICHOKES! ❤️
Of course, I planted “too many.” 😂 I have 20+ plants that have not bloomed yet.
Through my research, I may still have a chance with some of the larger ones, so I’m going to give them a little extra attention — trim off some of the large leaves, give them a good dose of manure tea and fish fertilizer, and see what happens.
The smaller ones? I would LOVE to gift them to anyone who wants to try to finish them off in a pot or greenhouse. 🌱
If you want to give one a shot, let me know and bring your pot out! First come, first served. 😊
🌸 AND SEEDS…START SHIFTING YOUR BRAIN TOWARD NEXT SPRING!
I know most of us aren't thinking about next year's flowers yet, but there are actually quite a few flowers that benefit from being planted in the fall. Some seeds need that period of winter cold and moisture before they will germinate well in spring.
I have seeds for:
🌼 Bachelor Buttons
🌼 Calendula
🌼 Columbine
🌼 Black-Eyed Susans
🌼 Bee Balm
🌼 Yarrow
Milkweed is another good one but I do not have seeds for it. I'm always game for a SEED TRADE! 🌱
Some others that can be fall planted that I need to trade include:
🌸 Larkspur
🌸 Foxglove
🌸 Poppies
🌸 Sweet William
🌸 Dianthus
🌸 Penstemon
So if you have extras of those seeds, LET'S TRADE!
I’ll also be dividing some of my established columbines, yarrow, black-eyed Susans, bachelor buttons, thyme, oregano as well as sharing any annual herbs that any one wants to pot up for the winter.
I would be more than happy to do an even-steven trade for some GRASS PULLING HELP if that’s your vibe.
🌿 THE GREENHOUSE…
The greenhouse construction had to be put on hold for a week. There was just WAY too much going on last week and I can only keep so many hot irons in the fire at once. 🔥😂
My focus had to be getting some ‘mother’ plants of some herbs that I missed harvest on moved into the greenhouse in-ground plantings. I moved one plant of each herb inside to extend their growing season. They should start up earlier next spring as well so I can clippings off to propagate. It is my goal to help any of you build your own medicinal herb garden of your own.
I was extremely lucky to have sister Dawn, her fiancé Tyler, and our close friend Leslie come help me get a good start on cleaning up and organizing the “bone yard.” This was not planned so it was an extremely happy moment for me. I was dreading wrestling that rack alone. I’ve done it before and knew I did not want to do it again.
For those who don't know…this is the place where all the back stock of reclaimed of lumber, gates, sheet metal, fencing, T-posts and approximately 9 million other things end up. There are still a lot of piles that need organizing but their help gave me a tremendous head start.
Anyone who knows me knows I believe in a place for everything and everything in its place. It just makes life so much easier.
And, finally, Ken and I got that old camper moved to a new forever home. It served it’s purpose for a “garden shed overflow” for a bit while Ken and I got settled into things but it was a eye-sore when added to all the “stuff” stacked under the Penelope Pine Tree. It is all gone and I see things really coming together now.
❄️ FREEZE DRYER ROOM…
SHELVES ARE GOING IN THIS WEEK and then the freeze dryer will be hooked up!
I'm going to be honest…I'm a LITTLE nervous about this one. 😬
I haven't run a load in over a year, so fingers crossed those seals are still tight and the refrigerant is happy and ready to go!
This is a TOP PRIORITY for me this week though, I am going to stay diligent and focused on it.
The cooler weather coming is perfect timing. These machines put off a LOT of heat, so running them in the summer isn't exactly ideal if you're trying to keep production costs down. The last thing I want to do is add an air conditioner to the cost of every product coming out of that room! 😂
🌾 THE DRY SHOP…
The dry shop is currently OVERLOADED with fresh cuttings and seeds that I’m harvesting.
I’m hoping insulation will be going into two interior walls where electricity isn't going. I know…this all sounds a little backwards. 😂
The original plan was to keep up with all the time-sensitive planting, harvesting, processing, AND construction at the same time.
Well…
That was the PLAN. 😂
I had planned on doing a lot more of this myself, but I am rolling with God’s plan and just hanging on!
One project at a time. One harvest at a time. One load of laundry…okay, maybe not. 😂
But seriously, there are a LOT of moving parts right now and I am incredibly grateful for the people who continue to jump in and help when they can. ❤️
So much more to share, dandelion root and hibiscus will be in this week, Ken had a good weekend with buddy Walt preparing for hunting, bees, orchard, getting ready for fall, canning and preserving, and so much more as things come together but this is already so long of an update. I hope to be here more often, with some shorter posts, and keep you up to date.
🍯 OH, AND ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING…
HONEY IS IN THE REFILLERY!! 🍯🐝
So come on out to the River Bottom, grab some honey!
There is always SOMETHING happening around here but I try to give a wave if I see you.
Wishing everyone a sweet, productive, slightly muddy Monday! ❤️
See you at the river! 🌿🐝🍯
