Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Barn Hop #32

Link up here!

Welcome Barn Hoppers!  I hope ya'll had a great week.  Like you, I look forward to the Barn Hop.  I learn so much from all of you. THANKS!

Well,  this last week I didn't get much done around here, as I was out of town; but I did can another batch of my homemade red sauce
 I used a jar of it to make my husband's favorite dinner- corn tamale pie. The recipe can be found right here on the Alber's yellow corn meal website.

I made some cute fabric pumpkins for a swap

New Hoop houses

A big surprise to me has been the success of those new hoop houses.  I only covered things a few weeks ago, in preparation for a 3 day frost and night time freeze.  Under them, everything has been excelling, better than before.  It has warmed back up again, so I have the ends open on those hoop houses, but they're staying on 24/7.  I am amazed by the results.

They definitely extend harvest and more importantly, bloom time, which means more food.  Also important to note- honeybees and mason bees are getting in just fine to pollinate everything. Because of the hoop houses, I continue to enjoy tomatoes, zucchini, beans, leeks, arugula, eggplant, peppers, and lettuce from my garden.  The tomatoes, eggplants and peppers should have died from the freeze, but inside hoops, they are thriving.
Daikon radish and tomatoes

Eggplant in the hoop house growing and blooming more...


 I am really surprised at how much bigger the cabbage and broccoli transplants are under the hoop houses than the ones planted the same day, from the same batch, uncovered.  The above cabbage are not inside hoops
 The above cabbage and broccoli inside hoops are nearly twice as big. 

 Plants are still putting out lots of peppers under hoops

 beans thriving...

 lettuce growing well inside hoops, but struggling with rabbits and slugs at night.  I don't mind sharing so I just plant more than I need.

Fava beans have the prettiest flowers

Rabbits like zucchini. Who knew?

Scarlet red runner beans are so pretty.  The vines grow 20' tall.

gonna make some fried green tomatoes 

This is what's left of the 3 sisters experiment.  The spent corn is still supporting beans.

Lima beans are still producing

tomatoes too...

I love arugula and arugula loves hoop houses.

This is my Autumn Blaze maple tree.  
Its leaves are turning fire red while every other plant is still green or yellow.  So pretty.

In closing, I want to share with you a little idea I had.  I am enjoying hopping so much that I'd like to HOP more often, so I have just started a NEW BLOG HOP- for Fall, and I'd really like everyone to join by linking up a favorite family recipe, tradition, decorating idea, or ???  You decide.  Enter as many posts as you like.  We'd love to see your ideas.

Please join us and share your special Fall and harvest stories.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!
At the end of the HOP, the posts with the most LIKES will be entered into a drawing for a set of cute fabric pumpkins like the ones in the button above.

5 comments:

  1. Loved your post and photos.
    In your new Hoop Houses things will probably grow better cause they are shielded from wind and may keep the heat in like a solar house and doesnt have direct sun on the plants but better yet acts as a filtered light which is better for all kinds of plants in doors or out direct sun can burn. Just a sugestion as to why they may be growing better .Have a wonderful day.

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  2. Your tamale pie looks better than the one on the Albers website! YUM!!
    It's amazing the production you are still getting from the garden thanks to the hoops!

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  3. Country Gal,
    I think you're right about the hoop houses. It's mostly the heat loving summer veggies that I am noticing are so happy inside the hoops. The heat is the key, and wind too- soil dries slower.

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  4. Candy,
    I am so excited by the lengthened season. I am hooping this will allow me to grow a few warm season plants through winter, we'll see... Thanks for the kind words about the tamale pie.

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  5. All your veggies look wonderful, great that they are still producing! I have never seen a daikon before, will have to look that one up :)

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My email address is whitewolfsummitfarmgirl@gmail.com.