asassybrew

[asassybrew]

The Mail Came

Look what was in the mailbox!

It’s November 21st. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Even in this year of COVID-19 and divisive politics, I have a lot to be thankful for. My family can’t all be together, but everyone seems to be OK, so far. That could change, but we take it day by day. I have learned a lot over this past year, with beekeeping and gardening especially. There is food, some of it from the garden, on our…

[asassybrew]

Weathering a Cold Snap

Brr! This year's garden is almost done. Almost.

Pretty soon, central Minnesota’s passing cold snaps will settle in for a solid stretch. This week’s overnights are wintry.

I had to bring in all of the remaining tomatoes from the vines. There are way to many to set on a windowsill to ripen, so I’m reusing some packing paper to help them get their blush on. I take them out of the wrap as they ripen, each in its own time.

Ripening tomatoes

[asassybrew]

The Great Pumpkin... Patch

The Great Pumpkin… Patch

The three varieties of squash that I chose for this year’s garden started out as robust plants. The Canada Crookneck has been a real trooper, never bothered by sun, rain, or pests. It is producing huge, bottle-shaped squash that should keep well.

Patty pan, Chadwick Cherries, and cucumber.

It’s my first year growing pattypans, and boy! Are they pretty! They are also delicious, cooked or…

[asassybrew]

Tomato Alley

This is this year’s Tomato Alley.

Tomatoes growing over cattle panel and bamboo archways.

Keep in mind that we grow in the shade. There are numerous trees around and in the yard, so I compensate for that by planting very early, under mini hoop houses. And then we patiently wait while other gardeners enjoy their harvests.

Until right about now, when our tomatoes, cukes, and other goodies…

[asassybrew]

This is My Jam

This is My Jam

This was from the raspberries behind the beehive. It is one evening’s pickings. Yum! It’s almost time to make jam. There will be as many ready to pick today. And probably each day, for a short while. I hope the new blueberries do as well, at least starting next year.

Jam-to-be

I started learning to can last year, with the help of the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving, by Ellie Topp…

[asassybrew]

The Magic of an Overnight Downpour

The Magic of an Overnight Downpour

We were in a flash flood watch for a good part of the night. The worry about the ground beneath the hive made it hard to sleep, and I expected to be greeted by flattened gardens this morning.

A few things needed to be tied to trellises and stakes, but that’s because the opposite of my expectations happened. Everything magically grew and/or bloomed. It was an instant jungle, much to my delight.

[asassybrew]

June Around the Veggie Patch

June Around the Veggie Patch

It’s been nice to simply plant in the raised garden beds and use the already-built shed this year. The summer can be spent tending veggies, and thinking of new recipes to put them in.

Last year, it rained nearly every day. This caused tomato blight, and it wasn’t much better for anything else I tried to grow. This year, there is plenty of sunshine, and the plants are loving it. I may have been…

[asassybrew]

Mid-June Bee Update

I’ve been a beekeeper for an eternity, if an eternity means just over one month. It seems like every day there is something new to learn about them and about beekeeping. I love to learn.

In this month, there has been a robbing frenzy, followed by a would-be robbing frenzy. There has been an emergency hive transfer, from Warre to Langstroth. This is Minnesota, so of course there has been…

[asassybrew]

At Home

As a homebody, I haven’t been bothered by having to social distance. The toll that the virus is taking on people, overall? That’s another story. But being at home and trying to be somewhat more self-sufficient isn’t so different.

Here’s a late May update. Things have been greening up for quite a while. The gardens are taking off. I’ve also got veggies in the greenhouse, some of which could…

[asassybrew]

Chillin'

It's been a cold few nights. One to go, and we'll actually find spring, I think.

Minnesota just got hit with below freezing overnight temps. Our weather is so moody. This was horrible timing, as my package of bees came last week. I had hived them a couple of beautifully warm days before the chill.

I’ve been stressing over them since. Have had to open the hive multiple times to feed different types of food. The golden rule of no sugar water in the hive when the temps are…

[asassybrew]

Spring Rush

Thank goodness, I don’t have to build a shed or any raised garden beds this year! Well, maybe a couple of additional raised beds this fall, for next year. Maybe. My daughter did turn over an in-ground patch for corn, so we’ll see.

She and I built the frame for a permanent greenhouse. It only took a few hours, distractedly stretched over a couple of days.

Greenhouse Frame

I’m waiting for…

[asassybrew]

Warre Hive Build

My first package bees will be here in roughly two months. I’ve been building a second Warre beehive for two reasons. First, it would be nice to have a backup. Second, if I’m fortunate enough to find or lure a swarm, there will be a home for the additional bees.

Warre hive parts.

I started cutting parts sometime around late January to February. I work kind of slowly, so this, for two years…

[asassybrew]

Minnesota for Bees

Blue Thumb and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources have partnered to create the Lawns to Legumes program. This is an effort to encourage residents to turn part or all of their lawns into clean water-friendly pollinator habitat.

Bee with Pollen

Blue Thumb has a website for the project. Minnesotans can attend related workshops and receive cost-share funding for converting lawns…

[asassybrew]

Orderly, Ordered Seeds

There are several reputable sources for heirloom garden seeds. As many garders do, I have my favorites.

Vegetable Seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

This batch is from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. One more pepper variety (Olly) and two varieties of potatoes are coming from High Mowing Seeds. Seed potatoes don’t ship until spring. I had already planted music garlic from Southern Exposure…

[asassybrew]

Bread and Bees

With the gardens buried under several inches of snow, it’s tempting to curl up with a stack of books and forget about all things green until spring. Only part of that is reality: a stack of reading material. Horror and crime fiction frequent my bookshelf, but they share an increasing amount of space and time with cookbooks, beekeeping books, and seed catalogs.

Last years attempt to lure bees…

[asassybrew]

A Book of Hope - review of Stephen King's novel, ELEVATION Elevation, by Stephen King, is a tale of transformation. It is narrated by a man whose disconcerting physical change is a catalyst to his own personal insight and a community's evolving views.

[asassybrew]

Flowers and Dragons

Things are starting to flower.

Garden helper

Function and garden fashion

They smell good too