The Celtic Ozark Garden

Winter Hardy Plants

2011-08-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just read the greatest article in Mother Earth News. If you don’t read that magazine, you really should. It is a great source on how to grow food! Anyway, here is something I had never thought of: grow your own winter hardy veggies.

Now this will not work for the summer veggies like tomatoes and squash, but the cool weather veggies have a shot at this. It makes sense in that it is just natural selection, but here is how it goes.

Plant your fall garden as usual. Harvest the product like normal, but leave just a bit on each plant. The ones that survive a serious freeze are the seeds you want to save. Isn’t that the most incredible and simple idea? I love it. The whole article is great but here is the link to the specific section I referenced: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/fall-garden-zm0z11zmat.aspx?page=5

Good luck on your fall garden; we have had a rugged time with our summer garden this year. We moved just at the beginning of the garden season and then we had horrible heat. You just can’t water enough when it is 114°F to make plants happy. In fact tomatoes will not set blossoms at that temp. So I am really looking forward to fall.

It is finally getting cool enough to plant the fall crops; it takes awhile for the soil to cool off enough to make the broccoli and spinach happy. We now live far enough south, that I can plant cool weather crops in late August or early September.

I am going to plant corn salad again this year too. This great green is also called Mache, so if you can’t find corn salad, look it up by that name. These greens have a great flavor and will tolerate a much cooler temp than normal lettuce and spinach will. We like the corn salad that grows as rosettes the best, but we eat both kinds. It is a great addition to any food supply garden. Mache can stretch the season without the need for a cold frame or a tunnel.

Tullamore Returns to the Celtic Ozark Music Scene

2011-08-23T04:57:00.001-07:00

Tullamore, one of my favorite celtic ozark music groups will be returning to the SW MO Celtic Heritage and Music Festival on September 10, 2011. Read more....http://ping.fm/Qv0v1

Keeping Tomatoes Alive in High Heat

2011-08-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Keeping tomatoes alive in high heat is very difficult. Tomatoes are tropical plants so they love hot weather, but they do not like brutal heat. These super hot days are hard on every living thing. Especially when there is no real cooling at night, there is just no rest for anything.

We hit 114 in Arkansas yesterday which was record heat. It is unbelievable. This has been a hard season for us to grow tomatoes. We had a cool wet spring in Missouri which rotted the first batch we planted. Then we moved to Arkansas, still in time to plant tomatoes, but late. Our plants look great, just really setting good blooms and now into the blast furnace.

So what can you do to save your tomatoes? Healthy plants have the best chance of surviving. So if you have any sick plants you have been babying, you may have to have a hard heart and let them go. Keep your plants healthy by watering at the base of the plant and not on the leaves. This helps prevent mold and rust. This will also conserve water. We don’t have water rationing yet, but that may be coming. Keep the garden mulched to help prevent evaporation. This also cuts down on weeds that will compete with your tomatoes for water and food.

A drip irrigation system is really the best for a large tomato patch. However, if you have just a few in a square garden type of arrangement, you may want to water twice a day morning and mid afternoon, by just pouring the water around the bases of the plants. I use a clean milk jug. This lets me put the water only where I want it. I can also add some worm tea or compost tea if I want to.

Do not fertilize during the brutal heat. Let the plant rest as much as possible when it is incredibly hot. When it cools off again just a bit, you can fertilize if you need to. If you have just a few plants, a sunscreen may save your plants from the unrelenting sun. Let the plants get the morning sun and put the sun screen up around noon. This will let the plant get enough sun for photosynthesis, but save it from the brutal afternoon sun.

Just remember, fall is coming and that has potential for more fall garden goodies. It's not easy to know how to grow your own food in this kind of climate. So remember: not every year will be the optimal growing year. It certainly makes bumper crop years a true blessing.

Keeping the Celtic Ozark Garden Alive in Summer

2011-07-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Keeping the Celtic Ozark Garden alive in summer is no easy task. In the cool of the morning, I wake up and take a short stroll through the vegetables and flowers that make my life so rich. My heather has long since not been too happy. The heat of the mid west is too much. The thyme, rosemary, and oregano are also struggling a bit. That is why I have these plants in a semi-shaded section of the garden. I water them in the morning, only using water that has been heated by the sun (and cooled some at night).

Cold water straight from the hose can often shock plants, and prohibit natural growth. In addition, and I don't know how scientific this is, but I notice more issues with blossom rot with really cold water. As I go around and water my tomatoes, green peppers, and the like, I also make sure I am not watering the fruit or blossoms, whenever possible. The wear and tear on my back yields less issues with fruit trying to grow in the heat of summer.

At times, we also use cotton muslin, old sheets, or cheese cloth to create a kind of temporary cover for the fruiting plants. The white cloth allows sun to get through, but cuts some of the intensity of the blazing sun. In Missouri and Arkansas this year, we are having record heat, so we have to do extra things to keep the Celtic Ozark Garden alive.

Soon, it will be time for the squash bug to return to the garden, and so we will be watching for them, always watching....always!

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden.

Do Some Fall Food Supply Gardening

2011-06-26T17:09:00.001-07:00

The month of July officially starts the beginning of the fall food supply garden. And food supply gardening does not stop, just because summer is coming to an end. In fact, many parts of the United States will have good weather well toward Christmas.
In the Ozarks, it is certainly got enough, but it will not be too hot to start the process of growing food in the fall. There are garden plots to prep and fertilize, seeds to propogate and start, etc. So, get yourself a cool glass of sweet tea or lemonade, and let’s grow some food this fall. Knowing how to grow your own food supply would not be complete, if we let go of several months of growing season.
Read on at http://ping.fm/1Qg0E

Joplin Tornado and Possible Help From Your Garden

2011-05-23T17:13:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

As you know our Ozark neighbors in Joplin have been hit by an EF-4 tornado. So many folks have no home to live in. A large number of wonderful volunteers have made their way to Joplin to help their neighbors. All these people will need to be fed.

If you are starting to get produce out of your garden and live close to Joplin, please consider donating any extra produce that you have. Some outlets will include local churches and food pantries. The situation is very dynamic at this point, so there will be many opportunities provide food. It is amazing how healing a bit of normalcy can be in this type of devastation. A fresh spinach salad or fresh leaf lettuce can bring back some happy memories plus provide much needed nutrition in a suddenly torn apart world.

If you still have garden space, consider tossing in some extra tomato plants, green beans, squash, and herbs. There will be a need all summer to help these folks. It will take time to pick up all the debris, get new houses built and get the infrastructure back to normal. People who normally helped local food banks and church-based relief activities may now find themselves in need of help. It is time to pay it forward if you can.

If your garden is too small to provide any extra that is okay. I am sure our neighbors would appreciate your prayers. The numbers of people who lost their life is absolutely mind numbing. Their families will need the comfort that only the Great Healer can provide. Unlike the produce which is perishable and needs to be grown close to the disaster, prayer has no expiration date. It can be transported over many, many miles without any wilting or spoilage.

Thank you for considering planting an extra row of crops to help. Thank you for your prayers and help. While I don’t live in Joplin, my heart aches for my neighbors and I so appreciate any comfort you can give these folks. Blessings to you and yours.

Ray Province, the Celtic Ozarkian
www.celticozarkian.com

Ten Thousand Missouri Gardens

2011-05-19T04:22:00.001-07:00

If you live in Missouri and have a garden, do I have the website for you. The state of Missouri is trying to get 10,000 new gardens registered across the state. This project started small with a goal of 1,000 gardens several years ago. That goal has been met so it is on to bigger and better goals.

All gardens are welcome to be registered. You don’t need a huge truck garden to feel comfortable in this group. Any garden is welcome to apply. Whether you are growing food for your family, or flowers to feed the birds and butterflies, take a look at this site.

Actually, that is one of the reasons I love gardening. I can grow great tasting food for my family and have a little corner that produces food for the birds. I love growing sunflowers for the birds. Some people place net bags over the heads of the growing sunflowers to keep the seeds safe. I however, just let the birds eat them whenever they want them. It doesn’t necessarily make for the prettiest sunflowers, but I feel good about feeding the critters. It is my garden and I can grow it my way.

If you haven’t started your garden, it is not too late. In fact we are moving this summer so I don’t have a summer garden in this year. For the first time in forever, there are no fresh tomatoes coming from my labors. However, we will be settled in time to start a fall garden this year.

I may get in a few tomatoes before it is all said and done, but I plan to buy the majority from farmers markets this year. However, I will be planting rosemary and thyme as soon as possible. Then as the summer starts to cool, I will be planting lettuce, spinach, peas, and some corn salad or mache.

If you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing a small garden in pots. Herbs love to grow in pots, and there is nothing like fresh cut herbs to brighten any sauce or salad. I love to grow rosemary both inside the house and in the garden. I keep a pot of rosemary on the window sill for a quick snip for a sauce, a dice to throw in a loaf of bread that is rising to bake, or to toss a couple or sprigs on a baking chicken. It is so fast and easy and really makes a huge difference. I even just brush the leaves gently to release a wonderful aroma as I am standing at the sink doing dishes. All of that from one little pot of rosemary that I got on sale at my local nursery at the end of the season.

If you have a garden space but it has been too wet to get your tomatoes in, have no fear. Go ahead and plant your tomato plants now. It is really to late for seeds, but tomato plants will catch right up with your neighbors in the coming hot days. In fact, we have still had some pretty cool nights that have slowed down the growth of any tomatoes already planted.

Now is a great time to get beans and squash in the ground. If you can just find a day when the ground is dry enough, it has been a bit rough in this part of the Ozarks this year. But that is the life of a gardener. Too much rain, not enough rain, hail, and strong winds always make being a gardener a challenge! Speaking of challenges, here is the website I promised. Sorry I got so wordy; I just love all aspects of gardening. http://ping.fm/M1DNO

Ten Thousand Celtic Ozark Gardens

2011-05-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

If you live in Missouri and have a celtic ozark garden, do I have the website for you. The state of Missouri is trying to get 10,000 new gardens registered across the state. This project started small with a goal of 1,000 gardens several years ago. That goal has been met so it is on to bigger and better goals. So, why not have as many as possible registered as Celtic Ozark Gardens

All gardens are welcome to be registered. You don’t need a huge truck garden to feel comfortable in this group. Any garden is welcome to apply. Whether you are growing food for your family, or flowers to feed the birds and butterflies, take a look at this site.

Actually, that is one of the reasons I love gardening. I can grow great tasting food for my family and have a little corner that produces food for the birds. I love growing sunflowers for the birds. Some people place net bags over the heads of the growing sunflowers to keep the seeds safe. I however, just let the birds eat them whenever they want them. It doesn’t necessarily make for the prettiest sunflowers, but I feel good about feeding the critters. It is my garden and I can grow it my way.

If you haven’t started your celtic ozark garden, it is not too late. In fact we are moving this summer so I don’t have a summer garden in this year. For the first time in forever, there are no fresh tomatoes coming from my labors. However, we will be settled in time to start a fall garden this year.

I may get in a few tomatoes before it is all said and done, but I plan to buy the majority from farmers markets this year. However, I will be planting rosemary and thyme as soon as possible. Then as the summer starts to cool, I will be planting lettuce, spinach, peas, and some corn salad or mache.

If you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing a small garden in pots. Herbs love to grow in pots, and there is nothing like fresh cut herbs to brighten any sauce or salad. I love to grow rosemary both inside the house and in the garden. I keep a pot of rosemary on the window sill for a quick snip for a sauce, a dice to throw in a loaf of bread that is rising to bake, or to toss a couple or sprigs on a baking chicken. It is so fast and easy and really makes a huge difference. I even just brush the leaves gently to release a wonderful aroma as I am standing at the sink doing dishes. All of that from one little pot of rosemary that I got on sale at my local nursery at the end of the season.

If you have a garden space but it has been too wet to get your tomatoes in, have no fear. Go ahead and plant your tomato plants now. It is really to late for seeds, but tomato plants will catch right up with your neighbors in the coming hot days. In fact, we have still had some pretty cool nights that have slowed down the growth of any tomatoes already planted.

Now is a great time to get beans and squash in the ground. If you can just find a day when the ground is dry enough, it has been a bit rough in this part of the Ozarks this year. But that is the life of a gardener. Too much rain, not enough rain, hail, and strong winds always make being a gardener a challenge! Speaking of challenges, here is the website I promised. Sorry I got so wordy; I just love all aspects of gardening. http://agrimissouri.com/gardens/gardens10K/join . So, let's get your Celtic Ozark Garden in today.

Celtic Ozark Heather

2011-05-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

Celtic Ozark Heather is one of my favorite herbs in the garden. It is also a favorite ingredient for a Scottish brand beer that I brew. Keeping in my garden here helps me to think about the healther and mountain thyme that covers the mountains of far away Scotland.

It is a happy growing plant in nothern Europe and the British Isles because of its ability to handle cold, and thrive in rocky soil. So, you may have to really work at this plant if you are too hot an area. Heather is not real happy in most of the Ozarks.

If you want to take a crack at adding this plant to your Celtic Ozark Garden, you will need to have an acidic soil. The plants grow best in soil with an acidity of pH 4.5 – 5.5 (slightly acidic).
If your soil is pH neutral (6.5 – 7.5), you'll need to raise the acidity with soil additions. Chemicals such as elemental sulfur or gypsum (calcium sulfate) work well.

As a general rule of thumb, this plant needs at least half a day of sunshine. More specifically, plant the heather in a location where it will get at least six hours of sunlight, and up to twelve if planted in a sunny-but-shady area. Afterall, the plant is used to growing on the sides of sunny mountains. If it gets enough light, it will produce more brilliant colors in their flowers and leaves. Too little sunlight will make the plants leggy and dull their colors.

Heather should be planted in either the spring or early autumn. Plant them in open areas that get some airflow. You can plant them from seeds, layerings, or cuttings. If you want to grow one from a cutting, take the cutting from a healthy plant in August. Plant the heather in a space that is two times as large as the root system, so it has some room to grow.

If you use mulch, use an acidic one, like pine straw, peat moss, or leaf mold. If planting in the autumn, evergreen boughs make good winter mulch. Depending on the exact type of heather plant you choose it will flower between late July and November.

Fertilize your heather with a rhododendron acid based fertilizer when you first plant, then just leave them be. This plant can be very sensitive to over fertilizing. Water your heather a couple of times a week for the first couple of months. After that, they should get pretty happy on just the rain they get from Mother Nature. Remember, they thrive on the side of mountains, which can be almost desert like, in terms of water.

Let us know about how your heather does in your Celtic Ozark Garden.

Now is the Time to Plant Tomatoes

2011-05-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Now is the perfect time to plant tomatoes in the Ozarks. Yes, I know that some folks already have their tomatoes in the ground, but we have had some really cold weather. One of the things to remember in how to grow your own food is to find the optimal planting time. Tomatoes are a tropical plant and they do not thrive until the temperature is consistently above 55 degrees at night.

I usually hold off on planting tomatoes in our part of Missouri until Mother’s Day week. By then the temperatures have usually stabilized at night enough to be safe, although we did have frost in spots last week. It will be close to 90 degrees this week with high humidity, but we had frost last week! Welcome to the Ozarks.

If you don’t have a garden spot, but you do have a sunny porch, then consider tossing a tomato in a large pot. I have consistently grown tomatoes in pots with great success. I love to toss cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes in a pot close to the kitchen door. I love tossing warm cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden right in the salad for supper. What a treat on a hot summer day.

Look for a nice big garden pot for your back porch tomato. Select a tomato plant that is at least 6 inches tall and looks vigorous. Fill your pot with nice rich potting soil and amend it with vermicompost. Tomatoes love a rich soil. I grow my own worms, so I have a nice supply of vermicompost. If you’re new to growing your own food, making your vermicompost may be something you might want to consider down the road.

You will want to bury your tomato plant deeply in the soil. I always gently pinch off all the leaves except the top two on my tomato plant. Then bury the plant to with in about ½ inch of the leaves. The goal here is to plant the tomato as deeply as possible, but still have the leaves up away from the soil. You do not want the leaves to get wet.

Now is the time to put your tomato cage on. I always forget to put it on until the tomato is big enough to need it if I don’t do it now. Trust me, if you plant your tomato when it is warm and water it faithfully, you will need that tomato cage faster than you imagined you would.

Always water your tomato plant at the soil level. Do not let the water run over the leaves. Now you are thinking “but it rains on the top of the leaves” and I agree with you. But your tomato plant will be healthier if you don’t get the leaves consistently wet. We typically get infrequent rain in the Ozarks in the summer time. So there are not many chances for the tomatoes to get wet leaves naturally.

You will need to water your tomato plants in pots very frequently. In July, when my tomatoes are producing heavily and it is very hot and dry, I usually water my tomatoes in pots twice a day. You can adjust that as needed depending upon the rain and the heaviness of your soil. Tomatoes don’t like to be too wet, just a nice consistent amount of moisture.

In addition to the vermicompost, I always add a nice sprinkle of Epsom salt for the added magnesium. Epsom salt is inexpensive and readily available. I usually add more midway though the season to my plants in pots because the extra watering will wash out the magnesium. Do not add to much at one time as a time saver because it will interfere with the calcium uptake. Your tomatoes need both elements to produce fruit and thrive.

Even if you only have a tiny space, you can grow at least some of your own food, by throwing at least one tomato in a garden pot. You won’t get enough to can, but you will get enough fresh tomatoes to supplement your diet. In addition, you KNOW exactly what was put on your food. You raised your own tasty veggies, and picked them at the peak of freshness. It is hard to get veggies any fresher than that.

Tomatoe Tricks from My Dad

2011-04-10T06:04:00.001-07:00

It will soon be time in the Ozarks for me to plant tomatoes in the Celtic Ozark Garden. We have had them growing in a green house for some time now. Our goal is to get them to around 8 inches tall by the time they hit the ground in May. In the Celtic Ozarks, the weather is not warm enough for tropical tomatoes until early May. We are, in fact, just reaching our last potential frost date. The lettuce may love this hot/cool weather, but the tomatoes will not. So, avoid the temptation to run to Wal-Mart and grab the tomatoes, unless you can keep them in full sun indoors, or in a green house. Once your nights can stay above 50 degrees, the tomaotes will be happier. That's a trick my dad taught me early.

Another trick my dad taught me was how to grow big tomatoe plants, and I have to say that the secret is getting a big root system. When my plants get to be 8 inches or so tall, I have enough plant to turn them into big roots. Once it is time to plant, I dig a trench around 5-6 inches deep. I strip off any branches on the tomatoe plant that are not part of the top most leaves. Then, the whole plant gets put into the ground, except for 1-2 inches of the top. Now all that plant will start a root system like none other. That's another trick my dad taught me early.

I will blog about more soon. If you would like to read more of these tricks, though, you can check out this article on Food Supply Gardening.com. It will take you further into the plan. Here is to having big tomatoes come from your Celtic Ozark Garden.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration Buffalo Missouri

2011-03-09T17:03:00.001-08:00

Come enjoy some Irish Celtic food and entertainment at the St.
Patrick's Celebration being held on Friday evening, March 11th at the
O'Bannon Center on Ramsey St. in Buffalo, MO. The fundraiser is for
the ninth annual SW MO Celtic Heritage Festival and Highland Games.

Dinner begins at 5:00 PM with a dinner consisting of Corned Beef and
Cabbage, Bangers & Mash, Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, and an
assortment of Celtic desserts, coffee and tea for $7.00 per plate, or
advance tickets are $5.00 per plate. Following the dinner will be an
auction offering over 40 Branson show tickets and attractions and
round off the evening with Celtic entertainment beginning at 7:00PM
There will be music by Jon Reneu, Sarah Hook, Irish music by Nancy
Daily Green, Irish dancing; Bagpipes by Daryl Dickerson and an
appearance by the infamous, Scotty the Fox. All these entertainers
will be performing at the 9th annual Celtic Festival which will be
held here on Sept. 9th and 10th.

Broccoli in the Celtic Ozark Garden.

2011-01-20T05:13:00.001-08:00

It is time to think about broccoli in the Celtic Ozark Garden. BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea Cymosa) is a yummy vegetable that deserves a place in any Celtic Ozark Garden. I hope that you will consider adding it this spring. Here are the basics you need to know.

The big heads of broccoli you see in your store is of the 'Calabrese' type. By far, it is the most popular type of broccoli grown. Buy seedlings if you have never grown broccoli before, as you will have a better chance of good growth. If you want to get experimental, you will need to start your seeds soon. You can start the seeds 8 weeks before your last frost, to give them time to grow. You’ll need plenty of sun, as the shoots emerge. You can also plant the seeds a month before your last frost, and let them take in the garden. Sow the seeds directly into the soil about ¼”, and let them do their thing.

Modern hybrids are fast growing, and if they are subjected to prolonged stress of drying, they may form tiny heads prematurely, and the plants come to nothing. That is why I always recommend that you use an heirloom style seed. You may not get a head of broccoli the size of a football, but you stand a better chance of getting a nice overall crop.
You need to provide a fertile soil and don't let the soil become dry. You can look through the archives of my blog for my soil recipe for raised bed gardens. I touched on this subject in the last blog. Add plenty of lime for the broccoli, as they like a pH 6.5 to 7.5. That is their 'ideal' range.
Plants growing in Spring, especially late spring, are prime targets for the green caterpillars that come from the white butterflies in your garden. A light netting can help to keep the butterflies off your broccoli. In about 90-100 days, your crop should be ready to go.

Sprouting broccoli can also be a good alternative crop to grow. Not many people grow this heirloom variety. You can find green, purple and white varieties of the plant. We like the white variety, because it looks a bit like cauliflower.
Spring is the time to grow this one. Sow the seeds directly into the soil, as noted above. You will need to watch for insects. But here is the cool payoff: your crop should be ready to eat in around 45-60 days. The small heads of the sprouting broccoli plants make it easy to go and pick just a portion for supper. You’ll have to grow plenty for freezing, as this crops is easy to use every day, leaving less for real food supply type considerations. Ah, but what a feast in the meantime.

Spring is the time people in cooler areas should sow sprouting broccoli. It is grown through the summer and carried over winter, for an early spring production the year following sowing. The advantage of sprouting broccoli is that, while it is not cauliflower, the white forms produce cauliflower like curds more easily than growing cauliflower itself, and the multiple small heads means that the serving sizes are right, with no waste. The disadvantage is the long time it sits around in the garden before it does anything.

There are a couple of other varieties of broccoli, but I will confine this installment of my blog to the two types I use. Good luck with your broccoli crop, and I will blog more soon from the Celtic Ozark Garden.

slainte,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden
www.celticozarkian.com
www.celticozarkgarden.blogspot.com

January in the Celtic Ozark Garden

2011-01-18T05:48:00.000-08:00

It is well into January in the Celtic Ozark Garden. Yet, spring seems like it will never arrive. I am ready for the Spring Gardening season to begin. Luckily, there is something I can do to help soothe this itch to garden. Now is the best time to get ready for your Spring season vegetable garden.

Spring vegetables are those that can thrive during the shorter days and cooler temperatures of spring, Lettuce, collards, snow peas, cabbage and broccoli are a few examples of Spring vegetables. The Celtic Ozark Garden will also include onions, carrots and potatoes, because they can grow underground.

As a general thought, vegetables need around seven to eight hours of sunlight to get going. Spring vegetables will even do okay with just 6 hours of light. If you are planting in partial shade, take this into account.

Make sure your soil is ready to go also. If you are a fan of raised bed gardens, as I am, have your frame ready to go with half of your old soil, 25% manure and 25% compost. The leavy vegetables of the Spring Celtic Garden will love the manure. Be careful with too much manure, though, around your carrots, onions, and potatoes. You want roots, not leaves.

In my area, it can take as long as April 30th to get past the last frost. Until then, I have to really watch my garden. I plant anyway around St. Patrick’s Day with root vegetables. Here is a breakdown of some last frost dates. Zone 3 – May 31, Zone 4 May 30, Zone 5 April 30, Zone 6 April 30, Zone 7 April 30, Zone 8 March 30, Zone 9 February 28, Zone 10 Jan or before. Zone 11 are the lucky bugs, they are frost free throughout the year. A good additional source of local, reliable advice is your area's County Cooperative Extension Service or check with knowledgeable members of local gardening clubs

I will write again soon on when to plant the vegetables. Until then, happy gardening, and don’t forget your seed order!

Spiced Peach Cobbler

2011-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today we have decided to use up a quart of the wonderful spiced peaches we canned last summer, in the form of a spiced peach cobbler. The peaches were really meant for Celtic Christmas dinner, but we forgot to set them out. I guess it is a curse of getting older.

Canning fruit from the summer is a great way to enjoy the tastes of summer all year long. We put away a bushel of peaches last July. That has given us a dozen wonderful quarts of product. Fruit is very easy to can, because you do not have to own a pressure cooker to do it. The natural sugars help to create an envirnoment that keeps out bacteria.

My favorite cobbler is the dump cobbler recipe that my father used to make. I have seen his cobblers go for $10 a piece a church bake sales, and he died in 1989. So, that should give you an idea of how popular they are. The recipe can be found at the Celtic Ozarkian.

A Tradition of Celtic Jams

2010-12-13T04:45:00.001-08:00

The Irish and Scottish people that settled the Ozarks area of Missouri and Arkansas have had a long history of making some of the world's best jams and jellies. In fact, that tradition continues into modern times in the Ozarks. So, let's take a trip down Ozarks Jam and Jellies Lane.

The traditions of Celtic Jam makers can be seen with the love the Ozarks have for blueberry, blackberry (also called Braeberry), and strawberry jam. You can also see the influence with local berries like gooseberry and elderberry. Orange Marmelade and Lemon Curd are also popular Celtic jams to be found in the Ozarks.

The process typically makes use of real fruits that are picked and then made into jams or jellies right away. It is possible, though, to make jams or jellies from frozen fruit. Pectin is used to make the product thicker, and real sugar is used to sweeten the product. High fructose corn syrup varieties just don't taste as good, and many people are now avoiding the long term effects of fructose.

Besides making the product taste good, the sugary environment also helps to preserve the product over time. The environment is not condusive to bacteria, mold, etc. You may often still see old Ozarkians just scrap the mold off the top of old jams and jellies and eat them. It may look grose, but it probably will not be a health issue. Any product sold in the state of Missouri or Arkansas should have an expiration date to be safe, though. Unopened jams and jellies last a long time. That is part of the reason our Celtic ancestors made the items: they lasted a long time, and provided a nice bit of carbohydrate to a meal.

In modern times, people in Missouri and Arkansas just like the taste of home made jams and jellies that are made in the Ozarks. If you do not live in the Ozarks, take a moment and order some. You'll enjoy the fine Irish and Scottish jams and jellies of the Ozarks.

Slainte,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian

Ray Province is an IT Programmer by trade, and owener of www.celticozarkian.com and co-owner of www.ozarkscelticmarketplace.com . He frequently writes about Irish and Scottish history in the Ozarks. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

Stanley and Livingstone Men's Line comes to Ozarks Celtic Marketplace

2010-11-27T06:35:00.001-08:00

The Stanley and Livingstone line of men's products and gifts have been added to the Ozark Celtic Marketplace family. The news men's line features distinctive smells and sensations that are designed to appeal to himself. We also wanted to honor the Welsh heritage of Stanley.
The line features a Mists of the Falls scented bath soap for men. We have worked on the scent for some time, getting it just right. After much testing, we think we found the perfect smell for soap, that is appealing to both men and women. Lads, we don't want you to smell like a girl.
We have noticed for some time that the old art of shaving with brush and soap is starting to make a comeback. So, we have also added our Zambezi Spice Men's Shaving Soap. It is a distinct plend of scents, mixed in a shea butter soap, that will leave your face feeling clean and fresh.
We also added a Cherry Pipe Tobacco Scented candle for men. Most of us can remember the people in our lives that smoked pipes, in times gone by. In fact, both Stanley and Livingstone were know to smoke a pipe now and then. We have captured the pleasing smell of cherry pipe tobacco, in a way that keeps the real "smoke" out of your home.
Thanks much to the people who have helped us research this new line, and have given kindly of their thoughts and ideas.
Till next time,

Ray and Dale
Ozarks Celtic Marketplace

Time to Clean the Celtic Ozark Garden

2010-10-24T06:58:00.001-07:00

The Ozarks has been very lucky this year. We have not had a killing frost yet. However, it looks as though that will happen this next week. So, for the Celtic Ozark Garden, it is time to clean.

All the left over plant life that has not been sent to the compost pile will go there. I also like to shake the soil out of the roots of those plants, prior to going to the compost pile. Once done, I like to break up all the soil, and get out as much of the roots as possible.

Once this is done, it is time to add fertilizer to the soil. I have written before about my Soil recipe. That is what I still use. If you want to check out that article, go to http://ping.fm/xKI61 and you can read the article on how to make it. I like to fertilize now, because the elements have time to fuse into the soil all winter. This also helps to insure that the soil will not contains large clumps of fertilizer, that could potentially burn delicate plants.

I am also going to pull the basil in my garden today. It is more than due, as the basil is very unhappy with the weather. I will pick the leaves, and place them in a paper sack. Then, I will punch some air holes, and tie the top shut. The sack will go to a dark place in the garage, until the leaves are dry and ready to use for seasoning.

Finally, the last of my green beans seed pods need to be picked and stored for the next garden year. I always try to leave some behind for this purpose. The pods are now yellow, dry, and shriveled. This is how I want to share them. Leaving them on the vine has also helped to insure that they will not get moldly and rotten.

So, go spend a day in your Celtic Ozark Garden. A little clean up can be good exercise. Slainte va to all.

Ray Province is a retired minister and now IT Programmer in the healthcare industry. He is the owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles all things Celtic and Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas. You can check out the site at http://ping.fm/CX8ya, or you can reach Ray at contactus@celticozarkian.com, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

Raising Chickens for Eggs

2010-10-24T06:41:00.001-07:00

Springfield just recently passed ordinance that allows residence to raise up to 6 chickens for egg production-no roosters allowed. There is just nothing like a good fresh egg for breakfast! There are so many good reasons to raise your own chickens for eggs. However, chickens are not low maintenance critters.

First, let me say that I have never raised chickens in the city. We allowed our chickens to free range when we lived in the country. The chickens had about 5 acres to roam over to gather bugs and just generally be chickens. We did coop them up at night and in really nasty weather. We allowed our chickens to stay on a natural cycle of day light and dark. We only left a light on in the coop for warmth on really bitter nights.

Having given that disclaimer, raising chickens is fun and we still miss them. The eggs had a wonderful taste and had a much richer, deep yellow yolk. Since we free ranged our chickens, cleaning the coop was only a weekly job. We had hay in the coop floor and then composted the hay and droppings.

Starting a new chicken coop in the winter months may be more of a challenge than the average urbanite will be willing to undertake. Unless you are starting with full grown laying hens, spring is really the best time to start a new coop. Chicks do not tolerate even moderately cool temperatures. If you start them in the fall or winter, there will be lots of work involved in keeping them warm.

Also, egg production is a function of the amount of light available to the chicken. So production will naturally fall off in the fall and winter, and then increase again in the spring. If you are going to fool the chickens and leave the lights on in the coop to increase production, you might as well just by your eggs from the store. Now is the time to gather information, understand the ordinance and all its nuances and gather your supplies. Starting your new chicken project in the spring makes so much sense.

Coops are one of the most important aspects of raising your hens. You can easily make your own coop; there are several good designs on the internet. Here is just one example: http://ping.fm/On0WE . Another option is a chicken tractor which is a portable coop. We started with a chicken tractor, but then added ducks and guinea hens to our growing chicken brood. They quickly out grew the tractor space. But a chicken tractor is a great idea if you have any interest in letting your chickens safely free range your yard. This link will show you a couple of designs: http://ping.fm/PMi9O

Pre-made coops are also widely available. Hostetler Feed and Farm Supply in Buffalo, Missouri has a nice supply of hand made coops. It is worth the drive to check them out. The Amish Furniture and bulk store in Branson also has some small coops. These are only two of the many places around Springfield to purchase your coop.

You will have to feed your chickens in the winter months when there are no bugs to eat. In the summer, you can back off on the feed a bit and let the chickens eat bugs and greens. Your chickens will always love fresh green when they are available. Thinned garden plants and any grubs that we found while gardening always went to the chickens. We always tossed a little calcium supplement to keep the shells strong. Fresh water is an absolute must, as is fresh bedding.

As you can see, this is rapidly becoming a big project. You will need to have a place to store the chicken feed that will keep the rodents out. A place to store the bedding to keep it dry will be needed. And a plan for changing the bedding and what to do with the waste is essential before you start. Be sure to keep abreast of the rules regarding waste composting and disposal. At this point there are limits on how much waste can be composted.

Be honest with your self if raising chickens is for you. If you decide that the answer is yes, you are in for a great treat. Once you get into a routine with the chickens, the rewards are great. Fresh eggs that are generally higher in folic acid and lower in cholesterol than store bought eggs. Plus you are in charge of what your chickens eat or donâ€™t eat. It is rewarding to know that there are no antibiotics in your morning scramble.

Time for Corn Salad

2010-10-11T16:12:00.001-07:00

Well the last of the tomatoes and peppers are gone for the year. We have yet to have a frost in Springfield MO, but they decided that they had enough.

Now, I want to go back to a Springtime favorite: corn salad. I did an article on it on the spring. It should last into January, with a little cover. The lettuce tast is very mild, with little to no bitterness.

It will join our carrots and onions as the Celtic Ozark Fall garden.

Till we blog again

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Summer Heat in the Celtic Ozark Garden

2010-08-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Summer Heat in the Celtic Ozark Garden has been very bad this year. We have been suffering greatly with days of 100 degrees, and very little rain. But this weather is not only hard on people, it is hard on the plants in your Celtic Ozark Garden. Even the tropicals like tomatoes can have trouble. Here are some simple maintenance tips to help your garden beat the heat.

Keep your garden plants mulched. Mulch can help to hold in moisture, and keep the roots of the plants cool. As long as you have a good root system, your plants have a fighting chance of recovery from heat. If segments of your plants dry out and die completely, remove them. Just be careful to make sure they are fully dried out.

Make sure to weed your garden. You can really make a big difference in the summer garden by keeping out pesky weeds. Even in my raised bed gardens, I will have a seed land in the dirt, brought in by the wind. Get them out. They take up precious moisture. If you garden in the morning, the dew may also help make it easier to get the weeds out.

Add some manure to the garden. Plants that have quit producing, because of heat, will often fire right back up with a little food. Manure is a kind of quick food, which gets nutrients in the grounds quickly. Just make sure the manure is over a year old, so it does not burn the plants.

Finally, make sure you water the plants and water yourself. You can drink out of the water hose. For the plants, I recommend warming the water first. Cold water can shock plants. You might consider even getting a water barrel for such things. Periodic rains will even help you fill the barrel. In the Celtic Ozark summer, though, it doesn't take long to heat a barrel of water.

Ozarks Weather Has Been Hot

2010-08-14T05:12:00.001-07:00

The last month of Ozarks weather has been hot. Several summertime heat records have been broken. In Springfield, we have bumped along 100 degrees for several weeks. It sure makes me wish we had the summer weather of the last couple of years.

Today, we have yet another heat advisory and warning. So, there are several things to be on the look for today in the Ozarks. Try to confine outdoor work to the early morning and late evening. The temps are at least coooler then. Be on the look out for heat exhaustion, in yourself and others. Drink lots of water and little alcohol. (Sorry, even the Irish/Scots cut back on this hot a day!) Also, watch pets. Make sure they have water. We even put out an extra water dish for the animals that kind of roam our part of little Fair Grove, Missouri.

Please also, if you have older family members, check on them a lot. Many of these folks do not run air conditioning in the summer. They can dehydrate just as quickly. Ozarks weather has been hot, but we can beat the issues by sticking together.

Watch your gardens also. They really need water this time of year. We have been lucky to get a little rain the last two days. That really helps, cause plants love the warmer water temp. Cold water tends to shock vegetables.

Stay cool, fellow Ozarkians!

Ray Province, the Celtic Ozarkian
http://ping.fm/itGu7

What to do with Squash

2010-07-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

As we got home from vacation, we found ourselves overrun by squash. As you might expect, it was too large for optimal use. So, what to do with squash that is too large is our subject.

My first task always involves harvesting some seed. I choose a big, healthy squash and take out some seed. I clean as much junk off as I can. Then, I place the seeds in a bowl, add water, and cover with plastic wrap.

Eventually, the left over gunk will spoil. The seeds will be fine. I will finally scoop off the gunk, and be left with water and seeds. I'll drain the water, and set the seeds in a paper towel for a bit to dry. Once the seeds are completely dry, they can be stored in a dark cool place. The difference: there will be no gunk on the seeds to spoil them later.

Another good use of overgrown squash is for breads. Many people make zuchinni bread, but you can make that type of sweet bread with any squash. Use an old fashion grinder to grind. Then put it in freezer bags raw. Pull one out when you are ready to make bread.

I also like to add oversize squash to cornbread muffins. We have also slices it in small chunks and baked it like you would a butternut squash. Add some butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and you have yourself something.

So, don't throw that old squash out. Use it! I think I'm hungry now.

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Location:S Woodsman St,Fair Grove,United States

Tomato Time

2010-07-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

It is tomato time in the Celtic Ozark Garden, and indeed all across the Ozarks. So, I wanted to take a moment and talk about getting good tomatos. It is worth the effort.

It is time to add a little fertilizer to the tomaotes, that has a nice bit of calcium. I like to use a liquid at this point, to help make sure that I don't add too much fertilizer. This could burn the plant. Miracle Gro is a good one, if you are not sure how much to add.

I have a spray connector, that came with Miracle Gro at one point. I just add my dry fertilizer to the same level marked on the container. Make sure you do not spray the fruit. Keep the watering low on the plant.

Proper watering is also important now. Too little or too much can mess up the plant. I have very loose soil, that drains well. So, I figure 1 cup of water per plant twice a week. Too much water can cause blossom rot, and can cause the plant to start making more leaves.

Remember that tomatoes, like any other fruit, will only produce so much. If you want bigger tomatoes, you may want to remove some of the tomatoes. That's what I do.

Enjoy them. There is nothing like a vine ripened tomato.

Japanese Beetles Come to the Celtic Ozark Garden

2010-06-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I am very sad today. Japanese beetles have come to the Celtic Ozark Garden. I have found the little pests in my apple trees, and my beautiful Cascade hops. I don't think the beetles understand that I can live without apples, but I can't live without fresh hops for my homebrew. Argh.

The Japanese Beetle is a real threat to the Celtic Ozark Garden. They will eat grape vines, flowers, and a host of other things. They can destroy a garden.

The best way to get rid of the pest is with a bucket of soapy water, and a butterfly net. Catch the bugs, and drop them in the soapy water. The water kills the Japanese beetles, and doesnt harm the envirnoment. If you use a pure dish soap like Ivory, the water will even be good for the soil. It's one of the ingredients in my liquid fertilizer recipe on this site.

Wish me luck. It may be the Battle of Fallkirk in the Celtic Ozark Garden full of Japanese beetles.

Squash Are In

2010-06-16T06:08:00.001-07:00

Today we get to pick a summer favorite. The squash are in. We have yellow neck and Zuchinni ready to go.

I have picked them when they reached 8 inches in length and about an inch and a half in diameter. They stay nice and tender that way.

What we don't eat fresh, we will shred for zuchinni bread, and freeze in a freezer bag. Make sure the fruit is clean and dry before freezing. We use a food processor to shrewd the fruit. Later, we will also just cut some in 3/4 in thick slices to freeze for soup and stews.

slainte
Ray Province

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Summer Squash

2010-06-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

The summer squash is slowly starting to appear for the season. I have zuchini and yellow neck. Both types are easy to grow,and produce a lot of fruit.

You can start these as seed ahead of time, and transplant in mid May in the Ozarks. They will go into August, when you often get Squash bugs. They need to be picked when small. Once they grow real big, the skin gets tough. Those I save for seed or breads.

A standard all around fertilizer and plenty of water
make these take off. A well drained soil is good. Size will be the big issue, as these buggers get very large. One plant needs 16sq ft.

Later in the season, I'll add some recipes for squash. For now, we stir fry with onions, garlic, Greek Seasoning and a little Soy Sauce. Ya boy howdy!

We'll talk again soon,

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Spring to Summer Garden Transition

2010-06-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

I finished a video today on Spring to Summer Garden Transitions. In this case, I was finishing up a great year of sugar snap peas, and then getting the garden ready for breen beans. Hope you enjoy the video.

Peas to Green Beans

2010-06-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite transitions of the year is from growing sugar snap peas, into green beans. I am picking the last of my snap peas this weekend. Once I have picked, and refertilized the soil, I will be ready for green beans.

I usually grow a Blue Lake Sytle Green Bean here in the Ozarks. It does well in wet or dry conditions. And the harvest is 60-70 days, so I can usually get a couple of rounds in each year.

Nitrogen is a big deal here. Peas and green beans both love it. So, I make sure I use a good fertilizer with plenty of nitrogen. The leafy plants love the stuff.

Green beans are one of the easiest plants to grow also. So give them a try. You can check out my video of green beans on this blog for more info.

Snap Peas

2010-05-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not had much time to blog lately, but I promise to make up for it. The combination of cool weather, no frost, and lots of rain brought in a very nice crop of snap peas this year. My peas are now taller than my fencing that holds them.

They started putting on blossoms around 7 days ago. That is a significant sign for me, because that usually starts the beginning of the peas. Sure enough, the rule of thumb has proven true this year. I found my first pealets of the season. That's a good think too, because we jumped to around 86 degrees in the Ozarks the last couple of days, and that will not make my peas happy.

The snap pea is part of my Celtic Ozark Spring garden. They don't mind a little cold weather or snow, but frost is not good. I planted them around St. Patrick's Day, and we got our last day of frost around April 4th. Had to cover them once.

They make a great salad addition, or you can even eat them raw from the garden. I also like to make a stir fry out of them. They are a nitrogen lover, and like full sun and plenty of water. In our case, we had a fair bit of snow last winter, so that really helped the natural nitrogen level.

Can' wait to pick them.
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden

Protecting the Garden from Frost

2010-04-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

Last night saw frost coming to the Celtic Ozark Garden. So, protecting the garden from frost was my top priority last night. We hit 35 degrees. That is certainly not freezing, for which I am grateful. However, it is cold enough to create frost in low lying areas (like gardens.) The temperature is not as critical as the frost setting in on the plants.

My plan includes watering, covering, and moving plants from the garden. I like to water the garden in the late afternoon, so the water helps to protect the plants. That was a good option yesterday, because it was nice and cool, and sunny. That gave leaves time to be dry, but roots wet.

Then, i covered everything vulnerable with a sheet. I keep old sheets around for just such an emergency (as Foghorn Leghorn used to say). The sheets are light enough to not damage the plants, but strong enough to keep the frost from settling on my plants, and burning them. Today, I will remove the sheets, so the plants can get sun again. Unfortunately, I will cover them again tonight, as we have one more night of cold air coming to the Ozarks.

Finally, I move everything in doors that is still in pots. I have many seedlings in small containers, that have been taking advantage of the warm weather we have had for two weeks. Those little squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. get to sleep in the house.

With a little planning, you can protect your spring garden, and also your budding summer garden to be. The average last frost date in Missouri is around April 15th. WE have recorded frost dates to the end of the month in history. This time of year, you just have to pay attention to the temperature and weather.

We'll talk again soon,

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

Spring Crop Time

2010-03-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

In the last couple of days, we were able to get our spring garden in the ground. In the Ozarks, we are setting about 4 weeks out from our average last frost date of April 15th. So, there are lots of crops ready to hit the ground.

I have added lettuce, spinach, onions, endive, carrots, and snow peas. And of course you can't have an Irish wife and not plant potatoes. Now is the time to get them in. In an earlier article, we mentioned we already had our corn salad planted. All of these types of crops can be sown directly into the ground. You don't even have to plant deeply for most. I do cover my onions and peas. For the next two weeks, it ought to be a good time to plant through much of the Central United States. Southern states are ahead of us, and it is a bit early yet for the northern most states.

We were blessed with a 60 degree day today, and my wife Robin was off work. So, we were able to bring all our plants outside for the day (the ones we have had growing a couple of weeks now in seed planters inside. I am sure the plants have enjoyed the sun.

So, get with it! St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. It's time to get your Celtic Ozark Spring Garden in the ground. In our next article, we will talk about broccoli and cabbage.

We'll talk again soon,

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian

Plant Some Corn Salad: Mache Verte D' Etampes

2010-03-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

Spring has almost made it to the Ozarks! I say almost because we did have a few snow flakes yesterday. Of course, we were listening to tornado warnings the day before, so that is a sure sign that spring is on the way!

The coming of spring gets me in the gardening mood. This year I have planted a new green for us: Mache. I have never eaten it, but read about it a couple of years ago in Mother Earth News and tucked the information away in my brain. This year I decided I wanted to try some. During our early spring trip to Baker Creek seeds I found several varieties of mache seeds. I decided on the small seed variety: Mache Verte D’ Etampes.

Mache is popular in Europe and slowly becoming more available in the U.S. It is an old green commonly found growing wild in fields. It goes by several names: corn salad, lamb’s lettuce, and Rapunzel to name a few.

I planted Mache because it tolerates the cold better than other lettuce varieties. It is usually planted in the fall to grow most of the winter long. It will tolerate temps down to 5 degrees without much extra care. We do get colder than that here in the Missouri Ozarks, so I won’t have lettuce all winter long, but I will extend my season by quite a bit this fall.

When I went out to plant my mache last week, it was a wonderful warm day. I turned my garden spot over to get the soil ready and the bottom layer of the garden was still frozen. I brought the frozen bottom to the top of the garden, let it lay in the sun for a day, and then planted my little mache seeds.

God has been kind enough to give them a nice gentle rain and a few snow flakes to keep the soil moist. I can’t wait to see those little plants pop through the ground! If we like the taste of the Mache, I am going to save the seeds when it bolts this summer and plant a fall crop. Left alone, mache will self seed, but we rotate our spring, summer and fall crops in the same garden beds, so I will save the seeds for our fall crop. I might even try the large seed variety this fall too.

Tomatoes are On Their Way

2010-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well the garden season is well under way in the Celtic Ozark Garden. I have officially gotten sprouting tomatoes. The tiny seeds are starting to come to life, in their little mini pots. Nestled away in the spare bedroom, they will soon be ready for even more sun. I don't want them to get too "leggy" by only getting a half a day of sun.

This year, I have started three varieties: a return visit will be made from the Illini Red, from my home state of Illinois. I have also brought back the beefsteak tomato. I didn't grow any last year, and really missed the size of this monster. There is nothing like being able to cover the whole piece of bread in one slice.

Finally, a new comer will be in my summer garden this year. I have started some Arkansas Travelers. They are always a popular tomato in the Ozarks, so I thought I would get on the band wagon this year.

In the beginning, the seeds need a good soil and water more then anything else. So, you have to make sure you keep your seeds well watered. Since my tomatoes are in the spare bedroom, I use a spray bottle to bring them water. It keeps down on the mess. It is obviously a different matter if you have a greenhouse ready to go, or some other sunny room with water near.

Once they get their first two green leaves out, I am going to want them to get more sunlight. This will help them take off. Water will still be important, but not as much. I just keep the soil moist at that point.

Regular watering will help to keep the plant healthy throughout the growing season. Too little water, then too much water, can cause the tomatoes to develop a disease called "blossom rot." Practicing the art of consistent, regular watering will get you ready to keep your tomaotes healthy all year.

The tomatoes are on their way. In just a couple of weeks, it will be time to get more going.

We'll talk again soon,

Raymond C. Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

2010 Trip to Baker Creek Seeds

2010-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Had my chance to go back out to Baker Creek Seeds for the first time this season. It was a rainy day, but that did not damper my spirits. I got to take two friends to the shop for the first time. A couple of hundred dollars later, we were ready for the gardening season.

I went and found some old friends this year, to come back to the Celtic Ozark Garden. For one, I grabbed some beefsteak and Arkansas Traveler tomatoes. I really want to get some BIG tomatoes this year. Both of these varieties will not let you down.

The Blue Lake green bean and purple top turnip will also be coming back to the Celtic Ozark Garden. Last year, I did golden glob turnips, and a different green bean. Both of these are easy to grow, and great crowd pleasers in the Ozarks.

Baker Creek was also carrying onion sets this year, so I had to grab some white onion seeds, to see what they would do. I'll let you know how my 1/2 lb. bag fends. I've never been dissapointed with Jere Gettle's seeds, so I doubt I will have a problem with the onion sets.

I also decided to add some capnip to the garden this year. It will make quite a treat for the cats. Especially for my little black cat, who loves to drink a little whiskey with me! Here's to happier days, Corporal!

This week I will be getting my tomatoes in planting compartments, so they can begin to grow. I try to get them in around 8 weeks before the last frost date, which for me is April 15th of each year.

In the next article, I am going to share a full run down on the Spring Garden, including some other dates that I will start seed.

Live from Baker Creek Seeds,

Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden

As The Garden Grows

2010-02-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

I found a new website blog today, called "As the Garden Grows" It is quite something. It covers a variety of garden related topics.

I liked the section they had on organic gardening I will have to see if they have much on heirloom gardening on another visit. There was certainly a lot on growing vegetables.

If you like growing flowers, this blog will be a heaven. On Sundays, they have a meme about gardening called "Green Thumb Sunday," that features a lot of good pics on flowers.

You can find them at http://feverishthoughts.com/garden/ Take a look today, and I hope you enjoy this site.

We'll talk again soon.
Ray Province, M.A.
The Celtic Ozark Garden

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Grow Some Carrots This Spring

2010-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

If you want to add some real zip to your Celtic Ozark Garden, you might want to try to grow some carrots this Spring. They are easy to grow, and can be a real family pleaser. Here is what you will want to consider, then growing your carrots.

Carrots are one of the most frequently grown vegetables in the world. Root crops like carrots are hardy and grow best under cooler conditions. That makes them a great Springtime crop. Carrots will do well in snow, and light frosts, because the bulk of the plants grows under ground. They also do well in the Fall.

Most people only think of the carrot as long and orange. This is simply not true. You can find heirloom varieties in red, purple, and even yellow. The shapes of the carrots can also vary. Some of my favorites come from my friends at Baker Creek Seeds. You might try catalog numbers CR114, CR112, and CR113. Most of the ones I like to grow take around 75 days.

The secret for my carrots is having loose soil. I even like to add a bit of sand to my mix, so the carrots can grow deep. If the ground is hard, the carrots will be very stubby.

Start your carrots by seeding well, and thinning the small plants when they reach around 3″ in height. In a square foot of ground, I don’t like to grow more than 9-12 carrots. That should give you a good idea of how thin to get them, once they start growing. So, you get a bag of carrots per square foot you plant.

Also, carrots are root plants. Be careful not to give them too much nitrogen, as this can make them too leafy. There has been plenty of nitrogen added to gardens in the Ozarks this year from the snow. You can, though, give them a little beer! Mix a 12oz. beer of your choice in 5 gallons of water, and use that to help water your plants. It really helps the root grow.

Your Celtic Ozark Garden is going to look great this year if you grow some carrots this Spring. You’ll be glad you did.

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
The Celtic Ozark Garden
www.celticozarkgarden.blogspot.com

The Mighty Lettuce Plant

2010-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

The mighty lettuce plant is the king of the spring garden. Going out and picking fresh lettuce will add to any dinner salad. The best part is it is easy to grow.

Lettuce came to us from Asia Minor, and was no doubt a weed. (L Scariola) The leaf style lettuce grew easily, and was hardy in all but the hottest places. Plenty of vitamins were available. There was also good roughage in lettuce.

Now, we enjoy mostly commercially grown varieties of lettuce. That is a shame, because there are so many good heirloom varieties available today. My personal favorites are the mixed lettuce varieties that are sold by the Baker Creek Seed Company in Mansfield, Missouri. You can check out the varieties of lettuce they have at www.rareseeds.com.

Lettuce is planted by just scattering the seed across the top of soil. I generally like to take my fingers and lightly spread the seed into the soil. The seed likes to be planted in fertile well drained soil. You will also need to keep the lettuce
well watered. Lettuce also does well in partly sunny
to sunny locations.

So, get your seed catalog out today, and pick out a variety of heirloom lettuce to plant in your springtime garden. You'll be very glad you did.

Raymond C. Province, M.A.
Celtic Ozark Solutions

Get Your Seeds Ready

2010-01-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

In the middle of the cold of January, the heart of the Celtic Ozark Garden begins to beat once more. Now is the time to begin to get your seeds ready to go. Life returns to the garden very soon.

Most of the Springtime vegetables will be planted by seed. My onions and potatoes will be the exception. Those I will grow from a starter. My Celtic Ozark Garden starts every year around St. Patrick's Day, with the root crops. As a rule, it is around April 9th of each year, though, before the Ozarks gets past any chance of frost. So, lettuce and peas planted early have to be watched.

Having said that, it is still a good time to start the seed for tomatoes, green peppers, squash, etc. They won't get planted much before the first couple of weeks of May, but they will get started. If you own a greenhouse, or have a place that is warm, where you can start seed, you can get going by February. You will give you plants around a 6-8 week headstart this way. You must, though, keep them warm.

I use a sunny part of a spare bedroom to start mine, near the window. It has a clear cover to keep the cats out! As Spring comes, and my garage warms up a bit, I will transfer them there, with a grow light. I have not built my dream greenhouse yet, but this is how I make use of what I have, to give the Celtic Ozark Garden of Summer a bit of a head start.

Get the seed catalog out! Go heirloom!

Slainte,

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of Celtic Ozark Solutions.com and the Celtic Ozarkian.com. He likes to write about heirloom, square foot gardening techniques and products. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter

Time to Add Some Fertilizer

2010-01-13T05:06:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of weeks, the Celtic Ozark Garden has been filled with wonderful snow. We have had a very cold stretch of weather, so all our precipatation has been in the form of snow. That's OK with me. It is a gift from Nature, and a reminder to add some fertilizer to the garden.

Fresh snow in the garden adds wonderful nitrogen to your garden like none other. Spring peas, lettuce, and onions will be very happy. You can't beat it.

In addition to the nitrogen from the snow, I like to make up a natural fertilizer to add to the garden. Take a 5 gallon bucket, and add: 1 beer of your choice, and 1 cup of Epsom Salts, and 1/2 cup of ammonia (no scented ammonia). Pour this conentration throughout the garden, so that it has time to set in well, while the garden is still sleeping for the winter. By the time you start planting in the Spring, those new nutrients will be there, and the soil will have had time to help break them down.

Happy January to all, hope you are staying warm in your little neck of the woods,

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

Ray Province is a retired minister, and now IT programmer in the healthcare industry. He is the owner of Celtic Ozark Solutions, a company specializing in website content, articles, and blogs. He frequently writes about natural, square foot style gardening. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com, or @celticozarkian on Twitter

Celtic Garden Fall Planting

2009-08-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I watched the first round of Premier League football in England and Scotland. That always triggers my thoughts of the fall vegetable garden. It is time to think about some fall planting.

In a previous article, we discussed broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. It is not too late to still add these, but you had better hurry. You need to know your growing zone, and when your first frost will be coming. In the Ozarks, I have till around October 16.

Think back to spring time crops now also. Onions, lettuce, spinach, carrots are all good possibilities at this point. You can also use a cold frame to extend the growing season. The key is finding crops that can get their business done in around 60 days.

Get yourself some straw, and have it around to help with early frost. In addition, you want to make sure your crops are well watered through the remainder of the really hot weather. For me, that means mid-September.

Before you plant, make sure and fertilize the ground again, as summer crops will have taken needed nutrients from the soil. You can find an article on organic fertilizers in the archives of this blog. Feel free check it out. A good fish emulsion is also a favorite of mine for this time of year. Add a can or bottle of beer for the root system. Mix it all in 5 gallons of water, and add to the garden plot.

We will see you in the Celtic Ozark Garden again soon, feel free to email me with your questions about fall gardening, and I will share answers with everyone.

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister who now works as an IT Programmer in the healthcare industry. He is also owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He is an avid gardener, fly fisher, and Scottish football fan. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter

Get More Green Beans In

2009-08-04T05:02:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Now is the time to get another crop of green beans into the ground. The current long term forecasts for most of the United States will allow another round of green bean planting. However, you need to get it done quick.

When looking for sytles of green beans, look for the varieties with shorter growing times. From my home in the Ozarks, we have approx 12 weeks until the average first frost. That is, then, the time frame we have to get the green beans finished.

As crops come in, try freezing them for a winter treet. Pick your green beans, remove the tip ends, and snap your beans into 2 or 3 segments. If you have any blemishes, take them out. Blanch your green beans for 2 minutes in boiling water, then drop them into an ice bath. This stops the "cooking" process.

Once your green beans have cooled, place them in freezer style baggies. I use an 8 cup measuring device, so I can divide my beans into 2 bags. You want to use quart bags. One bag will be equivalent to putting 2 cans of green beans on your table.

For those who plan ahead, plan on 52 bags for a family of 4 to have green beans once a week all year. You can thank my dad for that handy bit of info. I can still remember canning green beans to this level every summer.

slainte,
Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website dedicated to life in the Ozarks. Ray is also a freelance writer on religion, gardening, and travel. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

How To Grow Turnips

2009-07-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a video on growing my personal favorite vegetable. Turnips will grow almost anywhere, which is probably why Ozarkians grow them. It is a strong tasting vegetable, that has many of the same basic uses as potatoes or colliflower. Hope you enjoy the vdeo.

Recipe For Spiced Beets

2009-07-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,

In the video we did on how to grow beets, we promised to publish our recipe for spiced beets. The recipe belongs to Robin's Aunt. If you let these cure overnight, they get better tasting. We also like to eat them cold. Enjoy!

Beet Recipe

Ray Province
Celtic Ozarkian

How To Grow Beets.

2009-07-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share another video on one of my favorite Celtic Ozark Garden veggies: the beet. They are easy to grow, and are packed with vitamins. Hope you enjoy the video.

Gafdening Careers

2009-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

If you have ever enjoyed a lush garden, fresh vegetables, a nice park, or a grassy golf course, you may have thought of a career in gardening and landscaping. There are a lot of different kinds of opportunities in this field, from actually digging in the dirt outside to planning, buying, and selling in an office or store. There are also many places to learn the trade.
Digging In The Dirt
Working outside in a natural environment is an absolute job requirement for some people. Enjoying both the sun and the rain seems better than a desk any day. Many of these people get into the gardening and landscaping fields.
The easiest job to get, but also the most backbreaking, is planting and maintenance for a landscaping company. These are the folks who are outside every season planting new flowers around office parks, stores, and parks. This work does not pay as much as more specialize work, but it is a good way to get acquainted with this kind of gardening and landscaping task.
With some training in botany and plant care, it's possible to get a job with a little more independence and pay. Places like botanical gardens, city parks, and college campuses need managers for their grounds departments that plan, grow, and plant each season's display. Part of the year you may be running a greenhouse, and part you may spend mostly outside.
Perhaps the most demanding job for an individual gardener is raising a truck garden growing food to sell to individual customers and restaurants. You must have great skills in all aspects of gardening and landscaping, and management too, to keep a garden producing enough food in every season to supply regular customers. High-end restaurants often like to serve fresh, local, organic food. But they will not buy from a gardener that has an erratic harvest schedule or that produces poor vegetables.
Places To Learn
There are many places to learn the gardening and landscaping trade. The first is just to take an entry-level job with a company or city and just learn on the job. But it is hard to move up to a position of more responsibility without some education and not just in how to grow plants.
Many community and vocational colleges give gardening and landscaping degrees. Expect to study for two to four years, but also expect to learn all about planting, and how to run a business too. Gardening and landscaping is a great field for people who want to be self-employed.
Jerry Cahill Gardening website designer featuring items of interest to gardeners.
http://gardenlandscapedesigns.com/
http://gardenlandscapedesigns.com/gardening-tools-starter-kit/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Cahill

Vertical Growing Techniques

2009-07-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

How To Know When to Pick Green Beans

2009-06-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

My first batch of green beans for the year are almost ready to pick. It is one of my favorite vegetables to plant in the Celtic Ozark Garden. My family loves them also. It also happens to be very easy to grow green beans.

One of the questions I am frequently asked is, "how do you know when to start expecting green beans to pick?" So, I decided to shoot a video this month of the subject. Enjoy!

Get Some Great Tomoatoes

2009-06-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

It will soon be time to pick the first of The Celtic Ozark Garden Tomatoes for the year. What a treat. It is, without a doubt, on of my family's favorite vegetables.

I have had questions lately about how to get some great tomatoes from the garden. There can be many answers to that question. However, I find two things typcially make the difference between lack luster and bumper crops.

Overfeeding tomatoes is one of the things that gardeners often do that contributes to a lack of tomato growth. You can almost see the Miracle Gro Containers attached every weekend, sometimes. If you have fertilized well before planting in the spring, and again before the summer crop goes in, that is probably all you need. One exception to that can be fertilizing when you have yellowed or stunted tomatoes. In cases like that, use a good general purpose vegetable fertilizer with lots of nitrogen. Apply the fertilizer at 1/3 the amount recommended. If it is a powder or granular type, make sure you water well, so the fertilizer does not burn the plants.

The other issue is overwatering tomatoes. I like to water the tomatoes with a hose, down on the ground. Don't spray the plants, as the water can cause blossom rot on your tomatoes. One good watering a week is usually enough. If you water too much, you end up with lots of green leafs that the Luna Moths will praise you for later in the year! You want the plant to get down to the business of making fruit.

Paying attention to these two simple things can help you grow some great tomatoes. Good luck to you and your Celtic Ozark Garden.

slainte,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden

Turnips Are the Best

2009-06-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Wow,

It has been a while since I took time to update the progress of my garden. The Spring was successful, except for snap peas. We just received too much rain in the Ozarks. We have eaten Spinach and lettuce until we are as green as our Irish pride. That helps to make up for the loss of some snap peas.

Turnips are one of my favorite Spring time plants. I grow a Purple Globe Heirloom turnip from the Baker Creek Seed Company. They are easy to grow, and very hardy.

Plant them from seed in Mid to late March. As the turnips begin to grow, you want to thin them so 4" of room exists between each of your plants. I must admit, however, that I do not always do that well. I so enjoy the greens! So, I each my way to the proper distance between the turnips.

After my turnips get around 2" in diameter, I break off the tops. This will cause the turnips to grow larger. It won't kill the plant.

I like big turnips. The strong flavor tends to moderate in larger ones. You do have to watch for plant rot, however. I have included a picture for you to see.

Til next time, happy gardening,

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of the Celtic Ozarkian, a website dedicated to creating a chronicle of life in the Ozarks. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

2009-04-20T17:57:00.001-07:00

Springtime brings many good things to the world, not to mention the beginning of the gardening season. If you are a home beer brewer, this can be a wonderful time of year to start some of your own hop plants. Here is the information you need.
Hop plants grow from a Rhizomes. Rhizomes resemble roots but possess numerous buds and are used for vegetative propagation. Thus propagated, all plants of a given variety are genetically identical. Once grown, the plant can reach over 25 feet in height. Personally, I help mine twist and turn around a 10 ft high fence.
The soil should be tilled to create a weed free area. A strong support system is needed for the plant to climb on. Look for space along fences, garage, or property lines. Plant in early spring once the threat of frost is gone but no later than May. the soil should be worked into a fine, friable condition prior to planting. In cold climates you can plant rhizomes in pots and transplant in June. so, now is the perfect time to get ‘er done!
Plant 1 rhizome per hill with the buds pointed up and cover with 1 inch of loose soil. Hills should be spaced at least 3 feet apart if the hills are of the same variety and 5 feet apart if they are different. The first year the hop plant requires frequent light watering.Hops prefer full sun and rich soil, preferably light textured, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 - 8.0 . If drainage is a problem, small mounds can be built using surrounding top soil mixed with organic matter. Because the hop is a perennial, it’s not a bad idea to dig holes about one foot deep so that some manure and other slow release organic fertilizers can be mixed with your soil and replaced into the hole. This puts the nutrients in the root zone.
Rhizomes should be planted vertically with the bud pointing up or horizontally about 1″ below the soil surface. First year hops have a minimal root system and require frequent short watering much like any baby plant, but do not drown it with too much water. Mulching the soil surface with some organic matter works wonders in conserving moisture as well as helps control weeds.
Once the hop is established after the first season, less frequent deep watering is best, preferably drip irrigation. Try not to soak the vine during watering, as that will sometimes encourage diseases. Each Spring apply a hearty dose of manure as a top dressing or fertilize with a balanced chemical fertilizer that is recommended for garden vegetables. Don’t expect very much in growth or flowers the first year because the hop is basically establishing it’s root system. Full growth and maximum crops of flowers will be achieved during the second year.
In a later article, I will discuss how to cultivate your hops. So, I would like to take a moment and talk about the types of hops that you can grow. Without a doubt, my most successful hop is called a Cascade hop. I have also had good luck with Golding and Chinook hops. I have not had good luck with more traditional German styles, like Hallertauer and Perle.
Here is to your hop garden,Ray Province
Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He is an IT programmer by trade, and also freelances in web design, SEO, and social media marketing. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

Plant A Row for the Hungry

2009-04-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

I love to garden for many reasons. The hobby has given me lots of pleasure over the years, and a lot of good food to eat. The best part of the hobby is that it is easy to do. Anyone can grow a vegetable anywhere, with a little “want to” and a little bit of supplies.

That is why is still scares me that we have so many people going hungry in the United States each day. I read a recent article written by Linda Krohne Nitchman that shares the following statistical information; 1) one in ten households in America experience hunger regularly, 2) 2.9 million children live in homes that have to skip meals, eat too little, or go without food for the whole day, 3) 25 million Americans suffer from chronic under nutrition, which can lead to serious health problems.

This year in the Ozarks, the need for food, at our local food banks, has reached a critical level. People are having to be turned away. It is a shame, considering the ease of growing vegetables.
These folks live in big cities like Springfield, and small ones like my hometown of Fair Grove, Missouri.

That is why I am going to ask for a favor. Would you consider joining the “Plant A Row for the Hungry’ campaign this year? It is a nationwide campaign that centers on growing good food for local food banks, and other food programs. I can think of no better way to make a difference this growing season.

You can get more information on this project from the Garden Writers Association Website at www.gardenwriters.org, or call the group at 877-492-2727. You’ll be glad that you did. Were it not for the grace of God, those hungry kids could be mine.

Slainte,
Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He is currently an IT programmer, and freelances in website design, SEO, and helping people and businesses make use of social media. You can contact Ray at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

The Celtic Ozark Garden-Seeds Blossoming

2009-03-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

In my last video, I talked about the vegetables that I had planted in a 4' x 8' raised bed garden. In this video, I have taken some footage of what the Springtime garden looks like as it begins to blossom. This video was shot by request for beginning gardeners. Hope you like it.

2009-03-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

March Madness in the Garden

2009-03-19T05:46:00.001-07:00

Finally, March has arrived. I experience my own version of “March Madness” every St. Patrick’s Day, when it becomes time to start the spring garden. I almost always start my garden by St. Patty’s. Why? Mostly because I can. In my growing zone, I can start spring plants any time between now and the end of the month. The last average frost date for me is April 15th.

So what can you plant? Here is my list for spring: snap peas, spinach, onions, lettuce, turnips, and beets. In two more weeks, I’ll add some brocolli and cabbage that I have started inside. So far, the weather has been good here in the Ozarks heading into the first day of Spring. If it goes bad, I am ready.

I keep some old sheets around to through over things, should the temperature drop. I do not like to use plastic, unless I have the greenhouse up. I have been so busy this winter, I have not had time to build the greenhouse again. So, I go back to plan one. A cold frame is also perfect now. (You can refer back to my article on cold frames on my Celtic Ozark Garden page on Squidoo.)

I have my peas set to climb walls 5 ft tall, made of PVC pipe and 1″ by 2″ rectangular garden fence. Once they get going, I will help them start up the fence. The spinach and lettuce is planted inbetween the pea fences. The turnips, beets, and onions are in a different bin by themselves.

I am going to add a video on this process this weekend, so you can see what I have done.

Failte go a garden!

Ray Province
Life in the Ozarks

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of http://ping.fm/dY1qc The website chronicles life in the Ozarks. He also freelances in SEO, website development, and social bookmarking.

March 19th, 2009 Tags: cold frame, garden, lettuce, madness, march, onions, spinach, spring

2009-03-18T20:02:00.001-07:00

Need help with outsourcing I found a good ebook on it. Go to http://ping.fm/HVekV to review it.

March Madness in the Garden

2009-03-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

Finally, March has arrived. I experience my own version of “March Madness” every St. Patrick’s Day, when it becomes time to start the spring garden. I almost always start my garden by St. Patty’s. Why? Mostly because I can. In my growing zone, I can start spring plants any time between now and the end of the month. The last average frost date for me is April 15th.

So what can you plant? Here is my list for spring: snap peas, spinach, onions, lettuce, turnips, and beets. In two more weeks, I’ll add some brocolli and cabbage that I have started inside. So far, the weather has been good here in the Ozarks heading into the first day of Spring. If it goes bad, I am ready.

I keep some old sheets around to through over things, should the temperature drop. I do not like to use plastic, unless I have the greenhouse up. I have been so busy this winter, I have not had time to build the greenhouse again. So, I go back to plan one. A cold frame is also perfect now. (You can refer back to my article on cold frames on my Celtic Ozark Garden page on Squidoo.)

I have my peas set to climb walls 5 ft tall, made of PVC pipe and 1″ by 2″ rectangular garden fence. Once they get going, I will help them start up the fence. The spinach and lettuce is planted inbetween the pea fences. The turnips, beets, and onions are in a different bin by themselves.

I am going to add a video on this process this weekend, so you can see what I have done.

Failte go a garden!

Ray Province
Life in the Ozarks

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of the Celticozarkian.com website. It is a site that shares info on Life in the Ozarks. He also freelances in SEO, website development, and social bookmarking.

2009-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a video that I recently shot at the Baker Creek Seed Company. They specialize in providing their customers with top quality heirloom seeds. Hope you enjoy the video. You can reach them at http:/rareseeds.com

2009-02-27T19:59:00.001-08:00

Added article on starting an interenet business on Life in the Ozarks blog. http://ping.fm/L8L0T

2009-02-16T22:58:00.001-08:00

Just posted new video for launch of newsletter Life in the Ozarks http://ping.fm/JUVyx

Don't Forget the Birds

2009-02-12T18:26:00.001-08:00

The Ozarks has been blessed with some great weather this February. It will be time to start the Celtic Ozark Garden again soon. So, it is easy to start to get into that “Spring is almost here’ mentality. While that may be good for our attitudes and moods, it could be bad for our feathered friends.

It is always easy to remember to throw some seed for the birds when we have snow on the ground. It is much more difficult to remember to do that when our outside temperature is 60 degrees. Even though it is warm, the food supply for birds is still low, and you may wish to consider helping them a bit.

One of the simple ways to help the birds is to put out left over baked goods, or stale bread. It provides a good source of carbs, as well as a little fat, which the birds need to help maintain body temperature. Let over fruit, that may be getting a bit old for you, is also a great treat to the birds. This is a win/win deal. You get to feed birds, and throw away trash in an ecological manner. Plus, that old doughnut may look better on the birds!

Seeds are always appreciated by the birds. I just try to stay away from mix seeds bags full of milo seed. In my experience, the birds will not eat it, so it goes bad. I like corn, sunflower seeds, and even peanuts busted up.

Suet is also a good treat for the birds. The fatty portions of the suet are good energy for the birds. If you can keep the suet thawed, that helps the birds a lot.

Love the birds now, and they will love us back in the beauty they bring!

Slainte
Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister, and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website dedicated to life in the Ozarks, from a Celtic point of view! Ray also works as an IT programmer in the healthcare industry, and freelances in SEO and website development. You can reach Ray by emailing contactus@celticozarkian.com, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

2009-01-27T11:17:00.001-08:00

Posted article on ice storm survival on Life In the Ozarks http://ping.fm/cZabc

Liquid Fertilizers for the Spring Garden

2009-01-22T12:04:00.001-08:00

Now that spring is 60 days away in the Ozarks, it is time to start gathering some supplies to make some liquid fertilizer. I have written about my dry fertilizer in previous articles. I like a little wet fertilizer around during the growing season, because it tends to interact quickly with plants, and tends not to burn them. Apply many dry fertilizers, either directly under a plant or close to it, and you can kill your plant. Too much goodie all at once spoils the party! A liquid fertilizer is often a product that is mostly water. Hence, the plants tolerate better. The liquid recipe also makes it easier for the plant to get the nutrients, via osmosis.

I like to actually make the fertilizer in 5 gallon buckets! They are easy for me to carry. I have a stainless soup ladle that I use to put a scoop around each plant. I have enough old plastic buckets around, from home brewing, to meet my need. You can usually get a good plastic bucket, however, at any hardware store. I don’t recommend, however, using old buckets that you have used for painting!

So, here are some recipes for the 5 gallon bucket o’ garden love:

Tea Style Recipe No. 1 :
Fill your bucket half full of old grass and plant clippings. Fill bucket with water. Set it in the Sun for 2 days. Then add a cup of Fish emulsion (of some sort) to the batch. You are ready to go. Place 1 cup of the mix around each plant. You accomplish two tasks: fertilizing and watering. For new planting, where your plants are not very old yet, use ½ cup. You do not want to overwhelm the young plants.

Tea Style Recipe No. 2:
Fill your bucket half full of old grass and plant clippings, same as above. Then add one coffee can of well aged manure. (The definition of well aged is at least a year old, especially with cow and horse manure.) Fill bucket with water. Set it in the Sun for 2 days. Then add a cup of Fish emulsion (of some sort) to the batch. You are ready to go. Place 1 cup of the mix around each plant. You accomplish two tasks: fertilizing and watering. For new planting, where your plants are not very old yet, use ½ cup. You do not want to overwhelm the young plants. I like this recipe for plants that need lots of root structure, like carrots and onions! Works good on turnips as well. (What! You don’t eat turnips! Shame on you!)

Liquid Recipe No. 3:
This is a recipe you can use right out of the shoot! You do not have to wait for grass to grow, or animals to get their business done. Mix the following together in a 5 gallon bucket of water. 1 cup of Epsom Salts. 1 bottle of beer. 1 cup of ammonia. ½ cup of dish washing soap like Ivory (no detergent fighting power!) Again put a cup around each plant, and you get your watering done too. Also follow the rule for young plants.

Slainte from the Celtic Ozark Garden,
Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister, and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website dedicated to life in the Ozarks, from a Celtic point of view! Ray also works as an IT programmer in the healthcare industry, and freelances in SEO and website development. You can reach Ray by emailing contactus@celticozarkian.com, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

The Case For Raising Worms

2009-01-13T18:17:00.001-08:00

I wanted to do an extra article for the month of January, so I decided to address the issue of having worms help your garden. One of the best forms of fertilizer is worm castings. The castings are what are left behind after it passes through the body of the worm! Enough said on that!

What one needs to consider is raising worms. It is an easy process to do. They will live in a small bin, eat your organic garbage, and make the best fertilizer around. If done correctly, you won’t even smell them!

You will need a bin of some sort for them to live in. I use plastic storage containers, like you keep Christmas stuff in! Don’t get the clear ones; the worms do not mind the dark. You will need to make some holes for air. Cover the holes with screen, so nothing gets in or out. You can add a hose spigot near the bottom of the bin to take advantage of worm tea. Worm tea is even better than compost tea for your plants. All you have to do is add a cup or two to a large watering can and fill the rest with water. You can then water your plants as you would normally.

Bedding will also need to be added to the bin. We use shredded newspaper, because we read the paper all the time, and it is a great way to recycle. Some dirt needs to go in as well. I like to use some potting soil, mixed with my backyard dirt. The Ozarks soil is very hard and rocky, full of class. Not the best soil in the world, even for an old Celtic gardener! The soil will provide the grit needed by the worms to digest food matter.

Red wiggler worms are the worms of choice. Don’t use worms from your backyard. Find a good dealer online and purchase your worms. Rule of thumb: for every pound of garbage you put in per day, you need to have two pounds of worms to do the work.

Feed your worms plant matter: vegetables, rotten fruit,egg shells. No meat, artificial anything! You also need to keep the paper/vegetable matter moist. I recommend using a spray bottle, so you don’t water log the soil and drown your worms!

Check your bin everyday to ensure that you get off to a good start. Keep the bedding moist and the bin should stay in a spot that's about 60 to 70 degrees. Leaving the bin outside in the summer sun is a good way to cook all of your worms. And remember if the worm bin starts to smell, then you probably need more bedding.

Get your bin started now, and you will reap the benefits of their work all summer. Here’s to your Celtic Ozark Garden!

Slainte,
Ray Province

Ray and Robin Province are the owners of The Celtic Ozarkian website, dedicated to issues surrounding life in the Ozarks. You can find us at: http://ping.fm/W0mRn
Ray is currently an IT programmer in the healthcare industry, and freelances in SEO and website development. Robin is a semi retired ICU nurse who now works in coding and compliance in the healthcare industry.

2008-12-31T18:46:00.001-08:00

Wishing all the friends of The Celtic Ozarkian:
Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit www.celticozarkian.com!

Let's Get Into the Garden in January!

2008-12-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

The Ozarks is always an interesting place to live in the month of January, but there are still items to be done for the garden. Typically, we will get a few good days of weather during the month, so that can also provide an opportunity to do some outdoor maintenance. (As I write today, it is 58 deg in Springfield, Missouri.) Here are some of the agenda items for the New Year.

1. Now is the time I put together my seed order for the next year. I like to go through my current seed inventory thoroughly, to make sure I use up old seeds first. Then, I place an order with my favorite seed dealer! I want to put in a plug for the Baker Creek Seed Company of Mansfield, Missouri. There are heirloom seed company with great customer service, and seeds that can actually produce useful new seeds. Many hybrid plants of today lose this ability. Just so you know, I receive no compensation for plugging my friends at Baker Creek! They’re just good business people! (Free, though, to tell them you found them on my blog!) You can find them at www.rareseeds.com!

2. I also like to get out and “turn over” my garden in January. As I add compost, it helps to thoroughly blend everything. It also helps to kill off bugs that need to stay out of my garden! It is one of the best pesticide plans I have ever used. Work that soil and it will pay dividends in the spring!

3. You can also continue to work with a greenhouse. You just have to make sure the temperature stays high enough not to kill plants. This year, the weather has been cold enough, in the Ozarks, to finish off my greenhouse. Just got too cold. (Drat that Farmer’s Almanac!) I will probably not start anything else until it is time for starting spring seeds. However, given temperature and ability, growing through the winter is an option.

I hope you will take the time to enjoy the month of January, and the opportunity it brings to get that garden in shape. Being a good Irish family, the planting season will be back soon, and we intend to be ready!

Slainte

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden.

2008-12-26T13:06:00.001-08:00

Enjoying a belated Christmas with my brother today. Should have went fishing.

Master Gardeners Clubs in the Ozarks

2008-12-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a moment and provide folks with a list of the Master Gardener Organizations in the Ozarks. They are worthy of consideration, if you like being part of a group. Master gardeners also provide hours of free help each year to people wanting to know more about gardening. Consider giving them a call.

Area Clubs and Organizations
Moon City Garden Club(located in Springfield's Historic Midtown district)Mary Jo Frazier, PresPh: 353-0982www.mooncitygardenclub.com
Ozarks GardensOzarksGardens.com
Springfield Area Herb Club 2630 S FR 87Republic, MO 65738 732-8391
Cherry Court Garden Club 4231 N FR 129Springfield, MO 65803 883-8278
Springfield Floral Arrangers Guild1505 E SunshineSpringfield, MO 65804881-7284Iris Society of the Ozarks 815 N MainSpringfield, MO 65802831-2548MO Organic Association, Springfield Chapter 9853 N Hwy HPleasant Hope, MO 65725759-2463
SWMO Council of Nationally Accredited Flower Show Judges 2765 E CragmontSpringfield 65804883-6793Springfield Garden Council 1505 E SunshineSpringfield 65804881-7284Botanical Society of SW Missouri 2765 E CragmontSpringfield 65804883-6793Missouri Prairie Foundation 204 E 550thWalnut Grove, MO 65770788-2308Rose Society of the Ozarks 2305 S Hilton AveSpringfield 65807887-2097Greater Ozarks Hosta Society PO Box 2131 Lebanon, MO 65536532-2349Ozark Greenways, Inc PO Box 50733Springfield 65805864-2014MO Community Forestry Council PO Box 14076Springfield 65814890-7776

So What Is Raised Bed Gardening?

2008-11-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

I became an avid fan of raised bed gardening when I moved to the Ozarks in 2000. I grew up in the fertile soil of southern Illinois. Needless to say, the rocky, clay based soil of the Ozarks was quite a disappointment. One need only spend a couple of hours in the yard with a pick, trying to break up rocks, to realize the advantage of growing vegetables in a raised bed.At the most basic level, raised bed gardening involves growing plants above ground. Through the use of special techniques, growing beds, soils, and fertilizers, the raised bed gardener creates the ideal growing environment without ever digging into the actual ground. Raised beds can be built directly on top of the ground, or in some sort of frame placed on legs, sawhorses, etc. A box can even be built into decks, porches, etc. The main idea here is NO DIGGING!Raised beds come in many different shapes and sizes. In my own particular garden, I have raised beds that are 4' x 4", 2' x 8', and 4' x 8'. I am sure there are many other varieties as well. The size of the raised bed is typically dictated by the ability of the gardener to effectively reach across the space. I can comfortably reach across a 4' bed without hurting my back.Raised bed gardening is also a departure from traditional gardening in its use of compact space. Traditional gardens are planted in rows, and can require a lot of space. Raised bed gardens attempt to make better use of space by planting in squares and rectangles.This makes raised bed gardening ideal for small yards. I have even seen great gardens raised on the back porch of apartments. A 4' x 4' bed only takes up 16 sq. ft.Special soils are used in raised bed gardening, in order to maximize the amount of vegetables that can be grown in the small space. Typical ingredients may include potting soil, top soil, compost, leaves, fertilizers, vermiculite, cotton seed hulls, and many other things. The special soil is designed to be very rich in the nutrients needed to grow so many plants in such a small space. In addition, it is designed to be very loose, so plants can root themselves deeply. In small raised beds, the grower typically does not step or stand on the soil. Hence, the soil tends to be less compacted, and easier on root growth.Raised bed gardening also makes it possible for the average gardener to extend the normal growing season. It is very easy to build a simple greenhouse or "cold frame' over the top of the bed. The greenhouse holds in moisture and heat. Special underlining can help to keep the soil warmer. I am writing this article two days before Thanksgiving, and I still have a productive garden in my 4' x 8' greenhouse. Here in the Ozarks, we are consistently dropping below freezing every night!Slainte,Ray ProvinceThe Celtic Ozark Garden

Earth Friendly Cold Frames

2008-11-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

For two years in a row, the Ozarks has experienced a late in the season spring frost. The frost was far enough along to cause damage to crops that had been placed out in early spring, as well as some things like fruit tree blossoms. The typical advise you get on the evening news goes something like this: “better cover those plants tonight!”

What if there was an alternative? Indeed, that is the question. Earth friendly cold frames can be one such alternative. There are essentially two items needed to build a good earth friendly cold frame: an old window frame (glass intact) and some straw bales. It does not get much easier than this.

A straw based cold frame has some very distinct advantages over other options: 1) the straw is stacked end to end, and does not have to be “constructed,” 2) straw is one of nature’s best insulators, 3) it is “earth friendly’ in that is will eventually decompose, and can be added back to the soil, or into a composting bin. This also gives you the advantage of not having to store a lot of items in the off season.

Now is the time to plan for spring. A 4’ x 8’ plot will need 6 bales, plus windows to cover. Old windows can often be found in flea markets, garage sales, thrown in trash, etc. Start looking now.

Growing Cabbage From Seed

2008-11-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

It's hard to have a "Celtic" garden and not grow cabbage! It is a flavor-rich food. We use it in a corned beef and cabbage meal. We add it to stew. We even cover it in aluminum foil, add some butter and Greek seasoning,and grill it! Now you got yourself somethin'! (That's hillbilly for this tastes good!)There are many varieties of cabbage that can be grown from seed. I grow heirloom seeds to help preserve the variety of plants we have available to eat! Imagine how poor a world we would have if we only had one kind of commercial cabbage to eat! My favorite site for heirloom seeds is www.rareseeds.com! Take a look sometime.I have a small plastic container, 9"x13"x4" that I keep full of a good, quality potting soil medium. The trick here is to use sterile potting soil, so nothing inadvertently kills your seeds. I start cabbage 8-10 weeks before I am ready to plant. Typically, cabbage is a spring/fall crop. They are not real found of Ozark summer heat. I shoot to start my outside spring crop around St. Patrick's Day for my growing area. I also have a greenhouse that protects my young plants against any late year frost. (Can go into April in the Ozarks!) The blog connection below can lead you to an article on my greenhouse, if you want more on how to build a small one.Here is the rest:1. plant 1/2 inch deep.2. water throughly. It's the water that will start things.3. After sprouting, just keep water moist and add some light to the plants. I have a grow light. (Old hippy!)4. Feed the seeds 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer every other week til you plant.I still have cabbage in my winter greenhouse. After writing about it, I think I'll have some for supper!

Persimmon Weather

2008-11-08T07:05:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite fall treats comes from the wild, but can easily be added to the Ozark garden. The Persimmon tree can be a wonderful addition to the landscape.

The tree produces a beautiful blossom in the Spring of the year. Typcially, the trees don't get much above 30' in height, so it's not like adding an oak to property. The tree produces a yummy fruit that does not come into play until this time of year. It takes a good, hard freeze to cause the fruit to darken and sweeten, but it is worth the wait. I have posted a recipe for persimmon jam on our Hillbilly Cookin' blog.

If you are a wildlife fan, then you will especially love this tree! It is one of the single best attractions for deer I have ever seen. This time of year, and into the rutt, deer will jump through hoops of fire for this treat! You will have a yard full of deer by planting just one of these on your property, but you will have to pay attention! The deer will get these quickly.

Slainte,

Ray Province

The Celtic Ozark Garden

Indoor Plant Grow Lights

2008-11-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

An Introduction To Indoor Plant Grow Lights
Written by Ann Knapp;

There are basically two types of grow lights used in horticulture. These are:
High Intensity Discharge Lights (HID) - These come in two types, the Metal Halide Grow Light (MH) and the High Pressure Sodium Grow Light (HPS)
Metal Halide - bulbs are designed for plants during their growing cycle. That is, for non-fruiting or non-blooming plants. Metal halide lighting is therefore the best HID choice for the plant's growing phase.
High Pressure Sodium Lights (HPS) - The HPS grow light is used primarily for plants that are in their blooming or fruiting phase. Modern high pressure sodium lighting can, however, be bought, which is enhanced for blue spectrum (for vegetative growth) and for red spectrum (for flowering growth). This means that they can be used throughout the entire growing process for most types of plant.
Fluorescent Grow Lights emit less light than high intensity discharge lights and although they can be used throughout the plant cycle their lack of brightness will produce small yields. The light produced tends to be softer and less damaging to tender young plants. For this reason, the fluorescent grow light is popular for seedlings and cuttings, an excellent way to establish young plants.
All of the above types of lights use some kind of a ballast system. The one most people are familiar with is the fluorescent light. This has, a small, built in, ballast. It allows the fluorescent tube to build up enough energy to strike, and excite the molecules within the tube, causing light to be given off.
Metal Halide and HPS grow lights are usually run from remote ballasts. These are external boxes containing the electronics to pre-heat and run the lamp. The ballast is connected to the lamp holder and to the mains power supply. Each ballast used is rated for the lamp wattage and so it is necessary to have different ballasts available for each of the different values of lamp to be used. HID bulbs should be replaced after 12 to 18 months of use. Although HID lamps will continue to light beyond 18 months of use, they will have lost up to 30 percent or more of their lumen output while consuming the same amount of electricity.
Think of a plant as a well-run factory that takes delivery of raw materials and manufactures the most wondrous products. Just as a factory requires a reliable energy source to turn the wheels of its machinery, plants need an energy source in order to grow.
Usually, natural sunlight is used for this important job. However, during the shorter and darker days of winter, many growers use artificial lights to increase the intensity of light or to expand the daylight length. While the sun radiates the full spectrum suitable for plant life, different types of artificial lighting are selected for specific plant varieties and optimum plant growth characteristics. Different groups of plants respond in physically different ways to various wavelengths of radiation. Light plays an extremely important role in the production of plant material. The lack of light is the main inhibiting factor in plant growth. If you reduce the light by 10 percent, you also reduce crop performance by 10 percent.
Light transmission should be your major consideration when purchasing a growing structure for a protected crop. Glass is still the preferred material for covering greenhouses because, unlike plastic films and sheeting, its light transmission ability is indefinitely maintained.
No gardener can achieve good results without adequate light. If you intend to grow indoors, avail yourself of some of the reading material that has been published on this subject. If you are having trouble growing good plants, then light is the first factor to question.
A large part of the success in growing hydroponically is planning where to place the plants. Grow plants that have similar growing requirements in the same system. Placing your system 1-2 feet away from a sunny window will give the best results for most herbs and vegetables. Even your regular house lights help the plants to grow. Make sure that all of the lights are out in your growing area during the night. Plants need to rest a minimum of 4 hours every night. If your plants start to get too tall, move the system to a spot that has more sun. Once you find a good growing area, stick to it. Plants get used to their home location. It may take some time to get used to a new place.

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HydroWarehouse is a Discount Hydroponics Supply Store . We offer world class customer service with warehouse prices. Our Secure online catalog contains over 1000 hydroponics , hydroponics system , hydroponics equipment and gardening products.Article Source:http://www.freearticles.co.za/hobbies/introduction-indoor-plant-grow-lights.html
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Rose Gardening in the Fall

2008-10-30T15:15:00.001-07:00

Rose Gardening in the Fall: The 4 Most Important Tasks of Autumn
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For me, rose gardening in the fall is a little bitter-sweet!My blooms are smaller, leaves are showing signs of wear and tear and yet the rose gardening I do now will be crucial to the success of next years growth. Lets call it rose gardening insurance.The last rose show is over, the days start getting shorter and the children are back in school but as rose growers we still have work to do—the four most important tasks of fall.PICK AND CLEANStop fertilizing and start your clean up. From the beginning of September on, there is no need to fertilize your rose beds and pots because you do not want to encourage new shoots to develop as winter approaches. This is also the period of the highest incidence of mildew problems such as black-spot so it is time to pull away all leaves that show signs of disease and to rake the beds below to remove all traces of the black-spot or mildew spores. Yes, they overwinter so get rid of them with your garbage. Deadhead, keep the beds scrupulously clean and pick away at the damaged leaves.RE-CONSIDER YOUR SPRAY PROGRAMContinue spraying if you want clean leaves and blooms into early fall but put away your spray equipment as your rose bushes begin to go into dormancy. Leaves are beginning to curl and drop, rose hips grow darker in color and no new shoots are developing. These are the signs that your rose bush is slowly moving into the dormant stage and the the "do not disturb 'till spring" signs are about to go up.If you want to spray with dormancy spray, usually oil and sulfur, wait until December or January when your bushes are fully asleep, otherwise store your spray in a dry, safe place and take a close look at how successful you were this season and whether you could cut down or at least be more aware of the environment. Did your plan work?PRUNING RE-VISITEDYou should have pruned your old growth roses or any that only bloom but once a year. Your climbers should be pruned to shape now and tied in to train them to grow in the right direction and shape for next season.All other rose bushes are simply cut back to about waist high to stop the wind from causing them to whip around and break off, or worse still, loosen the crown of the bush.Miniatures can be cleaned of wayward shoots or broken stems and given a short haircut.Leave the serious pruning until spring, just be prepared for the winter storms.PLANT OR RE-PLANT FOR THE NEW YEARNow is the time to plant your bare root roses in preparation for spring growth. It is also a very good time to move roses and to re-plant them.Always plant with good, new soil with compost or manure added, but do not add nitrogen based fertilizers at this time of year. A cup of bone meal would help with root growth.Bare root roses should be soaked in warm water for eight hours before planting to re-constitute them immediately following delivery to your home.Don't forget to mound up all your rose bushes with soil to protect the crown from winter winds and the possibility of drying out. This protective mound will be slowly removed as the air temperatures warm up in the spring.As you go into winter and your rose bushes go dormant remember that any rose gardening actions taken now will have a great effect on what happens in the spring.Even in the Pacific North-West I have had the occasional rose bloom at Christmas and if you do it should be in a clean rose bed on a bush pruned and mounded up for winter protection.Consider the four important tasks and your rose garden will thank you for it-- next year!
Organic Gardening Articles: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com/
Author: David LeAcheDavid LeAche is the author of www.rose-works.com where you can find out all about rose growing, photographing roses, crafts with roses and using petals, hips and rose-water. FREE monthly newsletter and FREE e-book for subscribers.Check out Html//www.rose-works.com

Victory Gardens Symbolize a New Age

2008-10-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

By Barbara L. Minton
(see all articles by this author)Key concepts: Food, Nature and Gardening

(NaturalNews) Victory gardens are popping up all over. Last seen during World War II, these gardens now represent our fight to regain control of our lives and our health. They are the first battlefields against the increasing corporate tyranny, a battle that may end with us throwing off the philosophy of every man for himself and a realization that we are all together in this thing called life.World War II united people and allowed them to reach into the depths of themselves and pull up a resourcefulness they didn’t know they had. During this time of horror and hope people realized that they were living out a great saga in their lives, and in this saga they all had a part to play. The world was a violent and dramatic place, yet also an awakening happened, a vision of unity and understanding. The victory garden has come to symbolize this unity and vision.What’s a victory garden?It was emphasized to urban and suburban dwellers that the produce from their gardens would help provide the nutritious food needed by the soldiers to keep them fighting strong. It would also help keep the price of that food low, so the War Department would have more money to spend on other military needs. The victory garden would also help solve the shortages of labor and transportation that made it difficult to harvest and transport produce to market. One poster from the mid 1940’s reading, “Our food is fighting” portrayed the high sense of patriotism so characteristic of the time.The Department of Agriculture along with agribusiness corporations distributed booklets providing information about basic gardening techniques. In 1943, 20 million gardens were producing 8 million tons of food. Victory gardens were planted in backyards, apartment building roofs, vacant lots, backyards, and pretty much every available patch of dirt and container throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, doing whatever had to be done.Magazines printed stories about victory gardens, and women’s magazines provided instructions on how to grow and preserve garden produce. Sales of pressure cookers to use in canning skyrocketed as families were encouraged to can their own vegetables. Home canners used non-toxic glass mason jars. The government as well as businesses urged families to make gardening a group effort. At the peak of the effort, 9-10 million tons of produce was produced, an amount equal to all commercial production. Even children and teenagers willingly took part in the work of the garden.The victory garden was clearly a victory on many levels.Why victory gardens are back in styleToday we are again involved in fighting a battle, but this time the battle involves how to stay healthy and live genuine lives in a world where everything is increasing stacked against us.Today’s commercially grown produce comes from soils depleted of the minerals and nutrients so necessary to keep us healthy in our polluted and stressful environment. Plants grown in depleted soils are less healthy and able to resist attack by pests, so the use of pesticides is more prevalent than ever. Much of our big agribusiness produce is now being grown in foreign countries not subject to highly controlled use of pesticide. Today’s big food corporations choose the cheapest, most effective pesticides, not the ones that are least toxic to humans and other life forms. Along with pesticide residues, our produce contains residual amounts of soil depleting synthetic chemical fertilizers which are toxic to our livers.Parabolic gas prices are estimated to increase wholesale food prices by 30 percent in the coming months. We wonder how we will be able to continue buying quality foods to keep us healthy. Fruits and vegetables are on the road for 1500 miles on average, before they reach the supermarkets. Produce is picked without having a chance to ripen so it can withstand the long trip to market. During this process, even more of the nutrients are lost. When it finally reaches the supermarket, produce can sit in cold storage for a week before being put out for sale.We want to have access to health promoting fruits and vegetables during the winter months without them having to be flown in from other parts of the world. Asparagus from Argentina in January is a luxury few can afford. Yet we are told that our commercially canned produce contains carcinogenic and toxic bisphenol-A.We’re short on money to put gas into the SUV to drive our children around to their programmed activities. At the same time, we are realizing that our children are not really learning what is important in life. We yearn for projects and activities that will bring our families together.We are stressed out and overworked trying to get the money to buy all the stuff that corporations have decided we must have. Our closets and homes are filled, but our bank accounts are empty. We are so busy that we seldom see our family as a whole or do activities in which the whole family participates. It’s time to say ‘no’ to the big corporate food sellers and big oil. It’s time to reach inside ourselves again and rediscover that kernel of resourcefulness. It is still there.Victory gardens and the new ageA victory garden is a manifestation of new thinking, new vision and an explosion of new understanding. We not only live in this world but we help create it. We can choose to participate in unity and renewal, and to become part of the higher forms of consciousness. We are at the point now where evolution can become conscious of itself.We can choose to participate in a new age of creative intelligence and love. This new age is like a rising tide which may wash away those who seek to go on working in accordance with that old law of every man for himself. It is a movement just beginning like the emergence of a tiny shoot in spring. You can tear out that shoot or stomp on it, but there is no way that you can hold back the coming of spring.We have had enough of the old ways of thinking, and we are here to take back control of our lives, our health, our resources, and our futures. We are resisting the control of destructive governmental and corporate forces. We are developing an energy and enthusiasm that characterizes new values, new ways of living, new survival techniques, and new experiences.A garden that symbolizes our part in this evolution is a challenge and a source of immense hope. If a family or group is able to achieve this, others will follow and the movement will grow. In a time of famine for many and threatened famine for many others, the victory garden is an indication of a new way the earth can be made more fruitful. We must have a vision.We realize with horror what the human race in its greed and arrogance is doing to the earth, and the life forms on it. Our ignorance of the realities of nature has led us to follow all sorts of practices which hurt and alienate. We are at the juncture where we may either come to be parasites upon the planet, or we may come to a new enlightenment. The choice is ours.A victory garden can be our symbol of the victory of the decision to be part of the new enlightenment. It can provide us with a way to re-establish a positive relationship with nature as we are called on to love life-giving plants, to cherish and nurture them, to talk to them, and thank them for all their work for us. When we have reached out to do this, we are breaking down barriers within our minds, and our resistance to this new age will dissolve. We are readying ourselves to go forth openly toward nature with a loving attitude.Remember, this is not somebody’s thought out plan. It is a phenomenon and an expression of the living energies for renewal that are sweeping through our society. This is a creative energy to renew in many facets, the garden being just one of them. The garden is an expression of a community filled with energy, enthusiasm and love for all life.A garden teaches us the secrets of creation in various ways. Once we make the decision to pull back from the getting and spending lifestyle, we learn the power within us to create our world by the choices we make. We realize that we no longer have to be controlled by the power of events, but that by our power of thought, we control events. We can bring about what is in our thoughts.When this is our direction we will have the confidence to succeed in the garden. Gardening is about the relationship we have with the plants. When we love and cherish them, they will return the favor. Plants are like our children. A child who is loved thrives no matter what the conditions are, but a child who has no love dies. Gardening is never about technique or the color of your thumb. It is about what is in your heart and spirit.

About the author

Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

Hard Frost to Come to the Ozarks

2008-10-23T05:11:00.000-07:00

It happens every year, unfortunately! We have our first "killing frost" of the season, which drives many gardeners in doors for the winter! Not so here! We will be adding a plastic cover to our greenhouse frame this weekend. (Hopefully the frost won't come til the predicted Oct 28 date!) From this framework, I will be able to keep my broccoli, cabbage, onions, greens, and carrots going for some time to come. I will add some pictures on a later blog. I build my greenhouse from PVC pipe and plastic, a fairly simple process! I owe a debt of thanks to the person who first showed me the process: Len Pense of Stafford, Missouri. Another fine example of why everyone should live in the Ozarks! Check out his website at: http://www.gardeningrevolution.com !

I also will be covering my herbs, and the tender bottom roots of my hop plants, in straw and some leaves. It makes a great insulation. It will help to keep them toasty all winter. I will also insulate the bottom of my pea plants. Fortunately, peas like the cold! It is always a proverbial "throw of the dice" to see if they do alright through the cold!

We have added some wonderful new items for sale to our online shop! Please check it out! It helps us pay to keep our blogs running! http://www.celticozarkian.com/products.html

Here's to fall!

Ray Province, the Celtic Ozark Garden.

Green Beans from the Garden

2008-10-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to pick the last of my "Blue Lake" green beans today. It is always exciting when I can get in that third crop of beans each year. Boy, are they good. They are also easy to grow! One might even argue that green beans are the easiest of plants to grow in the vegetable garden. Certainly, this plant is a must for the beginning gardener.

I want to take a second and tell you about the type of beans I grow. I am a big fan of heirloom seeds. These are beans that can reproduce successfully, and have been a round a long time. Many of our plants today have been "hybridized" so much, that they loose their ability to successfully reproduce. Many times, the plants will also lose a lot of their original flavor! One only need buy a commercial tomato today to know what I am talking about! There is a whole movement in America to preserve our heirloom crops! I support this. One day, I will blog on it. For now, let me just put in a shameless plug for my favorite supplier of heirlooms seeds from the Ozarks: the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company of Mansfield, Missouri (the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder). You can visit there site at: www.rareseeds.com!

I plant green beans in 4' x 4' sections of my raised bed garden. The seeds need to go in the ground 1", and should be spread 4" apart. I put 9 seeds in one square foot of ground. Keep them watered well. They will grow high, so have something in place for them to climb. I use wire tomato baskets, or I let them climb a stock fence wall built to a height of 4'. Once you see blossoms, you will be ready to pick green beans in around 8-10 days. You can get several pickings out of your planting, if you keep up with the picking. When I quit seeing new blossoms form, I replant. Simple!

My favorite way to store green beans is by freezing them. Snip the ends off a green bean, and break it into bit sized pieces. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then, shock the beans by immersing them in ice cold water. After 5 minutes, remove them from the water, and pack in quart size freezer bags. Done! You'll be glad you did!

An October Treasure

2008-10-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to discuss a topic that is near and dear to me: wildflowers! The Ozarks have some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the world. I do not grow any wildflowers in my personal garden, but I have made room for some in the yard. In addition, I just think that is a great topic.

One of my favorite October flowers is the sky blue aster (aster oolentangiensis). It is found throughout the Ozarks in prairies an open, rocky sections of the woods. To me, it has an almost purple color that is beautiful to behold. I first became familiar with this flower via my dad, who taught me to locate them during turkey hunts! (Turkey happen to like them!)

They grow to about 3 feet tall, and have leaves that are very rough. The leaves are kind of heart shaped, and get around 5" long, and 2" wide approx. The flower gets about an inch across, and has a yellow base. The buggers grow like weeds.

Next time you are in the woods, see if you can locate them. The color is a true October to Early November treat!

Ray Province

The Celtic Ozark Garden

My Soil Mix Recipe

2008-10-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

I also wanted to place my soil recipe on the blog today. It is the result of several years of experimenting with different mixes. No doubt, it will change again! I make changes to my recipe for many reason: 1) I read a good article on soil mix, 2) the needs of the plants that I intend to grow, 3) weather conditions in the Ozarks year to year. These are just a few. Making soil, then, is a bit of an art form. Don't get too hung up in the technical components of exact duplication of soil (unless you are going commercial!) Gardening is a hobby, and a source of stress relief; so I try to have fun with my experimentation. All of this information not withstanding, I can tell you that I am able to grow a great deal of the vegetables my family needs each year in 120 sq. ft of garden, using this basic soil mix.

Ingredients

6 cu ft of Canadian peat moss (don't buy the cheap stuff!)
2 cu ft of a good garden mixture soil
1 large bag of vermiculite
2 cu ft. of compost (I use real horse poop, at least 1 year old)
2 cu ft of sand
1 quart of my fertilizer recipe (read the blog on this)
3 large bags of rice hulls (around 4 lb bag/5 gallon bag)

I have had some gardening friends argue with me about the compost. Horses or cows eat seeds, which can then take root in your garden, leaving you with more work to do! Personally, though, I like how it helps plants grow, so I am willing to pick a couple of weeds. For the most, this soil mix will stay weedless. In an earlier blog article, I discussed my garden design. I use two layers of plastic under my raised beds, to help keep weeds out of the garden, and minimize the amount of time I need to pull weeds. Even with the compost, I may spend 30 minutes in a whole growing season pulling unwanted plants. You can buy sterilized compost. I don't, because I get the horse poop for free from the folks that board our horses!

I also make my own compost to add to already existing gardens. In my bin, I throw in all my grass clippings, old garden matter, sub-standard apples from my fruit trees, horse poop, leaves from my trees. I try to stay away from putting in any weeds! Be picky with the clippings. Leftover scraps from vegetables we eat can also be added (no meat, milk, etc.).

Hope this helps. Let me know what your mix looks like!

slainte,

The Celtic Ozark Garden

My Fertilizer Recipe

2008-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Wanted to take time and share a recipe for dry, organic fertilizer. The components of the mix can be bought at most garden stores, or Farm & Home Supply type places. In the Ozarks, my local MFA can typically handle all my need. I usually try to buy ingredients in the spring, when they are most prevalent. However, I always watch for sales in late summer, early fall, when local garden shops are trying to clear inventory.

I keep this mix in an old plastic kitty litter container (because I am cheap!) It is also easy to pour that way. When mixing ingredients, I have an old plastic storage bin that lets me stir and shake away.

I might also add that this mix is very potent! It needs to be worked into the soil well, or mixed with compost, manure, etc. I also mix a garden trowel's worth into a 5 gallon bucket for wet fertilizing. There is lime in the mixture, which can kill your plants if applied too liberally. My general rule is mix 3 quarts of this mix into 100 square feet of garden. In my typical 4'x4' beds, that would be a pint of dry mix all through the bed! In my 4'x8' beds, I use 1 quart. As you can see, it will go a long way.

Late fall, after the crops are done, is a great time to add this mix. I also typically add soil mix to the garden at the same time. Then, this mix has time to blend. The PH of the soil will also be better. After adding soil and fertilizer, I cover the bed in leaves or straw to take a good winter's nap! In my greenhouse bed, which is 32 sq ft, I put in 1 pint in the spring and fall, respectively. Since this bed goes all year, I like to be a little extra careful with the fertilizer mix.
Ingredients:
1 gallon of seed meal
1 quart of agricultural grade lime
1 quart of gypsum
1 quart of dolomitic lime
1 quart of bone meal
2 quarts of kelp meal
1 pint of sulphur
Yield: 2 1/2 gallons of mix, which will cover a maximum of 250 sq ft of garden.

Would love to hear from you on what you use!

slainte,

The Celtic Ozark Garden

The Celtic Fall Garden

2008-10-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

We are very blessed in the Ozarks to have a nice extended growing season. On average, we do not get a freeze until mid to late October. We have extended that date even further the last couple of years. It's a fine time to be growing vegetables.

Being Irish, of course, we have lots of fun things to grow like cabbage, and onions, and broccoli. We also like to grow snap peas, spinach, and mixed greens as well. Of course, we have turnips! Get yourself some turnips, and a little greens, and cook them to tender. I add a touch of Greek Seasoning, garlic salt, pepper, bacon grease, plus a cap of liquid smoke! Mmm, Mmm! Now you got yourself somethin'.

With any luck, we will be growing all winter. One might ask: "how is that possible?" Even the Ozarks gets its share of cold weather. In my time, I have seen it get to -22 deg F. Unlike some of my Nordic friends, I don't like that kind of cold! The plants don't like it either!

The secret is the magic of small, well designed greenhouses. My winter greenhouse is 4' x8' x16". It is a raised bed garden made from concrete blocks. I use 1" PVC pipe to build framework, and I cover the garden with a thick layer of clear plastic (like you will typically see used on large greenhouses in commercial garden stores!) Under the raised bed, I have laid two layers of thick, plastic liner. Double layering can essentially create an extended growing season. The ground stays warmer, so the rich earth in the garden stays nice and toasty (from the plants point of view). There is rarely a time that I won't be able to extend the garden til the end of the year. Many times, it will go all the way to Spring planting. On a very cold night, I will stick a small space heater in one corner, far enough away from any plants so as to keep them safe. I stay away from the plastic pipe and plastic also.

In later articles, I'll discuss other aspects of the winter garden.

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden
celticozarkgardens@celticozarkian.com

Welcome to the Celtic Ozark Garden

2008-10-03T17:07:00.001-07:00

It's pretty hard to have been raised in the Ozarks and not have your own garden. It's a great part of the Ozarkian tradition. This forum has been created to share information on raising vegetables, growing flowers, and all other things green. We will even explore related topics: canning, growing from seeds, heirloom gardening, seed preservation, etc.

The Province family has been very interested in developing a natural food supply again. So, we have explored lots of gardening methods. We invite you to share you stories of gardening in one of nature's most beautiful places: your garden! Here in the Ozarks, our rocky hills aren't good for raising much besides goats and kids! So, we will always listen to a good story!

Good Gardening,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden
celticozarkgardens@celticozarkian.com