New Garden Teepee and Full Circle Tomatoes

New Garden Teepee and Full Circle Tomatoes

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 3
Week 15: April 15, 2023

Our previous garden teepee succumbed to snow load over the winter. The weight of the snow literally crushed it. It was made of willow poles, cut from our property, and we knew it had limited life. (It lasted 5 years, which we thought quite respectable.)

Read about Suppers in the Garden Teepee.

Sam built a new teepee of oak poles. It is a mixed blessing. We lost 6 huge pine trees to pine beetles. In cutting them down, the utility company also knocked down a handful of small oak trees, so the teepee memorializes them.

Sam chose 8 oaks that were fairly straight and limbed them. He cut them to 14 foot lengths and dragged them from the wooded area of the pasture to the garden.

I planned to help him stand them up so he could join them at the top with wire. I got busy with laundry and by the time I went out to help, he was done! I am still scratching my head, trying to figure out how he managed to stand 8 logs up and secure the top with wire…

In any case, there he was, sitting at the patio table, petting Toby and looking quite pleased. I’m pleased, too! I think the new teepee is a marked improvement over the previous. What do you think?

We still have to pick up 3-500 yards of clothesline to weave between the poles to create rungs for plants to climb. I will plant the usual vines: pink and blue morning glories, white moonflower and Mayo Bule gourds. Kiwi vines and cinnamon vines are perennial and they will put up new growth as soon as the soil warms up.

“Just” a beautiful spring day. So much to be thankful for: blue skies decorated with puffy clouds, daffodils in bloom, and the anticipation of starting the garden are at the top of my list. Would you share 3 simple things you’re thankful for today? It is a pleasure to read what is going on in your life and share your joy.

Full Circle Tomatoes

Saving Seeds and Growing Heirlooms, a gallery of photos.

Spring feels like the beginning of the garden. In reality it is a single pearl on a strand that forms a bracelet. This year’s Victory Garden 2023 harvest depends on last year’s – and the year before’s!

Gardeners didn’t used to buy seeds in packets – they saved seeds from their gardens and crops from year to year. It wasn’t until the 19th century that purchased packets became mainstream.

The miracle of a seed never fails to amaze me. That a seed the size of a fleck of pepper will grow into a plant that produces pounds of tomatoes, for example, and jar upon jar of food for the pantry is downright fabulous! The tomatoes you see above, Japanese Plum, are no longer commercially available. If I had not saved seeds from this beautiful variety, I would not be able to grow it anymore.

Find resources to get you started saving your own seeds at the bottom of this post: Garden Tool Basket.

And please let me know if you would be interested in me sharing a video or series of videos saving seeds in the home garden and on canning tomato products like crushed tomatoes with herbs, flavored tomato sauces, and more.

Easter blessings

We hope you had a beautiful and gracious Easter. God is so good to us. We enjoyed a special church service and feasted at home after church in remembrance of Jesus’ supreme sacrifice for us.

I have been baking with 100% rye flour. Breakfast this morning was blackberry filled crepes made with rye flour, which were quite luscious. For lunch we enjoyed Matrimonial Rolls and Strawberries and Cream Sponge Cake, both made with 100% rye flour.

Matrimonial Rolls – KitchenAid recipe
Matrimonial Rolls – Bosch Universal recipe
Matrimonial Rolls – Ankarsrum Assistent recipe

Have a great week, friend. Thank you for visiting Chocolate Box Cottage!

Love,
Michele and Samuel