This old chair

If it wasn't so cumbersome, I'd start a new blog, but instead I'm going to include my chair adventures here. 'Cuz I know you want to see it.

Since high school, I've had a thing for chairs. I love them. Specifically I love collecting them. From the trash. I used to keep them in my dad's shed. I once used one in a "self portrait". I piss off my husband pulling over to look at them and my neighbors who see them stacked on the porch. I went into labor 12 hours after repainting one (outside. In August). I Love the chairs. The weirder the better. So when I saw this one in some lady's truck at 7-11, how could I resist? Mr. Bottled was not pleased with me that night. (some guy from Delaware helped me get it into my car. "this is one incredible chair!" he said. See. It already has fans.)

I don't have a great "before" photo, so you'll have to settle for "during", but hopefully the after will be very cool!

Diaper giveaway!

Buiding my diaper stash, i quickly fell in love with fuzzibuns, but bumgenus has been a great on the go option with its easy to stuff pockets and aplix closure. Im tring to win 3 free, and you can enter, too! Check out BumGenius Giveaway

Plant Feature: Walking Onion

 

One of my favorite kitchen garden plants is the Walking onion.  I picked up this beauty at a DC Urban Gardener's Plant Swap.  Edible, of course, it tastes much like a spring onion.  The plant gets a fantastic blooming bulb on the top of the green stalk. It blooms and grows and then fold over and plants itself.  It can walk along this way all the way down the block in a few years.  It's a hardy plant here in the district: I've had luck transplanting it at all times of the year.  I treat it as a perennial, growing it without worry in the ground and in pots leaving them out and uncovered year-round.

Great uses for the plant:
Eating it (obviously): I love growing these instead of spring onoins.
Pickiling:  I haven't tried it yet, but Mr. Bottled loves pickled onions, so we will try pickling the bulbs this year for sure.
Containers: Great for adding some height to cascading hanging baskets.
Barriers: plant in front of your raised beds for a pretty and edible introduction to the rest of the yard.  

Planning ahead

Each spring comes up so quickly, and we get so excited, we miss a whole season. Early careful planning, and you can get a whole crop of vegetables before you put in those tomato plants. This year, stuck with a serious case of spring fever and armed with a cold frame, I vowed to get a plan, get some seeds, and get 'em in the dirt.  This year, I skipped starting the greens inside and put them right in a covered bed.  Soon, I'll start a round of half-hardy seedlings in the cold frame, followed by a a few rows of tender tomatoes. I can crowd them since I'll be spiting them up once the weather warms up and they are ready to move out on thier own.

Next up will be this year's plan for our community garden plot which we will probably plop our seedlings in. I'm dreaming of 7 months of produce from that 4x16 plot of land. Managed right, that would be a huge boost to our budget and health! Have you planed your crop rotations yet?

This chart is helpful in thinking about what sorts of plants to put in at what times. Many of the hardy varieties can be overwintered (missed out on that!), but many others can be planted with cold frames just moments before the spring officially begins.

PICKING YOUR PLANTS (Hardiness Chart)
Very Tender Cantaloupe Cucumber Eggplant Okra Pepper Summer Squash Sweet Potato Watermelon	Tender Bean, bush Bean, pole Bean, lima Corn Winter Squash Southern Pea Tomato	Half-Hardy Beet Carrot Cauliflower Irish Potato Lettuce	Hardy Broccoli Cabbage Collard Garden Peas Kale Mustard Onion Radish Turnip Spinach

Bottled and Drank

It's been a long summer and a long fall.  Our beds are finally put down for the winter (though we were holding out for a while with a cold frame system) and our thoughts have turned back to wine.  

After a long time in the carboys, we decided to bottle up the wine this week.  We invited friends over to an unveiling for solstice, but of course had to try it ourselves, first. We found our first two large carboys of wine disgusting.  Mr. Bottled and I really don't understand this, since a week or 2 ago, they were just fine.  It was Bella's special that we decided to serve for the party.  While the wine wasn't a huge hit, all agreed it was actually wine.  Which is saying something.  Reviews include. "Really, I've had much worse." and "It's better after you drink a few."  Honestly, with some serious decanting and a bit of time in the bottles, I really think the wine will turn out fine.  Maybe not bring-it-home-for-Christmas-dinner or enter-contests fine, but definitely drink-this-after-you've-run-out-of-the-good-stuff fine. 

We didn't buy grapes this year, so we won't have the same adventure as the year unfolds, but I'm thinking of making some fruity wine from a kit, which will be fun.  We could use the practice, and maybe even blend up something dry and delicious with our Chambourcin. Yum. 

Bolt into Summer

Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, United States

It's April 30th. You know what that means? Summer in DC has arrived. Today, there are wildfire warnings and it should hit 90. Obviously. Because it's almost May. (wtf? south.) While this does mean tomatoes are in the ground and growing (upside) it also means our beautiful beds of salad greens and kale are about to totally loose their shit. I found StillTasty while searching for a way to save this pretty, pretty kale, and I am a little bit in love. While it doesn't have canning advice, It does suggest the best way to preserve in the freezer, which is way easier than canning non-acidic things. Use it, save your harvest, and be glad.

Now for Something Bottled: Swedenburg Estate Vineyard

From Swedenburg Wines

Last Summer, Mr. Bottled and I dedicated just about every weekend to exploring the vineyards of Virginia. One that we found, and really enjoyed, was Swedenburg. I really enjoyed their Chantilly. 100% Syval, light and fruity, but not sweet, a great w

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ine for summer. The only place to find VA grown Pinot Noir, this classic was impressively crafted, considering the climate. We went home with a bottle or two of each.  

Today, groupon has a great deal: $15 for a tasting for 2 and a $30 credit. That means you can have a day of wine tasting, (bring a picnic to have on the lovely grounds), and leave the tasting room with 2 bottles of the Chantilly (at $14). We'll be sure to post our review when we get out there this spring.

Deal: Swedenburg Estate Vineyard Deal of the Day