5 days to get 'er done

Looking at the forecast, I have 5 decent weather days to rip apart 100 bales of straw. If I had your help....it would go much faster. Consider it a learning opportunity. It is getting closer to when you should cover your plants up. If you have cut them back you should be able to safely cover them now. If you plan to cut back in spring, then wait a while yet. Typically, established perennials should not need covering, but if you can, why not. You never know when we might get that extra cold winter weather. Straw, hay or pine needles work best. Piles of leaves tend to mat down and do not quickly drain off water, leading to possible rotting of the plants crown.
We are zone 4 here in southern Minnesota, zone 5 plants are for south of us. If you are trying some zone 5 plants....good luck. They for sure will need a thick (8") layer of winter mulch and a prayer. There are some zone 4 perennials that are also consider 'short lived.' These would be hollyhocks, some dianthus etc. They usually do disappear after several years....that's what they do! Evenso, they are a better bargain then annuals that live only one year. I can tell you all you need to know about any of the plants I sell....try asking someone at Wal-Mart a ques. about the plants they sell. Uh...what?

I'm having Thursday.

All day yesterday I thought it was Wed., so today I am having Thursday! Yesterday was full of afternoon fun. I am too much of a wus to go out when it's still cold in the morning, so about noon I wander my way to the field. So on MY Wednesday, I used my tractor to move straw bales around the field to get them in place for the workers that are helping w/straw. Last year I got a 'deal' on some wet straw. WHAT A MISTAKE. Not only were they wet and heavy, but the seeds heads had sprouted and they were a mass of roots in the inside. It was like trying to pull apart a 100# roll of twine that was all knotted together. NOT a bargain. Lesson learned.

Thought I would share my favorite pumpkin pie recipe from my Grandma Fielder. This is a stove top cooked filling, poured into a baked shell. I never seen a 'baked in the oven' type till I was about 10, and visiting my other Grandma, Jen Dunham. She over baked everything, and this flat, thin pie was black on top. I was so dissappointed....that didn't look anything like my other grandma's pie!!!

Pumpkin Pie
2-3 eggs, beaten
16 oz. can pumpkin
16 oz. milk
mix & add
1 Cup sugar
2 heaping T. cornstarch
dash salt
1/2 t. each: ginger, nutmeg
3/4 t. cinnamon
Cook on stove top, med heat until thick. Anything with cornstarch or flour as the thickener needs to boil 1 minute. Warning: this will have big, lava type bursting bubbles. Pour hot filling into a baked pie shell. Should set for several hours before eating, can chill in fridge. We usually do these a day before using. Serve with piles of whipped cream!

Another job done!

Finally finished planting the asiatic lilies and alliums that will be popping up in next years bouquets. My 'cramping' hands are glad the season is nearly over. Got the straw today to cover the iris...157 bales and $500 later. It will take about 30-50 labor hours to put it down. So I hear the wind is kicking up the next couple of days. Loose straw and wind, not a good match. Might have to wait till next week to put it down. It still is plenty early and the ground is not that cold yet, so no hurry. Getting all my class descriptions done for spring gardening classes. I'll post them as soon as they scheduled.