The Yarden Report

Yarden Report: 2019-12-28

We're already thinking of you Yarden Season 2020... Our vision is clear. It's time to reinvest even more of our Yarden's clippings, rakings, and biological refuse into future growing seasons using principles of Hugelkultur.

Hugelkultur? All of our raised garden beds take advantage of Hugelkultur, even before we knew the process had a name. We had been applying Biology 101 ecosystem principles to dictate how we approach each raised bed. Directly composting within the bed is an incredible resource you didn't even know you had!

The Many Benefits of HugelkulturHugelkulturs are no-dig raised beds with a difference. They hold moisture, build fertility, maximise surface volume and are great spaces for growing fruit, vegetables and herbs.

I typically prefer dressing lighter when working in the Yarden.

Yarden Report: 2019-10-27

This Yardener has worked the yarden to the bone! Displaying this season's pumpkin harvest.

Happy Halloween!

Yarden Report: 2019-10-08

The final Dahlia harvest of the season.

See ya in the Spring Dahlies!

Yarden Report: 2019-10-06

Harvest time in our accidental pumpkin patch :D Side note, consider what you want growing in your garden NEXT year when you compost your squash/pumpkins/tomatoes THIS year. #LessonLearned #DuhBiology

Yarden Report: 2019-09-20

All of the rain has had us pulling tomatoes and processing them as fast as possible (no, please don't split!). Lots of dehydrating, cutting, freezing, powdering (Jake makes a mean tomato and citrus rub for his BBQ), etc. The green tomatoes are Green Zebras and they are near being over ripe!

Yarden Report: 2019-09-20

Grizz is starting to get the hang of carting. Soon he'll be pulling loads of Yarden materials around. We're gonna have to get a bigger yard.

Yarden Report: 2019-09-14

WE CAME IN 2ND PLACE!!! Washington State Fair 2019: 2nd Place Largest Sunflower at 17 1/8th" across

Jake's homegrown cucumbers and berries are on display as pickles, preserves, and jam :D

Yarden Report: 2019-09-05

End of Summer lunch, all vegetables and melons are from the Yarden. Yum!

Yarden Report: 2019-09-03

The beginnings of Autumn are evident in the Yarden. Pumpkins are nearly ready, and the tomato harvest continues STRONG.

Cherry tomatoes, var. "Sweet 1 Million"

I'm not sure how many made it into the box vs. how many were eaten as "Harvest Tax"

After some more harvesting and more snacking, we end up with just enough for processing

Oh geez, does it take a while to slice up cherry tomatoes. But once you're done, they look so nice on the dehydrator. Six dehydrator shelves later, and the house has taken on an air best described as "Humid Tomato." I highly recommend turning on kitchen exhaust fans and opening your windows while the dehydrator does it job. The dried tomatoes will either become 1. tomato powder for intense tomato flavor in our cooking, 2. can the tomatoes in oil for cooking during the winter, or 3. they dry up just enough to be dry but slightly soft, then mix them into a cream cheese spread on French bread.

Yarden Report: 2019-07-21

It's HOT outside in the PNW. Make sure to water your Yarden in the morning and check it in the evening.

The bumbles are in love with the new dahlias... I think I am too!

Yarden Report: 2019-07-20

Just another day in the yarden doing some light pest control.

Yarden Report: 2019-05-07

I'll be honest, my mind was in the gutter when I thought this up.

It's light weight enough that when the system is drenched, it will not rip off of the house.

Yarden Report: 2019-05-05

It's a Red Letter Day, the pile of dirt is completely used up! It only took 1 year, 1 month, 3 weeks to find a place for all 10 yards of dirt! Jake claims we will never have to purchase dirt again. Only time will tell :D

The Yarden looks so young, so fresh, so empty. We'll fix that soon enough.

Roux the Croux Supervisor has found any employee sleepin' on the job. How will the squirrels stay out of the Yarden?!

A Yardener and his trusty Dog shopping for Yarden supplies

Thank goodness for the rain barrels for quick watering needs

Yarden Report: 2019-05-05

Saturday the irrigation system was installed and we worked well past dark as we're working out garden lighting!

Our trip to the Tilth Alliance Edible Plant Sale netted us unusual peppers and incredible heirloom tomatoes. I've added plant ID tags for some of the varieties growing in our Yarden now. While we plant plentiful amounts of Bee Balm and Blazing Star to help draw in the pollinators, but I still hand fertilize each tomato flower to ensure we get a tomato. Climate Change is not helping out our bees one bit! Grrr! We've got Mortgage Lifters, German Striped, Early Girls, Green Zebras, Sweet 1 Million Cherry, and Tomato Tumblers.