Green Growth in the High Tunnel @mountainjewel | Seed Saving & So Many Plants! (Photo Log)
Ini transplanting Walthom Butternut
This morning we were blessed with a good rain here at our homestead, Mountain Jewel, in the Ozarks. We've had a very hot spring thus far- mostly in the 80s and not a lot of rain so we're quite happy for rain this morning!
We started the day off in our High Tunnel weeding and transplanting out of the rain. It's so lovely to hear the little pitter patter of the rain on the plastic.
Our High Tunnel is a mix of perennials that like a lot of heat (moringa, longevity spinach), seed starting, plants going to seed that we're saving seed from, food and more!
Here's a little tour!
Chervil
A sweet classic kitchen herb in the Parsley family that tastes like fennel and anise that we tried for the first time this year. We're saving seed.
My last post of plants around our garden was such a success, I wanted to share some of the plants in the High Tunnel.
Endive Flower: This is a green we grew for the first time this year. We really loved the crisp flavor in midwinter. We're saving the seed!
Sweet Annie volunteered this year which was really perfect as I have wanted her in the gardens for years. Her bright undoubtedly sweet nature and scent graces the space. As I brush past her, her scent wafts through the air delighting the senses.
There is so much green!
The High Tunnel is a good 2-3 weeks ahead of everything outside of the tunnel. Lettuce we started at the same time outdoors is still a babe, while lettuce here is already bolting and going to seed. We've also had quite a few tomato volunteers and as I got a really late start on seeding this early spring, I am grateful for these volunteers!
Ini in the High Tunnel
We are also letting quite a lot of things go to seed in the High Tunnel.
Endive, Lettuce, Spinach, Chervil, Parsley and more! For this reason, it's a little bit of an awkward transition phase and we just took a bunch of bolting ancient lettuce out and are waiting for some of the peppers and ashwagandha seedlings to get a bit bigger before putting them in place. That being said, all of the plants going to seed are quite beautiful! Hope you enjoy the tour!
I also have to say that I was really happy for the cool rainy morning as oftentimes when I go into the High Tunnel with my camera, I can't get any photos because it fogs up right away!!
Perennials
Our High Tunnel is still home to some perennials in pots that will find homes around the homestead. In cases like the cactus, we just haven't "felt out" the right space, but as you can see, it's happily thriving in the warm microclimate.
We were so surprised when we moved to the Ozarks to find cacti all over our property, tarantuals migrating in the fall, lizards, armadillos, road runners and more signs of undoubtedly "desert southwest" like habitat. Growing up in Indiana as I did and not having any of these creatures, it really felt like a much different habitat.
Spineless Cactus
We picked this lovely being up in Florida at ECHO when we visited earlier in the year. We're so excited to have a spineless cactus we can eat the pads of!
Hardy Kiwi
This hardy kiwi we got at a plant auction last year (and about 30 more). We are so excited for this delicious fruit on the homestead.
Camellia Sinensis "Tea Plant"
I actually just bought this plant off of amazon -- yes you can buy plants on amazon! And I am so excited to get her established and then take many more cuttings in years to come. We want to have a lot of different varieties of tea here to take care of our "hot beverage" needs.
Seed Saving
It is not the most practical use of our small High Tunnel, but I can't help myself. I want to save these seeds of the plants that I really enjoyed this year. Also, it does make some sense as the plants that will go in their place aren't very big yet so they don't need all of the space they'll eventually take.
But the beauty of these plants going to seed cannot be denied! Check these out for yourself!
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Carrot going to seed
Spinach going to seed
Parsley going to seed
Seedlings
I didn't put too much energy into starting many seedlings this year. We direct-seeded a lot into the gardens and really I just took "an easy year" focusing more on perennials and not starting a bunch of seeds. That said, I did choose a few new guys and a few favs to focus on.
Ashwagandha seedlings
Ashwagandha is a plant from the Indian subcontinent used widely as a strengthening medicine said to carry "the strength of a horse." I had some plants last year that I used the root of to make tinctures and really loved the medicine so I'm starting some this year, too.
Arnica seedlings
Arnica is known for its power in easing physical trauma. It's used a cream oftentimes unto this effect to help bruises, swelling and the like. Being a plant native to the mountains, it can be difficult to start so I was happy to see many of the little baby seedlings popping their heads up. I'm hoping to establish this on the homestead as a perennial.
Holy Basil
Ah, my goddess Tulsi!... another plant hailing from the Indian subcontinent. Tulsi or Holy Basil is not the same as kitchen Basil and is used more medicinally as an adaptogen (a plant that balances and nourishes the body's entire systems). Being one of my favorite plants, we were excited to get this other variety from a friend this year. Holy Basil easily reseeds all over our property, but these will give us a start and add a little genetic variation into our homestead this year-- always a good thing.
Calendula seedlings
I am very excited to have these bright marigold cousins on the homestead this year. I plan on making teas, oils, salves and more!
Hyssop seedling
This is true hyssop, not anise hyssop and was given to me as a friend. She had way too many starts so handed me about 2 dozen tiny just popped babes which I then up-potted.
Growing Things
Next we have some plants still in the ground that are on their way out and also some that are on their way up! It's an interesting time as the heat is really coming on making things from Spring go to seed quickly while tomatoes and other heat-loving plants are really starting to thrive!
Lettuce
Tomato
Leek
This year we have really enjoyed the leeks, especially in morning omelets and with potatoes! They were given to me by a friend whose mother leek plants had a lot of babies. You can see our leeks producing offspring by their bases. Cool!
Moringa
Another plant we got while in Florida, moringa is truly a wonder plant. It likely wont last through the winter, but we chose to plant it in the High Tunnel to extend its season and it probably wont be bothered by the summer heat!
Ini tending the garden
Strawberry
Longevity Spinach
A delicious, mild tasting edible green from Japan that is just on the edge of being able to survive winters in our climate so we're hoping to establish it in the High Tunnel at least!
Thanks for taking a tour with me this morning while it was raining. So much green and new life. Spring into Summer is such an exciting time!
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Oooh your tunnel is fab. I must get the whip out on Jamie.to build me one.
Arnica cream is part of a mother's.toolkit in Australia along with paw paw cream. And I'm going to plant more calendula as I want to make cream like my Nana used to. You are inspiring me to figure out how to incorporate more medicinal herbs in my garden. I always used to have a witches garden but my setup is different here with the native plants forming a large part of our structure.
🖤🖤🖤
that's so cool your nana had a calendula cream. can you share the recipe? i'm so interested in hearing about "old" versions of these also modern favs! i hear ya on the witch's garden. a huge heart passion for me and a fulfillment of a long-time dream. cool to know arnica is in every mother's toolkit! i haven't used it too much, but it's my goal to add medicines each year to the homestead and establish these plants so i can build up my apothecary. a couple plants each year adds up! get that whip on Jamie ;) lol <3
Sadly Nana passed about 15 years ago and I never thought to ask her! I was Maybe Mum will know.
Yes we use Arnica especially for toddlers as they are always falling over and walking into things .. it helps with bruises. Paw paw for cuts, burns and scrapes - I quite saved a guy once whose gas bottle exploded inside his live in vehicle. I had a big tub and slathered it on his face and someone gave him a whisky. The guy was shaking in shock. When he went to the hospital in the morning the nurses were gobsmacked and wanted to know what the ointment was, as it had stopped some pretty bad burning. Yay for herbal remedies.
We just harvested our hops... now that's a powerful medicine!! Had the best nights sleep because of it!
wow powerful stories! love it! we finally have some hops on the property- excited to use them as you mentioned above and also get some brews going!!
Hops kombucha is pretty good! Yeah Jamie put a brew on last week. He's get to use our hops though as he just used the tin as we were short on time. That reminds me.. he has to bottle it today!!! Where's that whip....?
lol you're reminding me i need to buy a whip...
Poor overworked Ini and Jim!!!!
lol...
Your high tunnel is full of green! Everything looks so rich and happy. I noticed the Moringa, our plant is growing like crazy, so happy. We'll need to transplant before you know it. Any signs of strawberries? Wasn't the longevity spinach from Fruits and Herbs Garden? It looks happy. ox
yes! oh so happy to hear of your moringa's growth :) xoxo lexi just got the first strawberry this morning:) and yes we got the longevity spinach from the tour at the fruit and spice park!! it's doing well finally after a rough start <3 xxx
Loved looking at your photos, especially the herbs. I am growing Sweet Annie, hyssop, and calendula also, in addition the 2 types of echinacea, and several others.
love it! ahhh plants! always make my eyes have green hearts in em <3
hooray my vote was the 100th! 😊
thanks for allllll of your support @likedeeler!! <3
Nice pictures. I'm just a regular gardener not a homesteader but I'm trying to expand my skills in saving seeds. I saved some last year so we'll see how they germinate this year.
great to hear! seed saving is such a powerful act. hope you have a very successful germination! :)
Wow. Great post. Are you using the High Tunnel to grow plants that won't survive outside in the Ozarks or just to accelerate seedlings and encourage plants to go to seed? I am a very amateur gardener. Just curious
I mentioned a few examples in the article. We're doing both. Some of these plants will thrive better in the high tunnel and some wont survive the winter otherwise. Lots of seed starting and getting a leg up on the season :)
I'm surprised at the variety of plants in the Ozarks. We visited the Ozarks often when I was younger. I always picture the hard wood forests with oak, maples, walnut, hickory. I am loving your posts!
I looked into getting a high tunnel for our homestead after reading one of your posts. (Thanks!) but decided not to for now, because I believe the "Patriot Act" gives those who consider themselves masters (USDA) ownership of all "farms" in the event of an "emergency" for the purpose of making sure the state can distribute your produce however it sees fit when an excuse is presented. So, instead of asking them for a high tunnel, I think I'll have our property removed from the farm list.
i hear where you're coming from, but i'm not so sure that they can do this. i have heard of them doing so for animal operations in michigan (only real life example i've heard of), but i specifically asked our extension agent and she said there was no way the government had any control over what we do in our outside of the high tunnel due to taking part in this grant. i respect your opinion/decision, though we aren't worried about this/it's not stopping us.
it ALL looks amazing....but that camellia sinensis....calls to me! mmmmmm! must add more camellia!