Spring Is In The Air!

Here in Kansas the weather has been phenomenal!

 The last several days have been in the 50's. It has given me Spring Fever beyond belief! So, I have been thinking about my garden and canning and came across alot of great information.
When getting ready to can again I decided next year I really need to have a plan.

First I needed to ask myself, what do I want to preserve this year? So, I started a list of questions.
What was popular last year?
What is still sitting on the shelf now?
What was best received as gifts last year?
What was a major pain the butt to put up?
Ta-Da a list of what we are going to can this year. Then there are the items that you know you will not repeat. Many jars of uneaten applesauce that were done because when the kids were smaller they absolutely loved applesauce.
Have your list of Must Have's, mine may include
Peaches
Salsa ( about 1000 quarts!)
green chilies
apple pie filling
tomatoes
Most important - Have a Plan 
We will garden with a purpose, of course for us to eat but we are not going to grow a years supply of turnips if we don't eat turnips!
Alot of people can and preserve all summer for their families needs for the next winter. Not many people actually can out of necessity. When it comes time to can or process food that we have grown make sure you reserve time for it. Mark it on the calendar, and don't let anything else get in the way. Invite friends or neighbors over and do it together. Maybe host a canning party!

Also before your canning project make sure you are well prepared, have all your items readily available and well stocked beforehand.

Going A Year Without Groceries

From the store, that is! How wonderful would it be not to have to go to the grocery store 3 x a week like most of us! There are times I think I have gone two times in a day. I found a fabulous blog I wanted to share with everyone about this family who went a year and now longer without going to a grocery store. They could do a butcher's, farmers market, food stands on the side of the road, their own garden, etc. I love this blog. She has tons of great information and tips, please check it out!
http://ayearwithoutgroceries.blogspot.com/

Drought Resistant Flowers In Kansas

Don't let your garden go down in flames!  Summers in Kansas City are hot, hot, hot.  The following flowers are both drought-tolerant and likely to succeed in the greater Kansas City area.

Annuals
Burning Bush, Kochia	Madagascar Periwinkle, Catharanthus
Creeping Zinnia, Sanvitalia	Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia
Dusty Miller, Senecio	Rose Moss, Portulaca
Four o’Clock, Mirabilis	Salvia, Salvia farinacea
Gazania, Gazania	Snow-on-the-Mountain, Euphorbia
Jacob’s Coat, Amaranthus	Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia
Perennials
Basket-of-Gold, Aurinia	Sage, Salvia
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia	Sedum, Sedum
Blanket Flower, Gaillardia	Silver Mound, Artemisia
Butterfly Flower, Asclepias	Spanish Bayonet, Yucca
Daylily, Hemerocallis	Spurge, Euphorbia
False Indigo, Baptisia	Stonecrop, Sedum
Fleabane, Erigeron	Tickseed, Coreopsis
Gayfeather, Liatris	Torch Lily, Kniphofia
Goldenrod, Solidago	Yarrow, Achillea
Iris, Iris

List adapted from:
Flowering Annuals, Kansas State University, April 1992 by Gustaaf A. van der Hoeven, Kimberly Williams.
Flowering Perennials, Kansas State University, April 1992 by Gustaaf A. van der Hoeven, Kimberly Williams.

Gardening in Kansas

I found a wonderful tool for gardening here in this great state of Kansas. It has a breakdown of when to plant and when to harvest certain items in your garden. Hope it helps!

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Preparing for a Spring Garden

garden in late winter = blank slate

It is never too early to prepare for a spring garden.  Whether you are planning your first garden or are an experienced gardener, fall and winter offer time for reflection and forming new habits.
If you are making a new garden or bed, lay out some newspapers or cardboard now in the spot you wish to create the new garden.  They will compost into the earth over the winter and prevent weeds from cropping up.  You can turn them under or build a raised bed right on top in the spring.
Composting is a perfect activity to start in the fall.  Build a simple bin and place it in an out of the way area in your yard.  You could also start up a vermicomposting bin inside.  Keep a bucket on your counter for vegetable scraps and get into the habit of collecting and dumping those in your compost regularly.  Outside bins also need brown matter.  Instead of subscribing to leaf collection, add those to your bin. You will be rewarded with black gold to add to your garden beds in the spring.

Install or maintain a rain barrel.  If you do not have a rain barrel, make plans for getting one.  Our favorite local suppliers are the rain brothers.  A barrel collects free rain water you can use to water your garden.  If you already have a rain barrel, empty it near the first frost and turn it upside down to prevent burst from frozen water.  Fall is a good time to reinforce the stand.
Ask for garden tools, books, and accessories for holiday gifts.  Very shortly I will be publishing a post about best gifts for gardeners and cooks.  I just can’t do it before Halloween.  It isn’t right to talk about xmas before Halloween.
Read, measure, and plan.  Visit your local library and extension service website to learn about something new.  Measure your existing or perspective garden plot.  Then, plan your spring garden!  Some people like to write lists of what they will plant, others map it out on graph paper.  Plangarden.com is a good resource for making an online printable plan.