Old man Winter took a deep breath and blew and boom it is Winter if only for a brief moment. We are happy to have the pests put back in some type of balance so that hopefully 2021 will be a little less challenging in that arena. We do need more cold though so come on old man… do your thing!
Thanks for checking in with us! Come on, let’s see what’s been going on!
Garlic
Garlic has literally been planted EVERYWHERE! We are not looking to gain viable bulbs from all that we have planted however we are using them as a companion plant to most of our brassicas. So far so good. We have a lot to make up for in the way of losses to pests this year. Now that the cold weather has come we have a little help from nature with the pests and man let me tell you how welcome it is! In the photo below you can see some of our Asian Greens hiding comfortably in between the garlic. Let keep their location top secret!
Onions
For the very first time we planted 50% of our onions from our own seed stock! Sustainable – I think so! We are very excited about this and again we aren’t counting on any real bulbs out of this but we do love onion tops in just about everything! These too have been interplanted with leafy greens for a little witness protection… if you will.
Hoopty
Hoopty is a hot mess and I mean that literally! Eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers are among the last remaining Summer crops and they are doing exceedingly well. The peppers in particular have been out of control! We are using them to make homemade blends of hot sauce and my oh my the flavors have been amazing! We have also been working on seasoning blends! Most of these have already been posted on our listings page however the seasoning blends are still being perfected. Mr. Bain Home Gardener is our taste tester and thankfully he is brutally honest. This means whatever comes out of the kitchen is sure to please!
Okra was finally pulled just yesterday and squash will be pulled and possibly replanted. Swiss Chard, green onions and celery are brewing nicely! With all the new areas to plant in Hoopty we hope to get more kale, mustards, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower planted before the month is out. I just realized just how much work that is!
Restructuring
You may be aware by now that Bain Home Gardens has begun restructuring our business dynamic. This has meant many adjustments already. You can read about most of those here. Much of this process has already been placed in motion and more is yet to come and it will certainly be an exciting transition. As we close the doors on some journeys more open up to us quicker than we are able to travel. Our job is now to decide which roads to travel & for how far. It’s ok, we have our backpacks and are ready to go!
MICROgreens by BHG
Our new subscription service is now open to accept subscribers! You can get the details here. This is one venture that we are so very excited about. See we have a love of microgreens and use them often here at home. So to be able to bring you yet another product that is near and dear to us is just the best!
Flowers by BHG
Our flowers delivery service with Kith & Kin CSA was really enjoyable in the Spring. Just watching the the flowers growing and watching the pollinators hard at work was a wonderful treat. Our farm fresh bouquets will be available throughout the year in 2021 in our Flowers by BHG line. We have yet to determine if we will resume our bouquet subscription service in the Spring and/or Summer but stay tuned. We will have definite news on that in our January 2021 newsletter.
A Special Month
You may recall that this time last year we completed our high tunnel who when affectionately call Hoopty. To be exact we completed it on our 20th wedding anniversary! As the year rolls around again we look back with awe and appreciation for year 21. We had no idea what the year 2020 would be for us! We were hopeful and positive about the possibilities. A pandemic was certainly not on our radar. Things certainly did not go as planned this year but it many ways they went better and other ways, well we are all the more stronger as a family and as a brand for enduring. For that we are so grateful. As we celebrate year 21 of us & year 1 of Hoopty we look forward to many more!
This years familyvesary feels a little different … no trip & no gathering with friends for a celebratory meal however the most important part is soild – us.
Sorry to be so brief this month but there is so much to so and so little time that we must really get to it even at this hour (9:30 p.m.). Bundle up – from our family to yours!