A new way of planning the garden in light of GSM

So, for the last few years. that I've really noticed, my garden has been changing.  Changing in ways that made me question its location, in which I could not do anything about because of our small space.  
The weather was not allowing me to spring plant when I was normally used to so some of my cool season veg like broccoli was not heading properly and some lettuce varieties would bolt sooner than expected, for example.  I thought I would try again for Fall planting.  Much of the warmer season veg was not maturing. We cut down a tree that had grown and made a bit of shade.  Pine is not something we can even use in the wood burner so it's even STILL being used for camp fires.
I used more compost thinking it might rush the growth process and paid more attention to watering.  I already choose earlier varieties so I may be able to squeeze in another veg that I can end up putting a hoop cover on to extend the season.  This was nothing new for me to do at both ends of the growing season and it always has done the job.  I planted in containers while the beds were filled with garlic.  I have some things in containers every year and this year it was onions, eggplant, tomatoes and herbs.  
Last growing season we had ordered too much garlic and it filled (5) of our (6) 4' x 4' raised beds.  This led me to the idea of allowing the beds to rest until the following spring.  Once the garlic was removed, nothing else went in.  I should have put in a cover crop but it isn't something I'm in the habit of doing, so I didn't think about it.   
When I heard about the grand solar minimum I knew this was what I'm up against.  A new strategy must be put into place.  I needed to know more about what is going on with climate change.
More to come as I progress.  It will be interesting!

First seeds planted

March 15th was my first planting in peat discs.  I planted the following:

• Gardeners Delight tomato.  I'm interested to see what I really have.  I ordered organic on Amazon and to my surprise, the packet says determinate.  Former plantings of this variety resulted in indeterminate.  I hope the packet is wrong!
• Giant Noble spinach
• Swiss chard
• Mache
• Broccoli
• Lettuce

     I have beans and peas to plant.  I haven't made up my mind whether to sow in modules or directly in ground.  It is still rather cold.  Last Tuesday night Pittsburgh area got 8" of snow!  Today is very windy.  I went out in the garden to imagine what will go where.  Particularly the pots and containers.  I always rotate plantings and so eventually everyone ends up in a container.

     We have a couple of projects we must do this year on and around the house that need to be scheduled.

Garden Update

        Our weather has been so inviting that I accepted the invitation and played outside for a few days!  I was ill last season and left the garden a mess so I took the opportunity to clean up.
      I also built my little portable greenhouse, dug out a few paths, tore out wisteria roots, and today, husband rebuilt one of the raised beds.
     I've sketched up my early spring and spring garden and plan to start seeds on Monday that will stay in the greenhouse until transplant time. 
     I'll see if I can figure out how to upload pictures from my phone.  I hope the weather is nice tomorrow, I don't want to stop.

Busy Week

     I've been away from home every day this week for family.  This can't happen once I'm in full homestead swing.  There's too many things to do here. I'm not sure what to do about that.
     Today I take my 84 year old mum to stores she wants to go to and a doctor appointment.  I won't be able to walk by the time I get home.  Arthritis in my knees really limits me and shortens my day.
     I'll stop by Walmart to pick up the 72 cell seed starter trays ($7.00 each) on my way down.  Soon I'll start lettuce and prepare a growing spot for it on the porch in window boxes. Also onion seed.  Yellow Globe and Walla Walla.

Planning more than seeds

     Starting seeds in the house is really a nuisance.  I love to do it, but we don't have much space for it.  Over the years we've set up lights in shelving units and set up an area in the basement, but nothing works better for me than natural light.  My seedlings get spindly under the lights even when I keep the lights lowered to just above the tops of the plants.  I also plan to start tomatoes earlier because they usually don't ripen early enough to enjoy throughout the summer.
     We have one south facing window that husband built a wide sill for.  I put a heat mat there and a 72 cell seed flat will fit nicely.  The first early spring veggies begin their days here in February.  Broccoli, kale, lettuce, cabbage, Swiss chard, and this year for the first time broad beans.  The time the "earlies" spend on the sill interferes with the seed starting times of my tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, and there isn't room for both groups.  So I've been daydreaming of building a greenhouse over a couple of the raised beds that could easily be assembled and then easily disassembled when those two beds need to be planted.
    

Garden/ Homestead Projects

     As I plan for the 2017 year of homesteading, I keep running into things that need to be accomplished before I can proceed with garden plans.  
     Our chickens have been free ranging for a few years.  This was my husband's choice. I've wanted to build a run and monitor them to see their habits and to get a better handle on the egg production.  In addition, they have made it difficult and more time consuming to manage the garden.  This is not a breed we would have chosen.  We were in between flocks when someone our son knew had this flock of Phoenix breed chickens they had to get rid of because there was an ordinance in their neighborhood that did not allow them. Our breed of choice is Barred Rock.
     These birds produce small white eggs and do not lay one egg per day.  The only good thing about the breed in my opinion is that there are a lot of broody hens.  The Barred Rocks never produced chicks.  They are also very noisy.  There are a lot of roosters being hatched and very few hens.
     Two projects that must be completed before planting are: 

• Chicken run
• Portable greenhouse. 

     TexasPrepper2 on youtube has a great design for a greenhouse that I plan to use for the chicken run and you can check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DKlXs8iov0

     I will run 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom to prevent smaller chickens from getting out.

     The design I'm using for my portable greenhouse is shown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAcs-uPTC4&t=331s

     Mine will be 4' x 4' and I will disassemble it after the danger of frost has passed.  I have most of the parts from constructing bed cages to keep the chickens out.

     It's still too early for me to start seeds so when I'm ready to do that I'll talk about my seed choices.

A Lot Has Happened In A Year

     2016 was a year of health issues for me.  In March I spent 2 weeks in the hospital with blood staph infection.  Another month at home with a pic line for antibiotic IV and home health care nurse.  The infection settled in my disc and sciatica nerve causing extreme pain and inability to walk.  I was taking oxycodone for pain.  When I was able to get around a bit I went into physical therapy for a couple of months.
     I went back to work the second week of May and school ended the first week of June which gave me the summer to continue to heal.  I really had not been ready to go back to work but felt that if I didn't, I would not qualify for unemployment for the summer.  
     It was a difficult summer.  There was so much that I wanted to do but I had not regained strength to do it all.  I took care of the container garden on and around the deck but my raised beds went to weeds.
     I was scheduled to go back to work the end of August but clearly, I was not able to.  So, now I am home and we are living on a very tight budget with my husband's income.  It's been a challenge to say the least!
     Then a few weeks ago I was in the hospital again.  Sepsis, kidney infection, dehydration and the diagnosis of diabetes.
     I've had to look at my diet more closely.  I had no idea there was so much sugar in everything.  Even milk.  So aside from trying to eat organic, which is expensive, I've had to eliminate even some organics.  Fortunately, I'm at home and have the time to do so many of those things from scratch that I've longed to do for long!
     The old saying, "every dark cloud has a silver lining" comes to my mind at the moment and it is true.  I've never been through any difficult time that I didn't come out of it better off than when I went into it.  That's a fact.
     So now, my journey gets trickier ;) ...but learning continues and hopefully a healthier me will emerge.
     I had a Word from the Lord given to me recently from someone who barely knows me.  This is so awesome:

"I see restoration for you. A literal Eden 2017 (Lance's one teaching). Also got this Scripture for you: 
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12 
“And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste];
You will be called Repairer of the Breach,
Restorer of Streets [b]with Dwellings. (Isaiah 58)

After a time of grief and sorrow, His joy comes with an outpouring, like a fountain. After a time of weeds growing, and "things falling apart," comes a new work of cleansing, uprooting the old, receiving the new. We call out growth in the Holy Spirit, in all areas of your lives. Both you and hubby. I pray for a new perspective of Eternity, that our time on earth is but a brief moment, and that our time with Him and our loved ones will stretch on and on, for ever. Your heart is for what is beautiful, peaceful, harmonious...and He will give you the desires of your heart. Just as the birds/toads etc came, so the ones who need Him will come to you. They will see His tenderness in you, and be drawn to you. And somehow I sense He will bring about something very fruitful from/through your garden, in the natural too. It is a place of treasures and togetherness with Jesus. <3".

     So, I have encouragement from the Lord that I'll have restoration and promise of my garden.  I feel like 2017 will be a great year.  I've ordered some seeds and done some planning.  
     Broad beans this year are new to me but I have a recipe to try with them. I've always loved watching the allotment videos on youtube.  The English have such green thumbs but their weather is different from my zone 5b.  Some of the seeds I would love to try are not available to us and those that are, are too expensive for my budget.  I'll be back with a post of my seed choices and a couple of links to my favorite allotment gardeners.

     I pray we all have a blessed 2017.

BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO TESSIE FOR HER YOUTUBE CHANNEL.  It is very well done with much necessary information.  I'll have a link for that as well on a side bar as soon as I can.