Smarties Bar & Grill #76

Have you tried roasting your own coffee?

 

Not yet but I'd love to. Now retired my with and I will live in Hawai'i half a year (maybe permanently) near our daughter and her family. I know I'm going to give it a try then.

Have you roasted coffee? Maybe you can give me a few tips.

 

Some of the mushrooms I have found in the woods. I lost one of the photographs that is one of my favorites it was a large mushroom growing on a tree.

 

Yes, for a few years and life kind of took over and I took a break. The idea of roasting my own coffee is getting stronger. I just haven't ordered the beans.
When I first started it was with a hot air popcorn popper. Now that was an experience but it taught me a lot about roasting. It was extremely messy and had to done outside on the porch..lol. The coffee has two crack stages. A little past the first crack was the right roast for us it was medium, anything past the second crack stage is a dark roast. When I was roasting coffee I would buy my green beans from three different suppliers Coffee Bean Corral, Sweet Maria's and U Roast Em. They always had a good selection of coffeee.
You need a coffee roaster. The one I bought wasn't very expensive it was a Fresh Roast SR 540. It doesn't roast a lot of beans at a time so it is time consuming and that was my main problem which caused me to stop.
The down side of roasting coffee is the chafe from the green beans and some complain about the odor. Some people prefer to roast their coffee outside.

 

Check out creeping phlox on American meadows website.

 

If you’ve ever been to Maine the coffee scene is a lot different than the rest of the country. There are 30-40 Starbucks in the entire state and most of those are in Portland. Dunkin’ rules. It seems like there is one on every street corner. It’s easy to find them. You just follow the crowd.

 

And Dunkin's should rule their coffee is superior. Tastes as good as the coffee smells..

 

We got about two inches of rain this past week end and the cold came. It was freezing cold 30 degree for a couple of hours just enough time to kill some of my garden plants that were up. The potatoes took a hit and some of the squash, cucumber and beans. I haven't put out my tomatoes plants or pepper plants they are still doing well. The young cosmos plants that came up are gone. (sigh) Must have been winter's last hurrah.

 

The mycelial network. I believe it to be the largest living organism on the planet.

I highly recommend any books by the author Paul stamets. He really formed a lot of my knowledge and experience with mushrooms.

 

There is still a lot of property to be had down here in DeSoto county in Southwest Florida.

It was pretty damn cold here last night but not freezing

 

We took some iffy bean and squash plants and put them in the beds with row cover and plastic over that... didn't make it. Two out of three tomatoe plants made it, they had a little more insulation.

We've had a couple of 20 degree nights, but we return to 'normal' seasonal temperatures tomorrow with lows in the upper 40s. My kitchen looks like a rainforest between Round 1 seedlings running about 8" tall, and the new batch of seeded squash and beans. Not on the right moon cycle, so I hope they do OK. Most flowers and herbs I'll direct sow in containers on the wax of the full moon April 1.

 

Y'all seem to do this every year. Paitence is a virtue. I always wait till after April 15. That is our last frost date. You may find that the garden grows faster in warmer temps will finish about the same time. Cool weather slows growth and plants just sit there. I have over 200 days of frost free weather.

 

The planting will be going again I am not giving up.
I am having a problem getting bush Roma beans no one has them.

 

I live couple hundred miles south of you. I should have known this might happen but……we were having spring and summer weather and I was getting enthused to plant. Hey, I am planting again and keeping my finger crossed . Nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

I got some strawberry plants. Probably set them out today. Going to plat them in some cinder block holes up in front of the house.

 

I can't guarantee they have them in stock, and Gurney's is NOT my favorite source for anything.
Roma II Bush Beans | Bean and Vegetable Seeds from Gurney's (gurneys.com)
Bean Seeds, Romano Bush – McKenzie Seeds
Roma II Bush Green Beans - Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, non-Hybrid Victory Seeds® – Victory Seed Company

 

Thank you for the information. Looks like ordering them is the only way I will get them.

 

You probably don't get too many freezing nights down there.

Have your journeys ever took you to the Green Swamp area?

 

A few more mushroom pictures.
This is a picture of the chicken of the woods about a week after it was found.
Devil's Fingers ?

 

If not already, you might check a site I am quite fond of. Tips and Advice on Outdoor Gardening, Flower Gardens, Plants, & Seeds - Dave's Garden (davesgarden.com)

There are usually people who are more than happy to share seeds and cuttings, along with information about seed or plant ordering websites, and plants themselves.

 

Remember the garden clubs?

 

Oh yes. Even the online ones were fun, until political polarization set in.

We have one in the next county over, they participate in the annual Master Gardener's Flower and Garden sale, with lovely plants and flowers for only a dollar each. I have to figure a way to go this year, my weekends are going to be very busy this year.

 

Maybe you can make this one. If you go share your experience with us.

 

This morning the temp was 49 degrees and a heavy fog.

 

Our estimated last frost is also April 15. In addition to the cold nip we are currently having, we will be having 77 degrees on Thursday, with a low of 55, 79/60 on Friday, and in the 70s on the weekend. Normally we don't get 20 degrees in March. We have gotten tomatoes by Memorial Day a number of years, so an early start does have it's benefits.