Hi All, My girlfriend and I just finished making 21 pints of strawberry jam. We put them in 8 oz jelly jars, though, so we got lots of jars of jam. We went and picked the strawberries this morning at a U Pick Em and then came home and made the jam. Of course, we stopped at every yard sale we saw along the way, too. We planted strawberries this year so next year we will be able to pick them from our own patch. I am planning to use mine as gifts for friends and plan to put up blueberry jam, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, and a bunch of fruits as well and will put together gift baskets for friends at Christmas. It is amazing how reasonable it is to do this. The biggest gift ends up being your labor but that is the fun of it. Luckily, my friends are ones that don't can their own stuff but still know the work that goes in to so it is fully appreciated. I will be picking up baskets and cloth napkins over the summer from yard sales so I can make up the baskets.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), May 27, 2000

Answers

What a good idea, Colleen. You're fortunate to have friends that understand and appreciate the work that goes into canning. They'll really love their baskets. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 27, 2000.

HI, Colleen Haven't seen you in awhile. I wanted to send you a gallon of honey for the camper you gave me. You know--barter. We really enjoyed being in the shade at farmers market this spring. Send me a P.O. Box # and I'll send you the the "first fruits" of the honey flow. It was nice to hear your greenhouse is up and running--GL. You will do well !!

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), May 27, 2000.

Hi Colleen! (Gee, I feel like I am following Gerbil and Joel around the forum today!). Strawberry jam sounds SO good right now. Yesterday, I split up my strawberry plants (they were getting overwhelmed by the raspberries, plus got invaded by clover!) so I dug them all up and reset them....I was surprized...I must have 100 plants this year. Last year, I think I set out about 20. So jam this year! I dug up a ton of raspberry starts, too, to give to a neighbor. Lots of blossoms, so maybe a good crop of raspberries.

Yard sales! Hmmm. I passed up so many today. I was with my husband and he hates to go to them! Lucky you. Did you get anything great?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 27, 2000.

Hi Sheepish, Sounds like you are going to have a nice strawberry patch as well. That is one thing I like about them is that they are perennial and multiply each year. We, too, have raspberries. We have black ones and I think this year is going to be a really good one although last year was as well. I know I have seen a whole lot of flowers on them. There weren't any really big items that I picked up at the yard sales but I got some little things for a quarter or a half dollar. They were mostly nice tins which I like to have to store things in to keep the bugs out of them. I also got a nice lettuce washer basket which I can carry out to the garden to cut the lettuce and then use it to rinse it when I get back in. My friend got a snow shovel for $2 and two nice rush seat painted ladder back chairs with nice cushions tied on the seats for $8 for the pair. I also got some canning jars but not enough to suit me. I'm always on the lookout for them. We both love to go to yard sales so whenever we are together on a mission in the summer we try to hit as many as we see. My hubby hates to go to them as well so I have to pass them by when I am with him. Although, he likes to see the bargains I bought when I get home. I usually pick up quilts or comforters when I see them for less than $5 which is pretty often because we use them for dog blankets. I eventually plan to furnish my house totally from garage sales. I will just enjoy the challenge of it. Since I also sew, I can make a lot of things look nice by just adding little touches. Also, Paul is an excellent artist so whenever I want some flowers or ivy painted on something I just ask him to do it. If you keep your eyes peeled it is amazing what you can find and the deals you can make. We went to one church sale around 2:00 and since it was raining they basically closed up shop and left there stuff there and said take anything you want for nothing. I guess they figured they would just have to get rid of it anyway. It was mostly clothes which I wasn't interested in but there were quite a few toys which I also wasn't interested in. My girlfriend did pick up a nice five gallon bucket and a basketball for her Saint Bernard. Couldn't beat the price. I also got some peat pots free at one of the other garage sales. We'll use them in the greenhouse. If we weren't in a hurry to get home to make our jam we might have gone through the clothes more slowly because we make quilts and cutting up dresses from garage sales is a way to get plenty of material, particularly when it was free. So that was pretty much our adventure for the day.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), May 27, 2000.

Colleen: You might try looking and asking at places that have those temporary garden centers to sell plants now, like grocery stores, discount stores, etc. Everyone has one here, and most toss out the plastic trays and often plants that have gotten too dried out to sell. I got a ton of them last year, and plan to use them in my "some day greenhouse". All of them here give them away for the asking. Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), May 27, 2000.

Wow Colleen,

This would be my idea of a GREAT relaxing day. Alot of hard work but very enjoyable. My sister got out of this rat race down here in busy South Florida and moved to a little country town in SC several years ago. My first visit to her new place was one I'll NEVER forget as she had a large garden with all kinds of bounty. Mom and I picked wild blackberries and we all made blackberry jam. This is how I would love to spend the rest of my days!!! Out in the beauty of God's green earth making something out of what he's blessed us with.

I have this yearning but it isn't possible to fulfill where I am right now. I have a tiny garden spot that is so sdaly overgrown with weeds right now as everything I try to grow just dies. Year after year I try to no avail. This year I didn't even attempt it.

Would love to grow my own veges and some fruits and even flowers, learn to can and bake homemade breads etc. I love the idea of the gift baskets for Christmas. I usually bake every Christmas and send stuff to my mother and sister up in SC which they are very happy to receive.

Someday maybe my dreams will come true. =)

All the best to you, Greenthumbelina

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), October 18, 2000.