AAAHHHH!!!!

That's a nice long sigh by the way.....

Summer's warm temps are allowing us to enjoy the last bits of summer (not that we haven't lived life to the fullest this summer but you know what I mean).

How did my family survive 90+ degree days after such a cold summer? We suffered at a beach side campground for the week. Rough life I tell ya :)

What did we do in a secluded beach town for a week with three kids???

Searched the surf for sand dollars:: Found sea shells with holes just made for making necklaces:: Built sand castles:: Explored ancient forts:: surf casted for stripers:: boogie boarding... lots of boogie boarding:: walks along the beach:: sunsets on a hill with local made ice cream:: visits from good friends:: fireside chats:: Lots of reading... harry potter is almost finished as is war and peace:: listening to giggles and exclamations of "This is paradise, can we live here???"

Then as we were ending our trip Hurricane Bill sent the sea into a furry. It was really Awesome to watch... from afar. It was like God giving us a push back home.

What did my garden do for a week in the heat???

Flourished!!! Oh what a surprise!!! All of my vines are crawling and sprawling with big beautiful leaves!! I have cute baby melons, yellow squash, cucumbers, peppers and (though the plants have few leaves left) the blight seems to have fried in the sun and I have some tomatoes!!! No pumpkins yet but one of the flowers looks like it might have a roundish bulge growing under it.... only time will tell!!

What are my kids doing as I'm on the computer??
Are they enjoying the warm summer sun??
Nope, they are listening and dancing to the nutcracker ballet!!! Geesh are they really my kids??

Mondays in the garden

The good, the bad, and the ugly:

I may ramble a lot today. So many going ons in this garden of mine!!

First off the blight has now hit the potatoes. I thought so this weekend, but I let it go. Today, I had to pull the plants, not a leaf left untouched. It's so terribly sad. The good news is that I had a few potatoes under those plants! A yummy supper is in the works for tonight!!!


More harvesting news: Three cherry tomatoes from the blighted plant survived!! I have sprayed, quarantined and keeping a good eye on the infected plants. I just want a few more tomatoes and the fruit still looks untouched.

I picked the last of the first crop of lettuce and thinned the scallions some more. I'll be having Salad with the new potatoes tonight :)

Wild raspberries and blueberries surround my property. They are small but oh so yummy!! A fresh fruit compote over ice cream for desert?? Oh I can't wait for supper!!!


What is left in the garden you ask?? Lots of tomato plants (cross your fingers and toes the blight stays off them!!!), small but budding pepper plants, the cukes have taken off like wild fire, squash and zucchini, still struggling honey dew, cantaloupe, and pumpkins, and corn!

This little round ball is in my cucumber patch. Is it just a sad yellow cucumber or a misplaced squash??? Only time will tell I guess!

Look at this happy sight....Corn silk!! The plant is small but I'm still happy!!!! That's what happens when you have a crappy summer, every little good thing makes you smile!!

I didn't take a picture of it but does anyone know why my pumpkin plant would lose it's blossoms??? It blossoms beautifully then it looks like they are snapped off.... makes me mad I tell you! Haven't I had enough garden trouble???

Til next time!

Monday's in the garden

A garden update on a Monday! It's nice to be back into routines.

The sun has really done my garden a world of good. We have a flowers on our pumpkins, cukes, zucchini, and tomatoes. The corn that was transplanted is knee high. The direct sown corn is to my calf. My sweet peas are full of flowers. The rest... well... only time will tell!

I can't say the plants are very big. I think it's the lack of sun and fertilizer. I need to go buy non water diluted fertilizer... I'm just being lazy. The ground is just so wet I cannot justify watering the garden to spread fish fertilizer.

I dug up two very sad looking potato plants this weekend. Lo and behold they had 4 good sized potatoes each. They were yummy too! Can't wait til the healthy plants are ready to harvest.

Next week I'll put up pictures of the progress.

Mondays in the garden

First I have to say a big: "Thank You Honey!!!" I can finally access my garden! I no longer have to roll back the chicken wire, carefully as not to disrupt the strawberries. I can just unhook the latch and easily enter my world of serenity. I'm impressed. For a first time gate builder he did a fantastic job! It's solid construction and even has hinges. The original prototype had spikes on the bottom to jab into the ground, meaning I'd have to remove it every time I wanted to access the garden. This is better... much better.


The garden needs a balance of sunshine and rain. It's just getting way too much rain. As I was working this weekend I noticed the leaves are a bit yellow on the tomatoes and zucchini. My potato plants (the experiments) were laying on the ground. I took a minute and piled more dirt around them and to my surprise, I found potatoes in the ground!! Wow!! I have to look up when to harvest them. I'm so excited!! The picture below shows that the lettuce is almost ready to harvest. I'm glad it is doing well, the red leaf was drooping thanks to the soggy weather, but I harvested it and it tasted great!!


My peonies are starting to bloom! I need to stake them. I saw small black Shepard's hooks in the dollar store in the beginning of April. I couldn't think of a thing to use them for and didn't buy them. Now I wish I had gotten a bunch, they'd be perfect stakes for my peonies! Maybe they'll still have them?? I'll go check it out ;)

News from the Garden

Hi, yes I'm still alive! It's been busy busy! I was looking back at pictures since June 1st (yes it is only June 9th) I really think we've done more already this month than I ever did as a kid all summer!!!! My kids are loving it, and are totally spoiled. As for me, I'm hoping it slows down soon. I'm the type of girl who likes it slow and predictable. I've been trying to take time to stop and smell the roses... right now I smell a rainy day and dryer sheets ;)

About the garden:

Good News: I was tickled pink when I inspected the garden yesterday. I found sprouts of corn, cukes, snap peas (yes, planted late... oh well!!) and even the seeds I saved from our last years pumpkins are sprouting!!!! Wow, nothing like growing things from seed to make a girl happy! I am not counting my pumpkins before they produce, we still have a long way to go, but I'm eagerly awaiting harvest time!!!!

This weeks issues: I may have forgotten to water a few days last week and had to pinch off the seed leaves of a lot of my older plants. The rest of the leaves look OK though. I have only had a few bugs so far (knock on wood) and we hand picked them off and disposed of them.

I was very sad to take the flowers off my strawberry plants. I took pictures then pinched them off and used them in a vase to decorate my table. Johnny's recommended I do this to help with root growth during this first year. I'm hoping the fall harvest and many harvests after that will be worth the sacrifice.

I'll be giving the first dose of fish fertilizer this week. I couldn't decided if I should do it before or after the rain. Any one have thoughts on this???

I'm now off to the rest of my day! Enjoy yours!!

Pictures of the garden

As I posted on Saturday, we accomplished a lot in the garden this weekend!!

I decided to put the herbs in the garden after all. I downsized the variety and made the choice to grow what I use the most. I planted 4 basil, 2 Rosemary, 2 thyme, 6 oregano plants.


I was soooo proud! My hubby finally built my fence!! I then looked at the fence:
"Ummm... honey, how am I going to get in to work in my garden???"
"Oh, you won't have to go in for a few weeks, I'll figure it out next weekend"
"Thanks Honey" (You can just assume there was some serious eye rolling)

I also mentioned that we next time we need to put it a foot or so outside of the garden plot so we can move around easier. On his defense, it's his first garden fence. I'm glad it's standing and will keep out the neighborhood dogs (who stepped in my corn for the last time!!!!)

Garden weekly

The Planting has begun!!!

I spent yesterday in the garden.

So far I have planted the back row full of corn (only transplanted 2 plants, I directly sowed the rest of the row), 1/2 a row of Sugar snap peas, I lost count of the tomato seedlings I started inside... 30, 40??? The early girls look the best, the grape tomatoes are on the small side... they took up 1 1/2 rows. I transplanted 6 honeydew melons and 6 cantaloupes. I also transplanted 6 bunches of scallions.

The lettuce and strawberries I planted in April look great. The spinach is iffy, not many plants took off. The experimental potatoes actually look 1/2 way decent... go figure??? All of that needs to be weeded badly already!!

Speaking of weeds.... does anyone know how to use the black plastic mulch? I bought some and tried to use it with my corn and it just blew off. Maybe I need to read the directions, eh???


As you can see from the picture I am not a perfectionist. There are no beautiful edges or perfectly measured rows complete with string. I do enjoy looking at these types of gardens but, this one suits me just fine. The picture may not show it but, I do have a plan for my garden. The large things are to the left and the smaller and spreading things are to the right. The middle is yet to be determined. Right now it is a great spot for weeds... some of them bigger than my seedlings!! Another big part of the garden plan is to build a fence ASAP... hopefully before the neighborhood dogs and the large raccoon we saw last week come through!!

Above: Behold my tomato plants!!! I'm also buying seedlings, I just don't trust myself!!! You will notice they are close together. I've done a lot of reading about spacing. I am trying 6 to 8 inches between plants rather than the 18 to 24 inches recommended. I hope it works to discourage weeds to give me more room to plant!

Above: Won't I just freak out if I actually grow cantaloupe and honeydew melons??? I gave these sprawlers 12 inches between plants. They can intermingle, I'm OK with that.

I still have to plant my cukes, zucchini, pumpkins and eggplant seeds. I'm waiting until I get my seedlings from the CSA so that I'll know where to put things. I need herbs and tomatoes seedlings. I'm not sure what else I'll get. If the seeds work well I won't have to get much more. I may hedge my bets with a pumpkin plant or two (since the seeds came from our Halloween pumpkins).

I am very excited about my little garden, however those that talked to me on the phone yesterday know, I was a tiny bit whiny about the whole thing!! Wow, what a lot of work! But it's going to be worth it come harvest time, I hope!!!

Gardening weekly

A three part post:

Part 1: Child powered tilling:
How do you pre-till your garden??? A friend of mine had a great idea! She buried pretty stones and dinosaur fossil kits in her garden. Then she invited 20 kindergartners (or should I say Kindergardeners...LOL!!!) to join in an archaeological dig. Most of the kids (including my girls) took off their shoes and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

You should have seen the reactions to this little party crasher!

How proud the kids were to find the kits! The kits kept the girls busy for two days trying to dig the bones out of the plaster. Oh, look closely, you can see the friendship bracelet that was finished the day before!

Part 2: What not to do

1. Don't plant your seeds just before a downpour. Of course it may not have been a problem if the soil was even. My seeds all floated to one side and settled in the little mud puddles... lucky me!!

2. Don't start corn in pots. It doesn't like it, and I've been told it doesn't transplant well. Luckily I have more seeds I'll start next week!!

Only two learning experiences. (OK... 4 if you count the potato and onion experiment... buy seed potatoes and onion sets... don't use your veggie bowl) but it is still early in the season!! Speaking of early in the season... I'm so thankful I waited to plant my seedlings. There are frost warnings up for Maine tonight!!! I'm going to get out the sheets (since I didn't buy row cover) for the stuff that's out there.


Part 3: My first harvest!
It grew in my yard, I picked it, therefore it's my first harvest!!!! It's an acquired taste but I just love early spring dandelion greens sauteed in butter and garlic. Sprinkle a little vinegar just after cooking....YUM!!!!!

Gardening Weekly

Mother's day Gifts:
Lots of lovely flowering plants to decorate my garden and a great poem:

I also recieved 3 unidentified plants from girl scouts, beautiful hand made cards, and a nice dinner. We spent Saturday with my mom taking family pictures. All in All It was a very Happy Mother's Day!!!

GARDENING WEEKLY

Tilled and the planting process has begun:

Before I update you look what bloomed!!!!


I love my flox! It's so pretty and has really spread since last year!


Here's my garden:
Not beautiful yet but I've planted the potatoes, strawberries, lettuces, and spinach.

There's your quick update! It was a busy weekend and a busy day today!!

Gardening Weekly

Ya win some Ya lose some: How's my garden growing???

The experiments are iffy at best. The potatoes need to go in the ground NOW if they have any chance of survival. The onion is sad and probably going to end up in the compost pile. I'm going to paris farmers union to buy sets and seed potatoes for cheap... lesson learned ;)

My seedlings are growing like weeds!!! I think they like this summer like weather as much as I do. They've been outside everyday and loving it. My only worries are about the peppers, no sprouts yet but, I'm trying to be patient ;).

Did you notice how "real" the above picture is?? I've read a lot of blogs lately about taking the sugar out of your posts and "keeping it real". How's a big brown circle where the pool used to be, a hose left out, and bare spots in the grass?? Real enough? Yes, it's my life baby and I love it!

~~

Look at that corn!!! I'm wondering if I started it too soon?? Will I have cornstalks growing in my house next week?? I've reassured my hubby I'll be growing more than these 6 stalks... the way they take off it should be no problem when I direct sow them on Memorial Day.

My garden is loamed and fertilized. It's waiting for a little rototiller action.... my Darling will be doing that this weekend... he promised!! So far we are way ahead of the game compared to last year. I hope we continue with this wonderful weather!!! 92 degrees in April??? Go Figure??

Garden weekly...

Finally planting my seeds!!!!

I didn't want to have the "No followers" topic up all week while I was enjoying TV turn off week with the kids. I figured I had a few minutes so I'd give you a quick garden update.

We have done a ton of yard work this week. The garden just needs loam and manure then we are ready to plant. I'm hoping that happens within the week! Yesterday, The girls and I finally started seedlings. We started three kinds of tomatoes, the melons, scallions, Corn, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers. I know it's late, but better than nothing. I don't have grow lights so they are sitting on a table in my breezeway by the sliding glass door. I put them outside when it was warm and sunny and taken them in at night. I hope this works!! I'm also hoping I'm right in directly sowing the seeds of the other things. Here are pictures of the progress:

The feel of dirt on my fingers, the teamwork, the feeling of accomplishment, the promise of new life in the garden, the mystery of what will come. Gardening is full of what my life needs right now. Thank you god for the warm weather and the capability of growing my own food with my children!! I am truly blessed!!

Tuesdays in the garden

Yes, this week I changed the name, Yesterday just wasn't a blogging day! We had a wonderful Easter weekend with family and friends in my home town. It was so much fun that I was exhausted and needed to spend yesterday cleaning and doing laundry.

I wish I could tell you more on the garden front.
The potato plants are doing really well in my kitchen window.
The onion plant looks 1/2 dead... my dear ol hubby kinda over watered it.

Last week was one of those weeks of good intentions. I put up the table, washed and brought out the seed starting trays... then realized I had no potting soil! I can't tell you how many trips to the store I made and came home to realize I still had not bought the soil! OOPSIE! Next week I promise to have done more! We are hoping to use the rototiller soon. I need to get these plants in!!!

On a side note, my daffodils are starting to open already. They are much earlier than they were last year! This week seems like it's going to be warm and spring like. I'm loving it!

Monday garden update

The Big Dig:
No, I'm not discussing my thoughts on the huge mess down in Boston! That would be a blog all on it's own!!!

This weekend's 60 degree weather, no rain, and very few commitments added up to a lot of progress in the garden!

We dug the expansion... the new garden now takes up almost all of one side of the house. Plenty of room for all the goodies we've planned. The girls again spent a full day picking rocks for a penny each. We probably won't have time to rent a rototiller until after Easter but that's fine. We are still way ahead of the game (for us anyway).

I took a few temp readings and the ground was 50 degrees. I'm going to take a few more readings during the week then I may start planting my cold hardy seeds... with row cover at night of course!!

We also raked the yard (the parts without snowbanks), burned some brush, cleaned out and edged the flower beds. I may be going to the gym now but I'm still so out of shape! All that yard work (and bike rides, soccer games, and other outdoor kid adventures) made me feel muscles I haven't felt in a while! Thank goodness for ibuprofen!!!

I know I promised an update on the experiments. I wanted to add pictures but I just haven't gotten around to it yet so that will have to wait until next week. Another sneak peek for next week... I've decided to start my seedlings inside!! Til then, stay dry in all the expected rain, enjoy all life brings, and plant something!!!

Gardening Weekly

The Big Seed Purchase:

I'm afraid we've out done ourselves this year! We are doubling the size of the garden and bought a lot of seeds. The Johnny's catalog is filled with little yellow tabs and stars on what we "need". I'm not sure about starting things inside and I don't have a cold frame yet so most of the seeds I'm buying are good in cold weather and can be ground sown... so it says :)

I'm planning on buying my tomato plants... I know those are to be started inside and there is just not enough light for all the plants I want.

The plants that have been chosen are:
Corn: xtra tender
Sugar snap peas: sprint
Cukes: genuine
Lettuce: black seeded Simpson and concept (I'm putting these in flower boxes... who needs flowers??? I want to eat what I grow!!)
Alfalfa sprouts
scallions: White Spear
eggplant: Orient Express
sweet bell peppers: Ace
Jalapeno peppers:
zucchini and yellow squash
and tomatoes! Red Grape, Big Beef and Valley girl... as plants!

We are also going to start a strawberry patch and a grape arbor. I'm going with the smallest batch of strawberries (25!) and 2 grape plants. Other fruit choices are:
Cantaloupe: Sarah's choice
honey dew: honey orange

It doesn't look like a lot when it's written down here. I know I'm missing root veggies... they are cheap and I'm sure the CSA will have a bunch of them for me. I'm also missing herbs... don't worry I'll get a bunch, they are going in flower boxes out back this year. I do have my onion and potato experiment to plant, and the pumpkin seeds from last year. This is so much bigger than last year's tomatoes peppers, cukes, and herbs!!!

Can I tell you how nervous I am about this??? Seeds scare me! The work involved, the failure rate, and the sticker shock. I looked at the order and couldn't believe how quickly they added up. I'm still thinking I should have gone to Skillin's nursery and bought plants. Nice safe seedlings :) What do you think????

Gardening weekly

The vegetable bowl experiment:

**Disclaimer**: I have no idea what I am doing!!!
I'm just going with my gut and hoping for the best.

Last week I found this large onion growing in my veggie bowl. (Oh I see those looks! Are you going to tell me that's never happened to you???) It looked so healthy I couldn't throw it away. I should have looked on the Internet but I went with my instincts and tried to root it.

I was amazed that after sitting in the water for a day roots began to grow! This is after 4 days of being in the water. What do I do next??? I have no idea to be honest. I don't know what kind of onion it is (is Shaw's Yellow a good variety??) I'll give it a few more rooting days then I'll plant it in a bucket until it's a little warmer outside. If anyone has a better idea let me know!!

In the same sad veggie bowl were a couple of potatoes with eyes. They were pretty much beyond the point of safe consumption so I decided to stick those in water too. I feel like I've seen this before, but they were cut in half.... do you know why they were cut? These shoots have grown since being in the water. There are also little hairy roots growing.

This isn't the first the first thing that's gone bad that I've tried to rescue. With my frugality (and ah humm... laziness) I am beginning to understand how beef jerky, sundried tomatoes, and raisins were created. I'm learning that the middle process might be unsightly and seem gross (like leaving wilted parsley in my crisper drawer for a few months) but the end result is again surprisingly edible (voila, I now have dried parsley!)

I am enjoying this. Not sure if I'll get more potatoes and onions out of it but won't it be amazing if I do?! If not, It all goes into the compost pile... where someone else probably would have put it in the beginning.

I challenge you, what can you rescue from your garbage today???