Tending The Veggies . . .

What Is It?

2011-09-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Recently I showed a picture of this same type of stuff that I found in one of my vegetable garden boxes in my back yard. A couple of days ago I found this in the front yard. It is really weird, especially because it was sitting on top of the grass, unlike a toadstool. The next day there was one more. I don't have a clue as to what it is. It looks light and airy, unlike something that a cat or dog would vomit. Next time I will cut it open to see what its structure is like--maybe that will help!

2011-09-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Finally! I'm finally able to get back online! Thank you for your patience!
I was pulling weeds and deadheading plants the other morning and saw this sight!

I thought it looked like the snails were on a carnival ride or something! That didn't last long, as I helped them on their way to their happy hunting ground!

A Glitch . . .

2011-09-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

I won't be posting for a couple of days at least--I am having computer trouble. I will be back as soon a I can!

Fall Is On It's Way

2011-09-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you can see the slight change in the color of these peach tree leaves--it's not from a bright sky--but they are starting to change color in preparation for dormancy. The tree is pulling the nutrients out of the leaves so it can be stored in its roots for use next spring. If I was to prune this tree now, I would be short-changing the tree of some much-needed nutrition.

Leaves

2011-09-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

In the lower center of the picture there is a leaf of my Granny Smith apple tree that has an interesting color design. Nature is the greatest creative force! All things can be altered, nothing needs to remain the same, although there are generally certain patterns that help create order in our world. It would look strange for an apple tree to have pine needles or palm fronds in amongst the apple leaves!

Grape Hyacinth

2011-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to buy bulbs for early spring blooms. One bulb that thrives in my yard is grape hyacinth. I have grown them for many years, in full sun, and they keep coming back year after year. The first time I saw these flowers en-mass was back in the mid-west, about 25 years ago. My Dad and I went on a genealogy trip, where we would drive from one courthouse to the next, looking for our family names in the vital, land, and other records. We went to one cemetery in Illinois, which had been abandoned for a very long time. This cemetery was covered with trees that were about 20' or more high. Underneath the trees were the headstones of our ancestors. We started walking in under the trees, and once we were in the shade, we saw that grape hyacinths had completely covered the ground and were in full bloom. It was such a beautiful sight, I will never forget it. Long ago someone had planted a few bulbs to beautify a grave. Grape hyacinths are relatively cheap and multiply quickly. You will know spring is here when you see these flowers pop up!

Make It Happen . . .

2011-09-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

No, this is not my garden! In our newspaper there is a weekly article that I like to read, by Harvey Mackay. He writes about how to improve your business. Although I don't "work", I still like to see what I can learn and apply it to my life. Recently he asked a woman at a conference what she did for a living. She replied that it's what you do with your life that matters. Mr. Mackay then gave several little sayings to show that you have to do something to be able to get something--it doesn't magically appear just because you want it, "you have to make it happen." The one saying that fit this blog says: "Life is like a garden. Plant good seeds and tend them, and the bounty is plentiful." It's like what the Bible says, where you have to sow before you can harvest. My Dad always says you have to give, to get; meaning you have to give up something (like snoozing in a hammock) to get something else you want (like a bountiful garden). Time passes by whether we are busy or not, so we should get ourselves in gear and make something happen!

Praying Mantis

2011-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is a praying mantis eating a grasshopper. Today as I was pulling weeds in my yard, I saw three mantis', one large brown one and two medium sized green ones. I was pulling weeds around them, trying to get them to move over. After a couple of minutes I looked over to see if they had moved, and the big one was eating one of the green ones! I was really surprised as I had not expected it--I do know that they have a tendency to each other, though. Mantis' eat a lot of things, including humming birds on occasion! Praying mantis' can eat up to 16 crickets a day--so you can see they are really handy to have in the garden!

New Construction

2011-09-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

We are having a new walkway installed in our back yard. I'm glad to get the bermuda grass out and a nice cement path to use. My husband took out the cement curbing yesterday, as it was cracked in several places. My cat, Dottie, insisted on being in the picture, too.

Another Black Widow

2011-09-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I went out to clean our pool, and found a black widow spider living in the center of a plastic pool ring that our grandkids left in the pool. In the picture below, you can see her at the 1 o'clock area of the inside of the ring.
She was just floating along with the ring, seemingly happy with her new home. That didn't last long--I showed my husband and that was the end of that!

Fungi

2011-09-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what this is, except it's a fungi of some sort! It was really white, and about 1 1/2 inches across. The next day it was tan; and the day after that it was more brown. Have you ever seen such a thing? I haven't!

More Flowers

2011-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is another bulb that I planted a couple of years ago, that I don't remember the name! This is the first time it has bloomed, and it smells so good! It has a vanilla, plus something else, scent. It looks kind of forlorn, as it's doesn't like the afternoon sun. I will to move it once it dies back. I will be moving my Naked Lady bulbs to the same area, where they will get afternoon shade--I think they will thrive there. This bulb may not look pretty, but the scent is heavenly!

Siberian Iris

2011-08-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

My Siberian iris' finished blooming weeks ago, but I leave the flowers. The flowers turn into seed pods, which can be used in flower arrangements. Instead of making flower arrangements, I go out in the fall and break open the pods and spread the seeds around. These are a no-fuss flower, easy to grow, prolific bloomers (pretty purple flowers), and they love wet conditions. This spot in my back yard is kind of boggy, so I planted plants that like this type of ground. These iris' have thrived with neglect and not much fertilizer, for many years. Siberian iris are drought tolerant once they are established, and grow in zones 3-9.

More Pecan Trees

2011-08-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I was tidying up my lantana and spied something amiss! Weeds will often grow amongst plants that look similar, so they can grow without notice. I found that this pecan tree was actually four pecan trees! I was able to get three of the four out (one stem broke at ground level), so I will be watching for the last one when its leaves show up again. Those blue jays sure are busy planting pecans!

Fall Rose Care

2011-08-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Now is a good time to deadhead your roses. As you cut off the spent blooms, cut the stems back to help shape the plant. To have mores rose blossoms, cut the stems just above a 5-leaf leaflet (see picture below). A new stem programed to make a flower or flowers will grow from that leaflet.
The more vigiorous the plant, the more you can prune back; be careful with a small or weak plant as they will need the leaves for food. Once pruning is done, give your roses a good dose of fertilizer (coffee grounds?!), so they will have another flush of rose blooms for your Thanksgiving
table!

Coffee (Grounds) In The Morning

2011-08-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I stopped at Star Bucks and picked up some coffee grounds! They give it away, because they like to recycle. I actually didn't get very much (this is all they had), but I was happy to get it just the same. I think next time I am running errands, I will plot the Star Bucks stores on my route, and pick up coffee grounds along the way! The coffee grounds come in round "blocks" instead of loose, so they are easy to handle. They crumble easily, so spreading them in the garden is quick work. Years ago I read that earthworms and roses really love coffee grounds--so I figure everything else will, too! Free fertilizer--what more could you ask for!

Star Jasimine

2011-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

I had two Star Jasmine growing here several years ago. They were full and lush, just beautiful, and they covered the fence. Then, my husband needed to replace the fence, so he just hacked off the shrubs to about three feet high (I nearly cried). One shrub died, but the other has bushed back out. It keeps sending out runners, trying to find something to climb on. This runner lacked support and kept bumping into the board that goes across the fence. This runner has actually tied itself in a knot! I thought it was kind of funny!

Colors

2011-08-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Nature puts all kinds of colors together. People are the ones that get anxious about putting flower colors together--don't mix cool and warm colors; don't put pink next to orange; use red sparingly, it's a hot color; etc. Nature is just filling in empty spaces with weeds, flowers, shrubs, and trees. She uses the wind, animals (seeds stick to their coats and drop off somewhere else), people (sometimes we do like the animals, and sometimes we see a flower and take its seeds to plant in our garden); and most especially, nature uses birds to transport seeds. I read somewhere one time that "nature arbores a vacuum", which I figured meant open ground in gardening terms. If you love a riot of color, enjoy it in your garden! Plant what you love and nature will applaud you!

Flowers

2011-08-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

These are some pretty flowers that have come up from a bulb. I don't remember planting anything here (at my age I am forgetting a lot of things!), so it was a surprise to see them! I love these kinds of surprises!

8/27--I figured out what this flower is--a white zephyranthus, which blooms from August through October.

This Is What Happens . . .

2011-08-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

. . . when you don't do yard maintenance! These are two pecan trees that have really taken hold! I should have clipped them when they were just tiny, but now it will take some real work to get rid of them. They are persistent, but if I keep cutting them down each month, it will eventually kill them. This is on the north side of my house, a dead-end piece of ground, so I rarely go there. I really do need to get after these pecans!

Praying Mantis

2011-08-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

I found this praying mantis sitting on a leaf of a Jerusalem Artichoke. It is in a defensive stance, and it's not sure if I am a threat--it's ready to strike out if necessary. I like having mantis' in my yard, because they eat all kinds of pest bugs; and I go out of my way to keep from accidentally harming them.

"My Wife the Gardener"

2011-08-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh when I read this poem--my husband could have written it! Yes, I'm that bad! Do you see yourself in this poem, too?

My Wife the Gardener

~ Peter (poem found in old magazine)

She dug the plot on Monday –
the soil was rich and fine,
She forgot to thaw out dinner –
so we went out to dine...

She planted roses Tuesday –
she says they are a must,
They really are quite lovely
but she quite forgot to dust.

On Wednesday it was daisies –
they opened up with sun,
All whites and pinks and yellows –
but the laundry wasn’t done...

The poppies came on Thursday -
a bright and cherry red,
I guess she really was engrossed –
she never made the bed...

It was violets on Friday –
in colours she adores,
It never bothered her at all –
all crumbs upon the floors.

I hired a maid on Saturday –
my week is now complete,
My wife can garden all she wants –
the house will still be neat!

It’s nearly lunchtime Sunday –
and I cannot find the maid,
Oh no! I don’t believe it!
She’s out there WITH THE SPADE!

[Poem from:

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/gardening-jokes-gardening-quotes-garden-poems.html ]

Emily's Square Foot Garden Blog

2011-08-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is from the "My Square Foot Garden" blog written by Emily. I have been following her blog for about 2 years, and find it quite informative. Although I don't follow the whole square foot gardening plan, it does guide me in my gardening. She has a free newsletter, where you click on the sidebar on her blog, [this is what it looks like:]
and then select your "color", which represents your growing zone. Emily will send you a weekly email to let you know what to plant in your area. Emily has a lot of information about starting a garden, keeping a garden, problems in the garden, and how to grow the different kinds of vegetables. You should check it out!

Bell Peppers

2011-08-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Some of the veggies in my garden are showing signs that they are past their peak, but the bell peppers are still going strong!

Calla Lilies

2011-08-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

These are my calla lilies, which are growing on the north side of my house, in my back yard. They have finished blooming, but I thought the way the leaves were standing up like soldiers was interesting. Even though they are on the north side of the house, they still get a little too much sun in the afternoon, as you can see by the yellow edges on some of the leaves. Calla lilies are native to South Africa (where they are called "pig lilies"); and have a symbolic meaning that's associated with "magnificent beauty". Calla lilies come in several colors, each one beautiful!

(flowers picture from--bethsflowersonline.com)

Society Garlic

2011-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

I have some Society Garlic blooming in my back yard, and the flowers are really pretty. This garlic is not for eating, but it makes a nice perennial. I have seen it around some of the strip malls in my area, so you know it is a hardy plant!

Black Spot

2011-08-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have a miniature rose that is in a wet spot in my back yard. I guess it is a little too wet, because it now has a fungus that's called black spot.
None of my other roses show signs of black spot, so I think it is because this rose is getting too much water. And, yes, again, this is the first time I have seen this problem in my garden!

Drift Roses

2011-08-15T08:23:00.001-07:00

No, this is not my yard! I get a weekly gardening newsletter from P. Allen Smith, and the picture is his. This week he showcases Drift Roses. They seem to be useful in several situations--ground covers, and small gardens to name two; and they are low maintenance and trouble free. Here's a link to Allen's Drift Roses articles. If you go to the bottom of the page, there is a link to other pages that talk about the Drift Roses (related articles).

Squash Blossom

2011-08-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

There is a simple beauty in a squash blossom.

Tomatoes . . . and More Tomatoes!

2011-08-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

I guess you know what I will be doing today! Yes, I will have to process these tomatoes--I ignored them as long as I could! I am grateful that I have these tomatoes, and I will be grateful for the sauce I make when I prepare spaghetti and pizzas later on--it's so good!

Dragonflies

2011-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

I enjoy having dragonflies in my garden, I think they are really pretty. This dragonfly is more subdued than most that I have seen. Last year I had some that were neon orange, and bright turquoise. One of my cats especially likes dragon flies, and catches all that she can--I need to retrain her! Dragonflies like to eat mosquitos and other small insects, and don't bite or sting, so they are perfect for my garden!

Almonds Are Ready!

2011-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

My almond tree is loaded with almonds this year. The crows have returned (last year was their first year) to harvest the almonds on the tops of the branches. I tried to take their picture, but they were weary of me and kept flying away.
The mocking birds and blue jays also like to eat the almonds. My almonds are full of worms, so I don't mind sharing. I am going to be getting some chickens soon, and I will pen them in under my almond tree next spring, so they can eat all of the new crop of worms, which live just under the surface of the soil as they await their time to travel up to the nuts.

Sweet Smelling Lilies

2011-08-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

I have had these Stargazer lilies for several years. They get full afternoon sun, which is a little too much and they burn, but they keep on growing. They bloom twice a year and smells so good!!

Summerfelt Bean Trouble

2011-08-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Something has been eating my Summerfelt bean stems. I'm not sure what it is--maybe a cut worm (I didn't find it) or perhaps pill bugs (I'll look into that). I have lost three bean plants so far, but I have plenty that are still growing like crazy.

Navel Orange Tree

2011-08-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

I was looking a little closer at my Navel orange tree and realized that there are two oranges at the end of each branch. So, I will be removing one from each branch, and then the tree won't be overloaded this year. Besides that, the oranges will be bigger, and they taste oh-so-good!

Ready to Go!

2011-08-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I was able to get out into my garden most mornings, while my grand-kids slept in. I got all of my green beans chopped up and left in place; then, I covered them up with mulch--a green layer covered by a brown layer (composting in place). I did leave my regular cucumbers (took out my pickling cucumbers), and my dill. The dill is nearly ready for harvesting the seeds.

2011-08-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

These pictures are of an unnamed coleus that I bought at Lowe's a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was so pretty!
I need to get it potted up in a nice pot, and put it by the front entryway. Coleus are shade-loving plants, and are frost tender. They come in a multitude of colors, and many different leaf design patterns.

Controlled Chaos?

2011-08-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I used to think that I liked my flowerbeds to be controlled-chaos--is there really such a thing? I liked it when plants grew into each other, and still do to a certain point. I also treated the plants like I do my spoiled kitties--let them do what they wanted! That lead the plants to be more chaos than controlled, and I am paying the price. Most of my yard is in chaos, and I can't get control of it. With our summer heat, it is difficult to get out into the yard any length of time so I can get it back in shape, but I keep working at it. These pictures show one flower bed that I got control over last May and have kept it looking nice.
Sometimes I am oblivious to the obvious, and have had some really, "Well, Duh!" moments; it's just the way I am! I was visiting a special friend of mine, who has been working on her small yard for 10 years, and has gotten it to the point of gorgeousness. Every day she goes out and prunes back anything that is getting a little too energetic, so it looks beautiful and well groomed all the time. It is the most tranquil garden I have ever been in, and I am trying to imitate her methods--that's how this bed has stayed so nice! This flower bed has lantana (plus, a Gala apple tree), which grows vigorously. I used to prune the lantana back once and expect it to stay in place. My husband would complain when the lantana covered our pool decking nearly to the edge of the pool! I would finally get it pruned back, if he was lucky, and then it would get out of control, again. Now, I get it! I will do a post of her yard in a week or two, so you can see what I mean about it being so well groomed!

More Trouble . . .

2011-08-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

It looks like my cherry tomato has fusarium wilt, too. Plus, the closest cucumber plants to the first tomato plant with the wilt are also showing signs of wilt. I'm glad that our springs are usually warmer and dryer than it was this year, so we don't have to deal with this problem too often.

A Short Break . . .

2011-08-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

I may not be able to post for a few days, although I will try! Three of my grandchildren will be here for a week, and they are quite active! It will be fun, and tiring, but I will love every minute of it! I will be back the second Monday in August, for certain!

Growing Garlic

2011-07-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

Growing garlic is really easy! If you have some garlic that you bought at the market, and it is starting to grow, just stick it in the ground so that the very tip of the pointed end is sticking out of the soil. Then, make sure it gets watered regularly. Garlic generally doesn't have trouble with pests or diseases, but sometimes aphids will attack the leaves (just wash them off with a stream of water from the hose). Last month the leaves of my garlic started drying out. Once they were mostly dry, I pulled the garlic out of the ground and let it dry completely in my garage. In the picture above, the garlic on the left is how that garlic looked (after I cut off the leaves). The garlic on the right is after I trimmed off the roots, and pulled off the first, and dirty, layer of skin. Now it looks like the garlic you buy in the market!
This is how my garlic looks in my kitchen. It sits on the counter all the rest of the year. It is close at hand for cooking, and out of the way, too. This year my garlic was small--I believe the long cool spring we had stunted its growth. No problem! I can use two cloves of garlic instead of one when I cook--I have more than enough!

Citrus Trees

2011-07-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

A while back I was talking (whining, actually!) about how my citrus trees were so over-loaded at the last harvest, that they wouldn't produce for next year. Well, I was wrong, at least about two of my three trees. Above is a picture of my new crop of tangerines! They will be ready for picking in February.
Here are my navel oranges--they look like they are doing just fine! They will ripen around Christmas. I searched my Valencia orange tree, but didn't find any small green fruits, so I guess it is in the cycle of lots of fruit one year and nothing the next.

Fusarium Wilt

2011-07-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

You thought I forgot about my tomato problem, didn't you?!? I took closer pictures of my tomato plant, so you can see what the damage looks like.
This is on one side of the plant, right in the middle. It is western facing, and the afternoon sun was cooking the newly exposed green tomatoes, so I put up some sun cloth to protect the fruit--hopefully, I will be able to harvest good tomatoes before the plant completely dies.
After looking into this problem, I believe this is Fusarium Wilt (FW). It probably came in with the plant from the nursery, as I have never had this problem before. The best prevention of FW is to grow FW resistant varieties. Generally, commercially grown plants are free of viruses and wilts, but maybe not this time. I was really impressed with this tomato plant up until this time--it had a lot of fruit and healthy growth. Now, I need to be careful and not grow tomatoes here for 5-7 years, as the FW will live in the ground that long.

Too Many Tomaotes?

2011-07-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

I picked these Roma tomatoes yesterday. In the picture, the large colander is sitting on the path between two of my veggie boxes, which are 18" apart. The tomatoes weighed in at 30 pounds, minus the colander. Mmmmm . . . good sauce!

Beans Are Up!

2011-07-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

My Summerfelt beans are starting to emerge! Growing dry beans (as opposed to green/string beans) is the easiest! You just plant and water (and fertilize if you remember!), then wait for the beans to dry on the bush. Once they are dry, just pick the pods and pop the beans out. If you really want to make it easy, put the dry bean pods in an old pillow case and let the kids jump on it! Or, put the pillow case with beans by a door that gets a lot of traffic and let the people walk on it. Then, you can pour out the beans and blow off the chaff. My Dad and I like to sit and shell the beans while watching TV. Store the beans in a jar on the shelf, where they will remain good for many years.

Tomato Problems . . .

2011-07-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

My husband's tomato plant has a problem. The top and bottom of the plant looks fine, it's just the middle part that is dying out. I will have to look into the problem, and let you know what it is tomorrow. Any guesses??

Topping Semi-Dwarf Fruit Trees

2011-07-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

These are my semi-dwarf apricot trees. I recently topped these and my pear trees. If I didn't top them and head back some of the branches, they would just keep growing until the trees were 15' tall and many feet wide. I had an semi-dwarf apricot tree years ago and I didn't realize that they would grow so large. It got away from me and grew quite tall and wide. The tree ended up with a disease a couple of years later and had to be taken out. Now I know I have to keep my trees in check! It is hard to cut happily growing branches, but it pays off in the end. I will be able to harvest my fruit while standing on the ground, instead of trying to steady myself on a ladder; my trees will not take over the neighboring fruit trees (they are planted close together); and they won't be hanging over the fence to drop fruit in my neighbor's yard. I've always thought that what hung over the fence into your yard was yours--to prune it back, to enjoy the shade, or to harvest the fruit; but, I don't want to burden my neighbor just because I didn't keep my trees in line, so I keep them pruned. I do have a semi-dwarf almond tree that I have never pruned, and it is about 20' tall, but it has been there for over 30 years, and no one has complained.

Summerfelt Beans

2011-07-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I got my Summerfelt beans planted. I also covered the garden with plant trays to keep my three kitties out! Once the beans are up and growing, I will remove the trays.

These are some of my Summerfelt beans. They taste really good when made into "Navy" Bean Soup!

Citrus Tree Leaves

2011-07-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

If you have a citrus tree (orange, lemon, lime), you may see a lot of dead leaves underneath its canopy. A few weeks back we had several daytime temperatures of 107' or more. This is the response if my orange tree. When the heat is high, the tree can't always keep up with the moisture loss, so it drops some of its leaves.

Dill Pickles

2011-07-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Pickling cucumbers are different than regular eating cucumbers. The picklers (top cuk in the picture) have "spines", kind of like cactus. The spines are black or white, and are scrubbed off with a vegetable brush. If they don't all come off, that's OK, the pickling brine will dissolve them. The pickling cucumber will stand up to the brining process, but the eating cucumbers (bottom cuk in the picture) may just go to mush (I've not tried it). Pickling cucumbers can be eaten fresh, just make sure the spines are gone!
I find that I need to plant dill two weeks before I plant the pickling cucumbers, so the dill will have the flower heads that are used in the pickles. The picture below is of one head of dill. Each little flower will ripen to make a seed, if left to mature in the garden.
Dill Pickle Recipe:

To each scalded quart jar add:

1/8 teaspoon alum
1 clove of garlic
2 heads of dill
1 hot pepper, optional
sliced pickling cucumbers

For the brine:

1 quart cider vinegar
1 cup pickling or non-iodized salt
(not table salt, it will turn the
brine cloudy)
3 quarts of water

Heat brine to boiling; pour over the
cucumber mix above; seal with
scalded lids, and tighten rings.

Allow 6 weeks for pickling, then eat!!
Here's what they look like. I'm the only one in my home that eats them, so I canned them in pints. They are so good!

My Apologies . . .

2011-07-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been over two months since I last posted! Life got busy, I forgot to post, and then I was out of the habit of posting--I will do better this time. My veggies are growing like weeds, and the harvest is going on like crazy. I have had a lot of tomatoes (made into chunks, and sauce, and then canned), a big mess of green beans (also canned), and lots of chard. The chard had volunteered the last few generations, growing willie-nillie, and I finally cleared it out. Now I have a box that I will plant my Summerfelt beans in. I found the Summerfelts several years ago in the Seed Saver's catalog; they are a dry bean, great for soups, and a little sweeter than Navy beans. My grandmother's maiden name was Summerfelt, so when I found the beans, I just had to have some! They originated from a man with the last name of Summerfelt, in Germany, in 1810--he could be an ancestor of mine!
This is a picture of my husband's tomato plant (I sure wish I could remember the name of it!)---it's about 6' tall. It has produced a lot of tomatoes, more than I expected, and has kept growing and producing (it's indeterminate, which means it keeps growing until a killing frost). The tomatoes are kind of mealy and don't have a lot of juice, so they are making some good sauce! My Roma tomatoes are producing well (they are determinate, they stop growing at about 3').

These are my green beans, with cucumbers on the trellis behind them. I have made dill pickles this year--it's been years since I made them. I love dill pickles, and they are so easy to make! I will have to post my recipe, so you can see how easy they are.

Baby Praying Mantis

2011-05-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

While I was working in one of my veggie boxes, I saw a tiny praying mantis scamper away! And, then another! They are so cute, and so tiny! This picture shows just how tiny they are--about 1/4" in length. Because I garden organically (no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc.), I have an abundance of good bugs. The praying mantises keep laying more egg cases each year during the fall. These little critters will have plenty to eat as they grow up, keeping my garden in balance naturally.

2011-05-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

I finally got my netting up for my cucumbers to climb on. There is a plastic pole across the top of the netting, which will hold the netting tight while the weight of the climbing cucumbers increases.

My pickling cucumbers have sprouted and are doing well. We had a thunderstorm blow through here yesterday, but there was no damage in my yard--except that my arbor was blown into the deep end of our pool! If there had been anything growing on it, the arbor might have stayed put, but that was not the case. My tomatoes are either caged or tied to stakes, so they made it through the high wind; and all of my fruit trees are OK. A couple of days ago I topped my apricot and plum trees, so I think that helped.

I will be gone for the next two weeks. We are driving up to northern Idaho to visit family, and I won't be blogging during that time. I hope you have a beautiful May! Happy growing!

Shade In The Garden

2011-05-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I was working in the garden this morning, and after a little bit, I was sweating. I was nearly finished, but was getting too warm. Then, I remembered that I bought an umbrella with a stand at Rite Aid a while back. I figured that I bought it, so I need to use it. I got it out and found that you have to screw the base into the ground--it wasn't too hard--and then you just slip the umbrella post into the stand--easy! The shade felt good and I was able to finish my work without getting too overheated! With our temperatures getting up to 90' this week, shade is a great way to go when gardening!

Tomatoes

2011-05-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here's how my tomatoes look! My husband picked out the big one--he wanted big, hamburger-sized tomatoes, and it is one big bush! The tomatoes next to it, and behind it, are Roma tomatoes. I don't recall the name of the big tomato, just that it did have the word "big" in the name--it is at 3' now; the Roma's are at 2'. I have a cherry tomato that is growing right along--I can't wait!

Chives

2011-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

My chives are blooming! I think the purple flowers with the blue-green leaves of the chives is really pretty. I planted these a year ago last early-spring. They die down in the winter, but come back without a problem. Once it finishes blooming, you need to cut the flowers off, unless you want more seeds. It will very easily self-sow if you don't watch out! I love cooking with fresh chives.

Garden Soil

2011-05-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you one garden product that I really like. I found it at Lowe's (load it yourself) and Orchard (they load it for you), and the price difference is just 7 or 8 cents, if I remember right. I have use it for a couple of years, and today I was especially impressed with it. This "garden soil" is more like a mulch or compost. I have an old wooden garden cart (no rubber on the wheels) that is just sitting in my back yard. I usually have one of these bags of compost sitting on the cart, with one flat side open. I use this all around the garden, especially when I am planting my veggies (great around fruit trees, too). One of these bags has been open for a couple of weeks, and the sprinklers have watered it a bit. I lifted the flap of plastic that covered the opening, and there was a mushroom! This is good stuff as it has mycorrhizae, which the mushroom indicated it does. Mycorrhizae is a fungus that promotes all plant growth. It connects plants and trees, and helps each one share what the other needs in the way of nutrition--it is a symbiotic relationship, where it mutually benefits both plants/trees.

I used up the one bag of compost and opened another. I found a nice, big earthworm! That really surprised me! This is another indication that this is some good garden soil! I don't have any ties with this company, it's just that I really like this product.

Mosquito Fish

2011-05-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

These are mosquito fish, so named because they really go after the mosquito larvae! I was looking at my pond and wondered what all of the little, tiny "sticks" were in my pond. They looked like part of my compost, but I don't have compost around the pond at this time. I went to pick up a couple of the "sticks" to see what they were, and they wiggled away. Suddenly, it dawned on me that they were mosquito larvae, and there were a lot of them! My husband called the city(mosquito abatement), who very willingly will supply us with these fish. It is part of the city's plan to keep the mosquito population down. It seems that this year, at least in my neighborhood, we have very big mosquitoes, something we haven't seen before. They aren't from my pond, as this started before I got it, but I don't want to contribute to the population.
This was a cute picture of mosquito fish eating mosquito larvae--don't the larvae look like sticks? It's said that one adult fish can eat 100 larvae each day! If you run out of larvae, then you can feed the fish regular tropical fish food, just don't use too much or you will create a problem of too much organic matter in your pond. I am suppose to get my fish today--I don't even have to be home!--and there will be just enough fish for my size pond. Mosquito larvae problem gone!

Bed of Summer Vegetables

2011-05-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here's the garden bed that I started working on a few days ago (it has the cucumber seeds). Today I put the soaker hose in position, keeping it in line with the sticks; and then I planted other seeds. I continued along the back with my pickling cucumber seeds, along the left end of the box is dill, and the rest of the bed is in Blue Lake green beans. There are three 8' rows of green beans, a lot of beans for fresh eating, but these are mainly for canning. I will be thinking they are a lot of beans when it comes time to pick them!

Here's the bed all set to grow! I did see that one of my regular cucumber seeds has sprouted, so they are on their way! I watered the newly planted seeds in, but the ground was really dry to start with, so I have the soaker hose going--I want the soil to be perfect for sprouting all of the seeds.

Pond Addition

2011-05-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

My husband is an avid (or is it rabid?) duck hunter. He joked that ducks would land in my little pond; and then he brought home one of his decoys! He surprised me when I looked out my kitchen window and I saw the duck! He says it's a male Green Wing Teal. I am waiting for some frogs and toads to show up--that's my kind of "yard art"!

Hoplia Beetles

2011-04-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

I got to thinking about the post I had on the hoplia beetles a few days ago--I forgot to show what they looked like, not just the damage they did. So, here is a picture of one. They are kind of funny when you knock them out of the flowers--they just lay where they fall and play dead! They give me plenty of time to step on them. The less of them means less eggs laid, which means less beetles next year. Or, at least, that's what I think! They are here just a few weeks, and damage the first flush of light-colored roses, iris', and a few other flowers. Then, they lay their eggs in the ground around the plants, so their offspring will have something to eat when they hatch next year.

Cucumbers and Dill

2011-04-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

I finally got a start to planting my summer seeds. I put in three 2 x 2 posts that will hold up some netting for my cucumbers to climb on. I planted half of a row in regular eating cucumbers, and will plant the other half in pickling cucumbers (I just bought the seeds). I will also plant some dill; and I look forward to making my own dill pickles, again. They were the first thing I learned to can after I made jams. Dill pickles are so easy, no cooking and no water bath! There's not much canning that's easier than that! I will plant the rest of the bed in green beans, again for canning.

Grow It, Cook It

2011-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a terrific new magazine from Birds and Blooms (part of the Taste of Home family of magazines), that I found at the market. It tells how to grow several different vegetables, and then there are a variety of recipes for cooking these vegetables. I am anxious to try the recipes as several of them sound really good. I hope you can find a copy!

Dog/Cat-Proof Your Garden

2011-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a neat trick to keep pets from digging in our gardens! [I had a link here, but it seems that Yahoo was messing with the address, so I will just tell you what it said (I can no longer find the source, either)]. You just lay hog wire across your garden soil. You can use U-shaped wire as pegs to hold the wire down. Some dogs are determined to dig, but if the hog wire is pegged, then it will really slow the dogs down! Cats, on the other hand, would just go somewhere else to do their business if they found the hog wire covering the the soil. (This was from a P. Allen Smith newsletter).

My Pond

2011-04-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last month my husband and I bought a small pond, and he installed it. I have a miniature cattail (in the upper part of the pond) and a pink lily (there are two small leaves that are floating on the surface). It has a bubbler that that keeps the water moving, and filters it, too. You can see that there are some large rocks in the pond, and a few outside the pond--this is an ongoing project and I will likely move everything around (except the pond). This area is at the entry of my house and I want to create a cool, welcoming garden. Soon, I hope it will be more shaded, and then it will create a nice place for frogs and toads (and people, too!). We used to have hundreds of toads in the summer, but they died out several years ago (the neighbors all around us started using companies that sprayed their yards for bugs every month). We still have one or two toads, and needed a pond for them to reproduce (that's the reason I got this pond!). Toads are great bug-eaters!

My Peach Tree

2011-04-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

I went to thin the peaches off of this tree (a genetically miniaturized peach tree) and realized that it has grown too tall and wide. Last winter I cut off about 1/3 of the larger branches, but it is still too big. I did cut off one more large branch (it would have snapped under the weight of the peaches) and a few small ones. As I was pruning, I wanted to cut off more, but if I cut off to much, then the tree would go into shock--it would focus on making leaves instead of producing fruit. This is what happens to landscape trees you see all over town that have been butchered--the tree starts sending out shoots all along the trunk, to make leaves for food. These shoots would make branches, but they are superficial and not really anchored to the trunk, making them more likely to snap off later. Anyway, looking closer, the peach tree has a lot of die-back, where many of the smaller branch-tips have died. This indicates to me that the tree is not happy (healthy). It is about 20 years old, so it's lifespan has been reached. I did thin the peaches, I will harvest the peaches when they are ripe, and then prune the tree to a nicer-looking shape. Next winter I will take the tree out; and then replant the space with a new peach next spring.

One year, when we moved to a house on two acres, there was an orchard of mature mixed fruit trees. We were told that the previous few years the trees had been neglected (=not watered or pruned), so I set about watering, pruning and fertilizing. There were two sour cherry trees that produced wonderful jam- and pie-cherries. The second year one of the cherry trees produced 72 pounds of fruit, a huge amount for one tree, and then the tree died (it had been neglected too long and couldn't recover). It had put forth it's last effort. I think this is what my little peach tree is doing, as the number of peaches I had to thin was incredible. The almond-sized peaches were clustered like grapes, something I had not seen before. So, all indications are that the tree has nearly finished what it was put there to do. Life goes on.

Hoplia Beetles Have Arrived

2011-04-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is how my roses are starting to look. The hoplia beetles are busy chewing holes in my flowers. The beetles aren't here long, but they ruin my first flush of roses, and some of my iris flowers.
This is a closer look at the same flower--you might need to click on the picture to make it bigger, so you can see the beetles better. These beetles are easy to knock off into some soapy water, just be careful as they just as easily fall to the ground!

Flowers of Spring---Part 3

2011-04-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

My blue iris' are in full bloom. There are so many flowers blooming now that have terrific scents (including my iris')--I really don't know which is my favorite!

I do have one fruit tree that has skipped blooming this year--my Valencia orange tree. I thinned this year's heavy crop, but obviously not nearly enough. No flowers this spring means no oranges next spring. I will have to be more vigilant next year!

Flowers of Spring---Part 2

2011-04-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

The pink bud that I posted a couple of days ago turned into this group of lilies. The scent just floats on the air!

Flowers of Spring---Part 1

2011-04-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

My Peony is blooming! The flowers are large, white, and have a little red candy-striping (it's hard to tell with this flower). It always amazes me that ants help the buds to open! The scent is amazing, too!

Flower Bud

2011-04-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what this flower will look like once it opens? Or, what color it will be? It is a real beauty, and it's scent is amazing! I will post a picture when it opens fully.

Hoplia Beetles

2011-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I found a hoplia beetle in my garage. Usually, they go after are the rose and iris blooms. My roses are just small buds, but my yellow and white iris are opening up. My blue iris blossoms are about to open. I haven't seen any beetles on the iris flowers---maybe they are waiting for the roses! When the hoplia beetles arrive, I will post some pictures.

Flower Bouquet

2011-04-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

I thought this was pretty---it's a volunteer, and I love it!

Orange Blossoms

2011-04-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

They may be a little later than usual, but that's OK---my navel orange tree is starting to bloom! My tangerine and Valencia orange trees are still holding back. Normally, all of my citrus is blooming by April 1st. As long as they are healthy and producing, I guess I can wait a couple of extra weeks to pick fruit!

Last week I went on a 6-hour clean-up spree in my back yard. I ended up under my navel orange tree and saw that there was a great need to remove several large branches, which I did. I didn't know if it would set the tree back or not, I guess time will tell. There were a couple of water sprouts, branches that shoot straight up and don't produce fruit, that were about 2 1/2-3 inches thick, that I removed; plus, another two branches that were too low or pushing against our fence. I needed to do this before the sun gets too hot this summer, so the tree can produce enough leaves to cover the more exposed parts of the tree. Citrus trunks and interior areas can get sun-scald, like a bad sun-burn, which can kill the tree.

Oranges

2011-04-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

My Valencia Orange tree is really loaded with fruit this year, and ripens in May. I have thinned them somewhat, but not nearly enough, and now it is too late. Citrus tend to produce a large crop one year and then nothing the next. If I can thin the oranges early enough, then I can have a decent crop each year. Usually, my citrus is blooming around the first of April, but this year they still aren't blooming; although, they are getting ready to!

Snow in Clovis?

2011-04-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

No, spring is here! I just emptied our paper shredder in my garden box, and it looked a little bit like snow! Paper, shredded or otherwise, is considered brown matter, and is better if layered with green matter (such as freshly cut grass). When you start with bare ground, layer brown matter first. Green matter will take up nitrogen (to help break down the green matter) from the soil and deprive the plants of this much needed nutrient.

I still haven't gotten the coffee grounds, but I will soon. The coffee grounds are considered brown matter, too. It's all good, and the plants love it! The layers break down slowly and the plants are able to use the nutrients naturally. The thick mulch keeps the weeds from sprouting, so that means less work for me!

Apples!

2011-04-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

My little Granny Smith apple tree has two clusters of blooms right now. This is the second season for this tree, and I will leave one or two apples to ripen. My two Gala apple trees won't have fruit this year as one is a new tree, and the other was just moved to a better growing location. Gala's are my favorite apple (Granny Smith is great for baking!) and I can't wait for them to fruit next year!

An Invasive Weed

2011-04-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

This weed showed up about five years ago--likely a bird dropped the seed. It is relentless and vigorous! I haven't identified it yet--it is a vining plant and has strong roots. I find that digging it out by hand helps to slow it down. If you recognize it, please let me know what it is!

Time To Thin Apricots

2011-04-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's time to thin my apricots. You can see the size of the apricots compared to the cloths-pin. Dave Wilson Nursery has a great video that shows how to thin plums and apricots. The Dave Wilson Nursery is widely known for healthy, vigorous fruit trees, and are sold in many nursery centers in our area (not so much at the big box stores). Fruit trees are bought and planted in January and February (and sometimes March) here in the valley. Nearly all of my fruit trees are Dave Wilson trees.

Tomato Flowers

2011-04-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

If you look closely you can see some tomato flowers! They set fruit when the nighttime temperatures reach 50. This is my Sweet 100 cherry tomato, and is an indeterminate tomato, meaning that it will continue to grow all season, until a frost kills it or I pull it out. Determinate tomatoes, like my Romas, will only grow to about 3-4' high, so I have a stake that I will tie them to (when they get big enough), so they won't lay on the ground. I don't remove suckers or leaves, only tomato worms! Leaves are needed to feed the plant so that it can produce a nice, big crop. I fertilized my tomatoes about 3 weeks after I planted them, which happened to be just before our last big rain. I can't wait for the tomatoes to get ripe--I can eat a couple of pounds, or more, a day!

Weeds

2011-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I used to make up games to help me clean my messy room. When I had children of my own, I taught my kids the same games and hoped that it would help them to have a clean room. Now my kids have kids, and I have a messy yard! One "game" I use to clean up the weeds is to concentrate on one type of weed and eradicate it, while ignoring the rest of the weeds, knowing that their turn will arrive soon. Which weed do I target? The one that is going to seed! I don't need to have them self-sow their seeds and make more work for me! Here you see the common dandelion in all of its glory--it's out of here today!!

This is a grass that has green seed-heads, so it will be next on my weed eradication list. This grass has seeded itself in several spots around my back yard. It is a tough grass to pull as the roots really hang on, but I'll get it out!
---------------------------------------
I took care of these weeds! The grass above is actually hay. I use baled straw in my garden and it has some seeds, which have spouted in my yard. I ignored my yard for the last year and the hay has matured. I got to thinking about mulching, so I took scissors and cut the hay off, and laid it in my veggie boxes. Next, I hope to pick up some coffee grounds at Star Bucks, where I understand they bag up their grounds and give the stuff away for free.

Water Meter

2011-04-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

I like to use this water meter to find out if my plants are in need of water. Sometimes the soil surface seems to be dry, but just underneath the soil is pretty wet. I got my water meter for Christmas one year and have used it countless times since. They are very reasonably priced, and can be found at hardware stores that have a gardening section.

2011-03-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Some shrubs have bright fall color--this Smoke Tree Bush has spring "fall" color! It was quite orange in real life, and the leaves will turn burgundy soon. When it blooms, it has large, fuzzy "flowers" that makes the bush look like it is covered with smoke.

Spring Flowers

2011-03-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share these pretty flowers, especially with those that live in areas of the world that still have a ways to go before spring blooms in their gardens.
I planted these tulips probably 10 years ago and have ignored them since. Because I don't think about them, I forget they are there, and I'm surprised when they show up each spring!

My Asparagus Bed

2011-03-29T17:35:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my asparagus bed. The bed is located on the south side of my house, and is 2' wide and 10' long. A few days ago I cleaned up my asparagus bed, put down a nice thick layer of chicken manure over the crowns, a thick layer of compost on both sides of the manure, and then new straw on the pathway. This is going to be nearly weed-free all summer! Now, I just wait until the little spears poke through and I will have some good eating! (There is a little asparagus frond at the front of my box; I think it overwintered, protected by the larger, dead fronds that I cleaned out).

Unhappy Flowers

2011-03-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful couple of weeks of spring weather before our recent week of rain and hail. Spring fever was in the air, so I bought some flowers to put in the yard. They look a bit bedraggled now because of several days of dark clouds, rain and hail. I hope to get them planted by the end of this week, and then maybe they will be happy! A week of sun, and 70', has been predicted!

Kitty Barriers

2011-03-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

I use a variety of things to keep my cats out of my veggie gardens---usually what I have laying around. This first box has chicken wire, that is mostly flattened. I read about this in Organic Gardening Magazine probably 20 years ago, where a woman was trying to keep her neighbor's cat from digging in her flower beds. All she had to do was lay down chicken wire and put a little loose mulch over the top. It couldn't be seen, but when the cat went to dig, it decided to go elsewhere.
I also keep the plastic trays you get when you buy a flat of flowers. These trays are good for shading newly planted plants, too. I have used bamboo sticks around the tomato cage to try to discourage the cats from going inside and digging. So far it seems to be working!

What are some of the barriers you have used to keep cats and dogs out of the garden?

Clovis Botanical Garden Seminar

2011-03-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Clovis Botanical Garden is presenting a seminar called, "Spring Into Your Garden", this Saturday, March 26. It will cover several topics, and there will be a BBQ lunch---the cost is $5.00 for the workshops, and $10.00 for the lunch. For more information, click here.

Back Again!

2011-03-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am sorry that I have been away from my blog for so long. A year-ago last January my Mother died; and with that, my passion for gardening died. I guess it was part of the grieving process, and finally lifted a few weeks ago---I am back into gardening! My yard is a mess, although during a recent warm streak I was out working frantically trying to catch up. Mostly, my problem is with bermuda grass, which has gotten into most everything, except for my veggie garden. The rain has arrived, just like it does every March, but this year there is more of it. Over last weekend we received 2.75"! The first day of Spring our area broke a record for the one-day rainfall---1.47". We have had another .6" of rain, plus a big storm is predicted for next weekend. All of this rain is coming at a time when our fruit trees are blooming, so it will be an interesting harvest this year.

Last fall I planted a bunch of seeds, trying to get myself out of my gardening funk (it didn't work at the time). I put some pea netting over the garden to keep my three cats from digging my seeds up---I thought I was so clever!

A couple of days ago I went out to look at my garden box, and found my cat, Millie, laying UNDER the netting, but at least she hasn't been digging there!

I bought and planted my tomatoes the first week in March. It has been a little cool, but they seem to be doing fine. I will post some pictures of them next time---I have creative cat "fencing" around them, too!

Enthusiastic Tomatoes!

2010-08-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

As you can see, my tomatoes are getting out of hand! They love the heat that we have now, instead of July's 100'+ temperatures. Mid-week this week we are suppose to get back into the 104' range for a couple of days, but I don't think it will hamper the tomatoes. As long as they have enough water they should do fine. I think the cooler nighttime temperatures (65') help, too.

Basil

2010-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

My basil has started to flower. That means the plant is focused more on producing seeds instead of producing flavorful leaves. The leaves will become somewhat bitter; and that goes for all herbs.

It is very easy to keep herb plants producing great-tasting leaves--pinch out the flower buds when they begin to form. It is easy. You don't need scissors or pruners, just pinch the seed stem with your thumb and finger. The plants will start producing side branches and make more leaves. Be watchful, though, as the plant is determined (that's it's purpose) to make seeds! I ignored my basil for one week (or was it two?) and you can see what happened in the top picture!

Squash

2010-08-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my two young squash plants--it is producing very well. The other squash plant is just getting production going, which is fine with me, because I don't use a lot of squash at a time. I harvest the squash when they are small--yes, I brought in these beauties!

Since about the first of August, my garden has just exploded! The tomato plants that were just going along suddenly are over the top of their cages and reaching through the wires. Picking is still going strong, but there aren't too many tomatoes left. If I let my tomato plants continue, then I could get another crop of tomatoes before our first frost (usually around Halloween). The flowers drop off when the temperatures get over 95', which is typical June/July weather here, so in the fall we have a couple of months where there are no tomatoes to harvest.

Enough?

2010-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

I picked a nice batch of tomatoes this morning, about half are Romas and half are Juane Flamme (the golden ones). How do you know how many tomato plants you should plant in the spring? When, at the end of the season, you can say you have just enough! When you have enjoyed enough fresh tomatoes with your daily meals; and when you have enough for salsa, sauces, and stewed, as fresh, frozen and/or canned. Then the trick is to remember how many plants were just enough, the next year. I have a friend that bought a six-pack of tomato plants this spring and saw that there were several seeds that had sprouted in each cell. He separated the seedlings and they all are thriving--all 36 of them! He takes buckets of tomatoes wherever he goes and gives them away! I think he enjoys it, otherwise he would give the extra tomato plants away, instead of the extra tomatoes! His wife says he does this every year. I don't want to take the extra time to care for that many plants (I really don't have enough room for that many, either), or to pick tomatoes from that many plants. Everyone is different, and it is easy to figure out how many tomato plants are just "enough!"

Almonds Are For The Birds!

2010-08-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Can you see it? In my almond tree is a crow! It's just to the right of center--you might need to click on the picture to really see him. This is the first year that I have had crows after my almonds (which are nearly ready to harvest). Several crows get in the top of the tree at a time and make quite a racket as they eat the almonds. I'm not able to harvest the almonds that high, so it is easy to share with the birds. Usually, it's the blue jays that take the nuts. The blue jays generally store the nuts anywhere they think they can--in the ground (where they grow the next spring), under shingles, under rocks, and where ever they think it's safe. Sprouted almonds are easy to pull out, unlike the pecans the jays plant! Pecans have a terrific tap root that, even new sprouts with only two leaves, can't be pulled out.

Seeds

2010-08-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was pulling weeds out of a very weedy flower garden, when I looked up and saw this mass of seeds right in front of me. I realized they were seeds of carrots that I let go to seed last year! So, I harvested the seeds and will plant a bunch in my vegetable garden tomorrow. In preparation for planting, I need to get a couple of bales of compost for two of my garden boxes. I have the soaker hoses and just need to lay them out in the boxes. Then I will be ready to plant! Besides carrots, I will plant peas, Sugar Ann peas (edible podded), Bright Lights Swiss Chard, and a few other vegetables. You can see from my pea seeds from last week, and my carrot seeds this week, that seeds increase exponentially--you get back much more than you plant!

The weatherman said it should get back up to 100' by Friday--I'm ready for fall!

Top 10 Shade Plants

2010-08-08T14:13:00.002-07:00

I get P. Allen Smith's Garden Home newsletter every week. The last newsletter had his 10 favorite shade plants, and they are beautiful. If you think you can't have color in your shade garden, think again! See for yourself, go to P. Allen Smith's website. The picture above is of Colorblaze Sedona Coleus. This plant alone would brighten any shady area!

He also has a great-sounding Roasted Tomato Soup recipe that has only 4 ingredients--here.

Emily's Garden

2010-08-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Emily's garden. She has a great website for gardening with the square-foot method.

Would you like to know what and when to plant as you go into fall or spring? Here's a very easy way to get the info sent to your email! Just go to Emily's My Square Foot Garden! You pick the color that coordinates with your early (fall) and late (spring) frosts, and sign up for the free weekly email that tells you what is ready to plant for that week. Emily takes the guess-work out of your planting season, all you have to do is plant your seeds! She has information on how to build and grow a square-foot garden, and recipes to use your fresh vegetables, if you are interested.

Tomato

2010-08-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

I picked this tomato a couple of days ago. I've seen strange growths on tomatoes in pictures, but this one was different. The extension was held on by just a tiny bit of flesh. It reminded me of the pictures of American Indians, where they had a feather in their headband. This is one of my June Flamme tomatoes.

In My Garden

2010-07-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

These flowers are my Oriental Stargazer Lilies. They have just started blooming and smell sooooo good! I have had them several years, and they have made a large clump. In the spring I find that the snails are drawn to eat the leaves, so I use Sluggo to prevent problems. The lilies prefer afternoon shade, which they had when I first planted them, but they now are in direct sun. They get a little sunburned and don't look too happy, but they still bloom and grow well. They are an evergreen plant, meaning they don't die back to the ground each winter, but continue to have green leaves through the whole year.

I shelled my dried peas and ended up with 1 3/4 cups of seeds. I will pick out the best seeds to plant for fall. The fall pea planting date for our area is around September 1. The seeds are directly put into the soil, no need to start them indoors. I have found that sometimes it is just too hot in the fall for a good crop of peas, and will sometimes wait until early spring to plant them.

Garden of the Sun Tour

2010-07-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

I know there are many people that would like to visit our Garden of the Sun, the Fresno Master Gardener's Demonstration Garden, but aren't able to because of time or they live too far away. There is an on-line tour, so everyone that's interested can visit! There are many Master Gardeners that take care of this garden, so it will look it's best. Get ready for your tour, and go to The Garden of the Sun! Enjoy!