we grew grapes!

A few years ago we made a few improvements to our backyard, one of which was planting grapes along the newly built garden fence. We kind of planted them on a whim...we wanted edibles, we wanted something to grow on the fence, grapes seemed like a good choice.

Never mind the fact that neither of us knew one single thing about growing grapes. But we knew how to dig holes and water plants...so we figured nature would handle the rest.

The first year we got maybe three wimpy clusters of teensy tiny grapes that didn't really mature. I don't even remember if we ate them? But this year...oh my...we got clusters and clusters of ripe, juicy, sweet, yummy grapes. They were so good. They weren't big like at the grocery store. But the flavor was much better.

And really, isn't the flavor better with everything homegrown? Yeah...I think so, too.

praying mantis in the garden.

I went out to our neglected garden on Saturday afternoon just to take a look around, see if there was any food to harvest, make future plans to clean up and make room for winter vegetables...ya know, garden stuff. I made my way over to the sunflowers and began snapping iPhotos when I saw movement...and it was this guy...a huge praying mantis. He was a bit camera shy, doing his best to avoid getting his photo taken. But I was able to sneak a few.

At one point he just stopped, cocked his head sideways, and looked straight at me like, "Really? Can't you see I do not want my photo taken?"

I just stared back, hoping he wasn't gonna jump on me, ya know, to drive his point home. (I like them, but I don't want them ON me.)

Each year I get so excited at the sight of the first praying mantis in our yard. We have them every year it seems. Little praying mantis babies, lots of them. One year I first started seeing them on the trunk of the pecan tree. This year they were in the grapes. As the summer goes on we see fewer and fewer of them, but every now and then get a glimpse of one or two that made it to adulthood. And a few weeks ago we got a glimpse of a shed exoskeleton.

One year when the boys were little Chris found a praying mantis egg on an old fence board. We put it in a jar with no lid, set it on the porch rail and checked it every day. One afternoon we came home from errands to find hundreds of the tiniest, cutest, little praying mantis forming a chain out of themselves to get out of the jar. For weeks many of them lived in the Japanese maple next to our porch. That was a cool experience.

(So just out of curiosity I decided to go see if he was still hanging out on the sunflowers...and he was! I didn't bother him this time, though, don't want to scare him off. I refer to it as a "he" but I don't know how to tell if it's male or female. If you know how, please do tell.)

the neglected garden.

I'm sad to say, our garden was a bit of a bust this year. We planted tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, peppers, onions, cucumbers, sunflowers and nasturtiums. Pretty good lineup, right?

The tomatoes have been a let down...three out of six plants are still producing, but barely. Two plants (the heirlooms, it's always the heirlooms) produced a handful of tomatoes then shut down production. And I don't know why. Maybe it was the gargantuan tomato worms that were having an all-you-can-eat buffet before I could catch them and turn them into chicken food? Or maybe it was just a bad season. Either way, I got two Black Krim and three Green Zebra tomatoes this summer. That.is.it. Our Early Girl and Better Boy and, of course, the Sweet 100 are still producing, albeit begrudgingly. I'll take what I can get.

Zucchini never disappoints. The plants were big and lush and healthy...we harvested lots of yummy zucchini...I have no complaints. I think zucchini is an ego booster...you almost can't go wrong when growing zucchini. Soil, sun, water. Bam. More zucchini than you know what to do with.

The green beans produced quite a few plump, tasty green beans but soon became infested with white flies. And I didn't do anything about the white flies so they spread to the zucchini plants. But only on the side near the green beans. The other side still looks quite healthy...and they're still producing zucchini, although I think it's time to pull the plants and make room for something to grow in winter. (Still undecided on that.)

Our peppers sucked this season. Period. I think we harvested a dozen jalapenos from TWO PLANTS. And our New Mexico peppers haven't done squat. (I'm not bitter.)

The onions didn't do diddly either. I don't know why. We planted onions a couple of years ago and were pleasantly surprised. We stuck them in the ground without much care, treating them as an experiment, really...and lo and behold they did great! As a matter of fact, I'd wished I'd planted more. So this year we decided to try them again since they were so "easy and carefree". Uhh, right. They didn't do a dang thing. The greens never perked up. I don't even think the onions grew. It could be the location? Not enough sun, maybe? Or...the soil? But we amended it a bit...so I wouldn't think that was the problem. I don't know. All I do know is that we harvested zero onions.

We planted two cucumber plants. And we harvested two cucumbers. Two. All summer. That's it.

The sunflowers did well...and they're a beautiful addition to the garden and make me smile whenever I see them. So I will count those a success. Because if I don't, I may never garden again.

And the nasturtiums? Meh. I plant them every year because they're good for the soil, they attract pollinators, and they add color and fun to the garden. Not to mention, they make me happy. But this year they didn't come through. I think maybe three or four plants came up (and I planted a lot of seeds!) and we got maybe 5 blooms. Really? Boo.

So there you have it. This year's sad garden tale. And because it's been a let down, it's not getting a lot of love lately. Quite frankly, it's pretty much neglected. Part of that is disappointment in its performance. And part of that is being back at work. I just don't have the time that I do over the summer.

But even still, come next spring, we will prepare to plant a garden. I will read seed catalogs and plan space and layout and bring Chris refreshing iced tea as he tills and amends the soil. We will go to the garden center and buy seedlings, probably too many, because we will be excited and get carried away. We will place it all in the ground with loving care and high hopes. And hopefully, I will have a happier tale to tell next summer.

craving good food.

These beauties are from the farmer's market.
I need to grow more varieties next summer.

I have been craving good food lately...greens and beets and tomatoes and onions and mushrooms and beef and fresh fruit and cheese. Especially greens. I can't seem to get enough of them.

Admittedly, my diet hasn't been the healthiest lately. Especially while working full days, I eat too much fast food at lunch and then get lazy about dinner because I'm worn out from work and eat too much fast food then. And if not fast, something quick and easy and...processed.

So when I start craving good food, and when nothing else will satisfy, I know that there is a reason for it...my body needs nutrients.

If you listen, your body will tell you exactly what it needs.

When my body needs Iron I begin to crave oatmeal and greens and whole wheat quesadillas with mushrooms, spinach and onion. I am always a bit deficient in Iron, apparently.  I learned this when, for the third time, I was unable to give blood because it was Iron deficient. So when I need it, my body tells me, loud and clear.

Lately I've been craving onions, greens (like crazy!), mushrooms and beets. I am drawn to them at the farmer's market. I can't stop thinking about garden fresh tomatoes. I am making sure I have a big Costco sized bag of broccoli florets on hand at all times so I can steam it, stir-fry it or mix it up into a tasty salad. I've had a mixed green salad for lunch and dinner for the past few days. And do you ever get those slaw kits at the grocery store? I especially like the Asian kit and make it often, making sure to add extra cabbage.

Because I was craving such specific foods I decided to see what nutritional quality each of them contained, and do you know that everything I've been craving contains Vitamin C? Here I was thinking that my body needed Iron (and I'm sure it did, it always does), but apparently it also needed Vitamin C.

I mean, of course, our bodies always need all of this good stuff. But when we don't eat well, our bodies need it even more, crave it in my case (and probably yours, too), and won't be satisfied with anything else.

Do you ever notice that? You're hungry, and you want something, you just can't quite put your finger on it. So you eat whatever is convenient, or fast and you walk (or drive) away feeling unsatisfied. Full, maybe. But unsatisfied.

I hate that feeling.

(I just had a thought...I didn't include it specifically, but I'm going to add something to my manifesto...listen to my body. Feed it what it asks me to feed it...within reason, of course. I'll have to be careful because I'm pretty sure my body thinks that ice cream is a balanced meal. We'll have to work on that...)

Here's a list of foods rich in Vitamin C as well as all the reasons our body needs it. Scroll down for the complete list.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be times when my body will tell me that I need a bacon cheeseburger, or a yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting. And I will listen then, too. What? Those are good foods, too. Maybe just not good for you. Ahem.

I like to think of it as balance. Or as my grandparent's said...all things in moderation. (And they lived into their 90's so they must have done something right!)

*wink*

every summer.

Every summer I dread that it's summer. (And I'm pretty sure that every summer I blog about dreading summer!) It starts in the Spring...the dread, the fretting...that in a few short months it's going to be so dang sweltering hot in my neck of the woods that I'm going to be forced to stay inside in an air-conditioned space for the next three months.

No matter my attitude...or my meager little tinge of holding out hope that it might just maybe possibly not be that hot this year...the summer arrives with a blast of hot air. And that, is that.

Oh, summer...why must you be so cruel?

However, over the past few years I've come to the realization that I can either fight summer (futile) or I can embrace it (realistic). Unfortunately, being realistic has never been my strength so this change in attitude has taken lots of hard work, lots of crazy self-talk and lots of blood, sweat and tears. Mainly sweat. (In case you haven't come to this conclusion on your own by now...being dramatic has been a strength of mine all my life. My mom and dad will attest to that.)

Honestly, what it's taken is a realization that not every.single.day of summer is sweltering. There are many nice days that don't go above 90 degrees. And if I'm honest, and pay attention, I realize that I'm really OK up to about 90. I don't necessarily love it. But I'm OK.

Another summer life saver is our garden. The knowledge that garden plants need heat to grow and produce amazing vegetables, that tomatoes won't ripen without the heat, is the knowledge that gets me through summer without too many major meltdowns. (Get it? Get it? I know...I'll be here all week.)

So every summer I become full of more angst than usual. Every summer I mope and whine and complain that it's summer. And every summer, in spite of my bad attitude and the sweltering heat, we grow zucchini. Number one because it's good. But also because it's so easy to grow and it's great for one's gardening ego. Zucchini grows big and lush and makes you look like you really know what you're doing as a gardener. And it produces! One day you've got nothin' and the next day you've got several zucchini the size of your forearm and you wonder where the heck they came from!

So every summer we harvest lots of fresh, organic, delicious zucchini from our very own backyard. And every summer we make Ryan's Fried Zucchini Cakes. They are delicious and we all love them! They are a bit labor intensive what with the grating of the zucchini and the draining of the zucchini and the squeezing out any extra moisture from the zucchini. But once you get through all that? Smooth sailing. And worth the effort. They're even good if you mess 'em up! Forgot the minced onion? No problem. Not enough parm in the fridge but you make 'em anyway? Still.so.good.

I'm telling you, if you like zucchini, and I'm thinking even if you don't, you will love you some fried zucchini cakes. I made them for dinner the other night with a marinated London Broil and an Asian slaw and it was fantastic. The four of us ate as a family and there was very little conversation. Just lots of chewing and a few "will you please pass the {fill in the blank}?"

Have I convinced you yet? Wanna make them and see for yourself? Here's the recipe again...in case you breezed past it earlier. You won't be sorry...I promise.

I say bruschetta...

Mom and I went to our local farmer's market last Saturday morning. We got some delicious peaches and plums and some gorgeous, ripe tomatoes. I knew as soon as I saw them that I needed to make bruschetta. (Curious...do you say bruSHETTA? Or brusKETTA? I never know how to say it so I say it both ways every time I say it.)

I already had everything on hand...sliced sourdough, fresh garlic, a beautiful basil plant out back and these luscious tomatoes from the market...not to mention a handful of cherry tomatoes from our garden.

I got the sourdough toasting in the oven while I assembled the tomato mixture. I had no idea how easy bruschetta was to make! I mean, yes, I've known that it was just a few ingredients on toast. But I mean...this is one.easy.recipe. (I followed this recipe loosely but omitted the parmesan. Just cuz.)

Why have I not made bruschetta sooner?

It was so, so, so yummy. And I can't wait to make it again and again all summer long. Between my new love of bruschetta and Chris' delicious homemade salsa I really hope we get a good crop of tomatoes this summer! We're gonna need 'em!

good stuff I've come across (thanks to Pinterest).

I need this. For real.

It's no secret, I love Pinterest. I have an embarrassing amount of Pins on an embarrassing amount of Boards. And yet...I keep Pinning. I'm not (too) ashamed. As a matter of fact, one of my goals this year (in my effort to be productive) is to actually do some of the things that I Pin. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

• Have you read this wonderful blog on mothering? Well get some tissue if you decide to...it's a tear-jerker. (This wasn't found on Pinterest, but I did Pin it to Pinterest...so...)
• Want to save money on that weekly menu? I came across this gal and she's got some great tips...straight forward, simple, doable, common sense.
• I will.make.this...I WILL. I can almost smell it....
• This needs to be on the weekly menu...and soon. Mm mm mmmm...I do love me some mushrooms.
• I'm hoping to attract more beneficial insects to the garden this summer...maybe Ian will help me put this together.

Garden Update.

It's Saturday. It's going to be 107 degrees outside. I'm mad. On the bright side...garden's like heat. Especially tomatoes. So at least there's that. The garden is coming right along...here's what's happening.

• The tomatoes are doing great. There are lots of Early Girls, Better Boys and Sun Sugar tomatoes on the vines. We've been snacking on the little Sun Sugars...they never make it into the house. Ever.
• We pulled out an Heirloom plant, Big Rainbow, as it had maybe 6 blossoms on the whole plant. And the plant was almost as tall as me! It's leaves were also curling a bit. So we made the choice to yank it and replace it with a volunteer Roma Chris rescued a few weeks ago.
• The zucchini plants finally had a growth spurt. I don't think they're getting pollinated though as there are lots of possible zucchini but only a few have actually began to grow. At this point I have two Eight Ball zukes and maybe a few regular ones. I'm kind of worried...I haven't seen many bees lately. So we'll see... (I told you I need bees!)
• The beans are doing great...I'll be able to harvest some beans from the bush plants soon. And the pole beans will probably be ready in a week or so. Can't wait. I love fresh green beans.
• We planted a cucumber plant late...but it's coming along and climbing up the support. No blossoms yet...but they'll come. (We actually planted five little seedlings but only one took.)
• Chris planted two cantaloupe plants and they're doing pretty good. They've each got a couple of blossoms, so that's good. They're a bit of an experiment seeing as how we have limited space and limited sun exposure. But we're hopeful...we do love cantaloupe. And it can be so expensive!
• Chris also planted watermelon seeds in the front side yard. Two of them are doing pretty good. I'm not sure they get enough sun...but he's holding out hope that they produce. I hope they do! We love watermelon.
• The blueberries are growing great and establishing themselves nicely in the planter. There aren't any blossoms, but I'm thinking that next year they'll show us what they can do.
• Our strawberry plants are producing. We only planted two plants, just to see how they'd do. And they're doing great. And whatever it is that is eating our nice, ripe, juicy berries is very appreciative, I'm sure. Darn varmints. We think it's an opossum. I saw him walking along the fence early yesterday morning. Brat.
• We planted two eggplant plants and they are blossoming like crazy. But so far I haven't seen any fruit. Maybe the pollination problem? Or maybe they just take longer? The jury is still out on that one.
• And last but definitely not least, the peppers. Oh, our pepper patch is doing great! The plants are heavy with jalapenos, cherry bombs, Anaheim's and lots more blossoms. I better figure out a way to preserve them...pepper jelly, salsa, roasted and frozen...any ideas?

I have to say, I'm concerned that we have not had success with any heirloom tomatoes we've ever tried to grow. Well, we are able to grow the yellow pear. But we haven't had luck with any large varieties. This concerns me as eventually I'd like to grow all heirloom varieties and save our own seeds from year to year. But if we can't get them to produce, I'm not sure what we're going to do. For now we'll just continue to try new heirloom varieties until we come across a few good producers. Wish us luck.

The garden...the saving grace for this oppressive heat. Luckily the crazy temperature is only for today...the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 90's. You know it must be hot here when I am almost glad it will only be in the 90's.

Have you had luck with any heirloom tomato varieties? Which ones work for you?

Happiness is...

Happiness is...harvesting 5 lbs. of organic tomatoes from my own backyard. Aren't they beautiful? I have decided I love growing tomatoes. I love growing other vegetables, too. But for some reason, tomatoes are turning out to be my favorite. I think it's because they give me such an ego boost...plant them in decent soil, water regularly, and you've got a success on your hands. It's just that simple. What's not to love?

The tomato plants are wild and unruly. (Maybe another reason I love them?) They are loaded with tomatoes of all sizes and at all stages of ripeness. I see spots of red and orange throughout the tomato patch and it makes me happy...I pluck each ripe beauty and set it in the basket.

I see little green tomatoes all over the place...and I have hope for the future. It means more salsa in my future...it means an opportunity to teach myself how to preserve some tomato sauce...it means I've made it one step closer to learning how to provide food for our family.

I harvested this basket full yesterday afternoon. I went out to the garden to check on something else and realized there were tons of tomatoes "ripe for the pickin'". By the time I was done and covered in dirt and leaves and smelling like a giant tomato plant, I realized the basket felt quite heavy. Maybe not heavy as much as it felt substantial.

I couldn't resist the temptation to actually weigh it: 5 lbs. I had to tally it up in my head if I were to buy these tomatoes at the store. Not bad...

I am loving growing tomatoes...yes I am. And the more I harvest...the more salsa Chris makes...the more I'm able to eat cherry tomatoes straight off the vine and still warm from the sun, the more I want to grow more and more tomatoes. I want to grow green tomatoes and orange tomatoes and purple tomatoes...oh, and white tomatoes! I can hardly wait for next summer!

Wait a minute...did I just say that? Me? Hardly able to wait for summer? Somebody check my temperature.

slow and steady

I gathered this from the garden Thursday morning. I probably could have picked a few more tomatoes but I thought they could handle one more day on the vine. (Especially given the high temperatures we've been having.)

I finally noticed two Blue Hubbard squash forming on the crazy, huge, dominating vine. All that vine and only two measly squash. I know I've said it before, but I'm saying it again, I am NOT growing THAT again.

The pepper plants are full of peppers...and the purple bell pepper has a ton more blossoms. It looks like we're going to have lots of jalapenos...might have to try this recipe and soon! Real soon.

Libby is broody...and persistent. And because of her nesting box hogging tendencies, egg production is down. I shoo her out of the nesting box every day...more like coax her out with a treat as bribery. It works like a charm. I noticed a few of the eggs had very soft shells, one of them even just sort of fell apart. I fed the girls a few extra crushed egg shells and some yogurt...seems to have helped.

On the companion planting front, apparently you're not supposed to grow green beans near tomatoes. Guess where my beans are planted? Yes. So...while they're producing beans, the actual plants aren't looking as healthy as they should be. They're not awful...but I am definitely noticing a difference from when I planted them year before last. They were huge and lush and produced tons of beans.

Note to self...apply companion planting knowledge when planting the garden.

And that cute harvest basket in the photo? Thrift store...$6. I love a bargain!

Around the homestead.

What's going on around the homestead {by proxy}...in bullet-points:

• We have what we refer to as a "tomato jungle". We planted about 10 tomato plants I think. Then we got three volunteers that are actually growing tomatoes. (I didn't think that particular plant was heirloom...but...it's got tomatoes. Maybe it's a hybrid in its second bloom? Anyone know how that works?) Two of the plants are as tall as me. Lots of tomatoes are forming...a few have turned red (or orange or green sriped!) and they taste won-der-ful. Can't wait to get a real harvest!
• The bush bean plants are full of green beans. I should be able to harvest them in a few days. The pole beans are just now beginning to flower. I didn't plant too many of either...need to make some time to sow a second planting.
• We bought two table grape plants for 50% off one day on a whim. One green, one purple.Then we let them sit in their pots for a few weeks. And...I forgot to water them. And...one looked like it bit the dust. But we planted them both anyway...and they are both growing like crazy! I am hoping we actually get grapes next season.
• I planted one zucchini plant, one acorn squash plant and one Blue Hubbard squash plant. It was an experiment. And one I probably won't do again. I should have stuck to plain ol' zucchini. The Blue Hubbard is a prolific grower...the vine is long and healthy...and a bit invasive, with not much food to show for all the space it's taking up. The acorn squash is quite compact and has tons of little squash on it. And this is fine, I just don't think it's going to be a huge hit as far as eating. We are a plain ol' zucchini kind of family. Next summer? All zucchini, all the time. Probably 3-4 plants so I can have plenty to shred and freeze.
• Peppers. We planted 6 pepper plants. One purple bell pepper which was beautiful We already harvested one...and already ate it! Two jalapenos, two Anaheim's and one other that I can't recall the name of. The weird weather stunted the peppers quite a bit...but they're making a comeback and are going strong. Lots of blossoms...quite a few little peppers...they should be fine.
• I planted one little cucumber plant. And it's doing fine, but could probably stand more sun. Our pecan tree still hasn't been trimmed so the garden is too shady. But we're trying to make it work.
• Lettuce. I planted lettuce when we first put the garden in. And the slugs and snails and earwigs enjoyed it very much. It was gone before it could take off. I recently planted another small patch of lettuce. And it sprouted in like 2 days!! So far, so good. I planted it in a shady spot and it seems to like it, especially in this heat.
• We planted some Walla Walla onions...also on a whim. I've never grown onions. I have no idea what to do...when to harvest...nothing. So we're wingin' it! So far so good...they seem happy in their little row along the side fence.
• Chris wanted to try his hand at growing cantaloupe from seed. So he tossed a few seeds in the ground and lo and behold, a few days later, sprouts! Now they're good strong vines with flowers and everything! I hope we actually get some melons. I hear they're hard to grow...but so far so good.
• We also planted one lone little blackberry plant. I bought it (on a whim...I tend to do that a lot, don't I?) at the discount grocery store for $5 then set it out on the deck and didn't water it right along with the poor grapes. It croaked. Poor little thing. But...we planted it anyway...and that little sucker sprouted leaves. Now it's fine. And I'm sure one day we'll regret planting that baby...at least it's thornless!
• We also planted some non-food plants...Japanese maples. Chris planted a bunch of seeds that my uncle gave him and he's got about 7 or 8 trees growing...they're adorable! We also had a volunteer maple from our neighbors tree growing in the raised bed. I dug it up, put it in a pot and it promptly went into shock. I thought we'd lost it. But after a day or two it perked back up and now looks healthy and happy. Not sure what we're going to do with it once it's bigger...we really don't need more shade around here. So we'll see... (Actually...it would be nice if the shade was near the house and the sun was near the fence...and not the other way around. But we're sort of stuck with this pecan tree for the time being...so...it is what it is.)

I wish we could have planted more but the shade issue needs to be settled before we plant anymore. Next year...we'll grow more for sure.

So that's what's going on around here...what's happening at your place?

seeing green.

We have sod! We've had sod for about two weeks, actually. I told you about my lovely day with my mom, right? Well, while I was out galavanting around with my mom, acting all artsy-fartsy and pretending I had hundreds of dollars to spend on a (albeit beautiful) piece of art...my husband and sons were home slaving away installing our lovely new sod.

After a long day of looking at oil paintings in the rain and sipping delicious lattes, Mom and I drove home in the rain. As soon as we pulled up to the house we hopped out of the car and ran straight through the house ("oh...yeah...hi guys. kiss kiss. now move...we gotta see the yard!") straight to the backyard. We stood on the deck and it was at that moment that I heard the angels singing. The sky opened up and rays of light beamed down onto the...green, green grass.  (I'm not kidding. There was a break in the rain and the clouds really did part a bit. ;)

Was this really my backyard. Was I dreaming? Nope. It was real. And it looked fabulous.

And it still does. It's thriving.

Here's a better photo. And if you click here it'll take you to flickr where I've written a few notes as to what the heck is going on back there!

A Day of Rest...?

the girls...pining away for the days they could roam the yard, free as a...bird

It is pouring down rain today! (And you know I love it.) On the one hand, it's a good excuse to lay low, take some quiet time and relax. On the other hand...it's putting a damper on our backyard progress. Although, since Chris and the boys installed our sod last weekend, maybe that endeavor can count as TWO work Saturdays!

Although...the day isn't a total bust as far as home improvements go. So far we've:

• watched 3 landscape shows on HGTV
• looked through 4 or 5 library books to get some inspiration for a trellis and a walkway
• drew out some plans for both
• designed a small bathroom cabinet to store things like towels and tp so we can finally get rid of the "chrome" rack we bought way too long ago that is now slightly rusty...and not so slightly UGLY.

I have to work at the bookstore tonight...the closing shift. So it seems my day is almost being spent just waiting to go to work. But...I'm going to make the best of it and get some more stuff done...laundry, beds, emptying the dishwasher and maybe a trip to the library. Or Old Navy. Or both. We'll see if I actually get motivated to get out of the house on this rainy day before I actually have to.

For now I'm going to enjoy the rain and be thankful for the free water it's providing for the garden and our new beautiful sod. (I'll share more pics later this week!)

It pays to save...

See this little bird? I bought him about 13 years ago while visiting Chris' mom in New Mexico. There was a yard sale across the street from her house so we decided to take a look. I actually found quite a few treasures that we schlepped back to California.

I'm pretty sure out of all of them...this bird is my favorite. He's been living in the kitchen junk drawer all these years...waiting patiently for his forever home. It's got a half-inch bolt sticking out of the bottom of it...and I always knew he'd be perfect on a garden post.

Problem is...we never had a garden post. Until recently, of course.

So I'd actually forgotten about him...but I was rummaging through said junk drawer looking for a paper clip and there he was...laying on his side as he always has, looking sad...and dejected.

I'm pretty sure that as soon as I laid my eyes on him an actual light bulb appeared over my head and lit up instantly. I pulled him out...ran out to the yard...showed Chris my idea...and one, two, three...he had his forever home. (Well, at least until we move, if we decide to do that one day...if we do, he's goin' with us!)

He makes me happy...

a snail in the rosemary.

Fortunately, snails don't like rosemary. Neither do earwigs. But they like squash plants...and cucumber plants...and tender little seedlings...and soft leaf herbs like parsley and basil.

Maybe this little metal snail will work like a scarecrow...to scare off the real snails...and maybe the slugs, too. You think?

Well, just in case it doesn't...I scattered some Diatomaceous Earth around the innocent garden plants and as it draws closer to the time my seedlings should be popping up (I'll start checking in 5 days...I planted some beans, chives and sunflowers yesterday...definitely vulnerable) I'll scatter some more.

Diatomaceous Earth works like a dream. It deters snails, slugs, earwigs, roaches, ants...and it's organic...which I love. Because I don't want to cover my fresh, organic, homegrown food with poison. If I wanted my food covered in poison I could save myself some work and just go buy produce at the grocery store.

Oh...and another thing about Diatomaceous Earth, it's also good to scatter in your chicken bedding. It will help to deter those horrid, disgusting, nasty pesky flies.

And guess what? Chris got bit by the garden bug too (that bug is welcome in the garden!) and decided to plant a couple of mounds of cantaloupe seeds. We love cantaloupe. Well, Seth doesn't love cantaloupe. He doesn't even like it. But the rest of us do...so majority rules. And I have to say there is nothing like a fresh, homegrown cantaloupe. We've never grown them before...I've been told they're tricky and picky about their soil. But we went for it anyway...you'll never know until you try. If it doesn't work we'll just continue to buy them at Aliki's, our local fruit stand...they grow a delicious cantaloupe.

Today I need to plant some lettuce (it never got done yesterday) and maybe more beans. I also need to get the herbs we purchased over the weekend into the ground. And then I think we're done for a while. After that it'll just be about the maintenance, and watering and then...the harvesting and eating!

Planting the garden.

tomato plant.

We planted our vegetable garden yesterday. Finally! We've had our poor little vegetable plants sitting on the table on the deck for two weeks! (Or is it three?) I have to say...they look a lot happier in the ground.

We also, thanks to my helpful husband (who is getting into this whole garden thing), have a drip watering system installed. Each plant has its own little water spout...it's wonderful! No more hand watering. Well, except for the lettuce and the herbs and trees in pots. But that's fine...the majority of the watering will be done by timer.

We planted 10, yes, 10 tomato plants. Um...not sure what we were thinking. Actually, I do know what we were thinking...SALSA. We love homemade salsa. And we love it with fresh tomatoes and peppers from our garden. So there ya go.

Speaking of peppers...we planted six of them. Two jalapeno, two Anaheim, a purple bell pepper (because I love purple in the garden and do NOT like eggplant) and an heirloom purple hot pepper. It oughtta look pretty in the salsa. It says it's also good dried and made into mole for enchilada sauce. Sounds good!

Walla Walla onions...

We also planted one cucumber, because I'm really the only one who eats them...one zucchini plant (although I am going to plant a few more seeds as we all like zucchini...especially prepared this way) and one Blue Hubbard squash...because they're a gray blue, I think they'll look pretty in the garden, and I wanted to try something new.

For the first time, we are going to try our hand at growing onions. I've never grown onions before...so I'm excited to see how it works out. I got Walla Walla onions. It's what they had at the garden center...and we sort of bought them on a whim so I hadn't done any research as to which ones would be best to grow. Eventually I'll have my act together (I hope) and be a more organized gardener. Eventually...

Until then...we garden on the edge. Seth used to call me the "loose canon mom on the edge"...maybe we can change that to the "loose canon gardener on the edge"!



purple garden gloves...thanks Mavis!



Today I'm going to get back out there and plant some seeds...green beans, lettuce and cantaloupe. Oh...and a few more zucchini seeds and some sunflowers! I got two varieties...I hope they come up. Ian and I planted some right before the days and days of rain and none of them sprouted. (Or they sprouted but I didn't know it and the chickens found the sprouts before I could! I'll never know.)

I purchased some herbs yesterday...more sage, basil, parsley and thyme (quite possibly my favorite)...two varieties, English and creeping. We have a sage plant that survived from last year. It's not pretty...but it's alive. It grew out from under a pot somehow...so it's stem is really long and the actual growth is about a foot away from where it's rooted.

Like I said...it's not pretty. But it's alive. So...it stays.

It was a great day to get outside and plant. At the warmest point I think it was about 80-something degrees. But there was a breeze off and on so it kept it quite cool.

Not to mention, the pecan tree still hasn't been trimmed. And it provides more shade than we want. We're still waiting on PG&E to come by and trim the parts that are dangerously close to the power lines so we can get a tree trimmer in to prune the rest. Can't wait...it's shading a lot of our garden expansion. Sort of defeating the purpose, ya know?

Welp...better get a move on. I've got lots to do today. Gotta get those seeds planted, dust and vacuum, clean the bathroom, mop the kitchen floor and try and keep up with the laundry piles!

How was your weekend? Did you get any gardening done?

A good, productive weekend.



It's organized, really!

Got a lot done this weekend...again! We're staying on track with our goals...my husband and sons especially. They did a lot of digging...a lot of sprinkler setting...a lot of plumbing...and now, we finally have sprinklers in our backyard. I almost can't believe it... And I almost can't believe that means sod is coming next! I can't wait to see GREEN in our backyard.

I, on the other hand, took the time to tidy up the garden space. It was a mess...and had become a bit of a dumping ground for random garden supplies. There were flower pots full of dead plants that didn't survive the winter (or the chickens!), coiled up chicken wire from our old fence, cages and supports and trellises...messy.

I moved everything out of the garden area and onto the side yard (so I could get a better look at the garden space I'm working with this summer). As I was moving the old pine boxes around and wondering what to do with them, my husband suggested turning them into shelves. I thought it was a great idea! So...that's what we did.



Deadly pine boxes turned utilitarian garden shelves.

Piled one on top of the other, these old pine boxes that were horrible as raised bed gardens are perfect for storage on the side yard! Ian made them sturdier and safer by screwing them all together. I was able to move all of my pots out of the garage (freeing up garage/pantry shelf space for Preparedness supplies!) and onto the side yard shelves. I've been wanting to move that stuff for so long...it felt good to actually DO it!

I also took a little time to sit on the deck and take a look at what seeds I have...still need to pick up some pumpkin, watermelon and cantaloupe seeds and maybe some more flowers, I'm thinking sweet peas and more nasturtiums. (And maybe a little something else that catches my eye...short sunflowers? ;)

The weather was perfect yesterday...cool and breezy...thank goodness. It made life and work a lot easier for Chris and Ian who were really working hard to get the sprinklers done and covered over. After a good long day in the yard I grilled some slider size burgers with cheese and an experimental onion topping...accompanied by oven fries.

All in all it was a good, beautiful, productive weekend. I'm grateful...

How was your weekend?

My new favorite gardening book.



My new favorite garden book. Love it!

 I have a new favorite garden book...The Kitchen Garden by Alan Buckingham. I'm pretty sure I purchased this book at Costco...over a year ago. Would you believe it's been sitting on my shelf for over a year and that I just pulled it down a few days ago for the first time? Yep. It's true. And let me tell you...I am so glad that I did! This is seriously my new favorite garden book.

I have to tell you I have a very short attention span. I get bored easily. When I am gathering information I just want bullet-points...bam, bam, bam. I don't have the patience to read a big, long diatribe as to the importance of microbes in the soil and what they do, and why...and where...and how...step by step. Blah blah blah. I know some people thrive on that type of information...I...am not one of them.

I've decided that is the exact reason why I am loving The Kitchen Garden so much. It is broken down into manageable sections...Kitchen garden know-how, the Kitchen garden calendar, Crop planner and Troubleshooting.

So far my favorite section is the Kitchen garden calendar. Each month it gives a list of Top Tasks... what to harvest, what to plant, what to sow, what to pick...it's all laid out...right there on the page. Then each page after that gives detailed (but not too detailed) instructions on what to do, how and when along with many beautiful photographs.

The Crop planner is another great section. This section gives detailed information about planting, growing and harvesting many fruits, herbs and vegetables we commonly grow in our home gardens. There are also instructions for putting together raised garden beds and compost bins. There are tips on planting and pruning and protecting those precious seedlings from pests. There are instructions for storing your fruits and vegetables over the winter and cleaning up your garden for the dormant season. Oh...and did I mention the gorgeous photographs? Mm, mm...love this book.

Anyway...I just wanted to share this new (to me) find with you...and remind you that if it's been sitting on your shelf, unopened, you need to open it. It truly is that good. And if it's not sitting on your shelf, and you'd like it to be you can find links to it in this post as well as in my Amazon widget in the sidebar to the right. If you do happen to order it through my Amazon link I will get a small commission. Thank you in advance!

And have a great, productive weekend!

Planning the garden, missing Grandpa Fred and some helpful books.

Can you say "salsa"? Pepper and tomato
plants waiting patiently to be planted.

Last weekend we expanded the garden. Instead of roughly 130 sq. ft. of dirt we now have about 480 sq. ft. of dirt. WOW! This is huge for me...considering when I very first began trying my hand at gardening (15 years ago) I was working with one raised bed measuring 4x4 feet! I did square foot gardening before it was even invented...you should have seen how much I crammed into that tiny space!

I have to say...it wasn't a success. At all. So I gave up.

Until...

We went to visit Chris' grandparents at their home in a small town in Ohio about 6 years ago. It was an amazing time for our whole family. We all have very fond memories of that family trip. It was so much fun. It was the first time I'd met Grandpa Fred...and I felt loved and accepted instantly. I was able to spend some time in Grandpa's garden...pulling weeds and helping him harvest the garlic. I made the mistake of asking him if he'd ever grown flowers in his garden. His reply, and you've heard me quote it before, "Why grow it if you can't eat it?" (He may or may not have tossed in an expletive for effect. ;) Grandpa Fred went to heaven three years ago....three years ago today as a matter of fact. We really miss him...so much.

I especially miss him during gardening season...he was a wealth of information about gardening. He gardened his whole life...BIG gardens. But as he got older and his battle with MS got a little harder he narrowed his growing choices to tomatoes, garlic and horseradish. And each year he and Grandma would make their famous (literally in their small town...this sauce was highly coveted by many. :) tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and spicy horseradish. Each year around this time, as I start to plan our garden, I inevitably have questions and my first thought is, "I wish I could call Grandpa."

Thanks to Grandpa I decided to try my hand at gardening again. Over the next few years I planted a few things here and there. A tomato plant or two...a cucumber vine and a few beans...and with each attempt and small success my confidence grew. Then  a few years ago God had gave me 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12...and I knew it was time to garden on purpose. I planted a few more tomatoes, a few more peppers, some cucumbers and nasturtiums...the basics. And this time, it was a success. We grew a bonafide garden. We grew our own food. It was awesome and I was hooked.

Back to this year's garden: thanks to the help of my husband and the boys, we have a larger garden area. And now that it's a reality I can't quite decide what to plant and where! Part of the problem is that dang pecan tree...and not knowing when it will be trimmed back (issues with the power company and dangerous power lines, etc...lots of phone messages being left and waiting on return calls..) and exactly how much more sun the tree trim will actually allow in.



Oh cherry plum tree, such a thorn in
our side. Keep it? Or chop it?

Not to mention the small cherry plum tree that is in the back corner of the garden. Should I just get rid of it because it doesn't produce tasty fruit? Or give it a year...trim it...fertilize it...and see if it improves? (Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.)

In the meantime, I need to get some vegetables in the ground! Especially the ones that we bought last weekend to take advantage of the sale at the hardware store. We got 6 pepper plants and 4 tomatoes...can you say, "homemade salsa"? I can! My husband has honed his salsa making skills...makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Mm, mm, mm...can't wait!

I love garden planning. I have planned gardens and landscapes for years. I pull out my beloved graph paper...and the colored pencils. I open up the garden catalogs and the stack of garden books I've collected and spread them out all over the table. And then...I plan the perfect garden...on paper. It's always perfect on paper! But not until now has the big, perfect garden become a possible reality. And now I don't know what to do!!

So I just decided to do what I've always done. Get out the graph paper...and the pencils...and the stack of garden catalogs and books. The books I am currently using are Carrots Love Tomatoes, The Backyard Homestead and The Kitchen Garden. (More on The Kitchen Garden tomorrow! It's my new favorite gardening book! It's amazing...) Sounds like a recipe for a beautiful vegetable garden. Now, if I could just get this darn pecan tree taken care of we'd be in business!

Do you already have some food in the ground?

Seeds started?

How's your garden planning coming along?

And what should I do with that crazy little cherry plum tree?

Backyard improvements...DIY

Our poor backyard has been neglected for a very long time. When we moved in many years ago it consisted of a medium size pecan tree, some berry vines that didn't produce edible fruit and two unkempt cherry plum trees. Now the pecan tree is gargantuan and the berries and one plum tree are gone. Our poor little home had been badly neglected before we moved in so the yard was dirt. And it remained dirt. And...it still is dirt.  But not for long.

My husband and I finally agreed on a garden design that will work for us. It's very simple. And that's a good thing. In the past I wanted a cottage garden...soft edges, flowers everywhere, fluff. Now I have adopted Grandpa Fred's point of view, "Why grow it if you can't eat it?"  This is what we have in mind...

Right now the pecan tree branches span across the yard and a bit over the deck. They shade the back of the yard and much of the garden space. I've got calls in to tree trimmers for bids on having it cut way back. This has to be done to make room for SUN...we need sun for the grass, sun for the chickens and sun for the garden. It would be nice if the tree were to go permanently...but it is very expensive to have it removed...so a trim it is.

To get started, the weekend before last we moved the chicken coop. I love having chickens. But I do not love how messy and destructive they are. I like to let them free-range...but I don't like that they tear up my garden, scratch through my flower pots and poop everywhere! It was time for a change.

We moved the coop behind the shed (that little white building on the left) so now they're between the shed and the back fence. This makes much more sense in the "design" of the backyard. They've got their coop still...but now it's inside a spacious run just for them. They still get to "free-range"...but now it's just a bit more controlled.

The girls may beg to differ as they pace back and forth at the new gate, pining away for the days they were free to eat our innocent seedlings and poop on our deck. But...in time they'll get used to it. They've already found a new dust bathing area...and eventually I will have a sandy area for them as well as some greenery. They'll be OK. They've got it better than many!

Just this past weekend we extended our garden area. It's now about 3 times the size it was! What am I going to do with all that space?!! (I'm sure I'll figure it out...) The garden now spans from the back of the house to the back fence. We installed posts and wire fencing to match the chicken run. It's not fancy. It's actually very utilitarian. But that's fine. At this point, I just want it done. So cost effective utilitarian works for me.

Here's the new garden area...from the wood fence to the newly installed wire fence. And you can see in the foreground the ground tilled up...that will be grass. If you can imagine me standing and taking the picture, the chickens are behind me, opposite the garden area. Poor girls...they'll be able to see it but not get to it. So mean...I know. But don't worry...they'll get plenty of goodies. They always do!

This is a closer shot of the garden and the garden gate the boys built for me a couple of years ago. I think it works perfectly!

Productivity sure does feel good. I can't wait until it's all done and planted and we can sit out on our deck, enjoy a barbecue of grilled veggies from the garden...and look out on a nice yard.