COLLEEN'S ORGANIC GARDENS

OUR FIRST SNOW OF 2012.....

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Well at least it warded off the snow until yesterday!
I was so happy to find the "hummer of snow shovels"
just before Christmas. It was only about an inch or so
of snow but it was topped off with a layer of ice and this
baby took care of it in now time! After the wacky weather
year we have had here in Baltimore I wanted to be prepared
for whatever Mother Nature was going to dish out!
This is the view from my workroom window. As you can see the wildlife including two foxes are frequent visitors to my
back yard. Five squirrels in particular were very happy that
I put fresh seed in the feeder this morning! Last week a
beautiful hawk was sitting on top of the feeder just biding his time until "breakfast" came along. I was amazed when a squirrel chased him away! Obviously the hawk was not very
hungry but the squirrel was and wasn't about to miss his
breakfast!

As you can see the "storm" was more ice than snow and my
solar cat light doesn't look to happy about it!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!.....

2011-09-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

Irene and Lee took their toll on my gardens.
I decided to transplant 24 of the big zinnia plants that were scattered all over the yard.
The sunflowers were bending over almost to the ground and the little stinker squirrels bit off every one of the heads!
I made a Fall display with my homegrown corn fodder and two of the three pumpkins from the garden.
Pansies and mums always help the gardens to stay nice until heavy frost takes it's toll.

The day I transplanted the zinnia plants it was 90 degrees! They have settled in nicely and the vegetable garden looks so much better! They were not at their peak anymore but I couldn't bear to toss them out
when the birds and bees could still enjoy them. We have had a steady parade of goldfinches, monarch
butterflies and hummingbirds who seem to love the zinnias as much as I do!

BIRDBATH GARDEN IN JULY.....

2011-08-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks to daily watering the gardens are doing very well. I now have over 20 "clumps" of black-eyed-susans and after a few plantings of seeds the zinnias are blooming and are hands down my favorites!

Here is my new "garden buddy". He has little fear and seems to enjoy a wide variety of greens in the yard from the grasses, weeds and the leaves of some flowers and vegetables. I saw his "twin" with him yesterday. I hope the neighborhood cats who roam through our yard leave them alone!

JUNE IN THE GARDEN.....

2011-06-16T16:15:00.000-04:00

We had zuchinni for dinner last night. Can't beat fresh from the garden! I have another volunteer sunflower which has really shot up in the last couple weeks with all the heat we had. I planted my peppers closer together than usual after I dug in a couple bags of sand. Hope they do OK.

I planted sunflowers again in the low spot after I added the potting soil from 32 pots from last years plants
and 4 or 5 bags of topsoil. I added a couple rows of three sizes of zinnias in front. The back daylily garden is in full swing and loaded with blossoms.

While in Kmart this fella jumped in my cart! He has a green solar light and I just couldn't resist!

HOW TO BUILD-A-BUSH.....

2011-05-14T11:35:00.000-04:00

Here is a photo of my arborvitae nearly cut down to a five foot stump.

It was really difficult to see it go. It was home to many generations of birds and a playground for the squirrels.

I had carefully pulled out the euonymous vines that had grown up through it nearly 15 feet and wrapped them around the "stump". It was a cold March day and I didn't waste any time making it "pretty" I just
wanted to save the vines that took years to grow so long and NOT have to dig out the stump!

TA DA!!! This is what I had in mind. On a nice WARM day in May I finally finished my project. I cut back
a good bit of euonymous that had taken over some of the garden. Then I carefully "sculpted" the bush
leaving only three branches from the euonymous growing on the left as the base of the bush which
you can clearly see. I think they look like tenacles---but that's just me. I am just tickled that I was able to
keep part of the arborvitae and the very long branches of the euonymous creating a living sculpture!

BEFORE & AFTER.....

2011-03-20T09:01:00.000-04:00

Ok, I cut down the VERY brown branches but what to do now with the stump?! It is surrounded with perennials so digging it up would be difficult. Since I had carefully pulled down the arborvitae vines
that had grown up through the shrub I decided to use them to create an "instant" shrub! The vines
came from multiple places on either side of the stump.

Ta Da!...... I carefully wrapped the vines and tucked them into the branches of the stump and tied them where necessary. The birds began coming after a few day and can often be seen sitting there waiting their
turn at the birdbath or feeder. Some grackles have even gone "inside" and may be building a nest. As I
said earlier I think I "killed the shrub with kindness" because when I knocked down all that snow and ice
it compacted down at the base and stayed there for quite a while most likely rotting the branches. I was
able to break off many of the branches by hand. I think this explains why the shrub died off.
The arborvitae vines were 10' to 15' long so they covered the stump really well. Over the summer months
they will fill out even more. This way the perennials are undisturbed and the birds still have some place
to hang out and I don't have to dig out the stump! OK......eventually the stump will decay but it will be
interesting to see if the vines grow enough to maintain the basic shape of a bush. We will see.........

THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.....

2011-03-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

With the forecast for rain I knew that it would be a while before I could cut up the branches and tie them
into bundles. If I left them on the ground they would kill the grass so I piled them up on the picnic table
until I could get out there and take care of them.

By the next morning I could hear the sparrows chirpping away inside and on top of the branches! They refuse to move out of their "condo"! I feel so badly taking away what had been their "family" shelter for
so many years! They don't care that the shrub is dead and relocated! Now what do I do?!.

ARBORVITAE NEARLY GONE...

2011-03-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

Naturally my loppers broke as I started the project of cutting down the arborvitae! I was determined to "get
her done" so I used what I had---a small pruning saw. As you can see there were LOTS of branches! I left
the two center branches to take down the next day. I was sure that the birds were watching me in horror
that their "condominium" was being taken down!

GOODBYE ARBORVITE.....

2011-03-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Here I am after last years first blizzard trying to "save" my aborvite from the ice an snow that was weighing
it down. Little did I know I was "killing it with kindness"! Last summer I began to see it losing its color and
beginning to die. I couldn't find any pest infestation or disease so I just kept it watered through the heat
of summer and feed it along with all the plants in the garden and hoped that it would survive. It has to be
at least 25 years old. I remember carrying it in my lap on the trip home from the garden center (obviously
Bob was driving!) At least 3 species of birds take turns nesting in it. The grackles were especially territorial
when nesting and were VERY vocal about my working in the garden around the bush! From my kitchen
window I could watch the many chickadees who sun themselves each day on the edges of the bush and
wait their turns at the birdfeeder. Many times a hawk has swooped through the shrub trying to snag some
lunch and come out empty handed but recently he got one of my beautiful cardinals. I knew I would have
to cut down the arborvite before the birds began their Spring nest building so last Friday I reluctantly started chopping away.

CARDINALS VS BLUEJAYS....

2011-01-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

Cardinals and Bluejays are very territorial. Here you see the bluejay saying "It's my turn!"

The two bluejays swoop in and force out the cardinal.

This scene is repeated from morning to dusk. I am trying to get a shot of all the birds and squirrels together. It is amazing to me how many variety of birds stop by the feeder. More photos to come!

IS IT SPRING YET?!.....

2011-01-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

I happen to love snow. I still get excited as when I was a kid when it is in the forecast BUT.....
my mind keeps drifting to thoughts of how I will plant the gardens this year.....how nice it
would be to be working out in the yard with the WARM sun beating down on me......how much
work is out there to be done before I can even think of planting anything.....how much I didn't
get done before winter set in.
OK.....maybe winter can stay a LITTLE longer!

MY MIRACLE GERBER......

2011-01-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

I don't think it is a coinsidence that the top photo looks "mystical" because this is my miracle gerber! I have had it in my garden for three years. It wintered over in my basement under a grow light, but appeared barely alive last Spring when it was time to move it outside. It wasn't long before it produced 6 blossoms!!
From what I am told they do not do well indoors and it is truely amazing that it is not only surviving but
thriving! It is in front of my bedroom window which gets great Southern exposure. One of my favorite
geraniums from last summer is its neighbor and is doing really well too. I pressed this blossom and framed
it.

VISITOR IN THE RAIN.....

2010-10-17T12:14:00.000-04:00

Just happened to see this hungry visitor from my kitchen window. He was just above my platform bird feeder---no doubt looking for lunch! There was a baby squirrel inside the feeder despite the POURING
rain. If I went out to chase the hawk the squirrel would run and end up as a meal. I watched for quite
a while hoping that the squirrel would stay put and the hawk would only get a shower. It just kept on
pouring and the hawk kept on waiting. Finally he gave up--flew away and the baby squirrel just kept
on stuffing his face.

WHAT ARE THEY?!.....

2010-08-20T14:58:00.000-04:00

Been searching for the answer online.....NO LUCK! What the heck are these guys?! I am pretty sure that they are beetles, but I have never seen these before. They completely took over my arugula plant. As you can see from the leaves in the background they sucked the life out of each leaf in a short time. Not the kind of critter you want in your garden!! They have very distinctive markings.....any guesses?

LET IT BEE.....LET US "PRAY".....

2010-08-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying the abundance of "critters" in my gardens this year. I can't remember seeing more butterflies, bees, birds of all kinds. Haven't been able to get his photo yet, but we have a hummingbird
moth making an appearance for the first time in our yard. I've only seen one hummingbird at a time. Kathy gave me a beautiful hummer feeder, but I think he likes the "natural" food better. Glad to see my favorite
bug, the praying mantis. They are so animated! Even though I shared my watermelon with this guy he still
insisted on jumping on me and crawling up to the top of my head. Bob managed to gently get him off and put him on the geranium just before I snapped this photo.

HOT HOT HOT!!!......

2010-08-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

Festus has about had it with this years weather extremes. He had to go through the record breaking Winter
without his "winter outfit" and standing in the garden this summer has been just BRUTAL! He handles it well though. I haven't heard him complain......yet!

AUGUST BOUNTY.....

2010-08-08T13:38:00.000-04:00

Despite this being the "year of weather extremes" my gardens are doing good. My "Supersonic" slicing tomato has lived up to it's name. The plant just keeps growing! Since I planted nearly a month early this year, I thought they would "poop out" by now! Even with the little beastie that gets into the base of the zuchinni plant, it has produced more fruit than any squash plant I have ever grown. To celebrate Ariel's
birthday I made a decadent cream of tomato-basil soup----MM-MM-GOOD!! Can't beat the roma tomatoes for cooking! Bob and I picked a large bowl of grape tomatoes this morning. The green beans are flowering so we should have some beans before long. The peppers are growing well and are starting to turn yellow orange and red.

IMPORTED FROM TEXAS....

2010-08-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

One day this Spring I got a little package from Ted & Joyce, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who live
in Dallas Texas. Inside I found a sandwich size baggie. Inside of that was a wet paper towel. Inside of that was 5 volunteer seedlings from "Farmer Ted's" pepper plant from last year. I was amazed that they survived
the trip, still moist and healthy. I have two plants and gave Ole and Kathy each a plant too. I love the black
leaves and the peppers look more like berries. A very interesting plant! Ted says the peppers are VERY
HOT so I won't be eating any, but it is one of the prettiest plants I have ever grown!

MUST BE JULY!!!!

2010-07-06T13:05:00.000-04:00

Everything is growing--growing--growing! I knew there had to be SOMETHING good about all this HEAT!!!!

The goldfinches are going to town on the sunflowers and the black-eyed-susans that have opened. I always look forward to seeing them!

DAYLILLYS REALLY BLOOMIN'!

2010-06-08T18:53:00.000-04:00

Back in the 70's we used to take our "herd of dogs"---four retrievers---Kitch (the Mom) and her boys, Harry Chuck and Pete out to
the Gunpowder River for a run and a swim. While there I would take home a couple daylilly plants which now number in the multi
hundreds!! This is just one of their spots in the yard. The blooms were not just early this year but VERY ABUNDANT!!

WE HAVE 'MATERS HON!!!!

2010-06-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

With the crazy weather we have had this Spring I thought I made a mistake by planting the vegetables on Earth Day, April 22nd.
We had such up and down weather---chilly--hot--cold--warm--chilly--hot--cold. Somehow they have not only survived but they
are REALLY growing! As you can see some of the grape tomatoes have already formed and the zuchinni plant has several squash
about 4" long. One of the pepper plants was eaten by "something" down to the ground----hope they enjoyed it!. The rest of the
peppers have blossoms and are growing well too. I still need to get a few herbs to finish the vegetable garden.

HOW COULD I FORGET?!

2010-05-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Last year Kathy gave me a beautiful forget-me-not plant. I bought one more. Now I have DOZENS!!!! I have never seen a more
prolific perennial! Last year when they were finished blooming they died back but created a circle of new plants that grew as the
main plant turned black---weird! I am going to try to cut them back when they start to fade and see if I can get the plants to
bloom again.

SWISS CHARD WAS DELICIOUS!

2010-04-27T09:59:00.000-04:00

Was not sure if the chard would be
OK since the plants were from last
Fall. Of course they are all new
growth, but sometimes vegetables
that "winter over" are bitter.
IT WAS DELICIOUS!
I planted 4 packs of flower seeds
last Friday and we had LOTS of rain
over the weekend so I am keeping
my fingers crossed that they did
not wash away. If they did there is
still plenty of time to replant.

VEGETABLE GARDEN 2010 ON IT'S WAY!

2010-04-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Planting a vegetable garden is an act of faith, hope and charity. Faith that you remembered all you've learned about planting, hope that all the plants will continue to thrive, and charity when you are eagerly awaiting the first "maters and you share them with your family
and friends! Well, the vegetable garden is in for 2010! I added a couple rows of tall and small zinnia seeds and cleared the corner near
the shed to put in some herbs. I pulled up the rosemary which had gotten overgrown and woody to make room for a couple more herb
plants.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!.....

2010-04-22T16:36:00.000-04:00

I know I am ahead of our May 15th frost free date, but I thought Earth Day was appropriate to pick as "plantin' day" for my 38th year
of organic gardening----and yes I am PROUD of being true to organic methods all these years!! Here is a photo of my swiss chard which
we will have for dinner tonight. These plants "regenerated" from my Fall planting and may be bitter----I'll find out tonight!

"GIFT FROM A SQUIRREL"?.....

2010-04-20T15:36:00.000-04:00

I had a nice surprise in the garden this year. A squirrel must have dug this tulip bulb from someones yard and "stored" it in my garden.
He put it where the euonymous is very thick so the tulip grew an extra tall stem to get it above the shrubbery. It lasted for weeks even
through our mini "hot spell". Tomorrow I will get some shots of the multi-multiplied forget-me-nots and plant some of the flower seeds.

EVEN COVERED OVER!....

2010-04-14T14:21:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten about the astilbe after it died back last Fall. I placed the birdbath over part of where the plant was. I was amazed that
even with the concrete slab over it the shoots of the astilbe were still coming up! In just a few days they were as big as the rest of the
plant----amazing! I have been amazed by everything growing this Spring! Here it is April 14th and we have cut the lawn 3 times
already and it needs to be cut again! I have some transplanting to do tomorrow before the perennials get any larger.

GETTING THE VEGETABLE GARDEN READY....

2010-04-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

It took quite a while, but I finally got all the thick weeds (mostly grass?!) out of my vegetable garden. I discovered years ago that if you
painstakingly pull up all the weeds and cultivate rather than turn over all the soil it will keep the weeds at bay for a long time. I only turn
over the soil for each tomato plant etc. in a 2' circle and add peat moss and Plantone. I will plant soon even though our frost free date
isn't until May 15th. My garden is small enough that if a threat of frost comes I can protect the plants without much trouble. With the
wacky weather we have had I think I need to be prepared for ANYTHING!! In the foreground is the perrenial geranium that Ole gave
me last year which is really doing well. I FINALLY divided and transplanted the iris leaving only 1/3 in the original spot. the clemantis
in the background is really shooting up the old garden gate and the coreopsis is coming up quickly. I have been watering the daffodils
every day and hope they hang in there for a least a while longer.

"DAFFY" WEATHER!!!

2010-04-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked 2 months since the first of our back to back blizzards. Talk about EXTREMES!! The temperature got to 93 degrees by 3pm. The second day of record breaking temps going back to 1929. The daffodils won't last much longer if it doesn't cool down soon!

A VERY WELCOMED SIGHT!....

2010-02-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we were rescued by a "deere"! It worked our block for about a half hour making the road wider and more passable. I think we might as well get used to this because more snow is coming today and more on the way this weekend. We have really missed our 5am walks and were able to go this morning thanks to the "deere". It is still pretty trecherous but at that time of the morning we didn't
have to dodge too many cars! I know our mailman and paper delivery guy will have MUCH better mornings now!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST....

2010-02-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

Had to include "little mister" who LOVES to have adventures! He doesn't have a clue that he is a small dog. He thinks he is a rotweiller. It didn't matter that the snow was much taller than he was he had to see what was going on! He is facinated by machinery and LOVES
to observe anything going on that makes noise. He is fearless!

MAN & WOMANS BEST FRIENDS....

2010-02-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

We have great neighbors who "share" their dogs with us! They weren't quite sure what we all were doing in all this white stuff but they were happy to be there with us! Some REALLY loved the snow and others were not thrilled at all!

AFTER THE BIG DIG....

2010-02-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

The day after the group dig Bob and I cleared about three car lengths down to our house from where Bob is standing to where I am standing taking the photo. I left a patch there to show how deep it was. Anyone have some Bengay?!

USING OUR SHOVELS....BUT NOT IN THE GARDEN!

2010-02-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

Here we are digging out after blizzard part 2. There were 6 of us who worked hard to get part of our street down to pavement. There were 6 dogs along for comic relief! The areas where we put the snow were quickly resembling icebergs!

JUST PLAIN SQUIRRELY!!....

2010-02-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

This tickled the heck out of me! As our second round of blizzard started on Wednesday, my makeshift squirrel feeder was quickly filling up with snow. A while later I checked to see if the squirrel ( I call Willie) was still out there despite the blowing snow. All I could see was a trail in the snow until the little bugger popped up from the now buried feeder! Blizzard or no blizzard, he was going to have lunch!!

BEFORE AND AFTER.....

2010-02-09T13:10:00.000-05:00

Here I am "beating around the bush"! I couldn't stand seeing my beautiful arborvitae laden with ice and snow. Getting to it was more
difficult than freeing it from the snow! I found a long piece of trim to reach the top and in between the branches. There was a big
birds nest in the top section. I am sure it wasn't occupied, but many small birds use the bush for shelter, so at least there will be
someplace for them to go. Now the weather dudes are calling for 12" to 20+" MORE snow starting later today. ENOUGH ALREADY!!

THEIR BACK!!......

2010-02-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

As you can see the squirrels are back! A least one has found my makeshift feeder. The other is still buried under the snow. It was nice to see the sun today but I woke up to hear that we may get an additional 12" to 16" starting tomorrow afternoon through Wednesday!
Bob and I dug out some neighbors driveways today. Our street was plowed overnight but only down about a foot so it is still difficult to
manuver. We cleaned off our shed. That was the easy part----getting to it in the thigh high snow was not!

ARBORVITAE WEIGHTED WITH SNOW....

2010-02-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

I was hoping that the wind would blow off most of the snow. In past years I have wacked it off with a broom but lost some branches
in the process. Guess I will take a wack at it later on when I go "out to play" in the snow again! To the left of it is a small heather bush
that has been blooming for sometime now. I wanted to get a shot of it before the snow came but now I think I won't see it again until
sometime in March!

BAWLMER BLIZZARD 2010!!

2010-02-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

According to the airport stats we didn't break the record, but as far as my yard is concerned the record was MORE than broken!
I took pics from windows on three side of our house throughout the storm and yesterday afternoon when the snow ended. My
husband Bob had a good excuse for not taking me out for our 29th wedding anniversary! Most of the streets in our neighborhood
are still un-plowed. Can't remember a more beautiful snow fall!! This shot is where the "Dad Garden" is. All the perennials are
nice and safe below the snowpak.

TRAFFIC AT SQUIRREL FEEDER.....

2010-02-03T08:22:00.000-05:00

Had to stop feeding the birds & squirrels because of neighborhood rat problem. There was a lot of waste with millet etc that was not eaten. The "beasts" are still out there, but I bought some "squirrel food" which is just peanuts, sunflower seeds and corn. I put it on
the tray and bring the tray in before dark so the "beasts" don't have a feast overnight. Sometimes there are as many as 4 or 5 squirrels
taking turns getting into the feeder. Penny watches from her perch at the kitchen window. Entertainment for her and welcomed food
for the squirrels---a win win!---- OK----I love watching them too!

AMAZING PAPERWHITES!!....

2010-01-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

I started these paperwhites before Christmas. I've never had them grow so tall! I think it is because they are on my Dad's memorial table--- but that's just me! I took the photo this morning and when I walked by this afternoon the flowers and leaves were laying down.
Glad I took the photo when I did!

IS IT SPRING YET?!......

2010-01-22T13:38:00.000-05:00

Rain, sleet, or snow Festus stands guarding my gardens---what a guy! We had such a nice taste of Spring-y weather so I KNOW it will get here eventually! The yard is so soggy and the weather dudes are calling for 2 to 3 inches Sunday through Monday. Well, it should
insure a GREEN SPRING! The days ARE getting longer and the position of the sun is moving slowly towards Spring. I am just getting
antsy to work out in the gardens!

THE "WOLF" IN THE GARDEN....

2009-12-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

We had a humdinger December blizzard! 22" of the fluffy white stuff. Our neighbor's dog Spirit enjoyed romping through our back yard.
The snow didn't slow him down at all! He couldn't figure what all the fuss was about. With the weather forecast for Christmas we may
need to borrow Spirit and his "sister" Diamond to get to my sisters' house!! Needless to say our "outside cats" are VERY HAPPY to be
"inside cats"!!

SWISS CHARD IN THE SNOW!

2009-12-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow on Saturday. My impatiens that have hung in there all this time turned to mush, but bless the blackeyed susans
they are still blooming!! The beautiful planting of swiss chard will be staying there until Spring. Bob saw one of the outside cats
"watering" one of the plants. Needless to say they will be added to the compost bin! Just before the "kitty kabanna" was about to cave
in with the heavy wet snow, we brought Boots and Blackie into there new home in our basement. I will be posting pics of that fun
process soon!

OUR HARDY STATE FLOWER!......

2009-11-29T06:55:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I still have blooming blackeyed susans in the gardens! Every clump has at least a couple flowers that grew up since I
cut back the clumps in each garden. Amazing for late November, but then it has been a crazy growing season anyway! We didn't dig up
the sweet 'taters for our Thanksgiving dinner since the ground was very saturated. Sounds like we may get our first snow next week.
I still get excited when the snowflakes start falling even thought it doesn't mean a possible day off from school anymore!

GARDEN IN NOVEMBER....

2009-11-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

Work has kept me out of my gardens lately, but I took a day this week to start to put the garden beds "to bed" for the Winter. The
swiss chard is doing well. The sweet potatoes are ready to dig and we plan on having them for Thanksgiving. The morning glory and
coreopsis have turned dark brown and poor Festus looks like he has seen better days!

WE HAVE BECOME CRAZY CAT PEOPLE!!....

2009-10-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

We have had our precious indoor cat Penny for about three years now. A few months ago we were "adopted" by two hobo cats who have appeared in the blog earlier, Boots & Blackie. Everyone who comes to our door gets a "free cat-scan". They each have their own deluxe
accommodations under the "big top" and we sit out with them a couple times a day and have turned them into fourlegged "laptops". I
now have the porch I've always wanted, sorta kinda. I can sit on the swing in the morning with my coffee and "the boys" and watch the
sun come up. We watched a beautiful moonrise the other night. We plan on sitting out there Halloween night and greet the trick or treaters. Hope the rain holds off for their sake!

PEPPERS & PUSSYCATS.....

2009-10-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

I just thought there were a few peppers left in the garden.....WRONG! I am going to have to use the "Aunt Ruth" method of cutting them
up and freezing them. I've never had pepper plants produce so much! Boots and Blackie love to sit on the picnic table and tease Penny
who sits on her perch at the diningroom window. She doesn't like that we spend time outside with "the boys".

MANDEVILLA DOING FINE.....

2009-10-05T12:34:00.000-04:00

It took a while for the mandevilla to take off, but it has grown nicely. I'll need to bring it in before frost. I have a grow light over the sink in the basement that should keep it happy until next Spring. Just when you think the gardens are "done for" you get a nice suprise.
My lonely geranium is blooming again and the dahlias are loaded with buds. The pepper plants are still producing red and green peppers, but I don't think the orange and yellow with have enough time to ripen to full color. We had tomatoes for lunch today but the
flavor wasn't what you get in August!

HAPPY FALL 'YALL!......

2009-09-23T12:39:00.000-04:00

Happy first full day of Fall! I love this time of year. I was just out watering the gardens since it doesn't look like we are going to get the
rain that they called for (big surprise!). It feels more like summer today but I know the cold weather is coming and I try each day to
drink in the beauty and color of the gardens while they are still blooming. My sister Kathy and good neighbor Linda gave me a couple
more mums to add to my collection. I hope they will winter over as well as they did last year. "The word" so far is that we are in for
a colder winter so I will gather up the pots and put them in a sunny spot and mulch them with shredded leaves to protect them.

PEPPERS R US!.......

2009-09-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

As you can see, Boots was impressed with my latest crop of peppers! The plants grew so big that nearly half of each plant
broke off from the weight of the peppers even though I had them in small tomato cages. Next year I will have to make some
larger and stronger cages for them. The tomatoes are winding down to a precious few getting ripe at once. THANK GOODNESS!
You go from when the heck are they going to get ripe?........ to what the heck am I going to do with all these 'maters?!

ELUSIVE GOLDFINCH!.....

2009-09-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

I got these shots from my kitchen window. We have really enjoyed all the visits from the goldfinches. They really love the zinnias
and sunflowers. All summer I tried to snap their picture but they would take off before I could get close enough. I think they will be
heading south soon for the winter months. I will miss them playing "she loves me, she loves me not" with the petals of the zinnias!

PRAYING MANTIS ARE HERE!......

2009-09-03T12:58:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for matured praying mantis. They seem to be late in arriving this year, and are already turning brown as you can see by this beautiful one I saw while watering the gardens this morning. The green one was on a mum plant and was not to happy that
I got him all wet! They are so animated and really fun to watch!

BLACK BEAUTY......

2009-09-01T12:54:00.000-04:00

The hard work pays off with all the beautiful butterflies that stop by! I just took these pics around noon when I can hardly see what is in
the viewfinder of my camera. Can't believe I got a shot of this guy in "preparing for take off mode" in the center pic!

TWO BEE....OR NOT!

2009-09-01T12:41:00.000-04:00

I have really been enjoying my sunflowers! I am so glad they had time to mature even thought I planted them so late in the season. As you can see the bees love them too!

MUMS THE WORD!.....

2009-09-01T12:35:00.000-04:00

Here is a pic of two of the mums that survived the winter. This has NEVER happened for me before! Three more are in the pots they grew in last Fall and are just as full and ready to open. Two of the mums have been blooming since Spring! As you can see, the black
eyed susans are quickly fading, but can't complain. They were really spectacular this year! I guess it's like the guy on Ed Sullivan who
spun the plates on a stick. All the plates only look perfect for a brief moment! I will try to keep the plants looking "happy" for as long as
possible. I have a feeling we will have an early frost this year, but we will just have to wait and see.

COMPOST DOING GREAT!.....

2009-08-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

Tried to get a shot of this butterfly taking off. You can see his wings beginning to flap, but each time he took off he was quickly out of the picture (or I just wasn't fast enough!). My compost is really breaking down quickly. As I said, I bought a pricey bio-excelorator and it is really doing its job! Of course the heat is helping too, but when I put in kitchen scraps, in a few days they are completely broken down.
It is loaded with big worms too! The goldfinches are taking apart the zinnias one petal at a time. Maybe that's how they get to the better
seeds. This poor zinnia was almost stripped, but that didn't stop the butterfly from enjoying his meal!

"DAD GARDEN" AT IT'S PEAK.....

2009-08-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

It was 4 year yesterday that my Dad passed away. This garden is dedicated to him. He LOVED to sit outside and watch me work in the
gardens. Although he was born on the Grand Prarie in Nebraska, he had NO INTEREST in gardening! He remembered his Dad making
he and his brothers gather potato bugs and put them in a can of coal oil. Grandpa knew better than to NOT have the proof that they were doing their job! My Aunt Ruth, Dad's sister, has a wonderful garden in her backyard in Columbus, NE. I usually talk to her each
week and we swap stories about how our gardens are doing. She says there is a pumpkin vine that is taking over her garden!

BIRDBATH GARDEN....

2009-08-20T13:51:00.000-04:00

It took 4 attempts at repair to get my "inground birdbath" to hold water. It is the only one that the birds seem to be using since the others are close to where "the boys", Boots & Blacky, hang out most of the time. The flowers are really at their peak now. I have been
watering every day unless we get a afternoon storm. The dogwood shrub in the "dog garden" is absolutely LOADED with berries!
At least the birds can get to them without worrying about the cats!

SUPERSONIC LIVES UP TO IT'S NAME!.....

2009-08-18T15:33:00.000-04:00

This tomato plant has really thrived dispite our wacky weather. The fruits have been really flavorful and many have been very large.
I will be making some fresh salsa with the plumb tomatoes and peppers. Bob and I had a great BLT for lunch today with one of the
big supersonics. We needed extra napkins! The sprouted sweet potato I planted a couple weeks ago is really growing. If the heat
keeps up the vines should really start spreading through the garden.

OL-SUNFLOWERS!.......

2009-08-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

I planted these in late June. So happy they have matured quickly! So far the squirrels haven't discovered them but something tells me
they will after the seeds ripen! In the meantime I just hope a storm doesn't damage them. I just love seeing them out my window!

SOME MORE 'MATERS!.....

2009-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

ABUNDONZA!......

2009-08-15T08:54:00.000-04:00

Bob helped me pick the tomatoes that FINALLY have ripened! It had never taken this long to get to this point with the tomatoes before.
I counted about 40 roma tomatoes with at least that many left on the plant, which is the smallest in the garden. Just like an Italian,
short, squaty and full of it! ( I can say that because I am part Italian!) The "supersonic" tomatoes lived up to the "hype" big, meaty and
flavorful. The grape tomatoes, which look more like cherries, have produce well since mid July. I pulled up the zuchinni to make room
for the Fall plantings which I will do in the next couple days. Spinach, chard and maybe some lettuce and radishes. I love the mug that
Kathy gave me! It really sums up my feelings about the rewards of gardening!

MORE ZINNIAS.....

2009-08-12T14:21:00.000-04:00

Here are two more examples of the zinnias. The monarch butterflies just love them! I'll try to get some shots of them too.

I LOVE ZINNIAS!.....

2009-08-12T14:15:00.000-04:00

I bought a packet of heirloom zinnia seeds that said it contained a wide variety of flowers. THEY WEREN'T KIDDING!! Every color from fushia to lime green and some have splashes of color. Even the petals are different. This one is called an exotic needle-petaled cactus
zinnia. My sunflowers have started to open and I will add some pics of them soon.

ITS THE TOMATO HORNWORM!.....

2009-08-09T14:05:00.000-04:00

Here is a sharper photo of the little beastie. Can't believe I was right about what it was! But wait until you here what the white thingys are.....cocoons of pupating braconid wasps!! The braconid wasp is considered a parasitoid of the hornworm because it causes the hornworm to die as it pupates. By the time the wasps undergo metamorphosis, all of the hosts insides have been digested.
so when they are ready to pupate, the hormworm with die. While this may be detramental to the hornworm---(just a little!)---
it is considered beneficial to the gardener....as the tomato hormworm (which is actually a catepillar) can be a significant pest.
Parasitism is usually viewed as negative, in this case is considered beneficial. If allowed to mature, the hornworm turns into the five spotted hawk moth with a wing span of 5-6"!! The larvae pass through 5-6 stages maturing fully in 3-4 weeks. If you see only one BE
AWARE THERE ARE MORE LURKING!!

I hope at least one of the beasties gets to mature to moth stage. I would love to get a shot of one of them! One article said to put the
hornworm into a glass jar without a lid so the wasps can emurge and get any more lavae left on the plants. They can be on eggplant
peppers and other plants so I am going to have to check out all the plants before they do any more harm. They will strip a stem of
leaves and cause some to turn brown. "The plan" is to get them before they turn into moths and burrow in the soil to start the cycle
again next year. I may plant some winter wheat this Fall and roto-til the whole garden in the Spring. This is supposed to take care
of at least 90% of the beasties. Thu ends our nature lesson for today!

NAME THAT BUG?..........

2009-08-09T09:17:00.000-04:00

While out watering the gardens, getting them ready for the impending "hot spell" I found this "thing" on the "Supersonic" tomato plant.
What the heck is it!! In all the years I have been gardening, I never ran across him before! I will check out some websites to see if I can
identify it. Are they seeds he is carrying piggyback? Is it an alien carrying eggs that will hatch and they will try to take over the world?!
(I think I've been out in the sun too long) Anyway, stay tuned "followers". I will post again when I have some answers!

TOMATO BLIGHT WARNING!......

2009-08-06T07:31:00.003-04:00

My brother Ole just told me about a problem Maryland area gardens are having with tomato and
potato late blight. I checked out some websites for information and this is what I found out:

From University of Maryland news desk:

"Late blight of tomato and potato is a potentially destructive fungal disease in Maryland home gardens. This is the same disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s."

For more information log onto: www.growit.umd.edu

The University of MD received a suspect tomato sample from a Howard Co. garden on June 12
and quickly determined that it was infected by late blight, Phytophthora infestans. Cool wet weather encourages it, so let's pray for hot and dry weather!
They say not to "overhead water"----hello---any good gardener knows plants absorb the most
beneficial water at the roots! I hope we all get to enjoy our "tomatas and potatas" without
Phytophthora infestans showing up!

MY LATEST BIRDBATH....

2009-08-05T15:38:00.000-04:00

I made this one to go on a "stump" which is actually part of a branch of the oak tree. It was one big tree! I saw this idea years ago and
wanted to try it. You suspend a bucket over the birdbath with a pinhole in the bottom and fill the bucket with water. The water drips down and is supposed to really attract the birds. I feel kinda guilty though trying to attract the birds when we have two "outside cats" that hang around most of the time. Let's hope the birds are fast and the cats are slow!

OUR STATE FLOWER.....

2009-08-05T15:24:00.000-04:00

Ole gave me a clump of Blackeyed Susans a few years ago and I can't believe how much they have multiplied! There is always a lot of activity around them especially bees, but we see a pair of goldfinches on them quite often.

HAPPY FROG!.....

2009-08-05T15:20:00.000-04:00

The flowers are at their peak. I love it when the butterflies and finches stop by the garden. Haven't seen any hummingbirds yet. We did
see grasshoppers and the "mystery moth" is back with more coloring than last year. I'll try to get a shot of them. No praying mantis yet,
but I am looking! The turtle Bob rescued flew the coop before we had a chance to take it out to Double Rock Park. I guess he hanging out
in the back garden.

AUGUST HARVEST......

2009-08-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Here is a photo of the garden this week. We are s-l-0-w-l-y getting "tamatas"! Plenty of grape tomatoes for a few weeks now, and the
Roma and "big" tomatoes are coming in a few at a time. We have enjoyed the zuchinni, eggplant and peppers. It is difficult to let the
red, orange, and yellow peppers stay on to mature. They won't be ready in full color until later this month or September. You can see
my compost bin in the background. Found a good bio-excelerator by Epsoma so the kitchen waste breaks down quicker. I have really
made an effort to "recycle" as much as possible so we have as little garbage to put out for the weekly collection. Bob and I recycled
long before curbside pickup. It is so easy to do now with our weekly pickup----no excuse not to do it!

MY NEW GARDEN.....

2009-07-18T07:50:00.001-04:00

This garden is by the side door and front gate. I transplanted the astillbe from the back yard because no matter how much I watered them, they would be crisp and brown by August. They are doing much better now. I bought a flat of "take me home before I die" impatiens and planted them in pots to go between the plants. The largest impatien, next to one of the new birdbaths I made, grew all winter long in the Christmas Cactus indoors. I couldn't believe that it grew, let alone bloomed, all during the winter! In late Spring I
put the cactus outside and carefully removed the impatien along with several small plants that sprouted around the edges of the pot.

A WEEKEND GUEST.....

2009-07-18T07:35:00.001-04:00

We found another turtle. The last one we took out to Double Rock Park so it was in a safer environment, away from lawn mowers and cars. We decided to let this guy hang out for the weekend. The turtle seems just as curious about Boots and his buddy Blackie as they are about him! I just finished re-doing the "in-ground" birdbath and the turtle goes in frequently for a drink. No.....we haven't named him! He is heading to the park on Monday!

REALLY CREEPING JENNY!.....

2009-07-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

Last year a planted a small piece of Creeping Jenny by the dog statue. It has taken over! The "take me home before I die" impatiens
behind it are growing nicely. Since we had our 90ft oak tree taken down there is precious little shade in our yard, so I take advantage
of the shade of the dogwood tree and shrub in the "dog garden".

MIRACLE GERBER DAISY.....

2009-07-11T12:56:00.000-04:00

This daisy "wintered over" in my basement with a grow light. When it was warm enought to put outside it already had a flower stem emerging just above the soil. The leaves are just starting to grow but LOOK AT THOSE FLOWERS! It is really anxious to bloom!
I've learned the key to growing these flowers is to NOT overwater! A nice soaking a couple times a week seems to work best.

TOMATAS ARE COMIN' HON!!!......

2009-07-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

Considering how cool and wet our Spring was this year, I am very happy with how well the vegetable garden is doing. The tomatoes are
really growing now. Each plant has a number of fruit getting big enough to start to turn red. The pepper, eggplant and zuchinni are doing
nicely as well. The herbs are getting bigger and the marigolds, that were in bad shape from all the rain, have recovered.

FESTUS GETS NEW SET OF CLOTHES.....

2009-07-04T10:18:00.000-04:00

This guy has been in my garden in one form or another for 37 years. He hasn't been very good at his job since I have seen birds perching
on his head,taking apart a number of his hats, and even squirrels down in his clothes playing tag. Now that was something to see! There are many variety of insects through the many layers of his former duds. Even though he doesn't perform his job very well he does have
job security. As long as I have a garden he will be in it!

MY NEW "HELPER".....

2009-07-03T08:53:00.000-04:00

This is "Boots" my new helper. He started hitting up Bob and me for treats on our 5am walks back during the winter. He was very talkative and friendly. A few weeks ago we started going out into the front yard and calling him to come for some food. Now
when we head out for our walk he is already at the side door and looking for breakfast! He follows me around when I water the
gardens and sits in our laps so we can brush him (I think we have been adopted!!) He seems very interested in gardening. He sits
by me when I weed or feed ( I think he is taking notes) Our cat Penny is not to happy to see us with another cat but I think she will ajust. She watches him from her "perch" at the window.

GROWING RIGHT ALONG.....

2009-07-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

After an actual week of warm and sunny weather the gardens are really taking off! I think I have finished visiting the garden centers. I've had good luck with finding a nice variety of "take me home before I die" plants at reduced prices. I love giving them TLC and seeing
them flourish. It kills me to see the "plant person" at Home Depot or Lowe's carting off the not so perfect plants to the dumpster. I wish
I had the nerve to ask for them! I just hate to see them thrown away!

FINALLY SOME DRY WEATHER!......

2009-06-23T15:22:00.000-04:00

Hopefully the cool and wet syndrome we are in is about to change. We may even have a few days in a row without rain! As you can see the back daylilly garden is in full swing and the vegetables are growing nicely.

GROWING LIKE CRAZY!.....

2009-06-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

Here is the zuchinni plant today. It is growing like crazy! There are 5 small zuchinnis already with more blossoms getting ready to open. In front are some raddichio ready to be picked.

AND THEIR OFF!.....

2009-06-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Here is my zuchinni plant about two weeks after planting. With such a cool wet Spring, I didn't expect the growth to be as good as usual.

EARLY JUNE...

2009-06-20T13:16:00.000-04:00

I have been neglecting my blog! Here is a photo from early June. The vegetables are growing nicely. Hoping for less rain and more sun but doesn't look like the new "pattern"! As I said before I REALLY appreciate how wonderful last Spring was! In 1972 when I grew my
first organic garden, the Spring was very dry. I remember making "irrigation channels" along the rows to water the garden with the
hose. A few days later hurricane Agnes hit. AGHGHGHGH! The whole backyard was underwater! I remember being so proud of the
32, yes count them, 32 tomato plants I grew from seed in paper dixie cups up in my bedroom window. Most survived the storm and we
had TONS of tomatoes!!

IT MUST BE PLANTIN' TIME.....THERE IS PEAT MOSS IN MY NOSE!

2009-05-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

Here is a shot of my vegetable garden after planting the tomatoes and peppers. the zuchinni at the garden center was "kissed" by frost so I will have to go back for that, but the other plants looked good and healthy. I always get the smallest plants. I enjoy watching them grow and I think they adjust better if they are small. As usual a Spring hazard is peat moss in my nose---on my clothes---in my shoes
just about everywhere! I use quite a bit of it over the growing season. It really helps to loosen the "Bawlmer" clay soil!

IT'S EASY BEING GREEN!.....

2009-05-09T13:57:00.002-04:00

This week we switched from BGE to Washington Gas & Energy Services to provide our electric service. 50% of the power generated by WGES comes from wind turbines. The more we support the companies working to provide clean energy
the more it will be practical for others to follow in their footsteps.

The demand for energy will only become greater. Without the use of alternative
sources of power our land, water and skies will only become more polluted. We
estimate a savings of about 25.00 a year by switching, but the eventual benefits
to the environment.........priceless.

If you would like to check them out: wges.com

MORE FROM LAST YEAR.....

2009-05-04T16:31:00.000-04:00

I guess bees don't get up with
the birds. This little guy was
still asleep at noon!

Here are two butterflies getting to
know each other!

CHEER UP THE GROUCHY GARDENER....

2009-05-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

Well, now that I have "ranted about the rain"
I decided to cheer myself up with posting some
photos of "gardens past"......

Here are some of the first "Dad Garden".
The zinnias grew really well and butterflies were
frequent visitors.
This is a birdbath my Grandfather made. The
ceramic frog didn't faze the birds. They just
jumped in for a quick dip or a drink.

You can see the four o'clocks in the background.
My Mom grew lots of these when I was a kid.
It always amazed me that they could tell time!

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!........

2009-05-03T16:20:00.002-04:00

Will it ever stop raining? They said that March was the driest on record here in Baltimore, but April more than made up for it, and if the forecast holds true, we will have rain each day the first week of May! It makes me appreciate last year! It
was the most perfect Spring we had in years. Nearly all my gardens were in by now including the vegetable garden.
As they say here in Baltimore, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute!".
I know "this week will pass" and I will be able to divide the perennials and get the
vegetable garden in. We may have a really dry summer so all this rain will then be
"a good thing", BUT I STILL WISH THIS RAIN WOULD GO AWAY!

THREAT TO ORGANIC GARDENING?!....

2009-04-09T08:39:00.002-04:00

Please contact your representives and ask them to vote against HR875 and S425.
We need the freedom to choose organic methods of growing our food. This bill would give too much power to the large agricultural businesses who are THREATENED by the success of organic growers.
They want us to think that the purpose
of regulating organic methods is for "food safety", but I feel our food safety is threatened by the producers of "FRANKENFOOD" not REAL FOOD! These bills even threaten the "backyard organic gardeners" with steep fines if they do not comply
with the new "regulations" to use pesticides,chemical fertilizers etc. which of course go against everything that organic gardening stands for!!
To my follower (s) please check this out! There are videos on YouTube from people who have sounded the alarm. The bills may be voted on as early as two weeks!
Thanks for your support!

The preceding editorial was approved by Colleen......OK she wrote it too!

WINTER BIRD WATCHING.....

2009-04-08T11:47:00.000-04:00

Festus never did get the hang of being a scarecrow! Birds sit on his head,
pull off pieces of his clothing, yarn hair, shoestrings. The poor guy gets no respect!
Birds and squirrels are a real source of entertainment when you are out in the garden! Early Spring you can count on the grackels and starlings to
come to your "Backyard Home Depot" looking for building materials. I always look forward to the return of all of the song birds. We get quite a variety!
If you just give them a little birdseed you get back much more in return.
I'd have to say that the starlings are the most entertaining. They are fearless
and very protective of their offspring. They "tolerate" me when I have to work close to the evergreens they nest in each year, but they sure vocalize that they are keeping an eye on me, just in case!
We do have hawks come by to do their "grocery shopping". They are not always successful catching their prey, but when they are, they leave very little behind, usually just a few feathers.
Penny loves to birdwatch from her perch in the diningroom! She really gets excited when the rabbits start hopping around. They usually stop by the feeder in the early evening. I have seen about 5 different species of birds with a couple squirrels and a rabbit by the feeder at the same time.....amazing!
I am glad to see that the crow population is coming back. They were really affected by the west nile virus a few years ago. We had more sightings of goldfinches and hummingbirds last year too. Exercise, relaxation, food,
entertainment, Vitamen D, we get so much in return for our efforts in the garden!

GARDENS IN WINTER.....

2009-04-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!.....
All is white, but not so calm! As you can see the squirrels got wind of their "peanut butter pinecone" decorated tree pretty quickly. It wasn't long before I had 4-6 squirrels on top of the fence each morning "waiting for treats"! At least they left most of the red and green ribbons! Bob had collected 2 trash bags full of pinecones in the Fall, but I soon realized that at this rate, the yard would be full of pinecones again, so I switched to fixing them peanut butter and crackers. I think they enjoyed them even more!

GARDEN IN THE FALL.....

2009-03-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

Here is our friend the praying mantis with
his fall wardrobe! I never noticed that they
changed their colors with the seasons. Which
is probably why I never noticed them!
Here is the vegetable garden without the
tomato or zuchinni plants. It wasn't a good
year for squash, but we got plenty of "back
up squash" from One Straw Farm!
I grew 5 kinds of zinnias which "filled in the
garden" nicely. Mixed in with the flowers in
the front row is a sweet potato vine.
It was really fun digging for the potatoes!
I'm sure I will find a few this Spring that I
missed. They really lived up to their name
SWEEEEET!

MORE SUMMER FLOWERS.....

2009-03-30T16:10:00.000-04:00

Here is the corner of my side yard where
the pine trees give plenty of shade, but
prevent anything but perennials from
growing in the ground, including grass!
I tried sod and seed, but no luck. At least
the mulch means less to mow!
Here is the rest of the "Dad Garden". I put
in quite a few perennials. I lost a couple, but
most of them did well. I will need to remove
some of the "stumps" this year to give them
some growing room.

MY GARDENING "HELPERS"......

2009-03-30T15:53:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite "bug" photo. I think he was
saying, "NO PICTURES PLEASE!"......
PRAYING MANTIS are bugs you want to have in
your garden! They will take care of many of the
"bad bugs" and they are really fun to watch. They
are very animated and will turn their head when
you tell them "SAY CHEESE!".
I saw more mantis than usual last year, a good thing!
Here is one on a scarvola plant. I think he likes blue too!
Now here is a mystery. What kind of bug is this? I had
never seen these before, but last year they were in my
gardens by the hundreds! They seem to be a cross
between a moth and a bee. VERY INTERESTING!
Check out the two sets of wings!

MORE FLOWER POWER!.....

2009-03-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

Here is a better shot of the clemantis and more of
the potted plants on the "stumps". My sister Kathy
contributed many of the cute frogs etc. as well as
some of the plants. She is an AWESOME floral
designer and shares my love of plants. When she
stops by we always take the "garden tour" together!
Here is one of my favorite plants, scarvola. You don't
see too many of them at the garden centers so I snap
them up when I see them! They branch out and cascade
with the most brilliant blue flowers.
Here is one of Dad's signs above his work boots which
I planted with succulants. Next to the boots is a Maxwell
House can with some of his paint brushes and a small
can of "One Shot", the paint he used for signs. Dad was
a self taught artist who raised us to LEARN BY DOING
and LOVE WHAT WE DO.........and he did!

FLOWER POWER!.....

2009-03-29T14:47:00.000-04:00

Since I spend WAY more time in my flower gardens
than with the vegetables, it's time to include them!
This is part of my new "Dad Garden". His favorite
color was blue so I added as many blue plants as I
could find. You can just see the blue clemantis which
I planted to grow on one of Dad's old wooden ladders.

My brother Ole gave me a clump of blackeyed susans
a few years ago and they have multiplied BIG TIME!
Just keep dividing them each year and they will keep
producing. I feed the flowers as the vegetables, every
two weeks until late summer. I use a lot of fish
emulsion! When I dig a hole for each plant, I put in a
good "glug" of emulsion, let it sink in, put in the plant,
then water with more emulsion. This really prevents
wilting and gives the plant a good head start!
These are petunias and a daisy that I planted in one
of Dad's old rusty tool boxes. The frog is in one of his
old paint pots. The tree "stump" is part of a branch
from an 90ft. oak tree that had to be removed. It was
hard to see it go, LOT OF MEMORIES IN THAT OLD
TREE!, but it was in bad shape and would have fallen
on our neighbors house----not a good thing!

OUR "GREEN" LAWNMOWER!.....

2009-03-29T14:18:00.000-04:00

Here is my husband Bob with our Neuton
lawnmower. We had checked them out for
a while, and when our old mower "bit the
dust", we decided to get one. It cost much
more than other mowers we've had, but
it doesn't pollute, it's light weight and much
quieter! It won't cut tall grass so you may
have to mow more often.The battery
charge lasts for quite a while (we bought a
spare just in case!).
Who knew getting a "cool" lawnmower would
get Bob to WANT to cut the grass!!

PICKIN' TIME!.....

2009-03-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Heirloom tomatoes may look "weird", but they sure taste
good! I switched from cherry tomatoes to the grape variety
because the cherries were just TOO productive! I think the
grape tomatoes have more flavor. The eggplant produced
right up until November last year.
The peppers were BIG producers too! It is difficult to wait
for them to get red, but the reward is great flavor! I added
a good bit of sand into the area where I planted them and
I think it really helped to produce bigger and healthier
plants.

HEY!.....TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!!.....

2009-03-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

Here is Penny reminding us that "EARTH HOUR"
is 8:30 to 9:30 EST tonight and we need to:
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!!
If we all just try to do some simple things each day
like use our cars less, not turn on as many lights,
unplug appliances, try to use less water, we can
really impact our environment!

REMEMBER, THE PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT
LAWN POLLUTES THE BAY!!

Don't be so prejudiced against weeds.....
They are "green" and some taste good too!!