mysteryluvr54's Blog

Happy Mother's Day !

It's nice to have all the kids home from college and work.  Sad to say, the weather is not cooperating .  I was hoping to get out in the garden and start preparing the soil, but it tooo wet.   It's rained every other day it seems.   I couldn't even go to my nursery to purchase flowers for my pots because of all the rain we had this morning.  Now it's just plain windy and cold.  Maybe next weekend will be nice. 

Any plants I took outside seem to be doing ok and haven't gone into shock.  I'm still going to wait till it warms up more to take the Aloe outside.  I don't want to lose that. 

I've been trying to build up the compost pile.  I think once the grass dries out and I can mow it, I will bag some of it to throw on the pile to add some green.  I hope this works.   Any hints of dos and don'ts would be appreciated. 

Finally getting some nicer weather.  Spent the time between thunderstorms pulling dandelions and cleaning out the dead debris.  I'm trying my hand at a composting this year and have been reading up on the do's and don'ts of composting.  Wish me luck. 

Tried to turn over the dirt in the garden, but it's too wet.  We've been having some rain every day and it doesn't look like it's going to dry up soon. 

It looks like all my perennials are returning with the exception of one that I planted near the front door in a shady spot.  Might have to find something else to go there of just wait a few more weeks and see if something pops up. 

Looking forward to Mother's Day weekend to purchase annuals for my containers and replacing the herbs that didn't make it through the long, long winter. 

Have some new pictures starting off 2008.

Brrrr !  It's cold and snowy outside.  Just stopped by to update with some pictures.  Hard to believe it's already 2008.   I'm looking forward to spring and to planning what to grow this year.  I'm always anxious to see what survives the winter. 

I brought my herbs inside and they are still producing but looking very scraggly and pale from lack of sunshine.  They're ok for soups and stews. 

My Christmas cactus bloomed for the first time this year with pretty salmon colored flowers.  The high winds knocked it over while still outside so I transplanted it into a bigger pot and next thing I knew it was getting buds. 

It's been a long time since last wrote.  Haven't had much time for computer fun between work and school.  Even my flowers are being neglected.  I did cut back the herbs and have them hanging to dry.  I'm hoping to bring the pots in side for the winter.  I picked the tomatoes before the bugs ate any more of them.  I have them ripening on the counter.   Most of the pots are still blooming with the warm weather.  My clematis by the front door is back in bloom.  I'm not sure that is suppose to be.   The mornings are pretty quiet without all the birds.  Some of the maple trees are turning a pretty orange.  I will have to get out this weekend and get some pictures. 

I bought some wood to frame the garden.  As soon as the tomato plant is finished I can dig in the last side. 

I only asked for good rain once a week during the night to keep thing well watered.  Instead we got some heavy storms going through.  The ground was saturated and my carrots were practically swimming.   We lost power one evening and so the basement partial flooded before we got the extension cords out and plugged into my neighbor 2 doors down and now we also have a leak in the roof.  This was a repeat of last Aug. and now we have purchased a small generator to keep the sump pump going.  Luckily we didn't lose any trees but the storm did knock over some of my pots. 

When things finally dried out I had to pick all the carrots and save only the one that didn't turn to mush from the hot, soggy ground.  Pepper plants are still hangin in there and if this heat continues we should have some peppers.  The tomato plant is still producing tomatoes and flowers.  I'll take as many as I can.   The apple trees are full, but not quite ready for pickin.   Looking forward to applesauce, apple crisp and smoked sausage with sauerkraut and apples, etc. 

Work and school for me have started up again, so I won't have too much time to spend in the yard on the week days.  Sniff, sniff.  

They're predicting rain all week long, too.  Lots of mosquitos!  I almost hate to go out to the garden or work around the yard there so bad.  Thank goodness I don't have to stand out there and water.  Did some trimming and weeding, but was getting eatin alive, so I stopped.   I need to get the pea plants out, but that will have to wait, too. 

Used some of the tomatoes and peppers for salsa.  Delish!   Also used some slices on our burgers along with the homegrown lettuce.  Made a coleslaw with the carrots and parsley from the garden.  

It's been pretty hot and humid around here, which is driving me nuts cause I love to be outside.  We have been getting some much needed rain, so for that I can't complain and after all it is August.  2 more weeks  and work & school start back up for me.  Where did the time go?  I know. . . spent gardening, taking pictures, reading, teaching and getting to know nature better. 

I had some alone time today, so I've spent it deleting the blank picutures and re-uploading the ones that were missing.  Boy, I hope that never happens again.  Thank goodness I hadn't deleted my pics off my hard drive after putting them on a disc.  I was debating doing that, too.  My folks enjoyed watching them on the CD I sent.  

I've been freezing & we're still eating from our garden.  The tomatoes are ripening.  I'll just freeze some for soups & sauces and if I can get 4 ripe at the same time along with the peppers, I'll make some salsa.  

We are losing one of our apple trees and I don't want to replace it with another, so I've been trying to come up with ideas for that spot.  It will get  full sun, which I don't have in pretty much of the rest of the yard now.  We have those nice bricks around the tree and I want to put them to good use,  so I'm thinking maybe a herb garden.  I like the pots and they can be brought inside during the winter, but it might be a nice spot for perennial herbs mixed flowers.  Just an idea.  Have till next spring to figure that out. 

I was looking into investing in another tree.  One that is free of fruits, nuts or seeds.  (with a crab apple and 2 apple trees I'm tired of raking & stepping in apple mush)  I was shown a pretty tree and a fast grower called Maple Autumn Blaze.   As I was driving home I thought. . . hum, why not save a maple tree that's growing around the house from one of  those whirlybird seeds.   So I went under the bushes in the back near my neighbors Maple tree and found me a good start on a Maple.  I planted it in a pot, so we'll see what happens.  Hey, a lot cheaper than $600.  If it doesn't make it there are plenty more where it came from and there's always next spring when the whirlybirds fly. 

Well, after all this business with the pictures I need to take a break and get some fresh, humid air.   I think August is the worst of the 12 months right there behind February.

It's been in the 90's for the past couple of days and doesn't look like it's going to cool down.  I need to get out and water after dinner. 

I finally got the brilliant idea to move the chewed pepper plants inside the fence where the radishes were.  They are coming back and I hope it's not too late to get some peppers.  Everything else is doing well.  We finally can eat some carrots with the lettuce.  I just discoved why my husband won't eat the veggies from the garden.  The cat is buried out in the back and I tried to tell him it wasn't anywhere near the garden.  My kids explained a few things that farm workers may do to food and then we had to stop cause we were eating dinner.  Strange, but I guess I can see where he's coming from.  Oh well. . .

My sage hasn't been looking too good.  The leaves are curling and turning dark brown.  Not enough water? too much water?  bugs?  I have to do some research to see whats going on.  All the other herbs are doing well and tasting great!   The Bleeding Heart is producing new foliage, so maybe it isn't a lost cause after all.  Just have to wait and see. 

Hard to believe its almost August.

Oh, dear. . . have been neglecting the house a bit.  My oldest had her tonsils removed on Thursday morning, so been in & out of the hospital rotating with my husband keeping her company.  She came home Friday late afternoon and we've been just keeping things quiet around here. 

We got some good rains and the weather cooled off nicely for the weekend.  On Saturday her & I picked all the peas that we could find that were ready and I blanched and froze them.  Looks like we are getting a fair amount of tomatoes.  Some nice big ones, too.  I hope nothing eats them. 

Got all the dropped apples cleaned up from under the trees.  I was having a hard time walking without twisting my ankles. 

Going to go online and see what I could plant now in the empty spot of the garden for a fall harvest. 

My pepper plants are done for.  Something (rabbit?) broke the green pepper to get at the top leaves.  Same with the Serrano pepper.   I know I should have gotten some fencing, but just kept forgetting when I was out and about.   Urrgghh!  Oh well, I will know better for next year. 

I pulled a carrot just to check how far along they are.  That one needed more time, so no carrots yet. 

Picked some peas to test out, but my daughter feels they need more time on the vine.   I'll give them a try for dinner tonight. 

I'm going to have to really start thinking about a new tree for the back yard to shade the porch.  The green apple tree is slowing dying or at least a big branch of it is turning brown and dropping its leaves.  

This has nothing to do with gardening, but the baby birds have left the house.  Their hangin around in the apple tree close by.  It's so quiet now.  I miss their little chirping every 5 mins when the parents came with food from morning till night.  My neightbor has a duck nest in her ground cover that we've been watching.  We had a scare yesterday, because another neighbor's cat was checking it out.  We think the babies will hatch sometime next week provided nothing happens to them. 

In the garden the carrots look like they are growing well.  Lots of greens at least.  My daughter picked a pea pod yesterday and we tasted them to see if they are ready.  This is my first attempt at peas and they looked and tasted fine.  We will be having peas for dinner this weekend.  Most of the spinach is gone and what's left I may try to save the seed.  Same with the radishes.  I've been reading up on seed saving.  The lettuce is half gone.  The pepper plants are starting to come back after being reduces to stalks by the bunnies.  I think it may be too late for them though. 

It's sad to see some flowers die out as the summer progresses, but then there is always something new blooming. 

PS:  My neighbor just informed me that the mommy duck has not been seen since 6 AM this morning.  She saw the cat around 7 AM and chased it away.  It was then that she noticed  4 of the 8 eggs were strewn in her front yard and emptied of their contents.  Was it the cat or something during the night?  Sad day for us as we were eagerly waiting the arrival of her babies.  We just hope she will return again and all will be well for the 4 surviving eggs, but it's not looking too good.

PSS:  Just missed a great shot of a hawk on my neighbors fence.  No wonder the birds were going nuts.  I bet he/she is looking for that chipmunk that scurries around here.  I'm still trying to get a shot of it myself, but it's too fast. 

Finally! ! !   I have been trying to capture a picture of the parents, feeding their young in our birdhouse.  I hear them all day long, but the minute I get as close as I can . . . they stop.   Plus working with a digital is hard because I can't hold it still and my eyesight just ain't what it use to be.  But I crouched down behind a foot stool and got the shot I've been waiting for.  Not as clear as I would like, but good enough.  You can even see the babies mouth open inside the house.  I almost had a Monarch feeding on my coneflower, but as soon as I snapped it the butterfly flew, so all I got was a nice shot of the coneflower. 

Well, back to reading before the sun gets too hot on the back porch.  I finished my outside work early this morning knowing it was going to be a hot one today.  The humidity is low so the 90 degrees isn't as bad as it can be. 

Things are growing good around here even with the lack of rain.  We've been enjoying lettuce and radish salads with store bought carrots.  I've been cooking with the fresh herbs.  Kids have been picking the raspberries right off the bush.  I sure hope the grapes produce next year.  I'm enjoying the cost savings, too. 

I'm already planning what to add, what to change and what to keep the same for next year.  My kids are really pushing for watermelon, cantelope and pumpkins.  The pepper plants have been eaten all the way to the top.  I didn't have enough chicken wire to enclose them, so I will plant only one row instead of two of radishes and move the peppers inside the fence.  I will try the watermelon, canelope and / or pumpkins in the pepper spot and train the to go out into the lawn, I guess.  I will have all winter to plan.

Today I will water and feed my containers plants.  They have been producing beautiful flowers for us to enjoy.