Last Harvest of the Season

    Well, this is it for the season.  Time for picking the last of the vegetables and pulling plants before the first frost.  I'm truly glad it's over.  It was not a good season for me or my plants.  It could have been the extreme heat or the Lyme Disease I picked up from a deer tick on one of the hikes I took my grandsons on.
    I will have to say that we were impressed with the Swiss Chard I grew, for the first time.  I think I could start it next year indoors as it was small, but very tender.  The carrots were an after thought as I had space and didn't want to waste it.  Very small, but delicious.  Only two Sweet Hungarian Peppers off the one plant I bought for a taste test.  Won't bother next year.  Alot of cherry tomatoes at the end of the season, but not many during the summer.  My Better Boy Tomatoes didn't set many tomatoes, too hot.  Jalapeno Peppers did well and provided many jars of jam.  I tried Strawberry, Nectarine, Peach, and Cherry Jalapeno Jam.  Great on crackers and as a relish with meat.  I also had a great harvest from my North Star Cherry this year.  Maybe the fruit tree fertilizer I put down this spring.

    This was the first batch of compost from my new composter.  I kept thinking I shouldn't have wasted my money, but when I turned it out it wasn't too bad.  Much harder to use this than a regular compost pile.  You don't have the worms and other organisms to help brake it down.
    Will be thinking of new ideas for growing more vegetables next year.  My bean pole worked, but I didn't put enough effort into the garden.  Cucumbers seem to be a lost cause in my yard.  I think I need a fence and a soaker hose to make things easier.  Things to think about over the long cold winter!

Pictures on the 4th

A first for me, Sunflowers.  My son-in-law grows great sunflowers so I thought I would try them.  

       This dalia is about 3 ft. high this year.  Grown from my saved tubers, they seem to be bigger every year.

Most of my Bee Balm disappeared or came up much smaller.  I was glad I had put some extra next to the house ( as I can't seem to throw away perfectly good plants ).  I guess they didn't like being buried all winter.  I know I didn't!

                                     I think this is Japanese painted fern with a new coleus.

                             It's funny how my camera turns these dark purple petunias to blue.

I'm very protective of this one apple this year.  It's about 3 inches in diameter and I'm hoping nothing gets it.
   

Last, but not least, beautiful lilies.  These flowers are all on one stem.  They fell over so I tied them to the trellis.  Happy 4th of July!

An Aging Cherry Tree

    This cherry tree is probably 18 to 20 years old.  I can't remember what year I planted it, but we've been here over 21 years now.  It's called North star, a tart cooking cherry. This spring brought the most cherries I've ever seen.  I don't know if it was the fertilizer or the longest and coldest winter in years, but the birds and I had plenty.

                

    I picked small amounts all week as they ripened.  Very tiring to pit because they are such a small cherry.  I continued to pit and freeze till I had enough to do something with.

    

    The best cherry preserves I've tasted in a long time.  I wanted to eat it by the spoonful, but I jarred it instead.  I made a plain one and one that I added jalapenos to.  I still don't think it's hot enough, but will try again next year.                                                                                                           

My Vegetable Garden in June

   The vegetables are in and growing quickly.  Mesclun lettuce is up and being eaten already.  Swiss chard is up, but still small.  I've never grown it before, so don't know what to expect.

   I've built a rack on the left for my cucumbers, and put watermelon plants under it with jalapeno peppers in front of them.  Less weeding when you crowd everything.  In the middle is a bean pole for my pole beans, if the bunny stays away from my bean plants.  Trying a little homemade fencing to keep him away.

   A new addition to the yard.  I hope it works cause I really miss my compost I used to have in the spring.  More Mesclun lettuce under it.

   Chives are flowering and taste great in potato salad.  Being buried in snow all winter didn't seem to hurt them.

   These are my cucumber plants that I grew from seed.  I also planted more seeds last week end.  I have a great pickle recipe that I want to try.

The Start of a New Season

    After a terribly cold and long winter, I'm ready to go again!  It's the first week in May and the weather is finally warming up.  All of the plants I started indoors have been brought out on the deck to slowly get used to being outdoors.  Hoping not to "sunburn" them as I have in the past.  I started dahlias from tubers, and geraniums and coleus from cuttings. I have basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill started from seed.  My rosemary did well over wintering in the house and was blooming for most of the winter. Riley, my grandson, helped me start watermelon, sunflowers, pumpkins, acorn squash, zucchini, and summer squash.  I'm trying a new yellow cherry tomato and of course my better boy tomatoes.  I also have some cucumber plants that are about 8 inches long, and a few armenian cucumbers too.  Earlier this week I planted mesclun lettuce and swiss chard in my raised bed.  Here's hoping everything makes it!

The Hummingbird and the Bee

     I'm keeping the Hummingbird feeder full, as it's almost time for them to go.  I've had 3 or 4 of them all summer and they've been fun to watch, chasing each other under the awning and around my tomato plants.   I've also noticed that the bees will try to sting them when they come to the feeder.  So have a safe journey and I'll be watching for you next spring!

What's new in August

    This is an Armenian Cucumber.  I was surprised to see it hiding on the other side of the pot.  Hope it tastes good!

                                      Cleome is about 5 feet tall and beaten over by the rain.

                         An old stand by, Black-eyed Susans , in numerous places all over the yard.

                                                    Larger Tomatoes since early August.

                                                           Sweet 100's up against the deck.

                           And last but not least, Purple tall Phlox, a favorite of the Hummingbirds.

Plants That Just Appear!

    This Spiraea came to me from my neighbors yard.  I now have four large plants and am constantly weeding them out of my flower beds!  I also have one out front called 'Goldflame' that has yellow leaves that are bronze-red when young.  I cut these back to about 2 feet after they bloom and usually get more flowers on them.

    I'm thinking this is Evening Primrose.  I had this years ago and lost it, but I noticed a small amount last year and moved it to a better spot.  Maybe some seeds were left in the soil and took a while to sprout?

    The shrub on the right was probably given to me by the birds.  They eat the red berries and spread the seeds everywhere they go!  I can never remember the name of this shrub, but we always called them 'Pricker Bush' when I was a kid.  They can tear your arms up when you're trying to clean around them.  I'm sure I've forgotten other plants that had wandered in, but these are some of the ones I've enjoyed for free.

Cucumbers and Tomatoes

    Started a bucket of cucumbers this year.  I never seem to have any luck when I plant them in the ground.  I have quite a few cucumbers on the vine, with a lot more flowers coming.  This may be the way to go, no critters climbing the 2 foot pot to get at them.  I haven't seen any cucumber beetles either.

    Tomatoes are about six feet high already.  No large tomatoes yet, but it was August last year before I got my first one.

    I do have cherry tomatoes though.  I grew them from seed, Burpee Sweet 100's, and they are tough and small.  Nothing like the Sweet 100's I used to grow.  I'm hoping they'll get better as the season goes on, maybe a new variety next year?

    Dill is taking over.  I just love picking fresh herbs right out my back door!  We've been eating alot of basil too.  Yesterday I picked my first green beans and we ate them for supper.  Great tasting!

Peonies and Baptisia

    The Peonies look great this year, although the flowers are smaller.  The white ones in the background are a little larger than the pink.  I love the smell, as they remind me of a neighbor who grew them as big as my head, when I was a child.  The Baptisia is also smaller this year.  It was a long winter.  After they finish blooming, they will have dark grey seed pods that can be dried for decoration.

    My Pink Iris have multiplied this year.  I thought I was going to lose them a few years ago, but they've finally come back.

What's Flowering in Early June

It's June first and a look at what's flowering.  This Rhododendron is waiting for a haircut.  It has gotten so large that it really needs to be cut back and I'm just waiting for it to finish flowering.  I have cut back the Holly and Euonymus that grow along the fence.  Everything growing here has gotten too large and chocked out all the perennials in between them.                       

 



This is my Holly that was over 4 ft. tall.  Every leaf had died from a late frost.  I've cut it back in hopes that it will send out more leaves.  I don't know how long I can look at it, and there is a nice Alberta Spruce around the corner just waiting to take it's place! 

 



    Well, back to small pictures.  No matter how many times you complain about this site, they never seem to listen.  This is my tiered vegetable garden.  We are already eatting loose leaf lettuce, cilantro, and chives.  I've planted Better Boy Tomatoes and Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.  I've also got some Basil and carrots in there.

             Some Rhubarb is waiting for some recipes that don't involve pies or squares.

          



                                    

                               

                                        

                 I've cut my Golden Japanese Forest Grass into 4 plants to line the walkway up the stairs.   This has been a slow grower, but well worth the wait.      

              

                                    

 

                   Thanks,  Amy , for this clematis.  It's nice to have sisters that share their plants!

 

 

            The Poppies are flowering right under the Hummingbird feeder.  I put the feeder out the last week in April and I saw them there within a day or so.  I'm also watching a nest of Robins in the Holly bush against the fence.  They have been attacking any one that comes too close.  They actually know what birds will attack the babies and chase them away.  The Morning Doves are allowed right next to the baby bird that fell out of the nest, but the chipmunk was dive bombed and pecked!  I didn't see him there again.



Getting Ready!

 

 

    These miniature Daffodils are about 5 inches high.  The first thing to bloom in my yard this year.  My larger ones don't even have buds yet. 



 

    The end of my compost bin.  I'll probably get another 8 wheel barrels full.  This will make for a great vegetable garden in my tiers off the deck.  It really will be the end of my compost as it is falling apart and will be torn out when empty.  I guess I'll do some direct composting this fall instead.  After adding the compost, I planted some lettuce and dill seeds.  My tomatoes are in the house just waiting to get out here!

Hummingbird Moth

 

        This is a short video of a Hummingbird Moth in my back yard last year.  These moths feed on nectar from alot of different flowers.  They grow to be no bigger then two inches long.  The hair on their body looks like feathers and their wings are usually clear.  They seem to enjoy my Bee Balm.

The First Day of Spring?

 

 

    Is it really the first day of spring?  You could have fooled me!  A little warmer to-day, but still snow on the ground.  Will this winter ever end???

 

          I did notice an Iris or two popping up through the snow.  There is still a three foot pile of snow by my front door.  And even better news!  Back to the 20's next week!

 

        Seeds have been planted indoors a week or so ago.  Rosemary has survived coming in for the winter and can't wait to be back outside.  It actually flowered for most of the winter.  I have never seem it flower outside.

          Seedlings started popping up this week.  Better Boy and Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Dill, Purple and Green Basil, Cilantro, and Peppers.  I also started my Dahlia tubers and they were up within a few days.

                                                                                       
          My geraniums were planted up from the garage and are already going to flower.

 



          And this is my Meyer Lemon that I said anyone could grow.  Last week the leaves started turning yellow and fell off.  I think it was too close to the door and it burnt.  It had about 50 flower buds on it, but most have fallen off.  I think it hates the winter almost as much as I do!  Lets hope it's almost over.