best dessert recipes: Garden

Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

The Meyer Lemon Harvest

I had one last important gardening task to attend to last week just before the temperature dropped to below freezing here in Northeast Arkansas. I needed to pick my Meyer lemons before I repotted and pruned the little tree to bring it inside for the winter. I have watched and cared for my tree carefully for more than two years now, and this is the first time that it has produced fruit.

I knew far too little about growing lemons when I started, but just like first time parents often do with a new baby, I jumped in and did my best to take care of the little guy.

I watched as the tiny lemons developed and grew during the summer months.

It seemed to take forever for their color to change. They stayed in the green stage for a very long time.

The lemons finally were ripe enough to pick just before cold weather.

My small tree didn't produce very many lemons this first time, but since Meyer lemons are large I think there will be enough juice to make a nice tart. I've made lemon curd tarts before, but I've never had my own home grown lemons to use before.

Arkansas weather is not ideal for lemon trees, but I do have a sunny window that should keep my tree happy during the cold winter months. That small tree by the window reminds me of a youngster peering out the glass wishing for springtime to come again.

This post has been shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

I had one last important gardening task to attend to last week just before the temperature dropped to below freezing here in Northeast Arkansas. I needed to pick my Meyer lemons before I repotted and pruned the little tree to bring it inside for the winter. I have watched and cared for my tree carefully for more than two years now, and this is the first time that it has produced fruit.

I knew far too little about growing lemons when I started, but just like first time parents often do with a new baby, I jumped in and did my best to take care of the little guy.

I watched as the tiny lemons developed and grew during the summer months.

It seemed to take forever for their color to change. They stayed in the green stage for a very long time.

The lemons finally were ripe enough to pick just before cold weather.

My small tree didn't produce very many lemons this first time, but since Meyer lemons are large I think there will be enough juice to make a nice tart. I've made lemon curd tarts before, but I've never had my own home grown lemons to use before.

Arkansas weather is not ideal for lemon trees, but I do have a sunny window that should keep my tree happy during the cold winter months. That small tree by the window reminds me of a youngster peering out the glass wishing for springtime to come again.

This post has been shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

Tap...Tap...Tap

Watching the little hummingbirds come to sit and sip at the feeder that I put out among flowers has given me no small amount of pleasure during this past summer. I love their tiny size and the intensity of their color. I love the way their wings move in a blur of speed. I love their dainty long beaks made especially for sipping nectar. I even felt like their protector at times, such as the day I caught the praying mantis sitting as still as death on the feeder, waiting for one of my pretties to come by to be his next meal.

The weather has been getting noticeably cooler here and leaves have started to change color. With the changing seasons, I knew it was time for the hummingbirds to migrate south. Since this is the last week of September I knew they would been packing their bags for their southward journey most any day. Because of the cooler weather, when I saw that the feeder was empty on Friday I thought little of it.

Saturday morning as I leisurely sipped my coffee and scanned Pinterest at the kitchen counter, I heard a tap, tap, tapping at the window. Turning to see who or what needed my attention outside, I was amazed to see one of my elusive friends tapping on the window. Because this had never happened before, I can only assume the little bird wanted to let me know that the feeder just outside the window was empty. Maybe these birds aren't so shy after all, maybe being speedy is just their nature, or perhaps they have always flown away from me quickly because they don't like being photographed.

I immediately went out and filled the feeder and the hummingbirds came for a sweet treat. Could be they were needing breakfast before they started on their long journey. Or maybe they just wanted to say goodbye after a wonderful summer.

This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

Watching the little hummingbirds come to sit and sip at the feeder that I put out among flowers has given me no small amount of pleasure during this past summer. I love their tiny size and the intensity of their color. I love the way their wings move in a blur of speed. I love their dainty long beaks made especially for sipping nectar. I even felt like their protector at times, such as the day I caught the praying mantis sitting as still as death on the feeder, waiting for one of my pretties to come by to be his next meal.

The weather has been getting noticeably cooler here and leaves have started to change color. With the changing seasons, I knew it was time for the hummingbirds to migrate south. Since this is the last week of September I knew they would been packing their bags for their southward journey most any day. Because of the cooler weather, when I saw that the feeder was empty on Friday I thought little of it.

Saturday morning as I leisurely sipped my coffee and scanned Pinterest at the kitchen counter, I heard a tap, tap, tapping at the window. Turning to see who or what needed my attention outside, I was amazed to see one of my elusive friends tapping on the window. Because this had never happened before, I can only assume the little bird wanted to let me know that the feeder just outside the window was empty. Maybe these birds aren't so shy after all, maybe being speedy is just their nature, or perhaps they have always flown away from me quickly because they don't like being photographed.

I immediately went out and filled the feeder and the hummingbirds came for a sweet treat. Could be they were needing breakfast before they started on their long journey. Or maybe they just wanted to say goodbye after a wonderful summer.

This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

Saving My Hummingbirds

I had heard that a praying mantis was a ruthless predator, but it still surprised me when I found one sitting in an ambush mode on my hummingbird feeder this week. Would he really attack a prey that much larger than himself? I had to Google it and find out. I found several online videos of praying mantis attacks on hummingbirds, and some are so vicious they should be preceded with a warning of impending violence. I learned that the praying mantis will actually eat the hummingbird over several days.

I didn't want to hurt the praying mantis because he is a friendly garden predator who will devour aphids, fruit flies, spiders, moths and other pests, but I had to protect my pretty hummingbirds. I got a stick and coaxed him to grab onto it, then transported him to a distant part of my garden. Hopefully he will find other nourishment and will not make his way back to the hummingbirds. I'll keep an eye out for him just in case. He is permanently assigned to the relocation program.

This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

I had heard that a praying mantis was a ruthless predator, but it still surprised me when I found one sitting in an ambush mode on my hummingbird feeder this week. Would he really attack a prey that much larger than himself? I had to Google it and find out. I found several online videos of praying mantis attacks on hummingbirds, and some are so vicious they should be preceded with a warning of impending violence. I learned that the praying mantis will actually eat the hummingbird over several days.

I didn't want to hurt the praying mantis because he is a friendly garden predator who will devour aphids, fruit flies, spiders, moths and other pests, but I had to protect my pretty hummingbirds. I got a stick and coaxed him to grab onto it, then transported him to a distant part of my garden. Hopefully he will find other nourishment and will not make his way back to the hummingbirds. I'll keep an eye out for him just in case. He is permanently assigned to the relocation program.

This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

Elusive Garden Visitors

I love to watch the hummingbirds when they visit the flowers and come to the feeder at my house, but when I raise a camera they all want to skedaddle away. They are such delicate, pretty little birds, but they move faster than you can blink. I managed to catch a couple of them today sipping from the feeder before they zoomed away out of sight.

There was at least one more hummingbird in the group, but these were the only two I was quick enough to photograph today. Hummingbirds are a delight to watch, just be prepared to watch quickly.

I love to watch the hummingbirds when they visit the flowers and come to the feeder at my house, but when I raise a camera they all want to skedaddle away. They are such delicate, pretty little birds, but they move faster than you can blink. I managed to catch a couple of them today sipping from the feeder before they zoomed away out of sight.

There was at least one more hummingbird in the group, but these were the only two I was quick enough to photograph today. Hummingbirds are a delight to watch, just be prepared to watch quickly.

I'll Be a Gardener Yet

I lamented recently about the mockingbirds feasting on my ripe tomatoes. The birds may have won round one, but I've had a comeback. My container garden is now thriving, thanks to some bird netting.

I was so disappointed to find that the birds were watching my tomatoes just as closely as I was, and they helped themselves to some of the best ones just as they became perfectly ripe.

My solution was to cover each plant in this bird netting that I purchased at my garden supply store. I wrapped it around each plant and tucked it in around the bottom, making sure there were no holes that the birds could get in on the advice of reader J. Moore from Oregon because "birds are smart".

This netting has saved the rest of my tomatoes. The birds have not been able to get to the fruit, and I feel like I have conquered one more of the obstacles to being a successful gardener.

I lamented recently about the mockingbirds feasting on my ripe tomatoes. The birds may have won round one, but I've had a comeback. My container garden is now thriving, thanks to some bird netting.

I was so disappointed to find that the birds were watching my tomatoes just as closely as I was, and they helped themselves to some of the best ones just as they became perfectly ripe.

My solution was to cover each plant in this bird netting that I purchased at my garden supply store. I wrapped it around each plant and tucked it in around the bottom, making sure there were no holes that the birds could get in on the advice of reader J. Moore from Oregon because "birds are smart".

This netting has saved the rest of my tomatoes. The birds have not been able to get to the fruit, and I feel like I have conquered one more of the obstacles to being a successful gardener.

What I've Learned About Growing Tomatoes

All year I long for summer and for the taste of my own home grown, vine ripened tomatoes. My tomato garden is quite tiny though, as I have only two patio plants in pots and two plants growing in the flower bed. In spite of my lack of space, I know that even a few plants can produce an abundance of fruit if my thumb is green enough.

Tomatoes have not been easy for me to grow, and I have learned some valuable lessons by making mistakes with my tomato gardening. I have learned from other gardeners, by trial and error, and by reading about tomatoes. I have experimented with different varieties in past years, and some do better than others in the Arkansas heat. This year I am growing Bush Goliath plants in my patio pots and Better Boy plants in the flower bed. Both of these varieties can typically be counted on to be good producers.

When I visited Bean2Blog at Moss Mountain Farm and toured the P. Allen Smith gardens, we spent the day learning about soybeans, but I also picked up some valuable information on growing tomatoes. Allen had several raised beds in his one acre vegetable garden, and he told about the yearly rotation of his plants. We visited the farm in late May, and my tomatoes were already planted at home, so I was interested, but disappointed, to learn that tomatoes are one of the plants that should be on a scheduled rotation, not being returned to a plot for three years. I have planted mine in the same spot several years in a row, setting them up for problems with plant disease and pests, such as tobacco hornworms. I'll know better next year.

My patio plants are producing well this year and rewarded me with these beauties today.

I'm not the only one who likes the red, ripe tomatoes though. I have some mockingbirds around my backyard, and they are keeping a watchful eye on the tomatoes too. This is how they damage the fruit by pecking holes in the best red tomatoes, making them ruined for use.

I knew I needed to take some precautions against the birds, but I let the birds win the first round this year. Some people hang rubber snakes or something shiny or reflective to scare the birds away. Old computer CD's can be recycled for this by stringing them above the tomato plants. Since the birds only like the red mature fruit, another method to outsmart the birds would be to pick the fruit just before it gets fully ripe and let it finish the ripening indoors, but this would take away some of the vine ripened flavor of the tomato.

The method I plan to use is bird netting. This will cover and protect the tomatoes so the birds can't get to the fruit. By covering these green tomatoes with netting from the local garden center, I can protect them before they start ripening and the birds become interested in them.

Next year I'll be rotating my tomato beds to protect the plants from disease and pests, and I'll cover the plants in netting BEFORE the first tomato ripens. Growing tomatoes may not be easy, but I think given time it's an attainable goal, if only I can outsmart those birds.

This post was shared with:
Thriving on Thursdays
All My Bloggy Friends
Arkansas Women Bloggers

All year I long for summer and for the taste of my own home grown, vine ripened tomatoes. My tomato garden is quite tiny though, as I have only two patio plants in pots and two plants growing in the flower bed. In spite of my lack of space, I know that even a few plants can produce an abundance of fruit if my thumb is green enough.

Tomatoes have not been easy for me to grow, and I have learned some valuable lessons by making mistakes with my tomato gardening. I have learned from other gardeners, by trial and error, and by reading about tomatoes. I have experimented with different varieties in past years, and some do better than others in the Arkansas heat. This year I am growing Bush Goliath plants in my patio pots and Better Boy plants in the flower bed. Both of these varieties can typically be counted on to be good producers.

When I visited Bean2Blog at Moss Mountain Farm and toured the P. Allen Smith gardens, we spent the day learning about soybeans, but I also picked up some valuable information on growing tomatoes. Allen had several raised beds in his one acre vegetable garden, and he told about the yearly rotation of his plants. We visited the farm in late May, and my tomatoes were already planted at home, so I was interested, but disappointed, to learn that tomatoes are one of the plants that should be on a scheduled rotation, not being returned to a plot for three years. I have planted mine in the same spot several years in a row, setting them up for problems with plant disease and pests, such as tobacco hornworms. I'll know better next year.

My patio plants are producing well this year and rewarded me with these beauties today.

I'm not the only one who likes the red, ripe tomatoes though. I have some mockingbirds around my backyard, and they are keeping a watchful eye on the tomatoes too. This is how they damage the fruit by pecking holes in the best red tomatoes, making them ruined for use.

I knew I needed to take some precautions against the birds, but I let the birds win the first round this year. Some people hang rubber snakes or something shiny or reflective to scare the birds away. Old computer CD's can be recycled for this by stringing them above the tomato plants. Since the birds only like the red mature fruit, another method to outsmart the birds would be to pick the fruit just before it gets fully ripe and let it finish the ripening indoors, but this would take away some of the vine ripened flavor of the tomato.

The method I plan to use is bird netting. This will cover and protect the tomatoes so the birds can't get to the fruit. By covering these green tomatoes with netting from the local garden center, I can protect them before they start ripening and the birds become interested in them.

Next year I'll be rotating my tomato beds to protect the plants from disease and pests, and I'll cover the plants in netting BEFORE the first tomato ripens. Growing tomatoes may not be easy, but I think given time it's an attainable goal, if only I can outsmart those birds.

This post was shared with:
Thriving on Thursdays
All My Bloggy Friends
Arkansas Women Bloggers

From Bean2Blog to You - Edamame Seeds

Because I grew up on a dairy farm in Northeast Arkansas I have thought myself to be knowledgeable about agriculture, but the older I get, it seems the more I discover that is new to me. This week at P. Allen Smith's amazing Moss Mountain Farm I met up with other bloggers for a day of fun and education on soybeans, or the "miracle bean" as they have come to be called.

The Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm

Bean2Blog included tours, speakers, activities, forums, food, and entertainment. Our day was full, and there is much interesting information I would like to share in future posts, including how soybeans benefit all of us in so many different ways.

Part of our learning experience included viewing this bed of edamame soybeans that had been planted two weeks prior to our visit. Soybeans germinate and grow quickly, and each mature plant will produce 30 to 40 pods.

The bloggers and guests were given the full experience by being allowed to plant our own plot of edamame soybeans in the garden.

These four tiny soybean seeds that I personally planted will be expected to produce between 120 - 160 edamame pods at maturity.

Some of the most exciting agricultural news for consumers is the opening of an edamame processing plant in Mulberry, Arkansas. This is the only facility of its kind in the United States. Previously, edamame was an imported product from China and other Asian countries. Some farmers in Arkansas have started growing this edamame variety of soybean for marketing production at the Mulberry plant.

Edamame soybeans can also be grown in home gardens or in container gardens, but since the seeds are not readily available everywhere, some home gardeners may not get the opportunity to try growing this delicious protein-packed vegetable.

I'm one of the lucky ones who has some edamame seed to try in my garden this year, thanks to the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and P. Allen Smith, and I'd like to share my seeds with my readers. These seeds are the special variety that have been developed for the edamame that will be processed in the new plant in Mulberry. If you are are a gardener and would like to try growing some edamame at home, I have three packets of these seeds to give away.

Leave me a comment to let me know you would like to have the edamame seed and you will be automatically entered. Three winners will be randomly selected on June 1, 2013.

Because I grew up on a dairy farm in Northeast Arkansas I have thought myself to be knowledgeable about agriculture, but the older I get, it seems the more I discover that is new to me. This week at P. Allen Smith's amazing Moss Mountain Farm I met up with other bloggers for a day of fun and education on soybeans, or the "miracle bean" as they have come to be called.

The Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm

Bean2Blog included tours, speakers, activities, forums, food, and entertainment. Our day was full, and there is much interesting information I would like to share in future posts, including how soybeans benefit all of us in so many different ways.

Part of our learning experience included viewing this bed of edamame soybeans that had been planted two weeks prior to our visit. Soybeans germinate and grow quickly, and each mature plant will produce 30 to 40 pods.

The bloggers and guests were given the full experience by being allowed to plant our own plot of edamame soybeans in the garden.

These four tiny soybean seeds that I personally planted will be expected to produce between 120 - 160 edamame pods at maturity.

Some of the most exciting agricultural news for consumers is the opening of an edamame processing plant in Mulberry, Arkansas. This is the only facility of its kind in the United States. Previously, edamame was an imported product from China and other Asian countries. Some farmers in Arkansas have started growing this edamame variety of soybean for marketing production at the Mulberry plant.

Edamame soybeans can also be grown in home gardens or in container gardens, but since the seeds are not readily available everywhere, some home gardeners may not get the opportunity to try growing this delicious protein-packed vegetable.

I'm one of the lucky ones who has some edamame seed to try in my garden this year, thanks to the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and P. Allen Smith, and I'd like to share my seeds with my readers. These seeds are the special variety that have been developed for the edamame that will be processed in the new plant in Mulberry. If you are are a gardener and would like to try growing some edamame at home, I have three packets of these seeds to give away.

Leave me a comment to let me know you would like to have the edamame seed and you will be automatically entered. Three winners will be randomly selected on June 1, 2013.

Will Life Hand Me Lemons in 2013?

In the past, I had always assumed that when life handed someone lemons, as in the cliche, it must be a negative thing, but gardening has changed my view of life and lemons. I'm actually hoping, very much, that life will be handing me lemons this year.

Read more »

In the past, I had always assumed that when life handed someone lemons, as in the cliche, it must be a negative thing, but gardening has changed my view of life and lemons. I'm actually hoping, very much, that life will be handing me lemons this year.

Read more »

Mission Organization: Week 38 - Tips for Bringing Houseplants Inside for the Winter

Those unbearably hot days of summer are finally giving way to mild daytime temperatures and cool nights here in Northeastern Arkansas. It's time to change from shorts to jeans, to slip on a jacket, and to bring the houseplants inside before the first frost.

If your houseplants have been vacationing outside like mine, it's time to think about rounding them up and getting them in the house. Here are some tips I like for getting my houseplants back indoors:

Most houseplants need to come inside before night time temperatures reach 50 degrees F.
Check the plants for insects before you bring them inside. Wash the leaves and/or treat the plant leaves on the top and underside with insecticide to be sure you don't bring unwanted guests like spiders or aphids into the house. I found a praying mantis on one of mine. Where was he last week when my grandson needed him for his insect collection?
Repot the plants in clean pots with new potting soil to avoid bringing pests inside that have burrowed into the soil.
Avoid over watering after bringing the plants inside. Plants that you watered every day while outside will not need as much water inside the house. Wait until the soil surface is dry to the touch before watering.

Many people like to repot plants in the springtime, but I find that fall is also a good time to repot if houseplants have been outside for the summer. A clean pot and new potting soil will keep pests out of the house when you bring them back inside for the winter.

Placing a couple of coffee filters over the drain hole in the clean pot before you fill it with potting soil will help to keep the soil from draining down into the tray when you water.

One houseplant that I have nurtured for a little more than a year now is my Meyer lemon tree. When I first bought this plant in June of 2011, it was not much more than a twig. It has grown new branches and lots of leaves this summer.

Another plant that I brought inside for the winter is my Sago palm. Even though I technically live in the South, I'm too far north for this plant to survive our freezing winter temperatures. This plant got huge this summer!

I also brought my creeping Rosemary inside out of the cold. I'm not sure how this plant will do indoors, but I wanted to try to keep it green and growing inside this winter.

Some gardeners recommend a gradual transition from outdoors to indoors by bringing the plants in just during the night for a couple of weeks and then taking them back outside to enjoy the sunshine during the day. Fortunately, the sunny windows in my kitchen will help my plants transition well to being indoors again, so I repotted and made the move inside all in one day.

This post was shared with:
Stonegable Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits
Creative Juice Thursday
Mop it up Mondays

Those unbearably hot days of summer are finally giving way to mild daytime temperatures and cool nights here in Northeastern Arkansas. It's time to change from shorts to jeans, to slip on a jacket, and to bring the houseplants inside before the first frost.

If your houseplants have been vacationing outside like mine, it's time to think about rounding them up and getting them in the house. Here are some tips I like for getting my houseplants back indoors:

Most houseplants need to come inside before night time temperatures reach 50 degrees F.
Check the plants for insects before you bring them inside. Wash the leaves and/or treat the plant leaves on the top and underside with insecticide to be sure you don't bring unwanted guests like spiders or aphids into the house. I found a praying mantis on one of mine. Where was he last week when my grandson needed him for his insect collection?
Repot the plants in clean pots with new potting soil to avoid bringing pests inside that have burrowed into the soil.
Avoid over watering after bringing the plants inside. Plants that you watered every day while outside will not need as much water inside the house. Wait until the soil surface is dry to the touch before watering.

Many people like to repot plants in the springtime, but I find that fall is also a good time to repot if houseplants have been outside for the summer. A clean pot and new potting soil will keep pests out of the house when you bring them back inside for the winter.

Placing a couple of coffee filters over the drain hole in the clean pot before you fill it with potting soil will help to keep the soil from draining down into the tray when you water.

One houseplant that I have nurtured for a little more than a year now is my Meyer lemon tree. When I first bought this plant in June of 2011, it was not much more than a twig. It has grown new branches and lots of leaves this summer.

Another plant that I brought inside for the winter is my Sago palm. Even though I technically live in the South, I'm too far north for this plant to survive our freezing winter temperatures. This plant got huge this summer!

I also brought my creeping Rosemary inside out of the cold. I'm not sure how this plant will do indoors, but I wanted to try to keep it green and growing inside this winter.

Some gardeners recommend a gradual transition from outdoors to indoors by bringing the plants in just during the night for a couple of weeks and then taking them back outside to enjoy the sunshine during the day. Fortunately, the sunny windows in my kitchen will help my plants transition well to being indoors again, so I repotted and made the move inside all in one day.

This post was shared with:
Stonegable Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits
Creative Juice Thursday
Mop it up Mondays

My Nemo Blueberry

I have two blueberry bushes in my back yard that I set out last year, so this is the second season for them. They delighted me with some blueberries last year, and I have been looking forward to more of their tasty sweet fruit this year. I have been watching as they bloomed, then loaded up with the green berries, and gradually the berries began to turn to red. In the past week the berries were getting to the ripened, blue, ready-to-pick-any-day stage. I looked at them yesterday as I worked in the yard, but I didn't have my camera handy, so I didn't take any pictures of them at their peak.

Too bad I didn't, because this morning when I went to check on the blueberries this was what I found.

ONE blueberry. And it's not even a perfect one, kind of a puny reject.

It reminded me of the movie Finding Nemo when the dad, Marlin woke up and found that one lone egg. All the rest were gone.

Just as a matter of comparison, look at the difference in the blueberry that was left behind on my bush and one from my refrigerator.

The one on the left is an ordinary blueberry from the grocery store, and the one on the right is my Nemo blueberry. It makes me think of Nemo's one little under-developed fin.

I don't want to blame an innocent party, but I suspect I know who ate my berries, especially since only a few days ago there was an incident with my tomatoes. I couldn't exactly say who was guilty, but my first ripe tomato of the season also became a snack for some creature.

I don't want to point fingers, but this is one of my top suspects.

Next year I will be investing in netting to cover my blueberries so that I can do more than enjoy watching them grow. I had looked forward to eating them too. One of my favorite treats is yogurt topped with walnuts and a handful of fresh blueberries.

Like Marlin, I will cherish the one that is left, so today I will be enjoying my yogurt with walnuts and a fresh Nemo blueberry!

I have two blueberry bushes in my back yard that I set out last year, so this is the second season for them. They delighted me with some blueberries last year, and I have been looking forward to more of their tasty sweet fruit this year. I have been watching as they bloomed, then loaded up with the green berries, and gradually the berries began to turn to red. In the past week the berries were getting to the ripened, blue, ready-to-pick-any-day stage. I looked at them yesterday as I worked in the yard, but I didn't have my camera handy, so I didn't take any pictures of them at their peak.

Too bad I didn't, because this morning when I went to check on the blueberries this was what I found.

ONE blueberry. And it's not even a perfect one, kind of a puny reject.

It reminded me of the movie Finding Nemo when the dad, Marlin woke up and found that one lone egg. All the rest were gone.

Just as a matter of comparison, look at the difference in the blueberry that was left behind on my bush and one from my refrigerator.

The one on the left is an ordinary blueberry from the grocery store, and the one on the right is my Nemo blueberry. It makes me think of Nemo's one little under-developed fin.

I don't want to blame an innocent party, but I suspect I know who ate my berries, especially since only a few days ago there was an incident with my tomatoes. I couldn't exactly say who was guilty, but my first ripe tomato of the season also became a snack for some creature.

I don't want to point fingers, but this is one of my top suspects.

Next year I will be investing in netting to cover my blueberries so that I can do more than enjoy watching them grow. I had looked forward to eating them too. One of my favorite treats is yogurt topped with walnuts and a handful of fresh blueberries.

Like Marlin, I will cherish the one that is left, so today I will be enjoying my yogurt with walnuts and a fresh Nemo blueberry!

A Seedy Experiment

I learned how to do a "seedy experiment" at the Bean2Blog last week, so I thought I'd pass it along to those of you who aspire to be gardeners. Two of our speakers that day were students from the University of Arkansas. Kimberly is a Ph.D student in the Plant Pathology department and Faye is earning her Master's degree in Crop, Soil and Environmental Science. It was quickly evident that these two know beans about soybeans and other plants.

Faye is shown here on the left and Kimberly is on the right.

One topic that they talked about was seed germination, and how knowledge of this not only helps farmers, but it can also help the home gardener. I enjoy growing lots of flowers, and I even grow some vegetables, fruits, and herbs on a small scale. For the experiment each one of the bloggers attending the Bean2Blog was given a ziplock bag, a heavy piece of paper that was moistened and folded into fourths, and 10 soybean seeds. We put the seeds inside the moistened paper, then placed them inside the ziplock bag with one corner left open. We were asked to bring them home, to put them in a warm place, and to check them after several days to see how many had sprouted. That was on Tuesday, and by Friday this is how mine looked.

If you look closely at my seeds, you can see that all 10 have sprouted for a 100% germination rate! This is exciting to me because from this I learned that you can check the quality of your seeds before you plant them.

I think this is a great way to find out if the seeds you plan to use are "good" seeds or "dud" seeds. Early in the spring this year I planted seeds from packets similar to these in two large patio containers. One container was for lettuce and the other was for spinach. The lettuce came up everywhere the seeds fell, but the spinach was very spaced, skippy and sparse. If I had tested my seeds for germination rate in advance of planting I would have known that I needed to use more spinach seeds than the directions indicated, and I could have avoided such a disappointing crop.

This germination rate test would be a fun way to get your school-age children involved in gardening too. Let them set up the tests and calculate the germination rate for you (even very young children can count sprouted beans), then let them help you plant the seeds.

Kimberly and Faye had several other useful ideas for us, and one was how to make your own skin softening balm. I'll be sharing their recipe for that in a post soon!

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Mop it up Mondays

I learned how to do a "seedy experiment" at the Bean2Blog last week, so I thought I'd pass it along to those of you who aspire to be gardeners. Two of our speakers that day were students from the University of Arkansas. Kimberly is a Ph.D student in the Plant Pathology department and Faye is earning her Master's degree in Crop, Soil and Environmental Science. It was quickly evident that these two know beans about soybeans and other plants.

Faye is shown here on the left and Kimberly is on the right.

One topic that they talked about was seed germination, and how knowledge of this not only helps farmers, but it can also help the home gardener. I enjoy growing lots of flowers, and I even grow some vegetables, fruits, and herbs on a small scale. For the experiment each one of the bloggers attending the Bean2Blog was given a ziplock bag, a heavy piece of paper that was moistened and folded into fourths, and 10 soybean seeds. We put the seeds inside the moistened paper, then placed them inside the ziplock bag with one corner left open. We were asked to bring them home, to put them in a warm place, and to check them after several days to see how many had sprouted. That was on Tuesday, and by Friday this is how mine looked.

If you look closely at my seeds, you can see that all 10 have sprouted for a 100% germination rate! This is exciting to me because from this I learned that you can check the quality of your seeds before you plant them.

I think this is a great way to find out if the seeds you plan to use are "good" seeds or "dud" seeds. Early in the spring this year I planted seeds from packets similar to these in two large patio containers. One container was for lettuce and the other was for spinach. The lettuce came up everywhere the seeds fell, but the spinach was very spaced, skippy and sparse. If I had tested my seeds for germination rate in advance of planting I would have known that I needed to use more spinach seeds than the directions indicated, and I could have avoided such a disappointing crop.

This germination rate test would be a fun way to get your school-age children involved in gardening too. Let them set up the tests and calculate the germination rate for you (even very young children can count sprouted beans), then let them help you plant the seeds.

Kimberly and Faye had several other useful ideas for us, and one was how to make your own skin softening balm. I'll be sharing their recipe for that in a post soon!

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Mop it up Mondays

The Tomato Phantom

My backyard garden has two beautiful tomato plants this year, and I already have tomatoes that are getting ripe! Spring-like weather came so early this year that I was able to set the plants out much sooner than I typically do. They took off and grew, started blooming, and now the fruit is beginning to ripen. I have eagerly watched for the first ripe tomato, and knew it would be ready early this week.

On Sunday I went out to gather some Basil leaves for a salad, and glanced at my tomatoes nearby. I was truly horrified at what I saw.

Something had beat me to my first tomato, and there was a huge bite gone out of it! I was so disappointed!

But what had done this terrible thing? Could it be the little squirrels or rabbits that play in my yard? Or maybe one of the pretty birds that nest in the backyard trees? I hadn't seen a thing, so I don't know who the guilty party could be, but I didn't want this to happen again.

If a bird was the tomato muncher, maybe a rubber snake will scare him away.

And maybe two rubber snakes will even be better.

If the tomato-eater happens to be a squirrel and or a rabbit, I have geared up for them by sprinkling red peppers around the area to keep them out. I've been told that this needs to be reapplied every few days to be effective.

I'm not sure if either of these methods will work since I don't really know what enemy I am fighting, but I'll try these and see what happens. If any of you gardeners have other ideas, send them my way, please, I can't let the phantom devour my tomatoes!

My backyard garden has two beautiful tomato plants this year, and I already have tomatoes that are getting ripe! Spring-like weather came so early this year that I was able to set the plants out much sooner than I typically do. They took off and grew, started blooming, and now the fruit is beginning to ripen. I have eagerly watched for the first ripe tomato, and knew it would be ready early this week.

On Sunday I went out to gather some Basil leaves for a salad, and glanced at my tomatoes nearby. I was truly horrified at what I saw.

Something had beat me to my first tomato, and there was a huge bite gone out of it! I was so disappointed!

But what had done this terrible thing? Could it be the little squirrels or rabbits that play in my yard? Or maybe one of the pretty birds that nest in the backyard trees? I hadn't seen a thing, so I don't know who the guilty party could be, but I didn't want this to happen again.

If a bird was the tomato muncher, maybe a rubber snake will scare him away.

And maybe two rubber snakes will even be better.

If the tomato-eater happens to be a squirrel and or a rabbit, I have geared up for them by sprinkling red peppers around the area to keep them out. I've been told that this needs to be reapplied every few days to be effective.

I'm not sure if either of these methods will work since I don't really know what enemy I am fighting, but I'll try these and see what happens. If any of you gardeners have other ideas, send them my way, please, I can't let the phantom devour my tomatoes!

A Shade Garden Under the Slide

My grandson Landon and I spent most of the day Friday outside. His school was closed to observe Good Friday, so he came to my house to stay with me while his parents were working. He loves to be outside, and he calls himself my "yard man" because he likes to help with any work around the yard.

We have a tree house swing set with a slide for the grandchildren in our back yard. On Friday Landon looked it over and suggested that we "fix it up" around the slide. The area underneath the slide wasn't too pretty. I agreed that it needed some improvement.

Most of the day it is shaded under the slide. There are several trees nearby, and the slide itself casts a shadow, so if we were going to grow anything there it was going to have to be shade friendly plants.

The first thing we did was to dig out all the grass and weeds. That was the hardest part.

Then we made a trip to Lowe's, where we bought gardening soil, mulch, and plants.We read all the plant tags and carefully selected several that are shade lovers.

Landon helped by hauling all our supplies to the back yard in his gator.

We planted a Hosta Plantain Lily, several Caladiums, and a number of Impatiens in our shade garden. All the plants are now mulched, watered, and ready to grow.

I think Landon and I used our Friday play time in a very constructive way by "fixing up" the area underneath his slide. I'm looking forward to watching our shade garden grow this year.

This post was shared with:
Petals to Picots Friday Link Party
Momnivore's Dilemma Creative Juice Thursday
Junk in their Trunk Link it up Wednesday
The Shady Porch Rock n Share
Your Cozy Home Party

My grandson Landon and I spent most of the day Friday outside. His school was closed to observe Good Friday, so he came to my house to stay with me while his parents were working. He loves to be outside, and he calls himself my "yard man" because he likes to help with any work around the yard.

We have a tree house swing set with a slide for the grandchildren in our back yard. On Friday Landon looked it over and suggested that we "fix it up" around the slide. The area underneath the slide wasn't too pretty. I agreed that it needed some improvement.

Most of the day it is shaded under the slide. There are several trees nearby, and the slide itself casts a shadow, so if we were going to grow anything there it was going to have to be shade friendly plants.

The first thing we did was to dig out all the grass and weeds. That was the hardest part.

Then we made a trip to Lowe's, where we bought gardening soil, mulch, and plants.We read all the plant tags and carefully selected several that are shade lovers.

Landon helped by hauling all our supplies to the back yard in his gator.

We planted a Hosta Plantain Lily, several Caladiums, and a number of Impatiens in our shade garden. All the plants are now mulched, watered, and ready to grow.

I think Landon and I used our Friday play time in a very constructive way by "fixing up" the area underneath his slide. I'm looking forward to watching our shade garden grow this year.

This post was shared with:
Petals to Picots Friday Link Party
Momnivore's Dilemma Creative Juice Thursday
Junk in their Trunk Link it up Wednesday
The Shady Porch Rock n Share
Your Cozy Home Party

What's Blooming This Winter

On these cold winter days I have a little springtime blooming in my kitchen. Back in the fall I planted some hyacinth bulbs in pots and set them by my kitchen windows. I have patiently watered and waited, and now I have finally been rewarded with some brilliant color beginning to open up.

There was only a little green showing on January 1, but I was happy to see that the bulbs were growing.

After emerging from the dirt the progress was evident each day.

Watching the hyacinths grow makes me feel like spring is just around the corner.

My Christmas cactus also budded up for a second showing. When I was working as a counselor, another counselor in my office gave me a little start for this plant from hers, and now it has grown to be huge.

It blooms every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and sometimes at other times as well. Since it has given me some February blooms this month I could call it my Valentine cactus.

I love having a little color inside during the winter months. Indoors or outdoors, my plants make me happy!

On these cold winter days I have a little springtime blooming in my kitchen. Back in the fall I planted some hyacinth bulbs in pots and set them by my kitchen windows. I have patiently watered and waited, and now I have finally been rewarded with some brilliant color beginning to open up.

There was only a little green showing on January 1, but I was happy to see that the bulbs were growing.

After emerging from the dirt the progress was evident each day.

Watching the hyacinths grow makes me feel like spring is just around the corner.

My Christmas cactus also budded up for a second showing. When I was working as a counselor, another counselor in my office gave me a little start for this plant from hers, and now it has grown to be huge.

It blooms every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and sometimes at other times as well. Since it has given me some February blooms this month I could call it my Valentine cactus.

I love having a little color inside during the winter months. Indoors or outdoors, my plants make me happy!

Wrapping Up the Season

There was a chill in the air today that felt like summer was really over. I decided it was time to say good-bye to the two tomato plants that I have called my garden this year. After the wet spring and then the summer drought, they had finally started to grow again and produce some tomatoes, but now that cold weather is coming they won't have a chance to ripen before frost. So today I made the last harvest and brought the green tomatoes inside.

This is all that is left after the heat of summer took its toll, not to mention the critters I fought to keep those plants alive. Too bad they didn't have just a few more weeks of warm weather to finish growing and to ripen on the vine. I'm hopeful that they'll ripen indoors now though.

I also needed to bring my Meyer lemon tree inside for the winter. I have nurtured the little twig all summer, and I hope she'll be happy beside this sunny window in my kitchen until next spring. I really think next summer I'll see blooms and some lemons.

My blueberry bushes should be able to winter outdoors, but I will keep a close watch on them. I am already looking forward to next spring and trying to do better with my gardening.

I have a couple of books to study over the winter months that might help me improve my gardening skills. So that's my plan, study up, and tackle the garden again early next spring.

There was a chill in the air today that felt like summer was really over. I decided it was time to say good-bye to the two tomato plants that I have called my garden this year. After the wet spring and then the summer drought, they had finally started to grow again and produce some tomatoes, but now that cold weather is coming they won't have a chance to ripen before frost. So today I made the last harvest and brought the green tomatoes inside.

This is all that is left after the heat of summer took its toll, not to mention the critters I fought to keep those plants alive. Too bad they didn't have just a few more weeks of warm weather to finish growing and to ripen on the vine. I'm hopeful that they'll ripen indoors now though.

I also needed to bring my Meyer lemon tree inside for the winter. I have nurtured the little twig all summer, and I hope she'll be happy beside this sunny window in my kitchen until next spring. I really think next summer I'll see blooms and some lemons.

My blueberry bushes should be able to winter outdoors, but I will keep a close watch on them. I am already looking forward to next spring and trying to do better with my gardening.

I have a couple of books to study over the winter months that might help me improve my gardening skills. So that's my plan, study up, and tackle the garden again early next spring.