bloomin'

I planted these Baby Iris about 15 years ago. They were given to me by a co-worker. I don't think I have ever had more that 5 or 6 flowers on them.  Look what has happened this year!!  And there are more buds that haven't opened up!! The stars must all be aligned right.  I have a very brown thumb so these flowers have been left to do their own thing every year.  How cool!

spring giveaway winner

And the WINNER is...........

Christina at Signs of Obsession

Congratulations Christina!

Christina email me your address and I'll get these out to you ASAP so you can start planting those seeds.

Thank you to all who participated and to those who became new followers Welcome!  I had fun checking out all of your blogs.

I hope y'all  stop back and visit with me again.  

PS  I am still in a good mood thanks to all of you.

harvest time

Tomatoes are ready. I have never met a tomato that I didn't like except one - tomato soup in a can - yuk. So, while watching the Barefoot Contessa one day she was making Roasted Tomato Basil Soup - sounded delicious to me. I made it and now I am hooked. I make batches of this from the tomatoes in the garden and freeze it in 2 cup containers. This soup is good to take to work for lunch or for an easy dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Why don't you give it a try?

You can find the recipe here.

all american garden

Pumpkin plant is taking over.














Tomatoes are getting big.














Our first attempt with lettuce. Looks like we'll be eating a salad soon.

the fight continues

The holes where the woodchucks were coming and going were filled with cement. The neighbor next door said he saw all four of them hanging around his yard. Oops - too bad for him. Last night we found evidence that they were trying to dig again but it looks like they gave up. Move along little woodchuck - you are not wanted around here.

sunflowers are up

One of my favorite flowers are sunflowers. They are so cheerful to look at when they are in bloom. Some years I have good luck with them, some years not so good. Something always eats the tender shoots just as they are popping up out of the ground or if they do manage to grow the woodchucks eat the leaves. So this year I am trying the greenhouse effect. I planted the seeds and covered them with a cut in half soda or water bottle. I kept the bottle on the plant until it reached the top of the bottle. So far it seems to be working. Now if we could just have some sun.

woodchuck update

There has been some destruction of the newly planted marigolds. About 4 of the plants have had the flowers bitten off. Can't be entirely sure if it is the woodchucks or rabbits or the dog next door who likes to spend time in our yard now that he knows the woodchucks are living under the shed. This weekend we are going to get serious about getting rid of them before they get big and try to get into the garden. Woodchuck beware!

woodchuck be gone

We have woodchucks living under our shed. I have seen four babies. They are very destructive critters. They have gotten into our garden in past years and done much damage. So we have built a fence, buried the fence into the ground and now we're trying marigolds. I read that you should plant marigolds around your garden. Woodchucks don't like the smell of them. My husband planted a row of them all around the garden today. We'll see if it works. I finally got around to reading the directions for my new camera that I have had about 2 months. Enjoy these pictures.

iris and chair

snap pea update

I almost killed the peas today. I forgot to water them this morning and when I came home they were all drooped over. Yikes! I immediately pumped them up with fluids. They all look like they have recovered except one. I was doing so good. This picture shows how they looked before the near death experience.

snap peas are a growin'

Peas are on their way - yeah!!

woohoo! - success!

Pea sprouts are up - I see green.

wishing and hoping

Hm-m-m. Day 3 of the great snap pea challenge and no one has wished me luck. This can't be good. I need all the help I can get.

snap pea challenge

I have gathered all the stuff I need and I'm ready for the snap pea challenge. I have dirt, seeds, coffee grounds, eggshells, grow bulb, Jenna's instructions and pots. Wish me luck! I am going to need it.

brown thumb

I am not good at growing things. I have the desire but not the patience. Every spring we put in a garden. My husband does all the work. If those vegetables relied on me they would never get too far. I enjoy all the veggies but not the work. We grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Last summer we tried lettuce. I didn't like the kind that we planted - so it grew and grew and I wouldn't eat it. The neighbors were not as fussy as I was. They enjoyed the free food. I have been reading Jenna Woginrich's blog coldantlerfarm and have joined her challenge to grow snap peas. We are going to start growing our peas on February 15, indoors or outdoors depending on where you live. Mine, of course, will be grown indoors. You can't grow anything outdoors here in upstate New York until after Memorial Day. I have a window that gets sunlight most of the afternoon. I have my seeds and I'm ready to give it a go. I also bought some seeds for basil and cilantro. Wow, this is quite ambitious for me. I might become a gardner after all. I just need patience and I must remember that plants need water.