Inspired to Plant

Last weekend Stinkette and I spent a little time on the deck. I was focused on practical tasks like filing the new, supposedly squirrel-proof, birdfeeder and planting strawberries. Stinkette was beautifying. She was inspired. Last year around this time we went to visit my inlaws in Florida and spent a morning at one of my M-I-L's favorite places - Morikami Gardens. It was so lovely and peaceful. I took lot's of pictures that day like the one below of one of the bonsai. Stinkette was particularly taken with the container gardens and recalls examining them with her grandmother. So when we went to the nursery recently to get seeds for the veggie garden she asked to get supplies for a container garden to remind her of her grandmother and the day. She chose a few flowers, a pot, a little tree, some ground cover and a few props. The results are above. Now she wants to do more.

Close...

I'm still tired and not quite healthy but lately I'm feeling like I need to get back to the stuff I normally do, like gardening and taking pictures. Last weekend I kind of did both. At least I got close. I nailed the pictures part. This is one of my lilac bushes. I promised a friend some progress shots and that was before the winter reared it's ugly head again. Happily I can say that my lilacs continue to sprout leaves and show every intention of flowering soon. As for the gardening I've still got a bit of work to do. Stinkette and I went to the nursery last weekend and bought seeds and strawberry plants and a bunch of other stuff. Now we just need to plant the stuff. Like I said, we got close but we're not quite there yet.

The Garden Report - August 18

Well, I've given up on the broccoli. It did produce more florets after I cut it back but nothing terribly promising or enticing. The brussels sprouts are a similar disappointment. There are sprouts on the stalks but they're still rather puny. I'm not sure they'll ever amount to much.

I'm the only one who really tends the garden at all an since I was busy running around much of the summer it got pretty weedy. The green beans got lost in the overgrowth and by the time I saw them they were past theiir prime. Ditto for the green peppers. The animals got to some of it too.

Speaking of animals, that damn squirrel also got to my garden. Those last lovely strawberries that were ripening at the time of the last garden report - he swiped them! He also swiped a bunch of lovely little tomatoes from one of the 2 plants.



Thankfully that theiving pest didn't want the tomatoes on the other plant. Not sure why. Too big for him? Not his favorite variety? Whatever, I harvested these just the other day. I haven't tried any yet so I can't say how they taste but the miserable scoundrel didn't get them and i call that a win.

The big win for this year in the garden turned out to be zucchini. We had 3 zucchini plants in the garden this year - 2 that I started from seed planted new and one really tenacious return from last summer. Care to guess which one produced the most this year? Go figure!

Anyway, we've given away a few zucchini's but we're still up to our eyeballs in then so we're finding creative things to do with it. That may be worth a post all by itself.

Garden Report - July 22

Last weekend I finally had the time to devote a little attention to the garden and see what it's been doing and the answer was - a lot. It wasn't nearly as pathetic as I thought. Here is part of the harvest so far. The corn is a little sad, especially when you compare it to the zucchini. I put the salt shaer in there so that you can see how puny the corn was and how ginormous the zucchini is. I probably ought to have harvested them sooner but zucchini are sneaky little suckers. They hide under big, shady, leaves and you don't even know they're there half the time. This isn't all of it either! I gave another big one to our neighbor right after I clipped it and there are a few more still growing and blossoms too!



There was a bit of an accidental harvest too. I was weeding the garden and unearthed some of our potatoes. There ought to be plenty more where these came from but I want to wait for Stinkette to harvest them. It's kind of her thing. She'll harvest them and insist on making them into her special roasted potatoes for us. Yum! I hope they can wait.



The garden isn't finished yet either. There are 2 kinds of tomatoes growing in planter boxes on the deck. These are bigger and still quite green. The others are smaller and almost ripe. Maybe I'll share them next week.



Our broccoli experiment this year was a fail. It grew and at one point it looked kind of broccoli like but i kept waitig for it to get bigger and instead it went to flower. Oooops! I thought that my brussels sprouts were headed for failure as well and then I saw Margene's garden post which included a shot of her still growing brussels. It occurred to me that I was looking for progress the wrong way. I took a closer look and found these.



I can't wait to eat home grown sprouts. I'll steam then and they'll be great. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Garden Report - June 3rd

It feels like forever since I've had a real knitting post and this won't be one either but rest assured - they're coming. I just haven't had a lot of knitting time lately but, even so, in the past week I finished 2 pairs of socks and I hope to have modeled shots to share really soon.

In the absence of knitting to share let's turn to the garden again. Here's the corn. It'finally starting to look like something. I put it in a slightly different spot than last year and the formation is different too. Last year we had 4 stalks in a row and I learned that corn needs to be planted in tight groups to cross pollinate so this year I have 8 stalks in 2 rows side by side. It's also right next to my lavendar which is quite popular with the bees. Lets see how it does.



Here is a zucchini plant with 3 blossoms on it already. It looks like it should do really well this year... just like it did last year. Yup, this plant is a return from last year. I did plant new zucchini seedlings this year in a spot near this one but they're not quite at this point yet. When I saw this plant poking through the soil I suspected that it could be zucchini so I didn't pull it when I weeded and now I'm glad I followed my instincts.

Stung

Between the rain and general busyness it's been a while since I was able to spend much time in my garden. Last night I finally had a few free minutes and look what I found!



Way down deep in the heart of this broccoli plant I think I see florets. Since I've never grown broccoli before I really don't know what to expect but I think those are the start of florets. I cannot wait to eat home grown broccoli.

While I was out there exploring the new developments I noticed pretty purple flowers on my sage plants. And they were attracting bees. I was amazed at how easy it was to get this picture with the bee in it. I guess that he was so into that sage that he didn't even notice me.



Believe it or not I still have several seedlings to plant so after taking the pictures I did a little weeding to prepare an area for my green pepper plants... and I brushed up against a yellow jacket. Thankfully it was way more interested in my potato plants (and I don't blame it for that because they're goreous) than my arm but it still hurt. It was less of a full blown sting than a get out of my way peck but it still hurt a lot.

Stinkerbelle was a fantastic nurse and after some Advil and ice I went back out and planted 12 green pepper seedlings. The garden waits for no one!

Garden Report - May 20th

Aren't these blueberries lovely? Yeah, I didn't actually grow them for real. These are on one of 2 bushes that I bought this year. I'm going to plant these 2 and the original 3 in a new spot in the hope that they'll do better there. The reason I didn't plant them yet is that I didn't want to disturb the plant while it was producing berries.

It turns out that it didn't matter because the temporary home for these plants is right next to the bird house where the baby birds were. Duh! I hope that they enjoyed them.



Fortunately there are plenty of things that are growing well in our garden this summer and here's a peek at some of them.

This is broccoli. I know it doesn't look like it yet but the plants look healthy and seem to be growing well so I have faith that it'll look more broccoli-like soon.



Here's one of the plants that Stinkette is most excited about. Potatoes! We've got 4 plants in the garden and another 4 in a planter on the deck. For ages it seemed like nothing was happening and Bruce felt silly watering a pot of dirt but now they've sprouted into happy, leafy plants. Even if we only get a few potatoes it'll be worth it because the plants look so great on the deck.



Here's the last on to share today. It looks a lot like the broccoli but it's different. Can you guess what it is?



It's one of my favorite veggies - Brussels Sprouts.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's not all flowers and yarn around our house. There are other growing things like strawberries. This is one of about 8-10 that are in various stages of development on my deck. It's the only one that's turning red at this point but I'm encouraged. Let's hope it's yummy.

And look here. This looks like a mess but, in reaity, it's a whole lot of very neatly planted seedlings that are waiting for a good day for planting. A day without rain. Without an over stuffed schedule. Without frost warnings. Yup - frost warnings. I'm writing this on Tuesday night and they're talking about frost warnings again. Isn't the first day of May just 3 short days away?

Thank goodness my classes are indoors. First class is steeking. I can't wait.

I Forget

I had a very clever post for today fully composed in my head but now that I'm finally ready to write it all down - poof, it's evaporated. Good thing that my yard is so inspiring right now.



Is it terribly redundant to say that this past weekend turned out quite different from what I had planned. There was a spur of the moment sleep over, indecisiveness at the local nursery and a wicked migraine which all threw me off a bit.

I did get a lot done though. We planted broccoli, potatoes, and brussels sprouts and pondered where we'll put all of the other veggies that we'll be growing this summer. We have dozens of seedlings that are sprouting vigorously in our kitchen right now and I have no idea where we'll put them all. We'll just have to improvise.



How do you like these pictures of my lilacs? They are now in full bloom and I was a bit surprised to see that they're white. It's been so long since I planted then that I totally forgot. They're not very fragrant either. This is probably not a bad thing since 3 or the 4 members of our household have allergies. We're happy to see the pretty blooms without the scent.



I hope you like pictures of flowers and growing things because my yard is in bloom. Irises and peonies are about to pop and the crepe myrtles became quite leafy overnight. And the veggies... oh the veggies! I think the zucchini is trying to take over the world.

The Ever Evolving Yard

I'm still on Cherry Blossom watch and when I checked last night I saw changes already. Something is popping out of the buds I saw on Sunday. I just heard that the blossoms are supposed to peak aroung April 5th so i suppose it's no surprise that they're moving fast right now.



There are other changes in the landscape too. Here's what I saw when I took a really close look at the huge Euonymous bush that was near our carport. Externally it looked great with lots of fresh new leaves springing forth all over. On the inside it was horribly damaged. After cutting it back to remove the damaged parts it would've been little more than a stub. It had to come out and it did.



By the time I got home last night all that was left were the stumps. I was sure that we could get them out ourselves. I am really goot at supervising and stage directing. Heh! No, seriously, I got involved enough to make a muddy mess of my pretty Danskos. By the time we called it a day one of the 2 stumps was out and the other was on it's way.



I'd hate to end on a down note so here are my lilacs. When I planted them 2 or 3 years ago they were little more than twigs. Each year they get bigger and stronger but they've yet to flower. Could this be the year that we finally see it bloom?

Meet the Boss

Did you see the show last night? Did you see Undercover Boss? If you did then you'll recognize the guy standing between DQ and Bruce as our cousin Michael. The other person in this picture taken at a family event last November is their Uncle Steve. Can you see the family resemblance?



I think it was a good show and very true to the person we know Michael to be. He is very focused on his company but he's also unfailingly generous and I think that came through.

Excitement over the show was huge this weekend but we managed to get a few other things done. The big theme was the deck. We ate out there Friday and Saturday night. It was glorious!



Saturday I hit a local nursery for seeds and seedlings. This summer our garden will include the usual green peppers, corn, zucchini, pumpkins, and tomatoes but we're also trying a few new things. We'll attempt to grow broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes and spinach. Stinkette and I made a big mess on the deck on Saturday afternoon planting some of the spinach in the planter boxes (you can just see it peeking out) and re-doing the strawberry planter. If we can just remember to water all out lovely plants then we ought to be eating well this summer.

Water Your Plants

There are really good knitty things happening around the house right now. That Damn Vest now has a lovely "V" neck with a ribbed edge and hubbo is planning on what he'll wear with it Every. Single. Day. for the next year.

Even more than that there is another project blocking in my living room and a second sock is on my needles. Like I said - all good things ... but I don't have pictures of any of them yet. What I do have pictures of are veggies. Somewhat failed veggies.



I know that I was raving about the zucchini and the corn earlier this summer and they were delish. Now as the summer draws to a close it's time to cop to the failures. Like the tomatoes. We did finally get some growing on our plants and they were lovely. Sadly most of them are still green.



A few finally started turning red and I picked one but I also lost one that fell when i wasn't looking and now it's garden mush. Ick!

It just seems like everything in our garden is somewhat undersized and delayed this year. Next year I'll have to remember to plant stuff earlier and water, water, water. And then I'll water some more.



Look at this poor baby pepper. If it looked like this in June it'd be great but in September not so much. So sad.

Sweet Corn

All too often, we get home at the end of a long day of work or errands or both and suddenly realize that we haven't a clue what to eat for dinner. It rarely turns out well - except for last night when I had the presence of mind to check the garden and see what might be ready.



It turns out that there was a nice zucchini and 2 ears of corn that looked good to go. Add some steaks that we bought the day before and it was a great meal. The zucchini and a bit of fresh picked basil became fritters, the corn and the steaks went on the grill and I'm telling you - no restaurant could've offered a meal as satisfying as that. None!



The corn was a little small and it may have benefitted from a bit more time on the stalk but mine was delish. Sweet and creamy and soooooo good. I will definitely be growing corn again next year. No doubt at all!

Surprising and Delightful

It's only a week since I did a garden post but it seems like things are suddenly moving very fast in our garden. The pictures posted last week were pretty current at that point. They were encouraging but there seemed little chance that we'd be feasting on home grown veggies anytime too son. Boy was I wrong!

I returned home late Monday night and DH told me to go check the garden because the corn had shot up and become quite tall. He was right about that but, in a classic bruce move, he hadn't looked very closely and he totally missed the real news. Ther was a zucchini tucked away under the leaves.

I am sure that wasn't there when I left. I check just about every day.

That wasn't all though. Something very cool caught my eye.

Isn't the corn silk pretty? It looks so fresh and light. I can't wait to eat home grown corn! Now I need to read up and figure out how I'll know when to pick it.

Thankfully socks are a lot simpler. When it has a heel and a toe and a leg it's done.

This is Sunshine, the first pattern I'm doing from Cookie A's Sock Innovation. I'll talk about it and the yarn I'm using, Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra Handpaints, in a future post. Right now all that's important is that it's moving along well and I like it very much.

Oh yes, and I've got both a leg and a heel so this sock is nearly finished. Sadly, unlike zucchinis and corn - socks need mates.

Gardening Delights

I have often referred to our pathetic attempts to grow veggies as the Garden of Apathy but that's not quite right. I care very much about my little garden and I check on it almost every day to see what's new.

What I mean to say is that I am stubborn and I have a tendency to ignore the conventional wisdom on gardening. Ok, I disregard most of the planting guides, directions on the seed packets, and advice given to me at the local nursery too. Basically I regard that stuff as a suggestion and then I go with what works for me on the land I own in the little bit of time I can dedicate to the endeavour.

I plant stuff and hope it grows.



This year I upped the ante a bit by starting my own plants from seed but I did it late. I was also late in planting them outside in an area that I didn't properly prepare. So it's a huge happy surprise when I check the garden and find that corn is beginning to appear.



And there are zucchini flowers all over.



But the biggest kick this year is looking beneath the canopy of large leaves and seeing a whole other world down there. This year, in addition to the zucchini, I planted punpkins and they are taking over.

Zucchini likes to spread and it will easily take over the garden if you let it but pumpkin is a whole other story. It sends out these crazy, curly, tendrils that reach out across the area and grab onto whtever the find and don't let go. It makes weeding a bit more urgent because once a pumpkin tendril finds a weed... it's staying.



Then there's this.



It's cute and fuzzy now but imagine it a few months from now when it's big and round and orange. This fall we'll be eating pumpkin bread. Heck - pumpkin everything!

Good Things

Today is all about good things. I'm thrilled that there are enough of them to warrant a post.

First up is something I saw yesterday that will doubtless make lot's of people happy. If you follow this link it leads to a press release dated May 26th announcing that the National Book Festival will take place on September 26th, 2009. It reads in part:

"We are delighted that the President and Mrs. Obama are committed to bringing this inspirational event to people of all ages nationwide," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The National Book Festival has become a true American institution. It is a joyous and very popular celebration of books and reading in the Washington, D.C. area."

I couldn't agree more. Since the election I heard from many friends who felt, like me, that this event was one of the few positives about the previous administration and we were anxious to see that it continue. I am so happy to hear that it will and I've marked the date on my calendar. My family and I can't wait to se the list of authors appearing this year.

Another good thing is the progress I see in my garden. Despite a late start and crazy weather it seems that things are actually growing in our garden. The 4 corn stalks have transitioned well to from indoors to out and appear to be thriving. Our zucchini and pumpkin plants are also growing and close inspection revealed a blossom on one of the zucchini plants. I'm collecting zucchini recipes in anticipation of a fabulous harvest.

As if that wasn't enough,I finished the first Un-Stinky sock yesterday and immediately cast on for the mate. Even better, I'm nearly finished sewing in the picot hems on the little lacy dress and most of the ends are already woven in. Now i need to decide what to make next because naked needles cannot be tolerated.

What's making you happy today?

The Garden

My garden is suffering this year. From procrastination. Laziness. Good intentions. Too much rain.

Every year I buy seeds but until this year I never did anything with them. I put off planting them until it seems hopeless and finally give in and head to the local nursery to buy plants instead.

Not this year! I did procrastinate but then my stubborn streak came out and I decreed that we would plant our seeds no matter what. So far the experiment seems to be working out although I fear that we're a bit behind the curve.

Nearly 2 weeks ago we finally planted the seedlings outside. They look so pitiful and spindly and sad. The ones that seem the most encouraging are the green peppers that are curently living in planter boxes on the deck. We did well with green peppers in the past and had plenty to add to sauces and salads and everything. The picture above is nearly 2 weeks old and they look a bit more healthy now.

We tried 2 varieties of tomatoes this year in an effort to build on last summer's success. One is Roma and the other is ... umm... something else. It doesn't really matter because the survival of any of them seems questionable. I have a funny feeling that we'll be heading to the nursery to augment these seedlings with healthier plants. I'm totally ok with that.

Corn is one of the new additions to our garden this summer. We planted 4 stalks and so far they're all still standing. I remember planting corn in my garden as a kid but I have no idea if it was successful. It would be very cool to pick corn from my yard this summer.

Undeterred by the lack of success last year, we planted zucchini again. I'm sure last year was just a fluke. After the baseball bats we harvested the first year I cannot understand why we had so few zukes last summer. Last of bee activity perhaps? I'm thinking positive thoughts anyway and dreaming of a robust harvest.

This last picture is of another newcomer to our garden - pumpkins! I think it would be fabulous if we were successful with these. DQ loves to make pumpkin bread and homegrown jack-o-lanterns would be amazing.

We've got strawberries and basil and mint this year. I actually found most of what I hoped to plant but not peanuts. I'm really bummed about that but I haven't quite given up yet. Maybe I can find peanut plants over the internet.

Now that I finally got my seedlings started AND planted I need one more thing for some degree of garden success. SUN!!! My garden is well watered but my plants are begging for warm sunny days.

Fickle April

Spring is such a lovely time of year. I love seeing all of the buds on the trees and the flowers bursting out all over. April has been a little fickle though. Hasn't it. One day we're outside walking barefoot through the yard and the next we're bundled up again as if it's the dead of winter. I for one an definitely ready to put my winter coat away for the next few months.

Frost warnings be damned, I've been busy whipping our yard into shape. I planted hostas under my dogwood tree and doffodils and tulips near our mailbox. We found buds on my blueberry bushes and the tiger lilies look poised to make a great showing this year.

I'm not doing all the work myself though. On Friday the gardeners came to do the annual clean up and remove a yew to make way for the deck - yay! Anyway, the guys did a great job. They tamed the massive euonymous and blew all the leaves out of the bushes and so much more. Most of the work they did is great. There is just one problem. My irises.

I have a large-ish patch of irises on the side of my house that I love dearly. I watch for them every year and take a ridiculous number of pictures of them. I am a big fan of irises. As you can see in these pictures, they're about to pop. At least they were. It seems that our gardeners were a little overzealous with the leaf blowers and now most of my irises are hacked to death. In the larger picture in this post you can see a bud that has lost it's twin. It's just sad.

I'm not sure how to avoid this next year. Maybe if they came earlier in the season before the irises really got going it would help. This year I'll treasure the few hardy souls that withstood the onslaught.