tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58978316068200512812024-03-13T06:21:32.093-07:00Cannedam GardensJust your average woman growing stuff.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-19881487593539839662012-08-30T10:40:00.000-07:002012-08-30T10:41:56.726-07:00My Greatest Gardening Challenge Nets My Greatest Gardening Discovery<br />
I was not expecting to move this summer. We'd started our seeds over winter, planted the seedlings in the ground (and in planters) and were nurturing them along when life said, “don't get too comfortable, now.” <br />
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Challenge: can one move mature garden vegetables successfully? My instincts told me “no.” I've gardened most of my life. I've never transplanted anything in the middle of summer. That would be begging for trouble. <br />
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A googling I went. Sure enough, there was a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFOFWy0rEEc">how-to video</a> for moving mature tomato plants. If it works for tomatoes, it should work for peppers, right? According to the video, we needed to prep the plants by digging around them and breaking their roots, letting them recover from that shock in their original positions by watering them thoroughly over the next two weeks before removing and transplanting. <br />
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I would not be moving the plants to another garden plot, though. I would be transplanting them to planters. Tomatoes are large plants that need a lot of soil for their roots and plenty of nutrients to support their intense, rapid growth and fruiting.<br />
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A project that had been tickling at the back of my mind for over a year was sub-irrigated planters. During my mid-winter gardening research (if I can call stumbling about the Internet somewhat haphazardly 'research') I came across <a href="http://www.insideurbangreen.org/about-the-blogger.html">Bob Hyland</a>'s <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/sets/">Flickr photostream</a> of his research and work with sub-irrigated planters. Bob is the founder of the <a href="http://www.insideurbangreen.org/center-for-urban-greenscaping/">Center for Urban Greenscaping</a> and has spent years perfecting the way he makes sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). His photostreams showed convincing results (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/6901935542/sizes/l/in/set-72157629381936042/">coffee trees in New York</a>!) that compelled me to give SIPs a try. The instructions are sketchy in his photostreams, however, and I felt no confidence in moving forward. When life suggested I get moving, the time was right to give these sub-irrigated planters a go. I worked from memory knowing my memory was shoddy at best. I managed to mash the instructions for<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/sets/72157604735985648/with/2519975430/"> smaller SIPs</a> with the <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5190496/turn-storage-containers-into-self-watering-tomato-planters">instructions for larger SIP</a>s, but the results two months later are great. From memory, I needed a reservoir for the water, wicking material to draw the water into the planters, and a pipe of some sort to be able to add water to the reservoir without dismantling the planter. I had forgotten an overflow hole (remedied quickly with a drill). <br />
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I gathered food-grade plastic five gallon buckets for the tomatoes and other, smaller ones for the peppers. Since the pepper plants were small and easy to work around, we transplanted those first. Once they were in the planters we positioned the planters in mostly shade and watched for signs of shock. One plant pouted a bit – the leaves and stems were droopy that day and the next. By the third day, the droopy plant was fine as were all the other pepper planters. This was back in June. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnwDSPNDE2s/UD-btpaTgGI/AAAAAAAABBM/qCfUMSuDgOQ/s1600/Inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnwDSPNDE2s/UD-btpaTgGI/AAAAAAAABBM/qCfUMSuDgOQ/s320/Inside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of planter bucket. Wicking material is poly fabric. Section of garden hose is used for refilling the reservoir.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EpOKYzGu8yI/UD-cZoAx3hI/AAAAAAAABB4/n_Pcb_y-j9w/s1600/underside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EpOKYzGu8yI/UD-cZoAx3hI/AAAAAAAABB4/n_Pcb_y-j9w/s320/underside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wicking material hangs down into water of reservoir. (This is the part I got wrong, but seems to have worked throughout this season.) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmapzL35zSg/UD-b48elc-I/AAAAAAAABBU/AI1dRrla4L4/s1600/completed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmapzL35zSg/UD-b48elc-I/AAAAAAAABBU/AI1dRrla4L4/s320/completed.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly transplanted. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nrQZ17eRSqU/UD-cKl6oq_I/AAAAAAAABBo/k40j0ivsmY4/s1600/funnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nrQZ17eRSqU/UD-cKl6oq_I/AAAAAAAABBo/k40j0ivsmY4/s320/funnel.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I use a funnel to add water. </td></tr>
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We went on to transplant 12 pepper plants with equal results and three tomato plants. The tomatoes were enormous! They wilted terribly when moved, despite having prepared them 10 days previous. We stopped at the third plant because we didn't think they were going to make it. During the actual move, one of the tomato plants dropped 30 green tomatoes. I thought for sure these plants were going to succumb to the shock and die. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LN54b-_XtVY/UD-cQJhVDLI/AAAAAAAABBw/pQYECyqEwjw/s1600/tomato2weekspost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LN54b-_XtVY/UD-cQJhVDLI/AAAAAAAABBw/pQYECyqEwjw/s320/tomato2weekspost.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a beast! </td></tr>
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They did not! They rallied and within a week were no longer wilted or drooping. I damaged one of the plants trying to stake it after transplanting it when it was wilting so severely. I broke several branches and decided to stop there and never staked it. Of course, none of this was ideal for the tomatoes. Saving the three plants we did, we've been able to put up enough sauce and chopped tomatoes for a winter's worth of spaghetti, soups, and chili! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXemTH4-L54/UD-cGqBLwoI/AAAAAAAABBg/cLypD6vFvgM/s1600/fullgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXemTH4-L54/UD-cGqBLwoI/AAAAAAAABBg/cLypD6vFvgM/s320/fullgarden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the planters in their new home. </td></tr>
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The peppers, though, have behaved as if nothing ever happened. They've produced heavily. I did not have time to make all the transplant containers sub-irrigated and not knowing if SIPs would make much difference anyway, several of the planters are just regular drain-holes-in-the-bottom planters. And this is where my big discovery comes in. Since June in record-high temperatures with record-low rainfall, I have had to add water to the sub-irrigated planters TWICE! Twice! The regular planters all must be watered daily, twice a day on very hot days! Not the sub-irrigated planters. This is astounding! I do fertilize with a liquid fish and seaweed emulsion once a week for the peppers, but that is it. Every day I check my planters and every day the soil in the SIPs is moist. This is a Very Big Deal! I imagine I save about a gallon of water a day on each sub-irrigated planter. The plants in them are happy, healthy, and incredibly productive! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--AWbbdF5Xcs/UD-it1zCNTI/AAAAAAAABCU/If6AlbLKkeM/s1600/side-by-side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--AWbbdF5Xcs/UD-it1zCNTI/AAAAAAAABCU/If6AlbLKkeM/s400/side-by-side.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SIP on left. Standard planter on right. Note how dark and glossy the leaves are on the SIP and how pale the leaves are on the pepper in the standard planter. Soil is the same. Fertilizing schedule is the same. The only difference is the water reservoir on the SIP. (Can you see I added an overflow hole on the SIP bucket? )</td></tr>
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You can bet every planter I make from now on will be sub-irrigated! <br />
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As a PS, I don`t want anyone to confuse or conflate SIPs with self-watering planters. You can buy <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033ABIUK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033ABIUK&linkCode=as2&tag=mundanacitybl-20%22%3EApollo%20Plastics%20E010-CABERNET%2010-Inch%20Self%20Watering%20Planter,%20Cabernet%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mundanacitybl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0033ABIUK%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">self-watering planters</a> just about anywhere now-a-days, but commercially produced SIPs are hard to come by. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JUW8RE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JUW8RE&linkCode=as2&tag=mundanacitybl-20%22%3EEarthBox%201010002%20Garden%20Kit,%20Terra%20Cotta%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mundanacitybl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000JUW8RE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Earthbox</a> is one and there are others. I have several self-watering planters and my experience with them is that they don`t make much difference at all from standard planters. Using them outdoors, I need to water as frequently as I do with any of the standard planters. I suspect that the large fill hole in the side of the planter allows for evaporation. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fTGjw2U2L9E/UD-j98GNjiI/AAAAAAAABCc/d4yMhV4Ec_Q/s1600/selfWateringplanter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fTGjw2U2L9E/UD-j98GNjiI/AAAAAAAABCc/d4yMhV4Ec_Q/s320/selfWateringplanter.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a self-watering planter with 4 peppers in it. The seashells are only there to keep the squirrels from digging. I overcrowded this planter and clearly not enough nutrients are getting to the one super cherry plant in the foreground. (There are four pepper plants in this planter. Ideally, there would only be one. These are not transplants, however. They started out this way.) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhvZvTJEudg/UD-kFqY7J2I/AAAAAAAABCk/9i2yS9VlKDo/s1600/swp-hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhvZvTJEudg/UD-kFqY7J2I/AAAAAAAABCk/9i2yS9VlKDo/s320/swp-hole.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sure the reservoir hole allows for evaporation. I have to fill this daily, sometimes twice daily. </td></tr>
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<br />CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-64110894732971279022012-05-31T16:22:00.000-07:002012-05-31T16:22:29.066-07:00Squirrels! BAH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Squirrels are the bane of my gardening existence. They dig out seeds I've just planted. Chew the tops off pepper plants, tomato plants, and sunflowers! I sometimes wonder if they're doing me a favor as topping those plants causes them to be bushier -- including the sunflowers! Instead of a single flower head, there will be many when the squirrels have chewed the tops from one. They dig out newly planted plants, too. They dig in all my planters, leaving heaps of dirt all over the place!</div>
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I know. I probably shouldn't feed him if he gives me so much trouble. This table is on my porch just outside one kitchen window where the cats like to lounge. Feeding him here is great entertainment for the cats. Although, two of my cats go outdoors and I do have (expletive laced) video of my 24-pound tuxedo cat sitting lazily only 4 inches away from the squirrel watching him with mild curiosity. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAvJJIEzcT0/T8atcGkaj7I/AAAAAAAAA7c/iMfMys8pFlU/s1600/squirreland+mess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAvJJIEzcT0/T8atcGkaj7I/AAAAAAAAA7c/iMfMys8pFlU/s400/squirreland+mess.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Every year I search for ways to stop the squirrels' destruction. Usually I cover the tops of my planters with rocks and shells I've gathered from the beaches. This does stop them from digging in those. I'm never surprised when a bean plant starts growing in a row where I did not plant beans. It's nothing I did. It's the squirrel's doing.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BA1zQyXN1rU/T8atyXjqMII/AAAAAAAAA7k/D7pm2_ft9QM/s1600/GEDC0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BA1zQyXN1rU/T8atyXjqMII/AAAAAAAAA7k/D7pm2_ft9QM/s400/GEDC0178.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is my potted blueberry. We amended the soil to reach the correct pH and still it was a little sweeter than blueberries prefer. So I started taking my coffee grounds out to the planter in the mornings to help increase the acidity. What do you know? When I added coffee grounds to the top of the planter, the squirrel stopped digging. It's a good thing I love coffee! I'll be spreading these everywhere! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgzN3Khy9rE/T8at4mv9EKI/AAAAAAAAA7s/_mwGBRBpgpI/s1600/pepperswithshells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgzN3Khy9rE/T8at4mv9EKI/AAAAAAAAA7s/_mwGBRBpgpI/s400/pepperswithshells.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This chili pepper planter is covered in clam shells. The bit of soil on the porch was from the squirrel's last dig before I added the shells. <br />
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Last year, I lost most of the spinach in my salad box to the squirrels. They would dig it up, eat it, just make a wreck of the whole box. This year, I sprouted everything under bird netting. Once it got too tall for the bird netting, I removed the bird netting. As soon as I did, holes everywhere! Squirrels! Bah! I moved my salad box from a too shady location to a too sunny location, so had to give my lettuce and spinach some shade. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJZDBh4h1no/T8f0n2gtDCI/AAAAAAAAA88/hcMovOn-grQ/s1600/saladbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJZDBh4h1no/T8f0n2gtDCI/AAAAAAAAA88/hcMovOn-grQ/s400/saladbox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The squirrels aren't afraid to climb in on the sides and dig, or even in the small, two-inch gap between the two shades! So we had to make some more modifications before we could start our cucumbers in the back row. (In this picture you can see the leeks that overwintered in this box. They were TASTY! Normally leeks wouldn't survive a winter in this region, but last year's winter was incredibly mild.)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjcfjpA-U-w/T8f4mT0ITRI/AAAAAAAAA9U/UW2BSDg4lxc/s1600/squirrelproofsaladbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjcfjpA-U-w/T8f4mT0ITRI/AAAAAAAAA9U/UW2BSDg4lxc/s400/squirrelproofsaladbox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are trays from garden centers used to hold all the cell packs of flowers and such. I knew I hung onto them for a reason! (They come in handy for harvesting.) We stapled these to the sides of the box to keep the squirrels out. It's working. Look how happy the lettuce is, too! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_iadQtEvBuQ/T8f60olVryI/AAAAAAAAA9o/Ld8RoUtbLyo/s1600/cukesprouts_safe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_iadQtEvBuQ/T8f60olVryI/AAAAAAAAA9o/Ld8RoUtbLyo/s400/cukesprouts_safe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The cukes are sprouting happily. And the squirrel isn't going to get them! </div>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-24404691349262673772012-05-22T08:18:00.003-07:002012-05-22T08:18:29.352-07:00Weed 'em and Reap!Does your yard look like mine? <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-38tkZe01aD0/T7sJuc6kHyI/AAAAAAAAA6s/P3Ao4cF5Q-4/s1600/GEDC0339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-38tkZe01aD0/T7sJuc6kHyI/AAAAAAAAA6s/P3Ao4cF5Q-4/s400/GEDC0339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, the dandelions are winning. No doubt this is thanks to my dandelion loving youngest child who spreads seeds around with abandon every year. Last year, he requested a dandelion birthday cake. He really loves dandelions! </div>
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What to do when you have an abundance of dandelion blossoms? Make dandelion wine! Which is exactly what we did. </div>
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I was lucky to have come across the recipe the way I did. I was leafing through one of my old cookbooks (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399110054/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mundanacitybl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399110054%22%3EThe%20New%20York%20times%20heritage%20cook%20book%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mundanacitybl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399110054%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">The New York Times Heritage Cookbook, 1972 edition</a>) for inspiration and came across several dandelion recipes days before the dandelions were in full bloom. The recipe was simple and I figured "Why not?" <br />
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I'm sure the neighbours thought we were nuts out there plucking dandelion blooms and putting them into a 2-quart sized Easter bucket! I found it was easiest to just slip two fingers beneath the bloom and pull up in order to get only blossom and no stem. You don't want any stems, just blossoms. Read the whole recipe before you get started as this is a several-day process (but easy!)<br />
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<h3>
Dandelion Wine</h3>
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4 quarts boiling water</div>
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4 quarts dandelion blossoms, washed</div>
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3 lemons</div>
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3 oranges</div>
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3.5 pounds sugar (8 cups)</div>
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1/2 cake compressed yeast or one and one-half teaspoons active dry yeast, dissolved in two tablespoons lukewarm water</div>
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<li>Pour the boiling water over the washed blossoms (I simply added the blossoms to the pot of boiling water and stirred to submerge them all) and return to a boil. Cool and set aside, covered, for three days. (I covered with the pot lid and let it sit on a back burner for the three days.) </li>
<li>Strain, discarding blossoms (put these right in the compost bin or even directly on the garden, they won't go to seed now that they've been cooked!) </li>
<li>Cut the colored rind from the lemons and oranges (wash them well then use a very fine peeler or paring knife to remove ONLY the colored rind and NONE of the white pith -- try to get no white at all). Add the colored rinds to to the strained liquid. Bring to a boil and boil fifteen minutes. </li>
<li>Juice the orange and lemons and add the juice and pulp and sugar to the liquid and stir well. (The oranges and lemons fall apart using a hand juicer, it's messy but it will do the job.) Cool. </li>
<li>After it has cooled, add the yeast and pour the brew in a container to ferment in a cool place for a week to ten days. I used a plastic gallon jug to ferment mine in. I had about 4 inches of space in the top of the container and yes it expanded and it bubbled over a little bit. I only had the screw-cap top on. Anyone who makes wine regularly says to use a fermentation lock, which will fit on top of a gallon container - usually glass. I recall my parents making wine and using balloons in place of the fermentation lock. Poke several holes in the top of the balloon, fit it to the top of the container and let the balloon fall inside the jug. It will raise with the carbon dioxide which will escape the holes. When it deflates completely, it's done. (Instructions for a balloon are <a href="http://www.warpbreach.com/6/6.html">here</a>.)</li>
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When you set the wine aside to ferment, it doesn't look pretty. It's foamy and brownish and cloudy. In a few days the bits inside will settle and the liquid will clear. I let my wine sit for 12 days before I strained and bottled it. I strained it using a wire mesh strainer but now I wish I had put a coffee filter inside that wire mesh strainer as well. I put it into 4 standard-sized wine bottles, corked them and put them away. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPHZ_P5HLkE/T7usIjPrXKI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/GoJwE_Owmzw/s1600/winewithglass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPHZ_P5HLkE/T7usIjPrXKI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/GoJwE_Owmzw/s400/winewithglass2.jpg" width="400" /></a><div>
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This holiday weekend, we tried our wine. It is good! It's very sweet, though. Researching online I see that with a short fermentation time one can reduce the sugar and also if you let it ferment longer, the sugar gets eaten in the process resulting in a less sweet wine. It's quite citrusy, too. I can see having lemonade coolers using this wine during the summer. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-igNSCqhu7tg/T7urtrud0sI/AAAAAAAAA64/KzhhEJa24wI/s1600/bottleandglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-igNSCqhu7tg/T7urtrud0sI/AAAAAAAAA64/KzhhEJa24wI/s400/bottleandglass.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Can you feel the anticipation? </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEhD-X7AVZ8/T7urzoWgO3I/AAAAAAAAA7A/WrFe12pw-4M/s1600/glass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEhD-X7AVZ8/T7urzoWgO3I/AAAAAAAAA7A/WrFe12pw-4M/s400/glass2.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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It is good! I like it chilled. </div>
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<br /></div>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-34798399897602925362012-04-19T17:43:00.000-07:002012-04-19T17:47:00.845-07:00Freecycle Score for the Garden!Do you <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">freecycle</a>? Freecycle is truly a grass-roots movement that's spread world-wide. Community members freecycle items to one another instead of sending those items on to landfills. You can search for your local community at the link above. Locally we started a plantcycle group to share garden plants with one another. <br />
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This is my most recent freecycle score: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WdtqtbhhAXQ/T5CtL_12SsI/AAAAAAAAA50/KDk3K5fydpg/s1600/birdbathNstatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WdtqtbhhAXQ/T5CtL_12SsI/AAAAAAAAA50/KDk3K5fydpg/s400/birdbathNstatue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This statue and birdbath were gifted to me by a local freecycler who no longer wanted them.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ayxWzJh2fFE/T5CtTun_FzI/AAAAAAAAA58/MW8oTV9o4lA/s1600/boystatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ayxWzJh2fFE/T5CtTun_FzI/AAAAAAAAA58/MW8oTV9o4lA/s320/boystatue.jpg" width="169" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I'll be placing the boy somewhere else. I can plant something shallow rooted in the base. I'm thinking Sweet Alyssum, or perhaps a succulent or stonecrop of some sort.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MowNjNU5QCU/T5CtgYRL5vI/AAAAAAAAA6E/-Nie6vz8rKo/s1600/justbirdbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MowNjNU5QCU/T5CtgYRL5vI/AAAAAAAAA6E/-Nie6vz8rKo/s400/justbirdbath.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's enormous! About 3' across and 8" deep. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgKACvDR8QY/T5Ct0luLPMI/AAAAAAAAA6M/pXwgfM77yes/s1600/planterside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgKACvDR8QY/T5Ct0luLPMI/AAAAAAAAA6M/pXwgfM77yes/s400/planterside.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It holds an 8" planter. The hamster wheel in my brain is turning furiously trying to decide what I'll plant in it. Something tall in the center, surrounded by something dangly. <br />
What do you think? </td></tr>
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Last fall I saved this chair from the landfill by yanking it off the curb on trash day: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5yoLUfzkJzA/T5CwXsjCJVI/AAAAAAAAA6U/e2dRQoyuIqI/s1600/chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5yoLUfzkJzA/T5CwXsjCJVI/AAAAAAAAA6U/e2dRQoyuIqI/s320/chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It will be a planter when I'm done with it and I think it will go near the birdbath. I will blog its transformation. </div>
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<br /></div>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-87161547743231258642012-04-17T18:27:00.000-07:002012-04-17T18:32:57.031-07:00Get Creative Growing Runner Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AXZv5dNNKUo/T44PWe2MJxI/AAAAAAAAA5M/B-oFGorpEgA/s1600/beanscloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AXZv5dNNKUo/T44PWe2MJxI/AAAAAAAAA5M/B-oFGorpEgA/s200/beanscloseup.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Runner beans are beans that grow on vining plants. Usually runner beans are grown for dried beans instead of fresh green beans (though most runner beans can be eaten as fresh green beans when they are small and immature.) <br />
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Our two favourite varieties of runner bean are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaseolus_coccineus">Scarlet Runner Bean</a> (Phaseolus coccineus) and <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/heirloom-rattlesnake-pole-bean-C1925">Rattlesnake Bean</a>. We like Scarlet Runners best because they are very productive, covered in a profusion of small red flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and have a delicate, sweet-nutty flavour. The Rattlesnake Bean is also productive, though the vines don't grow quite as tall as Scarlet Runners will. The flowers are paler, but also lovely. The beans, if picked young, have that true green bean flavour that you might remember from childhood. As dried beans, I found them unremarkable, though they do make a good addition to a cold bean salad. <br />
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Runner beans prefer to be planted in warm soil, so you have plenty of time in zones 7 and below to plan how you'd like to plant your runner beans.
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If you have children or grandchildren, you might like to plant the beans around a bean tepee. Just be sure to leave an opening for the kids to enter. Rattlesnake beans are perfect for the bean tepee as their colourful, twisted pods are fascinating to young (and old) eyes! I didn't make the base of ours quite wide enough when I did this. I recommend a diameter of about 10 feet. Push poles into the soil, lean them together at the top center and bind well with twine. You can reinforce with twine around the midsection, too. Runner beans snake up vertically and do not need horizontal lines to grab onto, but plants like peas would. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qPvM0YHuaBc/T44RBMCd9uI/AAAAAAAAA5k/BLPdAQP9URY/s1600/beanTP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qPvM0YHuaBc/T44RBMCd9uI/AAAAAAAAA5k/BLPdAQP9URY/s400/beanTP.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean tepee filling in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uyBz6skipa4/T44RFbLzmzI/AAAAAAAAA5s/BzWgNxxeYwc/s1600/beanteepee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uyBz6skipa4/T44RFbLzmzI/AAAAAAAAA5s/BzWgNxxeYwc/s400/beanteepee.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean tepee filled in.</td></tr>
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For something that doesn't take up a great deal of space, but gives an amazing yield; try growing runner beans up a single pole with multiple vertical lines running down to the ground from the center. We use the shepherd's hook my brother made for me and all our other siblings for this every summer. It's 7' high, impossible to uproot, and creates a visually appealing living statuary in the garden. From 2' square of soil at its base, where the beans are planted, we yielded a bushel of beans last year! We attached guide lines from the top of the pole to the soil in a circle for the beans to climb to the top. At the top we ran twine to the corner of the garage. The beans made it all the way to the corner by the end of the season! That's about 20 feet! I've heard of other people running twine from their house to the soil and creating a living wall that cooled the home and blocked bright sunlight in the summer months that would otherwise warm the house a great deal. Imagine a wall of beans and scarlet flowers! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etqNECWedk8/T44PS_SK3NI/AAAAAAAAA5E/Vw1Q8be131A/s1600/beanpolesept1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etqNECWedk8/T44PS_SK3NI/AAAAAAAAA5E/Vw1Q8be131A/s400/beanpolesept1.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet Runner Beans growing up a 7' shepherd's hook and across twine. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNYVCu3L9IQ/T44PXOPJUMI/AAAAAAAAA5U/0hAV1xJ1xfs/s1600/beansoverlantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNYVCu3L9IQ/T44PXOPJUMI/AAAAAAAAA5U/0hAV1xJ1xfs/s400/beansoverlantern.jpg" width="343" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the size of the beans; the candle lantern is about 16" long from top to bottom. </td></tr>
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Here's a tip for removing the beans from the pods: put the beans, once they are completely dry, on a tarp or in a burlap bag and walk on them! That's A LOT easier than what I've done in the past, which left my hands cramped and my back sore! </div>
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At the end of the season, don't yank the plants from the soil. Instead, cut them off at the soil line and leave the roots to rot in the ground. Beans are nitrogen fixers, meaning they pull nitrogen out of the air and convert it into food for plants. Nodules, small bumps, will appear on the roots of beans and other nitrogen fixers (clovers and peas et.al.). To let that nitrogen be available the following growing season, let those roots stay in the ground where the nitrogen will remain available for the next plants. </div>
<br />CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-60243914740796982162011-10-18T07:21:00.000-07:002011-10-18T07:21:16.207-07:00Internet Resources for GardenersPlant identification, help with plant problems, and a great deal of gardening information can be found at the <a href="http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/index.php">UBC Botantical Gardens Forums</a>. I have had many unknown-to-me plants identified by the members there and received a great deal of helpful advice. <br />
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Everything from gardening ideas, success stories, and advice can be found at the <a href="http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/">Garden Web forums</a>. Topics are well organized and plentiful. I find it can be time consuming to search information in this forum because many topics can be quite long. That may also be due to my tendency to wander off topic when I find something that interests me. <br />
<br />
The gardening section at <a href="http://www.almanac.com/gardening">The Old Farmer's Almanac</a> contains a wealth of information easily accessed and understood. I often refer to the planting dates (you can input your postal code or zip code and it will return information specific for your growing area) and even seed starting dates for your area. I find moon planting interesting, but I'm not sure if there's really anything to it. My father planted 'by the moon' and was quite the successful gardener; but I can't say that the two are truly connected.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-16977381978806916512011-10-17T06:55:00.000-07:002011-10-17T06:55:54.338-07:00Old gardens, new gardens and resolutionsThree years ago we moved and I left behind the gardens I'd worked so hard to build. It was a difficult, but necessary move. In return visits I see the new owners have dug up or mowed over the 40 hostas and bed full of <a href="http://cannedam.blogspot.com/2008/08/garden-pictures-for-beginning-of-august.html">ajuga</a> I'd planted. I got a hernia planting that particular side yard. Trees and bushes have been left to sprawl and the rock garden looks like a weed bed as it hasn't been tended at all. It's a painful thing to see. I know they are no longer mine, but all that work and effort has truly become a waste.<br />
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Because of that, I've taken a different approach to my gardening. It is entirely for my enjoyment and more utilitarian than in past. I know that we will not be at this location forever, either, so I'm not expending a great deal of efforts on permanent gardens. Instead, I'm using more planters and the beds are full of annuals. They can easily be seeded with grass once we're done here. <br />
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I like planters because they are portable, I control the growing medium (instead of the soil controlling me as is often the case with difficult soils), I can manipulate the light they receive easily, and one planter is more easily remedied than a bed full of disease or pests. <br />
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I've been avidly reading <a href="http://www.questionandplanter.com/">Question and Planter.com</a> for tips and suggestions and finding that I seem to hoarde the knowledge I've gained over the past 30 years to myself. It isn't intentional. I often do not realize that some of what i know is <i>not </i>common knowledge.<i> </i>Not everyone grew up with a landscaping father who taught his kids as much of what he knew as he possibly could over the years.<br />
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I'm not making promises as I'm fairly busy, but I am going to try to post more frequently and share information that I find invaluable even if I think it is common. <br />
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Are you planning next years' gardens yet?CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-38137514447014059662011-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:002011-08-23T07:00:13.785-07:00More Zucchini! More Zucchini Recipes!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i3J0XRBUhw0/TlHefEgallI/AAAAAAAAA2I/7SOspPZBHIM/s1600/zucchini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i3J0XRBUhw0/TlHefEgallI/AAAAAAAAA2I/7SOspPZBHIM/s320/zucchini.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini, just right for sauteing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op8evyL9QDM/TlHfCnE3HGI/AAAAAAAAA2U/rh38emfkZBA/s1600/garden-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op8evyL9QDM/TlHfCnE3HGI/AAAAAAAAA2U/rh38emfkZBA/s320/garden-front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a single hill of bush-type zucchini and took over the entire row by the end of the season, <br />
and crowded onto the next row, too. The rows are 6' across. </td></tr>
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</div>This is the first year I've grown zucchini. It's always so cheap at the farmer's market -- they're nearly giving the stuff away. The plant looked lovely in the greenhouse this spring and I had an empty row in my garden, so I figured why not. It's a fairly fuss-free plant without many issues. Powdery mildew attempted to get a start thanks to the weather and whatever bugs dragged it in on their feet, but we halted that. It's so simple to grow, I'm saving seeds for next year. <br />
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I promised more recipes, and here is another: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Zucchini-Pumpkin-Raisin Quickbread</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<ul><li>1/2 c vegetable oil</li>
<li>1 cup sugar (I mix 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white/splenda)</li>
</ul><ul><li>3 large eggs</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
</ul><ul><li>2 cups shredded zucchini</li>
<li>1 cup solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)</li>
</ul><ul><li>2 cups flour</li>
<li>2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/4 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
</ul><ul><li>1 cup raisins </li>
</ul><div><ol><li>Mix first 2 ingredients in large bowl. </li>
<li>Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. </li>
<li>Add zucchini and pumpkin, mix well.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. </li>
<li>Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix until just combined. </li>
<li>Stir in raisins. Pour mixture into a single large loaf pan or four small loaf pans. </li>
<li>Bake at 350 for 1 hour (large loaf pan) or 30 minutes for 4 small loaf pans. Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely before slicing. </li>
</ol><div>Remember that extra large zucchini in my last post? I've only used half of it so far. </div><div>Bake </div></div>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-69914381163342108822011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:002011-08-22T07:00:04.370-07:00What to Do with the Fruits of the Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdjOqVGc7EE/TlHZln_xPGI/AAAAAAAAA2E/5x3Y96GvKXo/s1600/zucchini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdjOqVGc7EE/TlHZln_xPGI/AAAAAAAAA2E/5x3Y96GvKXo/s400/zucchini.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, that is a very large zucchini. More than a foot long and about 6" diameter at its widest point. While we like a bit of young (small) zucchini sauteed with other vegetables, the whole family loves when I use the larger ones for baking. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My husband didn't think he'd like zucchini bread so I developed the following recipe to suit his tastes. It's always a hit. I make several loaves, slice them and freeze the slices to add to lunchboxes throughout the year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Spiced Zucchini Raisin Quick Bread</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>2 cups flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice</li>
<li>1 3/4 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
</ul><ul><li>1/2 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>1 cup sugar (I use splenda and I've often reduced this to 1/2 cup without any complaints)</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1/2 cup oil</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
</ul><ul><li>2 cups shredded zucchini (you can add up to 3 cups without distorting the flavour or texture. It just gets more moist! Leave the peels on when you shred it.)</li>
<li>1/2 cup raisins</li>
<li>1/2 cup milk</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Sift the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl. </li>
<li>Mix the next 5 ingredients in a separate, large bowl. </li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl slowly, alternating with the milk until fully mixed.</li>
<li>Stir in the zucchini and raisins. Pour into one large or four small loaf pans.</li>
<li>Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes (four small loaf pans) or one hour (a single, large loaf pan.) </li>
<li>Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from pans to wire rack to cool completely before slicing. </li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll be posting more recipes in the coming days. Afterall, what do we garden for if not to enjoy the fruits of our labours? </div><br />
CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-11999487632104376052008-10-08T12:54:00.001-07:002008-10-08T12:59:08.803-07:00Holy Fat Carrots, Batman!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SO0QJgpBMQI/AAAAAAAAAhY/8kfN2Px8TOg/s1600-h/width.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SO0QJgpBMQI/AAAAAAAAAhY/8kfN2Px8TOg/s400/width.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254874095778083074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SO0QJ94DJvI/AAAAAAAAAhg/N8bbo2cqwRw/s1600-h/Length.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SO0QJ94DJvI/AAAAAAAAAhg/N8bbo2cqwRw/s400/Length.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254874103625754354" border="0" /></a><br />Yeh, the centimeters don't mean anything to me, either. They're about 6" long & 6" across. The really fat one, I need to take a tape measure to it, because I think it's about 10" circumference. These were winter storage carrots that got so darned fat. My other carrots were long and pretty thick, too, but nothing like this! Have a half bushel to slice & freeze this week.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-84186558528417915542008-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:002008-09-29T23:42:31.735-07:00Gardening Mistakes I Hope Not to Make Next YearI don't think I want to plant sunflowers near my vegetable garden. Two years in a row they are covered in powdery mildew and spread it on to the other plants. I love the sunflowers, don't get me wrong. I do not like my cucumbers covered in the powdery mildew. I'll see if the city will let me plant them around the telephone pole in the tree lawn. I think they'd be happy there and my veggies will be safe.<br /><br />Peppers....I'll plant them much earlier next year and start them inside much earlier than I did last year. I think we got started in March. I'll try early February next year so that they're much larger.<br /><br />Maters....I won't crowd them so much. Though they did fine, it's a real pain to pick them and I think they'll mature more quickly with a bit more space.<br /><br />Beans....I'm planting more of them, a different variety & I'll have a finch feeder nearby. Those bean beetles really pissed me off.<br /><br />Nematodes. I'm buying some as early as I can. The kind that eat all the bad nasties hiding in the soil waiting to eat our plants...like those bean beetles. Grrrr.<br /><br />Better soil in the square foot boxes. I'm not entirely sold on <a href="http://www.squarefootgardening.com/html/body_what_s_new4.html#IMPROVEMENT%20#%203:%20MEL%27S%20MIX">Mel's Mix </a>though I might have to try it in one box just for comparison. I don't like the idea of using Peat Moss so heavily. Despite what the Canadian government says about our Peat Moss supplies being perfectly fine...it's still a limited resource and what kind of damage are we doing to the environments from which we strip it?<br /><br />I'll use more of my front flower beds for vegetables. I have plans, oh I have plans. I had tomatoes out there this year and they tasted amazing being next to a garden oregano plant. Just wonderful. Now I'll plant a few more things out there.<br /><br />I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of for now.<br /><br />Sorry for the long absence. Gardening has been kind of sucky recently, plus my camera was broken so....no pictures.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-16893827407853367712008-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:002008-08-31T09:00:00.941-07:00Chinese Lantern HarvestRemember that patch of Chinese Lanterns?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLglIUKxNxI/AAAAAAAAAf0/FELgZr2yvhk/s1600-h/ChineseLanterns.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLglIUKxNxI/AAAAAAAAAf0/FELgZr2yvhk/s400/ChineseLanterns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239978991228630802" border="0" /></a>I harvested several stems full of them, defoliated the stems, then bound one end in twine:<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgk5CbvLqI/AAAAAAAAAfk/3uZOABL6QMk/s1600-h/ChineseLanternsontable.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgk5CbvLqI/AAAAAAAAAfk/3uZOABL6QMk/s400/ChineseLanternsontable.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239978728769924770" border="0" /></a>Then I sprayed the lanterns with hairspray and hung them to dry:<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgk5XILxxI/AAAAAAAAAfs/_M8mGyrbqz0/s1600-h/Hungtodry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgk5XILxxI/AAAAAAAAAfs/_M8mGyrbqz0/s400/Hungtodry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239978734325057298" border="0" /></a>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-39544238908977297182008-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:002008-08-30T08:00:00.491-07:00SON OF A BEAN BEETLE!So I went out to harvest beans yesterday and guess what I found?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZRKRbU0I/AAAAAAAAAec/OYIAfE6FtEE/s1600-h/3+fat+larva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZRKRbU0I/AAAAAAAAAec/OYIAfE6FtEE/s400/3+fat+larva.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239965949051491138" border="0" /></a><br />You know what those fat, yellow, fuzzy suckers are? Mexican Bean Beetle larva. And they seem to have prodigious appetites.<br /><br />While harvesting beans from my bush plants (barely any nibbles on those plants) I noticed that the leaves of the bean tee pee were looking much more chewed than they had previously. Previously I found only two adult beetles on the tee pee. It seemed almost immune. Not so, obviously.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Take a look at the leaf damage:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgigkh-WSI/AAAAAAAAAfU/R3A3mGV_uQo/s1600-h/leafdamagecloseup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgigkh-WSI/AAAAAAAAAfU/R3A3mGV_uQo/s400/leafdamagecloseup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239976109402904866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgigbvCdRI/AAAAAAAAAfM/iL2Jx1Lq3pA/s1600-h/leafdamagclosup2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgigbvCdRI/AAAAAAAAAfM/iL2Jx1Lq3pA/s400/leafdamagclosup2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239976107041781010" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br />The Mexican Bean Beetle is the black sheep of the ladybug family. Ladybugs eat other damaging bugs in our gardens, but the Mexican Bean Beetle likes to chomp on bean leaves (and the beans, too!) RJ, my nine-year-old, was most upset when he thought I was drowning ladybugs. Here is what the adults look like. (Most of mine have been bright red, but some were paler yellow-orange).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6NPzDvI/AAAAAAAAAek/1BunDIV2u_I/s1600-h/adult.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6NPzDvI/AAAAAAAAAek/1BunDIV2u_I/s400/adult.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239966654224600818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6OqgpMI/AAAAAAAAAes/9kKv2xPMpBk/s1600-h/adultbug.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6OqgpMI/AAAAAAAAAes/9kKv2xPMpBk/s400/adultbug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239966654605075650" border="0" /></a>I know my picture of the larva is rather hard to see, so here's a much better picture I found on the 'net:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6pAtFAI/AAAAAAAAAe8/0Zu88_cngbM/s1600-h/larvagoodpic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgZ6pAtFAI/AAAAAAAAAe8/0Zu88_cngbM/s400/larvagoodpic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239966661677487106" border="0" /></a><br />My shoulders are actually sore from picking these suckers off my bean leaves and drowning them. There were SO MANY of them! I know there are more, but my soreness turned into a pinched nerve and ended my bug harvest. Hubby's out picking them now. I don't know why the beetles decided to go and lay their eggs on my tee pee plants since those were not the plants with the most beetles on them. I guess they figured there wasn't much eating left on the other bean plants.<br /><br />Relatively few of the beans were damaged. I picked about 4 quarts and tossed only a handful, so at least they're not overly damaging the harvest. I understand later in the season they will go after the beans more.<br /><br />I had sprinkled the leaves with diatomaceous earth, but it seemed to do nothing to deter the nasty bugs. Next year (it's too late this year) I could order the spined soldier bug from <a href="http://www.naturalinsectcontrol.com/natural.html">Natural Insect Control</a>, a local company. They're rather expensive for the small number of plants in my home garden, though. I can also erect finch feeders near my bean plants, which is what I will most likely do. Finches will happily snack on Mexican Bean Beetles. I will continue to handpick and drown (in soapy water) the adults and larva I find. I could also try to find a supplier for the parisitic wasp <span style="font-style: italic;">Pediobius foveolatus. </span>Price is a factor. I truly cannot afford to spend $100 on bugs to kill bugs in my garden, nor would I need as many as $100 would buy. That kind of expenditure completely negates the frugality of home gardening. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Now about that bean harvest:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgiGI0Z-wI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AypgYQKJSI0/s1600-h/beanharvest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLgiGI0Z-wI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AypgYQKJSI0/s400/beanharvest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239975655287421698" border="0" /></a>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-50626586067892865482008-08-28T13:37:00.000-07:002008-08-28T21:52:29.985-07:00Is Your Garden Addicted to Miracle-Gro?Did you ever use it and have wonderful results, then the next year not use it and have terrible results?<br /><br />Well, here's why...Miracle-Gro and other synthetic fertilizers strip the soil of nutrients. Wash them right out. It also salinates the soil (salts the earth) and makes it a very unfriendly place to nematodes, worms, and other critters that break down organic wastes and feed the soil and plant roots around them. The processes by which synthetic fertilizers are made is extremely hard on the environment. Those processes use incredible amounts of energy and create enormous amounts of waste.<br /><br />Synthetic fertilizers only consider the three big nutrients for plants: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K). Putting plants on a synthetic fertilizer diet is like putting a person on a diet that ONLY contains Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat --- no iron, vitamin C, magnesium, etc., just the big 3 macronutrients. Everyone knows we need more than just protein, carbs, and fat. So do plants. Calcium deficiency shows up in some plants as black roots, pale leaf margins and, in tomatoes, blossom-end rot.<br /><br />Synthetic fertilizers are short acting and water soluble. Meaning only about 15% of what you add to your soil is used by the plants and the rest is rinsed away with the rain. Synthetic fertilizers are to blame for nitrates in our drinking water.<br /><br />I suspect a lot of people think that synthetic fertilizers (like Miracle-Gro) are vitamins for plants. Since chemical fertilizers strip soils of the natural nutrients that plants need, soils and the plants grown in them become dependent upon those chemical fertilizers. That really makes synthetic fertilizers more like a drug than a vitamin and their relationship with soil and plants an addictive one. The synthetic fertilizers have to continually be added to the soil in order to feed the plants the nutrients they need. Why? because those fertilizers denude the soils their beneficial nutrients and organisms. It's kind of like a human taking speed to get a bit of oomph instead of eating a piece of fruit for the same oomph. Studies have also shown that synthetic fertilizers actually REDUCE the nutritional value of fruits and vegetable grown using them. How's that for a drug?!<br /><br />What is preferable is organic fertilizer. There are about a million different kinds. Bacteria dwelling in the soil will fix nitrogen out of the air into the soil for plants to use. That bacteria will be present if it hasn't been killed off by synthetic fertilizer use. Certain plants are better at fixing nitrogen than others. Clovers and all legumes are nitrogen fixers. They suck enormous amounts of nitrogen from the air and store it in the soil for future plants to use. Phosphorous can be gotten from crushed phosphate rock, bone meal, dried blood, cottonseed meal and other sources. Potassium (potash) can be gotten from plant residues (in the form of wood ash), manures & compost and natural mineral sources such as granite dust, greensand and basalt rock. Seaweed and seaweed extract are also excellent sources of potash.<br /><br />Soil really needs to be viewed as a living organism requiring a wide range of nutrients in order to support the many life forms within it-- from plants to worms and bacteria to fungus.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLeAKE9f2CI/AAAAAAAAAeU/EWtlfz73A4g/s1600-h/seaweed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLeAKE9f2CI/AAAAAAAAAeU/EWtlfz73A4g/s400/seaweed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239797602087589922" border="0" /></a>I use compost, manure, mulch, wood ash, nitrogen-fixing plants, seaweed extract and fish emulsions to feed my plants and nourish my soil. The great thing about any of these is that they can stay resident in the soil for future generations to use and do not convert to toxins in the soil or pollute our waters. That's conscientious gardening. I purchase my seaweed extract and fish emulsion from <a href="http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront">Stokes</a>. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLd_9i6HMUI/AAAAAAAAAeM/2xcR9Gz8qtc/s1600-h/Muskie-1L-E.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLd_9i6HMUI/AAAAAAAAAeM/2xcR9Gz8qtc/s400/Muskie-1L-E.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239797386788155714" border="0" /></a>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-45372949528123598572008-08-25T20:12:00.000-07:002008-08-25T20:51:59.361-07:00Garden Photos August 25I'm sorry. I feel as though I've been neglecting this blog. We're still gardening along. Pictures from today.<br /><br />I suppose I <span style="font-style: italic;">could have </span>taken the pictures <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> mowing the grass, but I didn't. I took the pictures, first! Haha!<br /><br /><br />How about we start with the green beans:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1oTtpY4I/AAAAAAAAAc0/UPPEV0p3w1o/s1600-h/201_3872.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1oTtpY4I/AAAAAAAAAc0/UPPEV0p3w1o/s400/201_3872.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238660126908965762" border="0" /></a>These are growing vertically up a twine trellis. As you can see, the leaves have been nibbled some (and sometimes the beans too.) I've never had bean beetles before this year. I don't know what my luck had been, but when I finally noticed them I had quite a few. I picked about 20 off my 8 plants in this bed and another two or three from the bean tee pee. This bed has been stressed since the beginning of the season. The soil is not right for this bed and will be changed next year. Because the plants in this bed have been stressed all year, they're more prone to insect attacks. I not only found Mexican Bean Beetles chomping these bean leaves, I found cucumber beetles on them too (but not on the cucumbers!) Go figure. My treatment: handpick them and drown them in soapy water. Haven't seen any eggs on the undersides of the leaves, so that's a good sign.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1V-La1LI/AAAAAAAAAcs/9_cWkSEICb8/s1600-h/bushbeans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1V-La1LI/AAAAAAAAAcs/9_cWkSEICb8/s400/bushbeans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238659811890615474" border="0" /></a>The bush beans in the same bed are much less stressed than the others, but they germinated very poorly. About 1 out of 10 germinated. Had all of them germinated, I would have enough to freeze for the rest of the year. As it stands, we've got enough for fresh eating and maybe a few more meals after the growing season. These beans are strong producers. I like to pick them on the day we'll eat them, so these are staying until tomorrow. Both the beans above are tender, stringless beans that cook up in just a couple minutes. They're great for stir-fries as they cook so quickly. Quite tasty and very light!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1VgUYN-I/AAAAAAAAAck/EcwBvv4gSOk/s1600-h/beanteepee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN1VgUYN-I/AAAAAAAAAck/EcwBvv4gSOk/s400/beanteepee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238659803875129314" border="0" /></a>The bean tee pee filled in quite nicely. It's very full of rattlesnake beans. They're quite yummy! They have the traditional bean flavour but require a little more cooking time than the French Fillet beans above. Just a little, though. Later in the season, they'll probably require a much longer cooking time. I do cook them shortly after picking them, though.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN4EPm6sSI/AAAAAAAAAc8/-DRS2tP0Iig/s1600-h/BellPepper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN4EPm6sSI/AAAAAAAAAc8/-DRS2tP0Iig/s400/BellPepper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238662805866590498" border="0" /></a><br />It's taken the bell peppers (California Wonder) a lot longer to produce fruit than the others. They're coming along, though as you can see.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN4EQRlsgI/AAAAAAAAAdE/y_2dqYCIYjo/s1600-h/prodigiouspeppers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN4EQRlsgI/AAAAAAAAAdE/y_2dqYCIYjo/s400/prodigiouspeppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238662806045569538" border="0" /></a>These Super Chili Peppers are VERY PRODIGIOUS PRODUCERS. I outlined all the visible peppers so you could get an idea of how many are in there. There are far more on the lower branches, and as you can see, many many blossoms still. We have three of these plants and I'd say that's two too many for us. I'll donate some to the local food banks and freecycle others. Those we keep I will dry and store for use in stir-fries. We like 'em hot!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5KODTVRI/AAAAAAAAAdM/06-L70ea4Ug/s1600-h/GiantSunflowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5KODTVRI/AAAAAAAAAdM/06-L70ea4Ug/s400/GiantSunflowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238664008039617810" border="0" /></a><br />Our sunflowers this year are ginormous! The landing on my porch is 5 feet from ground level. That's just below the height of the Canna Lilly's bloom. That center sunflower is about 14 feet high! It has numerous blossoms on it that haven't yet opened. I think my sunflowers cross-pollinated last year as these are all from my own seed stock. I had a volunteer Kong sunflower show up in my memorial bed last year -- a gift from a visiting bird. It was about 8 feet tall and had more than 30 blossoms on it. I had also planted Russian Giants which got 6-8 feet tall and had one very large central blossom, nearly a foot across. This year I've got 10 foot sunflowers with multiple blooms, some of them very large, others much smaller. Very interesting. And as you can see, one of my Cannas bloomed! Yay!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5KX48IXI/AAAAAAAAAdU/TIxurljqrWs/s1600-h/giantsunflowersback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5KX48IXI/AAAAAAAAAdU/TIxurljqrWs/s400/giantsunflowersback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238664010680508786" border="0" /></a>These are "only" about eight feet tall. The birds love them. To the right is a giant blossom that has been a favourite haunt of the neighborhood birds lately.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5K_x6jvI/AAAAAAAAAdc/I7sLYhSepDQ/s1600-h/sunflowersoverporch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN5K_x6jvI/AAAAAAAAAdc/I7sLYhSepDQ/s400/sunflowersoverporch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238664021388463858" border="0" /></a><br />Check out the sunflowers growing through the porch rails. These ones do have pale petals. I don't know why. The birds still think they're good eating. Anyone placing bets on how many volunteer sunflowers I'll have next year? Next year I won't plant them here. I will, if I'm allowed, surround that telephone pole out at the curb with them. That'll make the birds happy! No, I don't harvest the seeds for myself, though I love sunflower seeds. It's just so much darned work! I buy my sunflower seeds already hulled, thank you! I do harvest heads for seed saving, though. Anyone want some?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7cQRK0WI/AAAAAAAAAdk/L51KTlT_NiU/s1600-h/bigcucumber.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7cQRK0WI/AAAAAAAAAdk/L51KTlT_NiU/s400/bigcucumber.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238666516895551842" border="0" /></a><br />I'm always amazed by cucumber growth spurts that happen overnight. This thing was about 4 inches long yesterday morning. Then we had some rains in the afternoon and today it's 8 inches long. Amazing! I'll pick it and another will take its place in no time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7cTzUZvI/AAAAAAAAAds/iXM96nJX6TA/s1600-h/boots.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7cTzUZvI/AAAAAAAAAds/iXM96nJX6TA/s400/boots.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238666517844092658" border="0" /></a>Hubby's old work boots recycled into hen & chick planters. These were just planted this year, too. Man, those things reproduce fast! I'll have another pair on a lower step next year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7c0SgYtI/AAAAAAAAAd0/1oB0KzzrvrM/s1600-h/ChineseLanterns.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7c0SgYtI/AAAAAAAAAd0/1oB0KzzrvrM/s400/ChineseLanterns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238666526564836050" border="0" /></a>Check out the beautiful Chinese Lanterns! Wow! They're nice sized, too. I planted these last year and the lanterns averaged about an inch long, one and a half inches around. They're triple that this year! And what great colour! I'll be harvesting these soon. (Trim the stalks, trim away the leaves. Spray the lanterns with hairspray, and hang to dry. They'll retain their colour and make a lovely holiday decoration.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7c8aaIKI/AAAAAAAAAd8/-Ay5kw8tgXA/s1600-h/ChineseLanternscloseup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SLN7c8aaIKI/AAAAAAAAAd8/-Ay5kw8tgXA/s400/ChineseLanternscloseup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238666528745463970" border="0" /></a>A closeup of some of the lanterns. With my hand there, you can get an idea of how big those lanterns are. Chinese lanterns are invasive and will take over a garden. We planted them in a whiskey barrel to keep them in check. SO far so good. I think it helps that we harvest the lanterns (there is an edible berry inside the lantern, which also contains numerous seeds. The berries are like tiny tomatoes with hundreds of seeds in each.) I don't eat the berries. They taste yucky.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-51147308237113378272008-08-14T15:28:00.000-07:002008-08-14T15:35:09.443-07:00Winnie in the Sky with.....something that sounds like diamonds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSq-A570_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/JdA5xi9L4qQ/s1600-h/WinnieCloud+No+outline.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSq-A570_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/JdA5xi9L4qQ/s400/WinnieCloud+No+outline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234496649282966514" border="0" /></a><br />Come on, tell me you cannot see Winnie the Pooh's profile in that big ol' cloud over Lake Ontario.<br /><br />Not seeing it, eh?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSrVkKqy5I/AAAAAAAAAUo/UPmhWaQf3yQ/s1600-h/winniethepoohcloud.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSrVkKqy5I/AAAAAAAAAUo/UPmhWaQf3yQ/s400/winniethepoohcloud.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234497053885385618" border="0" /></a>How about now? (Man, look at that storm all the way across the lake over....ummmm....errrr.....Burlington (??) I think.)<br /><br />Okay, one more:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSu_eqXSXI/AAAAAAAAAUw/-JxRz3ucZhQ/s1600-h/pooh+with+cartoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKSu_eqXSXI/AAAAAAAAAUw/-JxRz3ucZhQ/s400/pooh+with+cartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234501072497101170" border="0" /></a><br />Now what's a Winnie the Pooh cloud have to do with gardening?<br /><br />That cloud and its 18 bazillion buddies has been hanging over Ontario for the past couple of months. They're the reason my maters aren't ripe yet. Come on, give me some more sun.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/">The Weather Network</a> , Ontarian farmers are loving the wet weather. Sure, I lost a couple things to wilt last year from the heat. But Jimminy Crickets...I'd sure like the sun to make more than spot appearances and ripen up my veggies! We in Ontario are literally STUCK in this low pressure system that cannot escape our borders thanks to high pressure systems wedging it in right where it's been the past two-and-a-half months. We're breaking records for rainfall. We beat out previous records for June and July and we're well on our way to beating out records for the whole summer, according to <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/raining">this article</a> also at The Weather Network. <br /><br />I just want my maters to go from green to red!<br /><br />And let's please not spend too much time pondering why it is I see Winnie the Pooh in that cloud!CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-36272087159962467592008-08-11T19:38:00.001-07:002008-08-11T20:23:40.998-07:00Monday's HarvestClick on the pictures to see more detail...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKD4A_JWcJI/AAAAAAAAATI/fw93vVtvwc4/s1600-h/Beans+%26+Tomatoes+harvest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKD4A_JWcJI/AAAAAAAAATI/fw93vVtvwc4/s400/Beans+%26+Tomatoes+harvest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233455462838857874" border="0" /></a>A quart or more of green beans (mostly rattlesnake green beans and some French fillet green beans) and about 20 cherry tomatoes (oh, they're SO GOOD!) and a sprig of basil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKD4BDSV52I/AAAAAAAAATQ/sPO8Ynd9z0c/s1600-h/PeppersNCukesHarvest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SKD4BDSV52I/AAAAAAAAATQ/sPO8Ynd9z0c/s400/PeppersNCukesHarvest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233455463950313314" border="0" /></a><br />Some Hot Banana peppers, two cukes, and one cherry bomb pepper. The peppers are a little under ripe, but that's fine. This is <a href="http://cannedamathome.blogspot.com/2008/08/garden-bounty-sausage-stuffed-banana.html">tonight's dinner.</a>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-40230617640869135592008-08-09T22:05:00.000-07:002008-08-09T22:12:55.372-07:00Hot Pepper HarvestThe first of many. This is from only 2 plants. We have 15 (or is it 17...or 20?) more. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJ53jr5pOJI/AAAAAAAAATA/kny0U2dMlkc/s1600-h/roundedpepperspic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJ53jr5pOJI/AAAAAAAAATA/kny0U2dMlkc/s400/roundedpepperspic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232751272014723218" border="0" /></a><br />Now some of those peppers didn't pass muster and instead went into the compost bin. ($#$@%#$ing slugs! have been at them....all this !#$!#$ing rain!) With the rest (the bulk of them) hubby canned 3 quarts and 3 pints of hot pepper rings. These aren't extremely hot -- about a 5 on a 1-10, 10 the hottest, scale. He did, however, add habaneros to one jar. Ohhhh....that's gonna be the hot one. Those habaneros make my tongue feel like a laser has sliced through it. <br /><br />I'll tell you about canning them in an upcoming post on my <a href="http://cannedamathome.blogspot.com">at home blog</a>.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-87221414679966772762008-08-04T11:07:00.000-07:002008-08-04T13:36:04.182-07:00Garden Pictures for the beginning of AugustI'll start with the front of the house. This is the first of the beds. I've got Allysum growing in there along with garden oregano, a couple volunteer cherry tomatoes, yellow four-o'clocks, Cannas without blooms (I don't think I'll have any blooms this year as the sunflowers are shading them too much), Autumn Joy Sedum, zinnias and bachelor's buttons, and you can see the <a href="http://cannedam.blogspot.com/2008/07/rock-garden.html">rock garden</a> at the front edge of this bed. I overplanted this bed intentionally as it's going to be widened next year and another will be added on the opposite side of the stairs which will be coming down in front instead of on the side as they are now. I'll need to fill those beds in!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLM1NR8WI/AAAAAAAAAQw/DQPjAM7Jb-s/s1600-h/Frontbeds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLM1NR8WI/AAAAAAAAAQw/DQPjAM7Jb-s/s400/Frontbeds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230732176027414882" border="0" /></a><br />Here is the Peach tree we planted out front this year. It's coming along nicely:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdM5FLXylI/AAAAAAAAARI/NPmjA-1BFUI/s1600-h/PeachTree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdM5FLXylI/AAAAAAAAARI/NPmjA-1BFUI/s400/PeachTree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230734035740248658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is the retaining wall we rebuilt this spring. In an upcoming post I'll show you before & after pictures and some of the work in progress. The beds behind the retaining wall were empty. We've planted Black Beauty Elder, Red Spirea, Persian cat mint, Autumn Joy sedum, Pinks (Dianthus), several annuals: salvia, Allysum, a pretty purple flower I can't name (shown after this picture), another that I cannot recall what it was, a couple different petunias (one was killed by the vicious, evil bindweed).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVMggAzI/AAAAAAAAARg/YwQKJMvnsC4/s1600-h/retainingwall2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVMggAzI/AAAAAAAAARg/YwQKJMvnsC4/s400/retainingwall2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230735618255881010" border="0" /></a><br />Those pretty purple flowers I cannot name. They're an annual. They were rescued from NoFrills for twenty-five cents apeice. They are lovely and I'd like to grow them again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdM4wC0I9I/AAAAAAAAARA/paudsQKhLbQ/s1600-h/prettypurpleflowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdM4wC0I9I/AAAAAAAAARA/paudsQKhLbQ/s400/prettypurpleflowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230734030067213266" border="0" /></a><br />Remember that <a href="http://cannedam.blogspot.com/2008/05/putting-weeds-to-bed-for-good.html">Ajuga bed</a> I planted this spring? I thought it would take a couple years to completely fill in. It is doing its job of battling the weeds. Some try to poke through, but they're not flourishing, that's for sure! As you can see along the right-hand side of this bed, the neighbor's weeds are flourishing. I believe I'm going to plant his trough out with Ajuga next spring. (That's a lovely blue Hydrangea at the back edge of the Ajuga. It has a twin farther up in the bed whose flowers are pink. They weren't pink when I purchased it. I'll have to see what's up with that.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOV-4X1NI/AAAAAAAAAR4/nGQidrxYd1g/s1600-h/AjugabedAugust2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOV-4X1NI/AAAAAAAAAR4/nGQidrxYd1g/s400/AjugabedAugust2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230735631777780946" border="0" /></a><br />Speaking of weeds....BINDWEED has been the bane of my gardening existence this year. We stirred up its root system when we rebuilt the retaining wall and I am extensively battling it this year. I am having success and I will dedicate another post to the topic. I did, however, lose a petunia to this evil, vile stuff. Take a look at it all over my black beauty elder:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVSnQtmI/AAAAAAAAARo/4Vbop83atBo/s1600-h/bindweedonelder.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVSnQtmI/AAAAAAAAARo/4Vbop83atBo/s400/bindweedonelder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230735619894851170" border="0" /></a>And all over my Lady's Mantle. Yes, my Lady's Mantle looks sickly. It was transplanted in June when the heat was on. It'll come back next year nicely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVl5_RDI/AAAAAAAAARw/wVm5e4ER75A/s1600-h/bindweedonladysmantle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdOVl5_RDI/AAAAAAAAARw/wVm5e4ER75A/s400/bindweedonladysmantle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230735625073673266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now we're off to the back yard.....<br /><br />Would you like a solution for cats who crap in your gardens? One that doesn't involve illegal activities or high-speed projectiles? Our solution is in the next picture. We have Brussell's sprouts in this plot. They were newly planted after the peas finished, but the cats were making us miserable. So we surrounded it and covered the top with bird netting (I know you can't see it in the photo.) Next cat who tries to jump in there is in for a big surprise. Grrrrrr....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLMcdgK3I/AAAAAAAAAQg/hCEYo6JUWss/s1600-h/howtokeepthecatsout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLMcdgK3I/AAAAAAAAAQg/hCEYo6JUWss/s400/howtokeepthecatsout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230732169384569714" border="0" /></a>A project in progress. Anyone want to place bets on whether it will be finished this year? I really shouldn't put hubby on to so many projects in one season. He has built me two new raised beds, rebuilt theretaining wall, installed the rocks in the rock garden, cut the barrell for the <a href="http://cannedam.blogspot.com/2008/05/water-garden.html">water garden</a> & also filled it, built the supports for our vertical gardening, built us a rain barrell, and oh my I know I'm probably forgetting a thing or two. So I don't mind if it takes him all summer and part of fall to complete our garbage surround (made from a salvaged gazebo frame .) You can tell it's going to be lovely when he's done (ignore the weeds please):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLMnsigcI/AAAAAAAAAQo/DRGUTuYI5t4/s1600-h/inprogress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdLMnsigcI/AAAAAAAAAQo/DRGUTuYI5t4/s400/inprogress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230732172400427458" border="0" /></a><br />Our Memorial Bed has gone nuts. Some of these plants are growing to be placed into the front beds next year. It's not been a memorial bed this year, it's been a "nursery." The sunflowers are 10 feet tall. The chinese lanterns (contained in a half whiskey barrell) have gone nuts. The daisy overwhelmed my gold mound spirea despite the 18 inches between them. The calendula is crazy and yes, there's another cherry tomato in there too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTkGCemlI/AAAAAAAAASA/kdrtRJqSRt0/s1600-h/Memorialbedgonenuts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTkGCemlI/AAAAAAAAASA/kdrtRJqSRt0/s400/Memorialbedgonenuts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230741371775523410" border="0" /></a><br />The front of the bean tee pee:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTkR_Q3AI/AAAAAAAAASI/byH_Ioxw5wM/s1600-h/beanteepeefront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTkR_Q3AI/AAAAAAAAASI/byH_Ioxw5wM/s400/beanteepeefront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230741374983265282" border="0" /></a><br />The back of the bean tee pee:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTknZSroI/AAAAAAAAASQ/K6M5E5WzC7c/s1600-h/beanteepeeback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTknZSroI/AAAAAAAAASQ/K6M5E5WzC7c/s400/beanteepeeback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230741380729581186" border="0" /></a><br />Lots of green tomatoes. These are cherries. Compare them in size to the beefsteak. Yes, the beefsteak are small, but the cherries are HUGE:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTk4R0X7I/AAAAAAAAASY/WMGgPGcYJKY/s1600-h/bigcherries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdTk4R0X7I/AAAAAAAAASY/WMGgPGcYJKY/s400/bigcherries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230741385261637554" border="0" /></a><br />The Romas look nice...GREEN...but nice:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTdT33fI/AAAAAAAAASw/dG5kkKyuTD0/s1600-h/GreenRomas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTdT33fI/AAAAAAAAASw/dG5kkKyuTD0/s400/GreenRomas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230746583522860530" border="0" /></a><br />This is part of our pepper patch. Click on the picture to see a larger version. I'm not sure if those rounded ones are cherry bombs or not. Even green, they're still hot:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTJyvluI/AAAAAAAAASg/Bqhj5jC4mrg/s1600-h/Peppers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTJyvluI/AAAAAAAAASg/Bqhj5jC4mrg/s400/Peppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230746578283632354" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, and I guess I'll show you one of my gardening failures this year. This planter dries out quite readily. The potting soil I used is not helping this situation. Holes at the bottom drain as soon as water hits the soil. It's ridiculous really. Next year I'll add some stuff to help it retain more moisture. Sorry the picture is so low quality. It's the only one I took, so we're stuck with it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTHYoOxI/AAAAAAAAASo/acXobeBX7B0/s1600-h/wallplanter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SJdYTHYoOxI/AAAAAAAAASo/acXobeBX7B0/s400/wallplanter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230746577637227282" border="0" /></a>CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-28975389120031855432008-07-20T21:02:00.000-07:002008-07-20T22:24:05.369-07:00Rachel, Rachel, How Does Your Garden Grow?Well, it grows and grows and grows. In some places it grows almost wild!<br /><br />If you click on the individual pictures, you'll be able to see a larger version with a bit more detail. <br /><br />Below is our pepper patch. There are about 30 plants here. We have habaneros, California Wonder, Mini Bells, hot banana, mild banana, hot hungarian, pimiento, carmen, jalepeno, ring of fire, and a couple more, too! Yes, we like peppers. I like the mild ones fresh in our salads or as crudite. We love pickled hot pepper rings, so we'll be canning a good bit of those. We also like the hot ones in stir fries, Mexican dishes, eggs, etc. I'll freeze a good many, can the hot rings, and the rest will be eaten fresh. Yum Yum!<br /><br />Oh, do you like the path we installed in the garden this year? It was much needed. The garden is too wide to reach the centers from outside and we were trampling the soil something awful last year. So we dug out the center and poured rock to a foot deep running the whole center from one end to the other. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSfksMVHI/AAAAAAAAAM4/ChsnCyuip5Q/s1600-h/Peppers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSfksMVHI/AAAAAAAAAM4/ChsnCyuip5Q/s400/Peppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225321801290896498" border="0" /></a><p>Now look how much bigger the peppers pictured below are than the ones in the first picture. Would you like to venture a guess why they're so much bigger than the others?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSflJwGvI/AAAAAAAAANA/cIV3j5jefbY/s1600-h/biggerpeppers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSflJwGvI/AAAAAAAAANA/cIV3j5jefbY/s400/biggerpeppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225321801414875890" border="0" /></a>Okay, they were planted a little bit earlier than the others but only a week or so. Early on, the squirrels came by and topped each of these pepper plants. That's right, took the whole top of the plant! I don't know why they do this, but they do this every spring! They'll do it to tomatoes, too. Which is why we built this little surround for the peppers so that they wouldn't take any more of the plants than they already had. Many of the plants were down to two leaves. We didn't think they'd make it. Do you think those squirrels are doing us a favor? It does bear some consideration. In order to have bigger plants that set more fruit, you're supposed to pluck the first blossoms. (This does work, too. The plants in the first picture were deflowered after I took that photo and they're already bushing out.) So perhaps having the squirrels top off our peppers every year is the squirrel's way of giving back. I don't know.</p><p>Below is the boys' bean tee-pee. The beans are much bigger now. Today was just too busy to take another picture. I can hardly wait until they're all the way up the tee pee! Notice how richly green the grass is that immediately surrounds the growing beans. Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil ... seems to be working. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSf6NPBMI/AAAAAAAAANI/tB5lg5LmAEw/s1600-h/Beanteepee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSf6NPBMI/AAAAAAAAANI/tB5lg5LmAEw/s400/Beanteepee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225321807066629314" border="0" /></a>Now I've got to talk about soil. Below is our newest vegetable bed. Isn't it a pathetic thing? I am extraordinarily disappointed in the soil we bought for this box. I am also disappointed in the seeds for my bush beans as only 1 out of 10 germinated. Even after replanting we had the same results. Those are no good. Yet they're from the same company that packaged our vining beans and those did just fine and germinated at about 100%. More about the soil after this picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSgAW7QbI/AAAAAAAAANQ/hNnI1ViLCQ8/s1600-h/sfg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQSgAW7QbI/AAAAAAAAANQ/hNnI1ViLCQ8/s400/sfg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225321808717889970" border="0" /></a><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">would </span>recommend the quad mix from Trail's End (that's what's in my other bed, where the peppers are) but they're no longer carrying it. I went with their triple mix this year and I am <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">sorely</span></span> disappointed in it. Whereas the quad mix drains very well, yet has a high humus content to conserve moisture during the dry spells, this triple mix is lacking. It drains <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> well. It is dry most of the time. I have ammended it with two different composts and I will be covering it with mulch next week. My plants have been stunted in this material. Things I started from seed barely germinated (most likely because the soil dries out so quickly.) I can completely saturate the soil at night and by mid morning it is extremely dry. This is awful. I think they should take it back next year and tell me where to go for the quad mix!</p><p>How about a few flowers:</p><p style="text-align: center;">Calendula: self seeds like mad, but it's good for bug bites and summer-long colour so I like it. (But I am removing the seed heads!)<br /></p><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwXWWzTI/AAAAAAAAANY/467oJLwcdSg/s1600-h/calendula.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwXWWzTI/AAAAAAAAANY/467oJLwcdSg/s400/calendula.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225326487813934386" border="0" /></a></p><p>This is a gorgeous Brown-Eyed Susan. The photo does it no justice. I can't tell you the variety right now because I can't get to the plant tag, it's buried in all the greenery behind it somewhere. It is a type of Rudbeckia, just not sure which one. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwZWjmOI/AAAAAAAAANg/QBfU0kLZjrU/s1600-h/Big+Rudbeckia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwZWjmOI/AAAAAAAAANg/QBfU0kLZjrU/s400/Big+Rudbeckia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225326488351643874" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>And I have these lovely "Summer Sun" Oxeye Daisies. I just love these. They're a bright yellow, with a yellow center and so cheerful -- covered in flowers all summer long. I'm so pleased with it I'll be splitting it up and moving it into the new beds I'm creating out front next year. </p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwsrRmGI/AAAAAAAAANo/I7gBkJNgdQs/s1600-h/oxeyesunshine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWwsrRmGI/AAAAAAAAANo/I7gBkJNgdQs/s400/oxeyesunshine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225326493538818146" border="0" /></a></p> There are a few things in the picture below. I'll try to point them out to you without much confusion. Do you see the yellow-green leaves growing along the ground? That is creeping Jenny. I love the stuff. It's just so lovely. The purple and white clouds of flowers are annual Alyssum, one of my favourite flowers. They have a very sweet scent that wafts across the air with every breeze. The white Alyssum self-seeded from last year. That's okay. It's welcome here. In the background is a nice clump of garden oregano. It's doing quite well for having been transplanted just this spring. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWw35Gp9I/AAAAAAAAANw/cZjFVX_tVFA/s1600-h/201_3593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIQWw35Gp9I/AAAAAAAAANw/cZjFVX_tVFA/s400/201_3593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225326496549611474" border="0" /></a><br />That poor solar light. The $1 lights just don't hold up too well. I might have to break the piggy bank and invest in some $2 solar lights. <br /><br />I'll have some more of the gardens, soon.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-89926974579650095882008-07-17T19:21:00.000-07:002008-09-01T20:19:04.964-07:00"In Ancient Times, Cats Were Worshipped As Gods;<blockquote>they have not forgotten this.”<span style=""> </span>- Terry Pratchett</blockquote><o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My four current foster cats are available for adoption.<span style=""> </span>Adoption will be at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pet Value on Glendale Avenue (in the Pendale Plaza) Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday at PetSmart in the </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Fairview</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Plaza</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> from 10 AM</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">until 5 PM.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Adoption fee is <span style="font-weight: bold;">only $140</span> through the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">St. Catharines</st1:place></st1:city>’ Animal Assistance Society.<span style=""> </span>These cats have been neutered or spayed, received all shots, and flea treatments, deworming and have been fostered in my home with 2 adults and 3 children for the past two months. That's $50 less than the Humane Society and these cats have been fostered in a family home. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Their Rescue Story</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Rocky belonged to a man who owned a home from which he rented out an apartment.<span style=""> </span>The tenant owned the other three cats.<span style=""> </span>The owner died and the tenant moved.<span style=""> </span>All 4 cats were left abandoned.<span style=""> </span>The owner’s children showed up and released the cats from the home, but provided them no care.<span style=""> Luckily, a</span> good person on the same street saw the cats and began feeding them three times a day.<span style=""> </span>However, these cats were not getting socialized to people and were getting no medical care. They were getting wild.<span style=""> </span>I can't imagine the traumas they suffered being kept in an empty building for who knows how long, then being chased out the door like varmints.<span style=""> </span>Two of the cats are rather timid and need continued nurturing to continue developing trusting relationships with humans.<span style=""> </span>This is certainly understandable, given their abandonment.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let me tell you about these cats -- each has a personality distinctly its own.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rocky</span></span> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAJAH0aD-I/AAAAAAAAAMA/l9d4dnpd9hc/s1600-h/rocky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAJAH0aD-I/AAAAAAAAAMA/l9d4dnpd9hc/s400/rocky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224185465453285346" border="0" /></a>He’s a big cat.<span style=""> </span>Tall and lean, having a long neck – he’s very elegant.<span style=""> </span>He is the one who makes me think of Pratchett’s quote each time I see him sitting sphinx-like on the furniture. He has a deep growl that reminds me of a wildcat’s and actually scared me when he first came to us.<span style=""> </span>It turns out he’s a giant pussy cat who’s somewhat timid and would rather not be bothered by the other cats, except on his terms.<span style=""> </span>He will play…but a very playful kitten will annoy him quickly whereupon you’ll hear the fearsome growl.<span style=""> </span>(When first I heard it late at night I thought some silly person was revving a motorcycle down the road.)<span style=""> </span>He’s also a giant baby.<span style=""> </span>He will curl up in your lap (despite the fact that most laps will not accommodate him) and head butt your hand to demand a good petting.<span style=""> </span>He loves to have his face and head scratched. Rocky likes thing neat and tidy. If his water hasn't just been drawn fresh from the tap, he might jump on the bathroom sink and request a very fresh drink! (Yes, I indulge my foster kitties.) Rocky might come across as intimidating at the Adopt-a-thon as he does not like being caged. Don't let him fool you. He's a giant suck without an aggressive bone in his body!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tiger*</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIeVi2kYyzI/AAAAAAAAAN4/7c-Y4X5laWI/s1600-h/TigerNRocky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIeVi2kYyzI/AAAAAAAAAN4/7c-Y4X5laWI/s400/TigerNRocky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226310318582975282" border="0" /></a>Tiger is the ADHD kid in the house.<span style=""> </span>He is rambunctious and playful and full of energy.<span style=""> </span>He will play for hours on end.<span style=""> </span>He’s affectionate and nosy (curious.) He likes to nibble naked toes for some reason.<span style=""> </span>This tickles the kids to no end.<span style=""> </span>(Literally!)<span style=""> </span>He likes to play smackdown with the other kitties – especially the largest ones (my Soxxy is a 20-lb heavyweight, Rocky’s a middleweight.<span style=""> </span>Tiger’s a featherweight!)<span style=""> </span>Tiger struts through the house as if to say “I’m bad.<span style=""> </span>I’m bad.”<span style=""> </span>He’s a gangsta kitty with no idea how small he is.<span style=""> </span>(Maybe it’s a Napoleon complex at work there.)<span style=""> </span>He is quite enjoyable.<span style=""> </span>The kids giggle at him all the time.<span style=""> </span>He loves his toys and will try to get into a carrier to get them out.<span style=""> </span>He will hide them when he’s done with them, too – though he obviously knows where he hides them because he’ll get them back out to play with them later.<span style=""> </span>He’ll make a great family pet.<span style=""> </span>I don’t think even a pet dog would be a problem for this guy as he has no fear and no conception of his own small size. In case I don't manage to get a picture of Tiger up before this posts, Tiger is also a brown tabby, lighter in colouring and leaner than Momma kitty below. Because he likes to play-fight and doesn't know when to quit, he might do best in a home without a lot of other kitties.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">*Tattoed "Skipper" due to mix-up at vet's. </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Skipper</span></span>*<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAJAfb2AiI/AAAAAAAAAMI/inrkhQvOYHg/s1600-h/momma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAJAfb2AiI/AAAAAAAAAMI/inrkhQvOYHg/s400/momma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224185471792710178" border="0" /></a>Skipper was so named because she will skip about in a cat carrier as she seems to hate being in them.<span style=""> </span>However, we found that if she can just see another cat she is fine.<span style=""> </span>We call her Momma kitty because she’s the nurturer in the group.<span style=""> </span>She grooms everybody.<span style=""> </span>She’s also a bit on the timid side, though she will curl up next to you for a good petting.<span style=""> </span>She needs to be with other cats. (So that she can nurture them!)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">*Tattoed "Tiger" (mixup at vet's.) Momma is darker than the real Tiger and has a bit of a belly.<br /></p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">UPDATE: Kisa has found his forever home! Yay! We miss you Kisa! (August 30, 2008)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kisa</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAI_1krwRI/AAAAAAAAAL4/cT1vP8eBCQ0/s1600-h/kisa2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SIAI_1krwRI/AAAAAAAAAL4/cT1vP8eBCQ0/s400/kisa2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224185460555497746" border="0" /></a><o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We thought Kisa was a girl.<span style=""> </span>Turns out, he’s not.<span style=""> </span>You’ll have to give him a new name.<span style=""> </span>We call him Whitey because of his white markings.<span style=""> </span>He is very small -- the size of a six-month-old kitten, but he is full-grown. He has large, round eyes. He is EXTREMELY TIMID.<span style=""> </span>He needs a quiet home.<span style=""> </span>When Whitey first came to us, he stayed downstairs and would only venture upstairs when all the two-leggers were sleeping. When a two-legger ventured downstairs, Whitey found numerous hiding places for escape. Whitey only started coming upstairs around us furless folk last week.<span style=""> </span>Mine is a noisy house.<span style=""> </span>Whitey is socialized to other cats, but he’s not especially comfortable with people yet.<span style=""> </span>I don’t recommend him for people with young children as I’ve seen him dart and run when my 4-year-old shouts or cries out.<span style=""> </span>He is very frightened of small children, though my children have done nothing to warrant this.<span style=""> </span>(I think it’s the loud unpredictability that bothers him.)<span style=""> </span>He likes my eight-year old and will actually come to him for kitty treats.</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><span style="font-size:180%;">A</span>nyone who heads out to one of these Adopt-a-thons: <span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">he Animal Assistance Society is in need of more foster homes. </span> Please let Lucy know if you are interested in fostering cats and kittens to prepare them for adoption. It's not a huge obligation at all and everything for their care and keep is provided by the Animal Assistance Society.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-62093992706651586002008-07-01T14:01:00.000-07:002008-07-04T20:38:24.491-07:00The Rock Garden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet-7yPxI/AAAAAAAAALY/0KHos7BQqfc/s1600-h/RockGardenendofJune.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet-7yPxI/AAAAAAAAALY/0KHos7BQqfc/s400/RockGardenendofJune.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218157631087197970" border="0" /></a><br />I am sorry I didn’t take pictures of this as we did it, but you will see lots of other pictures and a good description of how to do it.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Every explanation of how to create a rock garden tells you to use one type of rock.<span style=""> </span>Well, bully to that.<span style=""> </span>Sure, you might not find several different rock types on one hillside in nature, but you will find different types.<span style=""> </span>That’s good enough for me.<span style=""> </span>Nature is my biggest inspiration.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We used excess rock we had laying around our yard to do this portion. First, we dug out the sod. Next, we dug in the rocks.<span style=""> </span>They need to have about 30% buried.<span style=""> </span>They also need to be situated so that water runs down and around them in order to get to the soil.<span style=""> </span>They need not to create ledges which will hinder water or sunlight from reaching plants below them.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I started planting a few days later. You can plant and situate the rocks at the same time. I did not only because I didn't have the plants yet. When planting, you need to be careful that you leave no air pockets around the plants or under the rocks -- these will fill up with water and then freeze in the winter, killing your plants. Just tamp the soil firmly in place around the plants, and when situating the rocks, stand on them to ensure they're all the way in there and the soil is compacted beneath them. Lastly, I added river rock as a mulch around the plants as the biggest problem with rock gardens is weeds.<span style=""> </span>I do have to weed regularly.<span style=""> </span>Mostly grass is coming up here & there.Here's what it looked like when I first planted it. As you can see, I added a few more plants and those that are in there are growing very well.<br /></p><span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqcnVbSliI/AAAAAAAAAKI/nwU-czHY7Wo/s1600-h/RockGarden1stplantedbetter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqcnVbSliI/AAAAAAAAAKI/nwU-czHY7Wo/s400/RockGarden1stplantedbetter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218155317842581026" border="0" /></a><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the coming years, I will divide the plants into more sections of rock garden.<span style=""> </span>The rock garden will extend across the entire front of the yard except for the steps which will lead to our porch as we’ll be building a new staircase next year for that.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This was not difficult as we had the slope and didn’t need to create one.<span style=""> </span>We did not amend the soil as recommended as the soil was fine.<span style=""> </span>This is a 3.5 foot by 2.5 foot area.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now for a closer look at what's growing in there:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""> </span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqdagr-DRI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/xFxOU4h5Sg4/s1600-h/rockgardenNumbered.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqdagr-DRI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/xFxOU4h5Sg4/s400/rockgardenNumbered.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156197038656786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqda1k8fnI/AAAAAAAAAKY/VUGjSWv0zKA/s1600-h/1Catmint.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqda1k8fnI/AAAAAAAAAKY/VUGjSWv0zKA/s400/1Catmint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156202646339186" border="0" /></a>The Alyssum is the perennial kind and blooms in spring. It spreads well and will form a mound of foliage and flowers over time, most likely covering the rocks below it. I do have some white annual Alyssum which self-seeded from last summer. I love the stuff, so it gets to see. You can see it peeking out behind the Sedum in the next picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SG7sO4KQ-wI/AAAAAAAAALw/SEy2vr7G3iU/s1600-h/2autumnjoy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SG7sO4KQ-wI/AAAAAAAAALw/SEy2vr7G3iU/s400/2autumnjoy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219368758506748674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqdbLUTE1I/AAAAAAAAAKo/l7padAnGGOQ/s1600-h/3goldballallyssum.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqdbLUTE1I/AAAAAAAAAKo/l7padAnGGOQ/s400/3goldballallyssum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156208482095954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_Mu__JI/AAAAAAAAAKw/Ad9A-qHf50E/s1600-h/4scotchmoss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_Mu__JI/AAAAAAAAAKw/Ad9A-qHf50E/s400/4scotchmoss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156827337817234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_CkGGLI/AAAAAAAAAK4/_DC2Gc-7TAQ/s1600-h/5SedumAngelina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_CkGGLI/AAAAAAAAAK4/_DC2Gc-7TAQ/s400/5SedumAngelina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156824607725746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_WExhsI/AAAAAAAAALA/4aGnjm1dtb0/s1600-h/6sedumcauticola.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_WExhsI/AAAAAAAAALA/4aGnjm1dtb0/s400/6sedumcauticola.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156829845063362" border="0" /></a><br />Now if anyone knows what the following plant is I would truly appreciate the name. It resembles a tiny pine tree in appearance. It only stands about 4" high. Its "needles" are soft and feel like feathers. I could have sworn this thing had a label when I bought it, but I sure cannot find it if it did.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">UPDATE!</span> This is possibly identified as Cyprus Spurge -- a type of Euphorbia. I seem to remember purchasing a Euphorbia so this person is probably correct. We'll see as the season goes on if it follows the growth cycle of <a href="http://www.paghat.com/wolfsmilk.html">this spurge</a>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_92X-DI/AAAAAAAAALI/6TZNy3KNBDk/s1600-h/7Unidentified.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_92X-DI/AAAAAAAAALI/6TZNy3KNBDk/s400/7Unidentified.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156840522086450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_70BiWI/AAAAAAAAALQ/wQdQtDGbaNU/s1600-h/8Thyme.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqd_70BiWI/AAAAAAAAALQ/wQdQtDGbaNU/s400/8Thyme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218156839975356770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet4d7YlI/AAAAAAAAALg/lIvmPy3tCm4/s1600-h/9Sempervivums.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet4d7YlI/AAAAAAAAALg/lIvmPy3tCm4/s400/9Sempervivums.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218157629351354962" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, I have a million hens & chicks in there. I know they multiply whenever you blink your eyes, but that's okay. These puppies are so easy to grow, indoors or out, I'll find places for their babies or I'll give them to the good people in the <a href="http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/niagaraplantcycle/">Niagara Plantcycle group</a>. (From whom many of the plants in my rock garden came.) We have hens & chicks planted in bricks, boots, planters, and even tree stumps! Love these things -- they require almost no care at all.<br /><br />Take a look back at number 2 -- the Autumn Joy Sedum. This is one of my all-time favourite plants. It's a 4-season plant. In the spring, you get lush, fleshy leaves growing on stems about a foot high, to almost 2 feet high by autumn. On top of these stems develop lovely flowers that are like pin-cushions. At first they are green, then they become a dusty-pink shade, and when autumn comes they are a deep mauve. Through the winter as the leaves die down, the colourful seedheads remain, adding a bit of colour to the otherwise monochromatic landscape. In the spring, trim all the dead wood down to the ground and watch the new growth begin the cycle all over again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet8JYyVI/AAAAAAAAALo/XpKXnZ5dkOY/s1600-h/SedumAutumnJoy-3seasons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SGqet8JYyVI/AAAAAAAAALo/XpKXnZ5dkOY/s400/SedumAutumnJoy-3seasons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218157630338943314" border="0" /></a><br />After this summer, I do believe I've fallen in love with rock cress. There are so many different kinds, they have so much to offer and, best of all, they are truly not fussy plants. I'll be spreading these around in the rock garden expansions to come.<br /><br />Next up...what shall it be...the gardens in general or the chair planter? Oh, decisions, decisions...CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-13984981842365755112008-06-01T09:47:00.001-07:002008-06-01T10:01:49.214-07:00Fountain Pictures!<div style="text-align: center;">The tall sprayer:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-2t5aNI/AAAAAAAAAJI/gIttbG-SF6I/s1600-h/fountainhigh2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-2t5aNI/AAAAAAAAAJI/gIttbG-SF6I/s400/fountainhigh2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206957195987085522" border="0" /></a>The tall burbler:<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-Wf1zvI/AAAAAAAAAI4/2sQxNGpYTLI/s1600-h/fountain_high.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-Wf1zvI/AAAAAAAAAI4/2sQxNGpYTLI/s400/fountain_high.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206957187338194674" border="0" /></a>Low sprayer:<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-ixRmAI/AAAAAAAAAJA/BSn8KnYUXc4/s1600-h/fountain2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT-ixRmAI/AAAAAAAAAJA/BSn8KnYUXc4/s400/fountain2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206957190632544258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The keeper:<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT_CbyCAI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/g1VjA54dAEc/s1600-h/fountainlow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SELT_CbyCAI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/g1VjA54dAEc/s400/fountainlow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206957199132329986" border="0" /></a><br />The tall ones throw out too much water, so we're not sticking with them. Maybe one day when the pond grows in diameter. They would be great for someone with a much larger pond. We like the low fountain. We don't lose much water, it sounds nice, and it looks good. <br /><br />As for an update on the pond: we're down to two fish. We don't know what happened. Initially, we figured birds of some sort got them, but one floated to the surface yesterday, so it wasn't that. The two who are still alive have more than doubled in size. The plants are growing. We had to add barley straw as algae was growing. We need to get a couple snails to clean things up in there. <br /><br />I'll get that rock garden up soon. I keep adding plants to it. I have a few more to add and then I'll show you pictures.CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-22715870931514204372008-05-18T08:03:00.001-07:002008-05-18T10:28:59.300-07:00Putting the weeds to bed for good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBF82t4IRI/AAAAAAAAAH4/5N7jx1YnNHs/s1600-h/weedstrip.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBF82t4IRI/AAAAAAAAAH4/5N7jx1YnNHs/s400/weedstrip.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201734481395327250" border="0" /></a>This section of our yard has bugged me since we moved in here. It's four feet wide and about 70 feet long. It is almost entirely weeds. There is some grass, but mostly the weeds have taken over especially on the side that's closest to our neighbour's house. This neighbour mowed his grass three times last year, once at 10:00 p.m. because the city warned him that if he didn't have it done in 24 hours, they would do it and charge him $250 for the pleasure. The city will be giving him that warning more frequently this year. The city may also start blocking calls from me. *grin*<br /><br />For two years I've been planning to plant this whole strip in such a way that I would never have to fight weeds in it again. I will not use chemicals in my yard or gardens, so the standard junk available was not an option. Vinegar does work well, but I really didn't want to spend hours upon hours spot killing weeds with vinegar, either.<br /><br />I estimated it would take me five years to plant out this side yard. It seems small until you try to fill it in. However, thanks to MANY generous people as well as a few Horticultural Societies and individual from-home sellers, I'm darned near done! I MUST thank Charmaine from <a href="http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/niagaraplantcycle/">Niagara Plantcycle</a> who gave me several Hostas and Sweet Woodruff, along with numerous plants for my rock garden. Also Paris from our local <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle</a> has gifted me with at least 20 Hostas and countless bulbs and groundcovers. The <a href="http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/wellandhs">Welland Horticultural Society</a> had its Spring plant sale and from there I got all the Ajuga (commonly called Carpet Bugle and Bugleweed) I planted for about $15. The <a href="http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/stcatherhs">St. Catharines Horticultural Society</a> was my source for even more ground covers and perennials for my other beds. A nice gentleman in <a href="http://www.soto.on.ca/niagara_world_wonder_and_wine_country/wainfleet.html">Wainfleet</a> filled the back of my van with plants, flowers, and groundcovers to the tune of TEN whole dollars! I will visit his sales every year!<br /><br />The process:<br /><ul><li>First, we had to dig out the grass and weeds from the front 20' of this section. The weeds were so strong, I could not do it myself. Roy had to do it.</li><li>Next we ammended the soil with composted manure.<br /></li><li>Then we rototilled the whole section.<br /></li><li>We let it sit for two days so the birds could feast on the wealth of grubs in that section. (We tossed about 20 into the road. I know there were more! I bet it's going to be a bad year for Japanese Beetles with how many of their grubs we found over there.)</li><li>We placed landscape fabric over the front section. (This involved removing and resetting the top layer of retaining wall bricks on our driveway side.<br /></li><li>Then I started planting.</li></ul>Planting took me two days. I had to cut slits in the fabric then dig down into the soil to place each plug of Ajuga. After it was all planted, I had to shred the landscape fabric around the Ajuga with a carpet knife so that the groundcover will be able to spread and fill in the area. I needed to leave some of the fabric intact around the edges because the weed roots were so strong there we could not get them out. Lastly, I mulched heavily and added a bunch of driftwood to the center section which currently contains no plants. Next year I'll add a ground-hugging Euonymus, which was also a gift from Charmaine on Plantcycle but is currently rooted elsewhere to get a chance to grow. I already have two Hydrangeas in there which I planted early this spring. They are purple-flowering and will look great next against the Ajuga.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBNPGt4ISI/AAAAAAAAAIA/z0wb947C0gY/s1600-h/all+planted+front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 415px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBNPGt4ISI/AAAAAAAAAIA/z0wb947C0gY/s400/all+planted+front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201742491509334306" border="0" /></a>What a mature Ajuga bed looks like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBO2Gt4ITI/AAAAAAAAAII/BpOMa5bpzgM/s1600-h/AjugaChocolateChip2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBO2Gt4ITI/AAAAAAAAAII/BpOMa5bpzgM/s400/AjugaChocolateChip2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201744261035860274" border="0" /></a><br />The great thing about Ajuga is it is strong enough to beat out the weeds as well as be walked on. You know the kids run through this side yard, and I won't have to worry that they'll kill the groundcover. It flowers in spring and spreads by underground runners. It'll take about three years for my planting to be completely filled in.<br /><br />Now for the back section. You'll have to use your imagination, as the plants are quite small right now. I'll share more pictures at the end of the summer, when the Hostas should be quite large and other items I've planted back there in all their glory.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBVVmt4IUI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/L4tGLs9ZhTw/s1600-h/side+of+house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBVVmt4IUI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/L4tGLs9ZhTw/s400/side+of+house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201751399271506242" border="0" /></a><br />Can you see the sticks poking up all along this section? Each of them represents a Hosta. Some Hostas are large enough that I didn't have to mark them out. I also have three sections of Sweet Woodruff planted. Yes, I do want it to fill in around the hostas. I planted three Lilies of the Valley outside the window. I have interplanted cransebill Geranium and another groundcover which I need to identify, but <span style="font-style: italic;">think </span>it may be a lamium (except it has a yellow flower and does not look like the false lamium I see in pictures on the net.) At the back corner I've planted a fern. I want to put an Ostrich Fern back there but that may have to wait until a different year. I will be mulching out this back section soon as I can. It's going to take a lot of mulch and I'm looking for the most economic options. <br /><br />As it turns out, the cranesbill geranium is 2008's Perennial of the Year. Oooh, I'm so cutting edge and I didn't even know it! This is what it looks like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBjfWt4IVI/AAAAAAAAAIY/nJKIUurK_Yw/s1600-h/cranesbillgeranium_Perennialoftheyear2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SDBjfWt4IVI/AAAAAAAAAIY/nJKIUurK_Yw/s400/cranesbillgeranium_Perennialoftheyear2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201766959938019666" border="0" /></a>Now, then, what to do about that channel in the neighbor's cement retaining wall? I've got Variegated Gout Weed growing heartily and happily out back and need to remove sizeable portions from my memorial bed before the roots choke out the perennials I have growing there. It's quite attractive, but also quite invasive. So long as I took care to deadhead the flowers before they set seed, I wouldn't have to worry about it spreading beyond that cement channel. For now we've covered up what we could with remnants of our landscaping fabric in the hopes of killing the giant weeds inside it. The neighbour doesn't trim anything that grows in this channel, so it's become part of my husband's routine weed whacking. I don't think he'll care if I put the goat weed in there. Though maybe I should ask first. I think we've exchanged about 3 words in the past two years, though he doesn't seem to be a nasty person....maybe just asocial (and thoroughly disinterested in lawn care.) My other option, should he refuse the goat weed gift, will be a steaming brew of vinegar and salt water. Nothing will grow in there, including weeds should I take this route. <br /><br />Oh, and yes, I will be calling the city about that abandoned car. It has moss growing on it! I can't work around it very well, as I can't bend over and plant anything on the ground there. There are so many metal collectors in this city, it should be no problem for him to have it removed. <br /><br />Next up is the rock garden! <br />(Yes, I'll get that picture of the fountain soon as it's not raining and overcast!)CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5897831606820051281.post-7414425964586101192008-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:002008-05-17T21:07:09.210-07:00The Water GardenThis was our first big undertaking this year. Starting April 5th, which was the first warm, sunny day after a winter that was three years long, we dug out the hole for our 55-gallon drum that would become our water garden (miniature pond).<br /><br />The ground was nice and soft thanks to the heavy snows finally melting. It's awkward digging a hole 2.5 feet deep and only 2.5 feet in diameter. We made it a little wider and filled in the edges after setting the drum. So just how does one go about digging a hole 2.5 deep and 2.5 feet in diameter? First, one gets a shovel. Or two. Next, one employs readily-available <span style="font-style: italic;">and free </span>child labour:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-hp2t4IKI/AAAAAAAAAHA/9uQoUJwa-vE/s1600-h/childLabour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-hp2t4IKI/AAAAAAAAAHA/9uQoUJwa-vE/s400/childLabour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201553835070857378" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see, the hole's not quite deep enough so we had to dig it some more. Then we set the empty drum in the hole until we got some bricks to put inside:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-iD2t4ILI/AAAAAAAAAHI/uECBBxthWw4/s1600-h/withbricks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-iD2t4ILI/AAAAAAAAAHI/uECBBxthWw4/s400/withbricks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201554281747456178" border="0" /></a><br />3 cinder blocks are arranged inside. These will be plant shelves as well as safe hidey-holes for the fishies who might need to get away from neighborhood cats, herons, or children. We filled the barrel with water, refitted the lid and left it until the moment I learned that Canadian Tire had floating solar water fountains. I ran out immediately and snatched up one of the last two on the shelf. WOOHOO! We had a nice little fountain going there for a couple weeks with nothing other than cinder blocks to keep it company. It only runs in full sun (and sometimes when it's only slightly overcast) so by afternoon it has shut off as the pond is in full shade by 2pm now. That's getting later every day and by the height of summer, the fountain will run until 6 or 7 pm.<br /><br />On May 9 I bought the plants and placed them in the pond. We also took a couple trips to get the fish. First we went to the Koi Pond in hopes that they would have shubunkins (which are smaller and cleaner than Koi.) No such luck. He tried to tell me he had some shubunkins, but I saw everything he had, and everything he had cost TOO MUCH and was ALL KOI. So off we went to Petsmart. They had lots of choices. We settled on the 27 cent feeder goldfish. I figured if they died overnight, we wouldn't be out a bunch of money. We bought four: two orange with black markings and two orange with white markings. The fish are thriving in their new home! It's been a week, we still have four fish, and a couple of them are significantly larger than they were a week ago. Now they're even staying visible when we come to feed them.<br /><br />This weekend (May 15) we started purchasing our bricks to surround the portion of the pond that is above-ground.<br /><br />Do ya want to see it? Now keep in mind, we're only buying some of the brick at a time, so the brick surround is not completed. It will be in a month or two. I also removed the fountain to take this pic. I'll take another with the fountain in all its glory tomorrow.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-kYmt4IMI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/t4xjUwX8Nak/s1600-h/brickwall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-kYmt4IMI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/t4xjUwX8Nak/s400/brickwall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201556837252997314" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, that's a toy boat in there. That little boy had to dig that hole, he should get to float his boats in the water! As you can see, I also transplanted some day lilies (tiger lilies, ditch lilies, whatever you want to call them -- they're the standard orange flowered lily) behind the pond. I didn't want them where they had been and they'll look nice back there.<br /><br />A closer look at the plants:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCGt4INI/AAAAAAAAAHY/RxDOrJ8Azl4/s1600-h/Pondplants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCGt4INI/AAAAAAAAAHY/RxDOrJ8Azl4/s400/Pondplants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201557550217568466" border="0" /></a><br />and what they are:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCGt4IOI/AAAAAAAAAHg/7cCpU7tp7_Y/s1600-h/PondPlantslabeled.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCGt4IOI/AAAAAAAAAHg/7cCpU7tp7_Y/s400/PondPlantslabeled.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201557550217568482" border="0" /></a>Can you see that oblong shadow at the end of the arrow denoting a fishie? Yes, it's a fishie! The water's not actually murky. It was dusk when I took this picture so it's dark down there. I also have a waterlily under where the front hyacinth is floating. It hasn't grown enough to float on top of the water, though.<br /><br />Here is what each of the plants will look like when they're blooming and mature:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCWt4IPI/AAAAAAAAAHo/05g-wYpN8Ps/s1600-h/Waterplants+Mature.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikC5yr4Y-aA/SC-lCWt4IPI/AAAAAAAAAHo/05g-wYpN8Ps/s400/Waterplants+Mature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201557554512535794" border="0" /></a>All my water plants are hardy in our zone (Canadian 6b, US 5b) and will survive the winter. The fish will also survive -- they're they reason I planted the whole barrel instead of cutting it in half and having a patio water garden. I may need to do <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span> to keep the water from freezing, and I will cover the pond to give it more insulation. I also want to get a couple snails to keep things tidy in there. And we'd all like to have a frog.<br /><br />Next up, the weed bed....CannedAmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08312333323225187964noreply@blogger.com2