Tag: plants

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Cherry Tomatoes and No Sun

I’m sad readers. I have planted cherry tomatoes again and they just aren’t getting the sun that they need to turn red. There are plenty of little green tomatoes on the cherry tomato vines, and the other tomatoes I planted was a type of cherry, but more like a husky one. To me…they would just be an in between cherry tomato and beef steak! LOL!

I suppose I could use what doesn’t turn red on the cherry t’s vine as mini fried green tomatoes.  I’ve not ever looked it up or heard of anyone making these bite size snacks, which I actually am in love with. But I’m going to try it. Maybe “husky” fried  green tomatoes are in order not also!

Summer seems to have hit us for about a week of real summer days. I loved it. But now…judging from my plants…not just the tomatoes, the prices of the produce will double in the cost this  year, like beef has in the last two. Just my take on it folks!

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Yard cleanup and missing summer

Every year when I clean up my yard and put all the summer things away, I get a dreadful feeling about winter weather. I love summer and since I despise winters here, I know I’m living in a place where I feel totally misplaced.

Already I’ve raked leaves in the front yard. Granted, not to many but they are falling off the big tree. I also have been collecting seeds, and pulling up dead annuals.

Closing the pool isn’t happening just yet, as my kids swim even if it is chilly out. The water has stayed semi warm but the air still has a chill to it that is obvious when they get out of the pool and have goose bumps all over their bodies. I’m going to miss summer so darn much I’m thinking about buying a heater for the pool

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Gathering seeds and doing household repair

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been gathering seeds from what I call, my “blown out herbs and flowers” so I can put them in packages, mark them and then plant again next year. I love having herbs, flowers and other plants that I have grown and then gathered the seeds, and planted again the next spring. Generations of plants, so to speak.

I’m also getting the house ready for the winter. There are some repairs needed to be done on the outside of the house, due to the drought and yet also the terrible storms that passed through when we did get rain.

All of these things I love to do but need help with, and I have to admit that my kids have been wonderful about helping me with the a lot of the things that need to be done. This gives me peace of mind and also knowing that I am going to be prepared (sort of) for the winter and also have the spring seeds to plant, will save money and help me to keep from a great deal of worry.

 

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First tomato of the season

Today I went outside and there was a ripe tomato on one of my tomato plants. I didn’t think it was fully ripe, but when I touched it, it fell into my hand, so I figured it was ready to eat. To be honest, it was a great feeling seeing that tomato ripe on the vine! I got a slow start, but our growing season is long, and by the looks of the way my plants are growing and the tomatoes on the vines right now…I’ll have plenty of tomatoes to eat and give away.

When you live in Michigan, you have to start tomato plants indoors and figure out when is the best time to plant them in the ground without risk of a late snow or killing frost. Usually I try to get the plants in the ground in mid-April. But some years we are still having freaky snow storms in April, so I have to wait until May.

If we can get them in early enough, there are plenty of fresh, ripe tomatoes ready for picking by the 4th of July. I’ve already beat that goal this year!

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Late seed and plant shopping

Today, my mom, daughter and I went late seed shopping. It’s not really late, since our growing season last into fall, but it’s sometimes iffy to plant late like this. Still, mom knew of some stores that had seeds really cheap and if I don’t use them this year, I’ll use them next year. Unless seeds are a few years old, I don’t pay much attention to the expiration dates. I keep them in air tight and water resistant containers, so I’ve never had a problem with them growing.

Tomorrow we’re going to take my mom out for dinner for Father’s Day. She doesn’t want me to spend my money on this and wanted to cook us dinner. That is just the way she is. Today I bought her some great inside plants that she’ll get tomorrow. It was hard to get them into the cart and paid for, then into the trunk of the car without her seeing them, but I had my daughter distract her. Actually, mom has eyes behind her head and doesn’t miss a trick, so she no doubt saw them or had an idea that I got them for her. She’ll act surprised though.

My garden here is starting to look really nice and I’ve been working on my son and my bale garden. It’s fun and interesting to see how well the veggies are going to do planting this way, since we’ve never done it. I’m getting a lot of advice from my friend Lindsay though. It’s been a long day, I’m tried after walking all over today. I’m looking forward to scattering s0me seeds tomorrow though in a spot I dug up along the sidewalk.

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A full Saturday

Finally I have time to sit down and relax. It feels good to put my feet up. A day filled with grocery shopping and then running errands is not something I was looking forward to today. I got some great photo frames that I needed and also a new clock for the kitchen that were on sale, so that was a plus.

When I got home, I had a visit this evening from a dear friend, Brenda. She and I are gardening buddies and we are always swapping plants and surprising one another with little garden gifts. It was a welcome visit. We sat talking about more home improvement we wanted to start on our houses, and had the same idea about various tile in the kitchen.

All in all it was a productive but long day. Tomorrow I’m going to dig up some more iris’s to give to my friend, and she is bringing me some of her tile samples that she got so I can look them over.

 

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An over abundance of chives

Looking out at my garden, I have noticed that I have a big time over abundance of chives. I must have at least 12 patches of them that I have counted just now, as it’s a far as I can see out the front door. I’m going to have to dig up clumps and give a lot away. I’ll also be saving space for other compatible plants.

I know that one of my long time friends is going to take some this weekend, and bring me some of her geraniums in exchange, but I have plenty more to share. I do plan on drying a lot of them, and lately my son likes his (as I do) mixed in with his mashed potatoes, so he’ll grab some and chop them up.

After the chives, I have to definitely thin out all of my various mints and cooking herbs. A great deal of them are all volunteer plants. Maybe I’ll just start another few gardens in the back yard. It’s closer to the kitchen and would be much handier.

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Botanical gardens

This coming weekend if all goes well, I’m planning on going to the Zoo, that is in the city that I grew up and go home to nearly every other week. The Botanical Gardens are open all year around, but I like to go around this time each year, to get my garden incentives flowing.

This is a wonderful place to go. And this is just a start. I have to say that some of the local exhibits and also the out of town attractions and recreational places to go, are indeed a great joy to me.

When I go to the Botanical Gardens, I can stay there all day. Not only do I love the warm humid environment of the massive greenhouse, but I also love the earthy smells, the smells of the plants and exotic flowers, along with the more known species. There is also a simulation of a rain forest in another part of the zoo that I like to go to, when I am in that area. It’s amazing. Complete with the alligators, turtles, fish and all kinds of birds native to the rain forests. Not to mention the really unique plant life. I’m in seventh heaven when I’m there and always plan to be away from the time they open in the morning, until they close in the evening. I’m really looking forward to this.

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A great Spring gardening magazines

I’m so excited. My son brought in the mail today and handed me not one, but two new Spring 2012  Native Gardener’s Companion magazines! This is like a catalog, but with tips on growing various flowers, potted plants, shrubs and trees, plus a whole lot more.

In the What’s New section, I see that they now offer a Pollinator Kit that I would like to try. It consists of a tray of 38 potted plants for moist soil situations, and from the sound of it, there are a variety of really pretty colors, and forms of plants that attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, all of which I love. Some people are afraid of bees and try to get rid of them. I’m not one of those people. I love bumbles and honey bees. The only kind I don’t like, are the ones that are long and yellow and up here, people call them yellow jackets. They like to attack and build nests under the eves, and actually anywhere they can. Those are scary and so very mean. Plus they do nothing for my gardens. I’m glad that I rarely see them anywhere near my plants.

I’ve noticed also that the Gardner’s companion has include a color coded diagrams for planting gardens in various way, including plants in pots and various flowers and grasses. This is a great idea. I like to get new ideas and ways of making my gardens look different each year. I’m so excited for Spring to get here. And getting this magazine in the mail today boosted my spirits.