Buy, Buy, Buy the native plants

Today we drove to the Wheaton Native Plant sale...arrived at 9:20, after an 8:30 open time and lots were already gone :(

Next year, get there earlier.

Still was able to buy:
-prairie dropseed grass (to plant the 4 around the parkway oak)
-various types of black-eyed susans
-and a plant that Linda P. told me about...Salmon Seal

Will need to plant when the ran stops and it's not so wet out...

Celebrating Earth Day

My office building promoted Earth Day in the lobby with a display on saving energy and they gave out packets of wild flowers. At prechool, Lauren made a small planting pot and today we planted the seeds in the pot... picture was taken a week later when the 1st sprout was spotted...spring is about to really spring...yahooooooooooo

not spring yet ...

This morning, as Lauren and I were out and about today, I noted that it was a nice and sunny day...she said, 'maybe we can plant some flowers'... well, it was 56 yesterday, about 40 today...but sadly a long way from planting... :(

So, she wondered if we could plant in Cayman... :) -never cold there... love the 'kid-mind'

PS: 2nd leaf sprouting on the EE in the master bath--nice! so cool to watch it 'unfold'!

ya gotta take what God gives ya... am I wrong?

~in this bitter cold and snow-filled tunda, ya gotta take what God gives ya... am I wrong?

I just took a few photos on this sunny/cold/snowy day and captured the drip of the icicle....aaahhhhh.

the joy of winter...

Ahhh...another major snow storm...(12")

Some call us tunda-land, others think we are just nuts for living here.

I say, enjoy the beauty and relax.

Today, Jennie's 40th birthday, we took down the Christmas tree and stuck it in the back yard to enjoy further...the snow was coming down for 21 hours (since last night) and so the tree looks like it should be there all covered in snow. It still has a useful life...and when it does not, it will become mulch (with the new chipper) and firewood.

This w/e is the Baptism of the Lord and so we are baptised with 12" of snow on Jennie's birthday...what a gift.

Hope Springs Eternal, Nurturing new growth from life's soil

The moment I start to think about hope this last week, I get an idea about making hope-cards and then I get an article about hope from someone who most would think has little hope these days...

what a great read...thanks!

Bringin' a bit of the ourdoors indoors each year

I have:

- always saved my vines from the cold (in pic)

- always saved some hot peppers from the cold (in pic)

- sometimes saved a canna...but it never bloomed, but it survived...none this year (bad year for cannas :( )

-but I have not ever tried to save an elephant ear from the cold...it's doing well so far....started out as just a 2-3" sprout and it popped out one leaf...the experiment continues.

new look

oh, how sad...
there is still so much to be done in the garden/yard...but it's only in the 40's and so windy today.
but I decided to mow in my winter ski coat and gloves anyway...but only the front...so so sad.

Fall may be gone

I was just outside for a few minutes digging up some hot peppers and cutting back the wilted ee's and I'm frozen...maybe I should be putting on some long pants and a coat...really it's the wind....ugh...I feel the winter blues coming on already...I need one more nice sunny 60's day---plesae Lord!

Halloween purchase

...seems about right that I buy a chipper/shredder today of all days...

bought the new 'toy' today and put it right to work chipping the tree trimmings, the old wild flower stalks and ee stalks...makes such nice mulch for the garden and beds...I know I'll be getting good use from this new garden item... and it was on sale too...nice 25% discount.

there certainly is something spiritual about taking what appears to be rubish and turning it into food for the garden...it just feels good :)

Beautiful visitors

early final harvest...

Well, I/we usually wait until the last week of October or early November to pick all the green tomatoes...but for some reason, I decided to do it today...

reason one, it's such a nice day and not many left on the vine of the staked plants

two, there are more on the volunteer/roge plants that are not staked and so they will rot before they turn red...pick-em now!

Lauren and I picked most of the greens from the staked plants in the a.m. and I began to pick the remaining from the staked and roge...what a haul! and then the ultimate suprise, a hidden nest of bees that got me at least 5-6 times!! ugh! right ankle, right thigh, right palm, left forearm, left shoulder blade and maybe my neck....cinco-ugh!!

what a haul!!!

Today's reading hits home...

from today's Gospel... Jn 20: 11-18
~snip~
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”
~snip~

uh, the picture to the right here depicts that scene...nice :)

time to harvest

Well, finally...the harvest is coming in...after preparing the soil, planting the seeds and plants, watering (only once~thanks to His rain) weeding and fertilizing...there are a few veggies to pick.

Lauren was excited a few days earlier to tell me that they were ready to pick...

4 onions (there are lots more)

4 hot (red) peppers

12 cherry tomatoes, both red and orange









and there was a viewing of the cone flowers with a large BEE

First 'real' watering today...

It's been so rainy and wet since mid-May, that I have not really watered any part of the veg or flower garden until 8 a.m. this morning...wow...what a great savings on the water bill!! Thank you God for the gift of rain for the last 2-months.

I should really be looking for that rain-barrel to save on the water bill as well.

good quote...

Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God...

TJ, 1787

a gift of 2-heirloom tomato plants

~we received a gift of 2-heirloom tomato plants from our friends Dave and Eileen...

we gave the plants a good home along side the 23 other t-plants in the veg-garden...and Lauren is giving them a drink.

once the fruit is ready, we will share with D/E of course.

...& we have EE's in '08

Saw three sprouts from the main tuber and one from one of the 4 others I planted...we will have EE's again! ...just kind of slow in getting going this year. (pic taken 7/6/08)

the only no-show is the castor-bean...planted 4 seeds and none took...may try a few more in a new location.

Good 'garden' Gospel today...

Gospel Mt 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut downand thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.”