Good Friday usually brings rain-storms or at least a dreary cloudy day. Not this special year...lots of snow! It snowed all day...made it interesting getting to/from the Church 4 times for prayers/Stations/Taize and evening service...
I waited till after MAC and Sat. morn. prayers to shovel the 5" or so for about an hour...w/o a coat...it was so nice and sunny...that's the way of Triduum...first the suffering of snow-storm, then the glorious sun-light...it's only in the 30's but the sun in March is so warm...hearing the birds chirp w/ the snow, listening to the trees creek in the wind...what a glorious Holy Saturday we had here...I took a bunch of pictures of the snow...like a blanket of love from God to us this day...so beautiful... sadly it looks to be gone by early week with 40's coming...darn--spring ccan hold off for now :)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
50's again
Sunny and nice, sitting in the sun again just after 1pm, listening to the melting-snow in the storm-sewers and singing birds again, and also watching the bees in the front tree and squirrels playing in the yard...ahhhhhhh
Can't wait until the matted down grass and large mounds of snow are gone!
Please spring--come to us soon!
ps-tried to 'turn-over' the compost area...ground still too frozen...
Can't wait until the matted down grass and large mounds of snow are gone!
Please spring--come to us soon!
ps-tried to 'turn-over' the compost area...ground still too frozen...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
the big melt is on...
Today...as I sit in the warm sun (sipping a nice Weiss beer), listening to the birds chirp and the snow-melt running into the road stormsewers...I can only hope that spring is on the way!
The 'warmer' weather started tihs week about on Tues...the cad we waked T...thank you!
The 'warmer' weather started tihs week about on Tues...the cad we waked T...thank you!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Gray day solution...a trip to the conservatory
Well, it's the middle of winter in tundra-land (not much gardening going on)...what to do on a snowy/cold/gray Saturday in January......a surprise trip to the Garfield Park Conservatory...that's the ticket!!!I asked C & L to get ready and get in the car...we're going on a family outing... and they did not know where we were off to...L kept asking, 'are we at the spot yet?'...it's 25 miles from home and about 45 minutes in time...so it's a bit of a drive, but well worth it!
The scene could not be more perfect...the end of a very very cold week, with temps below zero and wind-chills in the -20's...ouch. We arrive at about 10a.m. to a wide open house of green and color...4.5 acres of lush palms, ferns, flowers, cactus, ponds and waterfalls...now that's what we needed. So much for the eyes, nose and hands to soak in...the warmth of the house, the humid air, the floating mist, the smell of flowers...all of it given to us as a gift...what a blessing to be able to be aware of such a great place...a touch of paradise in the middle of the busy City.
We spent two hours walking the 'grounds'...amazed at the beauty that surrounded us...knowing that we must return in a few months to see the new exhibit that is under construction and to see the outdoor grounds in the summer...the plants, the ponds and the large labryinth...can't for the return trip.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fall clean-up time
Ahhh....
it's 10.26 and it's a balmy 60 out w/ sunshine, so it's time to take care of some of the fall clean-up:
-cut back the day-lilies (compost them)
-still trying to get rid of the creeping charlie...now it's time to rip-out-the-lawn and plant new grass seed w/ new t-soil...just 'excavating' the c-c today...will need to make a run to get bags of seed and soil
-pick the last of the red t's and possibly pick the green ones as well...Tommy says frost over the w/e--ugh! not worth 'tarping' the veggies one last time
-pick the left-over onions and green/yellow/red peppers
-transplant the hot pepper for winter in the house---have had this plant for 3 years now
-compost the balcony flowers into the side yard compost pile...it's getting bigger now!
-added leaves from the mow yesterday to the compost
-adding t'plants if we pull them out today
-still leaving the canna out even though my bro/200 miles south pulled his over the w/e--still blooms on mine and my grass is green--his is brown...love the tundra in '07
loads of fun!!
love the fall!!!!
it's 10.26 and it's a balmy 60 out w/ sunshine, so it's time to take care of some of the fall clean-up:
-cut back the day-lilies (compost them)
-still trying to get rid of the creeping charlie...now it's time to rip-out-the-lawn and plant new grass seed w/ new t-soil...just 'excavating' the c-c today...will need to make a run to get bags of seed and soil
-pick the last of the red t's and possibly pick the green ones as well...Tommy says frost over the w/e--ugh! not worth 'tarping' the veggies one last time
-pick the left-over onions and green/yellow/red peppers
-transplant the hot pepper for winter in the house---have had this plant for 3 years now
-compost the balcony flowers into the side yard compost pile...it's getting bigger now!
-added leaves from the mow yesterday to the compost
-adding t'plants if we pull them out today
-still leaving the canna out even though my bro/200 miles south pulled his over the w/e--still blooms on mine and my grass is green--his is brown...love the tundra in '07
loads of fun!!
love the fall!!!!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
10.19 and 10.24
still picking lots of red t's!!!
picked a std basket full on the 19th and took to the P's...
when we rerturned from vacation in Mo...picked another pretty full basket on 10.24
--and there are still a basket or so of green on the vine!!
as well as lots of basil left from the 4 small plants this year--great harvest...lots of pesto--what else can be made w/ it...freeze the leaves?
as well a lots of late green/yellow/red peppers and a few onions we missed picking in Sept.
great year for the v-garden!! thank you J!
picked a std basket full on the 19th and took to the P's...
when we rerturned from vacation in Mo...picked another pretty full basket on 10.24
--and there are still a basket or so of green on the vine!!
as well as lots of basil left from the 4 small plants this year--great harvest...lots of pesto--what else can be made w/ it...freeze the leaves?
as well a lots of late green/yellow/red peppers and a few onions we missed picking in Sept.
great year for the v-garden!! thank you J!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
wow--heat continues
it's Oct 6 and it's in the mid 80's and HOT!! which is fine by me...the tomato feast continues....just picked about a 1/2 basked w/ L and some hot peppers for pico...love it.
we picked a bunch a few weeks back that weighted 12 lbs!!! I figure we've had over 100 lbs this season and lot of good ones...not mal-formed.
this hotness will continue till Monday...excellent! then we get rain and cool weather.
gotta take stock in the fall garden needs;
-rip out more creeping charlie and plant new seed w/ new topsoil
-get mulch for the garden
-plant bulbs
-keep compost going w/ leaves etc
-nice year in the garden
we picked a bunch a few weeks back that weighted 12 lbs!!! I figure we've had over 100 lbs this season and lot of good ones...not mal-formed.
this hotness will continue till Monday...excellent! then we get rain and cool weather.
gotta take stock in the fall garden needs;
-rip out more creeping charlie and plant new seed w/ new topsoil
-get mulch for the garden
-plant bulbs
-keep compost going w/ leaves etc
-nice year in the garden
Friday, August 17, 2007
Fruits of the garden
Pico de Gallo...(from Rachel Ray show)
3-4 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped (from my garden)
1 small white onion, diced (from my garden)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (hot peppers from my garden)
1-2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped (sadly not from my garden...but it will be next year)
1 lime, zest and juice (uh, I don't live in FL...)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
preparation
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
Yields 4 servings
----
C made it today for Grant's b;day gathering...it had the perfect 'hotness' and we all loved it...it will be a Mueller-summer staple from now on.
Other items made this summer:
Insalata Caprese
Basil/pesto for cold pasta
Tomato/cucumber salad
3-4 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped (from my garden)
1 small white onion, diced (from my garden)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (hot peppers from my garden)
1-2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped (sadly not from my garden...but it will be next year)
1 lime, zest and juice (uh, I don't live in FL...)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
preparation
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
Yields 4 servings
----
C made it today for Grant's b;day gathering...it had the perfect 'hotness' and we all loved it...it will be a Mueller-summer staple from now on.
Other items made this summer:
Insalata Caprese
Basil/pesto for cold pasta
Tomato/cucumber salad
Sunday, August 12, 2007
dub-L-E
took a beating last night from the heavy rain storms...ugh!
decided to prop up the one leaf since it has signs of a new leaf peeling off from it...hope it bounces back.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Early August notes...
Wed. saw the 1st bloom from the 17 planted canna--it's always the one closest to the front stairs
Thurs. - picked more that 4 dozen tomatoes...ealy girl, plums and cherry...nice haul!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Weeding, pruning, harvesting
I love this time of the summer...there is always something to do in the yard and garden. This past w/e I pruned, weeded a bit, watered and enjoyed some harvesting...
Now I beginning to dream of the fall planting season...catching up on the items I wish I planted in the spring.
Now I beginning to dream of the fall planting season...catching up on the items I wish I planted in the spring.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Hot Sat. 7.28...
Well, getting a bit tired of the non-arrow wood viburnum in my back yard...I think it's mulberry mixed in...I attacked the weed in three or four waves...it was so hot that I attacked, cut, pruned and then took a break inside and it felt good to rid the one arrow wood of the bad-boy! Cut it up into small pieces so it can become part of compost pile soon...will let it 'rot' in the garbage can a while and then pile-it...ahhhh...that felt good--that, and ridding some of the yard of large weeds....ugh--so many this year and I actually am being proactive to get them out of here...full time battle.
The weed/feed on the garden did not seem to do much in the veg-garden...more weeds are back...maybe they are jumping from the nearby grass--which is pretty sad...someday that side yard will have no grass--yippee!
The weed/feed on the garden did not seem to do much in the veg-garden...more weeds are back...maybe they are jumping from the nearby grass--which is pretty sad...someday that side yard will have no grass--yippee!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
weed/feed
I've never done any post planting fertilizing of the garden, veg or flower...but this year I'm trying the standard weed/feed mostly in the veg garden and some in the EE-garden area...we'll see if I can notice any change in weed growth or accelerated growth in the plants.
I'd started a lazy mans compost pile near the garden...thinking I'd do a layered type pile...today, I finally turned it over/raked it out...such great dark soil!!! yep, we have compost liftoff now on both sides of the house...good stuff.
I'd started a lazy mans compost pile near the garden...thinking I'd do a layered type pile...today, I finally turned it over/raked it out...such great dark soil!!! yep, we have compost liftoff now on both sides of the house...good stuff.
Friday, July 20, 2007
A Good Week...
Well, early in the week, there was lots of rain! The lawn looks like hell, but the garden is more important...
big news in the veg-garden! -lots of red cherry, some red plum and maybe a red early girl--rockin' red in mind-July...will need to pick them this p.m. when Lauren wakes-up.
bigger news---there are new 'horn' sprouts from the EE/beast...looks like more leaves are on the way...
onions are going fast...C is using them in green and potato salads etc...what to plant there after they are gone?...a late summer crop of?????
----
and today I officially started the 2nd compost pile w/ food scraps, yard waste etc...can't wait to use this stuff in the garden.
tomato picking was slightly plentiful...pic to be posted soon of my little helper doing the picking...she does know to pick the reds and oranges--not the greens...but she thinks all the greens will be red soon...an optimist. We had the just picked tomatoes for dinner...absolutely nothing like fresh tomatoes!!
big news in the veg-garden! -lots of red cherry, some red plum and maybe a red early girl--rockin' red in mind-July...will need to pick them this p.m. when Lauren wakes-up.
bigger news---there are new 'horn' sprouts from the EE/beast...looks like more leaves are on the way...
onions are going fast...C is using them in green and potato salads etc...what to plant there after they are gone?...a late summer crop of?????
----
and today I officially started the 2nd compost pile w/ food scraps, yard waste etc...can't wait to use this stuff in the garden.
tomato picking was slightly plentiful...pic to be posted soon of my little helper doing the picking...she does know to pick the reds and oranges--not the greens...but she thinks all the greens will be red soon...an optimist. We had the just picked tomatoes for dinner...absolutely nothing like fresh tomatoes!!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Timely Review of Isaiah
"See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Is 43:19)
As I spent substantial time this morning putting up today's post and pictures, I casually wondered how I came across the blog tag line above from Isaiah...well, watching the Sunday evening PBS show 30 Good Minutes--a repeat, I think I know how. I must have seen this episode/show back in the spring and liked it's message...if that's not how it came to be, then it just fits. The guest speaker spoke of this exact scripture reading...WOW! It spoke of hope and His way to give us what we need when we need it...this all blends well with my new efforts of gardening this year. I truly have ratcheted up the gardening bug in me...planting new things in new places and transplanting plants in new spots...do you not perceive it--are you not aware...this show got me good. They spoke of "suffering and hope..." --'How do you think, though, the promise in Isaiah speaks to families whose child has died or to someone who has lost a spouse or a loved one? How do those words speak to someone who is at the bottom, where they really believe that their worst possible reality has come to be?'-WOW...it all comes together in just 30 good minutes today! Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of Awareness and providing the hope along with providing me with what I need along my spiritual journey.
As I spent substantial time this morning putting up today's post and pictures, I casually wondered how I came across the blog tag line above from Isaiah...well, watching the Sunday evening PBS show 30 Good Minutes--a repeat, I think I know how. I must have seen this episode/show back in the spring and liked it's message...if that's not how it came to be, then it just fits. The guest speaker spoke of this exact scripture reading...WOW! It spoke of hope and His way to give us what we need when we need it...this all blends well with my new efforts of gardening this year. I truly have ratcheted up the gardening bug in me...planting new things in new places and transplanting plants in new spots...do you not perceive it--are you not aware...this show got me good. They spoke of "suffering and hope..." --'How do you think, though, the promise in Isaiah speaks to families whose child has died or to someone who has lost a spouse or a loved one? How do those words speak to someone who is at the bottom, where they really believe that their worst possible reality has come to be?'-WOW...it all comes together in just 30 good minutes today! Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of Awareness and providing the hope along with providing me with what I need along my spiritual journey.
Mid-Summer Update
Well, I've not kept a precise log of my gardening activities since late April, but here is a good summary and more pix have been added to the photo log...
May...
Veg garden:
18 tomatoes
6 peppers, red, yellow, green -(wow--lots of weeds in the pepper garden--better get to that!)
2 basil pots
one hot pepper from the winter
Flowers:
-new hosta and EE/beast garden
-17 orange canna
-balcony trays (pix soon)
-front and back/C-tree annuals (pix soon)
-transplanted the last remaining Edelweiss (pic soon)
-for the 1st time that I can recall, I cut flowers from the garden to bring inside...duh! peonies, roses, hydrangea from my new Endless and MB's, Lady's Mantle, Day Lilies...etc.
-transplanted cones are doing well!
June/July--watering & weeding
late June--harvested the 1st onions
7.14--spotted the 1st redish tomato
May...
Veg garden:
18 tomatoes
6 peppers, red, yellow, green -(wow--lots of weeds in the pepper garden--better get to that!)
2 basil pots
one hot pepper from the winter
Flowers:
-new hosta and EE/beast garden
-17 orange canna
-balcony trays (pix soon)
-front and back/C-tree annuals (pix soon)
-transplanted the last remaining Edelweiss (pic soon)
-for the 1st time that I can recall, I cut flowers from the garden to bring inside...duh! peonies, roses, hydrangea from my new Endless and MB's, Lady's Mantle, Day Lilies...etc.
-transplanted cones are doing well!
June/July--watering & weeding
late June--harvested the 1st onions
7.14--spotted the 1st redish tomato
Monday, July 09, 2007
Wow...2 months!
Well, I've been too darn busy in the garden to blog/post about the garden...
I've promised myself that I will post an update this week to bring it up to speed.
I've promised myself that I will post an update this week to bring it up to speed.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
puttering...
Ouch again...still aching from the shovel work...Sat
1. bought 18 tomato plants (6 varieties)
2. bought 2 basil pots (4-6 plants)
3. bought some red beats (new to the veg garden-we'll see how it goes)
4. planted 17 canna from last years 2-canna...4 from winter/save and the rest from the basement/save
5. dug up more of the burning bush area...anticipating one of these plantings there...
6. bought a yellow rose bush for the back to replace last years mother's day bush that is not looking good
Monday, May 07, 2007
Mowing
Tonight I mowed the back yard for the 1st time this season...it was set on the highest setting and was higher than the mower in some isolated spots...I knew I was close to low on gas and none in the can...and it ran dry just as I was mowing the long stuff at on the north side of the garage...perfect!
I think I mowed the front on Wed. last week...not a fan of mowing before May 1...did I mention that. I've always loved to mow...so so many yards and $$ as a kid--who does that today? no-one! The smell of fresh cut grass is pleasing to the nose--even w/ alergies!
Well, the season has begun ... more mows ahead.........
I think I mowed the front on Wed. last week...not a fan of mowing before May 1...did I mention that. I've always loved to mow...so so many yards and $$ as a kid--who does that today? no-one! The smell of fresh cut grass is pleasing to the nose--even w/ alergies!
Well, the season has begun ... more mows ahead.........
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