Daffodil Lane: Garden Archives

July 19, 2008

Let's Talk Some Orchids Today!

I love orchids. I buy the "cheap" ones (Phalaenopsis), but I still love them none the less. Right now I have 3 of my orchids that are in bloom.

Let's start with the yellow first:

I've had this orchid for 4 or 5 years. This is the first time since I bought it that it has put on a bloom shoot. Maybe it's because it's in a window that gets more sun? I'm not sure, but it has dainty little blooms between the size of a quarter and a half dollar.

Next we have the purple orchid:

I've had this one for years too. This is the third time that it has bloomed. It seems to bloom every year. It had 6 blooms total, but just dropped one. Now we're down to five, but the other blooms seem to be hanging in there. These blooms are about the size of a large plum.

Now let's take a look at a white orchid:

I got this orchid at Costco (yeah I know...who would have thought?) in January and it had a very long bloom shoot covered in 11-12 blossoms. A few weeks ago the last of those blossoms fell. A few weeks before that a side shoot sprouted off and now it is blooming again. This shoot looks like it will have 7-8 blossoms.

What is odd about this new shoot is that the bloom upon it have a slight purple tinge on the back of the blooms, where the original stalk did not. Plant phenotypes at work...Fascinating! ;o) The blooms are roughly the size of a small apple.

So that's my orchids for now...You're thrilled I know! ;oP

Posted by Dianne at 11:23 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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Those are so pretty! I can't keep houseplants. The cat eats them.

Posted by: Allie at July 22, 2008 9:51 AM

Weird...I didn't know cats would eat house plants! But then again my cat growing up used to eat cantaloupe and popcorn so I guess nothing surprises me when it comes to cats! ;oP

Posted by: Dianne at July 22, 2008 4:26 PM

July 10, 2008

Sunflower From Nelson

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May 12, 2008

Google's Organic Garden...

Now that's cool!

Posted by Dianne at 10:39 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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Wow! That's awesome!

Posted by: Allie at May 12, 2008 11:23 AM

I read about them putting it in last year. It's good to see it's thriving. I like businesses that look beyond just basic business. It's so rare in today's world.

Posted by: Dianne at May 12, 2008 11:56 AM

April 24, 2008

A Very Good Sign...

The garden is full of them! ;o)

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April 19, 2008

Apples In The Making

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June 5, 2007

Peas In A Pod

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June 4, 2007

Tomatoes!

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May 31, 2007

Everyday Beauty

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Lilly

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May 29, 2007

Finally Blooming

The orchid that bloomed ending up being the purple/yellow variety. It appears she will have four blooms. The blooms usually last for months at a time. I just love orchids!

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May 27, 2007

My First Crop Of Strawberries This Year

This is my first crop of strawberries this year! There are plenty more white or pink berries growing away too. I should have enough to make some jam, freeze some and enjoy them fresh as well!

Last years crop wasn't that good, but it was only their second year. Sometimes it takes a few years to get them going, but when they do strawberries galore! Yum! I feel some strawberry shortcake coming on! ;o)

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May 23, 2007

Yellow

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It's Almost Summer

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April 4, 2007

Orchid Shoot

One of my orchids has finally decided to do something orchidy (yeah, I just made that word up! ;o)) and put on a flower shoot! I can't remember what color this bloom is, but we'll find out in a month or so!

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April 2, 2007

Spring 2007 Garden Update

Despite the fact that my allergies have been horrible this spring (seriously what is up with the pollen this spring???!??!), it's still exciting that it's garden season once again!

So far we've planted peas, spring onions, chives, leeks, radishes, arugala, lettuce, cabbage, red cabbage (PURPLE is more rightly what it should be called!!), spinach, a mesculan salad mix, a couple of rosemary plants, two concord grapes and a blueberry bush. The plan was to plant some more peas today, but I can NOT find the bag that has all my seeds in it! I remember putting it somewhere so I wouldn't forget where it was, but well you know how that goes! So for now here's a few pictures of what's going on right now.

Peas

Alexis planted these peas in a couple of pots. They will be her snacking peas so hopefully she'll leave the ones in the garden alone (that is IF I can find the stupid seed bag! ;o))

Rosemary

What's a garden without a little rosemary? Rosemary is quite possibly my favorite herb. I love the smell, I love the look and I love the taste!

Lettuce

Lettuce looks regal to me. I think it's the green color! ;o)

Red Cabbage

Red? Really? I mean what person sat down and thought let's call this red? Purple yes? Green? Yes, there's some of that there too. But red? The same thing goes for red onions, red buds. All purple people! Uh hum.

Anyway, that's what is going on right now. I'll be getting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants into the ground very soon! And sunflowers. I'm going to plant a ton of sunflowers since I only planted 3 or 4 last year and none of them worked. (Damn squirrels!)

As I type up this little missive I'm sitting outside on my swing while Alexis plays in her sandbox. It's such a beautiful morning! That's all from the Daffodil Lane garden for now!

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March 30, 2007

Daffodils, Daffodils, Daffodils!

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March 27, 2007

Dandies

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March 22, 2007

I Guess They'll Market Anything!

We ran to Home Depot this morning to get some spring planting stuff. We got a couple of Concord grape vines, a blueberry bush, some lettuce, cabbage, spinach, rosemary, a trellis and some compost. We also got some seeds. When Alexis saw they had VeggieTales seeds she wanted to get some. Given we needed pea seeds and sunflower seeds I decided to let her have them. I guess it's true...They'll market anything! ;o)

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March 21, 2007

Daffodils

Or "Dandys" as Alexis calls them!

Oh how I love thee!

Posted by Dianne at 6:09 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

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Dandies! I love that name for them! I may start calling them that too.

Posted by: Moni at March 21, 2007 7:56 PM

i think dandys are a fine name. let's petition for the name change.

Posted by: gorillabuns at March 21, 2007 10:24 PM

I think she came up with it because she thinks they are a form of dandelion, but it's cute none the less! :o)

Posted by: Dianne at March 22, 2007 8:24 AM

March 14, 2007

NOW It's Spring!

To me it's not really spring until the daffodils start blooming. My first two opened up this afternoon:

NOW it's spring, even if the calendar doesn't say so yet! ;o)

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yay! I can't wait until mine bloom!

Posted by: Monica at March 17, 2007 12:05 AM

March 12, 2007

Worms And Dirt

This morning Alexis and I went outside to do some gardening. We cleaned up the flower beds and the garden, weeded both and found a ton of earthworms along the way, which you've gotta love!

All the garden needs now is some compost and manure and it will be ready to plant peas, spinach, lettuce and other cold weather crops! I just love being able to get out and dig in the dirt!

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March 10, 2007

Spring Is Coming

Posted by Dianne at 4:19 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

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yay!

Posted by: Moni at March 10, 2007 4:53 PM

Unfortunately, my roses were doing that before the ice storm. Those sprouts are withered now. I'm hoping that they'll still be able to leaf out and survive.

Posted by: cjmr at March 12, 2007 12:00 PM

If that's multiflora rose, you may want to yank it. It's invasive.

Posted by: Anon at March 14, 2007 4:44 PM

Thanks for the tip, but it's a tea rose I planted when moved into the house 5 years ago. :o)

Posted by: Dianne at March 14, 2007 4:46 PM

March 7, 2007

Plants And Flowers

My grandmother could grow anything! My mom says that she could take a plant you thought was long since dead and bring it back to life! She had flowers and plants growing everywhere around and in her house and subsequently she was showered with many beautiful potted plants at her funeral. People who came through at the funeral home commented on her love of plants and flowers and how she would have loved the various arrangements. They were gorgeous!

A couple of the plants/flowers came back to Maryland to live with me and I have another hydrangea at my Mom's house that I couldn't fit into the car on the way back, that she'll bring to me when she comes at Easter. I think a perfectly fitting tribute to my grandmother is one of the plants she would have love so well! It's a good thing I've got a bit of a green thumb myself! ;o)

This is but one of the hydrangeas that were sent. I am going to keep it in the pot until we move and then plant it once we get our new house. When I plant it I will adjust the acid in the soil to make the blooms turn blue/purple, but for now she's a pretty shade of pink. Even if I don't care for the color myself, there is no denying it's a beautiful plant!

She's completely covered in pink blossoms. I love the way hydrangeas are so regal, yet simple. It's hard to be both all at once, but I think they pull it off with style!

Another plant that made the journey back to Maryland was this one:

Is it a Chiflera or a Rubber Tree Plant? I've seen it called both and an internet search does nothing to confirm either identity. All it does is give you both results as well. Regardless, it's also a beautiful plant and it seems to like sitting in front of the French doors. If there may be a botanist out there that knows the answer as to what this plant might be, please feel free to chime in! :o)

Posted by Dianne at 8:27 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

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it doesn't look like a rubber tree plant. the leaves are usually more broad and thick but... what do i know?

i am sooo very sorry for the loss of your grandmother. i lost mine, 1 year, 3 months, 64 days, and 14 hours. i remember it like it was yesterday and still pick up the phone to call her. my grandmother meant everything to me and only wish you peace in her passing.

i hate being a grown-up!

Posted by: gorillabuns at March 8, 2007 1:34 AM

It looks like the chifleras my mom has had... not that I'm anywhere near a botanist. With the proper green thumb you can grow them to be over 5 ft tall (like mom did).

Posted by: Sonya at March 8, 2007 12:12 PM

It's currently about 3 feet tall.

Posted by: Dianne at March 8, 2007 12:25 PM

February 8, 2007

Another Natural Gardening Company

TreeHugger pointed out another natural gardening company today that I had not heard of before: The Natural Gardening Company. Check them out! It looks like they have some really neat stuff!

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November 3, 2006

Flowers and Such

My Christmas Cactus is blooming:

She will continue to do so through the end of February/beginning of March. These are the only cacti I will tolerate because they don't have sharp pokey things sticking out of them! ;o)

One of my orchids has put on a shoot too:

As I mentioned on Flickr I'm not an orchid expert, but I think if this hit potting substrate it would make a new plant.

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November 1, 2006

Organic "Store" Wars

May the Farm be with you.

Thanks to my sister for sending this to me. Too cute! :O)

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October 24, 2006

Tomatoes the color of blueberries

SALEM, Oregon (AP) -- Oregon State University researchers are fine-tuning a purple tomato -- a new blend of colors and nutrients. The skin is as dark as an eggplant. But it doesn't just look cool -- it could be better for you.
The novel pigment contains the same phytochemical found in blueberries that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Six years in the making, the purple hybrid could hit salad plates in two years.

Genetic origins are not at issue. The purple tomato traces its roots to a wild species in South America, not a petri dish.

Now that's cool! I would love to grow some of these little gems! And the most important part of that is that they are from a wild species in South America, not genetically modified from a petri dish! Purple tomatoes...Yum!

Found via CNN. Hat tip to Jamison for tipping me off. :O)

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October 23, 2006

Last Rose of "Summer"

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September 28, 2006

Sugar Pumpkins

Whole Foods had local, organic sugar pumpkins, two of which are roasting in the oven as we speak! The other two we'll roast tomorrow or Saturday. And we're making roasted pumpkin seeds on a separate sheet right now! Yum!! I don't know what we're going to do yet (Alexis wants to make pumpkin cookies, and I think I want to make some pumpkin butter) but it smells heavenly! Maybe we'll just have to make both! ;o)

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I just saw sugar pumpkins at our local organic grocery this week- now you have me curious to actually try one out.

Posted by: Yolanda at September 28, 2006 11:16 PM

I love fresh pumpkin! Alexis wants to make some pumpkin cookies this afternoon. I'm going to have to find a recipe! She adores the roasted pumpkin seeds too.

Posted by: Dianne at September 29, 2006 1:36 PM

Aster

The Aster...Yet another flowering plant I had never heard of until today, yet fell in love with immediately upon seeing it at Whole Foods. I'm debating now whether to keep it inside on my table where I can enjoy every day, or plant it outside in my flower bed. I'm leaning toward inside right now. I guess maybe I should have gotten two! ;o)

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Asters are super-easy to grow from seed, too. Although for some reason it's hard these days to find Aster seeds. My mom always planted Asters out around the front porch steps.

Posted by: cjmr at September 28, 2006 4:44 PM

September 27, 2006

Last Cucumber Blooms?

Yesterday when Alexis and I were outside playing I noticed that my cucumber plants are covered with blooms!

Hopefully we'll get a few more cucumbers in before the first frost. I think it's highly possible! :O)

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September 26, 2006

A Rare Kind of Food Bank

FORESTVILLE, Calif. — For most gardeners, spending a gorgeous Saturday morning harvesting basil and organic heirloom tomatoes is a life-enhancing experience. But for green thumbs at one particular garden — an innovative addition to a food bank for people with H.I.V. and AIDS — the life-embracing quality of a bountiful harvest is quite literal.
“I’m not a California effete kind of person; it’s important to get the nutrition,” said Andrew Eckers, a 51-year-old volunteer gardener with a fondness for sorrel and pea shoots who, when the disease had him fully in its grip, spent eight years in a wheelchair. “But this is also pleasurable.”

Founded in 1999 to provide produce for people living with AIDS, the garden is part of what may well be the country’s hippest food bank, a place where the Alice Waters grow-your-own organic food ethic supplants gloomy institutional staples like American cheese and day-old bread.

While most people find little appeal in the typical food bank, this one “creates a place of beauty,” said Rachel Gardner, a retired chef from San Francisco who helps coordinate the volunteer work and gives nutrition and cooking classes for those the garden serves.

The garden, run by Food for Thought, a nonprofit organization, is overseen by horticulturalists from the nearby Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and many of its volunteers are H.I.V. patients who benefit from it. It brims with green beans and scallions but also obscure varieties of amaranth, an ancient Andean grain with flowing Rapunzel-like purple stalks. The fresh produce harvested by the volunteers is the food bank’s mainstay, though it also dispenses other groceries as well as vitamins.

I love this idea! It sort of goes along with the whole "plant an extra row" idea, though on a much bigger level and encompassing an entire food bank. And to top it off it's organic and we all know that's a thing that is near and dear to my own heart! What a wonderful program and what a wonderful idea! Kudos!

Found via the New York Times.

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September 3, 2006

Kitchen Garden International

I stumbled upon Kitchen Garden International last night via Treehugger and I think it's a pretty neat little set up they've got there. Check it out.

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August 31, 2006

Purple Carrot

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August 4, 2006

Fried Garden and a Crab

100+ degree heat for days in a row, water restrictions and no rain equal one fried garden!

The cucumbers are the only thing that appear to have somewhat rose above the heat!

The water restrictions ended this afternoon and I water the garden this evening, but I don't think there is much hope.

I did however find a craby visitor in the yard this evening:

You can't see him very well, because when he saw me he went back into his hole, but we have a few crabs that wander over from the Bay from time to time. The nearest inlet is only a few blocks over from us. I didn't see any last summer, but I'm hoping this little guy is around tomorrow because I think Miss G would get a kick out him! :o)

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August 2, 2006

Canned Tomatoes

I had a bunch of tomatoes and they were going to go bad soon so I thought I'd can a few jars! It's amazing how many tomatoes it takes to make one jar of canned tomatoes! I ended up with one jar! A large colander full of ripe tomato goodness gave me one jar of canned tomatoes! I had thought it would make at least two, if not three jars! I was going to can the batch in smaller jars, but I didn't have the right sized lids for the smaller jars so I had to go with the quart jar, but that's ok!

One cold and crisp December afternoon or evening it'll make a wonderful pot of chili or a lovely batch of veggie stew! :o)

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I just pray we have a winter. With this heat wave, I'm starting to wonder...

Posted by: Dar at August 3, 2006 9:46 AM

You and me both sister friend! It's hotter than Hades! Alexis and I walked out to the garden yesterday afternoon to see if there were any more tomatoes before I started canning and she she told me "Mommy, it's too hot!" She's very wise my little girl! ;o)

Posted by: Dianne at August 3, 2006 9:52 AM

August 1, 2006

We're In Hades!

Dear. Lord. It. Is. HOT!!!! We are supposed to reach 103 today with a heat index near 115. Ugh!! It's hazy, the air is thick and it's just flat out H-O-T!! And it's miserable too, but there is no global warming folks. Seriously if you still believe that nonsense about it not existing, you're completely insane!! The artic ice caps are melting and now we are too!

Anyway, so I did a few things to do my part to help in terms of the power grid. I turned off all non essential items, not doing laundry today even though I more than need to, I bumped the thermostat up a couple of degrees, etc. Little things, but if we all do little things it helps the bigger picture. I'm also going to cook dinner outside on the grill tonight. It will be hotter than Hades and Jamison is not a fan of the grill, but it has to be done!

The forecast calls for three more days of this oppresive heat! Three days seems like an awful long time! And with the water restrictions my garden is pretty much a goner! I've already lost my zucchini plant and it looks like my squash isn't far behind! My tomato plants are starting to turn yellow too. This horrid heat is just not good!! Let's hope maybe an afternoon shower blows up, or there really is no hope.

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So-do you use your airconditioner? Isn't that a big no-no as far as the environment is concerned? My niece, who shares many of your beliefs, is not using her airconditioning in her car or her apartment. This--in 100 degree heat. I guess, even when it is hard, she is sticking with her convictions.

Posted by: Deb at August 3, 2006 1:59 PM

Our air conditioner is an Energy Star rated machine that uses as little energy as possible. I also upped the thermostat as I mentioned above to help lessen the issues. The point is doing things that are better for the environment and if everyone did their bit then things would be better.

Posted by: Dianne at August 3, 2006 2:45 PM

July 31, 2006

Another Garden Visitor

This evening when I was making dinner I glanced out the window into my garden and a green hummingbird was zooming around my pepper plant blooms! He zoomed in and out sticking his nose into the blossoms, but he was just too fast to get my camera to take a picture. He was the first hummingbird I've seen in years! In fact it was the first hummingbird I've seen since we moved to Maryland and he most definitely made me smile!

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Cool! I haven't seen any hummers in Maryland since I moved here, either. We put up a hummingbird feeder when we moved in to the house, but had to take it down a week later after we noticed the column of ants that was enjoying the 'nectar'.

Posted by: cjmr at August 1, 2006 12:01 PM

He was a different color than the hummingbirds I'm used to. He was a dark emerald green, but he was gorgeous!

Posted by: Dianne at August 1, 2006 12:56 PM

July 25, 2006

March of the Garden Fairy

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July 24, 2006

Garden Update

No the plants haven't gotten smaller, in fact they've gotten bigger...A WHOLE lot bigger. We've got a leaning tower of tomatoes going on right now! I'm in the process of uprighting them, but I thought I'd post a garden update anyway.

Click on the extended entry below to see what is going on in the Daffodil Lane garden.

The tomatoes have topped 8 feet and are still full of tomatoes and new blooms as well!! However the sheer weight of the plants is making them lean to one side. I've been trying to right them using wire and Velcro strips, but it isn't working very well. Jamison has figured out a way to help stabilize them that we think weill work, but we probably won't get that done until he gets back from Pittsburgh. For now the vines are still leaning toward the cucumbers, but they are up off the ground and that is all that matters. And on a positive note the blossom end rot is all but gone except for a tomato here and there! Yeah! :o)

We are getting ripe tomatoes every day now! This is what I love about gardening! I should have more than enough to can a few tomatoes this year too!

Speaking of cucumbers they are growing up a storm too! They are now taking up three adjacent teepees! And they are covered with blooms and small cucumbers! I am hoping to make a batch of dill pickles soon!

The cucumber in the deck planter is doing well too:

The Black Eyed Susans are blooming:

So are the Zinnias:

And the Purslane:

And last but not least the Marigolds:

These remind me of my childhood because my mom grows them. She gave me some dried flower heads back in 1999 when we rented our first house in Alabama and I was able to have my first garden. I grow them every year. They remind me of my mom and for some reason they remind me of my grandfather, though I'm not sure why. I don't think he ever grew them, maybe it's because I store the flower heads in his old cornbread mug? Like I said I can't put my finger on why, but I love them, just as I loved him! And of course my Mom!

So that's what's shaking in the garden right now! More updates to come soon! :o)

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July 17, 2006

Harvest!

Alexis helped me harvest some veggies this morning by holding the colander while I picked and then washed them with the hose pipe. She even walked them inside and put them on the counter, including walking up the deck stairs carrying the colander with the veggies without holding on to the rail! Now that's talent!

And we actually had a red tomato this morning with no blossom end rot!

Now that's what I like to see! :o)

We didn't stay out long, just long enough to dampen the garden so the extreme heat today won't knock it out, take a few pictures, pick a few veggies and get some fresh air, because the mosquitoes are just horrible this year! Too bad heat doesn't squelch them! Oh well.

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July 16, 2006

Blossom End Rot

I'm having a problem with blossom end rot in terms of my tomatoes. It's not pretty! And it ticks me off!

The picture below shows a small spot on one of my tomatoes I picked this morning. It's still in the process of ripening, but I picked it to do a little blossom end rot experiment. I had a tomato yesterday that it pretty much consumed the whole fruit so it had to be composted!

Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder that is caused by a lack of calcium uptake from the soil and transfer to the fruits during dry weather. The problem is costly to many tomato growers and disappointing to home gardeners. Peppers can also be affected, although the disease is much less common on peppers than on tomatoes. Research in Florida indicates that excessive magnesium, potassium, sodium, ammonium salts or a deficiency of soluble calcium salts causes a decrease in calcium uptake, thus favoring development of the disorder. Rapid early growth accentuates the problem because it tends to increase the calcium requirement per unit of time.
The first symptom of rot is a slight water-soaked area near the blossom end of the fruit. The lesion soon darkens and enlarges in a constantly widening circle until the fruit begins to ripen. The decaying spot may be merely a speck or it may involve half or even more of the tomato. Secondary fungi may inhabit the black area. Although a sudden lack of water is the principal cause of blossom end rot, excessive soil moistures early in the season may smother the root hairs and cause blossom end rot to occur during sudden hot weather. It may be more serious on the windward that on the leeward side of a field and more common on staked tomatoes than on bush types. Generally, blossom end rot is most common on the first fruits to turn red.

Given we're about to hit the high 90's low 100's with no rain in sight, I don't see this getting any better. Unfortunately it's pretty much destroyed the few red tomatoes I've had to far. Some of my tomatoes appear to be fine, but I can see it coming on other ones. The heat and drought will no doubt make it worse! Oh well.

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July 9, 2006

Garden Helper

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Pea Searcher

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July 3, 2006

Garden Update

Things are going well in the garden! I'm hoping we'll get a little rain this afternoon, but if we don't I'll have to give the garden a little water before I go to bed tonight. It's amazing how fast that 10 inches of rain dried up!!

Click on the extended entry below to see some progress pictures!

The carrots and peppers are growing right along:

The cucumbers and Big Mama lima beans have decided to grow straight up in the air! They are taller than me now. And for the record I'm five feet nine and a half inches tall.

The cucumber vines have also moved over onto the teepee next to them, but that's ok...The chick peas didn't do anything anyway so it's not like they need it for support.

The tomatoes are also taller than me now and are covered in tomatoes! I think I may just get to can some this year yet!!

The zucchini is also growing right along. It is FULL of baby zucchini! I can't wait until the next batch comes in. I'm going to make some zucchini bread, oh and some zucchini cake!

And here is the one lonely pea that Alexis hasn't eaten. She loves to eat pea pods! I'm going to plant a fall pea crop in August and I'm going to make sure to plant more that she can eat so I can freeze some! She just loves them!

The cherry tomato on the deck is also full of tomatoes. They are starting to turn just the slightest shade of red, though it isn't evident in the picture below.

The mystery tomato is also doing well. It is has several small tomatoes. And I think we can safely rule out cherry or grape tomatoes at this point. They also are not Roma or Paste tomatoes because they aren't oval shaped. I'm pretty sure we've got a larger variety on our hands, maybe Better Boy, or Early Girl? Now it will be interesting to see if they end up being red, orange or yellow! I'm betting they are red given they had more red varieties than the other two colors, but I guess time will tell.

A few weeks ago I noticed a flower growing in the deck box with my spinach. I knew it wasn't a weed because of it's leaf structure, but I wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't like anything I had planted so I decided to wait and see what happened. It turned out to be some of my beloved purple with white stripes petunias from last year that had replanted themselves! I was thrilled! I had forgotten their leaf structure was different than most petunias! I couldn't find them at the store this year and I just LOVE these guys! Sometimes hybrid petunias like this grow back weird colors instead of in their striped glory from the first year, so I was especially pleased to see they came back striped!

The spearmint and nasturtium are doing very nicely and seem to get along well together.

And just because it's pretty here is the Argyranthemum in the sunlight. And before I downsized the picture to put it on the blog, you could see a bug on one of the blossoms, though it's not as evident here. They're blooms are so pretty!

So that's it for today! I hope you gardeners out there are having luck with your own! :o)

Posted by Dianne at 1:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

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beautiful garden. if only i had a green thumb. you inspire me to atleast water the lawn. :)

Posted by: TANYETTA at July 5, 2006 1:34 PM

July 2, 2006

More Fresh Veggies!!

A sweet banana pepper, some squash and a cucumber oh my!

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June 28, 2006

Honey Bee

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June 27, 2006

Garden Update: We Have Veggies!

With all this rain the garden has been growing like gangbusters! The cucumber vines have sprouted a foot since the rain started! The tomato plants have done the same! And we've gotten our first ripe tomato and zucchini! In fact Alexis insisted on eating the tomato for breakfast!

Click on the extended entry below to see some zucchini and tomato pictures. I'll post a most in depth garden update later in the week! :o)

The lemon is just there for perspective...I didn't actually grow the lemon! :o)

And here's the tomato:

And another shot of Alexis enjoying her tomato!

I love it when it's time to harvest your own veggies! :O)

Posted by Dianne at 9:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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Our main crop this week has been weeds. Those and grass. By the time it stops raining we may need a scythe instead of a mower.

Posted by: cjmr at June 27, 2006 9:39 AM

The sun is momentarily shining here right now, but from the looks of the radar that won't last long.

Our grass is growing like ganbusters too! I'm hoping it will start spreading into the bare areas faster, which it has started to do! :o)

Posted by: Dianne at June 27, 2006 9:42 AM

June 22, 2006

Purple "Green" Beans!

I was able to harvest some of the purple beans tonight! I'm going to make a veggie stir fry for Alexis and I tomorrow night with the beans, some fresh peapods, carrots and maybe even some tofu!

I just love it when you begin to be able to harvest things from the garden!

Posted by Dianne at 8:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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So what do purple green beans taste like?

Posted by: Leann at June 23, 2006 9:36 AM

I tasted one and to me they tasted like regular green beans. Given it was raw, but still. :o)

Posted by: Dianne at June 23, 2006 10:01 AM

June 21, 2006

My Little Garden Fairy

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June 20, 2006

Garden Update

We had a lovely rain storm last night and even a bit of rain this morning! It's amazing how much things grow overnight with a little rain versus water from the hose! God does a much better job of watering! :o)

Click on the extended entry below to see more of what is shaking in the Daffodil Lane Garden.

As I mentioned earlier we had a turtle visitor this morning in the garden and while Alexis ate peapods he watched.

The Big Mama Lima Bean is still continuing her upward ascent, but she hasn't bloomed yet.

The cayenne pepper plant is full of little pepper pods.

The cherry tomato plant on the deck has a bunch of little tomatoes on it, but Alexis keeps pulling them off! She's had to sit in her chair several times for that infraction over the past week or so.

The cucumbers are still doing their thing.

My mom brought me a hydrangea and I'm THRILLED!!! I've wanted one for years!

She also brought me some of her Tiger Lilies, but I didn't take a picture of them as they aren't really photo worthy at this point, but they will be next year! She also brought me some of my grandmother's begonia that reseeds itself, so as soon as that blooms I'll post a picture of it as well! Now back to the pictures.

Alexis had already cleaned off all of the peapods at this point, but the plant looks great! We have new peas everyday!

We have small purple "green" beans! I can't wait to try these!

We have baby squash!

And we have a ton of tomatoes! I think I am going to have enough to can some this year! These are but a few of the little green gems.

The zucchini is growing great and has finally put on some baby zucchinis! The peppers are doing great as well! And the carrots are really doing their thing! The onions however aren't doing so hot. I think the heat might have fried them. Time will tell.

As for the deck boxes they look much the same as last time. I expect the heat to squelch the lettuce and spinach any day now, but for now they are doing their thing. I didn't take a picture of them, but here are a few of the other things.

Peas and Ivy

Herbs

Cucumbers

That's it for now! I'll post another update soon! :o)

Posted by Dianne at 1:01 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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So what you're saying is, pollutants from the Neo-Con Right Wing Factories actually make your garden grow better than Environmentally Friendly Treated Water? C'mon, you know I had to say something..great looking garden!

Posted by: Wayne at June 21, 2006 7:48 PM

I'm going to stick to the God's rain idea and go with that! ;o) LOL

Glad to see you back around. :o)

Posted by: Dianne at June 21, 2006 8:48 PM

June 18, 2006

A Leprechaun For Luck

My Mom brought me a Leprechaun for my garden! I named him Liam.

Isn't he cute?

And Alexis got a bunny for her birthday...

They make the garden quite charming. I like them! :o)

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June 14, 2006

Return of the Pepper Princess!

Alexis LOVES peppers! Bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, pimentos...You name a sweet pepper and she likes it! Our first banana pepper of the season was big enough to pick yesterday afternoon and of course Alexis got the honor of having the first one as a little pepper snack on the deck in her chair!