From The Garden and This Week's Delayed Menu Plan

Yesterday I harvested the first gleanings from my garden.

I harvested green onions, yellow squash, a green pepper, and a sweet banana pepper.

Additionally, I harvested and dried herbs from the herb wheel...

...basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano.

I also cut the first two zinnias of the summer and put them in a vase. So pretty!

That's some of what's growing in my garden right now. What's growing in yours?

*****************************

This week's delayed menu plan...

- Ground beef and vegetable stirfry over brown rice

- Oven-roasted chicken with baked potato and fresh asparagus

- One-Pan Baked Cream Cheese Pasta with Chicken Sausage (I will use turkey) and Peppers (new recipe)

- Turkey burger and oven fries

- Chicken ranch salad with French Bread

- Out

- Leftovers

Have a nice day and a great rest of the week! 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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A Failing Garden and Flowers in Bloom

It's a beautiful morning here in southwest Missouri. The sun is shining and, even though it's nice and cool right now, it's supposed to be up around 90 this afternoon.

I went out this morning and filled the bird bath with fresh water and filled all the feeders. I'm making a fresh batch of sugar water for the hummingbirds now.

As sad as it makes me to admit it, I think my gardening days are over for this year. If the plants would grow, it would help, but, try as I might, the only thing growing well is weeds. The tomatoes and peppers that have survived are not much bigger than they were when I planted them. I really thought that the heat and dryer weather would make a difference, but thus far it has not. 

Even the one zucchini that I thought was going to make didn't. It grew to a length of about 4-inches, then shriveled up on one end and turned yellow. These are the only tomatoes that I've gotten. One is about an inch across and the other is slightly larger; both are full of holes where something has been eating on them. Pathetic, isn't it?

The squash and pumpkin are blooming beautifully, but there's not a sign of a single fruit on any of them. Just a few days ago I was thinking about working the garden up again and replanting, but, now I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking that my time and efforts might be better spent doing something else. 

My flowers are doing well though. Here are a few of the ones that are blooming in my yard right now...

Sunflowers

Oriental Lilies

White Spiderwort

Purple Coneflower

Miniature Sunflowers

Marigold

Zinnias

Petunia

The flowers are lovely, and I enjoy having them, but I sure was looking forward to having fresh produce right out of my own backyard garden this year. I guess we'll wait and see what happens. 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Getting Ready For Gardening Season

We may be in the middle of another winter storm outdoors, but, indoors, I'm getting ready for garden season!

Yesterday I made inquiries into getting a garden spot tilled up as soon as possible; today I'm starting seed in my Jiffy Seed Starting Greenhouse. 

I planted tomatoes (Roma), bell peppers (Sweet Cal Wonder), squash (Early Golden Summer Crookneck, Black Beauty Zucchini,  Burpee's Butterbush Butternut, White Scallop), and pumpkin (New England Sugar Pie).

I can't wait to see those first tiny green sprouts popping up through the dirt!

What about you? Are you looking forward to gardening season? What gardening dreams are you dreaming right now?

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Taking An Afternoon Break

Putting Up Garden Produce

Today I was able to slow down, stay home, and put up garden produce...which was really nice. 💗

My husband picked everything yesterday.

I ended up putting up a gallon of banana peppers, three gallons of green peppers, and four quarts of tomatoes this morning.

My BFFF came over in the afternoon and rescued me with caffeine and chocolate. She also helped me snap green beans while we visited.

We were recently given a couple of bags of potatoes, so I decided to cut the potatoes up and add them to the beans. We ended up with a total of 14-quarts of green beans and potatoes.

I was also given some cucumbers at work last week, so I diced them up, added a couple of onions and a few other ingredients, and made a quart of cucumber salad. John and I had some of it with supper tonight and it was so good! 😋

It was wonderful getting to spend the day at home doing some of the things that I love most!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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A Garden Full of Irises

Irises are so pretty! My grandmother had them growing in her garden, my mother had them growing in hers, and I have them growing in mine.

Irises Blooming In Our Yard This Morning

I have scattered pictures of the irises growing in our yard throughout different posts here on my blog and elsewhere...

Irises Blooming in Our Yard This Morning

...but I thought it might be fun to squeeze them all into one post, so that you can get a better idea of the variety of colors that we are enjoying this spring.

Our "Keith Miller" Irises

The lavender ones that smell like grape Kool-aid (a.k.a. our "Keith Miller" irises) are still my favorites, but I'm really starting to love and appreciate all the other pretty colors that grow in our garden and I hope to keep adding to my collection. 

My "Aunt Linda" Irises
The First To Bloom Each Season

My "Aunt Linda" irises are the first to bloom each season. In fact, sadly, they have already come and gone for this year. My aunt, Linda Lemmons, loved purple irises and these were among her favorites. They serve as a memorial and remembrance of her each spring.

Yellow Iris

The yellow irises are beautiful...

Burgundy Iris

...as are the burgundies! The colors of these irises are downright magnificent! 

Variegated Purple Iris

None of the variegated irises have bloomed yet, but they should be doing so soon. In fact, I've got at least three or four more colors that should be blooming within the next couple of days or so. These pictures are from last year.

Variegated Rust and Yellow Iris

Then, there's this oddball. This photo was taken several years ago before moving to our current location...

Ever feel like an oddball standing alone in the crowd???

I don't even remember where this oddball iris came from. It's big and the prettiest pale pink you ever saw, but it came up right in the middle of my beloved lavenders. My husband tagged it with a label and, when we moved, he was extra careful to remove those corms to be planted elsewhere in the mixed beds. Well...guess what???

Oddball Pink Getting Ready to Bloom in Our Garden This Morning

I'm looking out my office window right now and, today, I see that we have THREE oddball pale pink irises getting ready to bloom...right. in. the. middle. of. my. lavenders!!! 😲

(deep sigh) 

Oh, well! I guess even oddball pinks have to live somewhere. It might as well be amongst my beloved lavenders. 😞

Medium Purple Blooming This Morning

What about you? What colors of iris are blooming in your yard this spring? Would anyone like starts? I have traded and shared a lot of iris starts with others over the years and hope to keep adding to my own collection. I've got lots of the lavender colored irises that smell like grape Kool-aid and, if you are willing to pay the postage (or have a color that I don't have and would like to trade), I'd be happy to share some with you. Just e-mail me and let me know! 

Until next time...
Rebecca

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Gearing Up For Gardening

Today

This painting reminds me of my iris bed.

Gearing Up For Gardening

Good Afternoon, Ladies! 💗 

How is everyone on this beautiful, sunshiny, Thursday afternoon? Is it sunny where you are? 🌞

Yesterday John and I ran out to the Amish greenhouse to see what they had in the way of plants. 

Flowers and Hanging Baskets
Countryside Greenhouse - Lamar, MO

They are gearing up for Mother's Day so they had a LOT of flowers, hanging baskets, and bedding plants.

Flowers, Hanging Baskets, and Bedding Plants
Countryside Greenhouse - Lamar, MO

I had originally planned on getting a flat full of flowers (at least some marigolds to plant along the front edge of the porch) but they only had a couple of kinds of marigolds to choose from. It's early yet, so I decided to wait until I can find a little more variety. 

Flowers, Hanging Baskets, and Bedding Plants
Countryside Greenhouse - Lamar, MO

We did get some vegetable plants though...Roma tomatoes, green peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos, and zucchini.

Peppers and Tomatoes

I got a few herbs to add to my herb wheel, as well...sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

I also got a free petunia just for making a $25.00 purchase, so I ended up with flowers after all! Yeah!!! 💗

A Wave Petunia

I can't wait to get out and visit a couple more of my favorite greenhouses. We will have to make a day of it soon!

How about you? Do you garden? Enjoy flowers? Plant vegetables? If so, what's happening in your world as you gear up for gardening? 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Happy Earth Day!

There'll Be No Grape Jelly This Year

Grapes This Year - Summer of 2011

The grapes are gone. They're dried to hard, little, purple raisins on the vine and even they don't taste good. It makes me sad, but I've got a feeling that there's going to be a lot of that this year.

Grapes Last Year - Summer of 2010

 

Hens and Chicks

Hens and Chicks

A couple of years ago my friend, Carla, gave me two hens. They were about 3 inches across and just as cute as could be. I planted them and, as you can see, they have thrived! The big mama hen now measures over 6 inches across and there are lots and lots of babies. I've never divided them before, but am getting ready to do so. If you have had experience with dividing hens and chicks and have any advice to offer it would be much appreciated, and if you live within a reasonable distance from me and would like to have a chick or two when I divide them, just let me know! I've got lots to share!

Big Mama And Her Brood

Seed Selection

This article is definitely worth reading and considering before ordering this year's garden seed...

http://mountaincommunitycoop.wetpaint.com/page/Seed+Selection