Our gardeing attempts/a mouse in the house

 It has been about a month since I took these pictures so I could write this post.  What took so long?  In that time we had to little field mice get into our house.  I have spent a lot of time cleaning floors, toys, and really everything that a mouse could have touched.  This week I tackled the kitchen, which initially had no evidence of mice, and found a bit in those cupboards that don't hold food.  Then I went to my baking stuff, which I haven't used lately and threw away more powdered sugar and other items that I want to think about.  It has been a tiring and stress filled few weeks.  So blogging has been on the back burner of my mind, while I tried to keep completely OCD Marissa from coming out  again. 

However, this was my relaxing break during the mess.  Pictured above is my tomato plant, next week I will show you how much it has grown.  Pretty amazing.  You may also notice the drip line running by.  We put in a complete drip system the beginning of April, which is fairly awesome and allowed us to be gone for a weekend without worrying about the garden. 

 I have four strawberry plants right now and they are starting to put on berries.  Yum! 

I had to add a little flowering color to the yard too, otherwise it just wouldn't be me. 

This rosemary plant had outgrown its pot and looked a bit pitiful, it still looks a little pitiful.....

Tarragon, one of my favorite herbs.

Lemon thyme

This one and the next picture are lemon balm and bee balm, can't remember which is which.

Apples, Apples, and more Apples.  Our tree can't support the number of apples it put on, so I have had to pick off quite a bit and may have to come up with some supports for the remaining apples.  They look yummy though!

Black beans and I think the kids threw in a sunflower on the side.....

The grapevines we planted last year are growing and this bigger one has soooooo many bunches starting on it. 

this is a smaller one that I did not expect to come back, but it did.

This is my biggest grapevine, it has doubled in size since this picture. 

This one has also doubled since the picture. 

Don't forget about my peaches, they are beginning to ripen. 

I have purchased two new petunias that I put in pots on the other side of the yard.  This little guy popping up between the tile and raised bed is a self-starter.  It is from the plant I have that is at least two years old.  I have snapdragons and petunias popping up in lots of strange places because of all the flowers I had everywhere. 

My roses are also doing well this year.  

Overall, I am happy so far this year  The only issue we are having is with the cucumber and lettuce.  Every time I have some growing up past a half inch it gets eaten by something unknown as of right now.  More next week, I hope!

Spring-like, two-three weeks ago

I have been meaning to post updates on my gardening attempts, but life is crazy sometimes and that is that. 

Also, I have had the parts and pieces to put a drip system in but it has taken us about three months to get around to actually doing anything.  Pitiful, but like I said, life is crazy sometimes and that is that.  The drip system is still being worked on, but should be completed in a week or two, or at least completed to the point where I can easily add a plant here or there. 

The fun thing is that the plants from last year are coming back strong!  I will have more pictures soon!

Periwinkle

Petunias.  This is an old plant I have kept it alive for a very long time!

Apple Blossoms.  The tree was loaded, I am going to have to pinch off some of the small fruits because they branches are not mature enough to handle it all!

Peach Blossoms

Peach Blossom

A new garden plan

This year's garden was a bit disappointing production wise.  However, I learned a bit, and I think I am ready for next year.  Next year starting anytime now.  The weather is starting to cool off a bit, and I am looking longingly at my backyard.  Little l is ready to be outside again as well, although she was fine in the heat of the summer, we just weren't willing to be out there long with her. 

I have a new plan this year.  See?  More herbs, instead of the non-productive yet pretty flowers.  I am sure my picture makes no sense to anyone other than me, but that is okay.  I really need to get a move on though because it is time to plant strawberries!

 

 We also decided to give up on our lawn.  It was small, but my husband has challenges when it comes to watering, and since it wasn't automated and I had a few weekends away from home during the hottest time of the year, the yard died.  That's right, my drought resistant lawn died.  So that was a failed experiment, and we are now going to make that area garden instead.  The only challenge being getting rid of the Bermuda grass that NEVER seems to die.  

Now I have to go and plan an irrigation system.  Automated watering will be the first thing we put in this fall.  It is a necessity if I ever plan on being able to go away on weekends.  As I said, my loving husband is a bit watering challenged.  It is not that he has a brown thumb, he just seems to have a green/brown thumb.  

Vegetable and fruit holders

I may start using these at the store, but I haven't decided.  They will be ready for next years garden.  A book I checked out from the library said this was the best way to keep your leafy greens fresh, depending on the vegetable you may even want it to be damp.  All I did was sew up one bottom and one side.  SUPER EASY.  The book had you put in a drawstring, but I don't use twist ties, I highly doubt I will use the draw string!

Just one more use for a dishtowel!  I did find some that are a little light and breathe well for this job.  They are all cotton.  Super soft.

A good Sunday

 This Sunday was awesome weather wise.  We had actual rain for more than five minutes.  It was cloudy and cooler than it has been in quite a while.  I managed to get weeds pulled before it started raining and then I started focusing on my patio.  I re-potted some plants, cleaned, cleaned some more and organized.  We made out well at the Target clearance sale and have more chairs now.  I have also picked up a couple of little signs to hang on the back.  It still has things that need to be hung, but my husband decided to go inside with the little one before I was done with him.  I started staining the window above, but now I think I will be painting it a different color when we repaint the house in the next year or so.  At that time the back patio color scheme will probably change a bit. 

 It looks rather inviting now.  I just wish I had gotten it done before our fourth of July party, but it was fine that day. 

That plant overflowing the pot in front there is my basil.  I have never had a basil plant live long enough to get this big!  I am going to have to work more basil into our diets!

 Happy gardening!

my meager harvest

 This year, I am learning lessons about gardening.  Number 1, it is not as easy as it looks.  Number 2, skeletonizers really suck the life at of you (and your plant).  Number 3, watering MUST be automated, otherwise it feels like all you do, and when you miss one measly little time things DIE.  Number 4, I learn, and I will be better next year. 

So soon, I will begin planning for next year, beginning with an irrigation system that I can modify and adjust for different water needs.  For now, this is my black bean harvest.  The mint is what I harvested before the plant began dying (for real, that is how bad I was, I killed MINT).  I may be able to save a little bit like I did last time, we will see. 

Gardening additions, upside down plants, succulents and squash

I groupon-ed the other day and ordered these upside down planters.  My pepper plants needed to be thinned in the pot they were in, so I moved three into the three hanging planters.  So far they have survived the transplant, now to see how this upside down growing goes. 

 I have a lot of squash growing on my plants.  The zucchini was being a little camera shy, but you may see that there is a double squash growing in there.  Weird.  I also was able to harvest a cucumber but it was eaten before a proper picture could be taken.  IT WAS GOOD!

 I bought some more succulents the other day.  Though the aloe in the chicken soup bowl is actually from a big plant I removed from the garden.  They are all doing quite well, and I have learned to how to grow more from what I have, so hopefully I won't have to buy as many all the time. 

That pretty little cactus in the middle was an impulse buy, but isn't it pretty? 

All of this is working towards my vision of how my patio should be.  We are not there yet, but maybe, just maybe we will be by July 4 when I plan on having a little party.  We will see!

A place to store my gardening tools

I have been in need of a storage chest for my gardening tools, seeds and books for quite some time.  I was looking around trying to find one I could refurb, but they were either too big, too wide, or just plain too much for something that is going to sit on my patio.  

Thankfully, IKEA has this little dresser for $35.  

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It was rather plain, so I gathered up my paints and Big L and we went to work.  

 On top I put two sunflowers and my two girls.  In front flowers and Emerson. 

This side is Big L's interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk, were jack uses a ladder to climb the beanstalk, and the giant is nice because he lives in the love mountains.  

This side is a rainbow with four flowers, one for each of us.  They have our initials in them. 

Once the patio is done I will show you how it fits with the other stuff around it and give you a good shot of the front.  It turned out much nicer than I thought, and the more I paint the more comfortable I am with paint, though I will always prefer pencils, markers and pastels I think.  Note to self, paint THEN assemble!

This is just the right size for my pruning shears, my gloves, my books, and my seeds.  LOVE IT!

Leffcutter Bees-circular cuts on my leaves

I have found two dead bees in my room in the past week.  When I sit at my scrapbooking/sewing table I can see bees flying up in to the beams over my bedroom window.  There is a crack on the outside portion they seem to like.  At first I thought maybe we had a hive forming.  That can happen from time to time, however, upon further inspection we could not see anything. 

In the meantime I have been finding leaves with circles cut out of the edges on my best rose plant and my cherry tree. 
See these leaves?  That is what my plants look like.  It turns out the culprit is this little bee.  

Here, I have been looking under leaves, all around the plant trying to find out what is eating my plants, and it was a BEE.  This website will tell you all about Leafcutter Bees.  

To diagnose my problem I looked in the book, What's Wrong With My Plant (And How Do I Fix It?).  It clearly told me it was a leafcutter, but I didn't find the rest of the explanation to be satisfactory, so I went online!

Now that I know, I agree with my husband that we should seal up that beam.  Then next season I won't have to deal with as many, and there must be quite a few of them, because they are eating a lot of leaves.  Also, I think it is rather cool that a bee can cut such perfect little circles out of leaves, but I really don't want them to hurt my new little cherry tree.  Next year I have plans for at least two more trees, so I don't want a big number of them!  Isn't nature awesome (really, I do believe it is)!

Gardening Update

I have been keeping up with my garden, and I can say that I will not be buying lettuce for quite some time!  YEAH!!  Everything is growing up quite nicely, even things I thought I might as well give up on.  There were a couple casualties, but I can't complain.

This tea rose survived.  Which is nice.  Before blooming there is a pink tinge on the petal edges. 

As soon as this blossoms, I will know what type of rose it is.  I had two that didn't make it.  This one and the white tea rose did. 

That is the first grapevine to produce leaves!  I was beginning to give up hope, but finally one out of the four showed some life. 

These are my rainbow carrots

Is that an onion patch, or is that an onion patch!

Beets

The above two are parsnip and rutabaga.  I am not sure I labeled them right in the garden though, so I will figure it out when they mature a bit more!

The celery FINALLY sprouted. 

Potatoes.  Another one I had almost given up on, but they just took off!

My rose and some other plants are being eaten, but I have not been able to track down the culprit!

The plant is pretty healthy despite the missing leaf parts. 

This sage plant used to be in my kitchen window.  Then it looked puny outside for awhile.  NOW!  Holy macaroni!  I think the plant and I have come to an understanding, and moving it to were I did is making it much happier. 

This succulent actually sits in a round pot on top of my fence.  I can't see it, so I thought I would take a pic and make sure it was alive.  When I planted it, there was just one little bunch of run tipped leaves, now I see it is multiplying, and growing up. I may be able to see it without doing acrobatics soon. 

summer squash in the plenty.  I am going to be giving away squash if they all produce. 

In the back are my pickling cucumbers.  I planted new seeds a few weeks ago, and I now have three plants.  In front, Kale and Red lettuce. 

More red lettuce, more kale, regular munching cucumbers, black beans, green lettuce.  Like I said, I am good on lettuce for a bit. 

My Daisy bush is blooming again.  It makes me smile. 

When you allow a two year old to water your cilantro, it gets a little overwhelmed.  It has since perked up!

I don't know what this succulent is called, but I love it. 

Parsley anyone? 

I haven't quite found the right spot for my thyme, but I will, and it will grow. 

These are my apples, that's right, the tree that should not fruit for at least a year has apples.  I need to get out and stake some support. 

Peaches!  I can't wait! There won't be many, but again, this was not supposed to fruit this year!

Both of these have peppers.  Unfortunately, I am going to have to wait until they produce to know which is bell and which is pepperoncini. 

This plant got a haircut today.  It was getting tall and overflowing, so I trimmed her back.  More flowers will come soon I am sure!

Look to the left and see my flourishing flower garden.  Look to the right and I have NO IDEA what the difference is, but it is not flourishing.  

I fertilized all the veggies with fish fertilizer the other day, it was smelly, but the leaves all perked up a bit the next day.  The flower garden is odd.  The side we had planted sunflowers in before is doing well, the other side not, so we planted some more sunflowers, they will be poking their heads out in the coming weeks.

Needless to say I have spent quite a bit of time caring for all of these plants, soil and such.  Little ones "help", husbands help with big weed jobs, but I prefer to be out there alone, in silence, just me and the garden.  I am amazed daily by this garden.  I never expected so much to grow so well, and every day I go out and see something new sprouting or growing recognizable.  It is truly amazing how life works.