STRANGE things are happening to me.

Or to my garden at any rate.

I was turning over my lettuce patch last night. I had emptied it last weekend so I figured it was about time. I was digging about 6 inches down and  I ran into this:

It was completely buried. Of course what you are looking at is a little bit chopped up I was after all turning over the bed so it took me a minute to realize that it was NOT part of the lettuce bed that I was turning over.

This was not even something that had grown here the season prior. This pea was either a relic from a full year prior (self seeded and grew in no light and 4-6" deep) or it was a seed that the kids buried when I was installing the liner WAY back when I was originally building the beds oh...3? ...4? years ago!!! There was a fully formed miniature pea even. Absolutely amazing. Mother Nature never fails to completely knock my socks off at least once a year.

What I really want to know is - How in the world did it get green under there with no light? Doesn't it take sunlight to make Chlorophyll? Shouldn't the depth have blanched the poor plant?

Hmmmm.....

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 3.26.12

Well, this post was started hours and hours ago but something interfered. What was that? Oh, yes- WORK. PHTHTHTHT> :-P

The harvest was another good one. I keep thinking they will slim down again soon and yet they march on!

The first for this week? The first green beans of the year.

The first BLUEBERRY that wasn't stolen by the blasted birds.

The strawberries are getting much smaller now, and not setting as frequently. It's about time to chose what plants to save for summer and they haven't even set forth the runners. Very odd!

A few more cucumbers. 4 this week, and some chard as well.

Broccoli side shoots, snap peas, and snow peas, a few english peas, loads of lettuce and spinach that wanted to bolt, a few onions, a whole colander of mulberries and yes even the sour cream was in my harvest this week, though not from the garden. It was a trade. :-) Freezer Jam for sour cream.

Oh bother. Work has been one massive distraction after another lately. I mean that is what it is after all, but I don't like when work interferes with my personal life on my personal time. Of course right now my personal time (lunch break) is on work time - but this is legit personal time after all. Between the Captain of the Port and the general Coast Guard visits things are really heating up down here getting ready for the AUGUST National Republican Convention. It's hard to believe that preparations are already underway, but they are. I must return back to the desk now. Sorry it took so long to post. I hope you are all having a wonderful day. It's beautiful outside!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Projects

So last night we hired the sitters and my husbands idea of a 'date night' was heading off to Home Depot and taking me shopping. Well, OK. But, dinner would have been nice. Sheesh!

I've been begging for a trellis so I could grow beans that don't completely hate our humid and hot summers (like yard longs) for the last few years and it's a point of contention. He won't flex on the materials and I won't flex on not having one. So off we went. Here are my ideas of what I want...pardon me if I've stolen from your blog or your pictures.

Cattle panel on the existing white fence - something that would virtually disappear once the vegetation grew on it. But, he wouldn't go for the wire.

 He was willing to do these things...

  Both made of wood  and not something I want to do to myself. I don't want to replace a trellis every year or two. We live in Florida and realistically it would mean annual maintenance at minimum. No thank you!

The compromise you ask?

Well, I don't have any true pictures yet - but the compromise is a trellis that will be tried in an 8' section for 1 year. I don't think it will work very well because of the inability to reach behind the trellis. After all if you can not harvest one side of the trellis the beans/cukes (veggies) will set on that side and cause the vines to slow or stop production. Am I wrong?  This is roughly what we are looking at, only it will be 4" (the width of the post sleeve) from the fence, and the lattice will be mounted to the outside of the post sleeve rather than to the middle as shown here.

It will also be mounted off the ground by 18" This setup won't work for peas. The tendrils simply wouldn't have anything to grab onto - and it will be hard work for growing cucumbers, but it is not impossible I do it now by weaving them in and out of a much smaller panel and an earth box at the bottom...

Ah- I'll try to keep you posted on the progress of this project. I hope the beans are easier to harvest than I think they will be. It would be a shame. I did get him to agree that if it doesn't work I can by the dagon cattle panel and spray paint the thing white and hang it there next year. Grrr... at least I'm willing to try his way first. I am desperate to finally get the vines growing!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 3.19.12

March 19th already? Wowsa!

I have a new harvest (actually 2, but I digress) for the week. Finally! Lookie what I've got!

5 oz of Mulberries! Not much, but something different, and now that they have started I know that they will be coming in droves. The whole tree is loaded with them and if I can get to the berries before the birds do it will be a minor miracle, but non the less I think there is probably enough of them to share. The strawberries on the other hand... I seem to be coming up short on. I am only managing to bring in about a dozen a week now that aren't completely ravenged by birds or squirrels. They are starting to steal the unripe blueberries, too and that isn't good at all! :-( I'm debating on spending the $40 on one of those electronic owls that moves it's head but I don't know if it is worth it. Anyone tried it yet?

As for the rest of the week, I harvested 2 small heads of cabbage, a bunch of small heads of lettuce, some snow peas, snap peas, english peas, turnips, broccoli, spinach, carrots, onion (not pictured, grabbed for cooking) parsley, cilantro, a tomato, and the first cucumber of the year - WHOOT! I've got 3 more nearly ready on the vine so there will be more next week and they will be added to the lettuce and carrots and tomato for my salad. This is the first time in MY gardens history that I've ever had all three at the same time. :-D I'm so happy I'm a doin' a jig! *jiggity jiggity* and it's got nothing to do with St. Patty's day! ;-) Of course my failure to take a picture of said tomato is testament to happy I was to see it along with the lettuce, carrot and cucumber at the same time. I also put the strawberries, broccoli and snap peas in there, too - 'cause I just can't resist temptation.

I also ate until I thought I was going to be sick because I'm not real smart all the time.

However, the purple cabbage did NOT make it into my salad because i don't care for cabbage so don't ask me why I grow the stuff. *snort*

Linking in to Daphe's Dandelion's for the Harvest Monday down low. Stop on by her place to see what everyone is harvesting all over the world! Thanks Daphne for being a great hostess - I hope you enjoyed your holiday and have a fantastic harvest awaiting your return!

'Till next time!

Barbie~



Golly.

So big. *sniff* It never ceases to amaze me... It also never ceases to amaze me just how many times they can "graduate" LOL Of course the ceremony isn't for another couple months - but the 'official' pictures are in. I am thinking I'm not in love with them, but they are cute at least.

Some times I think they look more and more alike and other times less and less. Go figure.

Barbie~

Bloom day?

I think these are usually done on the first of the month, but I need a little cheer right now.

My little Annah is not feeling well still. So here are a few of the blooms and things around my home right now.

 What... you didn't think it would all be just flowers for show did you?

I could never leave the edibles out!

My plum tree has finally awoken for Spring... and the grapes as well. Only 2 vines and so far 12 itty bitty grape bunches. :-D

Here is a shot of the peaches - the flowers still coming with the fruit already setting. It's a first for me. A beautiful first.

I thought my peas were done but when I looked closer I found this....

They have begun blooming again!

So they escaped the grave and will live at least another 10 days to give another small crop of peas. YIPPEE!!! I <3 peas! I'm astonished that they are going another round in this heat- but I am so happy and I feel so LUCKY.

The mulberry - wait take a closer look...

 Oh yeah baby!!! it's COVERED in berries on every branch and just about ready for picking. I'm just hoping I can get to them before the birds. I'm ready to invest in a trained bird dog at this point. LOL.

And the beauty that is the blackberry has also woken up. A little early but you are surely not going to get me to complain. I thought I was dreaming when I saw it, but it's neighbor is doing more than flowering, it's already setting fruit. Evidenced here. I love these petite flowers. It may not be summer, but it sure feels like it. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so!

I hope my blooms can make you feel better, too. Just posting them gave my spirits a little lift.

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Baby B and her Surgery

My poor little Annah B.

She had to have surgery. She was only a little nervous. It's a place she's been before, so it wasn't completely new to her.

She's a big girl, though and here she's waiting with her Daddy. They were playing Cars.

She new the Dr and some of the staff. Her regular ENT office in one door, and the Surgery Center is in the other. That makes it less scary. She sees the office pretty often.

We got matching pink bracelets that identified us as owning each other. He stuffed animal got one, too. ;-)

Then we went into the 'holding tank'

Looked more like a fish tank to me, but eh- whatever. She was very brave, indeed.

Next thing she knew she had a Popsicle and was all through! Of course an hour had gone by, but she'll never know that!

She was still pretty sleepy, but the next day she was right as rain again and playing games.

We kept her inside and busy all day reading and playing games.

But, last night and today she is not well. He temperature is having a hard time regulating itself. It keeps bouncing around like a Jack (or is that Jill?) in the box. One minute she's fine and the next she's burning a fever that has us on high alert waiting for the pediatrician to tell us to go to the hospital. Twice now we've only narrowly avoided it. Tonight doesn't look any better. Wish us luck.

I hope to be back soon with a good update!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 3.12.12

It's Harvest Monday. *Yawn* and I'm an hour late. Imagine that. That darn clock may have sprung, but my mind didn't. :-/
Funny thing is that up until Friday I had been waking up long before my alarm went off. But now that I need to be waking up that early I am not. Go figure.
Linking into Daphne's Dandelions for the party at her place. She's such a great host- even when she's not around she still put on a great show for us! Thanks Daphne!

This weeks harvest were not very varied but abundant none the less. More so than I thought they would be. The snow peas tapered off for the heat a bit -but are blooming again so we'll see if I can get one more run of them before I have to turn them under for the season until fall. but here are the pictures! :-) I do like to show them off when I can.

Check out the size of this non bulbed onion my cell phone is in the corner there - *ZOINKS!* I can't wait to see how big they get when they actually get some bulk on!

Last but not least I went out Sunday morning for a few strawberries to go on top of our blueberry pecan pancakes and ended up shirtvesting. My FAVORITE thing to do. You SO know what I'm talking about. You go out to pick just a thing or two to finish a recipe or top off that final ingredient and end up with this...

And of course that ended up turning into....

and that is my favorite thing ever. Not because it's just so much and all -but because it's unexpected.

I thought I was just bopping out for a handful of berries and came back with almost a pound of peas, and ate a bunch, too. :-D Love that. Plus of course I got to play a little while I was out there in the sunshine.

So that's it. Harvest Monday. I'm exhausted it was a long weekend. I'll have a lot more posts this week. Plenty to talk about. Gardening, Kiddos...but right now work is calling.

'Till next time!

Barbie