Category Archives: family life this old house

Oooooooooh, tomatoes!

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There really ought to be a theme song for tomato season. We could sing it to the tune of Oklahoma.

But back to reality, I’ve had a lot of tomatoes become ripe and on the way to ripe. I pick most of them so we can eat them and the wild things in the neighborhood can not.

Tomatoes in the sun

Tomatoes in the sun

from left to right - ripening

from left to right – ripening

tomatoes for freezer

tomatoes for freezer

and last but not least, yellow pear.

and last but not least, yellow pear.

And there’s more where those came from, folks. Lots more.

Readers, do you have an abundance of tomatoes? What will you make with them? You can leave a comment here, and you can see more gardeners with an abundance of something on Harvest Monday at Daphne’s Dandelions.

 

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Tomatoes, Tomah-toes, guerrilla gardeners

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I planted cilantro – in shifts, so we’d always have some. And then, as the cilantro went to seed, I replanted it. I kept replanting it. The new planting didn’t come up and didn’t come up. Eventually, the cilantro started growing again. But wait – something else came up, too.

Say what?

Say what?

There seems to be a guerrilla gardener in the neighborhood, and I suspect he or she is very sneaky and very furry.

Meanwhile, I started rescuing tomatoes a little early, as soon as they start turning orange. Another (or the same) furry critter likes to grab the low-hanging tomatoes. This critter is picky, however. He or she doesn’t pick the green ones, but aims for those that are turning color. I thought most animals were colorblind?! But anyway, the tomatoes are ripening well in the sunshine from the window.

Yum. Looks like salsa.

Yum. Looks like salsa.

Readers, what do you think? Is the same sneaky creature responsible for both?

After you answer, take a trip over to Daphne’s Dandelions for more Harvest Monday posts.

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The Harvest

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We had three rabbits visiting all weekend because La Petite was here. You know what that means: lettuce!

Fresh as it gets!

Fresh as it gets!

It’s been the strangest season for lettuce. Normally, the second batch of lettuce is done by mi-July, if not sooner. I’m harvesting the first crop of lettuces right now.

Still waiting!

Still waiting!

Even after harvest, there’s more to be had. I predict a lot of salads and BLTs this week.

Meanwhile, “Chuck” was busy relocating a peony that we’ve had in the backyard since we moved in. It meant a lot of digging on a hot and muggy day, and thirst quenching with strawberry lemonade.

Dig. Dig. Dig.

Dig. Dig. Dig.

The large peony is now beside the northwest corner of the house. It’ll get enough sun, and we’ll enjoy it more.

The new home!

The new home!

If you look closely, you’ll also see the sod from the peony’s new spot. It’s filling an area that had been weeds. If you look even more closely, you’ll see the little black dress, er, fence. I picked those up at a rummage sale a while back, and I knew we’d use them eventually. Chuck’s research (a la Google) told him that tomato cages would be good, but I haven’t used traditional tomato cages for years.

My harvest wasn’t big this week, but you can see other gardeners’ bounty at Daphne’s Dandelions.

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Harvest and Market Prep

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Green beans and Google Docs – market produce to prep, tutorials to watch, and a Google Site to create. A teacher’s work is never done, so I multi-task.

Multi-tasking Mama!

Multi-tasking Mama!

Here’s part of the actual harvest:

1 lb beans

1 lb beans and a handful of peas

I also brought in a large bucket of lettuce, but I had it washed and dried and stored in the refrigerator before I thought to take a picture. The lettuce looks great; it’ll be a week full of salads!

Meanwhile, check in with Daphne’s Dandelions for more gardeners and their harvests.

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The Stories in the Rocks

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When I started my rock garden, it was a vehicle for covering and smothering the wild mint that was taking over the world. Several years later, I haven’t gone back to planting in the space – at least not in the ground. The stones and the rocks and the miscellaneous curiosities are growing in variety and quantity.

Stone birdhouse

Stone birdhouse

The peas climbing the shepherd’s crook are temporary. By next year, the mini mums will have taken over the space all the way over to the rocks.

Fun - just cool and fun.

Fun – just cool and fun.

This seemed to be a perfect addition to the space. Maybe it’ll scare away the chipmunks that ate my spinach.

Big Basil

Big Basil

The basil has outgrown its pots in the puppy. I’ll consider a transplant sometimes soon. For now, the frog can entertain; plants grow better with music, don’t they?

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A Garden with a White Picket Fence

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It started with a rummage sale or two. I hit the jackpot in a sale around the corner from my own house.

Chairs, "baby" gate, and plastic pieces of fence

Chairs, “baby” gate, and plastic pieces of fence

I bargained with the sellers, and they offered to include all the white fence pieces if I bought the chairs and the big circular collapsible “baby” gate. The gate is all one piece: there is no end to it. It collapses nicely, though, into very little space. I have it stored like that right now in the New Garage.

I’d turned up my nose a little when Chuck found a stack of this white plastic stuff at another sale. “It’s plastic! Ew!” I had to take back my words after buying a whole pile of the same junky plastic.

From a distance, it doesn’t look that bad.

Rather cute, almost.

Rather cute, almost.

You can admire the garage and its People Door (simple pleasures) or the rain barrels set up behind it.

Up close, it’s not so cute. However, If this white plastic discourages the wild furry ones from entering my green space, I’ll be happy.

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Organizing the Disorganized

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Since “Unorganizable” isn’t a word recognized by spell check, I used disorganized in the post title. The shelves were not really disorganized, not so much, well maybe a little. The varied sizes and types of containers made it difficult to put things away or take anything out without disturbing the delicate balance and watching several tumble to the floor.

Step one in the organization process: Take a “before” picture.

Top Shelf

Top Shelf – before organizing

Step 2, if I’m completely honest with myself, went like this: forget you took before pictures and completely forget that the shelves need organizing. Ahem.

Step 3: remove the small and tiny spice and herb containers.

This helped a lot.

This helped a lot.

And finally, after sorting and stacking a little more, I could reach into the shelves without (much) fear of an avalanche.

Less chaos! Better access!

Less chaos! Better access!

The shelves still teeter a little, but they’re much more stable and I can find (almost) anything I need. Ah, the feeling of a practical project well-done.

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Bells or Chimes

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I was watching rummage sales and thrift stores for wind chimes. We have a large wind chime hanging on the front porch. Beside the house, on the shepherd’s crook that’s a little too weak for a large and heavy set, I want to hang smaller wind chimes. I think the sounds would mesh well with the larger one around the corner.

I was on my way to check out at a local estate and vintage store when I picked this up – literally. I picked it up to look at something underneath it, and then heard the bells ring. You know me well, readers. You can guess that I picked it up, bought it, and then hung it from the crook beside the house. Good call, readers. That’s exactly what I did.

Ding, dong merrily!

Ding, dong merrily!

Around the base you see peas and the ever-expanding mini mums. Oh, and the hose. I really need to do something about the un-aesthetic hose.

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Container Gardening – a Pricey Trend?

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We were picking up blueberry and raspberry canes to supplement what we’ve already planted. In the process, we saw some – oh how shall I say it? – creative mark-ups on planters and containers.

The simple box

The simple box

The simple box with decoration

The simple box with decoration

Pretty, right? And rather simple. Someone took the time to paint the boxes a nice neutral gray, and then they added a few decorative details to one box. Are you ready for the reveal? The price tag? Are you sitting down?

You read that right, people. $50 for the painted box.

You read that right, people. $50 for the painted box.

I found Chuck as he checked out and showed him the outrageous mark-up on the simple, no doubt inexpensive boxes. He was shocked, too. And on our way to the car…

The popular raised bed, unpainted

The popular raised bed, unpainted

These were on sale.

Ouch.

Ouch.

$250? Sale price?!? Give me a break, folks. This must be the new and trendy Container Gardening for Rich People. No one in my social circles would spend $50 on a wood box, much less $250 on a small wooden raised bed. Maybe I’m in the wrong field; I should be painting and repurposing my garage sale finds instead of planting in them. The profit margin would be amazing.

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Fun with Container Planting

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I didn’t call it container “gardening” because it feels more like a small to medium sized planter than a garden. No matter what the label, it was fun to put this together. I think the choice of flowers is better this year. It’s bound to grow and fill in and look beautiful. I won’t mention the struggle to keep it upright – you can find that here.

Done - for now.

Done – for now.

In a few baskets sitting on the rock garden, I have spinach, radishes, and onions. I will sprinkle all of them with red pepper flakes to discourage small furry creatures from disrupting the goodies. It’s working – sort of.

Laundry hamper, repurposed

Laundry hamper, repurposed – with a cat, an attempt to scare away tiny furry creatures.

This will be radishes.

This will be radishes.

Spinach will come up here - if I can keep up with the red pepper supply.

Spinach will come up here – if I can keep up with the red pepper supply.

Some small critter loves garlic, loves it a lot, loves it so much that as soon as the scapes get two inches above the soil, the critter makes a visit and nibbles like crazy.I can rule out Bunnicula, at least. No vampire rabbit could withstand so much fresh garlic.

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