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April 27, 2009 · 8:49 am

Things

Heather at www.HeatherBakes.com tagged me earlier in the week and this is the first chance I have had to reply.  So, here goes. (written on Sun. posted on Mon.)

8 Things I Look Forward to:

  • l. harvesting homegrown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, basil, lettuce, etc.
  • 2. eating said produce
  • 3. kids graduating from college ( I will get a raise when that happens) 🙂
  • 4. not having a mortgage payment (woohoo)
  • 5. more free time to spend with family and friends
  • 6. traveling
  • 7. not commuting to work everyday
  • 8. an ice cold diet coke

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

  • 1. picked last of the English peas
  • 2. pulled weeds
  • 3. planted plants
  • 4. made several trips to Lowes and Calloways
  • 5. talked to my daughter on the phone
  • 6. got mom’s opinion on plants
  • 7. cut irises for a bouquet
  • 8. watched the Mavs beat the Spurs!!!!!!!

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

  • 1. eat and not gain weight
  • 2. speak a foreign language fluently
  • 3. have an apt. in France or Italy
  • 4. write a book
  • 5. paint (and I don’t mean the house, honey)
  • 6. control the weather
  • 7. not be afraid to work with power tools
  • 8. have Candace Olsen redo my entire house (how divine!)

8 Shows I Watch:

  • 1. Heroes
  • 2. American Idol
  • 3. House Hunters
  • 4. House Hunters International
  • 5. Divine Design
  • 6. Barefoot Contessa
  • 7. Curb Appeal
  • 8. Texas Rangers baseball

If you haven’t checked out Heather’s blog, well you seriously should.   You will love it!  Also, check out her lists and the other bloggers she tagged.

Also, I wanted to mention fromgardentotable can also now be accessed at www.fromgarden2table.com.  But, you can get there from the original site as well. 

It is raining cats and dogs in big D,  huge puddles at fromgardentotable.

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April 21, 2009 · 8:49 pm

I’ve got peas!

My pea pods filled out nicely!

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Remember how they started?

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The weather is turning much warmer, yesterday 80 degrees, today was in the mid-80’s.  By tomorrow, it should be in the upper 80’s (weather people are actually saying it will hit 90).  My peas will quit producing soon.  Maybe today, who knows.  So……..I harvested them.

Even though I may not have a bumper crop, I think it is kind of cool that I actually got English peas to grow in Texas. So, heeere they are!  (um, minus two pods I opened and ate in the garden)

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They tasted sooo good!  These I just steamed a bit on the stovetop until tender.  They were amazingly sweet.  But, one of my favorite ways to have fresh English peas  is with new potatoes in a cream sauce.

New Potatoes and Peas in Cream Sauce

Boil the potatoes (about a lb.)(they really need to be tiny red new potatoes) in salted water until tender, drain and set aside.   Cook the freshly shelled peas (about a lb.) until tender; either in boiling salted water or by steaming. Drain and set aside. 

 Make a bechamel sauce or sometimes called a cream sauce.   Melt 1/4 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Blend in 1/4 cup flour.  Cook about  a minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add in 1 cup milk, cook over medium  heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.  Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. white pepper.

Combine the potatoes and peas, top with the bechamel sauce and gently stir to combine.  It is amazing!

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April 17, 2009 · 5:33 pm

Just call me Lucky

I am so fortunate to be a part of an extended gardening family.  My Mom and Dad gardened together for years and everything I learned about gardening I learned first from them.   My Dad passed away in  March, so it is our gardens (for me and my mom) that are our solace.

But, I am also lucky  in that I have lillies that were in my great-grandmother’s garden which made their way to my mother’s garden and then to mine.  I remember she had a cottage-style garden in front of her house with flowers on both sides of the walkway as you approached the house.  Cottage gardens are to this day my favorite.

My Aunt Pat is also a gardener.  She lives on acreage  “out in the country” and has probably  a quarter acre of  irises and lillies planted around her house.  Last year she divided her irises and lillies and shared some with me.  Some of them bloomed last year, BUT almost all of  the irises  are blooming this year.  So, I just had to share them with you.

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Hope you liked them!

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April 15, 2009 · 8:16 pm

Wonder Woman

This past Saturday,  I worked like a madwoman to enlarge a vegetable/herb bed next to the house  before the thunderstorms were to come (which they did on Sat. night).

I’ve probably said this ad nauseum, but my garden is very, very small.  So, I am always looking for SPACE.   I have looked at a certain area of the garden, for I don’t know how long (we have lived here 10 years) and just realized I could expand it about two  more feet.  Doh!

This is what I did:  First, I dug up all the grass/weeds  with a pitchfork.  Then I broke up all of the soil (I was really wishing for a tiller).  If  it was pure clay, I threw it OUT. (I determined this by –  (now pay attention because this is very scientific)  if  I could not break it into smaller pieces with my hand, it was tossed.

 Then I put the edging in.  Oh.my.gosh.  this was such a chore.  I used a rubber mallet and my Wonder Woman strength to shape and pound it into place.  It took  for-ev-er.img_02311

Then, I added a layer of shale and mixed it in.img_0238

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Then I added a layer of top soil and mixed it in. img_0244

 Then a layer of gypsum.  ( I am determined to break up this clay.)img_0243

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Finally,  a layer of bed planting miximg_0249

 (which contains compost, more shale, etc.).  I used the shale and gypsum at the recommendation of   my local nursery.  I had sent in a soil sample  which they analyzed.  ( I was a bit disappointed in the quality of the report I received.  I was looking for something more specific and scientific.)  The shale once placed in the soil will remain forever and helps to keep clay soils from being so compacted.  The gypsum is similar in that it also aerates clay soils but it is finer in texture.  Garden gypsum can be applied on top of  beds and lawns without having to be worked  into the soil. (A real bonus – let me assure you)

I planted  tomatoes and peppers in the new space . img_02461

 Other gardening chores were  taking out a front row of parsley (it would soon go to flower and I want to plant something else there) and overcrowded plants of salad burnet.   I then cut the remaining plant (salad burnet) way back.   I made the discovery that ONE plant of salad burnet is plenty.   My compost pile smelled like cucumbers from the discarded  plants, which was rather nice.

Wonder woman was extremely tired, but very pleased with the results.

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April 6, 2009 · 6:53 pm

Good Grief

I am feeling very much like Charlie Brown today.  While the sun is shining here in big D, it’s a freakin 40 degrees with a wind chill of 20!!!!! AND tonight we are to have an unprecedented freeze.  There will be no planting of tomato or pepper plants today.  sigh.

So here are my pit-eee-ful plants awaiting their permanent home.img_0224img_0220img_0218

The three largest tomato plants  are transplants I bought last week at a local garden center.The rest of these are from seed.  More under the grow light, just getting leggier and leggier.  Charlie Brown sigh.

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Gardening is not for sissies.

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April 1, 2009 · 4:14 pm

Oh Baby, look at me now.

As you may recall,  (or see post dated 2/20/09) I had planted some itty bitty ground cherry seeds.  5 of the 6 plants germinated.  So, I wanted to show you a picture of how they look today. img_0213

I am going to plant them in the garden this weekend.  I hope, I hope, I hope they do well because I understand the jam that can be made from these little babies is awesome.

I also wanted to show you a picture of my English pea plants. img_0191

Did you see the little blooms?  Can’t wait for the pods to form.

Ok, full disclosure.  My tomato plants AND most of the pepper plants are too leggy.  Problem #1;  I had too many plants for my light source (due to problem #2).  Problem #2;  I was unable to put my plants outside, to “strengthen” in their pots prior to planting, as our weather  turned extremely windy and too cold. (We even had a threat of frost.)  Now, the tomato plants I’m not too concerned about because  you can plant the “leggy” part of the plant into the soil and it will root and actually make your plant stronger. (and no one will be the wiser, hehe)  But, some of the pepper plants may not make it so I may be buying transplants.  Rats.

But, here is one pepper plant that is looking good.img_0207

Another update:  I fertilized my garlic which I planted last fall.  This will be ready for harvest this summer.  Yum.img_01731

And, as I was getting ready to cut back my salad burnet,  I found that it is getting ready to bloom!  So I am going to let it bloom to see what the flower looks like.img_0171

I was lamenting the other day about whether Spring was EVER going to get here.  Well, I think it has arrived.img_0179img_0182img_0184img_01961img_0178img_0177

How’s your Spring going?

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March 20, 2009 · 12:29 am

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho…

The weather here has been  gloomy.  But we can’t complain because we have gotten some much, much needed RAIN!  However, the sun is shining today and I am very glad because there is soo much work to be done. 

First up, the fence.  An entire section blew down during the “bad” weather which I have been expecting to happen for some time now.  (almost done)img_0148

Secondly, the edging.  There are I believe three different types of edging here:  black rubber edging, plastic green edging and metal edging.   I won’t go into the sordid history of WHY there are three different kinds, but let’s just say ENOUGH!  img_0146

 So, the metal one is what I am going to use as it seems to hold up the best. It also comes in straight or curved pieces and can be curved into undulating shapes if needed. sexy. img_0152

Third, the need for adding more richly, composted soil to one of the beds which always seems to be eroding (probably due to crummy edging) and improper bed preparation.  It is also the lowest spot in the garden.

Not to mention all of the weeding and cutting back of dead and downright scruffy looking plants.  For example, lillies needed to be tidied up..img_0153

and this one   img_01561

Now isn’t this better?img_0155

and this?img_0158

I also transplanted my tomato and pepper plants to 4in. pots.   I am letting them sit outside in the breeze to hopefully strengthen them, putting them back in the house at night.   Call me cautious but even though our last frost date is March 17th, I don’t put out my tomato plants until April 1.   No foolin.

I am trying to get beds prepared because very soon it will be time to direct sow seeds into the ground. (My personal favorite way to start seeds)

My english peas are starting to grow and hopefully will do ok, they looked a bit limp because of all the rain, but hoping the sun will take care of that. My nylon trellis came THE DAY AFTER  I gerryrigged this old piece of trellis for my babies to climb on. img_0143

 Shut up.  I know it isn’t pretty but sometimes you gotta improvise.  (Don’t you love the brick holding up the broken end?)  nice.  I have to say, my Dad was right, don’t ever throw anything away! 

 And can you believe this parsley?  img_0144

I basically threw it out there and didn’t expect it to do well and looky there.  I think I am going to  try and  make a pesto.   Have any of you tried pesto made from parsley?  I will make some and get back to you.

And then I found this little guy.  So unexpected. Just playing peek-a-boo from under the parsley.img_0145

Life is kind of like that, isn’t it.

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March 3, 2009 · 1:20 am

In Memoriam

My sweet, loving Dad passed away this morning.  I cannot imagine the void his passing will leave in my life, but I am thankful his suffering is over. 

It is truly the winter of my life.

Ira Bert Russ

April 21, 1931 – March 2, 2009

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February 26, 2009 · 3:03 pm

Tidying Up

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This past weekend was fairly mild, in the  50-60’s.   Sunday  was exceptionally nice.  So, what’s a person to do with weather like that….. WEED!!!!  I’m not sure why I have so many weeds.  They’re these tiny little grassy, pesty, weeds that spread like crazy.img_0126

 I am determined to be rid of them. ALL.  I don’t like to use pesticides, so I am humbly on my knees, exterminating them one by one.  See the progress?  img_0138

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Of course, the only problem with this method is you’re never done!!

So, I planted my English peas, maestro variety, on February 7th…….. and heeeere they are, along with some parsley which is doing unexpectedly well.img_0124

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Yes, I know there is a dowel lying on the ground between the rows.   (I am going to place a nylon trellis there for the peas to climb.  It’s kind of like a volleyball or tennis net .   The company says it will be shipped March 1st. )  I can’t wait to eat peas!!!!!

So,  I guess you saw the yellow jonquils.   I bought these at the grocery store last year in full bloom.  No reason,  just because they were beautiful.  When they finished blooming, I planted them in the yard and forgot about them until now.  (sigh)  This is why I love gardening.

So, here are a few more early Spring arrivals in my garden.

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So, get out there and weed people,  it is SO worth it.

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February 20, 2009 · 2:46 am

Oh, baby

See my new little babies.img_01181

Just so you know, the first three rows on the left were not planted with seeds.  Hence, no plants.    So, here is the breakdown of what we have here.  img_01141

Left to right;  fourth row is Green Zebra tomatoes, fifth is Aunt Ruby’s German cherry, sixth is the ground cherry – these are sprinkled on top as they are so tiny (may not do anything), seventh is Patio Red Marconi pepper, eight is Emerald Giant pepper,  Purple jalapeno pepper and last row is Tam jalapeno pepper.img_01131

img_01151Once the seeds have sprouted, they need to be placed under a light source.   As I mentioned in the last post, I have been keeping them on the top of the refrigerator at night for warmth, and under the grow light during the day ( approx.  16-18 hrs.).   I wasn’t really sure what to do in the beginning, because, of course,  some of the seeds germinated several days quicker than the others.   So I wondered,  did they need warmth  more than light?  I also didn’t want the seeds that had sprouted to not grow, or even die, if  they didn’t have enough light.  So, that was the solution I came up with and it seemed to work.   If MY HEAT MAT  HAD COME, it would have been a moot point.   I would then have just placed the system on the heat mat, under the grow light.   Alas, nothing is ever easy.  Right?

I just want to say at this point,  I  have such respect for farmers. 

So, this week I had a message on my machine from Calloway’s nursery.  “Hi, this message is for Tammy.  Um. yeah, your soil  test results are back.   If you would like to come  in   (pause) we can  discuss the results with you.”   Hmm.  It feels kind of like meeting the Professor in his office.  It’s either really good or really bad.  Stay tuned.

But, a good thing happened this week.  My friend Patty surprised me with SEEDS!  and a cute little drawstring bag!  Thank you, Patty!!!img_0107

They are garlic chives,  round baby carrots –  “Romeo”,  Poppy – peony double blend, and Chinese delphiniums “Blue Mirror”.    I can’t wait to plant them!  Oh, baby!

Patty was telling me how she remembered her grandparents always had a garden, with flowers and vegetables.  Do you remember a special garden, or someone special who had a garden?

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