This blog is about my garden and the outdoors. I am new to photography but I am trying to show some of the pretty things that grow here in Michigan. I love the wild things who visit me and I dont mind if they eat a bit here and there. I like it more if they let me take their picture. As time goes on I think I will try to show you around the beautiful area that I live in as well as my garden. I try to use my own pictures as much as possible but will also use pictures from the web. If I inadvertently use your photo or work without permission please email me and I will remove it or give credit if you prefer. I will give credit when I know who the owner is. I would ask that anyone using my pictures do the same.
... I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.......Psalm23:6
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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Tomatoes, Tomatoes and more Tomatoes.....................

Well the garden was a halfway success. So I am confident we will do another next year. A better planned one. We had a lot of tomatoes.
What I did was to cook them all as I had a whole bunch in the fridge that we would never get through. So I thought hmmmmm Tomato sauces.
I liked the Romano Tomato best for cooking and eating, except for the cherry ones.
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I used them all and made a batch of base for Spaghetti sauce, it will need revving up when I am ready to use it.
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I cooked Turkey burgher to use in two batches of chilli. We ate one batch and froze two.
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So no need to waste the Tomatoes. I added a green pepper that was ready but I had no use for at that time. I don't want to waste any. I don't know why the home grown ones are so much tastier? I wonder if the ones in the store are left longer to get bigger. Mine were quite small compared but tasted so good.
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I am not at all sure what the black ones are.
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Cucumbers are still blooming but no cucumbers haha
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I guess next year I will have to put in a couple of them to cross polinate.
The Robins and other birds have eaten all the berries on the Mountain Ash
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Some of the Robins are young ones and some are in moult
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I am still waiting for the eggplant to ripen. I know that critters are having their share of goodies, I see the tomatoes that have been nibbled and I smell the skunk who has been hanging around. The cats caught a mouse. So I know they are enjoying stuff and they are welcome. Next year I will plant more. Especially Sunflowers.


Thursday, September 8, 2016

Next year........................

Well the Lord be willing and I make it another year, I am planning ahead for my veggie garden. I think I will continue my fence across the side yard. Then where the porch is I will dig up and put in a load of top soil. There I can make another veggie garden. I can plant some flowers along the fence line and a path between. Then...........I have seen ideas that I like. We have a lot of space here around this house so why not be productive. What was once Tristens digging spot will now become a useful area.
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I am thinking of something like this.
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I can use railroad ties because they stack and last a long time. Also once we decide to move I can fill in with shrubs.
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I know Gerry wont want to put the time in to build boxes so that will be a simple solution. It will also look quite nice if I handle it right. Not a lot of expense either. I am not sure about the fence though. That would make mowing more difficult. I just want to keep people out.
I have windows like this, so I would also like to do that for the young plants in the Spring
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The garden we have this year is a great location but not big enough. Its so crowded now. Lesson learned. The tomatoes I chose got huge and I didnt crop them back as I should have. We had too much going on and it all got neglected.
Got loads of tomatoes though and today I am making some Spaghetti sause.
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I like the cherry tomatoes and the Romano. The big beefy ones not so much but they would be great for canning. So may grow some anyway.
The peppers did well where they are but didn't have enough room or light. Next year I may dedicate that back garden to different peppers. I also think they may do well in containers.
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The Eggplant did OK, its just taking such a long time to ripen but it has two large ones on it. I think that would do well in a large container.
The herb garden can stay where it is and that thrived. So next year I will put in more. I never picked the leaf plants like Kale and spinach. So that's sort of a waste of space. We dont eat salad often so its easier to just buy that as needed and save the space. I really didnt need the herb garden because I am stocked up with spices. I just like to have them growing though. I think maybe some Asparagus and Rhubarb could go in on the side as well. It would look pretty and I like both.
I want some green beans and peas and they can grow up the side of the deck next year. I know I always made good use of those.
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So now to look forwards to Spring and it's not even Fall yet. Pity it's not such a big thing to do but would love to pull out the old crabapple tree and plant a cherry tree or something like that. Maybe in our next house I will try to be self sufficient. I still want chickens...................

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Still too humid...........

It's not letting up, this humid weather is just too much for me. I do see things dying back though. That will make weeding a lot easier. I can pull stuff and weed. Thin things out and level out the play area ready for Spring. Now if it would just stop raining long enough for me to get out there.
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Finding a few coloured leaves, not many yet but a definite change has taken place, we have turned a corner. That subtle hint of colour in the trees, the mornings and evening darker. It's coming. I can't wait. I just am really hoping for a long and mild Autumn. They say it's going to be a bad Winter according to the Old Farmers Almanac. I hope not but at this point bring it on. I am sooooo done with hot and humid. My garden is a mess.
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The Robins have stripped the Mountain Ash. They are also molting by the look of things.
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Most of the plants are done. The Black Eyed Susans are doing well and I wont thin those out.
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I do like those to spread. I will just keep them from over running the smaller plants in front. Seeing how things have died back should make it easy to thin things out.
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I had forgotten that the Nasturtiums are later bloomers. They actually did quite well once they started. So next time I think I will put those somewhere other than in baskets.
The apple tree has two kinds of apples. The birds are feasting on those.
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The critters are taking their share of all the available treats. This guy likes the berries too
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The cats are keeping down the rodent populations but Chippy seems to not have any fear. He sure isn't hungry
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I hope to get outside soon. I am doing a yard sale again as soon as it stops raining. So not sure when, I just hope that I get some time before the snow arrives.We are getting a load of tomatoes but not enough for canning. I need to make some spaghetti sause from all that are in the fridge right now. My garden was a sort of success, it was a trial only this year and I have learned what I need to change next year. I love the cherry tomatoes and the Romano's The big ones not so much as I am not really a tomato fan. The Zucchini was a dud. LOts of flowers, no Zucchini. Same with Cucumbers. So not sure how or where I will plant those next year. I will have plenty of time to think about it.