Susie's Homemade Garden

2011-09-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

How do you preserve the summer? I wrote earlier this week that I organized my Canning Cabinet. Organization is essential for canning with ease. I am NOT a canning expert but, I have had some success using the instructions from this little number:

Following this manual, I can break it down to some steps.

First, boil your jars and rings:

Score your tomatoes with an "X" on the bottom:

Here is where the pictures end but,

Next you boil your tomatoes for 30 seconds and then shock them in ice water. This will make the tomatoes easy to peel and seed.

Quarter your tomatoes and place them at the bottom of a hot pan and crush them with a wooden spoon.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Ladel into warm jars with a 1/2-inch headspace.

Secure the lids with the rings tightly and place in the canner.

Bring your canner to a rapid boil. Once a rapid boil is achieved, start the processing time of 45 minutes.

Remove jars from canner to a clean towel and allow to cool over night.

In the morning, check that seal by lightly pressing on the lid. If it doesn't make a popping sound, you know you did it right. If you didn't, refrigorate and use within a week or remove another 1/2-inch and freeze for up to a year.

Canning Cabinet

2011-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week, I tackled organizing my canning cabinet. Here is what it look like before with all the dirty glasses and all disorganized:

And here is what it looks like now all shiny and labeled:

Now, I am ready to keep going and can up the rest of summer:-)

Playing along with Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

Processing Tomatoes

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many of these....

...will come out of my 55 tomato harvest?? Today, we will see:-)

The Frost is Coming...

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

...so, I had to pull my tomato crop! 55 tomatoes!! They aren't ready yet but hopefully, they will ripen on the counter so, I will be able to can them this week:-)

Saving Roses During a Remodel

2011-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

As part of the remodel, I had to dig up two of my gardens. I experienced physical pain ripping my babies from the earth. I wanted to keep everything but the repairs are going to take me well into October. They will not have a chance to reestablish before the ground freezes. So, I have to stash some in my veggie garden over the winter. Here is how I did it:

1. Dig a hole:

2. Fertilize the hole:

3. Fill the hole with water:

4. Put the rose in the hold and pack with dirt:

5. Water well and keep watering well for the first two weeks. This will help everyone settle in.

Wish me luck:-)

Grandma's Rose

2011-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up, we lived in m grandma's house. She planted the roses at her house. My brother bought the house. I told my SiL, if you ever want to get rid of those roses, I want them. She gave them to me. I planted them at my house and this year, they came back in full bloom!!!!

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Prolific Grape Vines

2011-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ok...I tried to kill the old grape vines however, it just won't go swiftly into the night. So, I decided to go with it and root it and here is what happened after only 2 days!!!

Maybe these will take off better than my new ones:-)

Thank You Flowers

2011-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Look at what my Daisy parents gave me last month:

I am so blessed to have such great people to work with for the good of the girls:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Irrigation System

2011-06-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

This week, I finished up my irrigation system for my veggie garden.

Just in time because it is looking pretty sorry:-(

Playing along with Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

Lilacs Are My Favorite

2011-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I even had them in my wedding bouquet! Happy Anniversary Honey! Eight great years and counting:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Getting the Yard Ready

2011-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a GREAT Memorial Day Weekend! We did! Other than watching my youngest in her first parade and a little thing called my birthday, we did A LOT of yardwork. This work included getting our yard ready for summer. The triumphant return of our pool!!!

Playing along with Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

New Grape Vines

2011-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for this to cover my pergola this summer:-)

Happy Daffodils

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what's blooming in my garden today:-)

Black Gold

2011-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is why I missed Tackled It Tuesday. My husband and I were working hard on filling my new garden with beautiful black soil for planting next month:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Indoor Garden

2011-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am getting all my spring plants ready to go back outside:

Now, it just has to warm up!!!

More Signs of Spring!

2011-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Keep them coming!!!

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Hope Springs Eternal

2011-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

In direction contrast to yesterday's post:

I celebrate my first signs of spring peaking out:-)

Have You Started Sowing?

2011-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

With all my baking these last couple months, I haven't even started thinking about my outdoor garden!! Yikes!!! I had better get going!

Holy Blizzard Batman!!

2011-02-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

That's from inside my garage!! You can't even tell that fence hold pots of beautiful flowers in the summer. Where are they?!!!

I Am Testing

2011-01-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am testing my seeds today to make sure they are viable for sowing.

If you want to know how to test your own seeds, check out this post:

http://susieshomemade.blogspot.com/2010/01/testing-garden-seeds.html

Speaking of Blow...

2011-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

My transformer on my giant grow light in my nursery blew!!! I hope my plants can wait for the new one to get here!!

Winter Parsley?

2011-01-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Riddle me this...

Why is all my indoor parsley dead while my outdoor garden has parsley alive and well under snow?

White Christmas in the Making

2010-12-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Holiday Lights

2010-12-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

After years of pleading from my youngest, we finally gave in and put lights on the outside of our house:

I am actually really glad because I think it looks good! Very festive:-)

Christmas Cactus

2010-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is what my Christmas cactus looked like last year:

It does not look like that this year:-(

Thanksgiving Herbs

2010-11-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

I started them late but I think I will have enough sage and thyme for my Thanksgiving dinner:-) Whew!

New Gardens

2010-11-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Look at what my husband built for me:

Two new gardens to fill with black gold and and yummies in the spring. I CAN'T wait!!

Batten Down the Hatches

2010-10-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

No gardening this week because I am too busy cleaning up from this week's storm. It knocked over our brand new grill!! I could hardly pick it back up but the wind knocked it over!! Holy Crap! And, look what it did to our shed:

Totally blew the doors off!!!! Granted, it wasn't the most sound structure but geeeeezzz!

Back Inside

2010-10-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

The cold temperatures have prompted my crew back inside:-)

Confused?

2010-10-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

It has been so beautiful that this little guy is confused:

You are supposed to bloom in July!

Until Next Year...

2010-09-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

My dreams of a warm September ends in this pile of pool shrapnel:-)

You provided many memories for us this summer and I look forward to the day that we meet again:-)

Tackling a Pergola That is Done

2010-09-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . That's right! It is finally done and here it is:

Whew! That was a huge undertaking but now, I have to get to work on moving the grapes over:-)

Still Working On It

2010-09-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

In between the raindrops, 3 parties and overnight guests....

...we are still working on it:-)

Don't Forget to Save Those Seeds!!!

2010-09-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Remember this post from last year???

"Gardening is a way to say that you believe in tomorrow." If that saying is true, than I believe! And if that is true, I need to save some seeds to have tomatoes tomorrow...or in this case, the spring.

Saving seeds is easy if you follow these steps:

1. Seed a tomato

2. Place said seed into a very fine sieve:

3. Rinse the seeds gently. The goal here is to remove the gelatinous material that the seeds swim in and the thin membrane around each seed. This takes longer than you think because those membranes can be really stubborn. For the really difficult ones, you can gently rub them between two paper towels. This is what it looks like before and after:

4. Dry them on a paper plate. See how many seeds I got from a half of a tomato?

5. Once they are dried, wrap the seeds in a paper towel and place them in a labeled food storage bag.

6. Store them in the refrigorator until them at ready to plant in the spring.

Happy Saving:-)

Tackling a Pergola

2010-09-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This weekend was erected this:

So, it will be the new home to my grapes:-)

Bye Bye Basil

2010-09-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

After 12 four-ounce and 2 eight-ounce jars of pesto plus a bunch of frozen basil, that's the last of it that I am drying-) See you next year:-)

Pergola Plans

2010-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

This week, we worked on plans to erect a pergola in our backyard. Our grape arbor is not only on it's last leg but should have been replaced last year.

We are looking at building a 16X12 foot structure however, my husband thinks it will only be 14X10 inside. Do you think that is enough room to entertain underneath? It doesn't seem big enough to me.

Tomatoes Galore

2010-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that I have tried to can tomatoes (probably because this is the first year that I had tomatoes worth canning). I did 2 quarts and 6 pints!! Yahoo!!!

I have to be careful though...they are almost all gone and I haven't saved my seeds for next year yet!!

Pomodoro Sauce in Action

2010-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Remember the recipe from Monday? Here it is in action on top of chicken and bow tie pasta.

Yummo!!! It was so fragrant that the neighbor kids had their noses pressed against my screen door!! No kidding! It was hilarious!!

Pomodoro Sauce

2010-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Last week before school start which means...one more week of summer vacation. All of our back-to-school shopping is done. We got new glasses. Now, we just need an appointment for a flu shot and a hair cut and we will be all set for school. Yahoo!!

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have boneless pork loin on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $3.99/lb.) !! I bought a bunch and I am going to top them with Pomodor Sauce (check out the recipe below). It is going to be super cheap because instead of canned tomatoes, I used my fresh tomatoes from my garden. We are going to eat like kings for months with what I have going on out there!!

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Pork Chops with Pomodoro Sauce (See recipe below)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chicken and Rice

Friday: Eat Out

Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish later
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp sugar
·Kosher salt or sea salt
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 cup basil, chiffionade
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Begin by heating the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Sautee the diced onions if you're using them, until they're soft but not browned. Add the garlic (in slices or paste) and sauté carefully and briefly, don’t let it turn brown; if you're using red pepper flakes, you can add that pinch now too. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
2. This sauce can be covered with a lid wholly or partially as it does not need to reduce too much; if you're making a creamier sauce your ingredients are mostly in puree and paste form and will not need much reducing; if it's a chunkier sauce with diced tomatoes, onions and garlic, you might leave the lid off so it reduces a bit better as it may be slightly watery. You can also add a small can of tomato paste with the diced tomatoes, to absorb some of their water.

3. Cook approximately 30 - 60 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens. Stir and check it occasionally. Add sugar and salt according to taste during the process. Don't over-salt it but make sure it's not bland either, a common problem of poorly-made sauces. Taste it! as you go along, don't guess! Cook it longer if it seems to need 'more taste', as the reduction and mixing of the ingredients progresses over more cooking time, as is true with almost all sauces.

Servings: 12
Yield: 2 quarts

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (7.7 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 195.9
Calories From Fat (29%) 56.56
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.45g 10%
Saturated Fat 0.88g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 271mg 11%
Potassium 805.05mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 32.98g 11%
Fiber 5.03g 20%
Sugar 1.82g
Protein 6.57g 13%

Recipe Type
Italian, Sauce

Tips
Experiment with the tastes and consistencies of the tomatoes you use, since they are the most important ingredient; some chefs will mix fresh tomatoes in with canned tomato paste, some will try a can of tomatoes, mixed with fresh tomatoes, and add some tomato paste.

Experiment with different herbs and seasonings... though experiment carefully. You are usually safe to try adding small amounts of herbs that are generally known to be good in Italian red sauces... but first put the tiniest pinch of any herb on a spoonful of the sauce to see what you think, rather than dumping it straight into the main batch. If it seems to go well, you might try a pinch in with the sauce to begin with, and add more if you're liking the taste.

Common other additions include, to your taste: mushrooms of various kinds, colored bell peppers, hot peppers, and meats. Pomodoro sauce and pasta are especially famous and recommended to go with chicken, but other meats, seafood, and meatballs are used.

A secret ingredient of some chefs is to add a little cream to the sauce to make it... er... creamier.

Source
Web Page: http://www.pomodorosauce.com/

Recipe Cost: $4.32 ($1.32 with fresh tomatoes)
Serving Cost: $ .36 ($0.11 with fresh tomatoes)

Grape Jam

2010-08-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is what I did yesterday:

9 jars and vines and vines to go...

Hazy Shade of Summer

2010-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

My camera lense was weeping in the heat this morning but out of pain comes beauty.

Presto Pesto

2010-08-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Heck, I am even linking this up to Amy's Round Robin on Keeping Up with the Schultz Family on Friday.

It's time to harvest the basil and I love it because that means pesto time:

I love it! It is good in pasta dishes, mixed with mayo on sandwiches and even as a topping for grilled fish. I found a recipe for some dessert pesto that I am dying to try. I will let you know how it turns out:-)

Chicken in Basil Cream

2010-08-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Summer isn't over yet but my life is starting to pick back up anyway. This week, I have 2 doctor appointments, Girl Scout Day at The Wisconsin State Fair, an oil change and back to school shopping. I am also helping my older daughter pack to move back to Madison for college. She is a Junior this year and getting her first apartment!!! Unbelievable!

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have split chicken breasts on sale for $1.28/lb. (normally $4.69/lb.) !! I bought a bunch so I could make Chicken in Basil Cream. Check out the recipe below.

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Chicken in Basil Cream (2 doctor appointments) (See recipe below)

Wednesday: Leftovers (Girl Scout Day at The Wisconsin State Fair)

Thursday: Pork Chops (oil change)

Friday: Eat Out (Back to school shopping)

Chicken In Basil Cream
Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (4 ounce) jar sliced pimento peppers, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions
1. Place milk and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. In skillet, heat butter or margarine to medium heat. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook in butter or margarine, on both sides, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.

2. Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in cream and pimentos; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat.

3. Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through. Pour mixture over chicken and serve!

Servings: 8

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (6.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 318.4
Calories From Fat (53%) 168.36
% Daily Value
Total Fat 19.09g 29%
Saturated Fat 11.28g 56%
Cholesterol 127.1mg 42%
Sodium 259.85mg 11%
Potassium 369.98mg 11%
Total Carbohydrates 4.02g 1%
Fiber 0.21g <1%>

Recipe Cost: $13.68 ($6.27 on sale)

Serving Cost: $ 1.71 ($0.78 on sale)

How Do You Like Me Now?

2010-08-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the geraniums that I got in May? Well, check them out now:

I am so happy how they are growing:-)

Impatiens

2010-07-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

My impatiens are looking great this year!! It's amazing what a frequent application of fertilizer will do!!

Fancy Mailboxes

2010-07-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Part of the outdoor landscape includes hardscaping like stones and patios and things like that. But, it also includes your Mailbox. Now, here in Wisconsin, our mail boxes take a licking. Every winter, the snowplows come out and leave a battlefield of Mailbox carnage in their wake. Many homeowners take this opportunity to upgrade their formerly erect pillars of correspondence receptacles. And there are many options!

You can go from this:

To this:

Or show some personality with this:
Or go all ostentatious like this (my personal favorite):

No matter which way you chose to go, make sure that the design you choose fails under the guidelines of your particular area. Some subdivisions have very specific restrictions on creativity when it comes to the curbside appeal of your home.

And, if that darned snow plow threatens your mail box again, you can always do this:

Hostas!

2010-07-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

They are doing so well this year:-)

Future Spaghetti Sauce

2010-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

The basil is ready but...

...the tomatoes are just starting.

Soon there will be sauce:-)

Look Who Came to Breakfast

2010-06-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus!

That stinker was eating all my apples!!

Hometown Seeds Deal

2010-06-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

I have got a lot of watching grass growing around here so, I don't have much to share for Gardening Thursday however, I do have a deal for you.

Hometwon Seeds would like to offer a 20% discount on all of our products to my readers. By entering the coupon code "thanks", 20% will be reduced from the total cost of any order. The code will be good through July 31, 2010.

So head on over to Hometwon Seeds and tell them Susie sent you:-)

Chicken Pesto Penne Rerun

2010-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Well, my husband is back at work but I still have a housefull with my oldest still here from college and my youngest home from school. In addition, I have training for the leading a unit in day camp. Simple is key!!!

Thank goodness Pick N Save has chicken breasts on sale for $2.79/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.) because I am making my Chicken Pesto Penne which is yet another rerun....when will the madness end?

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Not-sagna Pasta Toss (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Tuna Pasta Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Pesto Penne

Thursday: Left Overs (Unit Leader Training)

Friday: Eat Out

Garden Chores

2010-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

After our trip, all I can muster up today was cleaning my pool and pulling weeds in the vegetable garden. I guess I am still on vacation because that is as far as I got before we jumped in my newly cleaned pool:-)

Just a side note, we have one of those Quick Set pools. In the past, we have had tons of problems with the ones with the inflatable top. They leak air. They leak water. And unless you are on completely (and I mean completely) level ground, you have a deep end. So, this year, we got the kind with the frame and so far so good! So, if your yard is less than stable, I recommend it:-)

Have Some Lettuce

2010-06-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

We are on our way to Kansas. So, while I am gone, enjoy my first lettuce harvest of the year:

Even though I am gone, come back tomorrow for a Blog Frog Friday experiment:-)

Lovely Peony

2010-06-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Veggie Garden

2010-05-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

I usually don't plant the veggie garden until Memorial Day weekend but this year, summer has come early. I actually feel a little behind. Some other blogs are showing buds and harvest already! But here in Wisconsin, this is what you get:-)

Geraniums of Appreciation

2010-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

This week, volunteers were honored for their service at the elementary school. I was a recipient of this appreciation for chairing the bake sale (did anyone doubt that I wouldn't lead a bake sale?) and for my committment to the PTO. Look what I got:

I got two of these little globes that water your plants for you. Neat:-)

I was also introduced to the masses as the next Vice-President of the PTO:-) I guess I have my work cut out for me next year!

Snow in Spring

2010-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another flowering crab but this one looks like snow:-)

Flowering Crab

2010-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is the view from my bedroom window.

Gorgeous, right?

My Bleeding Heart

2010-04-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

...is singing:-)

I Wanta Soak Up the Sun

2010-04-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

My tulips are enjoying the day basking:-)

Snow is a Four Letter Word

2010-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

I can't even bare to take a picture of it!!

What is Going on in My Garden

2010-03-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

We are still painting away but, I have done a lot in the garden before this week to keep on schedule during this busy week. So, here is a recap of what I have been up to:

3/9/10:

I sowed lettuce, peppers, marigold and basil. The lettuce is sprouting:

and so are the marigold:

3/17/10:
I had planted some peas directly into the garden on St. Patrick's Day. This was the first time I have tried this so early in our Wisconsin spring. So, wish me luck with these.

I also turned my compost and although it is very "leafy" there is some really great black gold in there!! I can't wait to get started!!

3/19/10:

I started the tomato seeds today! They tested well so, I am looking forward to a good crop this year:-)

Sprouts

2010-03-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Glorious Sprouts!!

Welcome Back Babies!!!

2010-03-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

Survial Seeds

2010-02-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

I was recently introduced to the term "survival seeds" by a new site called Hometown Seeds. The idea is that if you have a stockpile of seeds, you will always have enough food to feed your family in the event of a crisis. Now, I am not quite as alarmist as that but I do like the idea of having the means to have a full garden for years to come. And for a new gardener, it is a great way to have a variety of things to try in your climate and soil. So, check them out and see what you can grow in your garden this year:-)

Disclaimer: Hometown Seeds is providing me with seed packets as a thank-you for this feature and some ad space. No other compensation was provided and the information and opinions are solely my own.

Sowing Seeds

2010-02-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I started sowing my onion seeds.

I am hoping to get 18 viable plants. Wish me luck:-)

No Gardening Today

2010-02-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

I spent too much time moving this around:

Indoor Garden Clean Up

2010-02-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

I was all ready to do my sowing when I realized, I had a giant mess in my indoor garden that I needed to clean up before I could get started. Here is what it looked like before:

After some purging and pruning, this is what I came up with:

Now, I have some more room in which to work! Not a lot..but some:-)

Test Results

2010-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, I tested some old seeds to see what I needed to buy for the sowing season. And here are the results:

The peppers didn't do very well:-(

The tomatoes did better.

But the pumpkins did the best!

Testing Garden Seeds

2010-01-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Now that I have a garden plan, I have to see if I have enough garden seeds for the plan. Before I go out and buy a bunch of seeds, I have to check to see if the ones I have from last year would fulfill this need. And this is how I do it:

1. I assemble the necessary materials:

Seeds (both packaged and ones that I saved last fall):

AND:

Paper towels, sandwich bags and a marker:

2. I dampen a single paper towel and place approximately 10 seeds on it:

Make sure that they perfect! If they look like this, throw them OUT:

3. Then, wrap up the paper towel and place it in the sandwich bag that has been label with the type of seed and the date. Like this:

4. Put them in a nice sunny area and wait for them to sprout.

If most of them germinate, then sow lightly.
If only half sprout, sow heavily.
And if less than half sprout, they are not viable and you should buy new seeds.

Happy Testing:-)

Garden Planning

2010-01-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Winter is a frustrating time for advid gardeners however, now is the perfect time to start making a plan for when fair weather returns. I am starting with seeds. Last year, I kept mine in a small recipe box. Well, have branched out into 2 more boxes this year:

This year, I am going to plant:

Tomatoes
Cucubmers
Pumpkins
Peppers (of varing shapes and sizes)
Onions
Celery
Carrots

Now, that I have a plan, I have to test the seeds....

Rinse and Fertilize Houseplants

2010-01-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

The weather outside is still pretty nasty. So, what is a frustrated gardener to do? Well, now is the perfect time to do some maintenance on your houseplants. Even plants get dusty and periodically, they need a good shower. To illustrate, here is a plant before his shower:

And here is the same plant after:

Big difference, right? You simply put your plant in the sink and lightly spray off the leaves. Just like this:

Another important thing to remember is that plants are living things and just like you and me, they get hungry. So, after their shower, break up the soil gently with one of these:

And give them a nice slow releasing fertilizer like this:

Your houseplants will thank you for it:-)

Friday Foto Fun with Christmas Plants

2009-12-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry it took me so long to get back. Our power went out Tuesday night and came back Wednesday night. Losing 24 hours in the busiest season but me waaaaay behind.

But, I trudge on because t's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun! This week: my Christmas plants. If you recall last year, I struggle with getting my plants to live and bloom. May I present, my Christmas cactus:

and my Poinsettia:

It's not the most beautiful thing but by golly, I brought it back!! This year, I win:-)

Indoor Garden Clean Up

2009-10-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

My indoor garden was getting a little out of hand:

What a mess!!

So, I did some housekeeping and this is what it looks like now:

AND...just in time for holiday cooking...the triumphant return of my herb garden:

I used my Thyme in a recipe earlier in the week:-)

Harvested Lettuce

2009-10-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today, some of the lettuce that I planted in my indoor garden on September 16th.

Not a bad haul, right?

Welcome Back to the Jungle

2009-10-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's getting cold out there so, I had to bring all my plants inside. Every year, my husband sings along with Guns N' Roses to "Welcome to the Jungle".

You are welcome for putting that song in your head again this year:-)

Hello Fall

2009-09-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Mums:-)

Save Those Tomato Seeds

2009-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Gardening is a way to say that you believe in tomorrow." If that saying is true, than I believe! And if that is true, I need to save some seeds to have tomatoes tomorrow...or in this case, the spring.

Saving seeds is easy if you follow these steps:

1. Seed a tomato

2. Place said seed into a very fine sieve:

4. Dry them on a paper plate. See how many seeds I got from a half of a tomato?

5. Once they are dried, wrap the seeds in a paper towel and place them in a labeled food storage bag.

6. Store them in the refrigorator until them at ready to plant in the spring.

Happy Saving:-)

Tackling a New Indoor Garden

2009-09-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . It's time for me to start my indoor garden again. If I start it now, we will have lettuce and herbs for the winter:-) The light table took quite a hit this year so, we needed to rebuild it. I didn't take before pictures but here are some afters:

And this table is all ready for the summer plants to come in when they are ready. I have 4 ferns, 5 impatiens and one marigold to bring in. My seedlings will be big enough to come out by then:-)

Friday Foto Fun with More Goodbyes

2009-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun:-) Today, we are saying a heart-felt goodbye to...

...our pool. You served us well this summer. I had both my girls home all summer and we spent hours with you this season. Thank you for the fun and the cooling and the relaxation! See you next year:-)

Bye Bye Marigolds

2009-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

...see you next year:-(

Grape Fest

2009-09-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

This:

Turns Into This:

And then Results in This:

A Ladies Garden Lunch

2009-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Even though it was raining outside, we still had a great garden party. I served my Grilled Chicken Oriental Salad , watermelon and raspberry white iced tea. Yummo:-)

Look What I Did With My Pears

2009-08-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Check out more stuff at Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom or Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-) And, I have added Mostly Wordless Wednesday over at Ordinary and Awesome to my list too!! Go check them all out:-)

Pears

2009-08-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the fruits of my pear tree!! Yummo:-)

Soon There Will Be Jam

2009-08-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

You See This...

2009-07-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

...this is a plan for our grapes.

After our harvest this year, we are tearing down the arbor and putting up a pergola:-) Yippee:-)

No Gardening Today

2009-07-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

No gardening today because we are traveling. I leave you with this cute little plaque I got from my MiL for my birthday.

My Boxes Behind the Lilies

2009-07-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Lily

2009-07-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Since the critters are eating my beans in my veggie garden, I am posting a picture of my lily because it give me hope:-)

Friday Foto Fun with Lilies

2009-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Its time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun:-)

A couple days ago, Janice at 5 Minutes for Mom said goodbye to June . Today, I want to say hello to July with this:

The lilies are in bloom in July and this is a beautiful sample from my garden! Happy July Everyone:-)

It's Back!!

2009-07-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Remember my dying rose from last week? Well, I took some of your advice and look at it now:

It's coming back!! My Grandma's roses are back! Thanks everyone for the tips because I think it is going to make it:-)

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

2009-06-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Help!!!! I transplanted a rose bush from the house I grew up in to my house last year. I get free plants all the time but this one was my grandmother's and it's the only thing I really, really wanted to survive. This is what it looked like in early June:

Now, it looks like this:

It's still alive but barely:-(

Too much sun?

Too much water?

Too much fertilzer?

Any suggestions? If you can help me save my grandmother's rose bush, you will be my new best friend:-)

Leaning Tower of Grapes

2009-06-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

I think our grape arbor will need to be replaced this year:

What do you think?

Peonies in Bloom

2009-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of catching up to do in reporting all of my gardening activities to you. My lilacs have already come and gone:-( However, the peonies are about ready to explode!

So, enjoy this for now and stay tuned from more reports from my garden:-)

One of My Favorite Things

2009-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love the month of May. Partly because my birthday is in this month but mostly because of this:

I love my Flowering Crab!!

Gardening Thursday

2009-05-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

I don't have any garden pictures today but, I did get some work done this week:

continued to do spring clean up in the yard.
continued adding to compost pile.
brought all my plants outside to harden.
planted some peas, beans and corn.
deheaded some fading bulbs.
surveyed my irrigations system (such that it is).

I don't know how much work I will get done with rain predicted for this weekend and Mother's Day on Sunday. I guess we shall see next week at this time:-)

Tulips Tulips Everywhere

2009-04-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning the Compost Pile

2009-04-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we cleaned out our compost pile. It was full of beautiful black gold for the vegetable garden. And, there were a ton of leaves from fall that hadn't broken down. So, we crunched them all up and used them for mulch on our flower beds. I love how the trees in our yard produces mulch that matches the French brick on our house:-) What do you think?

We have enough mulch left over to cover the vegetable garden once it's planted and refresh the gardens throughout the season. And, I have a new pile of raw materials started for next year. If I continue to feed and turn this new pile, I will have wonderful black gold for next year's garden! I love how my compost bin is nature's recyle bin:-)