My favorite Herb

Or at least one of my favorites :)
Summer Savory!
I just LOVE that smell! it gives everything so much flavor :)
It's so peppery and pungant.
I already ran out of it so I ordered more seeds and recieved them today!

End of Summer Compost

This year has been the hottest summer on record. Im so glad it's over. I'm Looking forward to spending more time outdoors in the garden. One good thing about this blazing heat is the result of my composted materials in the tumbler.
All the kitchen waste, plant clippings, newspaper, and chicken droppings gave me this wonderful dirt :D
I spread it all over my young vegetable plants for added nutrients.

Autumn has Arrived...

Today is the first day of Fall, and I can already feel a slight crispness in the air, Its my favorite season, and mornings are my favorite time of the day. My vegetables seem to have more life too. It's looking more promising in the garden :)
My chickens seem happier, their peeps and chirps have long gone, but their clucking
is a welcoming change. Soon I should have little surprises in their nesting boxes...

Autumn is renewal, it's a time where I reflect on small changes that need to be made. Both in my life and what surrounds me. I get craftier and more physical. This is where I think back at the times we'd go for long walks everyday with our dogs in the park and be in awe of the changing colors of the trees.

My sister, my best friend. I miss her. She has always been there for me, through it all. Although miles keep us apart she is still here, close to my heart. We've been through good and bad together. She has always been my rock. We've shared our secrets, lived together for years before I moved far away. Our dogs were our world, and still are. We have lost some, and cried together.
And today, her loving dog is ill, and will not be there to see the winter.

I hate to spend Autumn alone in this part of the world, knowing a part of me is feeling sadness today, and unable to be there for her. Sometimes renewal is good. Sometimes it is forced upon us. But this year Autumn will not be the same.

Baby Tomato

Dull Chairs with a New Life

A pair of plastic chairs were tossed in the trash down the street. I brought them home and I decided to paint them in pastel colors. All they need is a colorful matching pillow to be complete :) Now I have chairs to sit on in my garden.

My Pies turned out quite Tasty :)

Apple Pie Memoreis

Nothing beats the smell of homemade apple pie this time of year. The delightful smell of cinnamon brings back so many memories of my parent's home in the country.

Us siblings would take a drive up there to spend the weekend and make pies all weekend. Mom had lots of apple trees on her property.
There was no recipe, just us sisters and mom playing in the dough and slicing apples for hours...the fun we had, always laughing together.

We would cover all counter space with dozens of pies, enough for all of us to bring several back home. Then we'd bundle up, gather around the bonfire outside and joke all night. I really miss those days.
I miss my mom most around this time.

I haven't made an apple pie since her passing. I am thinking maybe this weekend that I should. And let that aroma take over my kitchen, like it did in hers.

Another Saved Treasure

It makes my heart smile when I save an old piece that could have been trash and forever gone in some landffill. when I find such timeless treasures I get anxious about getting started because I can see the potential immediately. I have used my sander and various tools on many, many pieces that came through my home, but this chair looks like it will be my most challenging project yet.

I cannot wait to see the stylish result of this piece! I can already see it sitting pretty in my room. :)

The Enchanted Forest :)

An Escapade worth Blogging about

I am feeling nostalgic...
Last week I visited a very dear person in my life.
A few days away from the arid heat did me tons of good :)
A spontaneous trip to California is exactly what I needed!
The oceanscapes and lush green coastline seemed to have triggered my creativity, something that has been dormant for some time. Hmm maybe it was the ocean air or fog. :D

I am itching to do something productive, other than gardening. I am even thinking about re-arranging this blog, since I have lots more going on than gardening.I want to make it more exciting and creative.

Come Autumn I always get this way, even in the kitchen. I'll take out my sewing machine, restore an old piece of furniture, or paint and redecorate. I've already started sorting my fabrics so I can make something special that reminds me of my trip.

My special friend is such a beautiful soul, thank you Collette, for having me in your wonderful, peaceful home.You inspire me to do and be more!

Know Your Bugs!

One thing I am learning here in the garden ~ Know your bugs! Some are beneficial, most not. As I tear away at my poor watermelon that has been infested, I can't help but feel hopeless as to how to control this nuisance. I knew I should have planted my potent herbs with them! I never had that problem before when I did. AAARRRGGG!

I fed my chicks some bugs I shouldn't have. They should have stayed right there on my plants to munch away at the bad ones. :( But the chicks didn't complain :D

Oh well... I now have a picture list of good and bad bugs I've seen in my garden, learned a little about them, and keeping a close eye on any new intruder.

Learning lesson indeed!

~although I like to keep track of everything in photos here, I really didn't think it was necessary to take pictures of those nasty things :D

Seed Starting

OK, this is an exciting time for me! :) I started my seeds from starter trays and various pots and bowls. One very practical way to do this was to make my own pots from newspaper! So easy I wish I'd thought about this earlier. And since the newspaper is biodegradable you can simply transplant it in the ground and it will disintegrate.
I did this with my Fava beans and it worked out perfectly.
Also, I covered some bowls with saran-wrap to promote humidity, helping keep soil moist while seeds sprout, like a mini greenhouse :)

In the last few weeks I've done a lot of tilling and extending my raised beds for my winter crops.
This season I decided on Beans, Peas, Corn, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Endive and Onions. I also want to do some companion planting with herbs, instead of having an Herb-Garden only, I chose to pair herbs with vegetables that are compatible, in order to help the garden thrive and keep pests away.

I watch my pots closely each day waiting to see the first sprout :)

Prickly Pear Jelly

Making Jelly this week, this time with a special fruit called Cactus Fig, or the Prickly Pear. This time of year you can see them everywhere even along the highways. They grow wild throughout the southwest. A really pretty sight.

This is new to me, I was excited about trying a new type of jelly, so off I went with a bucket and some tongs and kindly asked a neighbor if I can grab some of that really bright red fruit. His front yard is full of that cactus.

Good thing I read about handling and processing them or else I would have ended up with really sore fingers. There's a reason it's called prickly pear cactus!

This was labor intensive, but luckily with my juice extractor I saved some time.
And I am pretty proud of the results! The taste resembles really sweet kiwi fruit.
I think I will be taking my bucket and tongs again this weekend and see if I can make lots more so I can enjoy this jelly when the fruit isn't available. What a waste to let the fruit die off the cactus.

And I will definately bring my neighbor a jar filled with the yummy stuff he kindly let me have.

Uninvited Guests

Little Green Inch Worms.... or "Cabbage Loopers", a member of the moth family. When I first noticed one inching away on one of my zucchini leaves I thought it was cute so I let it be... mistake! Until I read about them.
They are a pest in my garden! This is the first time I notice intruders on my plants. Quite destructive too. And I had no clue they laid eggs on the underside of the leaves either. Eeeeewwww!
So that made me dissect the whole place, making sure I removed each one of them. There were tons. This morning it really wasn't bad, just found 2 of them. I need to stay on top of this and make sure they don't invade.
Caterpillars feed on tender leaves, causing skeletonization and defoliation. Luckily my plants don't seem too affected by them. One good thing though my chickens think they are quite the treat!
I wonder if I had planted garlic or other natural insect repellents among my crops would it help keep them away? hhmmmm.....something I'll have to try.