Promise of Success

After returning from our Lake Tahoe vacation a few days ago, I went out to water my container garden, hoping everything was still doing well and had not been eaten by the jack rabbits that live here as well.

I have seven tomato plants, two cherries and the others, a variety of Early Girl, Beefsteak and a couple of unknowns.  What I found was a promise of good things to come....at least from the Cherry tomato plant anyway.

You see, in the past, my tomato plants don't produce very well....be it the windy weather, the soil or the coolness of our climate.  But this little guy has given me some high hopes.
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A Simple Gardener

This past February, when we were having 80 degree temps and what I thought was going to be an early summer, so I sprinkled some seeds and planted some bulbs in the simple container garden from last summer.  Little did I know that our spring/summer like weather we were experiencing was only to last through the month of February.

I have yet to plant our 'formal' garden for the year.

Yesterday, it poured down rain all day long.

Today I went out to the containers in which I planted the carrot and parsley seeds, onion and garlic bulbs.  I have never planted garlic {the larger bulb on the left} so I'm not sure if this is what it's supposed to look like or not, but I plan on hanging it to dry.

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Excitement on a Foggy Day

One of the climate issues we encounter when living near the coast is FOG.  Some people call it our 'natural airconditioning' because it visits us all summer long, actually all year long.  During the summer months, it really keeps things pretty cool on the days it visits us. 

I don't like it.

But our cows do.  They don't like the hot weather, so in the area of northern California where we live, the cows really like the climate.  It's not too hot except maybe a few days in summer and it's not too cold.

I took a stroll outside with the macro lens today to see what exciting photos I could capture..... in the fog, then I came in to see what I could do with the dreary things on picnik.com. 

Much more exciting when the editing is complete.

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Top Ten Things I Love About Fall & My Garden Grew!

We've spotted the first signs of fall at our house.  Some of my favorite things of fall are;

* harvesting our vegetable garden

* the changing of the leaves

* the crisp cool air while being sunny at the same time

* the promise of a crackling fire soon to come

* baking

* Halloween

* the pumpkin patch

and I can't forget about

* fall clothes

* shoes 

* boots :)

Here's our corn in our garden.

Our Maple tree is beginning to turn color right outside our front door.

So, I wasn't completely disappointed in how our garden turned out like I thought I was going to be.  Our tomatoes did produce.  Although, I have my doubts that they'll ripen.  Stay tuned.

I wonder if it's too late in the season for green to turn red?

Lemon cucumbers are plentiful.  Bryce eats these right out of the garden, skin and all {after washing}.

Summer squash is late but looking good.

With more to come.

And this BIG BOY was hiding out!  More on what I made with him later.

What are your favorite things of fall?

Happy Friday!  Cheers! Pin It

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mine?  Ummm, not so well...

I do like to garden, or I should say, I like to reap the rewards of vegetable gardening.  However, I have now tried my hand at gardening here on the ranch for the past six years and my results have been, shall we say, below average.  Now I know I can garden and have been successful at it in the past.....maybe my results here have something to do with the gale force winds we experience up here on our little hill almost every afternoon??

We fertilize the soil, so I believe that part is okay.  I've tried planting in the soil, changing locations of the plants every year, sprinkler watering, ground watering and now container gardening.

My poor patio tomato plant I planted at least 2 months ago......

Looks like a shriveled up mess doesn't it?

This is what it looked like 2 months ago.  Much bushier isn't it?

My caged cucumber sprout.  This is the third time this season that I've planted cucumber seeds.  They always pop up but I think we have a pesky rabbit visiting every night.  So I'm trying the cage method.

Heirloom jack-o-lantern plants, also protected by screen mesh.   

The culprit may very well be VERY hungry insects because we also have zucchini planted (2nd time) in the ground and they have definitely been eaten by insects.  Not sure what to do.  We don't spray pesticides and I can't plant enough for everyone.

Okay, I'll quit my whining now.

 

My container radishes seem to be doing good.  But aren't radishes the easiest thing you can grow?  They're like weeds, so I couldn't go wrong there!

Dominic planted three rows of corn and they're doing okay for now.

Gale force winds.......everyday.....which is great for our flag!  But look, I just noticed in this photo - even the flag pole is leaning from the wind.

Any and All tips are welcome!  Help!

Happy Wednesday!

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