Go Configure!

     My fall garden is at its infant stage... You know "nothing yet!" HA! I have been off my game a little... But I am antsy with desire to get it going... I want to plant all kinds of things... but not sure if this is the right moment...

     I have decided that it will be the moment like it or not...  but there is a "But." There's always a but, if you haven't noticed...

     I want to re configure the lay out of Tangent... I want Tangent to start working for me... I have been nurturing and feeding and watering and talking and whatever else that can come to mind...

    Now! Don't be dirty minded... ha ha ha!

      Looking at my Tangent and normal reaction says, "Oh my goodness you have a small backyard"... Well, you are right, for such a big house, I have a teeny tiny backyard... But! When I look at my Tangent I see endless possibilities... I really didn't see it until we decided to just stay put and not worry about moving...

     Looking at all of the urban gardens, like roof tops and patio home and apartment living... I have incredible space for my garden...

     Some of you may be saying so why are you talking about this... Well, the space is the least of worries if you want delicious veggies and fruit.  I couldn't see past The infamous phrase "I need more space for my garden."

     Now that, that is established... On to plans, right?

     Fruit, so far, I have a pomegranate, and a blackberry bush! The next idea is peach, citrus and grapes and of course a fig tree...

     Okay! I am not a great designer, (of landscaping) and I haven't a clue to know where to begin... but I know that I love the taste and want those to be apart of Tangent...  Then, there are the nuts,

     No... not me, LOL!


     But maybe an almond,
and ....well, almond, because any other nuts wouldn't really work would they(?) in such a confined space? Ho Hum...



http://informedfarmers.com

     Ambitious? Yes! What's the point of it all, if there isn't aim for the sky attitude... right? Baby steps? Of course!

So reconfiguring, what does this entail for me!  Ummmm.... Well not sure!  I think, expanding the area is the beginning, moving the compost bin into the northwest corner will be the start... then, I will till the area of where the compost was...

rearranging is so messy!

      The eggplant is still in the compost!!! and look at the size... amazing, I will be very sad to see it go!
I will have probably 3 or 4 feet more to add veggies in... What will I put there?

      I can kind of picture a tree in the corner there maybe! My (thinking) wheels are turning... Can you see the smoke coming from ears.... Well, of course you can't!... "but" there it is again,... Trust me. I'm thinking up a storm...


Off the subject of reconfiguring...




     Did anyone get to view The Blue Moon last night?  Even though we didn't get to sit outside and watch it rise, random outside glances happened...  The next "blue moon" will not happen until July 2015... I hope to be able to see it then too..

   And Yes! I had a blue moon Brew for the occasion! Boy, was it delish!




     And by the way! Spidey isn't my favorite Hero!

It would probably be Batman, You know ( psst! Bruce Wayne, the gazillionaire).... hehehe!

You know,  Bat Man and Lara Croft would be a Hot Couple! No? okay, weird comment!

Labor Day Weekend!
     This is a three day weekend for me! I plan to work in the garden and cook in my beginning of a gourmet kitchen.... hahaha!
I posted the pic on my FB cuz, the photo wacked out, my reader email..

     http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=437320782985135&set=pb.100001216502799.-2207520000.1346600601&type=1&theater

     Last weekend I received my glorious new fridge.. Doesn't really cost a lot to most households, but for us Yes! It was fairly pricey... 2400.00 ... So the question is... was or is it worth it?  YES! I love it... We will have to work twice as hard because of the expense... But, there's that "but" again!

I am in heaven and plan to upgrade my stove next!      soon, maybe,.... okay soon.. (maybe)


Happy Gardening











    

Sweaty, Humid Gardens!

   

   
     I woke-up to this one morning after a night of storms. It was amazing... The doves were all sitting so still, like they were in awe of the sight too.. But really they were impatient for the morning seed so freely given to them... lol..

     I don't know if you can see it, but it is a double rainbow... it was stunning... I wish that I can see that every morning...

   
     But.... then, I glanced around to see the garden and look what the winds did to it...

     Limbs were broke and laying on the ground, like it was all in the scheme of things... but maybe it was for the better for the simple thing of making the plant some what more healthy... you know get rid of the weak and keep the strong... thing..


They do look  a little happier...

     I do need to get out there and trim and vamp and things tough...

A little overgrown don't you think

     I have been avoiding my Tangent lately... I go outside and the moment I lift a shovel I sweat... Now, I know a lot of people feel that way, and maybe that is why George, my new favorite gardener says, "August is the time to go on vacation, not to worry about what is going on in it"...

     But I do worry though.. Now, is the time to get some revamping of the soil done and plant some seedlings in a couple weeks... also reworking the layout of the garden... So you see, I have to be busy... Just can't get past picking up the shovel...

My Nemesis... and kids... 

   

     My little meanies hanging out on the neighbors roof waiting to see what is available to eat, I think...

Tomato Update

     So the tomato plants are growing, but now it looks like that the tops are curling... Not sure if this is a bad thing... maybe, that I have to pull the plant for or not...  Although it has flowers....

Blackberry Anticipation

       My Blackberry bush seems to be happy in this particular spot, I hope that I get some flowers, this coming spring...  The canes are particularly thick and lush... very hopeful....

Tall and glorious

Large thick leaves...

Beautiful thick canes...

 Eggplant Quandary
  

     My compost eggplant is incredibly happy for being in the compost bin... ha ha ha, but It doesn't know that I will be moving that bin into the corner of the garden, so I can make the garden bigger, by maybe 3 or so feet...

Garlic Chives

I love where I put my garlic chives, BUT.... Yes!  But !

     It stopped the progression of my garden from expanding,  It is a line of  "DONE." Like no more planting from this point on...  Get it in your head! No go... Nada! It's like Tangent is yelling at me and saying "this is my area and you can't do any thing else"...

     But thank goodness they are shallow rooted and easy to move if I want them to be moved... Though, it would be easier to not have them there... I think and maybe it is agreed, they are fine there and I will just work around them,...

     Aren't they lovely?  Now I really just need to use them as they were meant to be used...


And well last....


     I have some favorite pictures to leave off with, the colors are amazing and enchanting... I hope that you agree...?

Hugs, and as some say, HAPPY GARDENING....


   

"Fall" where are you?

     Starting my job last week made it really hard to get going on my posts.. But I had a great week and if everything goes as well as it did I should be able to stay on a routine.... Yay!!!


     With the end of summer, well not really, but the starting of school, it always seems it should be the end of summer...

Fall, Where are you?

      I have been trying to get my garden cleaned up and organized for September plantings.... I went through my journal and seeds.

     I put the seeds that should be planted in that month of the journal section... It seems logical enough.. Right?

      I now know for sure what needs to be planted... Yay,  me! Now I need to just start planting, after I dig up the soil some, and add organic matter... Which will be pretty quick.... (I hope!) tick, tick tick... (my mind ticks to much...)

     I planted in one of my starter kits eight different veggies...  Cabbage, Oriental Cabbage, Parsley, Broccoli, Green Onions, Spinach, Lettuce, Leeks...

     As it were... I lost the zucchini, and I'm starting to loose the cucumbers...

    All because of the Murderous Stink bugs...  But at least it was at the end of the plants life...  *RIP*...  I will be diggin in that area to plant the cabbage and I think Broccoli... Then the onions and leeks will probably be planted in the carrot area...


     The Oriental cabbage has sprouted and the leeks too....  I will be making room to plant them soon enough... I have come across some incredible recipes for other veggies that I think I will be planting too... Like Beets, Hubby said he wasn't sure if he would like them, but to give it a try... So guess what? I will be  giving it a try!

Another Wonderful Book...

     I came across a book and blog... another new favorite It's called The Quarter Acre Farm
I am so excited to share... It shows the oops that she endured, the rewards given and the quality of hard work... Entertaining and eye opening...

     Not only this is exactly what I am trying to do but, it as if it's a guideline for me to follow... Now realistically, I am having to modify for the simple reason of living in the desert, but I can actually put my garden into the reality it was meant...

The weather is just relentless...

     We have been having quite a few dust storms "Ha-boob" the recent term being used... They do get pretty intense..

     Well, the thing is these are getting to my peppers, and breaking limbs off .. Pepper limbs are fragile...

Another thing I have to be concerned about, besides the heat that seems to be catching everybody by their proverbial tails...

Trimming of the Tomatoes

      The tomatoes are doing very well so far, I am looking forward to seeing if I get some fall tomatoes!
And the wait is well nail biting...

     My Garlic Chives are wanting to flower again.. I think they are very happy. They look beautiful.. My sunflowers are past their prime.. But the birds seem to love them still, along with the basil that are going to seed...

    I have some rearranging to do in the garden, I feel like expanding just a smidgen more...  I think that about 4 more feet or so will do... that will come in a couple of weeks.. details, soon...

My Celery experiment...

     Many of you already know that it is possible to take the butt end of the Celery Stalk and plant it!  Well, I did it and look at what has come of it!

     One is successful and the other one seems to keep getting pulled up... I think that it is from My wanted dead or alive bird that likes to poke holes in my beautiful Tomatoes...









     Mr. Meanie has had a family and continues to visit with "them" in tow! I guess, I really don't mind much anymore.. He has toned down his attacks and well, I "ok" with that! For Now!

Stay cool from this irritable heat wave! Hurray up September so I can plant my seedlings... YAY!!!

Sweat and Well, Sweat!!!

     Spending this weekend working in the garden, I didn't think there was that much sweat in any one person (Me)...It was HOT!

     I have been taking cues from my new recent favorite garden book...

Clipped tomatoes!

      It suggested that maybe giving a cutting to the tomatoes "like" two thirds back, will give me a chance to get another batch this coming  fall... so that's what I did. It really is no loss, for the basic fact the tomatoes were pretty much done flowering any way...

The Mess from the tomato clippings...

     I had my hubby mulch these up, I used them by spreading this all around the tomatoes...


Wanted Dead or Well, Dead

     BUT Guess Who is back!  Yes! There back!!!  The infamous STINK (squash) BUG!

This is a wanted dead or alive (dead)  poster!

 OOOOOhhhh! They make me so mad!  I lost my Zucchini,

What was pulled from it's spot in the garden!

     But that's okay, it was on it's way out... I guess this bug has no known predators except, us, humans!  I have to use pesticides, which I seriously hate....Nothing else works..., nothing that is a natural remedy anyway....   If you see one, it's too late, there are a million... and sitting out there in this heat picking them by hand, in this season?...  not an option!...

     A very empty spot and the other set of zucchini that really never produced! Which I found that pictured stink bug at!   after all this is takin care of I will be planting something else but haven't quite thought it out yet! Something the those squash bugs hate for sure though! 



The Secret Garden 

     The area where we want to expand our backyard is coming along well enough.... Hopefully by the time it cools off, (Oct), We will be able to have our gate and our pavers in... I have been trying to think of the types of comforts to put in this space.. You know patio furniture and such, how I want to use this space is really overwhelming, but, I have time to think and plan ....

Before

So far

    

      I think along that block wall I want to try the technique espalier with a type of fruit tree like peach or etc... Wouldn't that be just dreamy....? I just don't how to muster the confidence though, other than just do it and see what happens...

Monsoons!

     We have been having dust storms all around the valley these past weeks, not a lot of rain, wish the garden would get a couple of really good pouring, drenching rains...

   

 One of my little friends enjoying the little rain we did get! Isn't he cute...

JALAPEÑO MYSTERY

     But, wait! Look at this mystery!


         What in the world is eating my Jalapeños?     

     There are a couple of peppers that look like this... so I'm on the hunt for mucho, macho eater of heat!
I will be making jalapeño jelly soon... but if I keep getting this type of action, I won't be getting any peppers at all....  So pepper eater hunter mode! Is there a name for it? Like Pepper Eater Tracker, or Heat Tracker?

A POINT OF VIEW!


     A point of view in the garden that I just seem to identify with... Is it me? 

    Is there a point of view in your garden that you can Identify with?  A piece of you painted or written that can be reminded of the personality you have? 

   Well,   I leave you with a crazy messy picture, but love!  (ME!) LOL!!!

      I want to say to my incredible hubby,  

Happy Anniversary... 


This is our 17th year of marriage...


     When things were bumpy or smooth, the road is and was always one to travel with you! Love you!

The Happiest Flower!

Sunflowers - Helianthus
 

This one is like 12 feet tall!

     So I went into my backyard and what do I see...

Another view of the "tall one..."

The best sunflower ever.... I wrote a post sometime ago about these flowers...

     I wish I could go to a field of sunflowers and watch them follow the sun...  I thought that I would revisit my old post and add some to it and  repost!
 

 Native to the Americas-
    These happy face flowers are annuals. They like late spring to be planted.
Warm weather and soil are their vice for success..

    I usually see them popping up from the bird seeds that is given to the menagerie of birds that visit every morning...


    So I am usual quite happy to see the volunteers all around my yard...
It just means that my backyard is full of life, that makes me just as happy as the flowers that visit... (and also make the birds happy as well.)

   Heliotropism- to follow the sun. This flower has a misconception, these flowers do not follow the sun. They typically face East then turn towards the west . Sometimes the littler flowers or young buds and leaves orient themselves towards the sun.
 

     I pretty much think that every one knows what to do with these flowers, from vases, to eating the seeds or using the oil...

    These flowers are always welcome in my yard at any point in time...

     Look at this crazy lookin one. It just had to be different... I guess that is why I love these flowers...
It is like they are their own reality... I am here see me flower!!! lol


     The past couple of days it has been quite cloudy, and I noticed that the sunflowers couldn't follower the sun... But today is hot and sunny and they are more than extremely happy!!!  Well, me too!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYLEE......

So my daughter turned 17 on July 12...

I made a cake, we celebrated over the weekend... We had a Fiesta...

 Rylee being goofy and my step Dad giggling at her

 The cake was a white cake, tinted in purple tones and layered with raspberry sauce... It was a hit... One piece was left...

     Well,  I hope that this bring some sunshine to those that are in the middle of the rains....  


The happiest flower of the garden...