A splendid way to start Thanksgiving

Just a few minutes earlier, I had looked out my kitchen window at very ominous dark storm clouds brewing, then the sun crept up gilding the undersides of the clouds in shades of vibrant pink and orange. What a wonderful way to start our Thanksgiving day.

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my readers, Have a wonderful thanksgiving day. Blessings to all.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Still harvesting

Yes I still have a few tomatoes, and a surprise, three ripe strawberries and one very small bell pepper harvested today. Look on the pepper, and you will see the teeny tiny hitchhiker I did not know was there until I looked at the photos. I wonder where that little snail is now, I will have to go investigate.

Handsome visitors

These two handsome fellows came strutting through our yard, pecking here and there, and nervously looking around at the slightest noise. They should be nervous, as they have been released for the hunting season. I wish they would be smart, and stay on our property, where they would not meet any hunters.

Macro magic

Bounty from my garden

I have had a busy summer and have only a little put away for the winter months. There are also beans, strawberries and blueberries in the freezer.

Blackberry jelly, pickled beans, zucchini relish

Wordless wednesday

The shade garden...then & now

Early 2009 this shaded area beside the house was crying out for more than a bare place where nothing but a few weeds and leaves from the trees covered the ground.

I didn't really have a definite plan, rather the garden evolved as I placed rocks to build small beds.

It was a little like doing a jigsaw puzzle. I just placed the rocks where I thought they fit, and voila! a garden was born.

The garden beds were filled with topsoil and a whole lot of rich compost.

2011 and here is what the beds are looking like so far. I will be adding more plants as I can afford to. I have ferns, hellebore, primroses, wild strawberry plants as a ground cover, and a few other plants I can't remember the names of right now.

This past week I have started spreading bark mulch on the path, still have more to do on this project.

A few weeks ago, this moss and fern bed was created.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

My unpaid cleanup crew

When it comes time to pull the pea vines, I just toss them over the garden fence, and the cleanup crew does all the work of disposing of them for me *chuckle*

The cutest cleanup crew you have ever seen.

The semi tame rabbits always know when I am in the garden, and they come hopping over to hang around outside the fence hoping for goodies.

Sucking the pea down like you would a piece of spaghetti.

Without care they still flourish

For the past two weeks I have been laid low with dental problems, so the garden has been left to do as it will. Thank goodness the weather has been kind, and I do have irrigation set on a timer for both the vegetable and flower gardens, so all is well. The flowers are so beautiful and there are beans, peas, the last of the strawberries, lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard to be harvested tomorrow. I was going to pick the first two plump blueberries today, but the danged birds beat me to it. The blueberry bushes are now covered in bird netting.

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Flowers sharing space in the vegetable garden.

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Potted plants at the entrance to the front of our home

Peek a boo!

A young bunny who is becoming quite friendly, was watching me as I pulled weeds just a few feet from it's hiding place.

Thursday harvest

The strawberry harvest is starting to wind down now, but the peas are still producing plenty to pick for a week or so. The basil is to go on grilled chicken panini for our supper tonight. Yum!

Wordless Wednesday

Harvest Monday, and a little This 'n' that

Actually the harvest was on Sunday. I spent all day outside working in the vegetable and flower gardens. I must say, my poor old body, is finally getting used to all the bending, tugging, digging and pushing the wheelbarrow, as I don't hurt as much this morning.

The 10 lbs of peas have been shelled, frozen, bagged and are in the freezer, the 4 lbs of strawberries will be done today. There is Swiss chard, kale and lettuce for our rabbit (she gets the bug chewed, and not so nice greens) and some for us, with plenty more to harvest in the weeks to come.

I am very fond of a chicken panini with basil, so decided to toss in some basil seed, and by golly, they are growing. Last year I had no luck growing basil at all. On the right of the basil are golden beets, and these are coming along beautifully too.

The Sunsugar tomatoes are growing plumper by the day. I can hardly wait to taste their sweetness.

A different variety of summer squash forming.

Keewee's veggie patch is starting to produce

What is there not to like about a lovely healthy garden such as this one? I do believe I have finally learned how to care for a veggie garden and 'I am tickled pink!'

Outside looking in.

Grace, this one is for you. My first Sunsugar tomato. Granted it is only the size of a medium sized pea, but will grow fast now the weather has warmed up.

Clematis climbs each side of the arched entrance to the veggie garden, and the basket is planted with hen & chicks.

Peas, beets, lettuce, scarlet runner beans and kale share this raised bed.

My very first teeny tiny squash of the season.

Burgundy bush beans, kale, parsnips, peas, gourds, and some flowers share this bed.

Scarlet runner beans climbing towards the top of the trellis in front of the pea patch.

Lots and lots of lovely peas. I am going to be very busy during the next few weeks, harvesting and processing these beauties.

The very first harvest of shelling peas of the season. There were enough peas for one good sized portion for both of us, and some were eaten right there as I stood in the garden.

I am so happy with the strawberries we have this year. So far we have had many desserts, made a batch of freezer jam, frozen several bags full, and this tray of berries will be frozen in a free flow state. I estimate I have picked 10lb or more berries so far, and hope to have enough to make another batch of jam, and freeze some more to enjoy during the gray days of winter.