oh oh... pulled 2 more tomato plants & a seed treasure...

Not sure what's happening... pulled 2 more sickly tomato plants!  I think that they were Yellow Stuffers.

Any ideas? I think that this is the same variety as the 2 plants that I pulled last week.

On the upside... my cucumber plants are loaded with flowers!  Can't wait to taste our very first garden cucumber!


During breakfast, I was looking thru that old box (1993, 1994) of seeds that my husband found while unpacking... and I found a TREASURE!!!

This is an envelope of Dr. Red Columbine seeds that my grandmother mailed to me!  I wish that it was dated!!!  I'm sure it is from around 1993.

My grandmother (born in 1920) always had a beautiful flower garden!

I have such sweet memories of summers at her home in Woodland Maine.  She would have us collect the poppy seed pods.  She had so many beautiful flowers... pansies and snap dragons... poppies... marigolds.

And she had a bunch of Blueberry bushes... we so enjoyed eating those blueberries!!!!

My grandmother is now in a nursing home.  Sadly, she has Alzheimer's disease.  So this envelope is just precious to me!!!

I so hope that these seeds germinate when I plant them!!!!

Out go the Peas and in go the ???

I pulled the Peas today.  

My younger son and our dog sure had a good time eating fresh out of the garden for a few weeks!  My 12 squares of peas plants yielded about a quart baggy full of peas.... not a lot... but enough to enjoy! 

Now... what to plant in those 12 squares?

I picked up some Bok Choy seeds at Home Depot last week... I may give that a try.. and also plant some more lettuce!  What did you plant in place of your peas?

Oh... and a note to myself... 

DON'T PLANT your beets NORTH of your Peas next year!!!  My poor beets plants have  been sun starved... maybe they can perk up now!

Spaghetti Squash... a first for me!

I've harvested 2 spaghetti squash so far!  I have NEVER eaten this type of squash... up till now!  I'm thinking of giving it a try tonight!

Here are my funky Carrots!  

I had such beautiful carrots last year... so what happened this year?  Much of the planted seed didn't germinate!  The seeds probably got blown away in one of the several gusty wind storms!  

Harvest...

In this tin container are several heads of Baby Romaine, Peas, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Gem Lettuce... oh and a couple Spinach leaves.

We're having salad today!!!

Will be planting some more lettuce today!

Here's some pretty flowers in my hanging basket...

all the way back in 1993!

We've been slowly unpacking boxes from our move in 2003 (MA to WY).  We've finally gotten our new home to the point that we can do this...

So, my husband says to me... "I found your seed box."  OK... so I open the black file box... and there were seeds!  Some dated back to 1993!

Wow... 1993!!!

Onions... and garden update

I was just over to the Growveg blog... and they've posted an excellent article on harvesting onions... here.

I am so enjoying my garden... I'll tell you those gravel paths have made all the difference to me this year!  I just love walking around the garden... watering... and watching my garden grow!

We've got baby cucumbers!!!!  I know it won't be long until we're eating some!

And baby pumpkins!!!!

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen.

I'm having company for lunch today!

I will be harvesting baby romaine, arugula, spinach, and radishes just for this special occaision... and we'll enjoy 2 different kinds of quiche... Quiche Lorraine (ham & swiss) and Spinach Bacon.... yum!

Off I go to start making the quiche!

My first baby eggplant!

On the homefront...
Life's been quite busy here as we hurry to finish up our new home!  This past week it was all about Kitchen cabinets!  I'm going to have a functioning kitchen really soon!  More details here...   Can't wait to begin canning!

Canning...
Speaking of canning... A gardener that I follow on facebook posted about these interesting reusable canning lids.  I'm thinking about giving these Tattler reusable lids a try!  Anyone out there ever given them a try?

Eggplant...

I have my very first baby eggplant!  The first one I've ever grown!  I have 10 eggplant plants... and several have babies developing!  Dreaming.... about Eggplant parmesan...

Next year I hope to try the Japanese variety...

Shallots...

When I bought my onion sets, the hardware store had shallot sets too... so I bought some! Now... I have NEVER eat shallots... but I've heard that they are milder than onions.

The greens were starting to die back so I pulled a few shallots.  I was so surprised to see what came out of the ground!  It looks kind of like a garlic bulb.  

Would love to know how you use your shallots!  I'm thinking stirfry...

Royal Burgundy Beans...

So many of my garden blog friends grew these beans last year that I decided to try them for myself!  They have beautiful purplish flowers!

Here's a baby Royal Burgundy Bean.

Cukes...

My cucumber plants have started to bush out and are blossoming!  Can't wait to taste my very first garden cucumber!  Neither can my husband!

Death in the Garden...

I had 2 (of my 92 tomato plants) start looking kind of sad with yellowing leaves.  I've been watching them for about a week now trying to decided whether to pull them or not... well... today I made the executive decision that they had to go!  

I felt so sad every time I looked at them... so that's it... out they go!

Peas, Radishes, Onions and Carrots... and critters...

Was out to the garden by 6:30am this morning... what a perfect morning... a little cool, sunny... just beautiful!

Peas...
I planted 2 varieties of peas this Spring... Sugar Ann and Wando.  The Sugar Ann hardly produced anything where as my Wando (heat tolerant) peas are loaded with blossoms.

So this morning, I pulled the yellowing Sugar Ann pea plants.... giving me 9 squares to plant something different (not decided just yet...).

Next year I will only plant Wando Peas.  I think that this heat resistant variety is best for our high plains desert environment!

Little Radishes...
A while back I planted  squares of radishes.  Today I harvest 4 little red radishes... they will be part of my hubby's lunch today!  He LOVES them!

Onions...
Some onions looked ready... so I pulled a few of them too!  They sure smell wonderful!  Included in this bunch are 4 white onions and 1 yellow (this one was a left over from last year!)

Carrots...

I LOVE carrots!  My seed mat (Danvers Half Longs) carrots aren't doing so well... many of the seeds didn't germinate... got to replant my carrots!   But... the Little Finger carrots did OK.  They smell awesome too!

Critters...

My critters have to be out in the garden with me... Look at Charlie (my white kitten)!!!  He decided the old wheel barrow is the perfect place to hide from his buddy Missy (our puppy).

Charlie...

Missy...

Well, my seeds are spread out all over my outside table... got to decide what to plant next!!

Our first RED tomato!

My little  harvest includes a beautiful little RIPE red Roma tomato!  Now... let me explain... because this is REALLY early (in northern Wyoming) to have a RED tomato!

I bought all my (92) tomato plants from a local greenhouse.  Many of the plants had tomatoes growing!  A few warm days in the 90s and wham... one little red tomato!

My little harvest includes: 1 small Roma tomato, 3 baby carrots, a few pea pods and a few little spinach leaves.... through my bounty into my Vita Mix with some frozen fruit for a delicious smoothie this morning!

How do they know?

This is my first time growing Pole Beans (Kentucky Wonder, I think...) and I am just amazed how those little runners just know where to go!

How do those little runners know to grab onto the trellis netting?  Curious!

Grow Pole Beans... grow!!!

(Behind the beans in this picture are cucumbers.  I'm patiently waiting for them to grow too!)

Could it be?

Could it be?  YES! My first ripening tomato!!!  Seems kind of early though... but I'll take it!

The 4 squares of radishes that I planted recently are sprouting nicely!

A beautiful eggplant bloom!

 A bell pepper bloom!

Lots of flowers on the peas!

Here's one! I think that I ate it after taking this photo!  Yummy!

As I was watering my Lilies... I saw something move!  Yes... a Wyoming Toad!  I hope that he eats that little grasshopper!  He's sitting on the red mulch in my Lily bed.

My lilies are in bloom!  My neighbor gave me a bunch of lilies to plant last year.  I just LOVE  them!!!

Well... not much to eat in the garden yet... but it sure is looking pretty!

Oh my gosh, the count is...

*****A grand welcome to dixiedazzle laster!  Thanks for following my blog!!!******

I didn't get seeds started in time... so I purchased all my tomatoes, peppers, eggplant flowers and some herbs.

I made 2... maybe 3 trips to the greenhouse.  With each trip, my barren garden grew!

Just did my early morning walk-a-bout... and decided that I would count my tomato plants.

OH MY GOSH... the count is.... are you ready?  92 tomato plants!

Honestly, it doesn't seem like I have that many plants! LOL!

This is a record for me!  I'm going to have lots of tomatoes to can on my new stove... in my new kitchen!!!

I am the queen of...

I am the queen of the Tomato Cage!  I have tons of tomato plants again this year!  I have purchased 40 new cages!  Yes... surprised me too...

But on one of my recent trips to the local greenhouse, they had tons of tomato plants needing a home.... and the price was right.... and... I had space in my garden...

I just finished putting up 3 new trellises.  These are recycled parts!  A few years ago, my beloved gazebo... that I had enjoyed SO MUCH... blew down in a fall storm bending essential parts.

So when we moved into our new home, my sons and I took the gazebo apart saving the corners supports for Trellises!  They look so pretty!

Confessions...

A grand welcome to Rosey!  Thanks for following my blog!

Remember that baby pea?

Well within a couple days it grew to finger's length.  So yesterday as I did my morning walk-a-bout in the garden... I honestly couldn't help myself!

Not only did I eat THAT one baby pea... but another!  I plucked them... both... and when no one was looking... into my mouth they both went!  he... he...

I couldn't help myself.... such beautiful tender pea pods.....  grin...  Ah... the joys of gardening!