In the Garden: Baby Birds

Last year a sweet little Robin made a nest in our front yard, and I thought it was just going to stay empty this year, until I noticed mam bird sitting on it a little while back. This would be her second round of babies, although I'm not sure where she layed her first eggs but this time round she chose our back yard. So sweet!

xox

In the Garden: Growing

So last week I shared my sweet little pot garden. And I thought I would share some progress. With the warm weather and rain we have had recently the tomatoes are growing like crazy. I think that a couple of them will begin to ripen soon!

So far we have 6 tomatoes, with flowers turning in all the time, and lots more flowers on the plant! I am so excited for fresh tomatoes, right off the plant. For salads, toppings, fresh salsa, and hopefully a batch of spaghetti sauce to store for the winter. :)

And I decided to re-organize my herbs and add a few. I found this willow planter at the Superstore Garden Center and I think it is the perfect place for my herbs. So in this planter I have lemon thyme, cilantro (one of my faves!), garlic, dill, basil and lavender.

Something got into my dill plant, and ate all the dill off the ends! I'm hoping it comes back, this is one issue with gardening - pests! I'm just not sure what I am up against in this case :)

Anyways, aside from the missing dill I am super happy with the way everything is growing. I think this was the best choice for this summer, when I don't have a lot of time to spend out in the far end of the yard at the garden. Next summer Pip can frequent the garden with me, and it will be a little easier!

I hope things are growing well in your garden :)
xox

In the Garden: Pots

I managed to water my seedlings the morning of Tuesday May 15th, the day that Pip was born. But with the delivery being a little difficult, having to stay in the hospital longer than expected, and extremely warm temperatures my little seedlings didn't make it on their own. So after losing them for a second time, I decided to give up. I was sad but Reggie said we could get some plants from the garden center and still have a few veggies in the garden. Then, my lovely mother came to visit for a couple days once Pip and I were home, and she brought me some plants, and planted them in pots. And I couldn't be happier with them, and how easy it is to care for them!

So today, I thought I would share how you too can have a garden, and grow some veggies, even if the growing season has started, and even if you don't actually have a yard to have a garden!

The plant in the above photo is a mature tomato plant that my mom bought at her local market. She transplanted it into a larger pot and now it hangs out on our back deck. I am super excited because there are already tomatoes on it, and with the rain we had recently and the warm temperatures we are having right now those little tomatoes should grow and ripen quickly.

My mom also brought me some herbs and planted them in various pots. Those are also living on the back deck, which means they will hopefully get used more frequently than having to go all the way back to the garden.

So how can you do this at your house? If you have been meaning to get a garden going, but haven't gotten around to it yet I would visit your local garden centre or market and pick up a few plants (seedlings might be a little small, so look for plants that are slightly more mature). If you have a garden space in your yard then get the plants in the ground as soon as you get them home, if you don't have a garden space ready then I would get a few large pots and some soil and plant your young plants in the pots. This is also good if you are growing veggies or herbs and plan to use them in the kitchen - the pots can be placed close to the door that is closest to the kitchen, which means you will be more likely to use them.

Some plants that would grow well in pots are: tomatoes, peppers, herbs, beans/peas (just make sure you give them something to climb), lettuce and other greens, and of course feel free to add some colour with a few flowers :) I'm a little sad that I won't have as much in the way of veggies as I did last summer. But I'm not sure I'd have the time to care for the garden anyways - the pots are closer and easier to maintain at this point. I think I might still pick up a pepper plant or two and maybe get some lettuce growing for fresh summer salads!

How are things going in your garden?
xox

In the Garden: Enjoying Sunshine!

First of all Happy Mother's Day to all the fantastic mother's out there! I'm excited to be joining your ranks soon :) (which means, no Pip yet).

Yesterday was warm and sunny and I decided to take my seedlings outside for some warm weather and sun. They seemed to really like the bright sunshine and warm breeze. My tomatoes are coming along nicely, but my pepper plants are struggling. I've heard many people say that it's not worth it to plant peppers, because they never work. But I am finding, that although it takes a little more patience I am having success. Of all the pepper seeds I planted only one has sprouted, but the other five are coming along nicely. They are small, but I have faith that they will produce!

I think I might plant some, or maybe all, of the pepper plants in pots and keep them on the deck. Because they will be going outside later than the tomatoes, I think this will be an easier way to keep an eye on them. We will see how things turn out. My planting is going to wait until after Pip is born, because I don't think I can prep the garden bed and bend over to plant all those seedlings/seeds. And it will give me something to do on nice warm afternoons.

I hope your having a lovely Sunday so far. I went to a craft show yesterday with my MIL and SIL. It is the May equivalent of the one I have been accepted to in December, so I wanted to go check it out, and see what it was all about - I'll be sharing a little more on that later! :)

xox

In the Garden: Starting Again

So I have some sad news, the little seedlings that I started and cared for so lovingly got forgotten one weekend when I went away and shriveled up. I thought perhaps if I was very attentive and watered again regularly they (or at least some) would come back to life. I was wrong. So a while ago, I took some time and replanted all the seeds. I was lucky that I started early so replanting wasn't really a problem. There is still lots of time for the seeds to grow into big, strong seedlings to plant in the garden. And now I am waiting patiently for them to spring up and start to grow.

So here's to round #2, come on seedlings! Grow just like you know how :)
xox

In the Garden: Sprouting Seeds!

I've decided to bring back the In the Garden series, since I'm gearing up and getting prepared for some time in the garden this summer. I'm hoping to have the energy to tend to the garden while I'm home with Pip, although I might have to enlist some help with the initial planting. Pip is due on May 16th and that is getting pretty close to planting season. We will see how things work out!

Recently I was cleaning the back deck and getting some stuff organized in the backyard and I came across a lovely little surprise:

It seems this little lady was trying to soak up some warmth from the black of the hanger. This was a beautiful day - you can kinda see the laundry in the background flapping in the breeze. It was such a beautiful afternoon :) And I noticed that some of my seeds had sprouted:

More have sprouted since I took this photo. It's pretty exciting to see these seeds starting to sprout and watch them grow and (hopefully) produce lots of yummy veggies for us!

Have you started any seeds yet? What are you hoping to grow this summer?
xox

Welcome Spring!

Yay! It is officially Spring! Here's how I have been celebrating so far:

A week ago, I had the pleasure of attending a seed swap in Peterborough. It was a crazy rush of people trying to climb over each other to get to various seed stands. I had no idea seeds were such a big deal in this area. I have quite a few left over from last year, but mainly I wanted to get my hands on some heirloom tomatoes and peppers. I ended up with one pack of mixed heirloom tomatoes and one of mixed sweet peppers. I also threw in the striped caverns (seen above) which are drought tolerant and good for canning and sauces - something I am planning on doing a lot of this summer. And finally the Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot Pepper which has a mild heat and dries well :)

This Sunday I spent some time planting my new seeds as well as a few herb seeds (which you can really plant anytime). It was a beautiful afternoon in the sunshine playing with dirt and seeds! And in another couple weeks I will add a few more seeds to the mix. You can still start your tomato/pepper seeds for another week-week and a half. I started mine a little early because I have a sun room with lots of light so the seedlings aren't likely to get too tall and lanky reaching for sunlight before I transplant them outside.

I realized I should like label my seeds, seeing as I have never grown some of the varieties, and I think all the tomato plants will look the same until they begin to bear fruit and ripen. I'm all for using things I have laying around so I grabbed a piece of cardboard, some scissors and a pen and went to work. I simply cut the cardboard into strips and then made a small point at one end. The cardboard only has to hold up for 6-7 weeks and inside with the small amount of water the seeds get each day I think it will stand up fine. :)

So far we have 4-5 different types of tomatoes, 3-4 different types of peppers, oregano, thyme, dill and cilantro. And in a couple weeks I will likely add lettuce and broccoli. Then it will be into the garden with the cooler weather seeds such as beans and peas.

The weather recently has been amazing, more like summer than the end of winter/beginning of spring. But I'm happy about it. I think it is helping me keep my spirits up! And I can't wait to spend some more time in my garden as the days continue to get longer!

Our internet is working again, so things will be back to regular around here. I hope you're having a beautiful Tuesday, let's catch up soon!
xox

Goodnight Garden

So it is finally that time of the year when it is too cold at night to hope that anything will survive. I managed recently to clean up my front garden and plant some spring bulbs, and after raking a total of 35 bags of leaves there are still more to deal with - but a much more manageable amount! I took some time to transplant a couple things for the winter, and they will live inside for the winter with the house plants.

 

 

My poor little begonia needed a bigger pot, and the Rosemary was getting tired of all the frost. Well gardens I'm sad to say it's time for bed. Have a good sleep and we will see you sometime in March/April 2012!
xox

In the Garden: Look what I found!

 

 

When I was cleaning out the garden recently I found that a whole bunch of tomatoes had grown, even though it has been quite cold recently. So far they have been ripening inside. I think I am going to make something with them... tomato sauce or salsa and can it for the winter. Yes that's right, now that it is November we all have to get ready for winter! Eeek. I was in Canadian Tire yesterday, and it was packed with Christmas trees and decorations. Seems funny to think about Christmas when I am still pulling vegetables from the garden.

I hope everyone's Hallowe'en was swell! We had some cute trick-or-treaters here :)
xox

In the Garden: Last Harvest (Almost)

I say almost because I left a few tomatoes and peppers out there on the plants just in case it got warm enough for them to grow and ripen a little more. Many of the tomatoes I took off yesterday were still green. I will leave them for a little while to see if they ripen, and if not I think I'll make some salsa verde! Don't worry, I'll be sure to share:)

I was pretty happy with what I got from the garden yesterday - it has been so cold recently I was sure everything was gone. But here we have tomatoes, red skinned potatoes, banana peppers, and a couple carrots. I have already used most of the peppers in a spaghetti sauce, delicious!

I'll be planting some bulbs soon, and prepping all the gardens for winter. I'm sorry to say it, but it is coming. And this year I want to be ready!

I know some of you are still planting and growing, how are things going? And for those who, like me, and feeling the threat of the cold winter season... Are you ready?
xox

In the Garden: More Harvest

So recently we have had some more delicious treats from our garden, take a look!

Sorry again about the bad photo quality. These shortening days of fall are killing my photog abilities. That and I need a camera with higher megapixels. Anyways, so here we have zucchini, banana peppers, cayenne pepper, green beans and sweet peas. The tomatoes still aren't ripe, but there are some large ones out there!

I have a sweet recipe in mind for the zucchini (I already made spaghetti sauce with some), and I will be sure to share!

Anything good come out of your garden recently?
xox

In the Garden: Guest Post

I'm guest posting with Sarah over at Atlantic Atlantis today. Sharing a little summary of my adventures in the garden this summer. Go take a look!
xox

In the Garden: Neglect

In July we had one of the hottest, and driest months on record in a while. I tried to visit my garden, and water it regularly enough that nothing would wilt away. Then came August, and in the first few days of the month we received almost half of the average rainfall for the month. And the garden took to the back burner. Reggie told me after cutting the grass in the far corner of our yard, that the garden was looking a little sad. The next day I spent some time pulling weeds that were attempting to take over, and look what I found:

 

 

 

The radishes are done, the zucchini is coming along nicely, the sweet peas are sweet as can be, and this little guy just about gave me a heart attack when he hopped out from under a tomato plant.

 

 

 

The banana pepper and tomato plants are heavy with small fruit that is shortly going to overwhelm our kitchen with fresh deliciousness. The broccoli is surprising me, I thought it was dead and unlikely to produce, but the leaves look right, and I'm wondering if we might get a few small heads anyways. And the butternut squash. No fruit yet, but sooo many flowers, something tells me I'll be freezing squash for winter baking!

 

The Plox are a gorgeous bright purple colour, and one of the few flowers we have left in the garden. And the roses are all gone, the rose hips are all that remain of the soft summer beauty.

So I suppose that even though I forgot about my garden for a little while, it is still working away to grow and produce some delicious treats for us. I am excited for when the bigger veggies are ready to eat, and soon my very favourite treat will be upon us - pumpkin! I have never had a lot of luck growing them, so I usually buy them in the fall from the farmers market. mmmm!

How is your garden growing? Have you had any tasty treats yet?
xox

In the Garden: Harvest Season

So I realized I haven't posted about the garden much recently. It had a difficult July as we had very little rain, but things seem to be growing well! I had my first harvest a little while back, and then we've been enjoying some radishes, green beans and sweet peas since then.

Largest radish I have ever seen!

The lettuce never did very well, and we are waiting on the tomatoes, peppers, squash and zucchinis. This is the beginning of my favourite time of year! The days get cooler, the colours change, there is fruit and veggies galore, it is my birthday (in early September), and soon will be my wedding anniversary also! So many wonderful things. Including...

 

 

Corn! mmm.. The corn has been delicious this year! Reggie and I usually cook it on the BBQ when it is too hot to boil water inside, and the flavour is great! Super easy too, all you do is soak the corn for 20-30 mins in cold water, and then cook it over medium heat for about 10 minutes. We usually combine it with some sort of chop or burger, and top with loads of butter, and salt and pepper, and of course we include a some carb in the meal - delish!

What is your favourite treat this time of year?
xox