tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56718260612436041962024-03-13T04:36:18.990-07:00Our Food Is Fighting!Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-11270345355061653732011-05-21T14:39:00.000-07:002011-05-21T14:39:56.414-07:00Late May Garden Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well...for a variety of <strike>reasons </strike> excuses, my May garden feels like it is running pretty far behind. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's the damn critters, of course, varmints, rodents, critters, a-holes, whatever you want to call them who dig around and ate a ton of my seeds and my first lettuce sprouts - I feel that shaking my angry fist their way is totally justified.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd like to blame Millie a bit, too, as she can be a menace and keeps laying in beds where she shouldn't be laying (strawberry dog, anyone?). But I can't. She's a good girl - and so damn cute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtmrRcdH7LAHiMeeK6JgjOzcboN-5mjzaCYbCX7ecUwgYajJEaHfKi3p5JUGZJxkU0BoNm8DIoPsJwz2m6O0BNl69l4GhbBUIqYyS-p0NwlGAhmJPVRjAGRl3dyy8ligjaz3K6jygyxg/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtmrRcdH7LAHiMeeK6JgjOzcboN-5mjzaCYbCX7ecUwgYajJEaHfKi3p5JUGZJxkU0BoNm8DIoPsJwz2m6O0BNl69l4GhbBUIqYyS-p0NwlGAhmJPVRjAGRl3dyy8ligjaz3K6jygyxg/s320/photo+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">MILLIE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that leaves me, myself, and I to blame, per usual. Oh well. It'll all work out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This season, as a result of the critters AND the fact that hopefully (wishing praying hoping) we'll be moving by summer's end, I wanted to get a lot of the garden in more portable shape in case we move mid-season. Weird? Perhaps. I cut down my existing 4x4 garden boxes to 2x2 (or so) and added bottoms and make-shift legs to them so theoretically we can move them to a new yard if/when the move happens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7CfEYxt3oZfa3GV-oZH_kNUo-1mVkkSuAHAPg8JFq0VxaS_OBwiDXkxwnM-TU0ldFyEVCS_MMYqbjyPsi65hA6BbHiLo1zmR8CoHu_VzKe1oqYd8JcmnO8_Q9MQMHNkBag07l7T5Q7g/s1600/Batch+4+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7CfEYxt3oZfa3GV-oZH_kNUo-1mVkkSuAHAPg8JFq0VxaS_OBwiDXkxwnM-TU0ldFyEVCS_MMYqbjyPsi65hA6BbHiLo1zmR8CoHu_VzKe1oqYd8JcmnO8_Q9MQMHNkBag07l7T5Q7g/s320/Batch+4+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GARDEN AT A GLANCE - CHAOS!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z7QU-noV4ogXMo0Uk0WgTdM-e94YjI-cdn4N6L9TdUanwPOWNoxXM4qiVAvP08TenWl1DMNAd1pE8XD6M-HfvQUP5h5mQr49QK2YyRwqWGzkYsGfulkUYGvxsdJ85srvExw9e0qynnI/s1600/Batch+5+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z7QU-noV4ogXMo0Uk0WgTdM-e94YjI-cdn4N6L9TdUanwPOWNoxXM4qiVAvP08TenWl1DMNAd1pE8XD6M-HfvQUP5h5mQr49QK2YyRwqWGzkYsGfulkUYGvxsdJ85srvExw9e0qynnI/s320/Batch+5+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TOMATOES...PEPPERS?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExh-2PkJ51DnUxToU8eJbA0oBFSTGPtsDx36yLnwMQpwHSB_REWcLHb22lY1gxy013zWIFivasQiwAd3O43RKbb4QOaatNqGdyGr3yMHJMfcNhDx0_09VJxpNcaBNXfl7eK7LDumlqD8/s1600/Batch+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExh-2PkJ51DnUxToU8eJbA0oBFSTGPtsDx36yLnwMQpwHSB_REWcLHb22lY1gxy013zWIFivasQiwAd3O43RKbb4QOaatNqGdyGr3yMHJMfcNhDx0_09VJxpNcaBNXfl7eK7LDumlqD8/s320/Batch+4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">BROCCOLI</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIV3nj1jGHjL8_6bezcCpq7QRO4WJGAi0gI2ItdC_VRq_FSqU-ppBNllUov1g_YZgCYzZcIvWKzuskjQI4gLLCmOtKSf2dcNLiKy5-G1R7OzUG8C_I7jMGVi4VR5V4Ou02FlyZ1PaUuE/s1600/Batch+4+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIV3nj1jGHjL8_6bezcCpq7QRO4WJGAi0gI2ItdC_VRq_FSqU-ppBNllUov1g_YZgCYzZcIvWKzuskjQI4gLLCmOtKSf2dcNLiKy5-G1R7OzUG8C_I7jMGVi4VR5V4Ou02FlyZ1PaUuE/s320/Batch+4+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">AHH, THESE ARE THE PEPPERS, METHINKS...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While some things just stayed in the big boxes on the ground...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PgiRo7PA8xKva1t0aTnNrJbpson4u2CAYayxn8TYSyFvrWKLd2eM-EKGxxbDiBMo_-TowPRsLH5K-29K2B5AEvlrba_RRLSlLlnSu0sVlvyphik6a4CMG1ewxXNBMi1fy1IZ6w9zL5g/s1600/Batch+5+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PgiRo7PA8xKva1t0aTnNrJbpson4u2CAYayxn8TYSyFvrWKLd2eM-EKGxxbDiBMo_-TowPRsLH5K-29K2B5AEvlrba_RRLSlLlnSu0sVlvyphik6a4CMG1ewxXNBMi1fy1IZ6w9zL5g/s320/Batch+5+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BEANS BEANS THE MUSICAL FRUIT...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PgiRo7PA8xKva1t0aTnNrJbpson4u2CAYayxn8TYSyFvrWKLd2eM-EKGxxbDiBMo_-TowPRsLH5K-29K2B5AEvlrba_RRLSlLlnSu0sVlvyphik6a4CMG1ewxXNBMi1fy1IZ6w9zL5g/s1600/Batch+5+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMmczf8GFpNSC0OrNJd-OnQqO4pu8L1n37dRvJ7p0qt436JhHZjq8-Inv8u2rdjPu1gMZAkA-HbBda-SUGNTr13kooysxKvG-oPc2RR35d3DzdmoRz8SeWKnCylz2HtMECgZ4BGHuXpg/s1600/Batch+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMmczf8GFpNSC0OrNJd-OnQqO4pu8L1n37dRvJ7p0qt436JhHZjq8-Inv8u2rdjPu1gMZAkA-HbBda-SUGNTr13kooysxKvG-oPc2RR35d3DzdmoRz8SeWKnCylz2HtMECgZ4BGHuXpg/s320/Batch+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ONIONS, LETTUCE, WEEDS...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then I decided we should ditch the strawberry pyramid by the driveway because it was so dug up last year by vermin, and by Millie trying to get the vermin. Of course, I decided it a bit late, so we already have some strawberry plants growing strong among the weeds.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tK7F7lZPn3jPkZc9DUsoxwEsgVmt8OJJYCkRnCkysQ9MBqfeX5H_OgT94dWxGMSSzfTa8FkOE2ZVTcKSte6rJChMwHg7T-iUO6_4GIc_RW0FFCcAun777m2CIyRfcpD1uqpMvHexqxA/s1600/Batch+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tK7F7lZPn3jPkZc9DUsoxwEsgVmt8OJJYCkRnCkysQ9MBqfeX5H_OgT94dWxGMSSzfTa8FkOE2ZVTcKSte6rJChMwHg7T-iUO6_4GIc_RW0FFCcAun777m2CIyRfcpD1uqpMvHexqxA/s320/Batch+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But we took a bunch of the smaller plants from there and expanded the existing strawberry bed along the tall fence. I will likely put a net over it to keep out birds and others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tK7F7lZPn3jPkZc9DUsoxwEsgVmt8OJJYCkRnCkysQ9MBqfeX5H_OgT94dWxGMSSzfTa8FkOE2ZVTcKSte6rJChMwHg7T-iUO6_4GIc_RW0FFCcAun777m2CIyRfcpD1uqpMvHexqxA/s1600/Batch+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ekRYK5FwLIddGF3JDdTpX38Gk7OsNs-ec0Nbxyw29QEYyBNo6u1V0ZmrQg97zZ0MUHQ-ZaLuFbokbnMAx-Qrlg4c_3uD1BtPlO_2f_xdePfZnh1sfDhoDCSw6psZYB5yVS4nbH6lnik/s1600/Batch+4+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ekRYK5FwLIddGF3JDdTpX38Gk7OsNs-ec0Nbxyw29QEYyBNo6u1V0ZmrQg97zZ0MUHQ-ZaLuFbokbnMAx-Qrlg4c_3uD1BtPlO_2f_xdePfZnh1sfDhoDCSw6psZYB5yVS4nbH6lnik/s320/Batch+4+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiEVWHoNX6HKXuydprU7rdgIf68Ag4RB4WsYgQ_3DuWNNL8ked9edTKe8kzvcXSSLG04WzvhJ_pCgQVP55PSnMK0375lHkJ2KAyR0l-G-_YC6ihdgl8kg19kajeEC-s6tmjRoNaVXIHM/s1600/Batch+4+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiEVWHoNX6HKXuydprU7rdgIf68Ag4RB4WsYgQ_3DuWNNL8ked9edTKe8kzvcXSSLG04WzvhJ_pCgQVP55PSnMK0375lHkJ2KAyR0l-G-_YC6ihdgl8kg19kajeEC-s6tmjRoNaVXIHM/s320/Batch+4+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a>The kids and I are already excited to see the strawberries-to-come growing in there. Nom nom nom!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Last year, late in the season, I picked up a trellis and a grape plant. In retrospect, not the best place to plant it. But it's growing, there are little buds, and I think what looks like little grape-bunches-to-be!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG5l09YbvnqQ5KUENQRAiDh4MAGy7Gae3H2zTKhTbwdVFL8B5a86m9rtlh_1lv38-q9o4w2T3RvOeOcfjIe9l6DZlUe7cNm7YzzwTLw-zJZM4rX1Hir0DhBWX0nncy9YaYvqDd8RRiE4/s1600/Batch+3+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG5l09YbvnqQ5KUENQRAiDh4MAGy7Gae3H2zTKhTbwdVFL8B5a86m9rtlh_1lv38-q9o4w2T3RvOeOcfjIe9l6DZlUe7cNm7YzzwTLw-zJZM4rX1Hir0DhBWX0nncy9YaYvqDd8RRiE4/s320/Batch+3+%25281%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2Zwlsql2d0GEQBfAt5_Cx5AHLtbdg-pT_ZFYW4YZxdbwbhkDB7uIfzcWy5RMSNzpCZ8_hkT-eJaXc-C3QFvOFOoUs-LyS9s69z8jRPQ73PdT7YfTpxuaztnYCTFv4r0-C5HYHQ79wPY/s1600/Batch+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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And the raspberries...well, I think we didn't prune them properly last year, so we'll just see what happens with them this year.<br />
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</div>Even though I am not a "flower gardener" by any stretch, I do enjoy having flowers that just come up like an old friend stopping by for a visit. I plant things hoping they will be low maintenance, and usually have a great time watching them resurface and sometimes spread year to year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkmVoFhJTlmCdVvW7tkJhi9URiadcTfVC-HQwMVaMQahx7Yn_cJw603IHzzW0U2iH9RuGCWTtwV5ojfdCr68eldXTrlHbLGpiZWuztIuMXeYJQgeywuV3e-rlJLLCmrZkIY9byAbalpk/s1600/Batch+2+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkmVoFhJTlmCdVvW7tkJhi9URiadcTfVC-HQwMVaMQahx7Yn_cJw603IHzzW0U2iH9RuGCWTtwV5ojfdCr68eldXTrlHbLGpiZWuztIuMXeYJQgeywuV3e-rlJLLCmrZkIY9byAbalpk/s320/Batch+2+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">CLEMATIS - NEW LAST YEAR?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_8FYW7_R2psncwfCnREVtx44naNK8qPxvRmPuvUm6PKc-Z5RUmZDONrSSDHY2-f-8RUZvOE0NobjWWuVkW8Q_qrN2v7p7-r4jwYHmrnI4ooVEbDMZYVezWpic8jV1RrHWFztkiAOWe8/s1600/Batch+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_8FYW7_R2psncwfCnREVtx44naNK8qPxvRmPuvUm6PKc-Z5RUmZDONrSSDHY2-f-8RUZvOE0NobjWWuVkW8Q_qrN2v7p7-r4jwYHmrnI4ooVEbDMZYVezWpic8jV1RrHWFztkiAOWe8/s320/Batch+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SALVIA - HAS BEEN SPLIT AND MOVED ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE YARD</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAPPjUhiY0VlIhM-5T-KnC4CXv1U-fTnIZ8Qo4HpKnsx_YwL6DVmJTDAvLWlZR5Tg86urKTRZ3EJ7cAT78qXwVBjdcV5xjgVHWXI2PCCPMMwigH3AB1A2vCD_Ag2nvNyHgK2ZWUKF_7Y/s1600/Batch+2+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAPPjUhiY0VlIhM-5T-KnC4CXv1U-fTnIZ8Qo4HpKnsx_YwL6DVmJTDAvLWlZR5Tg86urKTRZ3EJ7cAT78qXwVBjdcV5xjgVHWXI2PCCPMMwigH3AB1A2vCD_Ag2nvNyHgK2ZWUKF_7Y/s320/Batch+2+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE NOT GROWING SO AWESOMELY...NEW LAST YEAR</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIiI8Ub8HU59EN26XH9v3D9csxmldUlrCbVV_iL_lH6Vr1JcSHnP0JHu4ivp8CzrQdt5ZNiYu4mkPskfCwsxRLmAJcpRGeinAb4lE5SsIimR4VtnorPihL5e8LtyTUXwqTbWkRt-46ZE/s1600/Batch+2+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIiI8Ub8HU59EN26XH9v3D9csxmldUlrCbVV_iL_lH6Vr1JcSHnP0JHu4ivp8CzrQdt5ZNiYu4mkPskfCwsxRLmAJcpRGeinAb4lE5SsIimR4VtnorPihL5e8LtyTUXwqTbWkRt-46ZE/s320/Batch+2+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DIANTHUS -I swear I purchased the plant 4 years ago or so and it just comes right up, in the pot which is usually left on its side all fall/winter, every spring without fail. Looking for something foolproof folks? Dianthus all the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUpF2hVZtNWQAvdmiQmdsKMywZKomxChVD6bkU-0gligs0m_RFfjRaDtMAa9abBEDQfsxGPxLC4EkljvJ1nw1B3UZ3nJj333F7C2fy7zcuumoLAnEAwbgjfBN-jiqIKG1mG-xe206egs/s1600/Batch+3+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUpF2hVZtNWQAvdmiQmdsKMywZKomxChVD6bkU-0gligs0m_RFfjRaDtMAa9abBEDQfsxGPxLC4EkljvJ1nw1B3UZ3nJj333F7C2fy7zcuumoLAnEAwbgjfBN-jiqIKG1mG-xe206egs/s320/Batch+3+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BUTTERFLY GARDEN, CHEERY CHERRY TREE IN THE FOREGROUND</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_5VxtTUTvzOMj5BtbfLy7E2PlROanndRto8jSRnq1l0X2DSWEhdmk77eu2V2p4y01vdwArXchRvGKYay8Fhwa3cqA9Kg9J5ib8rA3ftZw7JNdMDOklYrg73_7-oXED7vXBFehocOjbM/s1600/Batch+3+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_5VxtTUTvzOMj5BtbfLy7E2PlROanndRto8jSRnq1l0X2DSWEhdmk77eu2V2p4y01vdwArXchRvGKYay8Fhwa3cqA9Kg9J5ib8rA3ftZw7JNdMDOklYrg73_7-oXED7vXBFehocOjbM/s320/Batch+3+%25283%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">VIBURNUM - Ellie loves shaking them to "make it snow"</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78i6b4E8NX_02S_IghZYxu4LIoR-12c_w2uiEcQ4NVNGlJYmekG_jta2S01YtYx-lpOy31Dn1RUFZjmnFWhxemWeP-gFZPLrhs8QRStwH7b94M5D2P-iVn7vry0cjy4IIP9UxYBYznMg/s1600/Batch+3+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78i6b4E8NX_02S_IghZYxu4LIoR-12c_w2uiEcQ4NVNGlJYmekG_jta2S01YtYx-lpOy31Dn1RUFZjmnFWhxemWeP-gFZPLrhs8QRStwH7b94M5D2P-iVn7vry0cjy4IIP9UxYBYznMg/s320/Batch+3+%25284%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DARN HONEYSUCKLE - Everyone else has issues with their honeysuckle taking over EVERYWHERE! I don't so much have that problem, but after a couple moves, it seems to be happy in its current location, hiding the rain barrels.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLAU7bWGiLc7G39dBTE7Ash98W6ZkEG1Y9o8vpoxC4-iXhwRNhHYarijM95S028hWxWY0YJ0LsjsOoNyXxv4i-_7ZionIsCfYV6bdc9D5l-x3Ymof5GCxPBMNFh9Rq73wCdNZ2uaQUHA/s1600/Batch+6+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLAU7bWGiLc7G39dBTE7Ash98W6ZkEG1Y9o8vpoxC4-iXhwRNhHYarijM95S028hWxWY0YJ0LsjsOoNyXxv4i-_7ZionIsCfYV6bdc9D5l-x3Ymof5GCxPBMNFh9Rq73wCdNZ2uaQUHA/s320/Batch+6+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">PRETTY PINK GERANIUM (surprise) - End of year gift from an instructor at work</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDyuPhup1iyArTymxfZKf_6kRtRHkJQU85GUnXyAB91Cg47PC2MaHpftBCFq6IGkhdEC7vN4S52kNibl14MUPe_FTApqeQU6nsWvH2QcapBk2Byziid2C5JtWUoc-GoWr9QlEaWY36tc/s1600/Batch+6+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDyuPhup1iyArTymxfZKf_6kRtRHkJQU85GUnXyAB91Cg47PC2MaHpftBCFq6IGkhdEC7vN4S52kNibl14MUPe_FTApqeQU6nsWvH2QcapBk2Byziid2C5JtWUoc-GoWr9QlEaWY36tc/s320/Batch+6+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">THE HERBS - chives (also foolproof and perennial), basils, thyme, rosemary, catnip, parsley</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipGoMEFDSHG0BkX3xXOyDLtZL4YiSY9gSk3lTv4282z-om7y-TrY1Q5p4sOgCTx_FCZpTETv7tEBcWbRVMn1bt21fGHTwFpLiXDpHQdeoKy_DirBxsEvGy1-OQ4aY_Q1K_Z-YBQyA9Dk/s1600/Batch+6+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipGoMEFDSHG0BkX3xXOyDLtZL4YiSY9gSk3lTv4282z-om7y-TrY1Q5p4sOgCTx_FCZpTETv7tEBcWbRVMn1bt21fGHTwFpLiXDpHQdeoKy_DirBxsEvGy1-OQ4aY_Q1K_Z-YBQyA9Dk/s320/Batch+6+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">OVERGROWN LILACS</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYfIM3HsbSv407DJeTLakk0fYyC8A5iVncBG0XG3DQQMZG5UQ5H9xoEXZZmyVdq4p23I08yHpXrMvi57teVI5Hblu0u8X0JFenk4F-O_wVnzeNovpWeUtj5Sy3WuEcIKa4yP3NcFDj0A/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYfIM3HsbSv407DJeTLakk0fYyC8A5iVncBG0XG3DQQMZG5UQ5H9xoEXZZmyVdq4p23I08yHpXrMvi57teVI5Hblu0u8X0JFenk4F-O_wVnzeNovpWeUtj5Sy3WuEcIKa4yP3NcFDj0A/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SAD LAVENDERS BETWIXT THE LILACS</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My front yard is always a forgotten wasteland. Lots going on, but very hit or miss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSbjuQhp6wfJWhJKwZQcAFfiLLym0Zh8ZuINzNEieFajvLFTIMWKwHMV3WUH3kAHkuvRALNxJFT8Dwlt7r4YTMu93_K20TyY9uYcH48e4QgkGgyNPc-mfM-LPXvvTm_WUV3OVJLN2AM0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSbjuQhp6wfJWhJKwZQcAFfiLLym0Zh8ZuINzNEieFajvLFTIMWKwHMV3WUH3kAHkuvRALNxJFT8Dwlt7r4YTMu93_K20TyY9uYcH48e4QgkGgyNPc-mfM-LPXvvTm_WUV3OVJLN2AM0/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaa6QQBGQzYG1FqrfHuBBG-5WO_rPzKjX55dt6Vn5-cglSAevXck6p_zuC8HmY00u_jreEOLwX9ZexqOnUI9FlAQQR3D2ys52JRCwCKuhwbEF9Ea8OcpgRS-mxlWAZ5qs1LqvoIi-KqQ/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaa6QQBGQzYG1FqrfHuBBG-5WO_rPzKjX55dt6Vn5-cglSAevXck6p_zuC8HmY00u_jreEOLwX9ZexqOnUI9FlAQQR3D2ys52JRCwCKuhwbEF9Ea8OcpgRS-mxlWAZ5qs1LqvoIi-KqQ/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Except the peonies...They have been growing here since I was a girl and would come to my gram's house to visit. I love these flowers. Ants be damned, Peonies are grand!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TDpx0hzwN0Q1_YV4j9TofTHKEMmjxodX5pNwDwbITxhXL_khger9aCypwdxeHwny0ZUnscgU8Sog90Ft3JrDPCDSDzea47FlGMxKmSBqKxwrARUAgaD1fy35tKyKcJtF5qzlX0XmCLE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TDpx0hzwN0Q1_YV4j9TofTHKEMmjxodX5pNwDwbITxhXL_khger9aCypwdxeHwny0ZUnscgU8Sog90Ft3JrDPCDSDzea47FlGMxKmSBqKxwrARUAgaD1fy35tKyKcJtF5qzlX0XmCLE/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-45465665300157398292011-04-10T22:10:00.000-07:002011-04-10T22:10:16.269-07:00Startin' the Garden...EIGHTY FIVE DEGREES today, folks. 85. Degrees. In April. In Chicago.<br />
<br />
60 and 50s this week.<br />
<br />
I'll still take it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUbwT5sM1AOjQwYOFIp178NYY1vnJW_xy6xMDSiR2N10Lx72gLGzt6_TPuWm-_BkrRkloSam7_hSL3XelETFbv6CUGWRATpcWHLYodC3UxRkrvWg9M05c9TtvXXEH7D-Tp3V5RAYojEY/s1600/1000000904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUbwT5sM1AOjQwYOFIp178NYY1vnJW_xy6xMDSiR2N10Lx72gLGzt6_TPuWm-_BkrRkloSam7_hSL3XelETFbv6CUGWRATpcWHLYodC3UxRkrvWg9M05c9TtvXXEH7D-Tp3V5RAYojEY/s320/1000000904.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is what we do when we have 50s and 60s...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>So you know I am awful at cleaning up the garden in the fall. EVERY YEAR. And every spring I claim I will not put it off that fall. And then I do put it off.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtYMYfM_b9A6EtdhcAq5Sai6kTNBZiZLCP5vVUzENmttnf-A6c_ypLLrQsXw7efKOio9fLnnhQYijon0WEQPb3lphCf_u60fLDG6R-0P8WC45G3__abY-nHX5VCqjVzgtGDGMJgl24t8/s1600/1000000911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a> I also claim every year that I am going to get grow lights and actually get my act together with growing seedlings in the basement. And then I don't grow anything.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So my garden boxes are a wreck of sorts - patypan squash that are dried out and like little paper lanterns. Holiday yard decorations that normally live behind the garage on top of weeds. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yikes.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And the lovely RATS (Yes, Rats) that plagued us last summer prompting me to abandon my love of spending time outside got into and ate a ton of my seeds that I had saved from last year's bounty.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-b8_WU5aci05FIAB2DosYjwVzrlZ25b4nCtI_Z_q3VOXneNskGxQdsTjeYaIxLRXEoTFVEDj2G2wbaH1CaeQRgjfhu7gnCeu7ZP9fXcXsWUKsLQJEssgjra3QuFY0CGowVAqdeSJk7s/s1600/1000000905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-b8_WU5aci05FIAB2DosYjwVzrlZ25b4nCtI_Z_q3VOXneNskGxQdsTjeYaIxLRXEoTFVEDj2G2wbaH1CaeQRgjfhu7gnCeu7ZP9fXcXsWUKsLQJEssgjra3QuFY0CGowVAqdeSJk7s/s320/1000000905.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">W</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">h</span>ere was this guy last summer? Maybe he could have been a mouser...er, ratter.</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Shaking it off and getting ready for a new, awesome growing season. Planted some lettuce (Black-seeded Simpson and Romaine) and put in some onion sets, then started a bunch of seeds in my homemade cold frame. Hoping for the best on those little guys.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwNFcug7rh_9vtgYcAsuSuSI_WPUSnb-Jnhj9ZVPMvgftjRSk_-mfnzCbSppnkPZcSSHEsjNTJyURQreCuf4CGvmLtFvk4gMgRMnbd0UQoZE4v9kl0ChF1bN68pKneybrSjlf1D3eZdk/s1600/1000000906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwNFcug7rh_9vtgYcAsuSuSI_WPUSnb-Jnhj9ZVPMvgftjRSk_-mfnzCbSppnkPZcSSHEsjNTJyURQreCuf4CGvmLtFvk4gMgRMnbd0UQoZE4v9kl0ChF1bN68pKneybrSjlf1D3eZdk/s320/1000000906.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lettuce...Onions...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwNFcug7rh_9vtgYcAsuSuSI_WPUSnb-Jnhj9ZVPMvgftjRSk_-mfnzCbSppnkPZcSSHEsjNTJyURQreCuf4CGvmLtFvk4gMgRMnbd0UQoZE4v9kl0ChF1bN68pKneybrSjlf1D3eZdk/s1600/1000000906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFIYCYWhjMoC3H0SIl0BrKF5Lb7oJ4BP0C7Z9_LuB4_cORK1Sj3qrd38xm0BUIZ72pmyGSqFUzVOzgKqbP6lOcxRH9JTK5FfS9WC_bVVm-beNw9XMMJp2B14sOVT7T0Ck3RIzUdJHVJA/s1600/1000000908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFIYCYWhjMoC3H0SIl0BrKF5Lb7oJ4BP0C7Z9_LuB4_cORK1Sj3qrd38xm0BUIZ72pmyGSqFUzVOzgKqbP6lOcxRH9JTK5FfS9WC_bVVm-beNw9XMMJp2B14sOVT7T0Ck3RIzUdJHVJA/s320/1000000908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grow, grow, grow!!!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Cherry tree has a few buds, as do the lilac bushes and the raspberries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOANAQUsaNjhS-H1yySA6l9IyWz1Uh2YqvMYjZ_-mJA9eWRzVEg7cZFBUntiigkWXPrpF0wgUvLUy6EpzAQ2PAMtsIXxdMHiHEQRmKM_txKn3jhIdg_11cz4i8X-sIprv9LTwAvlISgtw/s1600/1000000913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOANAQUsaNjhS-H1yySA6l9IyWz1Uh2YqvMYjZ_-mJA9eWRzVEg7cZFBUntiigkWXPrpF0wgUvLUy6EpzAQ2PAMtsIXxdMHiHEQRmKM_txKn3jhIdg_11cz4i8X-sIprv9LTwAvlISgtw/s320/1000000913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Strawberries are coming out among the weeds that have gone unchecked for months. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgXdVbisSr3e2kl3csA8UpLOGXDI-p7AW51eQwXPcdRI-8JrMPZjTImEF4tRKln-5sw7zdEvRmjjtNZ1XSzhC9EXAwC76Q6ficnzkNHVLX8NTM-fJumXvslanpg2xdDOhyows9bLETFc/s1600/1000000918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgXdVbisSr3e2kl3csA8UpLOGXDI-p7AW51eQwXPcdRI-8JrMPZjTImEF4tRKln-5sw7zdEvRmjjtNZ1XSzhC9EXAwC76Q6ficnzkNHVLX8NTM-fJumXvslanpg2xdDOhyows9bLETFc/s320/1000000918.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hoping the sad grape vine will do ok this year...Strawberries here are going to be moved...Once I clear out these weeds...Yikes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYAOimvFn_ZODWGahJ6SMCq04sY_bGI0xAlclRj5hR6NHM_dYrBxKZUOwFcUff6ryJDgHxNPTXtCWQJeVIG3m7Cdjyqq1W_HsnRQ1C7tw_cdGyxTTVuDsBeS9JJeNEtY_x-Zpcp6vZcI/s1600/1000000912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYAOimvFn_ZODWGahJ6SMCq04sY_bGI0xAlclRj5hR6NHM_dYrBxKZUOwFcUff6ryJDgHxNPTXtCWQJeVIG3m7Cdjyqq1W_HsnRQ1C7tw_cdGyxTTVuDsBeS9JJeNEtY_x-Zpcp6vZcI/s320/1000000912.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Yowza!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Chives are out and about and growing like crazy, as are my hyacinths. Rhubarb came up!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1VQtIULIoL_gp3aTLjmjQfwVbOBN67m2nvrXmvhE2LZ5uTdqv4H5itk2wz7G4jROjZsI2ItYNcuNdRCinK7fvgn1lMo2r_BVrFLCKhWVrqOlNvEgi6hK6Hth17yOQNQgFPlgMx1IRCE/s1600/1000000910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1VQtIULIoL_gp3aTLjmjQfwVbOBN67m2nvrXmvhE2LZ5uTdqv4H5itk2wz7G4jROjZsI2ItYNcuNdRCinK7fvgn1lMo2r_BVrFLCKhWVrqOlNvEgi6hK6Hth17yOQNQgFPlgMx1IRCE/s320/1000000910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As we are hoping to move some time this year (possibly summer) I have been thinking of ways to make the garden somewhat portable in case we move mid-season. I will likely end up just transplanting everything as best I can. However, I have already pulled up 2 of my raised boxes from the back of the garden and may put a plywood base on them and put them up on a stand. In the space in that back corner I may finally put up the sunflower room I have wanted to do for a few years, but never quite got to it... I think a moss floor surrounded by a wall of sunflowers would be fabulous for hiding out in the summertime (For me AND the kids) (And probably the dog, too!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmg3AKPybL01MLEpVd_LjjG7bLc8rXHSkDOhKt7zAfyY_TiDbo2Cm7zMLSl7ozuZ46RInZw9k_75xLWLo58d3jLuTpKdpCJx3NwN3s0uUziSo6LxOlivILQsGakWR_5BV14uGtg7MsZM/s1600/Garden+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmg3AKPybL01MLEpVd_LjjG7bLc8rXHSkDOhKt7zAfyY_TiDbo2Cm7zMLSl7ozuZ46RInZw9k_75xLWLo58d3jLuTpKdpCJx3NwN3s0uUziSo6LxOlivILQsGakWR_5BV14uGtg7MsZM/s320/Garden+2011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div> What are YOUR garden plans this year? Anything new and exciting?Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-966801130508492912011-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:002011-02-05T20:46:16.111-08:00Back for my usual January update...After feeling so defeated after last season, I am getting amped up for a new season. I lay much of the credit for this on <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek</a> again, as their catalog leaves me drooling, though I also lean to <a href="http://www.landrethseeds.com/">D. Landreth</a> for inspiration, as well.<br />
<br />
Keep moving forward, right?<br />
<br />
Anyway, we are in the process of looking for a new house, which may take some time. Of course, I am in a panic because like most gardening folks I know, your plans are laid out and in place by March, and who knows when we may find a place, close, and move? It could be March! It could be July! It could be October! What will I do with my garden???<br />
<br />
Thankfully, I have already been doing <a href="http://www.squarefootgardening.org/">Square Foot Gardening</a> which I think will work to my benefit. My plan is to put bottoms on the boxes I have already built and perhaps put them up on "tables" made of plywood and horses so that if we end up moving mid-season, we can just hoist the "tables" up on the back of the truck and transfer it to the new yard. Thoughts? Suggestions?<br />
<br />
Also, you know how after you spend a few years in the yard/garden, you have some plants and areas that you just adore and can't see leaving behind? Each seems to have a story to tell.<br />
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- The cherry tree from Michael and Charlotte the Mother's Day I was pregnant with Eleanor. It needs to come with us. It's just 4 years old, so I am hoping moving it will not cause any irreparable trauma. (Again, suggestions?)<br />
<br />
- The lilac bushes that I had in about 3 locations before finding they work best next to our swing along the driveway?<br />
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- The raspberries that felt like they would never grow and thrive, and now are a veritable patch, and so delicious, and that we munch on straight from the plant all summer?<br />
<br />
- The strawberries that started with a couple plants and have multiplied like crazy and I hope will continue to grow like crazy?<br />
<br />
- My mini-butterfly garden?<br />
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So I guess my question is how poor form is it to uproot everything and take it with us when we move? I feel like a total weirdo, but you know you invest so much blood, sweat, tears, time watching some of these little guys grow, cheering for them, crying when they die off, cultivating new spaces for them to thrive...What to do?<br />
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I think it helps that in all likelihood, it will either be a family member moving in here who has minimal (no) interest in gardening or the home may come down altogether, so I don't feel like we are baiting and switching anyone who is purchasing it from us, you know?<br />
<br />
It will be bittersweet to not look out at the garden and think "that's exactly where my grandfather had his garden when I was a kid!" but that is a mindset I am battling in every aspect when I think of leaving here.<br />
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I need recommendations for the tree transplant for sure (we're just outside Chicago, in the near west suburbs), and any thoughts or suggestions for the other stuff would be appreciated, too!Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-32663971810065100862010-10-16T13:14:00.000-07:002010-10-16T13:14:26.987-07:00Sad Garden and Seed SavingYeah, I crapped out on the garden this year.<br />
<br />
The ongoing battle/issue with rats in the yard coming from neighboring properties beat me down. After seeing several in the garden (not snacking, just passing through IN THE DAYLIGHT on their way to chew a hole and nest in our garage) I freaked and broke down and ignored the garden for the rest of the season.<br />
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No tomato sauce. No frozen beans. No dehydrated tomatoes. Nothing. Just quit.<br />
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Which is pretty depressing, and goes totally against my intentions in the garden. My excitement of eating tomato sauce in March made from OUR garden's tomatoes was palpable. Ditto on the frozen beans and broccoli in January. It's an amazing feeling, and one I wanted to build on, and increase our yield and preservation each year. Our grandparents (OK, maybe our great-grandparents?) wouldn't have had the option to "get freaked out" and eschew their garden work for the season.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I'm pretty disappointed in this whole deal. But am looking forward to next year ("KEEP MOVING FORWARD!" right?) and am collecting seeds from some of the fruit that has dried out on the vine or needs to be dried out. I planted a LOT of heirloom and non-genetically-modified vegetables this year, which means that saving the seeds should be a great head start on next year's garden.<br />
<br />
SO...how does seed saving/local seed exchange work? Just find a local garden club? look on Craigslist? host a seed exchange myself? Is it in the fall or spring? so much to learn!!!<br />
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I'll post some pictures of the charming rat holes leading into their burrows under the yard, and the damage they've done digging up my whole strawberry pyramid. Arrgh. MOVING FORWARD!Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-27577203943077297452010-08-05T22:25:00.000-07:002010-08-05T22:29:01.506-07:00Bird Baby!So one of the most fun things this summer was watching a couple of birds set up camp in our bird feeder to prepare for a little one.<br />
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Like March of the Penguins, McCook style - they tag teamed who was watching the egg, we witnessed the way that one would hang on a wire, the sitter would go meet it on the wire and then they'd hang for a couple minutes then make the switch.<br />
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And at the end?<br />
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A little baby.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojncIBPbqZMPTmQP_zHEkZjjv-4lQNMUzKow2kXRgtwJX1TJe5Bx2GkqZvpSY0W_3rWI4h-EeKAyZPa26muKO10rXAz73GPNgPu8eDt_uhruYAV0zCINgjIgmrLL2Iu1TG5mGG8VN_yM/s1600/DSCF0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojncIBPbqZMPTmQP_zHEkZjjv-4lQNMUzKow2kXRgtwJX1TJe5Bx2GkqZvpSY0W_3rWI4h-EeKAyZPa26muKO10rXAz73GPNgPu8eDt_uhruYAV0zCINgjIgmrLL2Iu1TG5mGG8VN_yM/s640/DSCF0737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Awww)</div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-1220266055448389362010-08-05T22:04:00.001-07:002010-08-05T22:04:17.117-07:00Early August Garden<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FEarly+August+Garden%2F73412833.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/Early%20August%20Garden/?action=view&current=73412833.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-22848972600040875802010-08-05T22:00:00.001-07:002010-08-05T22:00:56.964-07:00Early July Garden<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FJuly+7+Garden%2F9aac9d2b.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/July%207%20Garden/?action=view&current=9aac9d2b.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-38551370123033265572010-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:002010-08-03T12:36:51.944-07:00Where have I been???I have lots of pictures to get posted up here, but have been a colossal slacker. Plus have had massive issues with internet connectivity lately. And I'm lazy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we will be losing the empty lot next to our driveway due to a library expansion project (much needed expansion project) so in order to reclaim a BIT of our yard space back next year, I will be reconfiguring the garden and moving all the boxes along the fence, clearing up the back third or so of the yard. It'll be interesting!<br />
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And in sad, sad, sad news (which actually made me cry real tears of frustration and disappointment) I had to rip down almost ALL of the green that had been growing in the garden.<br />
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Let me back up:<br />
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Last summer, I had a TON of volunteer cherry tomato plants that grew on the other side of the fence from old tomato plants that just went to seed. Guess what? I made a ton of sauce. And I had tons of tomatoes. And they were tasty and delicious.<br />
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So this summer, when cucumber vines started growing all over the place, I didn't take most of them down because I thought "wow! Volunteer cucumbers all over the place! Everyone will get pickles for christmas!" and let the vines grow and grow. Even when they started to shade out some of my tomatoes. Even when they hid some of my peppers.<br />
<br />
Until I went out there the other day and saw that THERE WAS NO FRUIT ON THESE VINES. That's right. NO CUCUMBERS. When I get the pictures up, you'll see why I was so shocked and angry with myself for being so stupid. Last year I didn't have the bee in my bonnet about getting all heirloom/organic/non-GM/non-hybrid seeds and plants. Some of them were, sure. But not everything. Not the cucumbers, apparently.<br />
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I have deduced that that is what happened here. Because why else wouldn't anything have produced fruit?<br />
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So I've torn down all the green. And decided to make some lemonade with this little lemon situation, and am dedicating myself to planting some awesome stuff for a fall garden.<br />
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Oh, and in other sad news, my raspberries took a BEATING in a series of summer storms and have been cut down pretty low. Also disappointing and frustrating.<br />
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It hasn't been a banner year out in the garden this year. I've had better years in my 7 years of gardening. And I'm sure I'll have worse years as I continue to learn and experiment.<br />
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More to come...Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-85972749211647577092010-06-20T22:19:00.000-07:002010-06-20T22:19:06.479-07:00Mid-June Garden<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FJune+7+garden%2F1a95f1d2.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/June%207%20garden/?action=view&current=1a95f1d2.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-66135948894511830252010-06-20T22:07:00.000-07:002010-06-20T22:07:41.549-07:00Delish!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So far, here's some of the tasty treats we've been enjoying from the garden:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Romaine Lettuce - TONS! Also Butterleaf Lettuce. Lots of tasty salads with dressings from the herb garden. YUM!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lkiUJd1t9mDmz1VBQKJ1OZd7Fko-9ddzSOZaWA56alghTXaokG_GYu0eX0AqTS8f1TiBoi1slHOW23EwDu4D-g9JVTBpCYX1OngSCJ3Py37Rfla8cDzfxq4hKWGhIAIpS89sZY2tCdY/s1600/212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lkiUJd1t9mDmz1VBQKJ1OZd7Fko-9ddzSOZaWA56alghTXaokG_GYu0eX0AqTS8f1TiBoi1slHOW23EwDu4D-g9JVTBpCYX1OngSCJ3Py37Rfla8cDzfxq4hKWGhIAIpS89sZY2tCdY/s320/212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lkiUJd1t9mDmz1VBQKJ1OZd7Fko-9ddzSOZaWA56alghTXaokG_GYu0eX0AqTS8f1TiBoi1slHOW23EwDu4D-g9JVTBpCYX1OngSCJ3Py37Rfla8cDzfxq4hKWGhIAIpS89sZY2tCdY/s1600/212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>OK. So I don't like radishes. BUT I had seeds, gave it a whirl. LOVED how they came up - peekaboo style - after I had totally forgotten what was planted there. Thankfully, Michael loves them with a little salt as a snack. SUCCESS!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9PoEBJqMQd0PjNOc-qhWZiTCfeuwSK1YEe60Nh11yKuKhQEgDO7A3Yjyhe2HFEZieOPyzT4MV81ycfqoQXmn5ARhlZdskb_4vDVX3TQ_ggZyY0D-JJ6gSs3c6h6CI-btDT6vkgTIhKo/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9PoEBJqMQd0PjNOc-qhWZiTCfeuwSK1YEe60Nh11yKuKhQEgDO7A3Yjyhe2HFEZieOPyzT4MV81ycfqoQXmn5ARhlZdskb_4vDVX3TQ_ggZyY0D-JJ6gSs3c6h6CI-btDT6vkgTIhKo/s320/208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9PoEBJqMQd0PjNOc-qhWZiTCfeuwSK1YEe60Nh11yKuKhQEgDO7A3Yjyhe2HFEZieOPyzT4MV81ycfqoQXmn5ARhlZdskb_4vDVX3TQ_ggZyY0D-JJ6gSs3c6h6CI-btDT6vkgTIhKo/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Strawberries! My favorite thing about having a home garden is picking raspberries and strawberries and just eating them as I walk through the yard. I find it a very very sad statement that my kids sometimes get weirded out by garden strawberries because they are "soft" in comparison to grocery store strawberries. How far removed from our food sources we have become...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9L2RIx2AN0YlrLzhQ1VkQwdT0wCKuMq1rqj6BT-ERH7brEyk7473UHPVtaR9twDlZ4xKRGFLzc4mL4nBaF-CTlkRPWqaGrLf24QLpMAHDAh-goK31ISnx3D0T_dntvVcFNSLRTinGLE/s1600/189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9L2RIx2AN0YlrLzhQ1VkQwdT0wCKuMq1rqj6BT-ERH7brEyk7473UHPVtaR9twDlZ4xKRGFLzc4mL4nBaF-CTlkRPWqaGrLf24QLpMAHDAh-goK31ISnx3D0T_dntvVcFNSLRTinGLE/s320/189.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: auto;">Broccoli - yum. Brought it in and blanched it straightaway so half the cooking effort would be done already.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoOdNbc1-QUm5wtUZcfwr3GDjf3_b6-lcVbaeAmftXNuhorKYOv9QkxPbdgz1KOTttbPNBMBJ-b_gemVBUf3fNTjC29gLRMWctTKKBFKV_Apt6lNxZR235IYiayihoYNjvO3a_zg7KCI/s1600/213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoOdNbc1-QUm5wtUZcfwr3GDjf3_b6-lcVbaeAmftXNuhorKYOv9QkxPbdgz1KOTttbPNBMBJ-b_gemVBUf3fNTjC29gLRMWctTKKBFKV_Apt6lNxZR235IYiayihoYNjvO3a_zg7KCI/s320/213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoOdNbc1-QUm5wtUZcfwr3GDjf3_b6-lcVbaeAmftXNuhorKYOv9QkxPbdgz1KOTttbPNBMBJ-b_gemVBUf3fNTjC29gLRMWctTKKBFKV_Apt6lNxZR235IYiayihoYNjvO3a_zg7KCI/s1600/213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Li'l Cherry Tree is producing delicious fruit. Can't wait until it is cranking out the cherries!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgL7Fy5QWES1kTXOo0uUaDCIj5YDCGw-drV9MovAHm2luUNSNtTQ9HWtIWO0AAu_oisWZxgCayeSaiECR-CCXzCk2WsLfAtlbC6slpT0AypuW-_R6lsWL2kHzs0DaxOHYmRt1H3vSVmI/s1600/227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgL7Fy5QWES1kTXOo0uUaDCIj5YDCGw-drV9MovAHm2luUNSNtTQ9HWtIWO0AAu_oisWZxgCayeSaiECR-CCXzCk2WsLfAtlbC6slpT0AypuW-_R6lsWL2kHzs0DaxOHYmRt1H3vSVmI/s320/227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgL7Fy5QWES1kTXOo0uUaDCIj5YDCGw-drV9MovAHm2luUNSNtTQ9HWtIWO0AAu_oisWZxgCayeSaiECR-CCXzCk2WsLfAtlbC6slpT0AypuW-_R6lsWL2kHzs0DaxOHYmRt1H3vSVmI/s1600/227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>More strawberries. YUM! I say. YUM!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2-zjUwDmJpvBBdhxNogf2Ftn7AdxBpbRJaqICcWfyxW0qEbjolWBzice0qIeyEo-KOXEly5m1mVFY9HW6_qlsH9M6OwJOzDw3IMvckV9QvvTLpwIi2yg9o7lzkNmA_mJCyop6MXIx94/s1600/246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2-zjUwDmJpvBBdhxNogf2Ftn7AdxBpbRJaqICcWfyxW0qEbjolWBzice0qIeyEo-KOXEly5m1mVFY9HW6_qlsH9M6OwJOzDw3IMvckV9QvvTLpwIi2yg9o7lzkNmA_mJCyop6MXIx94/s320/246.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2-zjUwDmJpvBBdhxNogf2Ftn7AdxBpbRJaqICcWfyxW0qEbjolWBzice0qIeyEo-KOXEly5m1mVFY9HW6_qlsH9M6OwJOzDw3IMvckV9QvvTLpwIi2yg9o7lzkNmA_mJCyop6MXIx94/s1600/246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Sugar Snap Peas (left) and regular ol' peas (right)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxy1dICs9dp3getjAXUlx1FZpsHU4WmKmx6zoZr9XLUXOdKARJTQA9NoY7hnelajuq5pW_12WoDc2c3J9dCpjVR6NVyUaQPQVva5HLore_ntDr2WDP6T9IUMBNsSDMRxOliK_tsMsuFE/s1600/390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxy1dICs9dp3getjAXUlx1FZpsHU4WmKmx6zoZr9XLUXOdKARJTQA9NoY7hnelajuq5pW_12WoDc2c3J9dCpjVR6NVyUaQPQVva5HLore_ntDr2WDP6T9IUMBNsSDMRxOliK_tsMsuFE/s320/390.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-70339153070458599062010-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:002010-06-20T21:45:03.965-07:00Early June GardenGarden slideshow from June 3rd...Everything's going gangbusters!<div><br />
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</div><div><div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FJune+3%2F462671f4.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/June%203/?action=view&current=462671f4.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-51288283908203860182010-06-10T09:56:00.000-07:002010-06-10T09:56:06.779-07:00Mid May GardenMid May Garden<br />
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<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FMid+May+Garden+2010%2Fdc209bd1.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/Mid%20May%20Garden%202010/?action=view&current=dc209bd1.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-70289723338649550322010-06-10T09:29:00.000-07:002010-06-10T09:29:09.215-07:00Early May GardenEarly May Garden<br />
<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FGarden+5-2-10%2Fe3dae4a2.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/Garden%205-2-10/?action=view&current=e3dae4a2.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-27301214499703840552010-06-10T09:01:00.000-07:002010-06-10T09:01:51.018-07:00April Garden<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w652.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FGarden+4-10-10%2F186ac57e.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/Garden%204-10-10/?action=view&current=186ac57e.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0; float: left;" /></a></div></span></span><br />
April 10Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-30573083374049078412010-05-23T19:08:00.000-07:002010-05-23T19:08:20.839-07:00March GardenWowzer. OK, pictures of the garden as it was in late March (March 19-21st-ish).<br />
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It always amazes me that even though ICANNOTWAIT until I can get seeds and plants in the ground, I am so impatient, I feel like it takes FOREVER to get things growing in the garden every spring, that when I look back and see how much grows, how green things get in a span of a few weeks, a month - it is incredible.<br />
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The onset of gardening season always seems so glum. See newer posts for current/time progression pictures, but for now, here you have the pre-green world of our backyard world...<br />
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<div style="text-align: right; width: 480px;"><embed flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed652.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu246%2Famykate76%2FGarden%25203-20-10%2Ffeed.rss" height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border: none;" /></a><a href="http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/amykate76/Garden%203-20-10/" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border: none;" /></a></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-85876080422606598672010-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:002010-05-01T19:10:24.855-07:00Grow, Grow, Grow, Grow!!The garden is 99.9% planted. Out of my 7 garden boxes (and the 2 little boxes that the girls planted. And then dug up. And then threw mulch on. And then covered with picked weeds, and then demanded to know why nothing is growing yet...), each with <a href="http://www.squarefootgardening.com/">16 square foot squares</a>, I only have about 6 or 8 squares available for planting.<br />
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I had bunches of seeds, seedlings, and plants that I had been stashing under my homemade rickety cold frame while waiting for the last frost date. May First! IN!<br />
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I've used seeds and transplants from a number of different sources. <a href="http://www.hometownseeds.com/survival-seeds-c-213/survival-seeds-peace-of-mind-for-your-family-p-35">Hometown Seeds</a> generously provided a seed sampler for me, and some I planted and then I saved many of them for next season to test their storage longevity. I also ordered from <a href="http://www.landrethseeds.com/">D. Landreth</a>, and a couple things from <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek</a>. And then my standard browse-and-grab Burpee seeds from the local big box, and seedlings from my fave local little garden centers (<a href="http://www.cloversgardencenter.com/">Clover's</a>, a couple little joints in Bridgeview, and some folks giving away seedlings on Craigslist).<br />
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I'm hoping to get some pictures up, but cannot find Char's camera, which is what i used to take pictures. I'm really really really trying to document everything this year, loved being able to do a time-lapse overview of how things changed last year.<br />
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Here's what's planted, box by box:<br />
Box 1:<br />
Black Simpson Lettuce<br />
Little Caesar Lettuce<br />
Romaine Lettuce<br />
Radishes<br />
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Box 2:<br />
Endive<br />
Spinach<br />
Black Krim Tomatoes<br />
Pineapple Hybrid Tomatoes<br />
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Box 3:<br />
Zucchini<br />
Scallop Squash (White, Green, Yellow)<br />
Bush Beans (Two Varieties)<br />
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Box 4:<br />
Yellow onions<br />
Beets<br />
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Box 5:<br />
Peas<br />
Broccoli<br />
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Box 6:<br />
Bell Pepper<br />
Hot Pepper<br />
Sugar Snap Peas<br />
Banana Pepper<br />
San Marzano Tomatoes<br />
Mamma Mia Tomatoes<br />
Valencia Heirloom Tomatoes<br />
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Box 7:<br />
Edamame<br />
Pickling Cucumbers<br />
Burpless Cucumbers<br />
Jalapeno Peppers<br />
Asparagus Beans (Which was from a Burpee Heirloom packet, and had less than 25 seeds. Just saying, seemed stingy...)<br />
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I moved my herb pots to the other side of the fence from the raspberry jungle on a bench I garbage picked a few years ago. Basil, thai basil, rosemary, parsley, chives, dill. I have a ton of random lumber and was planning on making a large planter box for the driveway - instead of having to go in the garden, through the fence to access them, they are right there. My husband is pretty sure I just can't leave things how they are. Ever. And that I obsessively need to move things around. He MAY have a point.<br />
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I'm also expanding my "butterfly garden" which seemingly gets a dump of whatever I find attractive while wandering around garden centers or the internet.<br />
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Cherry tree is ROCKING and we're going to have fruit this year...there are little baby green cherries on there, cannot wait! Little green strawberries are sprouting up all over, too.<br />
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Love love love this time of year!Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-65512257499887113582010-03-27T06:08:00.000-07:002010-03-27T06:08:45.881-07:00InventoryOK, so I just went through all my seeds last night - between the <a href="http://www.hometownseeds.com/survival-seeds-c-213/survival-seeds-peace-of-mind-for-your-family-p-35">Survival Kit</a> I received from Hometown Seeds and some randoms I picked up at Menards, I am already at about 35 different crops/vegetables/plants. WOWZER.<br />
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And I still have about 5 or 6 things that I still want to order. <br />
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I guess this will be the year I really try to focus on continuous planting and staying on top of things, which I've always slacked on. No empty spots, continuous harvest, it should be great!<br />
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One of the things that I want to really plant lots and lots of is lavender. I love the smell, and after my friend Sara posted a beautiful picture of a field of lavender, I would love to just have a whole yard full of it. Or a nice patch of it. I am trying to figure out a spot where I can have a lavender patch, but I feel like my lavender never really comes up that well.Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-576775636111184412010-03-26T01:17:00.000-07:002010-03-26T06:49:09.387-07:00Awww, memoriesI'm on spring break next week, and am unable to sleep, and am trying to get some stuff done around the house that is no big whip, but that I need to do. So I'm on Shutterfly and Snapfish going through pictures back to when Char was little, and I'm coming across some old garden pics through the years.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftTrpuWQyzkUk8gllg91IdMcipx48pK5xvNEzrES1DODteUGu-C-cOBSoW5P38oeEVIRLoklgspyc6ze1B4QPXkNCJ05DxypCNgTo_ivD2YDZXYFwq0exAkAhCl73mYvTh1_zArW2Azo/s1600/garden+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftTrpuWQyzkUk8gllg91IdMcipx48pK5xvNEzrES1DODteUGu-C-cOBSoW5P38oeEVIRLoklgspyc6ze1B4QPXkNCJ05DxypCNgTo_ivD2YDZXYFwq0exAkAhCl73mYvTh1_zArW2Azo/s320/garden+05.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2005 - It looks so little in retrospect...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL_ZmZtdiKYxQ1RlDcWKGzFG6SOEz9_cwlm4kHEYGJZUEiGGUZkXCbCuaTX0CpW_jZ-MpFejJHLFYAl508CZlmI741fMEaMVxQUMYcymIeBLbxZbwOgkeWvKBqaMoE7mK9RnmVn9SFhE/s1600/Garden+06+-+one+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL_ZmZtdiKYxQ1RlDcWKGzFG6SOEz9_cwlm4kHEYGJZUEiGGUZkXCbCuaTX0CpW_jZ-MpFejJHLFYAl508CZlmI741fMEaMVxQUMYcymIeBLbxZbwOgkeWvKBqaMoE7mK9RnmVn9SFhE/s320/Garden+06+-+one+bed.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then in 2006, we had 2 raised bed boxes...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtGkUHgmNWhqKlk_XUTAorORJMJgKEB4kIos37utfqs5ABvOUCgD5autyP30gMuyqeWr-SZx4IBMZahAa-EEz5oagCtWakOwAsYQJH6oFVvNXmwdA3GEmQ9ZAkn4z2XeRoIs4nX2vKyo/s1600/garden+08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtGkUHgmNWhqKlk_XUTAorORJMJgKEB4kIos37utfqs5ABvOUCgD5autyP30gMuyqeWr-SZx4IBMZahAa-EEz5oagCtWakOwAsYQJH6oFVvNXmwdA3GEmQ9ZAkn4z2XeRoIs4nX2vKyo/s320/garden+08.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Still rockin' the 2 boxes in 2008...hadn't yet heard of Square Foot Gardening...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkugPeHUkZbi-1Bee57Szzm5wS6W5VyN2UTM6zUaoIFCvzbe8SLQGYFMgdgxtrRmNBR9JX7kmRHDLJylKKvbDSh62qlzmsG9R9X37qFfjeDy0Gova-XCwICQPuXgz3r4co5uOJpSxewS8/s1600/garden+09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkugPeHUkZbi-1Bee57Szzm5wS6W5VyN2UTM6zUaoIFCvzbe8SLQGYFMgdgxtrRmNBR9JX7kmRHDLJylKKvbDSh62qlzmsG9R9X37qFfjeDy0Gova-XCwICQPuXgz3r4co5uOJpSxewS8/s320/garden+09.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqBBGI3OQpqvFPL5eXulldaWF1VXU6rmXJLMSNRx1hZNePoOLwp2yucwpFPXNRgq8_xtbovWvUkJ1ANShPBiM0KHyfSyVDPnpxssF2ohHj5rOKgBWKWM6gYGS4iquCsw9Im4yWTheAUk/s1600/haunted+garden+09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqBBGI3OQpqvFPL5eXulldaWF1VXU6rmXJLMSNRx1hZNePoOLwp2yucwpFPXNRgq8_xtbovWvUkJ1ANShPBiM0KHyfSyVDPnpxssF2ohHj5rOKgBWKWM6gYGS4iquCsw9Im4yWTheAUk/s200/haunted+garden+09.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ahh, Built all my boxes and later the supports for tomatoes, etc...2009 was the garden space explosion!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> (and apparently I didn't take any pictures when it was lush mid-summer? Just the creepy shot after the first surprise frost made it look like a haunted house garden? WEIRD)</div><br />
I need to find pics from 2003, 2004, 2007...Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-9544266767203454272010-03-18T23:08:00.000-07:002010-03-19T00:09:34.656-07:00What? Where? Huh?Where are you all ordering your seeds from?<br />
<br />
I am behind the eight ball on ordering for this season, but I'm okay with it. I was super excited to order a bunch from Baker Creek, but I'm having issues with their online ordering system. Keeps dumping my cart after each item I add to it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway...<br />
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What're you growing? I've got my list ready...but it is always changing and evolving...<br />
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Here goes!<br />
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<a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Envy_Soya_Beans-107-23.html">Edemame - Envy</a><br />
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<a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Chinese_Red_Noodle_Bean-995-103.html">Chinese Red Noodle Beans</a><br />
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<a href="http://gurneys.com/blue-lake-274-bush-beans/p/14137/">Bush Beans</a> or <a href="http://gurneys.com/baritone-bush-beans/p/75778/">these guys</a><br />
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<a href="http://gurneys.com/blue-lake-pole-beans-/p/14202/">Pole Beans</a><br />
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<a href="http://gurneys.com/sugar-ann-snap-pea-/p/14842/">Sugar Snap Peas</a><br />
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Tomatoes - Yikes - where to start??<br />
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<a href="http://gurneys.com/black-seeded-simpson-lettuce/p/14633/">Lettuce</a>/<a href="http://gurneys.com/buttercrunch-lettuce-/p/14641/">Greens</a>/<a href="http://gurneys.com/romaine-head-lettuce/p/14627/">Salad</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/broccoli/broccoli+green+goliath+-+1+pkt.+(300+seeds).do">Broccoli</a>/<a href="http://gurneys.com/atlantis-hybrid-broccoli/p/80676/">Broccolini</a><br />
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Zucchini<br />
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<a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Patisson_Golden_Marbre_Scallop-1604-16.html">PattyPan Squash</a> <a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Yellow_Scallop_Squash-1144-16.html">YUM</a>!<br />
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Onions<br />
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<a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/catalog/Seed_Potatoes_Limited_Time_Only-283-1.html">Potatoes</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1191(OG)">Cu</a>-Cu-<a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=865(OG)">Cucumbers</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBQXOZ_vy_Abq_g2kEA2-8in7QW6rPD2HWCtyDnJ8NflwcFgE8EeKXlj8FHOMuCphDzf64lzoxbMFgNIxq7PEc8BQ_m2lj423_C_dfUPWBbnLRZ91bGapwc548pcgaGQAT738_nRI-8k/s1600-h/016.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBQXOZ_vy_Abq_g2kEA2-8in7QW6rPD2HWCtyDnJ8NflwcFgE8EeKXlj8FHOMuCphDzf64lzoxbMFgNIxq7PEc8BQ_m2lj423_C_dfUPWBbnLRZ91bGapwc548pcgaGQAT738_nRI-8k/s320/016.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
OH! And Grapes!! I am completely clueless on this. My grandfather used to grow grapes here, but in the front yard, 60 some years ago. This sweet little picture is from, oh, let's say 64 years ago or so? And there's the grape arbor in the front of our house. Now there is a great big tree, so that space isn't feasible. But I have a couple little corners in mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AND I finally purchased a rain barrel, something I fully intended to do last year and just didn't get around to doing. <a href="http://www.mwrd.org/irj/portal/anonymous/rainbarrel">The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago</a> has a rain barrel purchase program for (I think) Cook County residents. $50 each, 2 barrel limit per family. SUPER excited to get that hooked up. We have visions of getting a second one and installing a gutter on one end of the garage (close to the garden boxes) and setting up a drip system from the rain barrel...<br />
<br />
Oh well. It's 1am. I'm going to place my orders and then get some rest. Ellie and I are going to be working in the garden tomorrow, or possibly just building and staining some supports. I am still having visions of TONS of vertical plantings, and possibly some canopied crops (cukes or tomatoes growing from a support in one box to a support in another box, providing a canopy over the walkway/aisle).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">OH! Sidenote: I am also fascinated by the survival seed movement that has popped up here and there in my internet garden reading. It's pretty much what it sounds like: In case of crisis or food shortage, you'd have this stockpile of seeds with proven high germination rates that you could plant to sustain yourself/your family. Seeds are all non-hybrid/GMO so you would be able to save the seeds to plant again the next season.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Now. I am not saying that I think the end is upon us. However, I am the first to admit that growing your own food is an amazing feeling that, for me, brings about a real sense of self-sufficiency and security. The fact that we are JUST running out of beans and broccoli now, in March, from last summer? It's pretty incredible to me. It's a really capable feeling, I feel very accomplished, a very sustainable goal achieved.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">That said, I've checked out a group called <a href="http://hometownseeds.com/survival-seeds-c-213/emergency-food-storage-seeds-p-35">Hometown Seeds</a>. They offer survival seed packages with a wide variety of plants and a long seed shelf life. They have graciously offered to send me a sample packet of their survival seed kit, and I'm going to plant a selection from it and track the progress and growth here. </div><div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div>Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-14878542951336276792010-01-10T20:49:00.000-08:002010-01-10T20:49:16.750-08:00DedicationMaybe now that I've told a friend of mine that I have a garden blog, perhaps I'll be more inclined to diligently post on it. Obviously not much is shaking in the wintertime, but the planning is beginning. Oh, the planning. Bwa ha ha!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I think I'm going to start thinking aloud here as I plan...<br />
<br />
Anyone in the Chicago area grow grapes or edible soybeans/edamame? I want to do both this year, but am nervous on the grapes.<br />
<br />
Definitely still planning on vertical stuff, and less tomatoes as our tomato space is RIDICULOUS. And I'm going to do potatoes, for sure.<br />
<br />
So far the only catalogs I have are <a href="http://www.burpee.com/">Burpee</a> and <a href="http://gurneys.com/default.asp?eid=081506&sid=506238&gclid=CLbg2tbDm58CFQUhDQodNB122A&bhcd2=1263185144">Gurney's</a>, and I'm waiting for my <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek</a> to come in, as that catalog, as I think I said last year, is like garden porn. I'm drooling thinking about it right now.<br />
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I also want to try a <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=aboutus.htm">seed exchange group</a>, but have never done that before.Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-32271960216199541482009-12-31T13:11:00.000-08:002009-12-31T13:11:20.978-08:00OopsI started to incorporate my garden stuff into my other, family-ish blog.<br />
<br />
BUT now that the seed catalogs have started coming in, I'm all excited anew to get cracking on planning my 2010 garden!!!<br />
<br />
I'm planning to do a lot more vertical planting, and definitely want to try to grow grapes, too. I want to put a playhouse for my girls in the back corner of the garden (I use planter boxes for square foot gardening) so we'll see how that goes, too. <br />
<br />
What are you going to grow next year?Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-30194972641909609352009-09-05T07:25:00.000-07:002009-09-05T07:53:32.738-07:00September already?!How can it be September?<br /><br />If you're in the Chicago area, you know that our summer was, well, let's say atypical at best. Some of my plants that really love the hot suffered as we had some nice 90 degree days in June, and then spent most of July below 83 degrees. And rainy. Blech.<br /><br />I have not planted some of the things I wanted to get going for fall, but I'm going to give it a whirl anyway, even though it is kind of late, and hope that we'll just get some late summer weather that'll be conducive to a longer growing season.<br /><br />Here's some random items from the garden - I've been super neglectful on posting on here this summer.<br /><br />The onions:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3tWU5T4UpQpdZX787ZqHCLJALX4XvNZ0yOT7AeSonQSgtG2hBaub13pH15vMH9JWAIx4s4bmKbBBvCV8D8b0aqqNKWs34jXjBqCU2SHEHLS2Ag7KXwN9ekMhHXQj8mpu9ZBX6Rduuo8/s1600-h/Onions.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3tWU5T4UpQpdZX787ZqHCLJALX4XvNZ0yOT7AeSonQSgtG2hBaub13pH15vMH9JWAIx4s4bmKbBBvCV8D8b0aqqNKWs34jXjBqCU2SHEHLS2Ag7KXwN9ekMhHXQj8mpu9ZBX6Rduuo8/s320/Onions.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377991402355973218" /></a><br />Onions came up a little on the small side. A friend told me that if you step on the green as it comes up, they'll get bigger (energy will go to growing the bulb instead of the greens). Any thoughts on this? Makes sense to me, and I'm going to try it with the ones that I planted for fall<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2pmHUeiSii6Gs9PgVJ8BGhDwJ4pI6Rxr9Eq9Zq-NFwnVLSoqdudkWzb00M60zT4UeCjRoS89PnFO_gjh5Be25lbXfX3lTZGOaYw_-xD78_pWMqM6DjfF_0pxQCdC6122S1MfjvOwT_M/s1600-h/Onions+Drying.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2pmHUeiSii6Gs9PgVJ8BGhDwJ4pI6Rxr9Eq9Zq-NFwnVLSoqdudkWzb00M60zT4UeCjRoS89PnFO_gjh5Be25lbXfX3lTZGOaYw_-xD78_pWMqM6DjfF_0pxQCdC6122S1MfjvOwT_M/s320/Onions+Drying.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377991385497099010" /></a>Onions drying in the garage<br /><br />In other news, we had a pretty phallic summer over here, too. It was our first year growing zucchini, and man, I GET THE JOKES NOW about having too much. Good grief. I have bags of shredded/grated zucchini in the freezer so I can use it off-season to make zucchini bread, etc. Cucumbers started off strong, and I am not sure if it is the weather or how I had them set to grow that failed me, but they've not been producing - tons of leaves and vines, but very very few cucumbers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIEaVrQmnjS3pJMxMvy184PVVq39DwueG3ol7RQusxbeFKzJ7tOFR3mRHQBzNuksauciFKZUaWfUuZ8d46iv8X1oRMxjKE1Le5qNntonsWWPculsu3YgQ03I8MPfljRttHeHswVhhlfg/s1600-h/cukinis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIEaVrQmnjS3pJMxMvy184PVVq39DwueG3ol7RQusxbeFKzJ7tOFR3mRHQBzNuksauciFKZUaWfUuZ8d46iv8X1oRMxjKE1Le5qNntonsWWPculsu3YgQ03I8MPfljRttHeHswVhhlfg/s320/cukinis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377991391488466690" /></a>I grew them vertically up a trellis of chicken wire, and put a "roof" on top for them to grow on, too. I had visions of cucumbers growing off that and just dangling from the roof for us to grab. That has not panned out. Dang. Making me rethink my idea for next year which involved growing cukes in two separate boxes and putting a canopy like that between two trellises to make a covered walkway between the garden boxes. <br /><br />One day, my older daughter Charlotte and I looked over the fence and saw this:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvhcrYux_GPkRkaNmblJE_MY0U1JEJvpeg5dB0Ju3KOeFhSSP3_FUEwJTOnhgyJeH5sKgIbyTGe8dtBynok4qh8GctD-nt9Iu5VI5slO5wl7ZCYJWTa27Wu1ZQhDGh67-qR24M20vu_o/s1600-h/Volunteer+Cherry+Toms.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvhcrYux_GPkRkaNmblJE_MY0U1JEJvpeg5dB0Ju3KOeFhSSP3_FUEwJTOnhgyJeH5sKgIbyTGe8dtBynok4qh8GctD-nt9Iu5VI5slO5wl7ZCYJWTa27Wu1ZQhDGh67-qR24M20vu_o/s320/Volunteer+Cherry+Toms.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377990770882385650" /></a> Yep, volunteer cherry tomato plants. I will admit to occasionally tossing overripe tomatoes over the fence. It's not very mature, or, I guess, neighborly, but it is the library's property and I certainly didn't think anything would grow (the terrain is rocky. Like landscaping rocks.) but I WAS WRONG. The nice thing is, we are getting a kick out of having these extra plants to harvest from (there's some on the side of the house, too, where I have never tossed a tomato, so we know that birds and the like are involved in this, too.) and my girls get to learn how nature really works - plants growing because of animals bringing seeds to different locations, etc.<br /><br />Corn! I agree with people that corn is not worth the space it takes up. And with the abundance of local growers at roadside stands and farmers markets, there is no reason to grow corn. EXCEPT that it is fun to watch grow, to see if it is really going to be "knee high by July," and to finally harvest it. Plus we have the stalks ready to go for fall/Hallowe'en decorating. So I think it'll make an appearance in coming years.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvBFcbPpd2H-RSny5VnvA8t83pFoAqb7gYQt0GbwOcez2v6c9l12ctCB3N_99iy0s0XAYyxwYMbBSLEYBheb-rYbxIequn50GQ5Ryl8jQwNEv3Ukth1oRoY1xHbamGH9pyGGIAegwefk/s1600-h/Corn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvBFcbPpd2H-RSny5VnvA8t83pFoAqb7gYQt0GbwOcez2v6c9l12ctCB3N_99iy0s0XAYyxwYMbBSLEYBheb-rYbxIequn50GQ5Ryl8jQwNEv3Ukth1oRoY1xHbamGH9pyGGIAegwefk/s320/Corn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377990760401130514" /></a><br /><br />Bush beans have continued to ROCK in our garden. I have so many in the freezer right now, it isn't even funny. Plus we've been enjoying them at meals every couple days. My brother, raised on canned green beans (soggy, metallic flavor tinge, etc.), has hated green beans with a passion. He gave our crisp, fresh, delicious garden fresh beans a try, and he's a convert! Amazing!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-PNbg4oBkkTeQ2y_zZ0GVY3uE1qdKTZR81WGZnmDIHPDh3yV6DnLbaRkTqPsq_spAjXvlpbVHRrUwcG9UBzfUFdh1_OcpxPlepJR5y-v9fR61SBpMduv3KlkEHy6Hvq4ZtCy99vZQCg/s1600-h/Beans.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-PNbg4oBkkTeQ2y_zZ0GVY3uE1qdKTZR81WGZnmDIHPDh3yV6DnLbaRkTqPsq_spAjXvlpbVHRrUwcG9UBzfUFdh1_OcpxPlepJR5y-v9fR61SBpMduv3KlkEHy6Hvq4ZtCy99vZQCg/s320/Beans.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377990756087894450" /></a><br /><br />My first batch of peppers tanked. I didn't water enough (I rarely water, I like to see what Nature can do for us. Oh, and I'm awfully lazy) and the cool weather sucked the life out of them. In July or August, I purchased more pepper plants to toss into the garden, and coddled them a bit...we had some hot weather, and BOOM goes the peppers. Hurrah! (FINALLY!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEK32FsZaD08jh9f5b218MQmnFLYhn_mzV72_F40avyVLgzxYXxzzOxbagqjep1WZyH9vVDSTxYC0WTpBhfl0jilDOFEDF1h5umTnURHJnBeMbXT-UKb9GP8FMAPzQOJp1RivBnAWuio/s1600-h/Peppers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEK32FsZaD08jh9f5b218MQmnFLYhn_mzV72_F40avyVLgzxYXxzzOxbagqjep1WZyH9vVDSTxYC0WTpBhfl0jilDOFEDF1h5umTnURHJnBeMbXT-UKb9GP8FMAPzQOJp1RivBnAWuio/s320/Peppers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377990749815396882" /></a><br /><br />Finally, the carrots. Oh dear God, the carrots. Every couple years I get a wild hair to grow carrots. We love them! We all eat them! Let's grow 'em!<br />But the vigilance to make them grow up right...I can only commit that kind of dedication to raising my kids. Thinning them out to prevent overcrowding is not my thing (um, that's why we only have 2 kids, too) so I end up with this gnarled insane gross mess:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE7jy_8VUVj-j7cW_dQNaVJcSGN_sBpECwLXKHP887mtDjaGTw9xgYh_Y7Ce1u0NMZlZXWUZB_w00cGNQ7kUScz_0ubwhdcI68uCR8zaHdumb03k2d7eJJSms5qSrYvnilk_W0ffoEnQ/s1600-h/Carrots.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE7jy_8VUVj-j7cW_dQNaVJcSGN_sBpECwLXKHP887mtDjaGTw9xgYh_Y7Ce1u0NMZlZXWUZB_w00cGNQ7kUScz_0ubwhdcI68uCR8zaHdumb03k2d7eJJSms5qSrYvnilk_W0ffoEnQ/s320/Carrots.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377990740371677586" /></a><br />I put one in Char's lunchbox to freak her out at lunchtime. She came home and said it was really weird and no, no one liked it in there at all. Kids have no sense of humor.<br />Anyway, they were still tasty enough, so I grated 'em and froze em for off-season use. <br /><br />I don't know why my pictures are all tiny, so sorry about that. That's kind of the summary of summer stuff. I've been canning tomato sauce made with cherry tomatoes for the past few weeks and have about 7 pints in the pantry now. Making it with the cherry tomatoes has been a colossal pain in the ass, but what're you going to do? I've been adding in our little yellow pear tomatoes and they make for a really nice sauce.<br /><br />Happy growing!Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-41841419514241257882009-07-25T21:47:00.000-07:002009-07-26T10:38:32.674-07:00Garden in July - the hitsSo yeah, I had some missteps. And that is just the veggie garden! Not touching the flowers and such! Here are some of the more promising developments in the ol' garden.<br /><br />1) I like the square foot gardening method. The boxes are attractive and orderly, and some day, when I get my act together, the garden will be a little more like a retreat kind of place. I'm a fan.<br /><br />2) We have about 8 tomato plants, in two boxes. One box is producing a lot more ripe fruit than the other, mostly grape and cherry tomatoes, but now the Black Krims are coming in (as of today) - cannot wait to try them!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYtUslpJPmxikDSSAdethgshrtrmdDNviHaPibrvPZHMXOKt92Ya_fcHK3oz0awLoskBkH7VBlzC_8cNZris2rRDnNNirzP3SufDtSASmckRwrbAA63tv44c2ALj07CfjWCb_KEgE8Hw/s1600-h/securedownload+(3).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYtUslpJPmxikDSSAdethgshrtrmdDNviHaPibrvPZHMXOKt92Ya_fcHK3oz0awLoskBkH7VBlzC_8cNZris2rRDnNNirzP3SufDtSASmckRwrbAA63tv44c2ALj07CfjWCb_KEgE8Hw/s320/securedownload+(3).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819299444220658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZxSfo8x3kswXiHMXcRpq4bCN2XLgBi3At99esAeUnG6HZrfQZMSFS3u0XJVGaeod1-xha5MbtwLcCtlPD9i5OVN9pmdol5R4H2tal07nsZTP8ixihpO7jNTyf1Uny2UWeY6_fwY6888/s1600-h/securedownload+(2).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZxSfo8x3kswXiHMXcRpq4bCN2XLgBi3At99esAeUnG6HZrfQZMSFS3u0XJVGaeod1-xha5MbtwLcCtlPD9i5OVN9pmdol5R4H2tal07nsZTP8ixihpO7jNTyf1Uny2UWeY6_fwY6888/s320/securedownload+(2).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819294765190770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtluOmrmhnpsUsHRz51IO49o0RDBuKNY8Kr4fjnUqMhBVKzEWU-Hdr4z1wbAwx2R_rSX747gCkfvuGERGwj1yxIkJt1akx3e7QUI2P6AVfipSCtRt63fd4-nRNGyvMBW-22sgZFX94-9M/s1600-h/securedownload.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtluOmrmhnpsUsHRz51IO49o0RDBuKNY8Kr4fjnUqMhBVKzEWU-Hdr4z1wbAwx2R_rSX747gCkfvuGERGwj1yxIkJt1akx3e7QUI2P6AVfipSCtRt63fd4-nRNGyvMBW-22sgZFX94-9M/s320/securedownload.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819288376241602" /></a><br /><br />3) Broccoli - We are so happy that we grow broccoli. It grew nicely this year, though a couple times we missed our harvest time and they started to get flowers/bolt/whatever you call it before we could get to it. Dang.<br /><br />4) Lettuce - From May on, we've enjoyed salad after salad after salad. Right now, our romaine is all done, but we're enjoying some soft, loose leaf type lettuce pretty regularly. Yum!<br /><br />5) Cabbage - First year growing it, and so far so good. Harvested one head, made a slaw, it was good!<br /><br />6) Sugar Snap Peas - First year, again, and delish!!! Loved picking 'em right off the vine and popping out the peas and noshing on 'em. Mmm.<br /><br />7) Bush Beans - Just about the only thing we grew from seed that grew well. I have blanched and frozen tons of the beans (and broccoli) for use in the fall/winter. We used a lot for dinners, and they taste so much better when you eat them 10 feet away from where you picked them!<br /><br />8) Random structures - As my small wire "supports" became epic FAILS, I started hauling through the random pieces of wood in the garage rafters and constructing more stable supports for tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. They are totally hillbilly rigged, with twine and chicken wire accents, but they do the job nicely. I think when fall comes I'll start making more permanent structures for next year. Maybe starting it in the fall will keep my memory fresh as to JUST HOW HUGE tomatoes, zucchini, etc. get! Looking at the pictures, maybe they should be back in the MISSES post! But they are getting it done.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ2bUKcMHdIgA1pls2dbvClbG_LkBbmVIxJgkYxVEngyMRUCKkthIQU1vdOjwKJrrMrBd2bxkt3A3jMF7J1qzWVSUCkIvJ3L0OzyWY7cVX1GcZROrOFezlZtJx0roWA5D6RVJu6efH_s/s1600-h/tomatoes+before.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ2bUKcMHdIgA1pls2dbvClbG_LkBbmVIxJgkYxVEngyMRUCKkthIQU1vdOjwKJrrMrBd2bxkt3A3jMF7J1qzWVSUCkIvJ3L0OzyWY7cVX1GcZROrOFezlZtJx0roWA5D6RVJu6efH_s/s320/tomatoes+before.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819435426052898" /></a> Tomatoes before supports<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDc5RgeoKERgg6Lnd8nFtqDTwy0TeMcU1MUHc8w4sWQJKwDUTNxtd3vcbna_t5b5zT-pq1yBFlZK7hETWlsNGUJYU_RUAWTdAQXCgpPfZRMyuiDaDj_qCK6oD_Qo-j8N1GyXJmj_1RpI/s1600-h/tomato+support+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDc5RgeoKERgg6Lnd8nFtqDTwy0TeMcU1MUHc8w4sWQJKwDUTNxtd3vcbna_t5b5zT-pq1yBFlZK7hETWlsNGUJYU_RUAWTdAQXCgpPfZRMyuiDaDj_qCK6oD_Qo-j8N1GyXJmj_1RpI/s320/tomato+support+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819429852116274" /></a> Tomato support structure 1<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip67PkytD6W09d6tkPB7Rm1Cin3U5J2SQy8YrGTQSP9IIaICpxtyVIY_nbhtYQrbBQAfwlbtCMY2vo8qR8JQNvqeS1xEcbQm2fg1UPK4tzbbm0PatM_sZkbGiG8oSMjXvB6OaLfIf5dJo/s1600-h/tomato+support+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip67PkytD6W09d6tkPB7Rm1Cin3U5J2SQy8YrGTQSP9IIaICpxtyVIY_nbhtYQrbBQAfwlbtCMY2vo8qR8JQNvqeS1xEcbQm2fg1UPK4tzbbm0PatM_sZkbGiG8oSMjXvB6OaLfIf5dJo/s320/tomato+support+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819424263251618" /></a> Hey, it was all random wood from the rafters, it ain't pretty!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLKUe11KguZhDeyk-bqB-7fuUPbMSHs9el9sW6Xmhrc97605lqbnYfuOYC4bfkvI_IiCUGfT_-aTablfdKKsExckieorPrKKAmhpVL154VLvq2HzREA1uIUw1h_0MsU-GA_JJd3L_Izk/s1600-h/cuke+trellis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 97px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLKUe11KguZhDeyk-bqB-7fuUPbMSHs9el9sW6Xmhrc97605lqbnYfuOYC4bfkvI_IiCUGfT_-aTablfdKKsExckieorPrKKAmhpVL154VLvq2HzREA1uIUw1h_0MsU-GA_JJd3L_Izk/s320/cuke+trellis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819304293231234" /></a> Ahh, the cucumber cage. Someone said it looks like a jail. I guess the chicken wire resembles barbed wire a bit.<br /><br />The structure I WAS actually proud of was my strawberry pyramid (also from scrap wood in the garage). However, it took a beating from the dog (see misses).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRLAKn5tPiEuMpRblbr1UuEqTNy41Z5Zk5eYpY8QeVeLEzuzGbBtPmSDyZ_7zNlPIakJNzhL7xqDTvNe9BNWFzmADT6rDORdFy59MR-YiBz4vIkev_K0MWQ1-xlXcrPaBWDDVHhNk96M/s1600-h/038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRLAKn5tPiEuMpRblbr1UuEqTNy41Z5Zk5eYpY8QeVeLEzuzGbBtPmSDyZ_7zNlPIakJNzhL7xqDTvNe9BNWFzmADT6rDORdFy59MR-YiBz4vIkev_K0MWQ1-xlXcrPaBWDDVHhNk96M/s320/038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362823535499929010" /></a><br /><br /><br />9) Onions - We've had tons. None of them are getting HUGE like the ones you'd buy at the store. I've been picking them for green onion use, and some of the smaller bulbed ones for burgers and cooking. Is it because SFG doesn't go deep enough for them to really settle in and get huge? I really wanted to dry some, too. They are delish, though!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMd7jh3w9PkNu07JQFiBqzOkvhbDK9GGfzDG8vYYmyUjCrP4LhPpFzwsv3bFjuKVR4OI9UlWTwkt3AT7e_IzIpfgFjtPVTtX5fxVNrJT81kT_TmMWK98x3HG4clMSwt78kK1IpPWYKAE/s1600-h/7-7g.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMd7jh3w9PkNu07JQFiBqzOkvhbDK9GGfzDG8vYYmyUjCrP4LhPpFzwsv3bFjuKVR4OI9UlWTwkt3AT7e_IzIpfgFjtPVTtX5fxVNrJT81kT_TmMWK98x3HG4clMSwt78kK1IpPWYKAE/s320/7-7g.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362819303819351442" /></a><br /><br />10) Raspberries - OH MY GOSH - they grew out of control in the spring. Canes sprouted up EVERYWHERE and we just kind of ran with it. Cut down a whole bunch of them, let a whole bunch more stay where they were, and have been munching on tasty raspberries all summer, just about. It seems like production is dying down a little, not sure if it is because we just had a huge storm, or just end of season for them. But I've been loving picking it straight from the plant and popping 'em in my mouth - the kids have, too!<br /><br />Anyway, though I don't think the harvest numbers are anywhere near impressive enough to say "oh, we saved a ton by growing our own veggies this summer" I have still kept somewhat track of what we've yielded. Obviously some stuff didn't get weighed (especially berries, as they were just munched outside!). Here's the rundown (in pounds):<br /><br />Lettuce: 5.05 (We didn't weigh all of it in the early harvesting days of May)<br />Strawberries: 1 (that made it into the house for weighing)<br />Raspberries: 1.05 (ditto to above)<br />Broccoli: 4.58<br />Beans: 2.22<br />Sugar Snap Peas: 1.15 (see strawberry and raspberry thing)<br />Tomatoes (Grape): 1.38<br />Tomatoes (Cherry): 1.54<br />Tomatoes (Black Krim): 1.3<br />Tomatoes (Yellow): 1.10 (That was just one tomato!)<br />Onions: 2.14<br />Cabbage: 1.25<br />Cucumbers: 2.09<br />Zucchini: 2.66<br /><br />I thought I saw, at some point, a counter widget for blogs that you could use to track your harvest...anyone know where I can find that?<br /><br />How is YOUR garden growing?Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-75614700419910264172009-07-25T20:47:00.000-07:002009-07-26T10:10:15.889-07:00Garden in July - the missesAs always, a garden has certain wild card elements. Some in my control, some out of my control. This year is no different.<br /> <br />Here are some of the issues I've faced this season:<br /><br />1) Compost heap: I had a dream. A dream of compost piles in the back corner of the yard. No tumbler, just heaps. And then the ugly rodent situation reared its ugly little head again, and I ditched that idea. Not ditched it, but put it on hold until I can get a tumbler.<br /><br />2) Rain barrels: After getting all excited because our water reclamation center was selling them, I didn't buy 'em. A friend said he had old clean barrels I could have, and then we didn't hang out for awhile, kind of forgot, and then each time it rained I just got pissed as I remembered I wanted rain barrels. <br /><br />3) Cauliflower: There was some mildewy yuk on the heads when they started to come up, and after cutting it back and waiting for new heads to come up, they didn't really co me up. I pulled it up to clear space for peppers (see #6)<br /><br />4) Broccolini and Broccoli Raab: Neither grew well. Spindly and didn't really look "right" - a real shame as my grocery store no longer carries broccolini and we miss it. Horribly.<br /><br />5) Supports: So I thought that the metal square cages - you know the ones? They can fold flat, but they can be put like a long fence, or folded into squares around plants? Anyway, thought I was all slick, used those along the back of my boxes to support tomatoes. How do I have the selective memory that allows me to forget HOW DAMN HEAVY tomatoes get??? Every year I forget. Anyway, they were obviously not strong enough to support my plants and I had to modify my plans and rig something up. Ghetto, but functional. See upcoming "HITS" post to see the pics. Maybe it should be in "MISSES" - you be the judge!<br /><br />6) Zucchini takes up a LOT of space. As does watermelon. And butternut squash. And if you think you can shove a bunch of any of these in a 4x4 box, and try to slip something else in there...just don't. I had peppers planted in the back box with a variety of HUGE things, and ended up transplanting them to other boxes. They weren't really thriving where they were (I had them in a couple boxes) and they seem to have perked up a bit since being transplanted.<br /><br />7) I guess my strawberries were mostly June-bearing. What a gyp. Great for those few weeks, and now we're strawberry-less. Sigh. Will have to remedy that next year. Also, my beautiful strawberry pyramid that I fashioned out of spare wood in the garage rafters? Yeah. Almost entirely dug into by THAT DANG DOG. In fairness, it was in her fervored pursuit of the rodents mentioned above, so I had a hard time being too angry. But it still sucked.<br /><br />8) Square foot gardening is both boon and bane. Love it in so many ways. However, was lulled into thinking that with the landscape fabric underneath, there would be minimal weeding. DUH except for the ones that come from airborne sources. Or sneak over from the lawn. DUH, Amy.<br /><br />9) I need to get things in order. As usual, I let things go, and have great ideas on paper at the beginning of the season, and then...well, life happens and I have half finished projects all over the place and that happened in the garden, too. I put in a brick pathway between two of the front boxes. Um...I am not good at this. I am going to get a pretty wood sign to put over it that reads "Ankle Breaker" in another language. It's a bit uneven, and not super great, but I am still proud of it. Ish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZy5p2X1dbySvi2GgLF2-okcUoxR_FY5zvUFr7FC96r_c7QWvM8OpFC4n4KYGR4eb0wleQ__bqikWLIm2zesnbhVwnGpc-syWxJCEHMEfoQQeYxmF6lyCq5obICBsRde3Rc7eKQVAV3s/s1600-h/securedownload+(18).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZy5p2X1dbySvi2GgLF2-okcUoxR_FY5zvUFr7FC96r_c7QWvM8OpFC4n4KYGR4eb0wleQ__bqikWLIm2zesnbhVwnGpc-syWxJCEHMEfoQQeYxmF6lyCq5obICBsRde3Rc7eKQVAV3s/s320/securedownload+(18).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362627158597780578" /></a><br /><br />Stay tuned for the "Hits"...Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5671826061243604196.post-30955975430802488842009-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:07:09.139-07:00Garden pics - June 14thHere's some pics from today showing the garden progress this season...<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F24036440%40N03%2Fsets%2F72157619670631367%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F24036440%40N03%2Fsets%2F72157619670631367%2F&set_id=72157619670631367&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F24036440%40N03%2Fsets%2F72157619670631367%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F24036440%40N03%2Fsets%2F72157619670631367%2F&set_id=72157619670631367&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br />Following are the issues I'm facing and concerns:<br /><br />1) Cauliflower has a black weirdness on top of the head. Looks like dirt/dust, but doesn't wipe off easily<br />2) Mini-roses have black spots on the leaves. I'm actually not too concerned about that<br />3) Honeysuckle smells great, but isn't really filling out/growing as much as I had hoped<br />4) We had one little hot pepper, and something swiped it/ate it. Our peppers in the same box as tomatoes seem to be slow to grow, and I realize they have huge tomato plants in the next row, but the tomatoes are at the north end of the box<br />5) The compost heap...Sigh. I need to get cracking on this, closing it off and really dedicating myself to it and getting it going<br />6)Corn is already knee high, and it isn't July! Just waiting for it to bring some horrible pests to the garden at large<br />7) Our herbs are not taking off as well as they have in the past. I guess when a 70 degree high is a HOT day in June, it could stump some of our herbs, but I really thought I'd have a ridiculous amount of basil by now. Not so much<br />8) Does anyone know where I can find the widget-or-whatever-you-call-it that tracks how much produce you're harvesting throughout the season?<br /><br />Harvested almost 2 pounds of lettuce today, and half a pound of strawberries (awesome in comparison to the fact that we yielded about 3 strawberries - TOTAL - in 2008).<br /><br />A friend of ours gave me a new water canning pot and a case of mason jars and lids to prepare me for the fall harvest and canning season. I'm going to be making some sauce this week to jam through the rest of the tomatoes I canned last summer.<br /><br />How does YOUR garden grow???Amy Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13864770312360226508noreply@blogger.com0