Fall Garden!

I haven't posted anything from my garden this year so I thought I would post some things that are still growing now.

 First of all I grew this one tomato plant that was called a Biltmore highbred!  It was a nice growing plant, it didn't yield very many tomatoes but the ones that I did get were amazing.  Only one of them had cracks in it and they were all huge.  The last one I picked was 1 pound 6.6 ounces and it was amazing!  Here is a picture of the tomato and a picture of it on a BLT I made tonight.  It gives you an idea of how big around and meaty it was!  And it tasted so good.

I still have plenty of herbs growing!  I have a parsley pot and Oregano growing on the deck.  I also have Rosemary and Sweet Basil growing here with my Thyme (that never dies) and a small Lavender plant.

I have a couple of tomato plants struggling to ripen the fruit, a yellow cayenne, a Jalapeno, a purple Pino Nior and a sweet Orange pepper that have tons of peppers on them but it just hasn't been warm enough for them to ripen.  It is supposed to be in the mid 80's for a couple of days so hopefully that will help.

I planted my green beans in mid July and they are going strong and these Tomatillo's just won't quit.  I started with 4 plants, I made a batch of green enchilada sauce and now I am just waiting to get a few more to make some green salsa!

Now the last thing I will show you is the start of my beet plants coming up.  Hopefully the weather won't turn to cold before they mature.  This is the first time I have ever grown them.  Then look at these to lonely acorn squash's that are left.  I ended up with 5 all together from the one plant.

Well that is it for my Garden news.  I will let you know how my beets do and how the green salsa turns out.

I hope you have a happy and healthy fall!

Hugs,

Ronda

Where does your food come from?

Happy Labor Day!  I hope you enjoyed your weekend!  I did but not at a fun camp ground or a lake!  My vacation comes in a couple weeks.  But first I have to get all my canning done.  Why do I do this all summer, every summer?  Yes, I grow several gardens of flowers, herbs and vegetables!  And then after all the hard work of getting them planted I get a bit of a break.  We took a vacation up to Munising MI to see the Pictured Rocks and explored lots of water falls.

Yesterday I used up the rest of the cucumbers.  I had quite a few, but they get kind of bitter at the end of the season.  So I peeled them, chopped them and made some dill relish.  I have made it before just winging it but this time I went to Pinterest a got a recipe to follow.  So I have to give credit here.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/62768988542014463/

This is how it looks, along with a few jars of tomato juice I canned too.  I just used up what was in the house.

I hope it taste good.  There wasn't any left to taste.

I love to dry herbs too, so at any giving time, you will find this in my kitchen.  I dry them and the put them in jars.  Some times I crush them and others I just leave hole.  I store them in the basement and I give them away too.

Here is another picture of some tomato juice I canned.  I think it is so pretty!

I rescued this beauty!  It had tipped over by the wind so I had to bring it in.

That its for today!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy Healthy Life,

Ronda

Monday Monday!

Well School started today for a lot of kids!  I sure am happy that those days are gone for me.  I have been busy canning tomatoes!  I did 14 jars of salsa on Saturday.  When I put them away in the basement I counted 13 more jars from an earlier batch this year and from last year.  I think that will last me and I will be giving some away.

I grow a lot of herbs and dry them and then I store them in mushroom jars in the basement.  So at any time all summer long you will see herbs drying around the house.  Yesterday I ground some up for my son.  He loves the red pepper flakes and one plant gives you so many peppers.  I hang them in my kitchen window.  It goes with my south western décor!  Once they are dry or a while later because I like them hanging there, I will put them in a gallon bag in the basement.

The lighting wasn't very good for the peppers but they do look pretty hanging up there.

My son is getting Sweet Basil, Hot Red Pepper, Sage and Rosemary.  I left some of the Sage and Rosemary whole.  I love the flavor that a whole sprig of Rosemary gives a roast.  I just lay it on top.  In the summer of course it is a fresh sprig.

Well that's it for today and as always for all of your paper crafting needs, please visit my website at paperdivas.ctmh.com.

These Bashful products will retire on August 31 so get them while you can and make sure you visit the clearance section on my website.  There are awesome deals to be found there.

https://paperdivas.closetomyheart.com/Retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=159.

Have a great week,

Hugs,  Ronda

Growing the garden!

How is your garden doing this year?  Mine sure is shaping up!  The raised bed we put in this year and filling it with organic soil and tons of compost from my bin and my Mom's has really paid off.  Here are a few pics to show you how it is doing!

 This tomato plant is growing out of my compost bin.  It has gotten pretty big and it is loaded with blossoms!

 These are tomato plants in the old part of the garden in earth bags and some in the ground and a random pepper plant.  One of these plants has 15 large tomatoes on it now.

 This is the new raised bed.  I planted Roma's in here and they are loaded.

 Here are some peppers in the new raised bed.  I don't know what kind they are because the birds took all the plastic labels.  But they are not doing to bad.

 My carrots are coming along quite well in the raised bed.  I am thinning them just about every other day!  I have one Brussel sprout plant.  I have never grown them before.  It is huge.

 Here are the red skin potatoes and the pole beans I am trying desperately to get going.  I keep putting seeds in every couple of weeks just so I'm sure to get some.  They seem to be taking off now.

and her are my cucumbers that I am hoping to get tons from.  I have 2 pickling plants.  My pantry is completely out, so I am hoping for a good crop.

Well there you have it for the veggie garden.  Good luck with yours and thanks for looking.

And like always, paperdivas.ctmh.com. has all your paper crafting needs.

Ronda

Feed the Bee's!!!!

Happy June everyone!

Today I want to share some pictures of the herbs I have let flower.  In this little garden I have Sage, which is the one with all the purple flowers.  Behind it is Thyme with the little white flowers and to the left is Lemon Thyme which is just beginning to flower.

I don't normally let my herbs flower but I really wanted to feed the Bee's.  They love these sage flowers so much and they are beautiful.

On the far right you can see some garlic growing.  I usually have a lot more than this but I had such a huge crop of it last year and I am still using it, I didn't plant a lot of it.

In another garden I have my chives, which are a pain in the rear if they start seeding but I love these flowers.  Have you ever tasted one?  Spicy!

The Bee's really like these too!

When the herbs are done flowering I will cut them back and feed my compost bin with them, except for the chive flowers.  They go in a lawn bag because they re-seed like mad.

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful summer and I will post again soon.

And as usual, for all your paper crafting needs or ideas, please visit my website at paperdivas.ctmh.com.

Ronda