Randomness

Meet Luke & Emily! They were ever so kind enough to come over and climb up to the top of the pergola to help me finish staining it! I was able to use a neighbor's ladder and stain the under side of the entire thing, but I just couldn't get myself topside. I climbed to the top of the ladder several times...but NO WAY! 

Mom was over so I got to pose with some of my veggies for this picture--Check out the tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers and artichoke!! The rose is from my garden too!

Mom ROCKS!! She found this patio set--hexagonal table & six chairs for under $200!! She then rented a truck and delivered it to my house! Karen (Luke & Emily's mom) and Luke were kind enough to come and help unload while I was still at work. What a fun surprise to come home to! I can't wait to have some folks over!!!

Again, many thanks to mom for helping out and to a neighbor for lending a ladder--I have TWINKLE LIGHTS! Those who have known me long know that this has been a long-held desire of mine--I'm way excited!

Today's Harvest 8/9/08

Just a quick couple of pictures of today's harvest--it was pretty impressive. Three good sized cucumbers, TWELVE tomatoes & a tiny artichoke. Plus a couple great flowers--I LOVE this red flower--it really looks brighter than the picture shows.

   

Veggie Update 8-8-08

Tomatoes are ripening faster than I can eat them--I harvest 3-5 a day! And they're pretty good size too! :-)
Artichokes seem pretty happy--though I continue to battle aphids. The ants are helping me, and I'm still trying to figure out what the draw is for the wasps...there are nearly always 5-6 wasps around the artichokes. They don't bother me; I don't bother them. 

The cauliflower is gone, and I've decided to take advantage of the "space" and plant more spinach. The spinach is happiest in shady spots, so I think it will do alright under the shade of the broccoli & tomatoes. 

Cucumbers are starting to look better, though there are still some plants which are pretty yellow. Butterfly bushes are nearly as tall as me--now I know that's not saying too much...

Today's harvest! Time to harvest the first artichoke--which I enjoyed for dinner! (Once I sprayed out the aphids...ARGH.) 

My big adventure for the week? I MOWED MY OWN LAWN. I know it's a bit pathetic that I've never done that before, but tonight was the first time! Of course, I wasn't as coordinated (or confident) as mom is and Winnie was bummed that I wasn't tossing the ball at every pass. 
   

Fruits of my Labor (part 2)

Roses from my front yard, butterfly-bush blooms & the first of my dinner plate dahlias--so fun to go outside and gather flowers from my own yard and get to enjoy them inside. 

So I'm not entirely sure what kind of flower this is...not what I thought I planted, but I'm quite pleased with it--this is one of the most beautiful flowers in my yard!
I planted several Hollyhocks, and this is the first one to bloom. They always remind me of my grandmother. She told me of how when she and her sisters were kids they would use clothespins and made dolls using the hollyhock blooms as dresses. 

I went outside this morning and saw the biggest & most beautiful butterfly in my flowers. I just sat and watched her for as long as she hung out, just thanking God for such beauty in my own backyard. 

She just fluttered around, sucking the nectar out of flower after flower...

   

Fruits of my Labor (part 1)

My kitchen window sill--full of tomatoes & check out my rose! It's so pretty--this is from my newest bush. Last night I invited mom, Sam, Ed, Kadie & Hahn (& briefly Melissio) over for dinner and games. We had burgers with garden fresh tomatoes & cucumbers, garden salad with Kadie's homegrown lettuce, my tomatoes, cucumbers, & broccoli, pasta salad with Kadie's homegrown cherry tomatoes & basil, and my very yummy jalapeno poppers!! :-)

Here are the jalapenos! These little jewels have been hiding between the tomatoes & cauliflower all summer--very mild and tasty. I made poppers with cream cheese, cheddar, bacon bits stuffed and then battered & fried--very gooey! 

Here are a couple shots of my artichokes--I'm getting way excited about these!!!

Wow!
Tomatoes!