The Short Lilac Season

Mmm! 

They smell divine! 

I looked out the window last week while I was sick

and realized the lilacs were blooming.

I had to go pick a few.

Today I went out to pick a few more

and it looks as if they are just about finished for the season.

My purple bush has already wrapped up.

My white bush looks as if it is about to also.

That was a short lilac season!

Until next year my dear sweet lilacs . . .

December Flowers

I can't believe it is December 1st and I still have flowers in my yard!  These babies are in a fairly protected spot up against the house and they just keep hanging on ~ which I truly don't mind ~ it's fun to look out my windows and see happy, bright colors still! 

Last night and today we have had some pretty crazy winds.  Some areas have hit up to 85-100+ mph winds!  Luckily, our house, yard and neighborhood haven't been hit too hard.  In fact, the sun is shining and the wind actually feels so fresh and invigorating out there!  I just want to go outside and play in it!

Unfortunately it looks like a windstorm has hit the inside of my house too and I really need to get things straightened back up.  I am living in chaos!  I can't wait until the mini-remodel is finished!  I haven't put out Christmas decorations yet {which is driving the kids nuts!} because we are just going to have to move things all around again to finish painting and to get the new carpets put in. ~sigh~

At least we still have those pretty flowers to look at!

Reader Request: Where To Get An Orchard Rack

The other day someone asked me where to get an orchard rack like the one I showed in this post about storing things in my "root cellar".

Years ago, people stored "keeper" crops such as apples, winter squash, onions and potatoes on rustic wooden racks like this one. The drawers are slatted to ensure good air circulation, and they slide out for easy access. For best results, the rack should be located in a cool, dark cellar or shed.

You can get them from

Gardener's Supply Company

as a

6 Drawer Orchard Rack

or a

9 Drawer Orchard Rack

You could also use baskets like these 

from Ikea that attach underneath a shelf:

I like these especially for apples.  Apples need to be stored in shallow layers so that they don't bruise each other plus it makes it easier to check on them this way. That's why I like the above two options, but half bushel baskets and slatted crates work well too.

They like nice cold temperatures, as low as 32 degrees, but can also be kept a little warmer, they just won't last quite as long. So depending on the temperature they're kept at you could possibly have fresh apples clear til spring. Wouldn't that be lovely?

But if they become softer than you'd like for fresh eating you can always serve them as baked apples or applesauce. Mmmm!

P.S.   Don't keep your stored apples near your potatoes. They don't play well together at all!

Root Storage For Winter Fresh Veggies!

So the other day we decided to run out and shoot a video!

I needed to grab a few things to stock my "root cellar"

before the farmer's markets closed for the season

and thought it might be fun to show

a few of the things I like to get.

My "root cellar" is really just a few shelves in
my basement.  It's not an official one dug into the ground. 
I showed pictures of it here with a list of some
of the other things I like to put in it.

These are the kinds of fresh foods
your ancestors used to eat before
there were ginormous grocery stores
bringing you food from near and far
at any time of year!

But making that video was kind of fun!

It was the first official one I have done
and I have a bit of learning to do
to improve the sound and picture quality!

That means I need to practice
and make more videos!

Yippee!

I wonder what my next video should be of! 

 Hmmm....

thinking...thinking...

Any suggestions?

Special thanks to my niece and nephew who helped with filming and editing!

Extending the tomato season

Today it rained.

It is supposed to rain even more 

over the next few days.

But tomorrow, the temperature 

 is supposed to plummet.

Highs of 45 degrees.

Brrr!

Time to hurry and bring in 

the rest of the garden produce

before the first hard frost

and freezing temps.

 

So today I hurried and picked

all the green tomatoes.

 Picking tomatoes in the rain.  My hands froze!

If stored properly

and taken care of,

they will continue to ripen

for quite a while.

This means, I still won't

have to go to the grocery store

for tomatoes for a while!

Hip, hip!!!

So how do you extend the tomato season?

Method 1:

Pick and lay out in a cool place.

Spread them out in shallow layers.

This is not a shallow layer!  

Shallow layers will prevent them from crushing each other

and will allow you to see which ones are ripening faster

than the others.  Be sure to check on them periodically.

Method 2:

Pull the whole plant

and hang upside down from the rafters

{or however you can get them to hang}.
Pick as they ripen.

Whichever method you choose:

Be sure to store in a cool, dry place

like a root cellar, basement or garage.

Some of my tomatoes in various stages of ripeness in  December 2007.

Using methods like these,

I have had tomatoes last clear

into December before.

It's a brilliant way to extend
your garden produce I tell you!

Sunshine and Roses!

Who says life isn't all sunshine and roses???

Well . . .

it is at my house!!!

And isn't it pretty shining through the leaves?


My wish for you all is that


love, peace and beauty


surround you!

Not Forgotten...Just Busy!

Oh my goodness!  Seriously, where has the time gone?  I thought school would start and things would finally slow down again once the kids went back, yet I'm still just as busy as ever!  I have loads of things to blog about and hardly any time to blog them!  Time and things are just slipping away from me!  I hope to be back in top blogging form here shortly.  But I hope all my stateside friends had a fabulous holiday weekend! 

We spent the weekend outside cleaning up the yard and patio.  Things had gotten a little neglected out there this summer.

So we trimmed

and raked

and weeded . . .

We even started to train 

a few of the grapevines to 

grow over to the pergolas finally!

We found a whole bunch of grapes growing underneath all the vines!  These are a Suffolk Red Seedless table grape.  We had our first harvest off them last year and oh my goodness!  They were sooo  yummy!  I can't wait until these finish ripening in a few more weeks!!!

Now that things are back in place and cleaned up a bit, I realized how cozy this corner of my yard is beginning to feel!  All shady and enclosed!  I think it is now my very most favorite part of my yard!  And dining out there as the weather begins to cool off will be a pleasure!

What did you do over the holiday weekend?

How are you kicking off the Autumn season?

Planning The Potager

I've been trying to come up with new ideas for the potager* garden.  This year I need to figure out something new for the pots on the patio. 

~ ~ ~

* Potager: 
{pot~ah~zhay} 
French.  
Decorative kitchen garden.

 ~ ~ ~

I want to grow more food, so I'm trying to come up with ideas I could put in the flower pots on the patio. I'm thinking I might want to add some height to some of them to grow some vertical climbers on.  I stopped in to Hobby Lobby today and saw these which could be kind of a fun element to add:

Speaking of vertical growers,  I already have these that I'd like to put in the  Self-Watering Raised Beds {that I haven't ordered yet} and then grow pole beans up them to help screen off the utility side of the yard.  Edible functionality ~ gotta love that!

But Hobby Lobby also had some other 

fun large ones to consider:

{they look a little screwy because 

they're stacked on the shelf ~

sorry if it's a little bit buggy on the eyes!

Hopefully you can still see what they look like.}

Or they have some smaller and thinner versions too

if your space requires something smaller:

Hobby Lobby has these on sale right now for 50% off.

Anyway!  That's what's on my mind today!

Are you planting a garden this year?
If so, what are you planting?

Getting Back Out In The Garden

Things haven't really started growing yet, but I feel it coming closer and closer everyday.  I have a friend who just planted her spring veggies.  I'm not quite ready for a spring garden yet.  I wish I was.  I just usually don't have my act together in time.

But today we finished pruning the apple espaliers

This was from a few years ago.  Right now they just look like twigs.  :D

and pruning and training the grapes 

to grow up the pergolas.

From last fall.  The first time we had grapes on them!  And they were TASTY!!!

I'm trying to convince my husband to get rid of the hot tub {that needs a new motor, that we haven't fixed for over two years!} so that I can place some new garden boxes on the patio to grow more food.  I want four of these {ideally}, in the bronze finish.

Self-Watering Raised Bed, in Bronze

I really love the idea of self-watering containers.  I want to switch all my pots and planters out to them so that when I take off on vacation I don't have to worry about getting someone to water my plants for me. It's a brilliant idea I tell you!  Plus, I hear that plants do really well in them.

Food prices are going up again but I love the feeling of being able to grow and provide food for my family.  It's a nice feeling.

Lovely Herbs

Oh the simple, most lovely things!

via Style Me Pretty

Do you think there is one for health?

Yes, I'm still sick ~
I just needed something lovely to look at.
{and dream about ~ I can't wait to get out into the garden!}

Enjoy!

Talking To Your Plants

I'm sure you've heard before that talking to your plants is beneficial to them.  They grow better {or something}.  So yesterday as we were doing some final yard clean up before our first really big winter storm hits, Big Sis and I discussed it.

We wondered, what sorts of things do you say to plants anyway?

Do you just talk to them like they're a friend?  "Hey!  How's it going?"

Do you talk about the weather?  "So!  Nice weather we're having!"

Do you just shower them with compliments all the time?   "You look pretty today.  Yes you do!  You are so pretty!"

It reminds me of the MythBusters episode where they actually tested this theory out.  I don't remember the outcome though but do remember scenes of them telling plants nice things vs. shouting mean things at them.

We decided that whatever you do you must talk from a loving point of view.  I believe no one {or anything} will flourish in an environment filled with hate.

Now I've never really talked to my plants before this.  So what did we end up saying to our plants yesterday?

Well, to the rosebushes as we harvested the rose hips off, we thanked them.  Thanked them for showering us with so many beautiful blooms this year.  We thanked them for offering us highly nutritious rose hips {they're a powerhouse of Vitamin C, peeps!} that will continue to bless us through the cold and flu season.  We thanked them for offering them to us and to the birds who will also enjoy them throughout the winter.  We thanked them for filling the measure of their creation.

To the sad little bush in the front yard that was struggling with a lot of deadwood.  We cut it back almost to the ground like a neighbor with the same {healthy} bush does.  And told it how much we love it and just want it to be healthy.  Followed up with, "this hurts me more than it hurts you!"    :D

Do you believe in talking to your plants?  What sorts of things do you or would you say to your plants?