Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

Okay, I know I am really pretty late in writing this post, but I just couldn't miss out on Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! I have been so busy with school. I had to right a report for my English 111 class that has been taking professor, she has been va bit of time. Not by any fault of myery helpful, the reason this has taken so long, is because I decided to change what I was going to write on two days ago! I just finished it, and thought that I owed it to myself to get this blog post up. I mean, I have preparing it for how many days, a lot! So this is pretty cool, my mom is starting her cookbook (finally!), it has been like pulling teeth in order to get her to do this. She is probably the best chef that is on the face of this planet. So this week it has been a nonstop cook-a-thon, just so that we can get pictures of all of her food! It would be me who is taking all of the pictures, since I am the one that owns the really cool camera! Anyway enough about this, lets get out hands dirty in the garden! It sort of feels odd writing and seeing all the pictures of leaves since it is snowing outside! Ahhh, the first snow! Okay, I am ready to pack up the luggage and go to Puerto Rico, yeah! I will have to post some pics of my trip to Puerto Rico, and hopefully when I go next summer you will all get the chance to see and travel with me in the pictures that I bring back. Any who, enough of the tropics...brrr its cold!

Read More

Let us take this time to honor all of the veterans that have served America both today and in the past. It takes a lot of guts to put their lives out on the line all the time, and I think that it is fitting that we at least set aside one day to commemorate their heroism. As I am sure you all have heard the saying, "Freedom is Free." It is these young men and women that give us the opportunity to enjoy this Freedom, and for that I am extremely grateful! Today remember to say thanks to a veteran, and to remember all that they have done to keep America great!

~God Bless America

Read More

Painting a Passion

So I thought that I would break away from the usual garden "stuff" I usually post on, and instead head off in a new direction today. While surfing Blotanical (a blog site that catalogs different gardening blogs) I discovered, in a round about way, a blog called Never Enough Time, and might I say, she inspired me! Balisha (the owner of the blog) was talking about how she loves to paint, and how painting has helped her look at the true beauty of nature and the world around her. As I was reading this blog post, as I recommend all of you to do the same, it became clear to me that I too must share one of my life passions with you. That passion is, the passion of art.
Oh how I love art. When I was young, and I know all the old people on this blog will tell me that I am still young, I would always be drawing. And like all kids, I would draw whenever, wherever, and on whatever I could. I will not lie, this got me into a lot of trouble, especially when I started drawing on the doors, walls, and my mom's wood furnishing. Don't worry though, I got smart, I started writing other's names instead of my own...Ah, go'da love that old noggin of mine!
I can remember when I was younger, my best friend Zack and I would always be drawing things, whether they were comics, cartoons, or just anything! I quickly grew out of the comic and cartoon stage, and moved onto greater things. At the age of 16, I coerced my mother to let me take art lessons. For the longest time I had wanted to paint, my mom had painted when she was younger, and still had some of her pieces of art work around the house. This made me want to paint even more. One of the family's oldest and dearest friends, had taken art work from a lady who is absolutely the Michale Angelo of her time! So I convinced my mom, that if she would drive me to art lessons, I would pay for the supplies and everything else. It WORKED, Mom agreed, and since then I have loved every moment of it.
The first picture that I painted was A Painted Bunting. For my first painting, I am very proud, many people do not believe me when I tell them that it was my first painting ever. But alas, it is true *blush*!
The second picture that I did is Puerto Rican Mission, this picture was one that I took when I was visiting some of my relatives in PR. It is one of the many Puerto Rican missions there, but I think that it is my favorite out of them all.
Last but shirly not least is the most recent one that I am working on. This is a picture of a Pawpaw Flower. For those of you who do not know what a pawpaw flower is, I will explain. A pawpaw is a type of native American fruit that tastes much like mix between a banana and a mango, very tropical! In the spring time the trees get little black flowers the adorn the limbs of these trees, and that is what I was painting. . . a pawpaw flower!

Read More

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

Hey all, today is well, obviously October 15. But you may not of known is that today is "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day,"This event was started by Carol who also has a blog. To find her blog just click "HERE." Basically the whole deal with this event is were you post your pics of ALL (or in this case some) of the pictures that I have taken this year. This is my first time I have ever done Garden's Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Here are some pictures of the zinnias that I grew this year. When I was mowing the grass my mower had grabbed one of the flowers and viciously pulled it off. I couldn't make myself throw this flower away, so I decided that I would do a photo shoot. I think I took 192 photos!
These photos turned out great!
I don't know about you all, but I know that my zinnias turned out GREAT this year. They were really beautiful this year.

I also grew a pie pumpkin this year. This was first that I have ever grown pumpkins, I actually grew it by accident. We had actually thrown some pumpin seeds into the compost bin, and there it grew. I saw that plant and left it there, sure enough all of my other squash plants died and this one plant survived and PRODUCED!

I also for the first time I grew Sun flowers, I planted 3 plants and had a great result. They filled up a whole 24oz jar plus one head that I grew for the birds and other animals. They got so BIG, I will be defiantly growing them again next year, and hopefully if I have room, some more too! Maybe later I will post some of the pictures that I have of the sunflowers when they weren't dried. The only thing that I had a problem with, was the spittle bugs that spat all over my sunflowers and basil. I thoroughly despise spittle bugs!

I also grew this year, along with last year, some pink prairie mallow that I bought from Jung's Nursery. That is one online nursery that I really enjoy shopping at! The mallow turned out so nicely this year, with lots of blooms, that just covered the plant. There was an added bonus as shown by the picture, Bees love it! So if you need help with pollination, you may want to consider planting some Pink Prairie Mallow , the leaves are also edible!

I hope you all enjoyed some of the pictures that I posted, I would have put up more (which I have plenty of,) but decided not to.

Oh but I forgot this one, and cannot leave it out. It was early in the morning when I was looking outside and saw at my feeder two finches. I couldn't help but take some pictures, as that my camera is always nearby. Here is one of them!

Read More

Saving Seeds, Part V Cucumbers

Alright, don't lie, who doesn't like a good Cuke every once in a while...That is unless it gives you gas! UGH! To dedicate the who cucumber post I am going to be posting my very first video! *Round of Applause* The basic gist of this movie is about how organic foods are better for you in a commical way with a little Star Wars twist! I found this really funny when I saw it on "The Thoughtful Vegan" blog site! The quality of the movie is also great. So without further adue. . .




Now for the seriousness of the matter. Cucumbers are such a fun plant to grow! There are all different shapes, sizes, and colors! The most recent variety that I have grown is an heirloom variety called Lemon Cucumber Cucumis sativus. This is such a fun variety that has interest too, so if you have kids or grandkids, this is something you might want to try to get them interested in the art of gardening!
If you are going to start harvesting seeds from a cucumber you have to make one sacrifice, one that is very hard to do. . .
I don't know if I can say it. . .
No I must say it. . .
Ok here it goes. . .
You have to let it get WAY over ripe! I know it is hard to believe it but it is true. I know that each time I tried to harvest seeds any other way, they were always too unripe! So be sure that you have some really, really ripe cukes!
When you cut it, make sure you cut it horizontal to were the stem was, or if that was hard to understand, cut it like you would cut a grapefruit! Don't cut it the way I cut it in the picture. I must of got carried away, because I cut it the wrong way! This will insure that you do not cut any seeds in half. With a spoon scoop out all of the seeds in the same way you would with a melon.
or anything, the onlyNow cucumber are easy when it comes to seeds, as that you don't have to wash them thing you have to do is let them dry on a paper towel in a room full of air circulation.
Once the seeds are done they should be, plump and firm like the ones that you would plant.

Read More

Saving Seeds, Part IV Snapdragons

Alright, so I know that it has been such a long time since I have posted. What is new! So I figured that I would continue the seed saving series that I started ALONG TIME AGO! I think I left off with the peppers...So that means I am doing a series on....Snapdragons! Hey, who doesn't like snapdragons. Snapdragons have been around since the Roman times, they used to use them around the ancient temples. The first cultivated variety of snapdragons was first recorded by Carl von Linne in 1753. So yeah, they have been around for a long while.
I can remember when I was really young (each time I say this, all the old people just look at me!) My mom used to grow snapdragons in all different colors; form yellow, red, orange, white, and pink. I use to always go up to them and start to pinch them at their joints to make them talk. Being so small, I could never get the silly things to open their mouths! I would get so frustrated, I would eventually bruise the poor plants and the flower would usually fall off from the shear torment of the thing! To this day I still find it a challenge to make the snapdragons open their mouths! So if you have any secret to doing this, let me know.
Obviously you will need to have some simple supplies; your fingers (duh,) plastic bags, and bowl to place seeds in.
I like to wait until my seed pods are completely dry before I harvest them, as this way I can be absolutely sure they are dry. Once I find that the seeds are dried, You will want to harvest them into a bowl. When all of the seed pods are in the bowl, you will want to crush the exterior shell, this will release all of the seeds and allow you to have easy access to them. When all of the seeds have been taken out of the seed pods, remove the remaining shells out the seeds, so that you are left with pure black seeds. The snapdragon seeds should look about the same size as poppy seeds or small and black. With the snapdragon plant, if the seed pods were dry when harvested, you will not need to worry about drying the seeds as that they are very dry already.
Once all of your seeds have been collected, all you need to do is label and date your seeds! This will probably be the easiest thing you have ever done in your whole life!
If you have any comment or question, just let me know on the blog site! By the way Happy fall everyone! I hope this fall is one of the bests!

~Zach

Read More

In My Mind

Alright, I know I haven't posted in a while... I have been so busy! I know think this post I am going to break away from the Saving Seeds Series, and just do something different! So hold onto your pant, it is going to be a bumpy ride!
I don't know about where you live, but for me, this is the time of year where all of the local nurseries are having their fall plant sale! Yeah, I am so plant happy. I know it may seem like now the whole world is at peace with itself, but this is not true. You see I told my self that this year would be different, that this year I would not go on a shopping spree and buy every little thing that is out there. Let us enter my head, no matter how scary this will be, as I travel my local nursery!
"Look at all of these beautiful plants, I could just buy each and every one of them! But remember Zach, you just came to look. I wonder if I should grab a shopping cart? I guess I would look pretty odd if I was walking around the nursery without one; yeah, I guess I will grab one, I just won't buy anything! Oh, what a unique purple grass looking plant, it is just so nice looking...I think it needs a home. So in the shopping cart goes that purple grass looking thingy! But of course I will stop here and just go onto the check out place...Wow look at those red Cardinal Flowers, they are so gorgeous, just what I could use for that spot near the side of the house; you know give it a little color, (Justification!) I think I will pick one or two up for safe keeping, and I'll just put it back before I will check out!
As I look off in the distance to see if anyone had seen my spur of the moment shopping, there in the corner was the most beautiful looking lavender I had ever seen! I think I will just go over there and look at it. After all, I don't have to buy it! Look at those deep purple flowers, it would go perfect right next to my coreopsis, and the lavender I have now is not nearly as colorful as these! I think I might have to pick up a couple of these!
As I turned around to put the lavender plants into my cart... my jaw hit the ground! Someone must have come up behind me, while I was looking at lavender plants, and put a ton of plants in my cart! Oh well, there is no way I will be able to put them all back were they belong, so I will just have to buy them. Besides, I am not buying allot!"

~THE END~

Read More