My lime tree has little buds! They smell so good. I wonder if we will get some limes this year? I wasn't expecting the tree to produce for another year or two, but it would be a very welcome surprise! The lemon tree, on the other hand, is not doing well. I think the week of cold weather we had may have done it in.
Pictures to follow once I locate the camera...
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, May 30, 2008
Caleb is vising for the week. We are having LOTS of fun. My mom drove us down on Tuesday and we ate dinner together (Goat makes an amazing lasagna!), took a walk, got ice cream, and then she drove back. :( We tried to convince her to stay overnight, but since Josh decided to stay home rather than enduring the long car ride, she wanted to get back. Wednesday Caleb helped me make bread, we took another walk, did some gardening and had a Dr. Mario tournament. Fun! Thursday we took the bike and trailer, which carries both Landis and Caleb without a problem, to the park. Caleb had to use the gross park bathrooms. He was really upset that someone had written "women's bathroom" on the inside of the door in the men's bathroom. Caleb and I played Risk II and he beat me. Nooooooooo! Today, we are picking Aaron Scott up from school at 1 pm and we will have lots of fun with him. I will probably take all 3 boys to the park if the weather is nice to run off some energy. I do not want 3 overly energetic boys bouncing around my house! Caleb is attacking me with a glowing spoon from his cereal box, so I had better go...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Garden update
We have watermelons! Tiny ones, golf ball sized and smaller. They are way too cute!
We're getting a handful of cherry tomatoes every day. The roma and beefsteak are not faring nearly as well. Something is eating the roma plant.
The green beans are almost ripe!
The squash are starting to flower.
I bought 2 more window boxes and planted marigolds in one and basil in the other. They have sprouted and seem to be growing well.
And, of course, Landis still loves spinach! It is almost gone, but he is enjoying it to the very end.
We're getting a handful of cherry tomatoes every day. The roma and beefsteak are not faring nearly as well. Something is eating the roma plant.
The green beans are almost ripe!
The squash are starting to flower.
I bought 2 more window boxes and planted marigolds in one and basil in the other. They have sprouted and seem to be growing well.
And, of course, Landis still loves spinach! It is almost gone, but he is enjoying it to the very end.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Yum!!
Landis enjoyed the first tomato from the garden today. He was very happy to finally be able to pick a tomato, and he approves of the taste. He shared a bite with Goat and me. It's good!
The first taste. He was a little bit unsure at this point.
"Hey mom, it's good!"
"I think I'll finish it off."
"All done!"
The first taste. He was a little bit unsure at this point.
"Hey mom, it's good!"
"I think I'll finish it off."
"All done!"
Tired Toddlers and Tomatoes
This is what they mean when they say "sleeping like a baby." Landis had a long day of playing and helping mommy and settled down for his afternoon nap with his legs dangling off the bed.
Our first red tomato. We will pick it as soon as Goat gets home and split it 3 ways. Landi is wild about tomatoes. He eats them like apples. We just ate one from a local hydroponic farm. We talked to the woman who owns the farm about the possibility of doing a "field trip" for the boys, and it's a maybe. They shut down to farm at the end of May because they do all of their growing in greenhouses and it just gets too hot.
In other garden news, the cucumbers and lettuce seedlings that I recently planted are starting to poke their way up through the earth. I love watching the plants grow!
Our first red tomato. We will pick it as soon as Goat gets home and split it 3 ways. Landi is wild about tomatoes. He eats them like apples. We just ate one from a local hydroponic farm. We talked to the woman who owns the farm about the possibility of doing a "field trip" for the boys, and it's a maybe. They shut down to farm at the end of May because they do all of their growing in greenhouses and it just gets too hot.
In other garden news, the cucumbers and lettuce seedlings that I recently planted are starting to poke their way up through the earth. I love watching the plants grow!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
More Garden Pics...
Yes, I am obsessed. But tiny ripening fruits and little bitty seedlings are just so cute!
Basil seedlings. These have been in a ground all of 1 day and they are doing great. I waited too long to transplant the poor things and their roots were waging a desperate but losing battle against the walls of their little cup. They have really shot up now that their roots have room to grow. Pay no attention to the weeds. It's hard to find the time to weed when my adorable little "helper" has decided that pulling up seedlings every time I turn my back and then watching my reaction is the best entertainment to be had.
Banana pepper. These things get surprisingly large. Peppers are the best for hot Florida summer days. It could be 100 degrees outside and they still taste cool and refreshing.
Strawberries ripening. There are 2 more on the other side of the plant. I went a little bit nuts and ordered 50 additional strawberry plants a few days ago. The strawberries were on sale but I have no idea where I am going to put them. I think we're going to have to build another bed.... This gardening habit is getting expensive.
Roma tomatoes. I'm so excited about making tomato sauce! And dang, I really should have caged this plant. It said on the little tag that it was a determinate variety, but I don't believe it. It is spreading its branches in an ever widening diameter in a frighteningly successful attempt to take over the garden.
Basil seedlings. These have been in a ground all of 1 day and they are doing great. I waited too long to transplant the poor things and their roots were waging a desperate but losing battle against the walls of their little cup. They have really shot up now that their roots have room to grow. Pay no attention to the weeds. It's hard to find the time to weed when my adorable little "helper" has decided that pulling up seedlings every time I turn my back and then watching my reaction is the best entertainment to be had.
Banana pepper. These things get surprisingly large. Peppers are the best for hot Florida summer days. It could be 100 degrees outside and they still taste cool and refreshing.
Strawberries ripening. There are 2 more on the other side of the plant. I went a little bit nuts and ordered 50 additional strawberry plants a few days ago. The strawberries were on sale but I have no idea where I am going to put them. I think we're going to have to build another bed.... This gardening habit is getting expensive.
Roma tomatoes. I'm so excited about making tomato sauce! And dang, I really should have caged this plant. It said on the little tag that it was a determinate variety, but I don't believe it. It is spreading its branches in an ever widening diameter in a frighteningly successful attempt to take over the garden.
Garden Pics!
Bed 1: Corn! It's growing very quickly and is already taller than Landis.
Bed 2: Herbs, Tomatoes, Peppers, Scallions and Berries. We have been able to enjoy onions and herbs, a few strawberries and one banana pepper from this bed so far. There are dozens of tomatoes ripening, several bell and banana peppers, strawberries and blueberries.
Bed 3: Watermelon and Green Beans. The watermelon are on the far side of the bed, the beans are nearer. I started some of the watermelon from seeds and bought some as seedlings. The ones bought as seedlings have started flowering. We hope to have tons of watermelon all summer long!
Bed 4: Radishes, Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Red Onions, Cucumbers and Squash. I just planted the carrot, onion and cucumber seeds, and they have not yet emerged. I plan to use string and the poles on the near side of the garden to make a support structure for the cucumbers and squash.
Mini garden on the windowsill. From left to right, basil, broccoli and spinach. To the right of the long planter, there are 2 small round pots. 1 is filled with marigolds, and the other contains Landis' pet bean plant. It has, miraculously, survived Landis' rough toddler love.
The whole garden. There are 4 beds. Next to the closest bed, you can see trays of seedlings waiting to be put in the ground.
Bed 2: Herbs, Tomatoes, Peppers, Scallions and Berries. We have been able to enjoy onions and herbs, a few strawberries and one banana pepper from this bed so far. There are dozens of tomatoes ripening, several bell and banana peppers, strawberries and blueberries.
Bed 3: Watermelon and Green Beans. The watermelon are on the far side of the bed, the beans are nearer. I started some of the watermelon from seeds and bought some as seedlings. The ones bought as seedlings have started flowering. We hope to have tons of watermelon all summer long!
Bed 4: Radishes, Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Red Onions, Cucumbers and Squash. I just planted the carrot, onion and cucumber seeds, and they have not yet emerged. I plan to use string and the poles on the near side of the garden to make a support structure for the cucumbers and squash.
Mini garden on the windowsill. From left to right, basil, broccoli and spinach. To the right of the long planter, there are 2 small round pots. 1 is filled with marigolds, and the other contains Landis' pet bean plant. It has, miraculously, survived Landis' rough toddler love.
The whole garden. There are 4 beds. Next to the closest bed, you can see trays of seedlings waiting to be put in the ground.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The sunflowers are sprouting! I am so excited about them. Besides adding some lovely color to the garden, they will attract bees to pollinate the vegetables, and we will have lots of delicious sunflower seeds to eat. During my obsessive reading of gardening websites, I came across the idea of planting a sunflower house, planting the sunflowers in a rectangle, leaving a small space unplanted for a door. Inside, a "carpet" of hardy, edible plants can be sown for the kids to trample and chomp. I think the boys would really enjoy watching the house grow (and grow and grow.... The sunflowers should reach about 12 feet.) If I get the sunflower house and bean teepee up, the garden should be a pretty fun place.
I put the lettuce and radish seeds in cups to sprout at lunchtime today. They grow very quickly, and if all goes as planned we should be eating the first of them in about a month. I can't wait for fresh salad from the garden!
I have high hopes for our watermelons. The seedlings (18!)we planted seem to be doing well so far, and the plants we bought as seedlings have just started flowering. I found an amazing recipe for Watermelon-Strawberry Sorbet that I cant wait to try.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Today was a productive gardening day. Landis (my sweet little helper with his very own little shovel) and I weeded one of the new beds, added compost and got the watermelons and bush bean seedlings in the ground. I can't wait for watermelons! The basil, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini and pole bean seedlings are still growing in their containers and aren't quite ready to be transplanted yet. We're still waiting for the sunflower and marigold seeds to sprout. We have enjoyed using the basil, thai basil, rosemary, cilantro and green onions for a few weeks, and today we ate our first banana pepper. Yum! It is so much fun to watch Landis' face light up as he eats something delicious from the garden. There are tons (I stopped counting at 35) of tomatoes ripening on our plants, a few blueberries and strawberries, and 3 bell peppers. The corn is now taller than Landis and continues to grow very quickly. This week I plan to start lettuce, red onions, carrots, cucumbers, radishes and butternut and spaghetti squash, weed the last bed so that the seedlings have somewhere to go, and put up the teepee for the pole beans to grow on and the boys to play in. Hopefully Aaron Scott can come help build the teepee structure. I think he would enjoy it. He is a lot like his dad in his love for making and building and fixing things.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Landis' new words
We spent all day today outside, building raised frames for 2 new garden beds. One will be filled with watermelon, and the other with salad stuff: lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions, broccoli and cucumbers. While helping us, Landis learned to say "tree," "windy," "rain" and "onion." He LOVES to eat green onions from the garden. He is such a sweet little helper. He waters plants, helps me weed, and even tried to help us build the frames. After we were done nailing the boards in place, he grabbed a hammer and pounded on the wood. He was so proud that he was helping.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Garden
Aaron Scott and I planted the first plants in our garden last Monday. We have been planning this for a while. A few months ago, we constructed a wooden frame for the garden, so that we could fill it partway with soil and small plants could be protected from the wind. On Monday we weeded, dumped soil into the garden and planted 8 plants: blueberry, strawberry, banana pepper, 2 tomato, 2 cilantro and a basil plant. They are growing really well - one of the tomato plants is already 2 or 3 inches taller than it was on Monday! There is still room for several more plants, so next Monday we plan to go shopping and pick out a few more plants and/or seeds. Aaron Scott is a great helper in the garden. Like most 7 year old boys, he enjoys the chance to play in the dirt. He managed to be very patient with his little brother too. Landis wants Aaron Scott to pay attention to him all the time, and in typical toddler fashion is very insistent about it. I can't blame Landis - Aaron Scott is a really fun brother!
After we finished gardening, Aaron decided he would like to dig a hole down to the water level. We directed him to a corner of the yard and he dug and dug. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to reach water by dinner time, but he did manage to dig a hole about as deep as he is tall. Pretty impressive! I can't find the cable to connect the camera to the computer, but once I do I will post pictures of the garden and hole.
After we finished gardening, Aaron decided he would like to dig a hole down to the water level. We directed him to a corner of the yard and he dug and dug. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to reach water by dinner time, but he did manage to dig a hole about as deep as he is tall. Pretty impressive! I can't find the cable to connect the camera to the computer, but once I do I will post pictures of the garden and hole.
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