tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27440286687561091072024-02-18T19:04:01.007-08:00Backyard FarmLOCAL. SEASONAL. SUSTAINABLE.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-85420609847460466012013-04-03T14:59:00.000-07:002013-04-03T14:59:25.928-07:00Birds in the Box<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the chicken coop is finished and last week I brought the hens home. I didn't want to start with chicks this time so I got birds that were about 5 weeks old. From the available birds on offer at <a href="http://www.urbanfarmstore.com/">The Urban Farm Store</a> I selected a Welsummer, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, and a Black Sex Link.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally finished, complete with lanterns.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Little Hens</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They all seem to be adjusting to life away from the teeming cages of their first few weeks and the Welsummer has been asserting herself at the top of the pecking order by pecking at the other two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And my little black beauty Pearl has been keeping a watchful eye on them.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Welsummer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first two nights I picked up the birds and placed them in the roost box. By the third night they had figured out how to put themselves to bed, scrambling up the ramp and hopping into the loft. Pretty impressive for such small brains.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl maintains a healthy skepticism of the new arrivals.</td></tr>
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pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-83618742266750550302012-08-22T13:26:00.000-07:002012-08-22T13:26:28.833-07:00KEEP CALM...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So there won't be many tomatoes coming out of my garden this year, so what.<br />
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I will carry on, I will continue to farm. I planted kale, chard, arugula, peas, beets, mustard greens, and carrots last week and they popped up in just a few days. Well everything except the carrots.<br />
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These fool proof plants will carry us into the fall with loads of leafy greens and the great tomato failure of 2012 will fade into insignificance.<br />
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I think of the fear of crop failure for people who really depend on their ability to grow their own food. We have the luxury of growing food as an amusement, not a means of survival. But for most of history and for many people in poor countries growing food is a life and death matter.<br />
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And in the additional irony department, here is a little dry farmed patch of volunteers that popped up where the compost bin used to be.<br />
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There are lots of tomatoes, sunflowers, squash, and buckwheat. It has only received moisture that has fallen from the sky, no watering on my part. <br />
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I'm not watering, but I'm not plowing them under either. I think I'll just let them go and see how they do. Maybe I'll thin them a little to enhance the chances of a few.<br />
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This reminds me how hardy and determined plants are. pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-43051698364359510852012-08-02T16:26:00.002-07:002012-08-02T16:26:52.931-07:00It's Official...2012 Tomato Season a Write Off.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, for me anyway. Oh, I see plenty of he</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">althy loo</span>king plants in other peoples gardens, with dark green leaves and limbs heavy with fruit. But most of my plants succumbed to blight this year, probably due to my own laziness and neglect. Only a couple of them have survived and look like they will make it to the fall.<br />
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I planted too early and didn't protect the tender plants from yet another cool, wet Oregon spring. Next year, at the very least I will hood them with plastic bags over their cages to shelter them from overhead watering by the gods and splashing water and mud from the ground.<br />
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I'll still get a few tomatoes, especially Sungolds, the indomitable little candy factories. But there will be no Black Krim, no San Marzano, and no Indigo Rose. That's the one I was especially looking forward to tasting. It claims to be the darkest cherry tomato ever. <br />
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I'm less upset about this situation that I though I would be. Easy come, easy go, I guess. And there are plenty of tomatoes int he farmers markets. So next year I will put tomatoes in the ground later and do a better job of tending them. Hopefully.<br />
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<br />pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-26398805801301912612012-05-23T13:59:00.001-07:002012-05-23T14:04:08.581-07:00Yes, I'm Still Here.Oh, look, it's only been 6 weeks since last I posted. Not the 6 months I imagined. And not too long from now the photos in the banner will be current-ish.<br />
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So what's been happening? Well, the garden does look better than the frozen bog that it impersonates for what seems like 9 months out of the year.<br />
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The strawberries are acting like they're on spring break, all buxom and flirty. The raspberries are loaded, striving not to be outdone by the strawberries. And the hops have already reached the top of the porch and are looking for places to cause trouble, like burrowing in between boards and siding.<br />
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Our neighbor's kiwi plants are full of blossoms, just like the previous 2 years. Maybe they will produce fruit, unlike the previous 2 years.<br />
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And while we enjoyed a couple of gloriously, warm, sultry summer-like weeks, we are now back in the embrace of a more normal PNW spring, 55 degrees and showers.<br />
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I hope you'll forgive me if these photos look just like the ones I posted last year at this time. Or better yet, maybe you won't notice. <br />
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<br />pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-19704423700620239992012-04-04T16:07:00.004-07:002012-04-04T16:07:43.149-07:00A Season of SuperlativesHere in Portland we have just closed the door on one of the wettest Marches ever. Not THE wettest, but pretty darn wet. And we have had temperatures below average that should continue through the next couple of months. Wet and cold, just like the last two springs. Tiresome.<br />
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And while it's been wet and cold, cold and wet here we have had to endure weather reports about most of the rest of the country enjoying unseasonable warmth.<br />
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And right now, hail is pelting down outside my window. It seems to me I wrote about hail last April too. Hah, I just checked and I actually I wrote complaining about the weather into the last days of May. So you've got that to look forward to.<br />
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But this year I don't mind as much, I am even feeling optimistic. Yeah, that's right, optimistic. Seed catalogs have arrived
and the Bean Queen and I have started to plan our strategy for the
2012 gardening season.<br />
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And there has been great bird
watching so far this season. Along with the familiar and cute
Chickadees, and clouds of Bushtits swarming the suet feeder. The usual
Scrub Jays, who come to the back door for peanuts, and also several
Steller's Jay <br />
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Listing these groups of birds reminds me
of a favorite book called An Exaltation Of Larks, which gives the names
for various groups of creatures, including a murder of crows, of which
we also have plenty. <br />
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I have friend who loves crows
enough to have a tattoo of one on her back. And I know they have a
revered place in Native American culture as the bringer of corn, beans,
and squash. But I haven't yet developed a fondness for them,
particularly when they are cawing noisily outside my window int he early
morning hours.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-77740512670373072842012-01-20T12:19:00.000-08:002012-01-20T15:07:05.164-08:00W is For Winterand the wan, watery light of a January sun passing low across the sky,<br />
disrobed trees sillouetted against a raw, washed out, white backdrop<br />
W is for waiting; waiting for the light to widen, for days to stretch out again.<br />
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And this year W is also for warm, and the W words that make it so. <br />
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Like wool, lots of wool. Wool socks, sweaters and hats. But most importantly for the lofty wool comforter under which I spend my nights. Who knew wool would make such a difference. It warms up quicker and more thoroughly than cotton, down, or synthetic duvets. I don't even rely on my beloved hot water bottle as much. In past winters it was mandatory, now it is pure luxury. And this is where the blanket of warmth and well being came from. <a href="http://www.woolenmill.com/">St. Peter Woolen Mill</a>. <br />
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W is for wood, as in wood stove, and the penetrating heat it delivers. Bone warming, dense heat that satisfies a primal desire. It heats the space we use the most, the living room and kitchen. Why heat the whole house? The quality of the warmth is far superior to the furnace, as is the cozy atmosphere the dancing flames create. This is what it looks like <a href="http://www.morsona.com/">Morso</a>, and this is where it came from <a href="http://homesteadstove.com/">Homestead Stove</a>.<br />
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I hope you are warm.<br />
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PS And of course W stands for wet, but since I have belabored that point on several occasions I will refrain from doing so this time. <br />
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<br />pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-74828294246891593122011-11-21T15:11:00.001-08:002011-12-01T09:29:51.056-08:00It's wet, it's cold, it's dark. But I don't mind, I
relish autumn. Apples, wool, and woodsmoke; soup, fresh hop beers,
rich red wines, and baking just to warm up the kitchen. I love the change of seasons, well at least this first part.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvoXOgiTCJTqFw4SbtpbfF45S0tLra_WlRym9HDq6CfvWmUB8QXdmCGd5yKD975_G3Bx-VZPFLZnggGdvAqK6QAHFWTnyJMNx8Y1J8WhYrpFX5ys8xsy_LOBfae1PQJ_9WfqQNwH7WjU/s1600/IMG_3407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvoXOgiTCJTqFw4SbtpbfF45S0tLra_WlRym9HDq6CfvWmUB8QXdmCGd5yKD975_G3Bx-VZPFLZnggGdvAqK6QAHFWTnyJMNx8Y1J8WhYrpFX5ys8xsy_LOBfae1PQJ_9WfqQNwH7WjU/s200/IMG_3407.jpg" width="150" /></a>And although I ran out of steam at the end of the summer this year, due to various distractions and general disappointment with the summer growing season, I still like to get out in the garden even if it's just for lots of cleanup. I've been harvesting fallen leaves from some of my neighbors to fill my compost bins and spread over bare dirt spots as a mulch.<br />
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I never got around to planting all the fall/winter crops I intended to
plant. I did manage to plant some Lacinato kale and some peas. So I haven't been doing much in the garden, but that doesn't mean that
the garden has continued to work without me. There are still edibles
being produced and each time I venture out I am suprised and amazed and a
little ashamed.<br />
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The kale is producing enough to make big batches of kale chips, and the peas a few handfuls each week. Kale chips are terrific and let you eat dark, leafy greens while pretending you are eating potato chips. And the Jerusalem artichokes I planted a few years ago, intended to be an automatic food crop, have become just that. Even though I have been lazy about regularly harvesting them, they go on happily multiplying undeground.<br />
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<br />pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-9940406426956991512011-09-12T13:53:00.000-07:002011-09-19T13:39:29.813-07:00Ha! In Which I Take It All BackAll that whining and bellyaching paid off. In above average temperatures, that is. We've just had several weeks of 90 degree days. Who knew? Well, certainly not me. I have been recently heard predicting this to be a year with no days above 90 degrees. Again, hah! I guess anybody that wrong about the weather is instantly qualified to be a local TV news meteorologist.<br /><br />I couldn't be happier about being so wrong. What a treat the last few weeks have been, even though all this sudden heat stunned some of the plants and necessitated much more watering. Many of the tomatoes that I feared were destined to become fried green tomatoes have become the buxom, ripe and ribald beauties that are the dreams of gardeners during the winter months.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHY6954Rx6fpIRf7yXa0o8aya5rOqApuYuTi9qZn117Y8_SyV28OsfKhSg-h98yWOp-MvtrTMCo-C9xIeowWODNQziFIkFtpGlKaYjhhQyNSt-X3sGiqUsJEzBGDso8v34g4HF3V0zzs/s1600/IMG_3332.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHY6954Rx6fpIRf7yXa0o8aya5rOqApuYuTi9qZn117Y8_SyV28OsfKhSg-h98yWOp-MvtrTMCo-C9xIeowWODNQziFIkFtpGlKaYjhhQyNSt-X3sGiqUsJEzBGDso8v34g4HF3V0zzs/s400/IMG_3332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654172233680708994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here are a couple of the top performers this season. Caspian Pink, which I had never grown before and Pork Chop, which I had never heard of and bought on the charm of it's name alone. Both of these plants yielded lots and lots of big, juicy tomatoes.<br /><br />And the Sungolds, of which I have 2 plants, have been in overdrive, producing buckets and buckets of the bite size orange candy.<br /><br />So following a late summer that really wasn't much of a summer we end up with a beautiful Indian summer. I LOVE this time of year in the Pacific Northwest.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-43169050481603741442011-08-05T08:47:00.000-07:002011-08-12T11:56:57.624-07:00Particularly UninspiredThat's right, I haven't been posting much this "summer". It's August and we have yet to reach 90 degrees on any day of the year. And there are hints that fall is not far away. The days are beginning to get shorter and there is a cool in the air that I associate with autumn.
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<br />And no 90s in the near term forecast.
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<br />I know I should be able to find inspiration in a flower or a bud or some other botanical miracle, but I just don't have it this year. It's not a complete washout, there are fruits and vegetables in the garden, tons of beans, squash, but the really warm weather loving plants are just not getting what they need. Oh well.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5unnDxYt1AdEvja-a9cwl1VPOj4rO0TMcwmZRffcmoytQXdAp3vhrqz_RIXbzxjWyXcr7ERYOorFJKItPbfCjUYeCpkuowo7PBh8nmRRgQt0wuAe45RB7ZPlbu3wYjAhqRsrX2fkbKio/s1600/IMG_3238.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5unnDxYt1AdEvja-a9cwl1VPOj4rO0TMcwmZRffcmoytQXdAp3vhrqz_RIXbzxjWyXcr7ERYOorFJKItPbfCjUYeCpkuowo7PBh8nmRRgQt0wuAe45RB7ZPlbu3wYjAhqRsrX2fkbKio/s400/IMG_3238.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637464882469766290" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbKB7OdQ6KxH3gczimCHaEi8QD6z8sabIOldRrmLSOyjciT5hBxzqtWiHnXxUr7VdsfNHHcq1tmBmNZ96CAIbbOFkF945oGhvCS_RXcvHGcC1uKvsT54v9P13CMBmtjqLAKzjk7bW1Zs/s1600/IMG_3239.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbKB7OdQ6KxH3gczimCHaEi8QD6z8sabIOldRrmLSOyjciT5hBxzqtWiHnXxUr7VdsfNHHcq1tmBmNZ96CAIbbOFkF945oGhvCS_RXcvHGcC1uKvsT54v9P13CMBmtjqLAKzjk7bW1Zs/s400/IMG_3239.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637464888052828482" border="0" /></a>
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<br />I have been enjoying these 2 Nicotiana plants that I got at the 3rd Annual Plant Exchange. They are beautiful and the blooms just keep on coming. And while most of the plants may be yearning for more intense heat I have 2 new favorites that seem to be thriving in these lackluster conditions.
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<br />Purple Orach and Soleil bush beans. The Orach is related to spinach and tastes very much like it. It produces big triangular leaves that have a gorgeous shimmery velvety underside. They are big enough to make lettuce rolls with whatever you fancy inside. And of course they are great for dressing up a salad. And it just looks so striking int the garden. Big hit, I will definitely be growing this again.
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<br />And the yellow Soleil bush beans are compact, but prolific. They have produced tons of slender, tender, straight beans. This another discovery I will look forward to growing again next year.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhDkV26O1Xt2gSoZO8xSeeP_6IkchyxVRZNNOddUA9RA4l0jibAjcVRAizTW6PQKbZhv_pFlpF86qZx4Ou9Sy-zIIGL3VacsDEywB8iRjgczhE7MfGD-twgzNwdez8NBhIxbflm41iJw/s1600/IMG_3237.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhDkV26O1Xt2gSoZO8xSeeP_6IkchyxVRZNNOddUA9RA4l0jibAjcVRAizTW6PQKbZhv_pFlpF86qZx4Ou9Sy-zIIGL3VacsDEywB8iRjgczhE7MfGD-twgzNwdez8NBhIxbflm41iJw/s400/IMG_3237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637464878147229026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs36LzeHFQGlP94ljadxqhU8hNrXBTJfPfiBOkKG6F6KxYxLrMbs_GOQ3Y8yLG-phqrAhzc4boN6cDj-Mf4cQsKCxavOSsPmDAPM-IbiySPYd4gFCAYOMpS6g2b4hpTEUAtxwdtU-C3M/s1600/IMG_3299.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs36LzeHFQGlP94ljadxqhU8hNrXBTJfPfiBOkKG6F6KxYxLrMbs_GOQ3Y8yLG-phqrAhzc4boN6cDj-Mf4cQsKCxavOSsPmDAPM-IbiySPYd4gFCAYOMpS6g2b4hpTEUAtxwdtU-C3M/s400/IMG_3299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637464873893308818" border="0" /></a>pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-11574009882992714022011-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:002011-06-30T11:08:53.217-07:00How Industrial Farming 'Destroyed' the Tasty TomatoHere's a revealing and discouraging story from NPR about the tomato growing industry in Florida.<br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137371975/how-industrial-farming-destroyed-the-tasty-tomato">Tomato</a><br />Just more compelling evidence for growing your own if you can.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-26205593441159626822011-06-13T17:11:00.000-07:002011-06-24T16:45:36.730-07:00Fruits and FlowersTemperatures remain cooler than normal, but happy things are beginning to happen in the garden. Here is the first strawberry of the season. I probably should have waited one more day for optimal ripeness, but I didn't. It was delicious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4in0tK_VVY7kAwsNNstQq6nw5sYJb8_EE5BiT3Ii4MPY4R978hOhGVEz2i9hVBPMorztYOcmdNY1EbvrkKzWdzo42F6-nONgxVKn_hK6kMDcAXt9PB9UY7xFi16ccvjqjjolSHIvuOx4/s1600/IMG_3216.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4in0tK_VVY7kAwsNNstQq6nw5sYJb8_EE5BiT3Ii4MPY4R978hOhGVEz2i9hVBPMorztYOcmdNY1EbvrkKzWdzo42F6-nONgxVKn_hK6kMDcAXt9PB9UY7xFi16ccvjqjjolSHIvuOx4/s400/IMG_3216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621470449087627090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIOtND91VMETAjiNBsBy9oIihbAii_94BT0BTxq6Cg0w8ywYR2lGb6BrEp8QlLL2VMSaf898v2Y4LWYPJxJ9HCKPMi1QNlA4p0qeiKmnI87L5c1xY_x236cfRqWF7fjNUj0Xhd4-g-Eo/s1600/IMG_3221.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIOtND91VMETAjiNBsBy9oIihbAii_94BT0BTxq6Cg0w8ywYR2lGb6BrEp8QlLL2VMSaf898v2Y4LWYPJxJ9HCKPMi1QNlA4p0qeiKmnI87L5c1xY_x236cfRqWF7fjNUj0Xhd4-g-Eo/s400/IMG_3221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621470434665908050" border="0" /></a><br />And apples have set on 2 out of the 3 trees. These are Empire.<br /><br />Below is the view under the gorgeous canopy of my neighbor's kiwi plants. The flowers have a rich, heady fragrance and open facing downwards. Theses are ancient plants, one male and one female who reach across a trellis to embrace and share pollen, with the help of industrious bees.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnI1eJrBrOJ8Lj83rUj8Ktb2k881QqPTKhdYj6lmaCjZZR5S1Ue0zKcrgoV2qNydipEYPOVaoM8DSEqiGpfK3MVsOAH7Hz-fKb8JRVr3B5Vt5J_0N4n9aPN08zQWkENHiZqhz2rmR96U/s1600/IMG_3213.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnI1eJrBrOJ8Lj83rUj8Ktb2k881QqPTKhdYj6lmaCjZZR5S1Ue0zKcrgoV2qNydipEYPOVaoM8DSEqiGpfK3MVsOAH7Hz-fKb8JRVr3B5Vt5J_0N4n9aPN08zQWkENHiZqhz2rmR96U/s400/IMG_3213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621470439965289458" border="0" /></a><br />The loads of flowers look promising, but we had the same abundance of blooms last year and all that promise produced not even one kiwi fruit. We think that cold caused the blossoms to drop before they had a chance to be transformed into fruit. So we will enjoy the flowers now and watch carefully to see if we will get fruit this year.<br /><br />And I couldn't resist including a portrait of one of my beloved peonies. Not edible, not practical, but richly nourishing to the soul.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_GC6Uw0gMMKIbgT3lBWYhcCH5O8NJMGFwhvtvUQLw4G6N6aujb9O-38NZCIFNK45RLIVGs7KCNeTaeIeDNfMJ2rGvUyhAeKijol9ldaCQ0hBDfAuSByFjGMaD50buS82QBZ6gkJPctQ/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_GC6Uw0gMMKIbgT3lBWYhcCH5O8NJMGFwhvtvUQLw4G6N6aujb9O-38NZCIFNK45RLIVGs7KCNeTaeIeDNfMJ2rGvUyhAeKijol9ldaCQ0hBDfAuSByFjGMaD50buS82QBZ6gkJPctQ/s400/IMG_3220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621534634732915330" border="0" /></a><br />In other news we have begun a small remodel on the farmhouse. And by farmhouse I mean our vinyl clad double wide, with a big ole garage right up front. The first phase is complete. The old fireplace, which sat astride a corner of the room and was framed in a hulking, dark brown surround extending to the ceiling, has been replaced. In it's place now sits a sleek, compact, beautiful, super-efficient Danish wood stove. It almost makes me wish for cool enough weather to light a fire. Almost. So here is a peek at the before and after. Yes, it really is the same room.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfo8032p8t2NP22F7UOc3uYDXl5dis1jVaqbBg1gVfy-duDdreI0colmJfEoBMRTGDgB7iop2WbN-ZYh0ohzWJdRea6mqeXWV8-Ud4tvYA91WRWlu_AwynGVRsa34OQjFw0bZGhV0V28/s1600/DSCN3094.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfo8032p8t2NP22F7UOc3uYDXl5dis1jVaqbBg1gVfy-duDdreI0colmJfEoBMRTGDgB7iop2WbN-ZYh0ohzWJdRea6mqeXWV8-Ud4tvYA91WRWlu_AwynGVRsa34OQjFw0bZGhV0V28/s400/DSCN3094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621932749915223906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl78JVlUPBA-U_yL-NHs066UDwtdajOGpSFRE4nTdEe5NQsoRStERiKgn7Cc-bEAno1aDqAEI5CzyTNqndkN6OXDC4HdLSGVJTVILRnOFhLY8cVkJMRPGqX17MU2SGGYn8x5JC6Cg0iJQ/s1600/IMG_3236.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl78JVlUPBA-U_yL-NHs066UDwtdajOGpSFRE4nTdEe5NQsoRStERiKgn7Cc-bEAno1aDqAEI5CzyTNqndkN6OXDC4HdLSGVJTVILRnOFhLY8cVkJMRPGqX17MU2SGGYn8x5JC6Cg0iJQ/s400/IMG_3236.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621932747929816546" border="0" /></a><br />We reclaimed about 16 square feet, and lots of wall space. The room feels much more spacious. The fireplace didn't give out much heat, it went up the chimney. I have been assured by all associated with the purchase and installation of this new stove that it will "heat us out of the house in the winter". I can't wait.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-25009867527954315782011-05-27T14:33:00.001-07:002011-05-27T14:50:14.733-07:00Charming and Impressive<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIVW1Q49MsddCEAR_AfmoxPkoafs7grb8EqaHRPjXIcQctq6VHyo8VMl683eJS97-LHtbIrG-9FPezdlppqWjxapuxwlbnPRQoA_1BFe0Dmt7jMg3MmG6TM6zA7IvPywRxdH9O62pFWc/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIVW1Q49MsddCEAR_AfmoxPkoafs7grb8EqaHRPjXIcQctq6VHyo8VMl683eJS97-LHtbIrG-9FPezdlppqWjxapuxwlbnPRQoA_1BFe0Dmt7jMg3MmG6TM6zA7IvPywRxdH9O62pFWc/s400/IMG_3181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611512346401825186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Okay, so it's not strictly gardening related, but definitely sustainable living related. My town has a series of rides called <a href="http://www.portlandsundayparkways.org/">Sunday Parkways</a>. The events are inspired by the <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/ciclovia/">Ciclovia</a> events in Bogota, Colombia.<br /><br />The rides are on city streets temporarily closed to cars. They are several miles long, connecting parks. These events are free. People are invited to come, ride, walk, skate.<br /><br />The parks are full of activities and food vendors. And it's always a good time.<br /><br />On the first ride of the year I spotted this ambitious mom and her impressive cargo. Two kids in the box of the bakfiets, one behind her on the rack and one more being towed and adding pedal power on the <a href="http://clevercycles.com/products/accessories/child-seats/followme-tandem-coupling/">Follow Me</a>. Wow!pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-70972447582917612832011-05-26T15:18:00.000-07:002011-05-27T14:32:54.441-07:00Really? Still?It's the end of May and the temperature may reach 54 degrees today amid showers. And tomorrow maybe as high as 51 with more showers and possibly some hail. Luckily most of the plants don't seem to mind. Here are a couple of super achievers doing their thing.<br /><br />Lovely Wisteria on my next door neighbors house.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzSrX9Poa068rKWf0Oe50WwB4OS23bA1kNwbuIQL9ShJ2D0sB9qe-rP__izjNNYGpzUsFHVbmzpNiSoOZw8zsjO7e0fUACG8BW3iHVgHkF3JioWdpSWFnNb6gsq3YOmwml0hxHtsJZMM/s1600/IMG_3189.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzSrX9Poa068rKWf0Oe50WwB4OS23bA1kNwbuIQL9ShJ2D0sB9qe-rP__izjNNYGpzUsFHVbmzpNiSoOZw8zsjO7e0fUACG8BW3iHVgHkF3JioWdpSWFnNb6gsq3YOmwml0hxHtsJZMM/s200/IMG_3189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611508366085762098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hops on my porch, rapidly creati<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn6U78b_X2eJ8jYJavdh0mgnSrdV7CYd3mzZXsRt-nTZA7DVEjHHzDvyvgVxobgLlBMgETQ6ovu9BQkA3cPPkJgf6iq46IMr3BOyAS_bZ_ofLVi4Mya4V3algEEHUlDp2zJOjuclTe7U/s1600/IMG_3184.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn6U78b_X2eJ8jYJavdh0mgnSrdV7CYd3mzZXsRt-nTZA7DVEjHHzDvyvgVxobgLlBMgETQ6ovu9BQkA3cPPkJgf6iq46IMr3BOyAS_bZ_ofLVi4Mya4V3algEEHUlDp2zJOjuclTe7U/s200/IMG_3184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611508361585437954" border="0" /></a>ng a shady haven from the sweltering days that still seem so far off.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Even the tomatoes and peppers, who most crave the heat and sunlight, don't seem to be suffering much. They aren't making a lot of progress, but they look pretty good. Some of them even have tiny blossoms. And the currants have already set their fruit.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnJDE8MNMv3VLDcVfjFhy11PfYGJYgBVYvWkdV4f_xACkAlGX9IVoDEQbx985mJdVbZdLHcB5tvdC9WaqHVWhGKtNGqJmZSWKMj0w2mHB67_LRrmmLseq7vLtblvIGQ9OriN5S-ugX4c/s1600/IMG_3185.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnJDE8MNMv3VLDcVfjFhy11PfYGJYgBVYvWkdV4f_xACkAlGX9IVoDEQbx985mJdVbZdLHcB5tvdC9WaqHVWhGKtNGqJmZSWKMj0w2mHB67_LRrmmLseq7vLtblvIGQ9OriN5S-ugX4c/s200/IMG_3185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611509121063078898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZACc-iz6uRcK-E0oWSsWC9e517rIHZ6WkTfoNtMm6PM2mQzzBstTE2_Mow8v4PqAXYFQgkotiDx4KWdRqTzZgssyZjEWoG9F_5MzFluuqKYwPwv9UhzYHw0FdUnsmBmDgVkd-iT0TR-A/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZACc-iz6uRcK-E0oWSsWC9e517rIHZ6WkTfoNtMm6PM2mQzzBstTE2_Mow8v4PqAXYFQgkotiDx4KWdRqTzZgssyZjEWoG9F_5MzFluuqKYwPwv9UhzYHw0FdUnsmBmDgVkd-iT0TR-A/s200/IMG_3191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611509128877996786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-8MFMvZhbkrKnZjFBx0VmfMwGv4Qs6f31zBtUfefHnbtuJoNlGyfazO7R9HBZlQg7092EyUdgVTSYywDpJTm_gbO-eST7c2YpuO9FTHV1TCVihpuO_eDVDGDK5gRexMX2h4A0j8PZl0/s1600/IMG_3182.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-8MFMvZhbkrKnZjFBx0VmfMwGv4Qs6f31zBtUfefHnbtuJoNlGyfazO7R9HBZlQg7092EyUdgVTSYywDpJTm_gbO-eST7c2YpuO9FTHV1TCVihpuO_eDVDGDK5gRexMX2h4A0j8PZl0/s200/IMG_3182.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611509115893773186" border="0" /></a><br />The cedar shavings around the plants are my favorite mulching material. It keeps the soil from caking rock hard, helps retain moisture, which isn't currently a problem, but hopefully will be sometime soon. And the cedar smells nice. It is usually sold as animal bedding and is really inexpensive. I got 11 cubic feet for less than $10, and that covers almost all of my planted areas. And it breaks down adding organic matter to the soil.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-67292170131945940552011-05-06T16:31:00.000-07:002011-05-15T12:54:46.894-07:00It's Raining, But I Don't MindNo, really. I can hardly believe it myself. After boring both my readers and myself to death with endless self pity and complaining about the weather for far too many posts I find myself enjoying a gentle spring shower.<br /><br />Maybe it's because I am lazy and won't have to water the plants I put in earlier today. Maybe I am feeling smug for getting my gardening done before the ground got muddy. Maybe I have given up grousing about the weather for Lent, even though Lent ended weeks ago. Maybe it's because it isn't freezing, and I think we have left the really cold temperatures behind. I am hopeful for warm sunny days in the not too distant future. And the plants have given up waiting. So many trees and flowers are looking gorgeous.<br /><br />Whatever the reason, I am at peace with the rain.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-3835658250681369592011-05-04T11:50:00.000-07:002011-05-15T12:53:34.443-07:00Keeping Calm and Carrying OnThe plants have resolved to soldier on with their springtime business despite the cooler temps. Here are few of the top performers in several categories.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjoPN6lZMYvzCba7h3o2Gp7rdE6tTHTawBNs1tLr_xUH2hoUGz83PmRGwFrFhTUlTK8NAbPKq8cRHOXNVPFU9Kk9kDfa1g7HtEbHxMfME4QTuWL6jEOg5OICScq3VXP4dWniHWBuyg9Q/s1600/IMG_3170.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjoPN6lZMYvzCba7h3o2Gp7rdE6tTHTawBNs1tLr_xUH2hoUGz83PmRGwFrFhTUlTK8NAbPKq8cRHOXNVPFU9Kk9kDfa1g7HtEbHxMfME4QTuWL6jEOg5OICScq3VXP4dWniHWBuyg9Q/s200/IMG_3170.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607022818469648370" border="0" /></a>Apple trees in bloom.<br /><br /><br />Red veined Dock. Also known as Blood Sorrell. One garden blog describes it as a drama queen in the garden . It can be eaten as a salad green or in soups<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlu47ISld4MhScwVLIQ0TEvJnmvtPpq65PpzwfwhLz9Nlb_V5AWpuX5rZNU0kA_BquhmxnM3MzMKqXsJ5ICh0JLInRs2xDsyztYUVPvUotHGF2Bmq82fhcHyv84VOZSTcqS2AS2m60rU/s1600/IMG_3180.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlu47ISld4MhScwVLIQ0TEvJnmvtPpq65PpzwfwhLz9Nlb_V5AWpuX5rZNU0kA_BquhmxnM3MzMKqXsJ5ICh0JLInRs2xDsyztYUVPvUotHGF2Bmq82fhcHyv84VOZSTcqS2AS2m60rU/s200/IMG_3180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607029212192758258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Strawb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3wkL8l8A8axIbxy3XvAPiDwvAycMLxW_nu5nigeeiUxzOrEr1EePBXRfEmO1lWxkQPoLVW5wDEJeOYdXG2H82_0mBYxEgm8Fbs5s9q0D7K7hkjfsUMadezkPJBUWJRqJg-w097x8wDg/s1600/IMG_3165.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3wkL8l8A8axIbxy3XvAPiDwvAycMLxW_nu5nigeeiUxzOrEr1EePBXRfEmO1lWxkQPoLVW5wDEJeOYdXG2H82_0mBYxEgm8Fbs5s9q0D7K7hkjfsUMadezkPJBUWJRqJg-w097x8wDg/s200/IMG_3165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607025309103456770" border="0" /></a>erry plants with flowers and tiny fruits, even though the plants have barely had a chance to leaf out the way they like to.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzBTuVmEOX7RohWFUbwFLx6ksW2E5SLp6Z1tJ4M6ytl2Tz8S89UdUgprw08CUO5V25WC18_W20L8dVdB0UatHDIfpq0pdKGY6k3qiTyrYO4eBoM2rCsDFHkSv_1w9WJBSKF7KFaad-8g/s1600/IMG_3169.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzBTuVmEOX7RohWFUbwFLx6ksW2E5SLp6Z1tJ4M6ytl2Tz8S89UdUgprw08CUO5V25WC18_W20L8dVdB0UatHDIfpq0pdKGY6k3qiTyrYO4eBoM2rCsDFHkSv_1w9WJBSKF7KFaad-8g/s200/IMG_3169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607022831212933490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Rhubarb.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjnJ_kjjV61AFVFJ-kXKkwTMP_MladaJ8CvTehg8k-RcJM_bqfkgMEIG0ah4e1tKxwt42LhApJVQfhkdmrMXfBnaDSKpPJch-AfI33ryPVxOuyjgnZoOTKHksC1AaSymf_IQw_akgvRQ/s1600/IMG_3163.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjnJ_kjjV61AFVFJ-kXKkwTMP_MladaJ8CvTehg8k-RcJM_bqfkgMEIG0ah4e1tKxwt42LhApJVQfhkdmrMXfBnaDSKpPJch-AfI33ryPVxOuyjgnZoOTKHksC1AaSymf_IQw_akgvRQ/s200/IMG_3163.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607022814783254562" border="0" /></a>White Currants. These didn't produce much fruit last year, but there are loads of blossoms this year. So I remain cautiously optimistic.<br /><br />And the raspberries look ready to deliver another bountiful harvest. Such a treat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVONx9ie6wql6sfPKtrz8MfpJldFH3bJi0naxBpgJwvpIa9p0MZTeFnadtOAjKGgLKULDx1LwiEA_HNrvfkRXeKjjRkZCpiQk__o4t6SU-bT7IqHPgJn1c939n1Wda0qjxtHuoaEo0hzg/s1600/IMG_3166.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVONx9ie6wql6sfPKtrz8MfpJldFH3bJi0naxBpgJwvpIa9p0MZTeFnadtOAjKGgLKULDx1LwiEA_HNrvfkRXeKjjRkZCpiQk__o4t6SU-bT7IqHPgJn1c939n1Wda0qjxtHuoaEo0hzg/s200/IMG_3166.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607025314510688626" border="0" /></a>pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-35422233263589870882011-04-28T08:46:00.000-07:002011-04-28T16:11:00.735-07:00Cold ComfortI take little consolation in the fact that we are setting records for cold and wet this year. If we get the promised rain today April 2011 will vault into third place among wettest Aprils on record. Yay. 51 degrees to go along with that precipitation too. Really?<br /><br />But last Saturday was divine, 71 degrees and sunny, balmy even. A perfect day for what has become known as the 2nd Happiest Day of the Year. The 3rd Annual Neighborhood Plant Exchange. Friends and neighbors gather to trade starts, seeds, and plants they have too much of in their gardens. We also share our hopes for the coming garden season and of course our disappointment in the weather. Coffee and pastries sustain us while we choose our plants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIxVK9U-kSpox29FzuieMiVSBy24FyGB5VZp39Tj0JKWLTylBbCI2AvHO6_SCVVkQH7lXBsWAAx21Hdzwyc4_5-z1ZW0j7tuVwCQTHZelPSiRnv-A8hy0kekj42uz_rU5leo23GJP4fg/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIxVK9U-kSpox29FzuieMiVSBy24FyGB5VZp39Tj0JKWLTylBbCI2AvHO6_SCVVkQH7lXBsWAAx21Hdzwyc4_5-z1ZW0j7tuVwCQTHZelPSiRnv-A8hy0kekj42uz_rU5leo23GJP4fg/s200/IMG_3152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600774656844412210" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxstY2eC86HiOhl-szTO8B13PuHReH7B620DCnH5Ckc7UDs1Q7ke-e1V9jsx_wYXI_vTD88X7ZLb148Th7Oqj_gX6T6awKCz9qioikK77iVoVDrF8TZYzigS5RjJsMB9vHqs0ELIv6Og/s1600/IMG_3150.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxstY2eC86HiOhl-szTO8B13PuHReH7B620DCnH5Ckc7UDs1Q7ke-e1V9jsx_wYXI_vTD88X7ZLb148Th7Oqj_gX6T6awKCz9qioikK77iVoVDrF8TZYzigS5RjJsMB9vHqs0ELIv6Og/s200/IMG_3150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600774651275973410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was a huge success.<br />I bought home 3 tomato plants, 2 peppers, some onion starts, Sweet Pea seeds, Gourd seeds, Chinese Lantern plant, Red Bee Balm.<br /><br />And the very next day temperatures were back down into the 50s with plenty of rain.<br /><br />Many plants are defiant in the face of this unpleasantness. Rhododendrons and Dogwoods are in bloom, trees have leafed out. Raspberries and strawberries have set their tiny fruits. But the cool weather persists. It will have to give up soon. I'm sure you are tired of my complaining, especially if you live in a place that has real winter, and you still have snow.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-40077824468616519362011-03-23T10:37:00.000-07:002011-05-02T11:54:16.923-07:00Spring Hopes EternalYou'd think there would be more posts on a garden blog at this time of year, right? Well, I haven't felt much like gardening lately and I haven't felt like I had anything worth writing about. This can't go on much longer. Can it?<br /><br />Another drippy day. Spring is late. Again. Temperatures are below normal for this time of year. We keep telling ourselves if we can just make it through the next few wet days there are suns on the weather page of the paper. Just over the horizon, at the end of the week. Maybe.<br /><br />Right now the sun is shining, even though an intense shower with some hail is passing through. But the plants don't seem to notice that what is supposed to be happening isn't. And we've had a taste of pleasures to come. Buds are bursting forth and all over town there are colors besides gray and brown. This little tease has me yearning for more; more color and the smell of plants and flowers warmed by the sun.<br /><br />I can't wait for:<br />Orange<br />Milky orange of squash blossoms, and the flesh of pumpkins<br />Blinding, piercing orange of marigolds and zinnias<br />Peaches, even though they are more about the smell than the color<br />Carrots, which always provide a surprise when pulled from the soil<br /><br />Yellow<br />Waxy perfection of daffodils, shocking against the still dead landscape<br />Winter jasmine and Forsythia, (these have come and gone)<br />Pale yellow of sweet corn, only at peak for a few weeks, but such a classic taste of summer<br /><br />Pink<br />Soft pink of cherry trees in bloom, fluttering away at the touch of a breeze<br />Pink Magnolia buds, like a tree full of Easter eggs<br />Searing pink Zinnias and Cosmos<br /><br />Blue<br />Western Scrub Jays that turn up looking for peanuts most mornings<br />Borage flowers and their fan club of bees<br />Sweet pea flowers of whose delicate perfume I never tire<br /><br />White<br />Star Magnolia, bright light against the frequently gray skies of March<br />Blousy, charming, old fashioned Peonies<br />Classy white Roses, always elegant<br />Paperwhites<br /><br />Red<br />Roses in every shade of red<br />Blood red beets<br />Fire engine red Crocosmia<br /><br />Black<br />Rich, loamy soil, crumbly fragrant compost<br />Black tomatoes, which aren't really black, but dark purply green and rich in flavor, my favorite<br />Creepy black Tulips<br /><br />Green<br />Millions of greens as plants emerge from hibernation<br />Blue green of Lacinato Kale<br />Electric chartreuse, green of new shoots and Sweet Flag grass<br /><br />So I will distract myself with spring cleaning and in a few days we may have sun and warmth.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-60620311229848787002011-03-21T13:06:00.000-07:002011-03-21T13:21:11.900-07:00Now You See 'emAnd now you don't. Just as promised. We placed the dabs of Terro among the swarms of ants and waited. At first more ants came, just like we were warned on the package. We remained calm. We kept the bait traps full.<br /><br />Each morning there were fewer and fewer of them and they seemed more and more tired and slow moving. Finally, after 2, maybe 3 days, there just weren't any more ants. Hooray! <br /><br />We waited, just to make absolutely sure before we reclaimed our kitchen counters. After a day or 2 with no ants we wiped everything down and replaced appliances and utensils and life returned to normal. And we have been ant free ever since. Until next time.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-62042842249727766892011-03-10T11:46:00.000-08:002011-03-10T13:37:30.409-08:00The UninvitedIt could be worse. At least it's not cockroaches.<br /><br />At first there were just a few. Scouts presumably, looking for food. Then the word spread and more of them began to appear. Ants. We kidded ourselves for the first few days, just crushing the random intruders, and mopping them up with paper towels. But it got difficult to keep up with the increasing numbers.<br /><br />We cleared the counters where they were most active, on both sides of the stove. We swabbed the counters clean and applied vinegar. Still they came. I took a certain degree of pleasure in vacuuming them up. A nice quick solution, but like the others we had tried so far, ultimately ineffective.<br /><br />Nathan, who is much better at finding real solutions than am I, was browsing the internet for ant riddance solutions came across what we hope is the final solution for these annoying critters. He found the answer on a website called <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/04/10/how-to-get-rid-of-ants-without-calling-an-exterminator/">Get Rich Slowly</a>, coincidentally run by a friend of a friend.<br /><br />Terro was the answer he claimed. I made haste to the hardware store around the corner and got a small bottle of this sugar and borax bait. Ants come, indulge in the mixture, transport it back to the nest, and well... you know. The slogan is Bait, Wait, Eliminate.<br /><br />We are currently in the Wait part of the strategy, trying not to freak out at the increased numbers of ants, while they stock up on the poison that will solve the problem once and for all. Or at least for the near future.<br /><br />Here is what the bait traps look like. Kind of like a pretty flower, right?<br /><br />It's just a piece of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3kYdF6r7E7S5VL6skcGiC2WtxRKP8Bnrn25K_FZ1r7kqzoTka1Lsd7MwMbeKvfrD4439UgjrreYm5kD3A9dZ6AjAGlpenFhWGF1xg5Q5jz-qLqhPKPF4I7vagtI5aBYt2gjjLy8y5yM/s1600/IMG_3114.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3kYdF6r7E7S5VL6skcGiC2WtxRKP8Bnrn25K_FZ1r7kqzoTka1Lsd7MwMbeKvfrD4439UgjrreYm5kD3A9dZ6AjAGlpenFhWGF1xg5Q5jz-qLqhPKPF4I7vagtI5aBYt2gjjLy8y5yM/s200/IMG_3114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582567490266128786" border="0" /></a>cardboard from the packaging, doused with the sticky mixture. They do seem to love it, and belly up to the bar like it's happy hour. And it is kind of fun to watch them stagger away from the bait station with high hopes, not of moving a rubber tree plant, but of delivering their load of "food" to the colony.<br /><br />It is my task today to make sure the feeders don't run dry. I want to be a generous as possible with the juice in the hopes that I will soon be able to use these counters again for normal kitchen activities, instead of entomology experiments.<br /><br />Updates to follow.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-83339115811761452922011-02-07T16:22:00.000-08:002011-02-07T17:09:33.369-08:00Wet Ground Makes For Good WeedingAnd I have pah-lenty of weeds, mostly Little Bitter Cress right now. And it's starting to flower, which means seeds and many, many more Little Bitter Cress. They are among those weeds who propel their seeds when touched, an dastardly evolutionary trick. Hence the nickname "shotweed".<br /><br />So even though I am trying to be more <a href="http://www.onestrawrevolution.net/">One Straw Revolution</a> minded, and live as one with the weeds, I just can't bear to let them multiply, even though they are kind of pretty. I just don't want them everywhere.<br /><br />It looks like they may be edible, but I haven't tried them yet. I have seen a couple of forager blogs making this claim.<br /><br />They identified as Cardamine oligosperma, and are in the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) .<br />Here's a nifty weed identification tool.<br /><a href="http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html">Weed ID from University of California</a><br /><br />So yesterday I pulled out hundreds of weeds, and it felt good, very good. It was a bumper crop. I also pulled out lots of Forget Me Not volunteers. And I came to the conclusion that the name Forget Me Not is not sweet and old fashioned it is cruel and ironic. Plant it once and it will never be forgotten.<br /><br />And it looks like it's going to be a great year for slugs too. I wish I still had the hens to feed them to. I took great pleasure feeding them slugs and they loved them. On the bright side I guess I should be glad that my soil is healthy enough to support so many thriving life forms.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-51998721893696886872011-01-14T14:39:00.000-08:002011-01-27T13:59:37.949-08:00Promises, PromisesNot much happe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i8_G5O7YxyvTI4YTH-ceLnfmSuvlrxiSdTwtW4poe1s6vH5YxpQ3RDqncc1L7VzoUFEledayFY2O2gx9JEiaSLmJTQ6ahTvmapxumXQZtH7Mbo-nx9BVHJhE2l7BLE0qjpD83WHWtJI/s1600/IMG_3086.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i8_G5O7YxyvTI4YTH-ceLnfmSuvlrxiSdTwtW4poe1s6vH5YxpQ3RDqncc1L7VzoUFEledayFY2O2gx9JEiaSLmJTQ6ahTvmapxumXQZtH7Mbo-nx9BVHJhE2l7BLE0qjpD83WHWtJI/s200/IMG_3086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566975033148493778" border="0" /></a>ning in the garden, so not much happening here on the blog. Ah, but there are signs, early signs of spring. We are in the middle of a warm, wet week, and the plants seem to be sighing in relief and relaxing, after a week of cold, dry freeze.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is the kind of warm spell that makes me want to do crazy things, like plant lettuce seeds.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdm0yM1SAAThQkWEl6DboFQmzZ8APp1PHv7ViXliXUV4IoDM02VN1MX-m-7tBJClGbETT8Lh_0YT9fKrZS4gLqoELVqzLlJo_R5o6tTGembtlXGlu7gnIIAwF6x0BpqQIZ_75LZNr9cg/s1600/IMG_3087.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdm0yM1SAAThQkWEl6DboFQmzZ8APp1PHv7ViXliXUV4IoDM02VN1MX-m-7tBJClGbETT8Lh_0YT9fKrZS4gLqoELVqzLlJo_R5o6tTGembtlXGlu7gnIIAwF6x0BpqQIZ_75LZNr9cg/s200/IMG_3087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566975031298725986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />I admit, I'm soft. I grew up in San Diego, and I know I couldn't hack a real winter, a Chicago winter, or a Boston winter. Winter in Portland feels cold to me. But it's short and mild. And I do like to pile on the sweaters and sit beside cozy fires.<br /><br />And now, only into the middle of January there are signs of spring.<br /><br />Winter Jasmine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_MSu1TPYJufXl6nwMz1qzl3EvWwqui6f4Cx-8LMQrShWxrQ8Wm5qHYMfeYeShVR5CVSq53uQGjhlj__H4wmJKE_Isw0m2UEKzFopUgaJInnQ33cTxwdxAXCsxCeNUGDiFOWBC1dDHJg/s1600/IMG_3084.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_MSu1TPYJufXl6nwMz1qzl3EvWwqui6f4Cx-8LMQrShWxrQ8Wm5qHYMfeYeShVR5CVSq53uQGjhlj__H4wmJKE_Isw0m2UEKzFopUgaJInnQ33cTxwdxAXCsxCeNUGDiFOWBC1dDHJg/s200/IMG_3084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566975039778992322" border="0" /></a> isn't a big surprise, I expect it to bloom in January. But buds are swelling on other plants too. And the biggest shock was this...Cherry Blossoms!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SnOqsmH8eKsR1DY0IxFHAdG0kB0aGDUCtz2jK8sOeMH0yslJwlyzV82S7PxYtV6JV9Vk_EaJyDEMy9JZrjZ14Lw0cYmYA6DuzPZTvEPtGSKeWV3QMnNOB8JqzN7-Ht1Cz_We3AHlJMI/s1600/IMG_3089.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SnOqsmH8eKsR1DY0IxFHAdG0kB0aGDUCtz2jK8sOeMH0yslJwlyzV82S7PxYtV6JV9Vk_EaJyDEMy9JZrjZ14Lw0cYmYA6DuzPZTvEPtGSKeWV3QMnNOB8JqzN7-Ht1Cz_We3AHlJMI/s200/IMG_3089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566975029828891730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So tonight the Bean Queen and I will review the seed catalogs that have arrived so far, and start making our lists.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-31774544142216107902010-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:002010-12-12T11:23:50.966-08:00Definitely Winter NowHard to believe it was only a few short weeks ago that we were still basking in sunny, warm afternoons. A few days of temperatures in the teens and twenties have quickly and thoroughly erased the memory of those last few days we clung to.<br /><br />Until just before the freeze the arugula was providing salads aplenty and the mustard greens were prolific. But they have all faded and fallen. They'll be back though. Both are in well established spots that have been reseeding themselves for a couple of seasons, for an almost continuous harvest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9veTx8T4lgsZ_X6bk0jQbmZ71hlaTKsQWX2YzjiS9j3u8PGRJfo8Fuj8CeAz_uuO4wznLk-Gz7MH_Gwg0pUsR36zdMPghjORdQyKccUUYq0EZaqCsnzRStW8xIvkX_8fQ5amNAlDOwxc/s1600/IMG_3039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9veTx8T4lgsZ_X6bk0jQbmZ71hlaTKsQWX2YzjiS9j3u8PGRJfo8Fuj8CeAz_uuO4wznLk-Gz7MH_Gwg0pUsR36zdMPghjORdQyKccUUYq0EZaqCsnzRStW8xIvkX_8fQ5amNAlDOwxc/s200/IMG_3039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548052878441524546" border="0" /></a><br />The Carrots made it through the cold and there are probably some beets I have overlooked. These are called Purple Haze, and they are sweet and delicious. Only a week ago they were trapped in the ground, frozen in place.<br /><br />And although I miss the hens, I'm glad I didn't have to try and keep their coop warm and their water thawed during the cold snap.<br /><br />And now the garden really does feel as if it is sleeping. But we aren't far from the shortest daylight of the year and after we turn that corner, around Christmas, the days will get longer, not by much each day, but still moving in the right direction. Seed catalogs will start to arrive in the mail and daydreams will be filled with what to plant next year. I know I am getting ahead of myself, but there you have it. It's a common strategy among gardeners during the winter.<br /><br />Every fall I plan to put some bulbs in the ground for early spring color and life. I just got them last week. Just a little late. And I'll probably just put them in pots so I can enjoy them indoors. Hyacinths and Narcissus for color and fragrance.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-3307124414721772252010-11-02T12:27:00.000-07:002010-11-02T13:39:05.955-07:00Just a Little More Indian SummerAlthough we've had pah-lenty of rain in the last few weeks, temps are nearing record highs for the next few days, high 60s, maybe a 70 or two. The warmer weather has been great for the herbs and greens that are still providing delicious salads. <br /><br />And so this, the overgrown zucchini, which turned out to be an acorn squash upon examination of the interior,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOCnO43D-dakHNKtG9-VLIUbfGtoI1BuYGpB302UuQvHnO-ltKRaJPy-PY5PFrVdUqCYPgxcTrqlGuPzWK5dg3aa7Y7lyPaYvNnhj5eReQjh4fyP1P4UFPl3Bfad9XkVRjABK9mX8zbA/s1600/IMG_2944.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOCnO43D-dakHNKtG9-VLIUbfGtoI1BuYGpB302UuQvHnO-ltKRaJPy-PY5PFrVdUqCYPgxcTrqlGuPzWK5dg3aa7Y7lyPaYvNnhj5eReQjh4fyP1P4UFPl3Bfad9XkVRjABK9mX8zbA/s200/IMG_2944.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535036853704690258" border="0" /></a><br />turned into this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyxzI2Lm8-WmV8NxX-tAyj2bfLYhDvDTM3CHdzZRacol7yAFaoICKIJvhseIqY5RqkAQ5r0RSbsfY4hY1K1VS3bsKcHATprOBqVTK4uGwSZIMmG0lLCOgWLUGWzvdHyJgKsInu6X6aS4/s1600/IMG_2974.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyxzI2Lm8-WmV8NxX-tAyj2bfLYhDvDTM3CHdzZRacol7yAFaoICKIJvhseIqY5RqkAQ5r0RSbsfY4hY1K1VS3bsKcHATprOBqVTK4uGwSZIMmG0lLCOgWLUGWzvdHyJgKsInu6X6aS4/s200/IMG_2974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535036857270205122" border="0" /> </a>pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-30916567768123215682010-10-18T14:38:00.000-07:002010-10-18T15:21:10.506-07:00Scenes From The Fall GardenFall sure is doing a good job of making up for the disappointments of summer. We've had many sunny, beautiful days lately.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Here is an example of one of my annual traditions; growing a giant zucchini. I just let one of them go and see how big it gets. Pearl has kindly agreed to stand beside it to lend scale. I may carve this instead of a pumpkin this year. And hopefully I won't graduate up to growing gargantuan pumpkins.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirU-eAQZ9SExECyMUi1DzgVpCPS4mDxwlsPjyz9Fpjgj9uwLYeh6efx6RStue1Nzm8WtE-q6DikW4aWj87HUkaZOaS9FIzKQ0uSvysm4V5Vhi4XNGFMKxuO9BjZkHzqrENUiEvJBacEQ/s1600/IMG_2945.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirU-eAQZ9SExECyMUi1DzgVpCPS4mDxwlsPjyz9Fpjgj9uwLYeh6efx6RStue1Nzm8WtE-q6DikW4aWj87HUkaZOaS9FIzKQ0uSvysm4V5Vhi4XNGFMKxuO9BjZkHzqrENUiEvJBacEQ/s200/IMG_2945.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529506773898115042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA8jAq13F0DBOgz4smgSS4AMzuegTQf2O3Iz2x9e0znD2HcgeoEIVE5gBL4QjRxOwMURwku-VNMeRJI2Eqr_CB49yANlkhP93VDOBFsSCncktDaHHL9Pzbm2JKMR1bo3C6hmB-hv0L6o/s1600/IMG_2938.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA8jAq13F0DBOgz4smgSS4AMzuegTQf2O3Iz2x9e0znD2HcgeoEIVE5gBL4QjRxOwMURwku-VNMeRJI2Eqr_CB49yANlkhP93VDOBFsSCncktDaHHL9Pzbm2JKMR1bo3C6hmB-hv0L6o/s200/IMG_2938.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529509247452317602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love to grow peppers, but there is no way I could consume all of them. I like to string them up into ristras and hang them in the kitchen, or a front door ornament.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4gDKC8JQFbfSL-71EZ6LdnEpCbipn2KJRC_7NJRhbJcVFFEx6Jn7Ez6BWjXCgFvqYiVn6kZi-OKS7St_U9XyqDX_L8l0zKFL_tifZJZrjrzy2n4SaJ-sCVnEkiqapmyGF8I_igb53WY/s1600/IMG_2916.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4gDKC8JQFbfSL-71EZ6LdnEpCbipn2KJRC_7NJRhbJcVFFEx6Jn7Ez6BWjXCgFvqYiVn6kZi-OKS7St_U9XyqDX_L8l0zKFL_tifZJZrjrzy2n4SaJ-sCVnEkiqapmyGF8I_igb53WY/s200/IMG_2916.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529511404948632194" border="0" /></a><br />And speaking of peppers, I found this beautiful produce on a recent visit to Montreal at the fabulous Marche Jean-Talon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Uxj_WqxJxhEmqhlnKAQyJy-MFNnZzKvTAHeGavsofpyqMADfRZ0QYU2YdIm1u9KWfZuoHV_OYQNxH4lFJ1kcZ8Vi0menXCcGSkSrdZg0jQSg0qsGAYO3sFzGe1FEOifzNsGb7-GYg8E/s1600/IMG_2917.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Uxj_WqxJxhEmqhlnKAQyJy-MFNnZzKvTAHeGavsofpyqMADfRZ0QYU2YdIm1u9KWfZuoHV_OYQNxH4lFJ1kcZ8Vi0menXCcGSkSrdZg0jQSg0qsGAYO3sFzGe1FEOifzNsGb7-GYg8E/s200/IMG_2917.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529511399679651506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqHrSsK8P_H96IZLX1xDW2q8L3Zh2H6HRpxgjeYZFZmUbfQAq1EvIuZ8w65i_eqpwp-5v09ClgaudgoRRGe7RX7FcmCyIxwaktP0ta3hh5X4z-IyEaaXXId5s2oR0XW5JGn6jDjivtzU/s1600/IMG_2922.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqHrSsK8P_H96IZLX1xDW2q8L3Zh2H6HRpxgjeYZFZmUbfQAq1EvIuZ8w65i_eqpwp-5v09ClgaudgoRRGe7RX7FcmCyIxwaktP0ta3hh5X4z-IyEaaXXId5s2oR0XW5JGn6jDjivtzU/s200/IMG_2922.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529509674951957394" border="0" /></a>A visitor stops to rest on one of the zinnias.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2744028668756109107.post-20866189404687200232010-10-04T13:46:00.000-07:002010-10-04T14:50:42.430-07:00This Might Be Brilliant...Because I grow mostly annuals in my garden I end up with a lot of bare dirt during the winter months. So I came up with a plan that might help alleviate this problem and increase my fruit production at the same time.<br /><br />I have a patch of strawberries in the backyard, in less than perfect soil. This patch has also been neglected and not thinned out. I planted 13 plants 2 years ago and there are hundreds now. It has been prolific, but the berries were smaller this year.<br /><br />So, as I removed withering tomato plants and many pounds of rotting or slug infested tomatoes from the raised beds, I hatched the idea to move strawberry plants into their place. This will give the strawberry plants a fresh start in good soil with plenty of room to clone themselves. And it will cover the dirt during the wet and cold. I will also plant some cover crop or spinach or lettuce in between the strawberries.<br /><br />When I need space for the summer plants again I can just remove enough strawberry plants to make a space. This will hopefully keep me on top of the thinning. And next year I'll have a bumper crop of these delicious, fragrant, Rainier berries. I like the idea of a plant that provides food and also multiplies itself, like garlic, or Jerusalm Artichokes.pdxlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08001648355321967291noreply@blogger.com1