Thursday, April 30, 2009

...a brief interruption of service



I'm in the throughs of changing my isp...
[internet service provider...]
due to "technical difficulties beyond my control"...
blogging will be sparse until the issues are resolved...

I have finally fired-up my Air book...
and am doing this from the church wifi...
I also paid my electric bill...
and took care of e-mail...

hopefully I'll return to a network soon...

wish me luck...

Monday, April 27, 2009

...my garden is yawning [& I'm shivering...]

as I write this, I'm alternately typing...
and holding a hot cup of coffee...
trying to warm up my cold hands...

our high temp today will be 10˚ below normal...
and is currently only 64˚F...
with a cold wind from the west...
gusting to 20 mph or so...

since the sun is also shining...
I felt the need to water things in the back yard...
as our heat spell kicked a lot into high gear...
and now the persistent wind will dry out everything...
especially...things yet to be planted...

while I was at it...[shivering in the cold wind...]
I also put water on several containers to loosen the soil...
so that I can use them for some of my plantings...
then, "click-click" fever attacked me...
[along with the pollen & wind...]

first, some projects that need doing...



a new hose reel & hose [both were on sale at OSH...]
to replace the back one that died...
after the electrician moved it 2 years ago...
[it had lasted 15+ years...]

I used to be able to do these things myself...
but now will have to have someone do it for me...
my hands just don't have the grip or abilities they used to have...
to do this kind of work... sigh...

then...



there is this...
compost & potting soil...for the garden...
my back hurts just looking at it...
but it will enhance my investment in plants...
[& hopefully, my veggie crop...]

here you see, "the next target area"...



from several angles...



the clump of grass you see has to be removed...
and the hose pulled up & tested...
and a lot of compost worked in...



this underground hose leaks "big time"...
[I cut it with a shovel...oops...]
so it has to be replaced...
ie, I either have to find another in the garage...
[good luck with that...]
or make one from parts...
also in the garage...
[ditto...]



and then, there's the compost to be worked in...



after all the crap is moved out of the way, that is...
and the beans need their string on the poles...
though they're not climbing in this wind...
but it will slack off every day this week...
as it gets warmer...

& the cherry tomatoes ?



they couldn't be happier...

elsewhere...



the blood orange tree is "setting" fruit...
amidst the fragrant blooms...



as is my lime tree...
[doesn't the one on the right...
look like some sort of alien ?]



lots & lots of limes...
[these are so juicy and good...]



the grapefruit tree is also "setting"...
I find it interesting that the tiny fruit...
have the same shape the adult will have...



the grapefruit are very round...
the limes are more oblong...



here's a pomegranate bud...



and here's the first one to open...
there are more, high up...



high up, there are also roses that climb the pom tree...



and a real find...
Fugi apples that set !
now if I can only get them to mature...
& keep the critters at bay...
I'll have my first apples...
[it's been a long wait...]



here's the "mended" whirlygig...



whirling in the wind...

it revels in the wind...
unlike me, who got too cold...
& went inside to warm up...

Saturday, April 25, 2009

...tomato, tomahto

anyway you say it...
[or slice it...]



I say, "yummm"...



if...[and it's a BIG one...]

if...
the tomatoes are the old-fashioned heirloom varieties...
and are vine ripened...

or if they are modern hybrids...
they are home grown & vine ripened...

so here, for those of you who may care at all...
are the varieties that I've planted this year...
[hopefully, there will be plenty to share...]

enjoy...
[I know I will...yum!...]


"the heirlooms"...



"brandywine", my favorite meaty, tasty red...



"Cherokee purple", another tasty red/purple...



"green zebra", they're ripe when the silver stripes turn cream...
dead ripe, when they turn yellow...



"Kellogg's breakfast", an orange beefsteak type...



"Mr.Stripey", possibly my # 1 favorite for tons of yumminess...



"tangerine", a yellow-orange beefsteak type...



"momotaro", a large, pink beefsteak type from Japan...similar to "pink Caspian"...



"beauty king", a large, yellow beefsteak with red stripes like Mr. Stripey...



"lemon boy",a medium sized yellow with pink flesh, almost peachy...



"Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter", a dark pink beefsteak-type, often reaching 1 lb or more...



"Aunt Gertie's gold", a yellow beefsteak type...

"the hybrids..."



"Big Beef", is the beefsteak version of "celebrity"... good in sandwiches & on burgers...



"new girl", an improved version of "early girl"...good early producer of medium sized fruit...



"ace", when you say,"I'm growing tomatoes", you usually mean these...



a standard, medium sized, multi-use red tomato...

"the cherries..."



"sweet 100", pretty standard smaller cherry, very sweet...



"sun sugar", yellow-gold, sweet cherries...



"sun gold", orangey-yellow, very sweet smallish cherries...



"black cherry", an heirloom cherry with dark flesh & a cherry-like flavor...



"yellow pear", a traditional cherry-sized pear-shaped tomato...
flavor deepens with degree of ripeness...

Friday, April 24, 2009

...taking it slow



this was yesterday's project...



and this was supposed to be today's project...



because of all of these that need planting...



and this...



this is going in a large container...
[I couldn't resist...]



and then I found the heirloom tomatoes...



including this BIG "Brandywine"...
already in blossom, calling my name...
and making me drool...



these go into a "jar"...



these...



as well as these, go into various containers...
that the johnny-jump-ups will soon vacate...
unless I move them to the back...
& do new containers...
for the portulacas & petunias...
which is a good idea...
I have lots of empty containers...
and lots of potting soil...

but today, I'm sore from yesterday's session...
so I'm taking it slow...

I mowed the lawn...and will putter about...
but I couldn't get to sleep last night...
for the soreness...
making today, a "recovery" day...

so I took the time to survey new growth...



this "black Tartarian" cherry is doing well...
& will be ripe in a month or so...
[they make great pies...]



this "necture peach" will not ripen until July...
when it will stay on the tree until its white flesh...
is sugar sweet & juicy...
[unless a critter gets it first...]



the Japanese Maples are all growing their seeds...
which will soon ripen and fall to the ground...
creating new trees...
& mini seedlings for my "bonsai" efforts...



the grapefruit tree has joined all the other citrus...
whose blooms fill my yard with sweetest perfume...



and lastly, the rose I trellised yesterday...
"touch of class"...
at whose feet I left the collected compost...
from the front bed we cleaned out...
complete with sprouting "creeper"...

if it didn't activate my allergies so...
making me a head-achy, sneezing & miserable grouch...
without warning, for much of it's span...

I would absolutely love spring...