I know it's been a while since I've posted, but it's been hectic with my husband recuperating from surgery. For those who don't follow my other blog, my husband had surgery on Aug. 19th for an aneurysm in his stomach. It had grown huge really fast, and was on the verge of bursting, so surgery was done immediately. He is home with me now recuperating, and doing very well. It will be a long recovery, but we are very thankful he is on the road to recovery.
We had a vendor friend who has been taking our produce to the farmers market for us. He is selling our things along with his, so it's been great. Can't beat friends like that!
Our tomatoes are winding down, but broccoli and peppers, and cucumbers are going strong. We also put in a fall crop of beets that are starting to produce.
Here's a few photos from our last market we did.
I love peppers. Especially the sweet ones. My favorite is called Big Daddy. It has a lemony flavor to it, and is so good roasted with lemon pepper, then mozarella cheese melted on top.
Did you know that peppers are loaded with Vitamin C? Three times more than one orange.
These are all sweet peppers. We also grow hot ones for those who like a little heat.
My perennial garden is winding down for the season, although I do still have a lot more color than I thought I would have from neglecting it these past few weeks.
The cutting garden is still going strong too. You can't beat Zinnias for giving you color all the way through fall.
And finally, our raspberries are in season. I stuff myself every time I'm in the garden. They are without a doubt my favorite berry. Tomorrow I'm planning on picking a bunch to make some jam. The rest I'll probably freeze.
It is wonderful to be able to get out in my garden again. There's isn't anything that makes me feel better. Hopefully my husband will be able to get out and enjoy it before it's gone too.
Till next time,
Happy Gardening!
Terry
We've had the best weather lately. My flowers are loving it, and are not stressed out like they usually are in July, but our Veggies don't care for it much. We are getting Tomatoes, and some Peppers, but I think once the weather goes back up in the 80's we'll start seeing loads of them ripen.
Saturday morning at market was very chilly. I wore a long-sleeve shirt with a jean jacket....unheard of for July around here. The people were out in hordes though, and we pretty much sold out.
Regardless of the cool temps, one tomato plant is producing like crazy and a good seller. Super Sweet One-Hundreds.
There is a vendor setting up at our market who does iron work. Most times he uses old garden tools, or car parts in his work. I suggested he try a scarecrow and told him I'd definitely be interested in something like that. This one I fell in love with and bought it last week. I had sold all of my flower bouquets and the price happened to be what I made selling them. I love when things work out that way.
Here's a few views of the new bed we extended out from my perennial garden to put Zinnia's and other flowers for cutting. I was running out of room in my other cutting garden, and now I have plenty of room.
The ladder in the center is holding up my Bittersweet plant right now. We have a split rail fence to put up for it, but probably won't get to it until this fall now.
This is part of my other cutting garden. There's Blue Statice, Strawflower, Bells of Ireland, Gomphrena, tall Ageratum, and more Zinnias, plus some Basil I use in bouquets too.
And here's some other things that are blooming right now.
We have a few more days of cooler temps, then it's suppose to go back up to the mid 80's. Our Farmer's Market is located in a college town, and we've hired a gal who getting her masters to help us out one day a week. She comes on Wednesdays, and it's been a big help with getting the rest of our pathways around the veggies. We are starting to plant our fall Broccoli crop. So far we've only gotten 25 plants in, with 215 to. You can see why the help is needed. We're trying to get them all in with shade cloth and drip irrigation before the heat kicks in.
That's about all that is happening here.
Hope you all are doing well.
Happy Gardening!
Terry
Phlox has to be my favorite perennial....besides Coneflowers. My garden just doesn't seem complete until they start blooming.
This year they are gorgeous! I'm guessing it the fertilizers we applied in the spring.
I have more I haven't photographed yet. Orange Perfection, Red Riding Hood, Nicki, Franz Schubert, and Blue Boy. They smell so good and when I'm in the garden, especially in the morning the fragrance is awesome!
Here's a view of part of one my cutting gardens. Those are Strawflowers planted around the Windmill.
I also have around 56 Zinnia plants, Blue Statice, tall Ageratum, and cutting Asters that are starting to bloom really good. I've been taking bouquets to market for the past 3 wks. now.
They are selling pretty good, and I'm happy with the variety I have this year.
We've been eating green beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers and onions from our garden. It so nice to go out and pick our dinner. I'm sure I'll be tired of it soon, but for now it's wonderful!
Till next time,
Happy Gardening!
Terry
The cucumbers are starting to produce finally. We grew the little picklers called Diva which are our favorite besides the Lemon, but it will be a while before the Lemon ones to start producing. We got them in later. We had some of the Diva's for dinner tonight. Yummy!
The Beets have gone nuts this year. My husband is very proud of them. Would you belive I haven't had a beet since I was little. My mom use to pickle them, and I wasn't very fond of them back then. We've had several people who have bought them at market recently tell us to try roasting them. I guess I'll have to give it a try, although they still don't look very appetizing to me. ha!
Here's my husband cleaning them....well part of him anyway. He wanted all of them in the photo, and the only way I could was to cut off his head. hahaha!
Here's a few scenes from my perennial garden. I have a lot of things blooming, and a lot of things getting ready to bloom.
We're still trying to get our pathways finished, and I need to get mulch down in my perennial beds. It's been harder this year for both of us. We can't work outside all day like we did last year. We go out in the morning, work for a few hours, come in and rest. Go out after lunch, work for an hour or so, then come in and rest. hahaha! But...at least we're still able to garden, and we both do still love it.
Happy Gardening!
Till next time,
Terry
Things are really starting to bloom now that June is here. I've yet to get my beds mulched, and I still have my market sunflowers I need to plant. I'll be behind the other vendors with selling them this season, although they don't grow the same type I do. I grow the Pro-Cut type that is sold for the flower industry. They have a sturdier stalks, and the blooms are simply gorgeous.
I've been fighting allergies for the past 3 weeks with a sore throat, swollen eyes, and oh my gosh, I've sneezed so much I feel like my brains have leaked out. I haven't had much of an appetite, and no energy at all to go out and plant. I'm on my second package of sinus meds, and I am feeling much better today. Keep your fingers crossed this will be the end of it.
I started some Nasturtiums in the hoop house this spring right in hanging baskets, with the intention of selling them at market. They didn't get there. I love them so much I kept all four of them.
This one is called Lipstick. The flowers are larger than the regular ones, and are double blooms. I will definitely grow this one again next year. I've added a Bacopa plant - Snowflake - with them.
This one is Empress of India with Bacopa.
Coneflowers are one of my favorite perennials. They bloom all summer long, and my butterflies love them.
Here's some that's blooming now.
Our Farmer's Market is going great! We've sold twice as much as we did at this time last year, so we're really encouraged and happy about it.
I didn't make it last week since I was down with my allergies. My poor husband had to man the booth all by himself and he said it was the busiest day ever. It was also our most profitable day ever. We had picked a bushel of Snap peas to take...those sold out within the first hour. He also sold all of the Beets, Swiss Chard, Spring onions, and almost a whole case of his Pickled Peppers he canned last fall.
If there is ever another time I can't be there, we're going to have to get someone to help him out. Poor guy came home and collapsed in his recliner and slept for 2 hrs. ha!
That's about it for now!
Happy Gardening!
Terry
These are all sweet peppers. We also grow hot ones for those who like a little heat.
And finally, our raspberries are in season. I stuff myself every time I'm in the garden. They are without a doubt my favorite berry. Tomorrow I'm planning on picking a bunch to make some jam. The rest I'll probably freeze.
It is wonderful to be able to get out in my garden again. There's isn't anything that makes me feel better. Hopefully my husband will be able to get out and enjoy it before it's gone too.
