Weekend

Little yellow blossoms on all five tomato plants . I don't want to get excited and won't until I see tomatoes .  I was going to say red tomatoes and then I remembered that one of them is a yellow tomato and another one has almost black stripes on the red . Vegetable gardening can be so addictive with checking each day to see what new changes have happened . Hoping that there aren't any unwanted visitors . I think food gardening is more addictive then flower gardening . Maybe , because it can wake up your taste-buds.

Zucchini 

 Acorn Squash

Another Daylily - what a lovely soft pastel color .

Not much going on around here . My solitary lifestyle is feeling more solitary !!! The world news is so disappointing with the numbers going up and not down .  Human behavior can be so difficult to understand when it seems so logical that we really have a lot of power over the pandemic . I will just carry optimism in my pocket !

Three nights ago , we had some thunder storms and this was my view from the window just before the raindrops started falling .  What a phenomena of nature !

Stay Healthy
Stay Safe
Stay Optimistic
Stay Happy

Mary

Oh So Good Omelet

After working in the garden (watering and planting the third Daylily - Tiger Blood) it was time to come in for lunch . And , I had a spur-of-the-moment thought since recently rediscovering my old fold-over omelet pan .  I decided to see if I still knew how to use it .  I remember from years gone by that it was a lot of fun and easy . My memory was right and here you are with a Broccoli , Bacon , Cheddar Cheese , Chives (home grown) and Radish omelet garnished with sour cream , and parsley and pansies from my garden . It's always fun to use items from the garden even if it is just a little something . And , of course there are limitless food combinations you can use to make omelets .

When I thought of an omelet I knew I had enough food in the cupboards to put something together .

So good and so easy .

This google photo is exactly like my omelet pan from the 1970's !

Of course you can use a regular frying pan by flipping the omelet over with a spatula . But, gadgets are fun , aren't they ?

My granddaughter sent me an email with photos of her Container Vegetable Garden that was very impressive ! And, she was telling me about using a spiral maker to make spiral zucchini noodles like this -

I don't know what kind of gadget she has but there are many different kinds on the Internet . She made a dish with zucchini noodles with shrimp and Parmesan cheese .  Her seven year old son (my great grandson 😏) asked her to make it again soon . How precious !  I guess my granddaughter likes gadgets also !

Enjoy your day . I'm enjoying mine !

Mary

Daylily Season In My Garden

The season has certainly begun in my garden for Dayliles , which delights me . With a total of 39 Daylily plants including 3 that I recently bought I will be busy nurturing them to get the most joy from each one .  The most recent plants were inexpensive and healthy with scapes (stems or stacks with flowers at the top) on two of them . And , that helps in knowing the color especially when the name doesn't clearly define it . One of them is Red Rum -

And the other is Little Grapettet -

And the third one is called Tiger Blood which is described as cream to yellow with dark red eyes .  And, it opened today !

I have been able to plant two of them near some other Daylilies that are just about to bloom . I thought that I could remember the colors of the nearby plants .  But, no . Can you believe , I planted both of them next to others that are about the same color ! After thoughts of moving the plants to different locations ,  I came to my senses and decided they will be just fine where they are .  Remember , it's a big job to dig the holes because of the rocks .  These two will just have to get along 😄!

I am tired and it is HOT.  And , I hurt .  Near 100 degrees for the past three days . Heat Alert until Saturday . I work outside every day especially with all the hand watering . However , I've been setting a sprinkler out occasionally , but have to set a timer so I don't forget it or I will waste a lot of water . 

A few more Daylilies have opened - - -

See , what I said .   I always get at least one scape on my scrawny plants .





Saturday, I planted two watermelon plants that had been waiting until I prepared some soil in a wine barrel .

And, this is the garden today in the raised bed . It's coming right along !

Yesterday I had to run errands, the same old stuff , to the post office , to UPS to return a package , to the drug store and of course - to the dump .  Ran out of energy and didn't make it to the grocery store .  It still feels so strange to be out in this very different environment .  I was happy to see that most everyone was wearing face coverings especially with the rising case numbers of the virus .

Sending good thoughts to all of you .

Mary 

Absolutely Amazing Amaryllis

It is that time of year again when I am always delighted to see this gorgeous flower that usually surprises me when the first large blossom appears . For three or four years this stunner has given me the beauty of one lovely stalk of perfectly shaped , large flowers . I skipped a day watering because the outside temperatures were in the seventies and I was busy in the house trying to get some much needed activity accomplished . I find that I tend to go outside to garden because I enjoy it so much and a lot of other things fall by the wayside in the house . Living alone gives me the privilege to do that . Yesterday afternoon when I was watering at the back of house and looked done toward the White Garden I was amazed to see the large almost iridescent amaryllis blossoms . I know some people in certain growing zone can grow lots of these flowers without "lifting " them every year . But , I never have had them until this one and it stays in the ground all year long . And, as you can see , it thrills me every year . Nine inches across , AMAZING ! 

Some of these photos look a little yellow but the flowers are very WHITE .

The Hydrangea has been blooming for a couple weeks and doing well .

And, this is a big surprise and it opened this afternoon . I did not know what color this Asiatic Lily was going to be because a neighbor gave me three pots with lilies last year and they weren't labeled as to color .  Another addition for the White Garden !  I can see the color a little of one of the other potted lilies and it looks like pink or red . That will be another surprise . In years past I have had Asiatic (most popular) and Oriental (second most popular)  Lilies in my garden . Some years I have not worked in the garden very much and I don't know what happened to the Lilies !

It is RED FLAG SEASON .  Isn't this wildfire awful . It started Monday evening about 5 o'clock . It is about 45 minute drive from here . 1100 acres and 10 percent contained . Two out-buildings have burned and 65 structures are threatened . Cause unknown .  Arson not suspected . Winds are cooperating . Evacuation sites are set up .

Thursday Update - Morning Briefing .  Good News .  70% Containment .

The garden is slow but growing . It could use a little more bright sunshine .

This little seating area is next to the raised bed vegetable garden . Years ago I got this metal topiary and started covering it with ivy . Now I just trim it every spring time . One day I thought I would put these old chairs out there . And , now the tree form is a conversation piece when people walk by . Yes , it is one-of-a-kind . Also , I started taking time to sit there during my garden work and "just enjoy my garden" .

 

UPDATE - Someone defaced the Camp Nine Bridge again by painting over the first defacing . It says All Lives Matter .

Pacific Gas & Electric , the utility that owns the bridge has decided to remove all paint from the bridge . Thank goodness !  What a strange world we are living in . What next in our little country home towns ?

I hope your week is going well and you are living where you are safe and feeling secure in staying healthy .

Mary

Garden And Current Events

This is the first Daylily to open this season . And there are about three spikes on the plant .  It is planted on the other side of the house from the White Garden where the soil has not been improved very much . So , I am so happy it is looking this good . When I think of how hard I have worked to get my garden soil improved it makes me happy to get any blossoms . Oh , the memories of when I had wonderful garden soil where I lived .  Especially, many years ago at the home we built . The soil was so fertile and fabulous .  I certainly did not have to work very hard to have a lovely flourishing garden . As I have said in the past, most of my neighbors have had truck loads of soil brought in because the ground is hard clay with a lot of rocks . I was never able to get better soil other than what I could buy (2 or 3 cubic foot bags) occasionally - but I still have A Garden !  And , I don't have a sprinkler system - but I still have A Garden !

I have always enjoyed Daylilies, maybe because there is always a new beginning as each blossom emerges quickly in sequence day after day and then it's gone . Throughout the garden I have about 24 different species , everyone with it's very distinct personality ! Because of the poor soil they have never grown into nice large clumps of bursts of color . But , I don't think there ever has been a year that each and everyone of them has not bloomed even if it is just one spike . As they unfurl their petals I will take a photo so I can share everyone of them with you .

This is how so much of my garden soil looks like even though I spent a lot of time working on it .

However , these White Daylies are nice and large as they sit in the White Garden where the garden soil is so much better ! Look at all those buds .

This plant is NOT what I said it is a few weeks ago .  It is ENGLISH LAVENDER !  Yep , I goofed and thought I was as I was preparing my post .  The voice in my head kept saying Lavender but I also was remembering a nursery tag that I have had for eons in my disorganized plant tags. The more I compared google photos of  Bowle's Mauve Erysimum (Wallflower) and English Lavender I am convinced it is Lavender . Regardless of the name , this particular species of Lavender is truly enjoyed . Probably , because it always blooms year after year .

Funny how things happen !!! I was at Lowe's Home Improvement and Garden Center today (more about that later) and side by side sat an English Lavender and a Bowle's Erysimum . What are the chances of that happening ? Especially , since I was just commenting on the plant in my garden ! It was certainly easy to compare one to another , if I had any doubts !

This - - - - - - - - - - 

finally has become this .

In the past I had a nice small power rototiller . However, my daughter borrowed it long ago and that was the last of it !

Following a tremendous amount of work digging out roots and turning the soil , I have planted some tomatoes and squash .  I also planted some marigolds . Reportedly , they attract beneficial insects , such as ladybugs , hover flies and parasitic mini-wasps that prey on garden pests .  I hope there will be enough sun for my little veggies to grow . I am not sure if it will get six hours a day .

Can you see how nicely the shrubs on the outside of the fence are growing after being cut down to the ground in October 2018 ?  I miss my privacy !

As I commented above , I went to Lowe's this morning after my six month follow-up doctor's appointment at the Cancer Center .  The information from the doctor was wonderful and he was exceptionally pleasant !!! More on that next time .

And, some comments on this photo from our morning newspaper of the Stanislaus River in our rural county a few miles (about 20) from here . Point of interest is that I cross the Stanislaus River (as I did this morning) to shop and attend my doctor's appointments.  I am tired and it will be interesting to hear the story of how and why someone ventured that far out (to Yea Hoo Gulch) into the forest to make the statement . Years ago (over 20 years ago) when I was younger and more adventurous and curious about what was over the next hill and around the next corner I drove out to this location with a city friend who was visiting me .  The river and the surrounding area is very scenic and quite isolated .

Stanislaus River

Yea Hoo Gulch

Until next time , Stay Safe and Stay Well .

Mary

Repotting

I have been out in the garden for the past three hours even though I am in a lot of pain . If I had not been wearing my back brace , I would not have been able to do the watering and numerous tasks like picking up the cardboard from my painting project, removing spent flowers from the garden plants, preparing to do a little patch work painting where I am returning one of the hose reals to a better location , just to name a few of the tasks . Oh, I worked some more on the raised garden bed. l have been doing it for short periods of time whenever I work in the garden working on more routine activities . Call me an inchworm or a tortoise (take your pick), but, I will get the job done little by little . My ice pack is in place ! 

The outdoor activity was a good alternative and diversion to watching the TV (which I turned on this morning) and being reminded of the horrendous state of affairs we the people of the nation find ourselves living ! Having lived as long as I have,  certainly takes me back  to many times ( the list is too long to itemize) the world has been in a frightening super charged state of affairs . There is no question in my mind that current progressive technology including social media has highly influenced the awareness level of each and every one of us that we may not have had in the past . Don't get me wrong . Advancing technology is great . But, what a shame that social issues have never had the level of attention , financial support and intellectual contribution from the many great minds . Let us optimistically look forward to a time when the people of the world will live in more peaceful times and not a world that is totally destroyed by Hatred.  Just my two cents worth ! Wow , I didn't plan on giving you any thoughts on that .

Speaking again about my gardening - - -

Wishing you a good day and one filled with optimism for better times .

Mary