Monday, October 19, 2009

August 2009



Sunflower Harvesting...
During the beginning of August my sunflowers finally matured and were ready to be harvested. This was actually a lot of work. I had to saw through the tough stalks to get the heads off. Then I let them finish drying in paper bags for a few days. I enlisted the help of my children and their friends to pick the seeds from the sunflower heads. They actually thought it was a lot of fun! Woohoo! After the seeds were plucked form the heads... I set some aside to plant and then dried the rest in the oven to munch on for snacks.


close up of seeds on flower head


Caitlin was the first to join in and help


kiddos helping me out

My garden this month...
My garden  is looking a little sad this month! It has been very hot and there has been very little rain for our rainiest months of the year. Water from the faucet just doesn't do the same thing for plants like natural rainwater. My pumpkin plants have their first blooms and are actually seeming to do okay despite the heat. I also decided to move my herbs out of the hanging baskets and place them in the ground along the wall border. The baskets were drying out to quickly... I couldn't get outside to water them three times a day and figured they had a better chance in the ground with some peat moss.


my first pumpkin bloom from the new plants

 
my pumpkin patch... I had to thin it to 5 plants


my Big Max pumpkin plant is also holding in there



several folks asked me why I named this plant after my dad... I didn't... It was actually the name of the type of pumpkin plant.



my swiss chard plants grow like weeds...
I end up clipping and throwing out leaves because it produces so much.




I planted prostrate Rosemary in the wall border 

 
My herbs are now in the ground and doing better


my pepper plants... serrano, bells, cayenne, and  jalepeno's



I was so happy to find this praying mantis in my garden...
he or she can help himself to as many aphids as he can eat!




The flash made him fall of the plant... LOL
I put him back so he would remain safe.


 
Yard is doing good... grape vine... and herbs...




I am going to have to purchase a garden fence...
Our new puppy is a pest... he keeps digging up and eating my plants!

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