Rainy Day Gardener

The Urban Farm Handbook Challenge

2012-02-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

I feel like I just plugged my nose and jumped into the deep end of the pool. I've signed up for the challenge. Here's what I've committed myself to learning and hopefully, in some cases, duplicating:

From Annette’s Blog Sustainable Eats:

Twelve months, eleven challenges and one reflection month, all on your schedule and at your level of ease.
How can you say no? Throughout the Urban Farm Handbook we walk you through a year’s worth of change from grains to dairy to vegetables to protein. We offer you both simple and crazy ways to get you on the bus. But now it’s time to get real. That bus is coming for you. Will you get on it?
To help convince you, we’re rounding up other inspiring bloggers to host monthly challenges. And I’ve got to say – I’m super excited about these hosts and challenges and I think you will be too. Let’s check them out:
February: Soil building. It’s too early to garden outdoors in most parts of the country but we can ready our soil. We’ll learn about worm bins, green manures, composting, biochar and amendments with some fun prizes thrown in for random winners.
March: Home Dairy. Andrew from I Make Cheese (and Eating Rules) and Jennie Grant with the Goat Justice League will be your hosts. You don’t need goats or a cow to get started with home dairy. We’ll be learning about simple cheeses, yogurt, buttermilk and crème fraiche.
April: Gardening. It’s time to start sowing seeds indoors, outdoors, and in containers. Wherever you are you have room for something! Erica with NW Edible Life will share all the dirt.
May: Foraging. Hank Shaw from Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook will be challenging you to find food on the fly.
June: Botanicals. We’ll look at herbal oils, teas and tinctures to keep you glowing and healthy, both inside and out.
July: Seed Saving. Learn to save your own seeds from the garden or farmer’s market.
August: Preserving. From eating seasonally and cellaring to fermenting and canning with Marissa McClellan of Food in Jars, there will be something for everyone this month.
September: Bartering. Kate Payne, the queen of food swaps and author of Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking will walk you through the process.
October: Protein. Choose your own challenge, from hunting to backyard meat to purchasing a whole animal to growing your own beans or making your own tofu. Find out how to make responsibly-sourced protein affordable.
November: Grains. With temperatures dropping and holidays on the way, it’s time to put on a few pounds with baked goods and homebrew. We’ll be baking with whole grains and brewing with all grain mash. No processed flours and malt syrups here!
December: Handcrafted holidays. Drop out of the ultimate commercial machine. We’ll look at home crafting gifts and simplifying the holidays. Slow down and celebrate the reason for the season.
January: Reflections and wrap ups. We’ll share our triumphs and failures in a highlight format. This will be your chance to shine or come clean and develop your personal 2013 goals.
This challenge will be what you make of it – the ultimate in crazy or just dipping your toe in. So join me, won’t you and take the pledge now? Add a little more urban farm to your life in 2012 by taking the challenge.

Now, as some of you know, I've got a lot on my plate this year, with the big family move back into Portland looming around the corner. I'm knee deep in home renovations with the new (old) house, I've got raised beds to build/fill/plant/nurture/harvest, and I've got to build new flower beds so I can take as many of my pretty plants with me. Why would I sign up for this challenge on top of everything else?

Cause I'm nuts and now you have confirmation ;) But, in all reality. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and incorporate them as I set up shop. Making a move to a new home is a great time to build new routines. I also don't want to miss out on the learning opportunity as I've not had the luxury of being to run into Portland for the plethora of great homesteading classes and resources that are offered there.

I'm not sure that chickens or goats are in my future, but I would like to learn about them. I do know that this Urban Farm Handbook Challenge aligns with my desire to learn heirloom skills and in turn, teach those skills to my own kids. So, I'm in.

Cheers, Jenni

A Spot of Color

2012-02-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how energized the spirit can get with just a touch of colorful flowers in the late winter. I sometimes feel irritated at the thought of spending money on a few annuals to spruce up my doorstep. But then I do and I feel a bit of cheer when I see them brightening up the otherwise muted landscape.

Narcissus Jet Fire

English primroses are a late winter container favorite. I try to re-home them after the weather warms but they don't seem to survive our slug ridden garden beds.

I had a bit of sticker shock when I added the narcissus to my basket at the garden center. I justified the purchase by 1) making a note in my mind that my husband would be off the hook for Valentine's day 2) I could plant them in the ground next fall and 3) well, I needed some height for my color pots. ;)

I hate it when I get back home from the garden shop and think, oh, I could have added at least 2 more plants to this pot.

I could not get my kid to smile for the camera to save me life. And yes, she loves dinosaurs.

Little sister was my helper for the project. She carefully picked out each set of plants for the two containers. She could not find a purple primrose to her liking so she added the pansies. I tried to get her to consider a different color other than the red primroses feeling that they didn't match well enough. But, she would not be dissuaded from her quest to add red.

By the time we wrapped up, high clouds had moved in overhead and the air had softened. Rain is on the way. Our week of crisp, sunny, winter days is all but over.

Cheers, Jenni

Winter Sowing Update

2012-02-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

Remember my dash of madness on Winter's Solstice? I was feeling pent up and cooped up in the house and shoved the boy outside with me to directly sow some seeds.

I figured it was just for fun. I didn't expect to see this now in early February!

I didn't expect any of the seeds to take and by golly, they ALL have!! That's right folks, each one of those seed packs that I sprinkled about my old pots, has sprouted. No cover, they've just been sitting out.

Surely this is madness?

What am I going to do with all these plants anyway? I won't have flower beds prepared until next fall at the new place. Ooops!

Clearly I need more pots.

I also planned to do another round of winter seed sowing using the mini-green house technique. (Basically, I bought more seeds & supplies because I was sure the first round, using the direct sow method wouldn't work out ;)

Next will be direct sowing of some lettuce in the garden. If our winter is going to be mild, I'd like to take advantage and get a head start on my leafy greens.

I've learned a lot about winter seed sowing from my fellow garden bloggers and also the website dedicated to the subject.

What a great way to enjoy beautiful flowers on the cheap! I think I'm hooked.
Cheers, Jenni

That Old Groundhog has got it Wrong!

2012-02-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

I don't care if Puxatony Phil saw his shadow today or not, I say, winter is on it's way out!

My gardens are telling me that at least here, in the Pacific Northwest, spring is beginning to show her smiling face.

Blue Skies today

Happy Birds chirping around (Lesser Goldfinches)

Daffodils are peeking up

As are the crocus, paper-whites, hyacinths and tulips

Fresh leaves on the Aquilegia

Hellebore buds are readying for their shining moment

New energy is beginning to bud in the garden, so Old Phil, what do you know anyway? Six more weeks of winter....not here my friend. Spring is on her way!

Cheers, Jenni

Bird's Eye View from my Kitchen Window

2012-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

My bird feeders have been busy this past week with the addition of a new bird feeder I put up. I got this great soda bottle bird feeder from my hubby for Christmas. What I like the best about it is that is keeps nyjer bird seed dry from the miserable amounts of rain we've had of late. (Granted this is typical for the PNW in winter.)

Even in the summer, the nyjer bird seed gets mushy from the occasional rain showers (or my dear next door neighbor who washes her car on a daily basis...really). So this nifty feeder is a winner with me. The first day I put the feeder out, a male Anna Hummingbird was the first to visit and he sat on the rest and stared at me though the window with disgust.

The Lesser Goldfinches are flocking to it. I had no idea we had any around. I've also had a large group of Chestnut backed Chick-a-dee's come to visit. I believe there were over 12. I usually only see them in ones or twos. Other visitors include Rufus sided Towhee, various sparrows, Black-capped Chick-a-dee's, Junco's and the group of Anna Humming Birds that have wintered over.

El Rotten Silvercat

The fat cat pictured above does try to torture himself by leaping and smashing into the window in an attempt to get the birds. He's an inside cat and clearly not to bright.

If you've not added the soda bottle feeder to your collection, I'd recommend it. Very little spill and thus far is protecting the seed very well. I'm interested in trying to build one of the make yourself varieties down the line as well.

Happy Friday!
Cheers, Jenni

Update: A family of Evening Grosbeaks arrived today as well. I've never seen them this early in the year before.

Trouble in Paradise

2012-01-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Today has been a not so good, very bad day, kinda day.

We had a break in the rain, so the kids and I went outside to tend to some 'unpleasant chores', namely, scooping dog doo. Nasty business altogether and generally makes me grouchy. Turns out, the terrier mix we have that has the run of the yard managed to 'use' every possible surface. Gravel, flower beds (all of them), grass and even...my garden. To say that dog is in hot water doesn't cover it. I had even put mesh over the raised beds to prevent this problem. She knocked them down.

After finding some rather nasty piles, on top of my plants, I came across three of my gardening tools, which had been stuck in the mud and left out for some time.

My gardening tools have never been the image of perfection, but they have not had rust. The boy child ran and hid from me after he discovered I found his stash. Visions of Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts came to mind with her famous line 'Off with their heads!' felt just about right.

This whole parenting thing can be really overrated sometimes. So can dog ownership.

As it stands, they are all in the doghouse and my fingertips are numb from spending the past 45mins scrubbing my tools with little wire wool scrubbies.

Hubby has promised to bring home Chinese tonight to help sooth over my sore feelings towards anyone breathing.

Ah well, I guess not everyday can be pleasant.
Cheers, Jenni

Winter Rock Garden

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hen & Chick Succulents in the frost

Winter in the Pacific Northwest generally means rain. And lots of it. Once it starts, most plants turn to mush, except the little succulents in my rock garden.

It's nice to have something to look at and admire in the winter. As I'm married to a geologist of sorts, we have acquired a pretty rock collection around which I've planted my succulents.

I hope to improve upon my rather slim succulent collection (I have only one variety) as I'm reminded of what a nice feature they are during this dreary time of year. Anyone have succulent suggestions that are versatile enough to brave both the rain and the sun?

Cheers, Jenni

Family Snow Day

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our family headed off to Sunriver, Oregon for a much needed get-away. We had chosen to keep Christmas very small to be able to afford this long weekend trip. It was wonderful!

Here are fun photo's of our sledding day.

Brother Bear was the first one down the sledding hill

And the first one to crash.

Baby Sister was not convinced the sled was the safest way down

Then she found some help from dad.

Brother bear finally convinced sister to take a chance with him

They had a great day!

We came back from our adventures just in time to catch the first winter storm of the season hit the Pacific Northwest. It's been all about snow....with no school..all week. This mom needs another vacation!

Cheers, Jenni

Simply Clean E-book Review

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

In my journey to run a more self-sufficient home, that doesn't require a big cash outflow and reduces the toxins my family is exposed to, I've been following blogs like Frugally Sustainable.

Recently, Andrea published an e-book called 'Simply Clean' which I purchased and downloaded with ease. The book is in a PDF format.

The book promised to provide easy to follow DIY recipes for creating homemade household cleaners by using five main ingredients to fulfill your household cleaning needs. In my quest to reduce costs and to have multi-purpose items in my home, this really appealed me.

I found the e-book practical with easy to follow steps and an eye for sequential organization. It was easy to read and better yet, easy to use on the computer to find the chapter needed for the next household DIY cleaner conversion.

I have tried some of the DIY recipes and plan to implement all of them.

For many of us trying to reclaim our homes, the task is difficult because we lack the skills and knowledge to do the job. Blogs like Frugally Sustainable are a huge help for me as I read and learn about skills/idea's for running a non-consuming household.

I highly recommend the book and find it's price of $4.95 more than reasonable for the amount of DIY recipes and instruction it provides. I'm seeing the savings already in our household budget.

Click the icon to the left of this post to learn more about the book. Check it out for yourself.

Cheers, Jenni

Note: I was not paid to do this book review, nor asked. I just really liked the book. Clicking the icon to the left and/should you choose to purchase the book from that link gives me a little bit of the book sale. I'm happy to promote the book as it was written and designed by a SAHM just like me with great ideas. I'm proud to support innovative women.

Snow Fussing

2012-01-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

Oh the weather is wild here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems the forecast changes by the hour regarding a big snowfall predicted tonight.

Where I live appears to be on the cusp of the area expected for a large snow accumulation. If the low pressure front around Northwest Washington moves a bit south, then I'll be hit with the white stuff. My blogging friends in Seattle have already gotten quite a dumping of snow.

Our snowy house in 2009

We do tend to 'fuss' a lot about snow here. It's just not a common sight in the winter and unless you're a transplant from some snowy place, no one native here know's how to drive all that well on it. Hence, lots of traffic accidents occur when the snow sticks. Pretty much, everything shuts down. I know our friends elsewhere in the country are in disbelief, but we really are snow idiots.

I've been enjoying all of the birds at my feeders. Is it possible they look cuter in the snow? Juno's, chickadee's, sparrows and even some cedar waxwings have dropped by.

Our cupboards are full and the firewood has been stacked and readied for a big snow storm; we are ready should it actually happen.

Snow pic of the cottage from the 2008-09 storm

Hoping you are enjoying your winter weather.
Cheers, Jenni

Alien Landscape

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

In the winter, it's challenging sometimes to A) want to be outside to brave the rain and chill and B) find things of excitement in the gardens to ponder over and soak in (literally sometimes). I think winter is a time for reflection and planning but earlier this week, as I was working in the cottage flower gardens, pulling weeds and fluffing the soils, I noticed the moss growing on some of our larger pieces of decorative rock.

It's like an alien landscape. I did spend quite a few minutes admiring the different mosses growing. Someday, I'll educate myself on the different types. I really should know them as I do live in the 'Land of Moss'.

I feel transported to one of my sci-fi novels, looking at an otherworldly realm.

To add to the atmosphere, the hummingbirds that have decided to winter over with us (3 Anna's) were buzzing around and calling out their odd manner. I do believe they dive bombed me once.

Happy Friday the 13th! Jenni

Sunrise 1.11.12 Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sunrise 1.11.12, no photo enhancements, just great color.
Cheers, Jenni

Winter Dirt Therapy

2012-01-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend proved to be an excellent opportunity for sprucing up the cottage gardens. Temps warmed to about 45 degrees (7.2 C). The air was heavy with moisture; I was certain it would rain, but it held off. The earth was so soft and it was easy to use the trowel to dig up nasty weeds and scratch about. I love the look and smell of a newly scratched bed.

Hellebores are budding. I have become an addict, and I blame my fellow PNW gardeners for the addiction..teehee ;)

Ivory Prince Hellebore

I am amazed (and a little worried) at all of the new growth I found. Columbines are sprouting up, the peony has a few shoots that have reached the surface and even the echinacea (purple cone flower) has new leaves.

It has been a mild winter thus far. I'm not convinced that it will stay that way. However, in this unique little micro climate along the Lower Columbia River, we often get a coastal influence that keeps our temps mild. In comparison, the foothills of the Coastal Mountain Range are literally at our back door. Drive half a mile up and you quickly climb in elevation. They have had icy, cold temps since early December.

Nonetheless, all of this new growth does have me a bit concerned as it's not unusual to get a deep freeze in February. I should stock up on some mulch to be prepared.

I found the garlic planted in October to be looking as it should in the veggie plot.

Inchelium Red Garlic

Heather is blooming around the pear tree.

I feel good after tidying up the front yard. Playing in the dirt is good therapy. Projects for this next week include finalizing my vegetable seed order and playing around with an online veggie garden planner. I also need to spruce up the side, shade gardens. Things to look forward to in-between the daily routine of kids, cooking, and running a small biz.

Wishing you a cheerful and cozy, winter's week.
Cheers, Jenni

Dried Herbs for Winter

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Growing herbs is one of the most pleasurable gardening experiences I had this year. I expanded my herbal plants from 3 to 9 this year.

This year, basil turned into my first homemade pesto ever! (and it's good :)

Growing with the basil was lemon thyme

Next year, I'd like to add a mint pesto to the freezer.

I enjoyed all of my herbs fresh this year and in early November, I cut back my thyme, rosemary, tarragon and oregano before the damp, rainy fall weather would inevitably return.

All I did was place the cut pieces in a bowl.

I left them on top of the clothing dryer and within a few weeks, they were nicely dried. I meant to package them up for holiday gift giving, but the time got away from me. I did it this week instead and a few family members will receive a nice surprise in the mail soon.

They smelled wonderful as I was packaging them up!

Another gift giving idea I've done in the past is to dry my lavender and put the seeds in organza bags for fancy sachets.

Who knows how fresh the dried herbs you bought from the store are? But, growing and drying your own gives you the option to use them fresh and enjoy them in the winter for savory winter meals.

What is your favorite herb to grow?
Cheers, Jenni

A Look Back and Goals for Moving Forward in 2012

2011-12-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

The past year was more of a roller coaster than this gal is comfortable with. I feel good being able to say we rode it out and are in tact as a family, coming out of it even closer than before.

I'm really proud of the little organic garden I was able to muster up this past year and keep alive in the summer months, despite daily runs into Portland (hour and a half a way each way) to see my husband in the hospital. (I'm thankful for summer's long daylight hours in which I could still get the watering done!;)

A bumper crop of Strawberries in 2011

Prolific tomatoes, bush beans and zucchini

I'm also proud of keeping it together for my kids this year. You never really know how you are going to handle major life stresses, like a spouse becoming hospitalized and fighting for his life. My kids have been a buoy for me, forcing me to stay focused, keep things normalized despite the heavy stresses we faced. I'm no saint, I've had my fair share of loosing my cool, but overall, we made it, together.

Coming home to see sweet blooms helped kept my feet on the ground and nurtured my frazzled spirit. Here are some of my favorite flower pics from 2011.

Welcoming committee

Dragon's Eye Day Lily

lily

Shasta Daisy's in the evening light

I'm proud that my vegetable garden despite the long, cold spring, produced about 40lbs of tomatoes, 60+lbs of strawberries, bush beans, potatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, snow peas, carrots, radishes, onions, spinach and lettuce. (May I just add that homegrown potatoes are incredible?)

However, the biggest accomplishment I made this year is the realization that we can make it on one income and I can let go of prized luxuries like a car. I'm really proud that my husband and I (after I could get him home and mend him up) decided to put our family first and reduce our expenditures by letting go of things like expensive cell phones and massive cable TV packages in order for me to leave my high stress job.

I'm proud of myself for stretching our families budget by eliminating the bulk of processed food we bought and only buying staples and learning to cook from scratch. I'm proud of the food preserving I did for the first time this year. I'd never had 'homegrown tomato sauce' before. Now, I can't imagine going back.

I'm proud of keeping Christmas simple this year. We had a small budget for gift giving and I'm proud that we chose small, independent retailers for making purchases. If we shopped at a box store, we kept it as local as possible supporting chains that offer their employee's benefits and living wages. I've really tried to own the power of the (granted few) dollars that I have to spend.

Christmas has been filled with yummy homemade treats like Peppermint Bark

And lastly, I'm really proud of myself for pushing hard to make a long held dream come true and opening my online bead shop. I've played with making jewelry part time on Etsy and will keep doing so, but my love of beads and dreams of year round small business ownership got off the ground to a great start. For me to make this happen despite the intensity of the challenges and changes we've faced as a family this past year is something I am very proud of.

Frost on the winter Heather

Now moving forward and goals for 2012.

1) Survive the move back into the Portland area. Setting up a new house, building new garden beds, flower beds and trying to take as many plants with me as I can. I want to be thoughtful as I plan these new gardens, taking care to prep soil and being mindful that it will take years before I see the results I have in my minds eye. I want to keep reminding myself to enjoy the adventure of it as I'm truly a creature of habit and find it hard to enjoy the journey. (I might as well been born a hobbit.)

2) Plan a vegetable garden in three stages. The first one will be at our current home, utilizing existing raised beds for early spring crops. The second and third will be at the new house for summer and winter vegetable gardens. (can I tell you how excited I am to have room for a winter garden? :)

3) Take care of myself. I've really been stretched thin the past year and it's showing with some ailments I now have. I need to do things and tackle some health issues to stay healthy. Most importantly, I need to make it a priority.

4) Expand my food preservation by freezing and canning whole fruit and veggies and trying out new recipes for chutney's, relishes and pickling.

5) Try my hand at soap making, shampoo bar making and candle making.

6) Keep building my small business.

7) Keep on blogging and staying in touch with some of the wonderful people I've met through garden blogging. Sometimes, even simply through the written word, you find a kindred spirit and those people are precious. I feel privileged to have met some kindred spirits this year.

I may need to refer to this post from time to time in the next year as the stresses of moving and staying sane overwhelm me :)

Wising all of my blogging friends a Happy New Year. I'm looking forward to following your adventures in the year ahead.

Cheers, Jenni

Blogs I like to Read!

2011-12-30T10:31:00.001-08:00

What a nice compliment to wake up to on this eve of Eve's! Sue over at Green Lane Allotment was kind enough to list my blog as one of the blogs she likes to read (with under 200 followers).

She's given me a little liebster love :)

The Liebster is awarded to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers.
Now I'm going to keep the love going and follow the guidelines below, feature some of my favorite blogs.

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!

I know some of these 'awards' are kinda corny, but I pass this along in the spirit of appreciation for blogs I enjoy. I've never cared about how many followers I have; I just appreciate the garden bloggers I have connected with and the spirit of gardening friendship they provide.

Here are a few blogs I'd like to feature:

Bonnie at Birds, Bee's, Berry's, Blooms is a treasure. She gardens at a higher altitude in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is her first year blogging and her post's are a joy to read. She really knocked it out of the ball park this Christmas season with lovely homemade gift giving ideas and directions. Bonnie has a great sense of humor and I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do.

Alison at Bonnie Lassie is a gardening pro. She has moved to the Pacific Northwest from the East Coast and has fully embraced our soggy lifestyle. I have enjoyed following her adventures as she creates a new home and garden and I love how she has tried to use a lot of NW native plants. Despite living in the PNW my entire life, I've been learning from Alison about native plants!

Linda at Slow Growing in Scotland offers a look at what it's like to grow veggies in an allotment in Scotland. Linda has a lovely sense of humor and I am especially fond of her because she keeps it real. It's not always easy to juggle all the commitments in life, but she never gives up on her allotment and I appreciate her perspective and genuine joy of growing things.

Kelli over at My Garden Diary, gardens on an acre in Northern Ireland. She grows from seed and works hard to garden organically. Kelli has offered some great gardening tips this past year that I have used with success. I especially enjoy photo's of Kelli's garden supervisor, as her cat often gives her company outside. Kelli has a kind spirit that comes through her posts and I enjoy her sense of curiosity as she tries new seeds.

Bernie at My Dry Tropics Garden, gardens in north-eastern Australia. It's such a treat to follow her adventures when it's winter in my neck of the woods. I feel like I get transported each time I visit her blog to a warm, sunny and other-worldly place. Her photography is beautiful and she works hard to describe and relay what like is really like in the dry tropics and she discusses how she maintains her beloved plants year round. I am always impressed with her collection of begonias.

I will add that Sue's blog at Green Lane Allotments is always one of my favorite reads. Sue has given me great advice for my garden this year and I really appreciate her!

I can't encourage you enough to visit these fantastic bloggers who carefully detail their gardening adventures on their blog. I've learned so much from them.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
Cheers, Jenni

Winter Sowing on the Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to friend Catherine posting on facebook about her plans to begin Winter Sowing, I was introduced to the concept and a great website dedicated to winter sowing seeds.

I'm starting with perennials. Catherine at a Gardener in Progress wrote a lovely How - To post regarding winter sowing here.

I need to acquire some good containers for mini-green houses. Catherine has a great idea for hers and I do believe during tomorrows trip to the grocery store, I'll be picking up some of those mini-baking tins with lids. (I've already recycled many a good container earlier this month, shoot! I'll be hanging onto ones that may do the job in the future.)

Today, brother bear and I worked on cleaning out pots and directly sowing some of the hardier seeds.

He was very excited to be outside, helping mom. One of the things that has been so precious this past year is sowing seeds with my kids. I underestimated their joy at putting the tiny seeds in the dirt and checking daily to see how they were growing.

I enjoyed getting my hands dirty. It feels like it has just been too long. The brisk 36 degrees felt good too.

I have a lot to learn about winter sowing. The concept that it produces heartier plants is of great interest to me. One of my goals for the upcoming year and moving forward is to grow from seed as much as possible. I've admired the way other gardeners utilize seeds as it's practical and economical.

Cheers, Jenni

Holiday Traditions

2011-12-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

In our family, the holiday's means enjoying a ride on the Holiday Express Train. She's an incredible sight, the old Southern Pacific 4449 Steam Engine.

December 2011

A Portland area non-profit group called Friends of the 4449, volunteer to help set up and offer excursions from time to time, as well as, keeping her in fine condition. My father in law and his gal volunteer with the group, so it's through them we've become introduced to this beautiful machine.

This photo I took in 2008, you can hardly tell year to year as our weather in early December is about the same. If you look closely enough, you'll see a little blond boy at nearly 3, that is our one and only 'Brother Bear'.

December 2011, Holiday Express Train

The short, fun run, pulls out of Oaks Park and runs up and down the waterfront tracks along the Willamette River. We usually choose a ride around dusk so we can see the train in the daytime and at night with the Christmas lights decorating it.

Our kids now nearly 6 and 4 get so excited to take a ride on this train. Experiencing their joy and excitement is intoxicating as I can't help but crack a wide smile as the horn on the steam engine blows.

Brother Bear so happy to be on the Holiday Express Train

Little Sis learned about waving to the crowd this year

The train takes a slow jaunt down the tracks and heads towards downtown Portland, Oregon. It is generally dark by the time we reach this point and I'll admit, I'm a sucker for P-town all dressed up in Christmas cheer.

Prior to my father-in-law's introduction, I'd never given any thought to these massive steam engines. But, his enthusiasm has won me over and I'll admit that it's impressive how powerful and beautifully crafted these old machines are.

The folks involved with the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation work hard to keep these trains running and to preserve the moment in time where these giants were in their glory. Steam engines like this are rare as so many of them were scraped for their metal.

If you're ever in Portland, Oregon for the holidays, consider taking a ride on the Holiday Express. It's become a holiday tradition in our family.

Cheers, Jenni

Labeling the Lady Bloggers

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I was fascinated by a post earlier this week by Cozy Little House, where the author asks her readers what they thought about the label of 'shelter blogs' that is given (not sure by whom) to female bloggers over the age of 45; a category her blog fell into.

She discussed the phenomenon of 'mommy bloggers' and praised the movement of younger women, writing out in the blog-o-sphere. She wondered if women bloggers of her age (45+) were 'being put out to pasture' as the mommy bloggers received, in her opinion, more attention (not sure what measurement she was using).

I found the post and resulting comments fascinating because I never had before wondered what the age was of this particular blogger, or frankly any other bloggers. I was perplexed because I didn't realize there was a dividing line between those who are raising kids and blogging, and those whose children have left the nest and blogging. Where was the label for all of the other fantastic female bloggers who did not have children? Or the dudes?

I like the blog Cozy Little House because of her sense of style, appreciation for re-purposing goods and decorating ideas on the cheap. She has great tips on how to better use blogger and I find her writing, witty and informative. Her photography is incredible.

I am however, put off, if you will, at being lumped into a group that is based on my age and reproduction status. Don't get me wrong, raising my kids is a large part of what I do everyday..but so is running my small business, gardening organically, becoming more self-sufficient and giving the finger to a consumer society. I don't want a label. I just want to blog about topics that interest me and connect with like minded souls. I could give a shit if he/she has kids or not. I don't care about age. We will all inevitably go through different stages in life.

I wish we simply valued people as individuals and did not feel the need to 'group' or 'label', nor spur any kind of competition between age/sex/reproduction status. I know this is a cheezy thing to say, but seriously..we all have a place and value in blog-land.

And on that note, I'm going to go back and stick my head in the non-judgmental, Utopian sand. haha.

Jenni

Freeze Yer Buns Challenge Update

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

On November 1, 2011, I officially started the Freeze Your Buns Challenge, hosted by Crunchy Chicken. (I unofficially started in early October.) The idea is to lower your usage of energy through the cooler, winter months. The purpose is to reduce your CO2 output and help make an impact on environmental issues like Arctic warming. Another reason for our family to participate is to reduce the dollars we spend on winter energy usage.

I pledged to keep the house at 65 degrees during the day, down from 70 in the past and 60 degrees at night (down from 65). Our home was built in 1925, so it's not well insulated and can be drafty at times.

In the past few years, during the work week, no one was home in house as both my husband and I worked outside the home and the kids were in daycare. This year we had a family crisis that led me to quit my day job and stay home. I was worried that we would end up using more heat with the kids and I home all day and how that could negatively effect our family budget.

Turns out...65 degrees is too cold for me during the day. I was able to manage it when daytime temps still got into the high 50's, but now that we have moved into chilly 30 - 40 degree daytime highs, I'm downright cold, despite donning on wool socks and sweaters. Part of the problem is that I'm battling thyroid disease and have a problem with cold limbs and significant intolerance to cold due to my body not working properly.

So, I've moved the thermostat up to 68 degrees. We've had no trouble with a cooler house at night; we could even turn the thermostat down more.

The good news is that we received a check from our local PUD for almost $40.00 as we had developed a credit. We pay on what is called 'equal pay' with the PUD where they average out our energy use throughout the year and we pay the average amount monthly. (It is based on the previous year's usage.)

So..Thanks Crunchy Chicken, I would have never considered turning the heat down until I read about your challenge. To receive a credit from the PUD after participating for only two months feels awesome.

I'm excited to keep going forward despite not being able to manage my original pledge. Getting a little money back makes me feel like we really are making a difference.

Cheers, Jenni

Skywatch 12.8.11

2011-12-08T07:55:00.001-08:00

Mt. St. Helens and the Columbia River at sunrise

It's SkyWatch Friday....well, somewhere in the world, like Australia..it's Friday. I've captured the sunrise on this frosty morning (31 degrees F, -0.5 C). You can tell I live in a rural, older community. Overhead power lines still exist.

Photo's were snapped between 7:15am to 7:25am, Pacific Standard Time in Rainier, Oregon. Sunrise pics always bring a smile to my face..I hope it does the same for you.

It was chilly, but beautiful. I do love winter sunrises over the mountains as we head towards the Winter Solstice.
Cheers, Jenni

December Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-07T10:22:00.001-08:00

Tis the Season for a little bit of gift giving. Today, I've drawn a name (with a little bit of help) to win a pair of my fancy Starburst Earrings.

Little Baby Bear was happy to help pull the name of the lucky winner. (And she even smiled for the camera..that never happens!)

Congrats Bonnie from Birds, Bee's, Berries and Blooms Blog. I'll be mailing you out these pretty earrings that are sure to be perfect for festive holiday celebrations :)

Thanks to all the participants! Stay Tuned for Next Month's Giveaway on January 1st!
Cheers, Jenni

Rogue Tomato

2011-12-04T10:20:00.001-08:00

There is a sneaky, little, tomato plant trying to stealthily grow at the base of the house. He appears happy enough, with roots sheltered behind protective stones that keep the flower beds and old house siding separate. Clever plant I'd say, he's a far cry from the back of the house where the veggie gardens are. He's front and center, enjoying the south facing front of the house. Despite a few frosts this past week, he appears to be well enough.

Interesting.

I'll probably end up feeling sorry for him, should we get a deep freeze down the road and pot him up to bring him inside.

Yes, there is a 'sucker' stamp on my forehead.

Cheers, Jenni

P.S. If you haven't entered my December Jewelry Giveaway, pop over here to do so.

First Frost of the Season

2011-12-01T07:53:00.001-08:00

It's finally here! The first frost of the season has graced us.

Here is a view out our front door.

I will miss having the forest at our doorstep when we move next year.

During the past six years that we have lived out here along the lower Columbia River, this is the latest that we have had our first frost of the season.

I'm going to enjoy a cup of tea and a cozy pair of slippers.

If you haven't entered my December Giveaway, pop by this post and join in the fun!
Cheers, Jenni

December Giveaway!

2011-11-30T09:32:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving celebration (for my American friends). I'm happy to report that my first every pumpkin pie with my own pumpkin puree was *divine*. I really had no appreciation for the difference between store bought and home-grown before. I've happily had my eye's opened and there is no going back!

It's time to do something fun and give away a pair of my earrings from my jewelry shop. I've chosen a rather, exotic, star themed pair.

December with it's long nights and brilliant star studded skies, seemed the perfect month to give away my 'Falling Star' earrings. I hope you'll agree.

To enter, please tell me what your favorite holiday tradition is in a comment on this blog post. That's it! And if you are the lucky winner, hopefully you'll have a blog or email in which I can contact you.

I hope you'll enjoy reading each other's holiday tradition's as much as I will! Thank you for participating and let's kick off the holiday season in style!

I'll draw a winner on December 7th, 2011 and post the results.

Cheers, Jenni

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T07:32:00.001-08:00

Before I start my busy day, creating three scrumptious desserts to bring to our families Thanksgiving Dinner, I want to carve out a small moment and give thanks.

I'm thankful for the hard lessons I've had to learn this year. And, I'm grateful to have my little family in tact.

I don't really have words to express the gratitude I have to still have my husband in this world. I appreciate that he and I were able to see through the haze of his medical crisis and make some determinations together about how we wanted to go forward. Our plan is working.

I am thankful too for the kind and supportive blogging community that I belong to. Sometimes it feels like the world really is full of nice people. So, I'm going to hold onto that today.

Happy Thanksgiving.
Jenni

Old Fashioned Pen Pals

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I have been running a small business for the past three years on Etsy. Prior to this fall it was a way to stay in touch with my creative side, but mainly limited to nights and weekends as I worked outside the home. However, now that I am home full time, I can devote a lot more attention to this little shop and grow.

During the fall months, Etsy, the website where I have my shop located, hosts many workshops and forums to help us vendors prepare for the holiday season. One such forum is called Holiday Boot Camp. This is where my met my new pen pal.

We were given a task in mid-September to find another vendor and become Boot Camp Buddies. I placed a 'ad' if you will, looking for a partner and after receiving a several thoughtful messages from potential buddies, found my match.

It's really fascinating how the universe works sometimes. After some initial correspondence, my buddy and I learned we have been on a similar life path. We had the same major in college with the same career intentions, only to be lured into the world of retail account management. We were mom's, avid gardeners, and have both experienced major trauma in the past year.

We learned all of this about each other through emailing. We've helped each other with updating and improving our little online shops. We have shared our hopes and fears for our businesses and have discussed the stress of transitioning from a world of full time paid employment outside the home, to a world of work focused inside the home.

She has supported me through my husband's health crisis and now recovery and I have the honor of supporting her through her very recent diagnosis of cancer and current treatment plan.

It's amazing, the power of the written word. In two short months this total stranger has become a friend. A friend I hope to have for a long time. I am very thankful to the universe to have this experience, my first real pen pal.

This week we spoke on the phone for the first time. It was a delight to hear her voice and be able to laugh together. Her friendship is a gift, as all friendships are, and there is a special place in the heart for friendships that evolve from the power of the written word.

Cheers, Jenni

Pumpkin Puree

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

This was my first year for successfully growing some sort of pumpkin. I found my success with growing a smaller variety called 'Baby Bear' that I picked up at my local nursery. My yield was about 10 pumpkins from the one main vine that was successful. (note wet, short summers prove difficult for growing summer veggies.)

Now the big question is...what to do with them? Recently Erika over at NW Edible Life wrote a great post about storing winter squash. I'll be remembering her tips and tricks next year, especially the part about cleaning the exterior of the squash with a solution to keep fungal growth at bay.

I choose to make a puree of my cute little pumpkins. With thanksgiving around the corner and my yearly duty of making pies for the family gathering, I thought it would be really cool to ditch the canned stuff and use my own puree for pumpkin pie. I headed over to allrecipes.com to figure out how to do this. I found these directions to be very helpful.

First step was to slice the pumpkins in half. Then scoops out the seeds and fibers.

Next, you cover with tin foil and pop into a preheated oven at 325 degrees for an hour.

Then, you take them out, let cool for about 15 mins..(you don't want them too cool too much or else the meat does not come off the rind well) and much like you'd peel the rind off a cantaloupe, you would cut the rind away from the pumpkin meat. The warm pumpkin meat was easy to slice off the rind.

And viola. A bowl of pumpkin meat.

Then, I put the pumpkin meat in a blender to puree it. (note to self..save up for a food processor!!)

Finally I filled up freezer bags, with two cups puree in each bag. I found that my pumpkin pie and bread recipes required about that much puree per recipe.

I'll file a report on how the organic home grown pumpkin pie tastes for Thanksgiving dinner later this month.

The last step I took was to take many of the pumpkins seeds and follow these directions to save them for next years garden. I'll have plenty left over for any one who many be interested in having some. Just let me know.

Cheers, Jenni

Read Em All Tuesday

2011-11-14T20:15:00.001-08:00

I'm joining in with Tootsie and gang to highlight some of the great blogs out in blogger-sphere.

One of my favorite gardening blogs is from Sue over at Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments. Sue and her husband have been gardening a large plot since around the time I was 5 years old. If I need to figure something out, Sue is one of the top gardeners I go and ask.

Her website is full of fantastic gardening resources, recipes, and she is always very kind, stopping by my own blog to offer helpful suggestions on my gardening woes.

Sue is a dedicated vegetable, fruit and berry gardener, practicing homesteading techniques before it became hip. Cheers to you Sue!

Swing on by Tootsies and see who else is suggesting great blogs to read.
Jenni

Fall Colors at the Oregon Zoo

2011-11-13T09:08:00.001-08:00

This past Friday, our family took a trip to the Oregon Zoo in Portland. It was a foggy and chilly day, but that just created a backdrop for the bright, fall foliage to intensify, and it was beautiful. Many thanks to a set of grandparents for gifting us last Christmas with a zoo membership. Boy, have we loved it!

Often in Oregon, we get a touch of vivid fall color in late October, but then the rain comes and the wind and it just goes to mush. This year, we've been blessed with fair skies that have granted the leaves to turn even more colorful and it's been a delight.

Japanese Maple

The Oregon Zoo has placed great emphasis on creating and showcasing a diverse collection of trees and plants and offering teaching gardens and demonstrations on sustainability, pollinator gardens and building natural habitats in your own backyard.

Ginko Trees

The Oregon Zoo sits on the site of the former West Hills Golf Club in Washington Park. This transition happened in 1951. The Oregon Zoo has a large variety of elder trees that create an intimate backdrop.

Who doesn't love cuddly Hippos?

The steam train was up and running, and we enjoyed a ride

Ah, the texture of fallen leaves

I love the quiet moments of just looking at the leaves

Not sure what this tree is...great chartreuse color though!

Another gorgeous Acer Palmatum variety

What made the day so special is the image below.

Three of my favorite people are in this picture, a little purple coat, a little black coat and a larger green coat walking together towards the African Savannah displays. The most beautiful thing about our day was being together.

Cheers, Jenni

Friday Flower Flaunt 11.11.11

2011-11-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Flaunt Your Flowers Day. This week, I've been treated with a resurgence of my delphinium.

Frost has not descended upon us yet. Which is odd, considering this time last year, we had snow. The nice thing is that my fall flowers are having a long season, but the downside is that the lawn continues to grow and the bugs have not died off yet.
I really am ready to be done mowing the lawn.

Dahlias are treating us to pretty blooms. And there is plenty of autumn foliage.

Hostas at the very end of their cycle.

I continue to be impressed with my 'Autumn Color' Rudbekia. It is still putting on quite the show.

I'll be spending this Friday, Veteran's Day, thinking about the members of my family who have served in the armed forces. They are many. I am grateful for their service.

Swing on over to Tootsie's to see who else is showing off their flowers today.
Cheers, Jenni

November Giveaway Winner

2011-11-10T09:01:00.001-08:00

I pulled out my trusty little bowl for this months drawing of my Cranberry Drop earrings. I had two little helpers this morning, eager to help mom with this activity.

A pair of five year old hands pulled the winner and it's Sonya!

Thanks to everyone for joining in and stay tuned for next month's giveaway. It's so much fun to start the month off with a giveaway..don't you think? :)
Cheers, Jenni

Sleep Deprived Mommy turned Radical Homemaker

2011-11-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Recently the New York Times ran an article about the rising number of women taking medication to help them sleep at night..and not just any group of women, mommies.

The crux of the article had quotes from women, who primarily worked outside the home. They spoke about not being able to shut their brains off at bedtime or waking up at 3am with a list full of worries/tasks and just giving up at that point and getting up for a few hours of alone time to do things like, organize the linen closet.

As I read the article, feelings of familiarity rose within me. I've been that mom. Unable to turn the switch off of all the things I needed to do that week err month, at the very point in the day when I so badly needed to rest.

Exhaustion, is partly what has lead me to this point in my life. A decision to take a step back from a hard fought for career in social work, to stay home and rediscover family, slowness and better health for all the members of my immediate family.

This past spring, I read a captivating book called Radical Homemakers, where author Shannon Hayes makes the argument that domestic life need not be the version of the 50's dis-grunted housewife, but instead be about reclaiming the home and skills that are required for living a lifestyle apart from consumerism and creating a life sustaining economy.

It was not long after I read the book and spent a lot of time considering the subject that my husband became very ill. This past summer I nearly lost him, twice, as he was losing his battle with Ulcerative Colitis. He was hospitalized for over 6 weeks and had surgery in the end to remove his diseased colon.

To say this summer was stressful, doesn't quite cut it. Unfortunately, my husband and I needed a near death crisis to shake us out of our sleep deprived, caffeine fueled, crazed dual income lifestyle, that had our kids flapping in the wind behind us trying to keep pace.

We had not been able to consider making changes to cut items like satellite TV or cell phones, new clothing, eating out (a lot), or driving new vehicles prior to this crisis. We felt that we had earned these luxuries and even more so, that they were a 'right' to have now that we were established in our mid-thirties. Besides, I had worked hard to put myself through college, sacrificing the experiences of living at school and socializing so I could instead, pay for college and living at home with the parental units. Those sacrifices needed to be justified; I had to put that hard earned degree to work.

Fast forward 15 years, I sat there driving back and forth to a hospital in Portland, over an hour away, with beautiful children in the back seat and I looked at them. I saw them in the rear view mirror and looked at sad faces, worried and stressed faces. I would then see my painfully thin, pale, husband lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines, IV drips and a steady stream of hospital staff. We repeated this scene for weeks on end.

I took a leave of absence from my employment to tend to my husband and help him recover post surgery. I have not been back.

Shannon Hayes's book challenged me to rethink what we actually need to be a happy, thriving family. What I came to understand is that what we needed the most, is what I had the least to offer. Time. I was plugging 50-60 hours a week at work, managing crisis's in other families lives and I barely had time to do more than pull pre-packaged food from the freezer to nourish my own family.

We cut the cable, sold a car and will cancel our cell phones next month when our contract is finished.

And, I'm cooking. This is terrifying for me because I do not have domestic skills. I am an example of a person who has lost domestic common sense. But, I am learning. I am reclaiming my home and my family. Oddly enough, I believe that old college degree is helping with this life transition. I know how to research, investigate and analyze our consumer habits in order to keep our tight little family budget in tact.

It's been eleven weeks since my husband emergency surgery. He's back to work, has put on some weight but, of course, is still exhausted when he gets home. We've been told his road to recovery will take a year. That's OK. We have time.

Have I turned into a full fledged Radical Homemaker? No. But, I'm on my way. With a steady stream of inspiring urban homesteading and gardening blogs from around the world to glean information and how to's from, I'm well on my way. And, I'm sleeping through the night.

It's a good start.
Jenni

P.S. If you haven't entered my November give-away, go check it out..there's still time to participate :)

November Giveaway!!

2011-11-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

The day started off with a dense fog covering the land along the Columbia River this morning. The kids joined me for a quick trip to the post office and then a fall drive up the mountains behind, out of the fog.

We were delighted by beautiful fall colors and swirling leaves, gracefully making their way to the ground below. Bright gold, rich red and warm browns filled our senses and we meandered along an old timber road.

November starts off here in the Pacific Northwest with vibrant colors and on a sunny day, the skies are the brightest shade of blue. Then, the rain inevitably comes and thoughts turn to good food and having friends and family gather for a Thanksgiving feast.

Cranberry Drop Rustic Chic Earrings by DutchTouchBeads

Which makes me think of cranberries. Oh, I love cranberries. What better way to celebrate the month of November than with giving away a pair for my rustic chic Cranberry Drop Earrings. They have a golden frosting on the tops and bottoms and are deeply faceted, to give great sparkle. I think they may well be one of my favorite new designs for 2011.

Come on and join the party. Leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway. That's it! If you don't have a way to email you back (either from your own blog or profile) please leave an email address in case you are the lucky winner. I will draw the winner on Wednesday, November 8th.

Thanks for entering and wishing everyone a Happy November :) Cheers, Jenni

Happy Halloween

2011-10-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hope you are going to have a festive few fun days ahead. My kids have carved their pumpkins, their costumes have been procured, candy bowl is ready (but out of arms reach) and my front porch looks festive enough to invite kids to trick or treat.

The five year old got to carve his and his momma's pumpkins this year

Earlier this month, the four year old and I joined brother bear and his kindergarten class for a day at the pumpkin patch.

Semi-patiently waiting for the buses to arrive

If you look closely, there is a little boy face peering at me from the front the school bus

And they're off!

We had a fun day hanging out with the kindergarten class. I think the kids made lots of happy memories.

In the kitchen, roasting pumpkin seeds was a tasty event. I got some assistance from friends on facebook to make yummy yummy roasted pumpkin seeds.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

After washing and patting dry the seeds, I laid them out on this lovely, well used cookie sheet and drizzled olive oil, then salt and pepper and then a powder garlic bread mix, as a substitute for plain old garlic powder. I roasted the seeds at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Yeah, that was good :)

Wishing you a festive Halloween celebration!
Cheers, Jenni

Plant Cuttings and the Raintree Catalog Arrived!

2011-10-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bummer, I was really hoping for frost this morning. But, no dice.

It is chilly outside. Night-time temps dipped down to 38F, but fog banked along the Columbia River and that kept us without frost this morning. I was hoping to grab pretty frosty pics to share.

Late last week, to prepare for whenever frost will hit, I took cuttings of many plants around the garden on the advice of fellow blogger Sue @ Green Lane Allotments. I looked around her blog and thought..hey, I could do that and what a frugal idea. Of course, we'll see how things turn out come spring.

The past three years, I've lost my rosemary over the winter as we've had these freak cold snaps. I am located halfway between Portland and Astoria on the Columbia River and most often if feels like the maritime climate here which is more akin to the coast. This has not held true in the winter though. Directly behind our little town the mountains of the coast range sit. Literally, you take a road 100 ft from my house and immediately start heading up and are at 1000 ft in a mile. Those mountains seem to trap the cold air and block us from the sun during the winter months.

Next year, I'm hoping to grow more geraniums and lavender at the new house. I would like to learn how to keep bee's and lavender honey sounds divine. I took cuttings of both in hopes of saving $$ and taking more of my goodies with me when I move.

I'm also dreaming of a green house...but that is another matter.

At any rate, if I can manage to keep a few of these cuttings going after the winter, I will be pretty impressed with myself. I'm tired of spending money on herbs and annuals. I really want to be much more savvy with my dollar and use it on seeds and keep plants going in the winter. (hence the green house dream).

All these pots have been brought indoors by a nice window. It will be my experiment.

In other news, my first catalog from Raintree Nursery arrived yesterday. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Fellow PNW bloggers..maybe we need to organize a meet up next spring at Raintree to check it out?

Cheers, Jenni

Bye Bye Veggie Garden

2011-10-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Frost is scheduled to hit in a few days and I'm happy to report I've done the bulk of my fall garden clean up.

Fall Garden

It looks so peaceful there, all quiet now, waiting for spring. My strawberries which take up the bottom of the picture are quiet vibrant. I've been watering them to keep them producing a lot of shoots that I will carefully cut off next spring and plant at the new house. The ever-bearing variety that I have used the past five years can be prolific producers,especially when fresh compost is added in the spring.

Most of my herbs are still growing. Oregano, Rosemary, 2 varieties of Thyme, Tarragon and Sage.

Pineapple Sage ready to bloom

Rosemary

In the past, during hard freezes, I loose all of my herbs except the thyme. Can't seem to kill that one. I intend to cover them this year with hopes they will be spared. There is nothing more wonderful than making my Rosemary Roasted Candied Nuts during the holidays using my own rosemary.

Earlier this week, I planted my garlic that I ordered from Territorial Seed Company. I had hoped to try Oregon Blue Garlic, but there was a crop failure this year and I switched out for Inchelium Red, also a softneck variety.

Inchelium Red Garlic

My tiny little burning bush is showing some pretty fall color.

I will transplant this bush and many other plants to the new house next spring. I hope to take as much as I possibly can with me.

How are you doing with your fall gardening clean up? Do you have any plans for a winter garden?

Cheers, Jenni

Concord Grape Jam

2011-10-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Homegrown Concord Grapes

In the spirit of not letting anything go to waste, my father in law gave me nearly 20 lbs of concord grapes to do something with :) The back story on the grapes is that they come from vines planted by my husbands great grandfather.

Ok. Fast forward. I have a huge bag of concord grapes on my kitchen floor. Good Grief! I just got done with the tomatoes.

So, I grab this years new treasure in my cook book library, Canning for a New Generation, Bold Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff. Her Spiced Concord Grape Jam was going to get tested. One of the reasons I've enjoyed this particular canning book is that the author uses less sugar and natural pectin than the traditional recipes. She also combines flavors that I wouldn't have thought of, with delicious results.

Admittedly the first batch, was a *wee* bit challenging as I'd never worked with grapes before. I had hoped to use my food strainer and that was a bust. I figured out I needed to create an assembly line.

Concord Grape Jam Assembly Line

First, you have to separate the grape hulls (or skin) from the pulp that holds the seed. I did this by hand. Yes. All 20 lbs worth. The big red pot above was for the pulp and the clear bowl held the hulls. I did my work in 4-ish lb batches (hey, I don't have a kitchen scale yet ;).
note The little stems are a total pain in the ass. I kept warm water in the sink close by so I could quickly rise my hands often as I went about de-hulling the grapes.

Second, the pulp needs to come to a boil on the stove. It soften them up for the next step. Where I deviated from the recipe is that I blended up my hulls instead of adding them whole later as the recipe called for. I used my ancient blender for this step. The blended hulls went into the central cooking pot.

Boiling Grape Pulp

Third, after coming to a boil and cooking for about 10 mins, the pulp needed to be strained to keep the seeds out.

Separating the grape pulp from the seeds.

I used a simple sieve and just like you sift powdered sugar, I used a tablespoon and pushed through the pulp, separating it from the seeds. The remaining pulp I added to the main cooking pot.

Forth, I added the ingredients to the blended hulls and de-seeded pulp. Onto the stove top it goes, until it boils and then turned down to simmer for about 15-20 mins, until it was ready to be put into warm, waiting canning jars.

I found my enameled cast iron pot to be a great cooking pot for jam making. You won't find this frugal gal sporting Le Creuset...nope. Thank you, but good old Lodge cookware is working great for me.

Then, I followed directions for water bathing the jam and presto....22 half pints later, I was done.

Spiced Concord Grape Jam

Even the household manager approved.

'Silver Cat' as he is commonly called around here.

It was a long day in the kitchen. Simplifying my make-shift assembly line helped. A lot. A good playlist on the Ipod helped a lot too :)

Drumroll please...the taste...pretty darn good. You can taste the sassy grapes against the contrast of the tangy lemon, with just a hint of spices. It is not a sweet jam, but it is not tart either.

Requests from family are already lining up for my jam at Christmas. Awesome. Exactly what I was hoping for!

Cheers, Jenni

Freezing My Buns Off

2011-10-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

As some of you have figured out, I'm on an adventure to lead my family into a more eco-friendly and frugal lifestyle now that I've turned into a SAHM. One of the things we have decided to do is to turn our thermostat down this winter.

Am I crazy?

We'll see. Especially if my fingers and toes turn blue!

A reduction of a few degree's can make an significant impact on my families heating bill this winter. Also, the less energy we consume, the smaller our footprint will become. Ultimately, living on less money and learning to live in a more sustainable manner, which includes a reduction in energy usage, is the end goal for my family.

Want to learn more and see how many other bloggers are taking the challenge? Head over to the Crunchy Chicken's blog and learn how to participate in the 'Freeze Yer Buns Challenge' and read about the many reason's why folks are undertaking this wintertime challenge.

This winter we will set our thermostat for 65 during the day and 60 at night. In the past, we have had our temps set for 68 (more like 70) and 63 at night.

On the few chilly day's we've had so far this fall, what I do to stay warmer is, move around. Cleaning, cooking, baking. I layer up, especially in the morning and in the evenings my trusty warm blanket is always right next to my recliner.

I would like to note that I do have arthritis in my left hand so undertaking this challenge won't be without difficulty. But, hey, if they can live like this normally in Europe...what's our problem?

Cheers, Jenni

Fall Garden Overview

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn in the Pacific Northwest has been mild and calm. A few blustery rainy days, but mild temperatures, which has kept many flowers blooming.

Petunias in the front hanging baskets.

Dahlia's and Rudbeckia continue to bloom.

I've been clipping, weeding and turning over the soil in my front flower beds.

I notice candy-tuft and winter heather, growing buds and fattening up for their winter show. My lawn is actually green and lush.

This will be my last fall in the cottage on C street. Our family is moving back to the Portland, Oregon area next summer to help restore and bring back to life, a home built by my husbands great grandfather during the 1920's.

For now, it's the soft air of Autumn, gentle rain and the calling of the geese overhead, migrating south for winter that has my attention.

Next stop. Cleaning out the vegetable garden.

Cheers, Jenni

October Give-Away Winner Announced

2011-10-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Brother bear, my little garden helper, was kind enough to help me draw a name from the bucket tonight.

The fun, pumpkin earrings are going all the way to Northern Ireland to blogging buddy Kelli Boyles @ My Garden Diary. I couldn't be more delighted. I've so enjoyed reading Kelli's blog this year and have used some of her gardening suggestions with much success!

Thanks to all those who entered! I'm thinking about what fun item to put up for next month's give-away!

Cheers, Jenni

Pumpkin Harvest

2011-10-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Quiet days in the yard and gardens have appeared quite suddenly. I knew it was around the corner and I even relished the thought of a gardening break when I was elbows deep in tomato saucing. But, I'm feeling a bit blue. My fingers are actually clean, no more pore deep dirt stains.

I have dug out the zucchini, squash and cucumbers. I've cleared space for the garlic when it arrives. The baby bear pumpkin produced some cuties, so they were the last item to harvest.

And now, I must face the pile of unfinished crocheting projects from last winter. I am a poor excuse for a fiber artist but it keeps me busy and makes me feel like I'm doing something in the evenings. I do dream of learning how to make cute crocheted flowers and leafs, something to add to my Etsy shop in the spring time.

Next year is going to bring quite a few changes to our little family unit. I'll be writing about those more this fall. But for now, I'm enjoying the quiet of the drizzly day and then I'll get moving as my mother is coming to visit tomorrow. Housecleaning must commence!

If you haven't popped over to enter my October giveaway, do swing by.

Cheers, Jenni

October Giveaway

2011-10-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the beginning of October by using some of my homemade Pesto on pizza this weekend. I was worried if it would taste alright, as it was the first time I've made it. Good News, it was great and made all the babying of my big Basil plant over the summer worthwhile.

This month, to kick off the change over to autumn here in the Pacific Northwest, I'll be giving away a pair of my Pretty Pumpkin Earrings.

www.DutchTouchBeads.com

Leave me a comment on this post, and tell me what your favorite Halloween tradition is and I will draw a random winner on Sunday, October 9th, 2011.

No worries about shipping out of country, except Italy..for some weird reason..but everyone else...join on in and have some Autumn Fun!

Cheers, Jenni

Might Be A New Obsession

2011-09-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I sprung for my very first purchases of Japanese Maples.
I've been mulling over this decision for months, knowing I would be looking in the fall when the nurseries mark down remaining trees and shrubs to move them out. I was hopeful to find trees with great fall color as fall is...my favorite time of year!

My first find is called Acer Palmatum 'Fire Glow'. I plan to plant this beauty where the rays for the setting sun will find it in a big backyard. Even better, our local garden store had it on a great sale!

Photo's Courtsey of OregonGrownNursery

I drove down I-5 for my next stop and found a perfect tree! My second find was a Acer Palmatum 'Twombly Red Sentinel'. Also..great sale going on!

Photo Courtsey of Maplestone Ornamentals

This little fella grows straight and slender. I think it's perfect fit as a focal feature in a postage stamp front yard. It will be fun to build around this gorgeous tree with complimentary conifers and perennials.

The sales gal at Tsugawa Nursery told me she had heard Japanese Maples could be addicting.

I think the bug has bitten me!

Cheers, Jenni

Do we really NOT know how to cook?

2011-09-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I read an article that included a survey showing that 28% of Americans can't cook.

I believe that. I can't really cook.

I don't like that fact either. It's just plain sad.

If it wasn't for 7th and 8th grade Home Economics class, I'd really be in trouble. I semi remember some of what I learned.

I grew up with a working mom, who did cook, but neither she or I had the desire to get me in the kitchen to help out or learn anything.

And, I'm paying for it now. I spent my early adulthood eating crap, got married, had kids and we still ate crap. Fast forward to this summer and my husband nearly lost his life to Ulcerative Colitis. The eating crap has to stop.

So, I'm learning to cook and to preserve and to simply..slow down..all of it. Because, I don't want to go back to eating all that processed crap food and the lifestyle that it entails. I don't want that life.

Speaking of good, homemade food. I made pesto. I'm still in shock myself.

I grew this beautiful basil plant all summer.

I used this base pesto recipe but omitted the nuts (one kiddo has a nut allergy) and the cheese as I froze the pesto in ice cube trays. I will add the cheese back in when I use later this year. I did add a bit of lemon juice to the recipe as well. My old (and I mean old) blender did fine to mix it all up. Any suggestions of tasty additions in substitution of the nuts?

So..if I can learn to cook...I think there's hope for American :)

Cheers, Jenni

Shocking Moment..I made tomato sauce!

2011-09-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, while my tomatoes were growing away in the veggie patch, I spent a lot of time in hospitals with my husbands health declining. Thankfully, he's home now mending and improving..but let's just say I had a lot of time on my hands.
I splurged on this pretty food strainer I found online at Territorial Seed Company during one of those long days. What's a girl to do, dreaming of her veggie garden while stuck in a hospital? :)

I got the Victorio Food Strainer / Sauce Maker and setting it up was a breeze. (Even for the mechanically un-inclined.) Now, I stuck all those lovely ripe tomatoes from garden in the hopper for picture taking purposes but once that was accomplished, I quartered them and then put them back in the hopper. I did not peel or de-seed those guys and look what I got:

Perfecto!! I cannot believe it was as easy as that. Just quartered them, cranked the handle and voila! This Dutch girl could be Italian..lol.

The above picture is the finished product with the left over waste in a bowl ready for the compost bin. I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Next step, I reduced the sauce by boiling at a gentle simmer, let it cool and then I measured into freezer bags, marked and stored in the deep freezer. My sauce will be ready to eat in the gray, winter months of the Pacific Northwest. So, what's next?

Oh..the next box of tomatoes picked from the garden. Ok..back to work!
Cheers, Jenni

P.S. No one has paid me to high light their products..I just happen to really like supporting Territorial Seed Co. because they are a local, Oregon, family owned business and the food strainer was a splurge for myself..something that appears to be well made and I hope will get years worth of work in my kitchen.

P.P.S. Thanks to Diane @ My Cottage Garden for the tip on using a ripe banana to assist with ripening up tomatoes...it totally worked. The tomatoes in the above picture are now red ripe and ready to process!

GBBD September 2011

2011-09-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Oh my...it's the 15th already. I'm still stuck at September 4th or 5th I think :)

I have a few blooms left in the cottage gardens. The weather has switched from a very hot spell in early Sept to cooler temps with heavy marine layers, but no rain at this time.

My late blooming red dahlia opened up in early September. I did not get a bloom last year due to the cool later summer and rain. She's a treat with little 4 inch blooms.

Both of my other dahlia's are still going strong. This lovely purple and white number that I purchased from the fantastic Swan Island Dahlia Farms has a delicate and soft look to it.

And my favorite dahlia, and frankly, bloom in my garden, hands down. This beauty captures the colors of the setting sun. Delightful.

My container pots are still going strong. I'm determined to try and overwinter my geraniums. My next door neighbor who has done this says the only thing she doesn't like is that it takes longer for the overwintered plants to bloom then just running down to the box store and buying new ones each spring. She has since stopped overwintering her geraniums. I think to be frugal, I'm going to see how it works out for me.

Petunias still going strong.

I am addicted to Rudbeckia's now. Really. I love my latest purchase from a nice gal at the local Farmer's market. This one is called Autumn Colors:

And finally, a mommy brag moment and a last capture of my Black Eyed Susan's with my little boy on his first day of Kindergarten. I swear I only cried after the bus pulled away.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day All! I'm heading off to Carol's to link in and enjoy the colorful blooms around the world.

Cheers, Jenni

Bit O' Bounty

2011-09-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had some fun and harvested what felt like a huge bounty from my little garden plot.

Once again, the Sweet 100 cherry tomato pumped out a lot of goodies!

I'm going to be a cherry tomato oven roasting queen. They do smell awfully good when they are being roasted!

The beef steak slicing tomato had many red ripe and many more somewhere close. I picked up those and boxed them up.

I'm following Diane's suggestion of putting them with a ripe banana to see if I can't get these more ripe. I have a couple of salsa recipes I'd like the use them on.

My beef steak still has plenty of green tomatoes. I'm looking up recipes on for fried green tomatoes..something I never thought I'd eat! :)

My experiment with potatoes did not yield much. I grew two pots of California Whites. Granted, I wasn't able to hill them as much as I could have because I started them too high in the pots. oops!

Finally, the Baby Finger Carrots were dug up. They taste so sweet! I need to dedicate more space next year to these guys. Yummy!

Lastly, as some final tease...the vine cucumber showed off it's potential. Great, thanks. You're a bit late.

I'll be busy in the kitchen today. The cherry T's need to be roasted up and I need to experiment with pickling those carrots. If I can get the beef steaks ripened up, I've got to try this delicious recipe from one of my favorite book purchases this year: Canning for New Generation

Busy times in the household. Apples and Pears will be up next. Maybe I'll get around to making that Pesto too!

Cheers, Jenni

An Argument Against Coupons

2011-09-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Our family has been spending a lot of time figuring out how we can save money this summer as my husband's illness has kept him out of work and I've taken a leave from my job to care for him at home.

Many friends and family members have suggested that I clip coupons and/or learn to become an extreme coupon-er to save our family a lot of money at the grocery check out line. So, I joined the sites and spent time perusing the coupons offered by national brands. Here is what I've concluded.

I don't want what they are selling.

I see savings for a lot of processed junk. I don't want processed food. I don't want chemicals, high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified ingredients in the food I bring home to my family. What I want is savings on the basics, staples for the pantry so that I can affordable feed my family well by making the food we eat.

Now, coupon clipping queens, don't get your panties in a bunch, there is no judgement here from me about what you purchase or put on your table; I'm simply stating that most of the coupons available do not satisfy my families needs.

I will say this though, please think about why national brand food manufactures are offering coupons. What makes this a profitable venture for them? Do you really need six cases of toothpaste to save $2.00? What is in that toothpaste anyway? Do those coupons make you go to the store more often than you would have otherwise? At the end of the month, when you add up all your receipts..did you really save?

I'm finding that if I just stick with the basics, utilize the bulk food bins and work on being more plan-ful and organized with meals, that I'm saving a lot of money that way. Without Clipping Coupons.

And we're eating better. With whole ingredients.

It's a start to being frugal and feeling good about what I'm putting on the table for our family. I have a lot to learn and improve upon regarding the management of my household. It's a new challenge and set of skills I'm determined to learn.

So, thank you but no thank you to the national brands coupons.

Cheers, Jenni

Harvest Moon Rise, Sept 11, 2011

2011-09-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Harvest Moon Rise from Rainier, Oregon

Hazy Sunset Looking West at the Columbia River heading towards the Pacific Ocean

Harvest Moon taken at approx 1000 feet outside Rainier, Oregon

Smoke from the fires burning in the Mt. Hood National Forest and outside Goldendale, Wa have drifted west despite a nice westerly wind today and created a haze. I spent a lot of time thinking about those who were lost ten years ago today. It was good to take a drive around the hills tonight and capture the moon. It was a peaceful experience.

Cheers, Jenni

What to do with all these Tomatoes?

2011-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, well, cherry tomatoes. I have them coming out of my ears..and it's only one plant! I've oven roasting them and freezing them to use the rest of the year, but does anyone do anything else with them? (Just a side note that I don't like them..I grew them for my husband who now cannot eat most raw vegetables due to new dietary restrictions.)

My slicing tomatoes are slowly ripening up, but it's not like I'm getting a significant quantity all at once. I am hoping to get enough to do a small batch of sauce.

I think my green beans will go lovely with my planned grilled steak dinner :)

Cheers, Jenni

September Give-Away Winner!

2011-09-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Oops, I really meant to post this last night but I totally spaced it after coaching soccer practice ~ Sorry!!

So, the winner of the give away is: Diane @ My Cottage Garden. Diane, I'll be contacting you for mailing information and sending out your new Maple Leaf Earrings.

Thanks for playing everyone, that was fun. I'll do it again next month. Maybe you can give me some suggestions of what you think would make a good give-away prize item? :)

Cheers, Jenni

Last Days of Summer

2011-09-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Time has flown by this summer and this year I am not ungrateful for quickness in which it has passed. When you have a loved one in poor health, you want time to speed them on to recovery.

My husband spent 35 days in the hospital this summer, he's been home for four days now. The children and I are grateful to have him home again and we all have high hopes to see him recover. Time will tell.

Rudbeckia

In the meantime, the summer gardens are waning. Dahlia's, rudbeckia and petunia's in pots are sporting some color as I ready myself to embrace fall and send my eldest off to kindergarten.

The cone flowers have finished, but I leave them for the butterflies and bee's to rest upon.

Sedum is thriving, it has proven to be a good choice this year as with many trips back and forth to Portland, I have not been the most consistent with watering.

Puma, my faithful garden companion, enjoys our daily walks among the flowers and vegetables. The delphinium has shown me some kindness and sent up a last plume of purple color.

A heat spell is looming here for the remainder of the week, forest fires in the Cascade mountain range coupled with an ill timed east wind will bring significant smoke and air quality issues in the next few days to the greater Portland metro area. A little rain in the Pacific Northwest wouldn't hurt about now.

If you haven't check out my little happy for fall 'give-away' do swing by. A nice little pair of pretty earrings to ready for the season, handmade by me.

Cheers, Jenni

Smallish Pumpkins

2011-09-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Baby Bear Pumpkin

Question for all you experienced veggie growers / home cookers/preserving experts....will my smallish pumpkins provide enough pumpkin meat to use in recipes/preserves? They are awfully cute and I have 10 - 12 thus far.

Cheers, Jenni

P.S. Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Happy September 1st and a Giveaway

2011-09-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's a brisk morning here in the Northwest Oregon, with an overcast sky. Rumors of warmth from the TV weatherman for the weekend...hmmm, hard to imagine right now as I sip coffee and snuggle under a blanket, but it would be welcome to help get the rest of my tomatoes ripe!

To celebrate September and all the craziness that the start of the school year brings (running our kids around to practices and extra trips to the grocery store (surely it's not just me who forgot a few things on the school supply list? :)) here's a give-away to have a little bit of fun for us!

A pair of pretty Mahogany Maple Leaf earrings, handmade by me. I think they are perfect for the season :)

If you would like to be considered for the give-away, please leave a comment on this post with a way for me to notify you if you're the lucky winner. That's it. I will draw a winner and announce it next week on September 8th. Good Luck! I hope this is a fun diversion for everyone and maybe having a give away each month from my jewelry shop might be a fun idea~

Cheers, Jenni

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T12:43:00.001-07:00

Autumn Colors Rudbeckia

Cheers, Jenni

Harvest Tidings

2011-08-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Busy times in my little garden! Sweet 100 Cherry tomatoes are ripening faster than I can pick them. I have been oven roasting them to be able to enjoy them later as hubby is still in the hospital recovering from emergency surgery last week. Tomatoes are his favorite. We are now in the 2nd month of his hospitalization.

Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato planted mid May 2011

My slicing tomatoes 'Beef Steak' are heavily loaded, but still quite green. The warm temps of the past week have helped get a few to color. My plan (if I get enough ripe) is to make sauce and freeze that for use later this year.

Beef Steak tomato, planted mid May 2011

Beef Steaks with a touch of color

Bush beans have been producing, although I haven't been home enough to enjoy them. The zucchini has produced quite a few fruit that are currently awaiting me in the kitchen to grate, measure and freeze for future recipes.

Happy Zucchini with Beef Steak Tomato in background

Last week's harvest

My cucumbers have been a dismal failure. I am training my vine variety to climb and it is flowering but I have nothing other than flowers. Same with butternut squash.

Here is the one tiny little lemon cucumber. Tiny, like the size of a golf ball.

Lemon Cucumber

And finally my one success has been the 'Baby Bear' pumpkins. Of all the things. Cracks me up.

One half of the Baby Bear pumpkin plant over taking the garden

Pumpkins ripening

So that is my vegetable garden report. It's amazing all the lessons learned this year. I like keeping the Veggie Diary page on my blog here as it will hopefully serve me well when I plan next years garden!
Cheers, Jenni

On the Cusp of Fall? And End of Summer Blooms

2011-08-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

The daytime highs have been in the 80's and the weatherman is suggesting we may hit 90 for the first time this year. All of P-town is doing a happy dance but I'm wondering if it isn't fall I smell in the crisp evening air at night?

Goosebumps in the early morning, dense dew over the garden and that crisp, zingy, electric zap in the air. All signs of fall to me.

I have captured some of my late summer blooms. The flower gardens are so late this year, it's amazing to think that some of my dahlia's might not get to bloom at all.

Stargazer Lily

A pretty purple dahlia just blooming!

And I might have purchased a few Rudbeckias the other weekend. It's not too late :)

It's so pretty!

So, in my opinion, fall is lingering at the door step and I don't mind. It's been a tough summer, I'm ready to say good bye to it for a multitude of reasons.

In vegetable news....I got my first zucchini. I'm friggen thrilled.

Cheers, Jenni

Vegetable Match Maker

2011-08-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was lamenting to my best friend and fabulous veggie gardener about my lack of zucchini. She came over and took a peek to see what the problem was.

We looked at the sorry little zucchini that looked like their blossom's had rotted off and she asked me how the bee's had been near the garden. I replied that there had been very little bee action since the comfrey and strawberries stopped blooming last month.

She told me I needed to play match maker for my zucchini, pumpkins and squash. She asked me if I remembered high school biology. Um no. Admittedly, I've purposely swiped any science or math related education from my mind. Since my best friend has known me since we were 10 years old, she had a good laugh about that because she remembers my disdain for science and math even when we were kids. (I made little improvement in college as well...hello! liberal arts major!)

So she put me through a quick plant biology lesson that I'll share here in case I'm not the only one who has forgotten the 'birds and the bee's'. lol :)

Here is a girl zucchini:

She said I was to take the boy flowers with the single stamen and pollinate the girl flower with the pistil (see above). Same with the pumpkins. Interestingly enough, my Howden pumpkins are not producing any girl blooms, so I'll be checking daily to see if that changes. Here's a nice little online link to showcase the flower functions.

So maybe I'll get some zucchini and pumpkins this year after all my plant biology reminder. I know, duh.
Cheers, Jenni

FF 8.5.11

2011-08-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, they took their sweet time but I've finally got the rest of my summer perennials blooming! (Jenni is doing a little happy dance as she types this). It appears I've got my ray of sunshine blooming in my cottage gardens.

The long awaited Rudbeckia's are giving us happy bursts of yellow in the perennial beds.

Black Eye'd Susan

New addition 'Maya'

I have one of three Dahlia's blooming and thankfully, it's my favorite of the bunch. The original blooms last month started out much more coral and it reminds me of the sunset over the pacific ocean. This pic shows the next wave of blooms in a lighter color wave.

I picked up several new perennials this year and did get some blooms off a new delphinium earlier in the season as well as my new 'Maya' rudbeckia. Here is one I thought would be more red and well, yah....more looking like it's name 'Red Mexican Hat'

Ratibida 'Red Mexican Hat' I'm just gonna pretend it looks like a Mexican hat.

I also got some Eyrngium, but no silvery blue spikey blooms yet. Next is a new Coreoposis.

Sunfire Coreoposis

A new sedium I purchased from an online nursery is taking off with gusto!

A few herbs are blooming. The oregano was the prettiest one blooming.

It has both white and lavender blooms, smell divine.

The lemon balm is also blooming, but the flowers are so tiny that my camera was not catching them well.

After all the stress and worry of the past week with my husband in the hospital, taking this stroll around the gardens to share this week was a welcome distraction. I tried different settings on my camera as I hope to learn to take better photographs with it and it was wonderful to smell the sweet lavender and hear the honey bee's busily buzzing around. I could have sat in the morning sunlight longer, but as many of you well know, those soft, quiet moments in the garden feel too short most of the time. Life marches on.

As a side note, husband's prognosis is looking better. He will likely be in the hospital another week. I'm amazed at the mending of the human body. Thanks to the many of you leaving very kind comments on my earlier posts.

I hope you'll swing by Tootsie's blog to see who else is flaunting their flowers today. It's a wonderful way to get introduced to a lot of other garden blogs out there in cyber land.

Cheers, Jenni

Brighter Outlook and Vegetable Garden Update

2011-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who posted kind messages of support for my family. We are moving in a positive direction and hope to have hubby home by the end of the week.

Before I left for the hospital this morning, I toured the yard and veggie garden to see what was going on. Today, I'll discuss the sorry state of the vegetables.

Both my Beef Steak and Sweet 100 tomato plants are very healthy and loaded with green tomatoes. We are in need of heat to ripen up these guys. The downside of having a strong coastal influence is that we have a marine layer in the morning, which is very nice for us humans, but it reduces the duration of warmth for growing things.

Beef Steak, planted 5.8.11

more Beef Steak tomatoes

Happy Dance, one red Sweet 100 cherry tomato!

a few more ripening on the vine

I see that I have six small zucchini growing. So many lost to blossom rot already this year. I'll be thrilled to have these guys make it. They are approx 5 inches in length.

Black Beauty Zucchini

Not much success with the Howden pumpkins. I fear the spot I have them in is too shady. I get blooms, but they have fallen off. I see damage to the leaves. I know there have been nasty slugs lurking. I put out worry free slug bait around the boxes where I see the trails coming from. But again, still not enough sunshine for them and with our cool summer, the likelihood of a pumpkin is slim.

Howden pumpkin started from seed on 5.20.11

Now, the Baby Bear mini pumpkins are doing pretty well. I have no idea how big they get, the name just sounded cute so I bought the plant. They appear to be producing lots of blooms. They have also suffered from the attack of the slugs, but despite it all, I have something growing!

Baby Bear Pumpkin

Regarding my attempts at peppers, well, let's just say it's been a bummer year for anything requiring heat/sunshine. I do have some flowers on both varieties. Here is all that I have to show for the peppers thus far.

Can't remember if this one is the orange or red bell pepper? Planted around 6.3.11

Much like the peppers and squash, my cucumbers are really pathetic. But, I have a bloom. Good Grief, what a year for growing things.

Always a lesson in patience and humility, this growing a vegetable garden business. Some lesson's learned. Need row covers for squash and cucumbers and peppers (or cloches). Try runner beans for a larger harvest. Or..maybe just grow cucumbers, peppers in pots in a very sunny spot next to the house to get that extra heat bounced off them. Hmm. I'll be documenting all of this on my Veg Plot Diary page so I don't forget next year ;)

Cheers, Jenni

Family Update

2011-08-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there Blogging Friends, I'm writing you from my husband's hospital room where I've spent the better part of the past 5 days. He was hospitalized with severe Ulcerative Colitis and we've had some very scary moments. I've been so thankful that my mother has been able to care for my little children; that has been a great comfort.

Hubby is responding to their current treatments, however they are strongly pushing some very heavy drugs at us and we are reluctant to take those on without looking into other remedies as well as surgery. The truth is that he was been diagnosed with the disease since 2006 and been unwilling to make the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes. (You can assume with my feisty nature, the battles we've had.)

our family with Mt. St. Helens & Goat Rocks as a backdrop

Both hubby and I are going to have to make sustainable changes for our family to be able to live healthier. I'm coming to the realization that I cannot maintain this image I have in my mind about what it looks like to be a modern mother, working side the home. Many things are going to have to change. I am just so thankful we have dodged this crisis and our family is intact.

So, I hope you'll continue to follow my journey as I intend to keep on blogging :)
Cheers, Jenni

Fertilizer Friday, July 29th, 2011

2011-07-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hola ~ I'm joining up again with Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday to flaunt my flowers :) I have a few new blooms to share and it's been quite exciting to see my summer perennials cheering up the cottage gardens with great color!

My favorite dahlia is showing off her sunset colors:

I have cone flowers finally! Pretty purple echinacea.

The hardy fuchsia is sporting gracefully blooms.

Great purple spikes of liatris have invaded my yard! The bumble bee's love to sleep in them at night. So cute!

And finally, another look at my Shasta Daisy's.

It has been of great relief to have had a few days of sunshine this week. My goodness a little bit of sun does wonders for the spirit! I've even had to water the lawn...hmmm, that's a good sign summer has arrived.

Cheers, Jenni

Home-Made Organic Comfrey Fertilizer

2011-07-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Irish Blogging Buddy Kelli Boyles posted in April about making her own organic fertilizer using nettle, and I was very keen to try this as well. Not having nettles handy, I did a little research and found a couple of sites, the best being here at The Garden of Eaden, another blogging site I visit with regularity that discussed and demonstrated how to make organic fertilizer using comfrey, which I have.

I have been determined to grow my vegetables organically. I want to grow healthy food for my family and I want to do it in a household budget friendly manner as we plan to scale back in another year down to one income but, I'll be damned if this year's growing season hasn't tried to get the best of me.

My zucchini's are a perfect example, planted in prime, gorgeous, acidic-ally balanced garden dirt, they have struggled and struggled through this wet, damp, cool growing season.

Early July Zucchini

When the organic fertilizer was ready this past weekend, I started what I hope to be weekly or bi-weekly treatments to my flowering vegetable plants. I have been hopeful that the nitrogen, and potassium rich comfrey would perk up these sagging plants. Believe it or not, it did. (granted we had some rare sunshine for 3 days in a row as well..but ssssh! don't talk about the sun too much for fear it will not come back!)

Late July Zucchini

I took the above pic this morning, this is how much the plant burst to life after one fertilizer treatment. It's seriously tripled in size.

Take a peek at the blogger's sites where I got my inspiration and how too directions. I simply plucked several leaves from this random comfrey plant growing in our yard. Put them in an old bucket that has a lid (the fertilizer is stinky) and added water. I filled my bucked up about a quarter full. I crushed the leaves and put the lid on and let it sit for about three weeks. Then, I used a large plastic cup to dump some of the fertilizer in my water-can and filled it up. My measurements are not exact. I have attempted to water down the fertilizer significantly as to not cause root damage to the plants.

I do need to think about a straining method for my next batch as the leaves do clog up the holes in the watering can.

So, Thanks Kelli for the inspiration and Thanks to the Garden of Eaden for the fantastic post on how to do it! Now, let's see if summer won't decide to visit us here in the Pacific Northwest to get our plants really hopping! Cheers, Jenni

Slacker Vegetable Garden

2011-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

What an oddity while the rest of the US bakes, the Pacific NW is rain logged. My vegetable garden is not what I had hoped it would be :(

Mid-July 2011

We had a good crop of sugar snap snow peas and the lettuce has been successful this year. However the summer veggies are suffering from a lack of warmth and squishy, soggy weather conditions.

Romaine and Salad Bowl Lettuce

I see green tomatoes growing but man is it slow growing!

Beef Steak Tomato

Sweet 100 Cherry tomato

Butternut Squash and Zucchini are sad this year. Who would have thought there could ever be a summer where zucchini would not grow?

baby zucchini

sad squash

Howden Pumpkin

I see a small crop of bush beans coming along. Granted..small crop. Going to try runners next year.

Blue Lake Bush Beans

I am keeping my fingers crossed I will have a bumper crop of potatoes though!

California White Potatoes

And lastly I hope to harvest a few carrots. Again, not many yet, it's been a sad growing season.

Baby finger carrots

So, that's my report. There is not much good news to report although we have very much enjoyed our great season of strawberries! Someday, I hope to have a little more success in my vegetable garden..ya know..just a little boost to my gardening self esteem would be nice :) Cheers, Jenni

July Jam, Beach and Blooms

2011-07-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

The weather outside is damp..my goodness but the interior of the house isn't complaining as I've paid some attention to catching up on household chores.
July has been whizzing by, it's insane really. I caught a few new blooms on camera one dry evening after work. The Shasta Daisy's are mighty and cheerful this year.

Shasta Daisy

They are literally 4ft tall

My favorite re-blooming daylily is blooming.

Dragon's Eye Daylily

And the lavender is finally gracing us with it's pleasant scent.

Last weekend I grabbed the kiddos for a spontaneous trip to the beach. We ended up at Seaside, Oregon and were treated with an incredible day.

Seaside, Oregon

The weather was so nice, we stayed longer than planned and got a bit sun-kissed. The next day we had a large family gathering as some Dutch cousins were in the States visiting and we gave them a hearty welcome.

This past week I attempted to make strawberry jam. I suspect my strawberry patch has produced over 50lbs thus far this season. It appears to be the year of the strawberry. At any rate, I have never attempted to make jam before and let's just say it was a long night.

4 quarts of Strawberries ready to go!

It was an interesting experience and I think I can do it again. I used the Ball Blue Canning Book as a guide and per my pint sized taste testers, I've done well.

16 half pints later

This coming week I hope to take some photo's of the vegetable garden as it's been growing gang busters.
Cheers, Jenni

Lily Blooms

2011-07-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight, it's quiet and I'm listening to the sounds of Robin's battling the finches in original song. There is a soft westerly breeze that allow's the scent of the roses and lavender to float indoors. mmmmmm.

My lilies are blooming; they are such a delight. Bright florescent color on prominent sturdy stalks.

Near the front door step, I planted these bulbs, when my 'dwarf' magic carpet spirea was newly purchased and 1/16th of it's current size. Now, the lilies force their way up through gaps in the spirea to produce their showy color.

The first blooms on this pink lily are quieter than years past

This lower bloom is a little brighter

Pretty orange sherbet

I think the orange is my favorite

And a surprise bloom this year. The liatris usually crowds these guys out..great color!

Here's to wrapping up a long week and looking forward to working in the gardens this weekend.
Cheers, Jenni

WW

2011-07-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome Home

Cheers, Jenni

Happy Birthday USA!

2011-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July

And thank you to my brave Opa & Oma who immigrated from Holland in 1954 to start a new life. As the first person born on US soil in my family, I am thankful for the opportunity to be here.
Jenni

The Not-So-Good, Bad and Terribly Ugly

2011-07-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's far too easy to blog about gardening successes and post pretty pictures, but that is not the reality most of us gardener face. So, today, I'm airing my dirty laundry and will take you on a tour of what has not gone to plan in my cottage gardens.

I should have followed some advice (unless I'm just dreaming I read this somewhere) to pinch back my Shasta daisy's. Last year they were about three ft high. This year, they are four feet.

Massive Daisy's

The intention was to have a tall feature in these front beds, but this is really too much.

Next, we move to the delightful purchase I made in May of a gorgeous hybrid lupine, called Gallery Red.

Gallery Red Lupine

Yes, well that was short lived. This is what it has been reduced too:

Not so pretty Gallery Red Lupine

Clearly this baby was at it's peak of glory when I purchased it. I've got ugly seed pods and wilted foliage now. It has rained frequently and I also watered regularly in between. I guess it's just a fickle plant. I do see new growth but I suspect this plant is going to require extra TLC if it will survive any freezing temps in winter.

Next, my poor neglected roses. One in particular is quite sad and frankly just needs to be pulled out.

Is that REALLY a rose you ask?

Yes, it was a pretty hybrid tea called 'Peace'. I pruned well last fall but neglected to cover the root balls. The past winter had prolonged periods of freezing temperatures and I lost one rose completely and this rose while it produced one proper growth, has put most of it's energy pumping out new shoots, not attached to the root ball. It's all together ugly. I need to bite the bullet and just yank it out.

In May, I worked on a few project I called 'The Wood Cutters Garden' due to it's proximity to our firewood pile. It was very promising upon completion.

Nice and Tidy

Not so pretty now.

Sad Looking Wood Cutters Garden

I underestimated the slugs in this shady area. None of the seeds I planted have had much of a chance. As well, the birds are been quite unkind. The neighbors property is on the other side of the fence and they have a few bird feeders that attract a large contingent of finches and sparrows.
I'm going to have to re-think what plants I try in this area.

Thus completes my tour of the not-so-good, bad and terribly ugly in my garden. I'm always reminded that a garden is a constant work in progress and a continued lesson in humility.

A popular garden writer local to the Portland, Oregon area has past away. Her beautiful writing style and sense of humor will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace Dulcy Mahar.

Cheers, Jenni

Fertilizer Friday, July 1st, 2011

2011-06-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Not too many pretty blooms to sport this week. You'd hardly know it was the start of July as we've primarily been in the 60's with plenty O' rain.

A few of my dwarf re-blooming varieties of day lilies are blooming.

A ruffled rustic burgundy variety

A light peach variety

Stella D'oro

In a sunny spot, my Dwarf Gaillardia is blooming. I wasn't sure if she'd bounce back after the harsh winter.

Dwarf Gaillardia

My double purple clematis is finally blooming. It is a over a month behind. Crazy year.

Double purple Clematis

another angle with a sleeping bee

My gold medal rose has fully bloomed.

Gold Medal Rose

The last of the red Asiatic lilies is blooming.

Asiatic Lily

Finally, I had a surprise in the yard debris bin. One of the ditch day lilies that I had pulled out to create a new flower bed was blooming for me. Made me feel a bit guilty.

poor fellow

The gray sky's have been abundant and the blooms have been few but we're excited to celebrate Independence Day this holiday weekend. Join Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday and find out who else is showing off their blooms :) Cheers, Jenni

Strawberry & Veggie Updates

2011-06-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived and that means gorgeous Oregon grown Strawberries. Mine are just in time, ripening quickly now, requiring daily trips to the patch. This was my yield today.

Oregon Strawberries..by Jenni!

I started with eight 'Everbearing' strawberry plants in 2006. I've used the runners to cover another 20 sq ft of space. The entire patch, which is on a 'terrace' is now full and all the plants are producing. I'd say the whole patch is about 30 sq ft. This year I was able to use home-made compost to cover the patch in the early spring. My strawberry patch is the first place I have ever used home-made compost. Feel's pretty cool.

I grew up in the fertile Willamette Valley and by age 9, started spending my summers picking strawberries and then graduated onto working for a Chinese immigrant 'Mr. Wong' and worked for him all through high school and early college, picking snow pea's and other Asian vegetables. (He sold his vegetables to high end Asian restaurants in Oregon and Washington) I never minded the physical labor of those summers. I miss it actually. I dreamed up a lot of poetry, was quite fit and still managed to earn money for new school clothes :) I've never minded working in the drizzle or rain.

So, I grow my own snow pea's now. Mr. Wong would be proud. Here in box 1 of my vegetable garden we have sugar snap snow pea's, green onions, salad bowl lettuce, butter-crunch lettuce and romaine lettuce.

Veggie Box 1

Unlike Mr. Wong, I am babying my snow pea's and giving them some support if they wish to use them. They have 'climbed' on in a few spots.

bamboo supports for snow pea's

A few blooms have started so I hope to have snow pea's by late July. Here are the radishes I harvested today. I few got pretty big. I enjoyed the smaller ones I harvest in May, hope these aren't too woody.

radishes

In veggie box 2, I have a healthy looking Beef Steak tomato, blue lake bush beans, baby finger carrots, second sowing spinach, a bush cucumber and zucchini.

Veggie Box 2

I am trying to add some supports to the bush beans. I have no idea if they need them or not. They have been very slow to start, but I do have some flowers now.

Blue Lake Bush Beans

The zucchini I started indoors. I need to work on my methods as I started three and only one survived the transition outdoors. But, this fella is looking contented now.

Zucchini

Veggie Box 3, pictured to the far right contains a Sweet 100 Cherry tomato, that is a bit out of control, peppers, a lemon cucumber, baby bear pumpkin, baby finger carrots and butternut squash.

Box three to the far right.

The squash that I also started indoors has rebounded.

Butternut Squash

The past week sported warmer temps that the summer veggies have responded to. It has been a welcome change. I apologize, all of my photo's are off. I am unfamiliar with taking pictures in the sunshine. No, really. ;)

This year of fully immersing myself into attempting a veggie garden has been such an adventure. I just received my first seed catalog from a wonderful company located in Oregon. Wow, so many neat accessories and ideas for year round gardening. I have quite enjoyed myself as I pursue the catalog.

Best wishes for a relaxing weekend to all of my blogging buddy's ~ I'm off to get some more sturdy supports for that crazy tomato.

Cheers, Jenni
P.S. Mark, Sue..somebody...my potatoes have been hilled 2x and are outgrowing their containers. I see flowers started but have not budded. When are those potatoes done?

June Blooms FF 6.24.11

2011-06-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

The strawberries are ripening and the peonies are in full bloom. June is nearly out the door and I hope July brings a bit more sunshine and warmth.

My first bloom on the hybrid tea rose 'Chicago Peace'

Chicago Peace

Clearly, this hybrid rose was not of the high end variety, but it's been a beauty none the less with a divine scent.

The peonies are in the final glory for the season.

Sorbet Peony

Poppies are cheering up the side yard near the bird feeders.

Here's a peek at some visitors to the feeders.

Black Headed Grosbeak

Female Rufus Hummingbird

My little boy's new mini rose 'Coffee Bean' is sporting some blooms.

Coffee Bean

My son is quite excited about his rose. He regular tugs on my arms in the evenings to check out any new growth or blooms are his dear rose. What a turkey.

Sunfire Coreopis adds some golden sunshine to the front flower beds. I am hoping it will provide blooms the majority of the summer.

Sunfire Coreopois

And finally the Spirea is presenting pillowy pink blossoms. The bee's are in heaven and I am delighted to see them out and about.

Magic Carpet Spirea

The tag promised this was a 'dwarf'' variety. I have to chop it back yearly in early spring. I will say that it does fill in nicely but it is quite robust.

Tonight, I had a surprise visitor at my hummingbird feeder, a male Anna Hummingbird. He puffed up and sat for an extended amount of time. Hm. I really need to wash the windows so I can snap a quick picture when these rare visitors arrive.

Swing by Tootsie's blog to see who else is showing off their blooms on this fine Friday!
Cheers, Jenni

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Mt. St. Helens taken near Silver Lake, Wa

Cheers, Jenni

GBBD June 2011

2011-06-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

June is usually a quiet month for blooms. My spring blooms are usually done and the summer blooms generally haven't begun. However this year, we are about a month behind, so I have some blooms to share :)

The peonies started to break open this past week. It is always a source of great enjoyment and this grouping is located near the street so passer-byes can admire as well.

Double Sorbet Peony

The roses are late this year as well. Tropicana Hybrid Tea Rose has it's first bloom.

I forget what this fuzzy blue flowering shrub is. It attracts a lot of bee's and they are welcome!

I have three varieties of Delphinium blooming. One variety is a large impressive plant!

Here is a close up of this Delphinium:

I have another variety with a darker purple/blue coloring:

And a new Delphinium variety showcasing a lighter shade of purple.

The red Asiatic lilies are blooming around the yard.

Finally, the hostas have leafed out and showcasing lovely variations of color.

Happy Bloom Day! Swing over to May Dreams Garden to see who else is participating in this fun monthly event. I'll also be joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday too :)
Cheers, Jenni

Veggie Updates

2011-06-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's mid-June and the Summer Equinox is a week away. My vegetable boxes have little to show for the time of year. The cool spring has made the lettuces, spinach, green onions, radishes and snow pea's happy.

Cool Weather Veggie Box

I have kept netting over the veggies as I fear the masses of birds that enjoy our feeders. Also, after I put up the netting, I saw a reduction in slug attacks. I recently created some supports for the snow peas and that also helped raise the netting. My snow peas did fine without supports last year, but it was fun to do.

If you notice in any of my photo's that it looks wet, well, it was. Yes, I garden in the rain, as the blog name suggests..because if I do not, I would never get any work around the gardens done this year!

My tomatoes are growing. The larger is 'Sweet 100' cherry tomato, perfect for the husbands salads (I do not like tomatoes myself..can you believe it?!) I am also growing 'Beef Steak' because the name sounded cool :) Despite the cool temperatures they are surprising me with blooms and growth.

Tomatoes placed each on the ends of the boxes

I also put egg shells around the tomatoes. Honestly, I don't know why I did, but I read somewhere that you should. Thoughts? I also tried to do a little companion planting and am growing the baby finger carrots near the tomatoes.

I am growing bush beans. I neglected to write down the variety. They are not doing well. It's been cool and sunshine has been spotty at best.

Here is a shot of my bell peppers and potato pots.

potatoes, peppers, pumpkins

I am attempting to grow a red and orange bell pepper varieties. To the right of them is a baby pumpkin plant. Behind them I am attempting to grow California White potatoes. I have covered them up once so far. Clearly I had no idea early on that I should have started them lower in the pots as they are now quite full of dirt. Beginners error!

Behind the potato pots is a small bed with two hills of Howden pumpkins with Walla Walla sweet onions.

Here is a sad fellow.

Lemon Cucumber

Clearly this variety of cucumber require more sun and heat. A few of the leafs look better than the others. Hoping it will bounce back.

Also the Butternut Squash is failing. Only one out of three starts is making a go of it.

Butternut Squash

It's no surprise that the cool weather vegetables are happy. I have another sowing of spinach getting ready.

It's not uncommon to get a lot of rain in the Pacific Northwest. The cool temps this year have really created a snag in how early the warm weather veggies could be started outside. I think I would like to create a hoop house or get a small green house in the future to give these plants needed heat in the early season.

It's been a lot of fun to experiment with vegetable growing. The specialty garden soil that I purchased has really make a significant different for the better. Bye Bye rotten clay!

Despite the cool and rainy weather, I really have enjoyed all of the work I've engaged in to build these boxes, haul the soil down to them and the planning / plotting of designing my vegetable garden. It's such a welcome break from the work week and my kiddos have been at my side, learning along with me.

Good times. Cheers, Jenni

Mini Gardeners

2011-06-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

There are two super cute toe-headed, pint sized gardeners that reside here. They are industrious little tykes, always following me around with their mini-sized watering cans and tools. I thought it was time for the little little's to have their own flower pots to care for.

My five year old son was giddy with excitement and when I asked where we should look for plants he said, 'well, we can get pots at (box store) but we should go to 'locally owned nursery' for plants. Bless my boy! These kids are catching on! The three year old was just excited and jumped around with glee like she'd eaten a cup of sugar.

Off we went, procured pots and soil, then plants.

Brother had his heart set on a rose to my surprise. I really hadn't even talked to him about roses before.

We settled on a lovely mini rose called 'Coffee Bean' with rusty colored blooms. Above, the proud lad pauses for a picture.

Mini Rose 'Coffee Bean'

Little sister was more interested in color. She found a flat of marigolds to her liking and I talked her into some trailing annuals to add color contrasts.

She excitedly waters her pot on our watering nights. She's recently found a few more blooms on her trailing annuals and I can't tell you how cute it is to have my little lass run up to me, with excitement, and tell me about new blooms on her flowers.

We've had such fun this season, despite the lack of sunshine, learning together about our vegetable gardens and building new flower gardens. It is heart warming to do these activities as a family. My husband who has zero interest in growing things has been keenly interested in the progress of the veggie garden and has enjoyed some tasty dinner salads with our own greens of late.

Our small yard isn't going to allow us to run a mini-farm, but growing some seasonal vegetables organically is something I can do and teaching my kids these skills is something I feel passionate about. If they also appreciate the beauty of roses and other blooms...I love it!

Cheers, Jenni