Sunday, September 26, 2010

Backyard Sage

I must admit... the sage plant has not been getting very much attention this season. It definitely seems to be very low maintenance, which is a plus! It's been in the back of the garden... just kind of sitting there. But all of the sudden, it seems to have just taken off! And I want to start using it!

The other evening I used it when I made roasted pumpkin squash. And it was delicious! All I did was sprinkle a few leaves over the top of the cut & sliced pumpkin, drizzled with olive oil, and baked in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. So quick! And simple.

Does anyone have favorite delicious, fun, or creative ways to use sage? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Garden Update~ Pumpkin, Zucchini, & Tomatoes!

The heirloom pumpkin plant (from seed!) is growing like crazy, growing along the length of the brick planter! However, even though it has beautiful yellow blossoms... there are no pumpkins! And I am trying to figure out why! I've seen bees pollinating the flowers, the soil is decent. (I think?) It was the organic one from Lowe's. (Next year I will have compost!!) What else could it be? (Sigh)... I had to improvise:


This monster of a thing is the biggest zucchini I've ever seen! I was house-sitting for a few days, so I wasn't able to pay much attention to the garden. When I came home, there it was!! Growing stealthily under the gigantic leaves. Zucchinis seem to grow so quickly, they seem to appear out of nowhere!! I bet you could even there for a few hours and actually watch it grow! Perhaps now would be an ideal time to learn to make chocolate zucchini bread? :) Yum!!




As for the tomatoes: I have a feeling that tomato season is coming to an end... so I definitely appreciated them in a delicious salad yesterday!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I ♥ Jedi!

Good morning!

Does anyone else find themselves going out of their way to cater to their pets? I once read a book called "Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes," and it talked about the growing trend of "pet children." So I am pretty positive it is not just me! :) I laughed when I read that chapter... because that is sooooooooo my relationship with my cat (Jedi). He is so spoiled... and he has me trained! Most people train their dogs, but cats seem to have a talent for training their people!

Partially because Jedi has me trained, I found myself growing cat grass and cat nip!

{Cat Grass}



Anyways... my "pet child" loves being outside in the backyard with me. If I am outside, he will sit by the door and politely meow (knowing he has me trained) until I let him out. He doesn't go far... he mostly just meanders through the potted plants and rolls around on the cement... cats love doing that?!

{Bad kitty... birds are not for eating!}

Sometimes he high tails it into the bushes and come out with a bird or mouse a split second later! I definitely would rather him not participate in violence, but he obviously cannot resist the call of the wild! Of course, I still ♥ him!

Does anyone else have "pet children"? :)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Juicy September Strawberries!

After an awesome vacation, it was exciting to come home to bright red, juicy strawberries growing happily in the backyard!!



"The Girl's Guide to Growing Your Own" says to fertilize strawberries with liquid seaweed every few days. Maybe this was why the strawberries didn't thrive last year? Hmmmmm... Anyways, this year I've been fertilizing with kelp tablets. Powdered seaweed should work too, right?

As far as I can tell, the kelp has been helping greatly!! :)





Thursday, September 2, 2010

Apparently... Eggplants Love Compost


Apparently... eggplants LOVE compost! Homemade compost that is!

Last year, the idea of composting in the backyard sounded completely scary...

However, it really is not scary at all! And it is actually quite fun!! A few months ago I started one in an large plastic container. I only put in "innocent" things such as plants, leftover fruit & veggie scraps from juicing, and paper. There was absolutely no "scent!" As far as the critters... it attracted just small ones (ants, tiny beetles, and little worms)!I can handle that!

And the eggplants are growing like crazy!








































Can't wait to make more!!