MY VEGGIE GARDEN IS COMING ALONG NICELY.

 My garden bed was a little dry this morning so I watered everything.  It's looking pretty good so far.  I see several baby tomatoes and some peppers sprouting on the plants.

Here is a long view of my little garden bed.  The cukes in the front cage, Straight 8s, are smaller plants than the Bush Pickles on the far side but doing well.

This is my Beaver Lodge plum tomato showing some fruiting.

My Little Napoli tomato is at the top and my Thyme plant is at the bottom.  I harvested some of the Thyme this morning.

With Ruby Crush, a tasty grape tomato variety, you can see some little grape-shaped tomatoes beginning.

In the pepper category, here is Golden Star, a sweet pepper, beginning to show some fruits.  Those are Romaine lettuces in front of the peppers. 

Sad to say, the hot peppers are not doing as well though I still hope to see some Surena hots this summer.  The Habanero is still stunted.

Among the lettuces, the Romaine and the Thom Thumb are still doing well so I harvested a nice Thom Thumb this morning.

Thom Thumbs are crisp and small, only 6 inches across.  I find it a great size for a large salad for one.

It will make a great salad today with some steak I have defrosted.

Have a good day.

STARTED ANOTHER DOOR HANGING TODAY.

 Today was a good day to begin some sewing projects.  

This will probably finish around 14" square when it's done.  Though I added a border, I still have layering, quilting, and binding before its finished.

I also pulled out a pattern I have had for years.  This one is The Knitter.

This is one of several patterns dealing with sewing activities.  This on shows The Knitter at work.  

I pulled several fabrics I think will work well with this one but have not started the sewing yet.

  I finished my first one, Quilting Bee, in 2008 which measures 28" by 31" and hangs in my bedroom for inspiration.

Above is the first project from those patterns, Quilting Bee, which was done in normal applique, long before I discovered I enjoyed Replique (upside down applique) much better.

Tired a bit from the sewing and so forth.  Will spend the afternoon watching the reruns of Downton Abbey on our PBS station.  It' a favorite of mine.

Have a good evening.

I AM STILL WORKING ON MY 'PINK IRIS GARDEN' DOOR HANGING

 It's been a slow time for me lately.  I have my little garden to tend and I am loving it.  So far the blossoms are thriving on my tomato plants and the cukes are looking strong. 

Look at all that greenery.  I made some Irish Spring soap baggies to hang around my little plot to deter the deer.  I understand we have at least one doe that comes thru our back yard in the evenings.  This trick worked in saving my young fruit trees at the house before I moved here so will try it again.

In the front Hosta garden, they are growing well and a couple of Hydrangeas are blooming.

The Pansies and chives in the patio pot are doing well, too.

My Pink Iris Garden door hanging is coming along.  Right now its very rough and unpressed.  

I added the dragonfly, the rest of my irises, the butterflies, and a fairy.  The next steps will be doing my satin-stitching around all the subjects so they stand out. Its rather hard to make them out as they are right now.

Then there is the mini-quilt I plan to make and use as a door hanging as well.

These are the blocks.  I will arrange them to suit me and get started on them in a day or two. The finished product should be around 14" or 15" square. 

Then its decision time again.  I want to make another door hanging but for now, I have no idea what subject to choose.  My fingers are itching to draw something.  Til then, I will have to make do with sewing and garden chores.

Have a good day.

MY GARDEN TODAY.....

 HERE'S SOME VIEWS OF MY LITTLE GARDEN BED AND HOW ITS THRIVING.....

The radishes are doing well but those hot peppers at the green posts, both Habanero and Surena, are very tiny.  Peppers, especially the hot varieties, love hot soil and hot days as long as its not in the 90s consistently.  Our days have been in the 60s and 70sF with nights in the 50s and 60sF so not conducive to hot pepper growth.

The sweet peppers, tho, at the green posts, both Wonder Bell on the left and Golden Star on the right, are bigger and already show a blossom on each.

Behind them on the left is my late-transplanted Galahad tomato doing pretty well with my Gold Nugget tomato to its right with lots of yellow blossoms.

In the cage on left are my Bush Pickle cukes doing well and some Nasturtiums to their left.  To their right is a Ruby Crush tomato and behind her a Beaver Lodge Plum tomato.  Both are covered with yellow blossoms.

My Nasturtiums are large and green but no flowers yet.  Behind this group on left is a Tasti-Lee tomato and to its right is tomato Legend.  Again, the tomatoes are healthy, green and sporting many yellow blossoms.

In the cage, Straight 8 cucumbers with a Gold Nugget tomato toward left and my Little Napoli tomato in the upper right-hand corner.  Napoli is flowing with blossoms and started blossoming before any of the others.

Here is a closeup of Little Napoli.  Its the smallest of my tomato varieties but early (60-65 days) and loaded with blossoms.  I think this one will give my first tomato ahead of the others.

That's it, a walk thru my little garden bed.  I am very pleased.  I have parsley and thyme, lettuce, carrots, and some chives besides.  I will get more photos of those soon.

Have a good day.

I WANT TO GROW MORE CUCUMBERS......

Last year my cucumber crop was very small.  I was disappointed.  This year I hope to improve those numbers.

I think that this video will help me so I posted it here to review as needed.

I like what he tells us.  I hope that by making some changes this year I can get more cucumbers.

I have Straight 8s in this lower cage, four of them planted.

On the far side in a cage I have 4 Bush Cucumbers planted this year.  Right now they are very healthy and coming along just fine.  We will see if the tips from this video are any help this year.

Enjoy your gardens.

 

EXCEPT FOR MY HOT PEPPERS, GARDEN LOOKIN' GOOD

 It's a beautiful day here in Maine today.  Another day in the 70sF which is divine.  Nights continue to run in the 50s and low 60s.  It feels just great.  Some rain showers expected here on Friday.  We can use it by then.

My garden bed is doing well except for the hot peppers.  They are not growing by leaps and bounds as expected.  I have never grown hot peppers before.  I have no idea if I should be doing something differently.  I will check some youtube videos on hot pepper growing.

This is the left side of my garden bed with bush cukes and tomatoes as well as green lettuce in the foreground and Nasturtiums in the background.

This is the right end of my bed.  There are sweet peppers in the foreground, Straight 8 cukes on the right and tomatoes here and there.

This is the background fabric I will be using for my latest door hanging that features iris, birch trees, butterflies and a dragonfly.

My updated drawing is above.  It's a rough sketch but features some of the things I really like.  I pressed many fabric pieces so I am ready to start sewing this together.  I will start with the birch trees.

Have a good day.

I JUST LOVE MY GARDEN

I have been having a good time working in my garden.  I love when I can harvest something.

Today it was some Thom Thumb lettuce.  I plan to make BLTs for supper tonite.  There is nothing like fresh from the garden.

My neighbor to whom I gave some radishes yesterday found me out there and came to tell me she loved the rads.  She ate them like candy, not waiting to make a salad.  It's always nice to know someone is enjoying the fruits of my labor.

At this end of the garden my lettuces and radishes are thriving.  I have tied up my tomato plants today.  It gets quite windy here beside the river most days, so it's best to tie them early on.  Most of them are sporting blossoms.

  

At this end the 4 cuke plants in the cage are doing very well and even the sweet peppers on the left are showing some tiny fruits starting to form.  That's parsley near the rain gauge on the left that is thriving as well.  

It's always nice to check on my garden and see how its growing.  I take a little time each morning to pull any weeds that are sprouting in the squares that are not covered with straw.  They are so tiny that they pull up easily.  

I work on my jigsaw puzzle now and then but what I really need to do its work on my next door hanging.  I decided to add a couple of butterflies to the drawing of irises and birch trees.  I adore butterflies.

That's it from the north country.  Temps are fine.  Days in the 70sF and nites in the 50s.  Our next hit at 80* or 81* is in a week.  I love living in Maine.

I HAVE BEEN BUSY WITH GARDEN THINGS.

I am sorry not to have posted lately.  I seem to have been busy doing this and that and forgot to post.  My garden is coming along fine but slowly.  Its not very warm here yet in Maine.  Days seem to be in the 60s and nites in the 50s for the most part.  Occasionally we hit the 70s and a couple times 81.  That's warm for us.

My garden has finally produced its first crop.  Radishes.

These French Breakfast radishes were harvested on June 5th and were great in my salad.  I harvested a few more for another salad today. 

I finally pulled the Salad Burnet plant from my left top bed corner and sowed more radishes and some Thom Thumb lettuce.  I just do not care for the Salad Burnet and you know what they say....."Grow what you will eat...." and so I am.

This is the left few feet of my garden bed on June 4th.  The Salad Burnet is still growing in the left high corner with its yellow flowers.  It is now gone.  To its right are the Nasturtiums I sowed.

The globe you see in the middle had hummingbirds on both sides, is solar-powered and glows different colors at night. 

  In the cage on the left are some Bush Pickle cucumber plants growing.  They look nice and healthy.  At each of the wooden stakes you will find a tomato plant doing well.  In the forefront with all that greenery, are my radishes with some carrots sprouting on their right.  

In this midsection you can see my cute little gnome with his rain gauge at-the-ready.  I check that gauge every morning to be sure I know what rain we received.  In my area, many rains come during the nighttime leaving the days for lovely sunshine.

Around the gnome is my Flat-leaf Parsley doing nicely. Behind the gnome is my garden fairy statue, a gift given to me my a neighborly resident here.  I just love her since I am so very fond of anything with fairies....and unicorns, carousels and now gnomes.

To the right of the Nasturtiums in the back row, are more French Breakfast radishes, this time bordering a carrot square.

Above is the right section of my small bed.  These are two sweet peppers in the forefront, a Wonder Bell and a Golden Star.  I have two hot peppers in the back row, very small yet, a Habanero and a Surena.  They are still tiny (see the green thin stakes) and are bordered along the top with  Sparkler radishes.  On the right in a cage are some Straight 8 Cukes doing well so far and just above them is my summer Thyme plant getting it bearings.  

In the far right back corner is my Little Napoli tomato plant and it already has some yellow blossoms started.  This variety grows very small, only 12-18 inches tall but should produce fruits in 60-65 days so it right on schedule.  I think I will have some ripe fruits from this little one by mid-July, which is early for Maine but welcome.  And the fruits will be normal sized for such a small plant.

I have other things I like planted in some squares but to date they are either very small or have not germinated yet: scallions, both garlic and onion chives, Hercules carrots, and Romaine lettuce.

I am very pleased with my little garden.  It brings me so much pleasure to see things grow.  And the flavors of fresh-grown foods can't be beat in my book.

I hope to enjoy every day of my summer this year.  Wishing you all the same.