Harvesting time...

I noticed on Sunday night that some of our broccoli was going to flower, so tonight I went out to pick it. While there, the sugar snap peas were in full swing, and then the radishes were getting too big, then I noticed that one carrot seemed pretty big... well I came in with all of this and I'll have to get the rest harvested later this week as it is getting near our girls bedtime. It's all so fun when everything actually is working, and not forgetting that it is time to grow forth and multiply. Last year isn't much to base things off of, but we've had much better luck this year. I am thankful!

It's a boy...or maybe a girl...

Not being familier with the feminine or masculine characteristics of the Praying Mantis, I had a hard time telling which ones were boys and which were girls. They all had the same cry, but that is no way to tell for sure. We did the Marlin theory, the top half is Henry and the bottom is Henrietta. They were cute, but as is the bugs life, no sooner had they hatched but they were packing their bags and heading out into the great wide world for life, liberty, and the pursuit of juicy bugs. 

Also, taking a walk down in Olympia, I came across this garden. It is the community/school garden at John Rogers High School. Now here is class, style, and order. They didn't think about square foot gardening, they did square foot gardening. Drip irrigation is not something they are saving up for, but something they have! (Not that it will be much help with all the rain we get) 

It was almost the pinnacle of orderly perfection I've tried to attain (with the exception of too few tomato plants) so I took pictures and will save them for when I'm planning out more gardens around here.

Mostly about nothing in particular...

This is a post about the circle of life... Death and new life. Joy and sorrow. Scarcity and Abundance. 

Into our little circle has come much good, but as old Pelham Grenville Wodehouse used to say, well as my faulty memory remembers it anyway, "Can this be a perfectly happy world? When, say, a crumpet gets a bit of goose, what of a bean who's just gotten biffed with a sock full of sand. Or when Moab is one mans wash pot and after he has cast his shoe over Edom, what's to say of the man who lives in Moab or Edom?" 

This may all seem confusing to the non-wodehouse enthusiast, but to simplify it, when things are going good for the gardener who has just gotten rid of the pesky mole, that pesky mole's family has just had a loss that time itself cannot erase. So it is at our humble abode. No sooner had the fragrance garden been finished, furnished, and ready for blooms, scents, and moonlit nights; but a mole came to disturb the soft turf. 8 mounds later, he met his demise.

The late frank G. mole esq.

Also, following the advice of fellow blogger, Noelle at RAMBLINGS FROM A DESERT GARDEN, I checked under the leaves in my garden and found a few young summer squash and a bucketful of peas! 

Young Joseph, Jordan, and Jemima

Ripe for the pickin'!

Broccolli - a bit more than we will eat!

And, if that wasn't enough sweetness and light to spread around, we a few new blooms on the premises as well.

Flowering Elderberry (he forgot to flower last year) The dark foliage looks gorgeous all year (until the leaves fall off)

From the back rose garden, Dick Clark. The edges are "frilly" (as my wife calls it) 

Another rose from the back rose garden, but I forgot to mark it. I call it pretty, but my wife wants to call it nice.

Mostly about a super moon/weekend post...

Usually I try to keep my posts short and sweet. There was once a wise, old person, (though he may have heard it from someone else) who said, "Be brief and amazing, that way if you can't be amazing, at least you'll be brief."I have found that works well for me because amazing doesn't happen much at all. When I started getting ready to post this weekend's fun, I was a little perplexed at what I was to post, yet before long I realized that it was going to be much too much for one post. Then I thought, well if there is only one super moon a year, then there might as well be one super post a year too! Also, this is a special post because it also happens to be post #100! Yes 100 posts ago, this blog didn't exist! Hard to believe, but time sure flies when you are having rum - or fun. So, in honor of Saturday's super moon & sweet #100, I am going to burden you all with lots of loquacity and (hopefully) some laughs.

The garden by moonlight

The Super Moon in all its glory

To start out, I have a short video of a rat that decided to grace us with a guest appearance under the kitchen sink. Instead of getting the shotgun, (the elephant gun is a bit heavy) she got the video camera to capture the fine specimen. However, due to overwhelming disgust at the hairy horror, I will only show a picture of it in the trap the next day. This guy was the largest so far. We've caught 11 so far, but I think we are almost done. I've only said this after the last 6 rats, so...

#9 largest of the herd or flock or whatever a covey of rats is called

#10 & #11 They'd be cute if they weren't so ugly!

Also, for our two little girls birthdays, grandma (my mom) sent us a little box with painted lady caterpillars that will turn in to butterflies then fly away. We will keep you all posted on their progress. The instructions state that we don't need to feed them (like the sparrows and lilies [matthew 6:28], all has been provided). The little spider webs on the bottom is also supposed to be a good sign. I asked Lucy if she wanted to name them and she did. I couldn't spell out most of their names, and most of the pronunciations changed each time, but I think the caterpillars were pleased.

During our weekend shopping, we noticed that Fred Meyers is getting ready for their founders day sale (8-14) so their usual flats of flowers for $10 are ready for the picking. It is an inexpensive way to brighten up a corner of your yard. We tried all marigolds last year, but I think we'll branch out a little more this year. (the flats come in handy as well!) Then driving past McLendon's we saw that we had missed the annual Pancake Breakfast! I thought it was next weekend, but that just goes to show how the old memory is working. We were still in time for some great buys though, so I came out with some Tomatoes (early girl and roma) and a few marigolds and Nasturtiums. These I potted up to put in that garden to spread their sweetness and light. According to companion planting experts they are supposed to either attract or repel insects. I can't remember exactly, but good stuff all around! I also bought a few more pepper plants.

No, the fun is not over yet!

A long time ago and a year far away, last december, I started some winter sowing sunflowers. They were the perfect size to transplant into the wildflower bed, so Lucy and I moved them out. We also found a sunflower that must have been planted by the birds in our window box, but as it was doing so well, I transplanted it out there as well.

Free plants!

Winter sown sunflowers.

There is a little nursery down in Puyallup (it calls itself Puyallup's best kept secret) called Vassey Nursery. I hadn't been able to find it, but after many fruitless expeditions and times where I thought it must be just a legend (like the holy grail) we finally discovered it off of Tacoma Road. We walked around and got lots of ideas. I did well, all things considered, and only got cherry tomato plants, a honeysuckle and a jasmine. I saw a quaint little corner trellis I am going to recreate (for far less that the $70 the internet wanted) and plant these next to the garden. Hopefully their beauty will inspire the plants to better, brighter things in the future.

Wild flowers starting to bloom

rhododendrons are all starting to bloom as well

Lilac in the back yard.

Last, but not least, is the birds. The sun came out a bit, so that may have inspired them. They ate most of the birdseed that is their weekly ration, but they came out in droves. The gold finches abounded, the evening grosbeaks showed up, the flicker and pheasant came out to play. There were common house sparrows, cow birds, and even a thrush. Nuthatches and robins were more than a must. All in all they were a real pleasure to watch and listen to!

Mostly about a mid week update...

An excerpt from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

"What is the name of that geranium on the windowsill, please?"

"That's the apple-scented geranium."

"Oh, I don't mean that sort of a name. I mean just a name you gave it yourself. Didn't you give it a name? May I give it one then? May I call it - let me see - Bonney would do - may I call it Bonny while I'm here? Oh do let me!" 

"Goodness, I don't care. But where on earth is the sense of naming a geranium?"

"Oh, I like things that have handles even if they are only geraniums. It makes them seem more like people. How do you know but that it hurts the geraniums's feelings just to be called geranium and nothing else? You wouldn't like to be called nothing but woman all the time. Yes, I shall call it Bonny. I named that cherry tree outside my bedroom window this morning. I called it Snow Queen because it was so white. Of coure, it won't always be in blossom, but one can imagine that it is, can't one?"

This was a conversation between Anne and Marilla, but it got me thinking. Maybe that is why some of my plants don't grow well! If I named them, they might do better. Feeling the love and all. Only time will tell. 

For this Wednesday, I thought I'd take you on a short walk through the garden, knowing how much you've been wondering how it growing. 

Lucy can lead the way.

First, step into the garage, these are the (from left to right) Cucumber starts, Summer squash start (some didn't germinate, so I started more last weekend) and Starship summer squash. 

Here are Lucian, Heather, George, Godfrey, and Kevin

Out front we'll pass the bird feeder, so you may as well see that the gold finches have arrived. Also our Flicker is back. He likes to hang onto the bird feeders tipping them over and the food falls all around him. In the picture, he's trying out the suet squares we made.

Now to the garden. On the right you can see our strawberries. They are growing well, but no flowers - and therefore no fruit quite yet. 

This is Phyllis, Horace, James, Jim, Redwood, Scarlett, George, George II, and George III.

The raspberries are only in their beginning phase of transplanted life, but each are showing signs of growing and that sure makes mama happy. Within a few years we'll have more than we can keep up with.

The herb garden is only beginning, but growing well. There is garlic, chives, chocolate mint, parsley, oregano, and thyme.

Now to the main garden. The first bed here, is red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, spinach, green onions, broccoli, bush beans (nothing showing quite yet) and peas in back. 

Say hello to herbert. 

Here is Lillian

Jeffery, alice, and Jamie.

In the second bed, we have carrots, radishes, beets, more broccoli (these are transplanted starts), and storage yellow onions.

Red, Balmy, and Phillip

these transplanted broccoli seem to be doing alright in this mild weather. 

A clump of storage onions (Margery, Megan, and Michelle

Walla walla onions in a side 4X4 frame

The poor asparagus isn't doing well, but hasn't handed in its dinner pail yet.

I love how the water drops lay on the flower right after a nice refreshing rain.

The last stop is the back yard cold frame. We planted everything here last winter, and have been eating from them since march 16th. We are through all of the radishes, but the lettuce and spinach is doing very well. Most of the Pac Choi bolted, but one plant is still producing. 

One side of our cold frame. Carrots, radishes, and beets. A stray red leaf lettuce is also growing. I call him Lost.

One side of our cold frame. Beets, Red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, Spinach, and pac choi

 Well, that's the grand tour. I hope you have enjoyed yourself! We hope to see you around here again soon.