Please Let Me Take Them Home…

Have you ever seen the following sight when shopping at the nursery?

discarded plants

It just makes me want to cry.

Seriously, I just want to take them home, nurse them back to health and find good homes for them.

I do understand that nurseries probably have problems selling plants that are past their prime and have to remove them from the shelves.

But some nurseries just throw them out even though they can still be planted and in most cases, survive.

Some nurseries put these less then desirable plants in the back and sell them at a reduced price.  
Unfortunately, not all plants you find in nurseries (particularly big box stores) aren’t suitable for your climate.  In the shopping cart above, daffodils have a hard time growing in the desert – but it’s not impossible.  The primrose in the bottom, make great container plants in winter.

So, the next time you visit your favorite nursery, look in the back section, which is where the the discarded/discounted plants are likely to be found.  Maybe you can ‘rescue’ some plants and give them a good home 🙂

How about you?

Have you ever seen discarded plants at your nursery or do they sell them at a discount?

Making the Most Out of a Sour Gift…

Living close to Double S Farms, my mother’s residence, means that we get to enjoy some of the bounty from her large lemon tree.

My nephew, Oliver, helping with the lemon harvest.

My nephew, Oliver, helping with the lemon harvest.

 Now, I could grow own lemon tree in my back garden, but I really don’t need to since my mother has more lemons then she knows what to do with.

lemon

Unfortunately, lemons don’t grow year round and I am stuck getting mine at the grocery store.

Have you seen how much a single lemon costs at the grocery store?

I can’t remember the exact amount, I just know that it is a lot.

So, whether you have a ready supply of lemons fresh off the tree, or even if you have to buy yours at the grocery store

– here are some tips to make the most of each lemon:

lemon

Let’s say that you have a recipe that calls for the juice of half a lemon.  Well, after spending up to a $1 a lemon, the last thing you want to do is throw away the other half, so why don’t you save the juice?

lemon juice

Whenever I get lemons from Double S Farms, I juice them and pour the juice into ice cube trays.  Then I freeze the ice cubes and then remove the frozen cubes of lemon juice and store in a plastic freezer storage bag in my freezer.

Then whenever I need a bit of lemon for cooking, all I have to do is grab a frozen cube of lemon.

In addition to saving lemon juice, did you know that you can also save and freeze lemon zest?

lemon zest

Now this step should be done before you cut and juice your lemons.

I actually forgot this step until it was too late, but I was still able to zest a somewhat squishy juiced lemon, although I wouldn’t recommend it.

Remove the outer yellow skin of your lemon using a microplane tool.  Take care not to remove the white of the peel, which is bitter.

lemon zest

Store your lemon zest in a plastic freezer bag and put in your freezer.  Whenever you need lemon zest, just grab a little.

Whether you want to make the most out of your expensive lemon purchase or if you want to preserve your yearly bounty of fresh lemons, try out these tips.

Nasturtiums or ‘Nose-Twisters’?

One of my favorite plants in my garden is Nasturtium.

Nasturtium

I love their bright flowers.

Did you know that the name ‘Nasturtium’ literally means ‘nose-twister’?

It’s true.

Nasturtium comes from the Latin words ‘nasus’ for nose and ‘tortum’ meaning twist referring to the mustard oil in the leaves.

If you haven’t grown Nasturtiums before here are some reasons that you should:

– The entire plant is edible.  The leaves and flowers are often used in salads.  The leaves have a ‘peppery’ taste.

– They have large seeds, are easy to grow and are the perfect plant for kids to try growing.

– Nasturtiums are great in the vegetable garden.  They help to keep damaging insects away from your vegetables.

– Available in different colors and forms – climbing, dwarf, trailing and traditional forms.  Nasturtiums can grow up a trellis, drape over a container or the dwarf variety can be used as a bedding plant.

Plant Nasturtiums directly in the ground, in full sun, once the danger of frost is past.  They do best in non-fertile soil.  In my fertile vegetable garden soil, I get more leaves then flowers but that is okay as long as they help to repel damaging insects.

In hot summer areas, like mine, they will die off.  But, I simply let them go to seed and they often grow back in the fall.

You cannot find a better annual for your garden…..beautiful flowers and leaves, easy to grow, helps vegetables, edible AND it’s cheap!

So for a couple of dollars for a packet of seeds, you can soon be enjoying the benefits of Nasturtiums.

Peacful Day and Spring Pruning…

I didn’t post a blog on Friday, but I had a very good excuse…

Frost-damaged Bougainvillea , Annual pruning

Frost-damaged Bougainvillea

It was time for my springtime annual pruning.

In my zone 9a garden, we do experience temperatures below freezing and as a result, some of my frost-tender plants always suffer some frost damage.

The best time to do this is once the danger of frost is over, which in my area is approximately March 1st.

Arizona Yellow Bells with frost damage.

Arizona Yellow Bells with frost damage.

I really don’t mind, because they look beautiful 9 months out of the year.

'Rio Bravo' Sage needing a trim.

‘Rio Bravo’ Sage needing a trim.

This past Friday, I had no consults, the kids were at school and I wasn’t scheduled to babysit my granddaughter.

So, I put on my old gardening clothes, boots and gloves and headed out into my back garden.

Tobey came out to supervise.

My Bermuda grass is still dormant, but once nighttime temperatures stay above 55 degrees, it will start to green up fast.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, in the upper sixties.  I started first on my Orange Jubilee shrub and then moved on to my ‘Rio Bravo’ Texas Sage shrubs.

Annual pruning

Annual pruning

Every  2 – 3 years, I prune back my ‘Rio Bravo’ severely, which rejuvenates them.  Old wood doesn’t produce as much leaves or flowers and eventually dies.  Severe renewal pruning stimulates new growth and helps keep your shrubs from becoming too large.

To say that I am a bit passionate about pruning flowering shrubs the right way, is an understatement.

You can read more if you like in my previous post….

Shrubs Aren’t Meant To Be Cupcakes

I spent three hours pruning 10 large shrubs.  It was so nice to experience the outdoors with nothing to listen to except for the breeze and the birds.

There is something so satisfying about surveying how much work you have accomplished after you have finished pruning.

Of course, after I finished, I went inside and took 2 ibuprofen for my sore back.

I think I will let my husband put my pruned branches in the trash can 😉

How about you?  Are you ready to prune yet? 

New Vegetable Garden Finally Finished!

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Isn’t it true that most projects take longer then you plan on?

Still, I always approach projects with optimism that I will be able to finish in just a couple of days.

Of course, things just seem to come up with the kids and work.  I get really busy this time of year when people’s gardens are starting to grow again.

But finally, our new vegetable garden is finished!

Here are the last few steps…

New Vegetable Garden

New Vegetable Garden

We added compost and manure to the existing soil (1/4 compost, 1/4 manure and 1/2 native soil) and mixed them together.  I finished it off by adding bone and blood meal, which are natural sources of phosphorus and nitrogen that will release slowly over time.

You can simply add a mixture of compost and manure to your raised bed and no native soil if you desire.  This is easier, but I feel that working the soil down to a depth of 8 inches, helps with the growth of root vegetables.

New Vegetable Garden

My husband built fences for the raised bed because we have dogs and they don’t always stay out of the garden.  That and they love carrots.

We bought 6′ fence planks and then cut them in half.  A 3 ft. high fence is enough to keep them out.  The fence planks were attached at the top using a narrow strip of wood.  

New Vegetable Garden

The base for the garden is made from a 2″ wide, 10″ high and this piece was 12 ft long.  We used pine wood for our garden.  Pine won’t last forever, but it will last for a few years and is relatively inexpensive.  Of course, you can use cedar, which will last a very long time, but it can be rather expensive.

**There is some controversy regarding using pressure treated wood for vegetable gardens because of the chemicals used in the process and whether or not they ‘leach’ into the soil.

New Vegetable Garden

My husband built a removable gate into the garden without using any hinges or latches.

narrow strip of wood

As you can see, this removable gate has a narrow strip of wood on the inside and the other strip is on the top of the other side.

The gate slides down into the opening with the bottom strip of wood, resting on the raised bed on the inside and the outer wooden strip on the top fits on the outside.

narrow strip of wood

 You can see how the gate fits, above.

We all had fun putting the sides up…it took three of us – two to hold the sides up while my husband attached the brackets.

The entire time we were putting up the sides, we were visited by a curious and hungry Anna’s hummingbird.  He would stop by every 5 minutes or so.

hummingbird

I planted sweet corn, bush beans and cucumbers in my new garden in addition to marigolds, nasturtium and bachelor’s button, which will attract pollinators and help keep harmful insects away.

I promise to show photos as soon as my seedlings come up 🙂

Hummingbirds Perched Up High….

Birthday Celebrations and Dessert!

Two of my favorite things are birthdays and dessert…

Earlier this month, we celebrated the birthday of my daughter, Ruthie, and my sister-in-law, Marisue.

Birthday Celebrations

Ruthie turned 14 and I won’t tell you how old Marisue is, but she is much younger then me 😉  She is also the mother of the twins, Danny and Dean.

When we celebrate birthdays, I usually volunteer to make the dessert.  I just love baking (but not anything I have to fuss over).

For this double birthday celebration, I made two different desserts AND I broke one of my baking rules…

I didn’t try out the recipes out ahead of time.   I decided to make ‘Heath Angel Food Dessert’ and  ‘Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread’

Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread

Thankfully, the Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread didn’t fall apart.

Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread

Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread

The Heath Angel Food Dessert turned out okay too.  It was an Amish recipe that I picked up during a visit last year.

Here is the recipe:

HEATH ANGEL FOOD DESSERT

1 Angel Food Cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

16 oz. whipped topping

1 (12 oz) jar caramel topping

6 – 8 Heath Bars, crushed or toffee bits

Mix the whipped topping and caramel together.  Put angel food cake in a 13 x 9 pan and pour the whipped topping caramel mixture on top.  Sprinkle the Heath bars on the top.  Freeze until ready to serve or serve without freezing.

The Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread also tasted very good.

chocoholic

My daughter, Gracie, is a major chocoholic.  This was her favorite dessert.

If you would like to see the Hot Fudge Marshmallow Monkey Bread recipe, check it out here.

Do you like to bake?  What is your favorite recipe?

New Use for Vines

I love using vines in the garden.

I have pink bower vine growing in my entry, purple lilac vine growing up the walls in my back garden and pink trumpet vine by my vegetable garden.

But, did you know that you can grow some vines as a groundcover?

Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)

Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)

Years ago, I started using purple lilac vines as groundcovers in the feature areas along golf courses.

groundcover vines

Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)

I was surprised at how well they did.  We pruned them back once they were finished flowering and then a little if needed.

Eleven years later, they are still growing along the golf course and look great.

Purple lilac vine is my favorite vine.  The reasons are that they bloom in February and have beautiful, green leaves throughout the entire year.  They do need a trellis for support if growing along a wall.

Unlike their common name, however, they don’t smell like lilacs.  

groundcover vines

Even when not in flower, their bright green foliage adds beauty and a visually cooling element to the landscape.

**When purchasing vines, I recommend buying them during their bloom season because they aren’t always stocked in the nursery when they aren’t in flower.

A word of caution when growing vines.  Some vines can become invasive – particularly in humid areas with mild winters.  However, this is rarely a problem in the desert Southwest because of our arid climate.

Day in the Garden….

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I love school holidays…

I don’t have to get up early to get kids ready… 

I don’t have to worry about helping getting their homework done…

And the kids are happy!

Last Monday, while my wonderful husband was busy nailing wooden planks for our new vegetable garden fence, I spent the morning outside with my youngest daughter, Gracie in the garden.

dried sunflowers

First, we took down our regular bird feeder and hung dried sunflowers for the birds.

We grew sunflowers last summer and saved the flower heads for a winter treat for our birds.

vegetable garden

Then we turned our attention to our older vegetable garden.

Gracie planted some new sunflower seeds while I planted cucumber and basil seeds.

I have been working on a new project.  I am growing vegetables and flowers together in pots.

vegetable garden

All my pots are in the ‘in between’ stage.  This one has red and green leaf lettuce and dianthus.

I also just planted a small cucumber variety in front of the small trellises and there are also some newly germinated cosmos as well.

nasturtiums

The nasturtiums are beginning to bloom.  They make great companion plants in the vegetable garden and help to repel damaging insects.

sugar snap peas

My sugar snap peas are also beginning to bloom.

We had a great time in the garden, enjoying our warmer then usual February weather.

How about you?

Have you gone out in your garden lately?

New Addition to the Garden

Well, I wish I could say that the new addition is my completed vegetable garden….but although we have made some progress, it is till not finished.

But, we did add something new to our back garden.

Citrus Tree

Citrus Tree

This is our new, small orange tree.

(Click here to go to my sponsored blog list for some great discounts on gardening supplies) 

To be honest, I’m not sure why it took us so long to plant a citrus tree.  In our first home in Phoenix, we had three beautiful citrus trees that we enjoyed.

What really caused to finally plant one in our back garden is the fact that our three youngest kids love to pick the oranges from the tree at their grandparent’s house.

However, since my father-in-law’s death, my mother-in-law will eventually be moving and there will be no oranges for them to pick.

When we told the kids that we were planting one of our own, they were so excited!

Citrus Tree

They were so anxious to help.

We dug our hole nice and wide so that the roots could grow outward easily.  The depth of the hole was the same depth as the rootball.

We chose a young tree because they transplant much easier, not to mention having to get it out of the container.  Plants experience ‘transplant shock’ when planted in a new area.

The variety that we selected is ‘Arizona Sweet’.  It does very well in our area and are suitable for juicing and peeling.

We didn’t apply any fertilizer because it would stimulate top growth before there is a large enough root system to support it.  Wait a year before fertilizing.  Then you will fertilize three times a year in February, May and September.  An easier way to remember it is to fertilize around Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

I told the kids that we would probably have to wait 2 – 3 years before we see any fruit.

**I can just picture my own grandkids picking oranges someday from our tree.

Making Progress….

I’ve got a large pile of dirt outside my kitchen window.

But, we are making progress on our new vegetable garden.  Today, we amended the existing soil with equal amounts of compost and aged steer manure.  Then added bone and blood meal, which are natural sources of phosphorus and nitrogen.

Here are pictures of what we did today.  (Not super exciting, but we are getting there).

(If you’re looking for some new tools for gardening click here).

new vegetable garden

Four of my favorite things….my husband, daughter, dogs Missy & Tobey and compost!

new vegetable garden

Sprinkling bone meal (Beware of dogs digging afterward – they love the smell of bone and blood meal).

Everyone joins into to mix the compost, manure, bone and blood meal with the existing soil

Everyone joins into to mix the compost, manure, bone and blood meal with the existing soil.

Isn't it interesting how fresh dirt attracts both dogs and little boys?

Isn’t it interesting how fresh dirt attracts both dogs and little boys?

ur next step is to put up the sides and fence.  Then we will rake the soil smooth and get the irrigation ready.

I can’t wait to plant seeds!

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I must admit that I didn’t do much of the work today in the vegetable garden.  I was busy preparing dinner for Sunday night, which is my daughter Ruthie’s 14th birthday party.  I made my special ‘Baked Spaghetti’ with onions, garlic, tomato sauce, sausage, green peppers, herbs and of course – spaghetti.

I had to make 3 batches to feed everyone.  Our extended family is coming over along with Ruthie’s friend.

I kept the kitchen window open so that I could watch their progress while I was cooking.  I don’t keep a screen on my kitchen window since I have a hummingbird feeder in front of the window and I like to take pictures without the screen in the way.

I did get a visit today from a female Anna’s hummingbird.  She was 3 feet away from me while I stood at the kitchen sink.  I am so thankful that she didn’t fly in the house.

I made an Angel Food Heath Bar dessert for the first time.  I got it out of an Amish cook book that I saw when we visited Amish country in Indiana last year.  It has angel food cake, caramel, whip cream and heath bar in it.  The kids had fun watching me make homemade caramel.  I had fun tasting it 😉

I’m so excited for this 3-day weekend.

How about you?

What are you doing this weekend?

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