My garden is in FULL force...is your's???

My cucumbers are HUGE! seriously huge. I measured one at 15 inches long and my fingers couldn't wrap around it...THAT huge lol. My tomatoes, well, they're splitting from the heat, which is tickin' me off. I'm picking them as soon as they turn orange on the bottom and placing them in my window sill in an attempt to keep them from being out in the heat even longer; it's helping w/a few.
Oh, and I've removed THREE bird's nests from my cucumber tee pees...poor birdies. I know they want their nest, but the sprinkler will drown any babies that they have end up having, so I'm doing them a favor. I have several birdhouses installed in the big bush down by the garden, but I guess it's not enough, so I'll install some on the garden's corner posts.
My romaine lettuce went bitter before I could use it all, ughhh...so much of a waste. The green onions were used throughout the summer, and I now have a second bumper crop growing in the place of the lettuce and radishes that are now gone. The yellow onions, I harvested a few days ago and they are now laying on top, drying...unfortunately, it rained since and a few of them succumbed to rot...it'll be hot today, so I turned them in hopes to dry the rest out better.
But GOOD NEWS on my homefront, I now have my composter, whoooop whooop! and rain barrel. The hubs has been super busy doing other things and will be out of town for a week or so, so it's not been installed yet, ughhh, all that precious rain just going into the ground (but, the grass has needed it, so it's not a total waste). He'll get it going for me soon...buying it was half the battle, lol.
My melon bed is going full force! majorly! we can't WAIT until the cantelope is ready for picking. We'll have plenty. My elderly neighbor has staked his claim on a few, himself, lol...he's so cute...wants to talk 'garden' all the time. My basil garden has grown and bushed out gloriously...I'm growing 5 different basils that smell diVINE and 2 different oreganos...my problem is, I don't really know when it's time to harvest them or how...will do some research on that soon and share my findings.
ok, so that's the scoopi-di-doop on this end. Gonna post a few new pics in the next day or so of my cukes, my full grown garden, a 'new' iron bistro table and chair set that I found at a yard sale for only THREE BUCKS! and, of course, my large planter of lavender, and more! stay tuned!

Out of the loop!

Sorry, everyone, for being gone for so long. Every now and then, I'll get into a funk, where there's so much going on in our busy life that it's difficult to find the time to sit and blog, do my coupons, and such...I've not gone shopping w/my coupons in over 2 months!!! wow, I know, lol. But, I CAN tell you, that the fence around my garden is DONE and it looks beautiful!!! it was finished last weekend...this past weekend, the hubs and I planted 8 new roses, 2 Pink for the Cure peonies (you know my luck w/THOSE, sigh), and a new purple lilac bush...let's see how the grow, shall we?! I'll keep you posted on them, for now, check out the pic of my garden and fence...ain't it just wonderful?! lol, well, it is to me, anyway

Just wanted to share this tidbit deal I ran across...Spring Hill Nursery is currently offering $20 off a $20 purchase of their Liquidation Items (doesn't include shipping). Shipping starts at about 7.95 depending on what you buy. The savings is only valid on their LIQUIDATION ITEMS, but there's alot to choose from in that section...7 pages worth! Ranges from roses to trees to ferns to citrus plant to plant pills, lots ot choose from! Enter coupon code 414217 in the 'key code' box at checkout...don't forget, you'll have to pay your own shipping, but this is a GREAT deal to get some goodies for FREE only to pay shipping!!!

Planted some garden

According to the online-version of Farmer's Almanac, my region was to have experienced the last frost on April 7...I don't know if I want to trust that date, though. It would be just my luck that I plant my mator plants and they'd get bit, wasting my time and effort, as well as money. So, with that, the girls and I planted a few things, but I'll hold off another week or so before I plant those. This is what I did plant: In bed #1, the green onions and yellow bulb onions went into the ground. In bed #4, one row of beets and 4 mounds of cucumbers went in. Then, the oldest wanted some jalapenos, and with no room in the garden plan for them, she's gonna have to grow them in pots. I'd gone to K-Mart the other day and they had their 6 pk flowers and garden plants for $1.89. So I picked up some flowers, but also a pk of jalapenos and Celebrity tomatoes. I gave one of my friends 2 of the jalapeno plants, but had the oldest plant 4 of them in 2 different planters...we shall see how well they do...I still feel that it's too early. The tomatoes I left on the front porch and will keep watered and safe until I feel it's time. The soil still feels a bit cool to me, and with that, I'm not so sure how well any of it will germinate. Also, the crappy topsoil that was delivered just has way too many clumps in it, not large clumps, but small ones, and they're hard as rocks...it's taking forever to sift it out. As it is, I'm not sure how well the beets will turn out having to grow around clumps in the soil, they're probably going to be pretty malformed, lol. I also got under the back deck cleaned out, the hubs mowed and weedeated (which is an event all in itself, lol) and a stump got ground down and dirt put on top. Yes, we were going to the fence up around the garden this weekend, but I've got to make sure we do everything by the book. As it is, if they try to have me remove my garden, since I've already planted, we'll have a restraining order against them...but that won't happen. All the neighbor can do is complain (for no reason other than to whine, but that's what he does). So, I've got to call 1Call to get them to come out and mark any and all underground utilities/wires, etc. This will ensure that everything is by the book...plus, I went and found out how far away from the front road I can plant my lilac bush, so that will go in this coming weekend, as well. *sigh* it takes time, but it'll get done! mulched around another one of my rose bushes while I was at it, just another thing to check off my garden/yard to-do list, lol

Tipsy Pots Tower Planters

These are so cool. I picked one up at the St. Louis Home and Garden Show last year, pd about 20 bucks for it, but I shouldn't have...they're way too easy to make! The only thing with mine is that it's not permanent, as it can be moved, and if you make it, the rebar goes into the ground, so it has to stay where you put it or all the pots will fall off. But aren't they cool? I just LOVE mine. I'm going to be planting phlox in the bottom pot this year, which I think I'll like alot better than the perennial succulents that I have in there now (they're not as colorful). Read the super easy step-by-step instructions on how to make one, all you need is a large pot, then subsequent smaller pots, and a long pc of rebar....that's it, well, the dirt and flowers or herbs or strawberries or whatever else you wanna plant, but that's the basics. If you have one or are gonna make one, take a pic and forward it, I'd love to see it!!! NO, I'm gonna plant some purle heather in the bottom, YES, that's it....I LOVE Mexican Purple Heather...gorgeous!

A garden update...

First off...we worked on my garden from sun-up to sun-down Sat and Sun both and then we were hit with a nasty neighbor issue. He has given us nothing but problems since we moved in, we don't have to mind our business because he'll mind our business FOR us, lol. He decided that the corner of our property is not ours, it is considered 'common ground' to the subdivision, and as such, everyone in the sub has to agree that we can do this and he doesn't, therefore we can't do it. He's correct, it is concidered 'common ground' to our subdivision, however, there is no way anyone can get to this piece of property unless they trespass on our property, therefore it isn't considered 'common' because it doesn't have 'common' access and cannot be used for any 'common' purpose. It's basically not property that people in the sub are encouraged to utilize, it's a short stip or property that's attached to ours that runs the length our our property back to the only power line & pole in our subdivision, as our electric lines run underground. SO, attornies are advising that we ignore him and the city, as the city has no authority or jurisdiction over this piece of property or the garden we installed on it or the fence we're putting up around the garden (the fence is not a boundary protector, but landscaping and to keep the deer from eating my mators, lol)...especially considering we have less then 9 months and we can actually legally claim that strip of property based on Missouri law, which we'll do. I was advised to begin planting ASAP, which I did tonight with my onion sets, so that if they do decide to do something, a simple restraining order will stop it, and to make sure we get the garden up ASAP, as well, just in case they change the ordinance in an attempt to stop us, at which time the fence will have to be 'grandfathered' in...*sigh* soooooooooooooo, at the beginning of the week I was so upset, I was in tears. I thought for sure I was finally going to get my garden, then the a$$ decided to start his crap yet again, and we were giong to have to move the garden...which I knew would take my hubs another 2 yrs to get done, meaning I wouldn't have my garden. But then the attornies are basically saying, 'call their bluff' cuz it's a small town and they can't afford to fight us over a 30' pc of property that no one except us can legally step foot on, it's not worth it to them, even if it's just to shut our neighbor up, they don't have the time or resources for something so petty....so, we'll see....wish me luck, lol...gonna take pics and post of my little garden soon...the fence goes up this weekend, it's picket and gonna get painted white. I can't wait!!!!

Here's my plan...

I've updated my garden plan. As you can see, I've numbered my garden beds and listed what will be planted in each, with exception of the pot holding a sing jalepeno pepper, lol, that's all my daughter's doing AND her responsibility to keep alive...I know, I know, that's alot of plants in those boxes, lol. They're a little over 4' wide and 8' long. I can do it...I've mapped each box out, measured between each plant and each row...it'll work. It WILL! lol...it better!