garden – Page 12 – The Salem Garden

Is It Just Me?

I know, I know, this is silly, but, when I take apart the planters it’s hard for me to throw the old plants into the compost. I’ll miss them. They were beautiful and I feel a sense of loss. I can throw anything away in the house with no problem, but plants are different. I tend to hang on for a long, long time. So the other day I took everything out of the big front porch planter and went down to the compost bin. In went the spike plant, the verbena and the stock…. then I got to the geraniums. I threw one in and took it out. Then I looked at the four plants in my hand and I knew what I had to do. So, up they went to the kitchen counter. Michael came home and they were still there. Of course he said something like “oh, please, no, not again… you know that these are going to hang out all winter and your never going to do anything with them. In the spring you’ll be buying more”… Well, he’s probably right. I do that. I have great thoughts about wintering things over and re-using them. But maybe this is the one time it will work. Maybe these geraniums will come back as beautiful as ever. So for now I’ve tucked them away in a dark, cool corner of the basement. Just hanging out, waiting for spring.

Maybe they’ll be back, we’ll see!

My 100th Post!

It’s very hard to believe that I’ve reached my 100th post… who’d have ever thought it…certainly not me. I remember my first post well. I was so nervous. I’d never done this or anything quite like it before, other than joining Facebook, and other yahoo groups and web sites a long time ago. This was completely different… my little kingdom where I could post anything I wanted, wide open and completely unchartered territory! So I started posting photos and captions, and writing about them. Lots of my posts were about the garden and my family, which is where my heart is. Sometimes I think I’d like to write a very polished and professional gardening blog, then I find myself writing and sounding just like myself. I’m not generally polished and professional. I can be if needed but I don’t think I’ll ever have that well-spoken, intellectual tone that gets freshly pressed and recognized widely. That’s okay, I’m going to enjoy this and be comfortable in my own skin. I’d like to use The Salem Garden to help people. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Maybe I should laser focus in on basic gardening concepts, or start another blog dedicated to helping people who are in very difficult circumstances? Those who are close know that I’ve had kind of a Forest Gump type of experience, especially in the past seven years. I may write about all of that someday, we’ll see.

In the meantime here’s a re-cap of some of my favorite moments from the past six months or so…

The garden at the beginning of the season, all planted in and ready to go..

This was my third post, the one about turkeys in the yard…Then I wanted to give you an idea about what Salem is really like…And of course, I posted about weeds. I never, ever profess to be a perfect gardener in any way. I make lots and lots of mistakes and I have no professional experience. I just love it and that’s what I share.Then there are these moments, when we can just enjoy the view. The little kids and I planted potatoes!and there were always chickens..And the Common..And kids helping. I love this photo, I used it on our family Christmas Card this year..People loved the green monster post. I should decorate more, and blog about decorating more. There is a really big audience for that!I should post more recipes too, this chocolate chip cookies recipe post is a big favorite…and there’s always more chickens… In the spring I might do some nitty gritty chicken maintenance posts with Michael, especially if we have baby chicks again. Chickens are fun!The bee balm grew.And I posted about my dream house… this was widely read too. I may do a series of dream houses… We played on the beach at Winter Island a lot..And enjoyed one of my favorite gardens anywhere! There have been waterfalls…

And very special visitors..

I visited lots of gardens and I have a very long list that I missed!

We even painted chairs one dayThe garden kept growing and growing…We had the experience of Hurricane Sandy, although we were spared the worst of it.. There was also the near miss of the tornado. Who would have ever thought this would happen?You all seemed to enjoy this guy last weekend! So did I!

and now we’re looking at the winter garden…

It’s time to settle in for the long New England winter, plan for the spring and enjoy a some quiet, cold days. I have lots of thoughts for the winter edition of The Salem Garden… It will be fun!!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, correcting, and cheering me on!

I love it here.

Michele

What’s Happening in the Garden–October 10

It really feels like fall out in the garden. I can’t say that I love it, I’m a summer person, but it is beautiful here and the Holidays are right around the corner, then the snow, and then spring will be here.. sorry.. I’m getting off track :).

Okay, out to the garden! Here’s our white pine tree undergoing it’s annual fall browning. It may look a bit sad but this is just part of it’s fall process. You can read more about the conifer life cycle here in this article by Margaret at A Way to Garden, one of my very favorite gardening blogs. The conifers will be just fine, they really will!

We still have a few hints of summer, like mesclun.

and some sage. I need to dry some for the winter.

The tomatoes are hanging on. This tomato plant volunteered from last year and grew all over the asparagus bed.

The peppers like this cool weather.

There’s lots of green tomatoes. My neighbor and I were talking about what to do with them last night.

This morning on the phone my mom said that they can be wrapped in newspaper to slowly ripen. I may try that… will keep you posted!

The cabbage are just about ready.

There’s still some basil hanging on

and zinnias and gladiolas.

I’m wondering if the gladiolas can winter over in the ground, or should I pull them and put them away for the winter?

(I should probably pull them out)

Our trees are still quite green. we should be seeing some good fall color soon, I hope!

There’s so much clean up to do. We’ll get there, one bed at a time.

Happy fall! Enjoy everything!

Michele

Will This Be an Office?

When we’ve not been out in the garden, or at soccer games or dance rehearsals, we’ve been working a little bit on this project. I’m using the word “we” rather loosely here since Michael does the work and I pretty much run interference with everyone else so he can work. But I do hand him things, hold things, consult about decisions and cheer him on. He doesn’t love this project but I think as it comes together he’s starting to enjoy it more. We’d both rather be outside in the garden.

We’ve always called it the “sunroom”… We used it as a three season playroom, which was wonderful when my kids were very small. The exterior wall leaked quite badly a few (actually maybe four) years ago. Since then it’s been kind of a no man’s land. Michael tore out the middle section of the interior wall because it was very damaged. Then he spent lots of time replacing the trim and some of the siding on the exterior. Last summer we added new windows on the sides and replaced the door.

He recently added insulation and new paneling, and the heater and outlets went in. My hope is that we’ll now be able to finish the trim and the floor and paint it. Our goal is to use it as an office. I have visions of counter space, storage space and work space. That’s a pretty big challenge given that it’s a walk through to the deck and it’s quite compact.

As you can see we have some crazy windows and peaks and angles.

panning to the left

It’s a decorator’s nightmare but I am determined to make this into a beautiful, usable space.

Here’s the view

That’s the garden just to the right of the dogwood tree. I have to admit that I’ve flirted with the idea of taking down the tree so that we have a better view of the garden.

Since I’ve had time to think about it, I have ideas about what to do here… maybe some type of shades or window treatments that are all hung from the same height would bring the windows together? Maybe we’ll paint it all one color to decrease the chaos? What color will that be? Blaire found a nice raised desk at Ikea for me awhile ago. I think I’d like to sit up high so I can look out easily. It’s on my list for a little further down the road.

What do you think? Thoughts, ideas? Share them please!

and we were all wondering what I was going to blog about once garden season was over, lol!

What’s Happening in the Garden–September 26

I’m a little bit behind on my What’s Happening update. Soccer, dance and golf (and school) are our main focus right now. Garden time is precious, as is blogging time. Blogging makes me motivated to get things done out there. Right now I’m wishing I’d gotten fall veggies in. I missed the window, but this is life with a large busy family. I really try to take one thing at a time and enjoy it all!

Anyway, out to the garden we go!!

Bye-bye Black-eyed Susan! These will need to be cut back soon. If anyone who lives nearby would like some please let me know. They need to be divided.

We are still enjoying the zinnias! and that poor window box needs some attention. It gets lots of sun so if we miss a watering it suffers a lot.

There are still some peppers coming along. Just a few every few days, but we enjoy them.

Mesclun! Love, love, love this!

And the tomatoes are still producing too. I’m watching the frost predictions, we should be okay for a few more weeks. I guess I could bring them in but I don’t really have room and I like when they ripen on the vine.

Hello chickens! This one is cute but she’s a little bit aggressive for a buff orphington.

They really love the dust bath?

I don’t get it, but it’s fun to watch.

I would prefer this nice soft nest if I were them.

Lupines for next year! My neighbors Becky and Mags brought these over and I plopped them in. I’m looking forward to blooms next June. They are gorgeous over in their yard.

And this whole area needs to be dug out and reconfigured. Michael and I keep talking about it. This side of the yard makes me edgy because every time I set foot in here I find a snake. I hate snakes. For some reason I think I won’t see them just across the yard in the fenced in “garden”.. That chrysanthemum really popped out when the tree that used to be to it’s left was taken out in the spring. Good light means everything.

This Japanese Maple tree came from Mrs Landi’s yard. Mrs Landi is a very dear friend of my Mom’s. I’ve had it in this pot for several years because I can’t decide where to plant it. It’s looking a bit weather worn right now but it actually does very well like this. When it gets colder we’ll put it in the garage for the winter and just water it a little bit. Next spring it will be back and beautiful again. Someday I may plant it but I like to move it around and I enjoy it so much in the pot.

This is a stream of consciousness post if ever there was one!

Please leave me a comment so I know you were here. I keep seeing all the views and wondering who is actually reading this..

Off to clean, cook and take kids places!

Thanks for stopping by! Love, Michele

Wow!! What squash can do!

Okay, maybe this is kind of a weird title, but it’s what came into my mind. I have to show you these photos that Blaire sent me a week or so ago. Blaire always has her eye out for great gardens in the downtown and she sends me these interesting finds. This is in the courtyard of the House of Seven Gables Settlement house on Derby Street. I believe that the building, which was used as an after school program, camp and pre-school for many years, is kind of “in transition”. It’s Caroline Emmerton‘s original settlement house and is owned by the Gables, as we Salemites refer to the House of Seven Gables. Michael and I were out for dinner and a walk on Saturday night and of course I had to go see this. The vines are loaded with butternut squash. It looks to me like a few squash fruits might have been left on the ground last year with the plants emerging on their own and taking over the whole yard this year. Or maybe someone planted them purposely? No squash borers here! Isn’t nature amazing?

Thanks for sharing these Blaire! Hope you all enjoy them and get off to a wonderful start to your week today!

Michele

Family meals inspire cook to do the same for his young twins : Stltoday

I love this post by Pat Eby for the St Louis Post Dispatch and thought it would make a great share for today. In our family the center point is our dinner together, it’s that simple. We come and go at this time of year but I strive for us to eat together as much as possible for all of the reasons that are mentioned. Enjoy everything! Michele

Family meals inspire cook to do the same for his young twins : Stltoday.

Potato Day!!!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived!

Yesterday we harvested our pot of potatoes!

We had a few friends visiting after school who helped out.

Here comes the wheelbarrow.

The team lifted up the pot and dumped it in!

Success!!

We found the pottery and rocks that we’d put in for drainage.

And here they go, a treasure hunt for potatoes…the kids loved this!

We were all quite surprised to find potatoes in there!

Everyone found a few..

Here’s our little harvest. Next summer we’re planning to plant several pots, start toward the bottom third of each pot and gradually add soil as the plants grow. We did a little bit of that but probably not enough. For this year, we were just excited to see that we grew potatoes!

After we’d removed potatoes and pottery the girls spent about twenty minutes digging around in the dirt and admiring the amazing bugs that they found. That made my day!

This is what gardening with children is all about!

Our Potatoes (naturallyfundays.wordpress.com)
Don’t Be a Tater Hater (w3tpaint.wordpress.com)
Digging Potatoes (chismheritagefarm.wordpress.com)

A Little Garden Giveaway–Take a Guess!

I’m sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my giveaway… this getting back to school (and activities) is a tough business!

The winner is

Vera! Congratulations Vera! And thanks to all who played. Yes, that is Michelle’s garden. It’s a large part of her initiative to decrease childhood obesity and to connect children with their food source. I’ll publish a separate post with more photos of the garden in the next few days. It goes without saying that I’m very happy that the garden’s benefits to children are being highlighted by the First Lady.

I thought it might be fun to try a giveaway so here we go! The question is:

Who’s garden is this?

Since lots of people are looking but no one’s guessing, here’s a hint, I would have looked at it through a large metal fence while on vacation this summer..

Leave your answer in the reply box just below. All correct guesses will be entered into a random drawing for a $10 Home Depot Gift Card! Now is the perfect time to look for a pot or two of perennials (on sale!) to plant and enjoy next year! You have until noon on Tuesday to enter, one entry per person please! The winner will be announced on Tuesday afternoon.

This is not sponsored by or affiliated with Home Depot in any way, it’s just a fun little contest! Please feel free to share widely with your friends!

Love, Michele

What’s Happening in the Garden-September 8

Good Morning! We’ve made it through the first three days of school here. That always feels like a huge accomplishment to me. All of my kids seem to be happy and settling in well in all of their new environments. I think we’re off to a great start for the school year. Out in the garden things are still perking along. As much as I wanted to have a great fall garden going, our August activities took over and I didn’t get much planted. One of the things that I love about gardening is my hope and plan for next year. Next year there will be brussel sprouts at the very least! Since I just shared that with the world I’ll be feeling very accountable next summer and I’ll find those plants or grow some!

okay, so… here’s the potatoes. I’m waiting for that last plant to die back before we pull them out. Will there be potatoes?? We’ll find out soon!

The pumpkins are ready and just in time… see that dying foliage? I think the squash borer got to them but the pumpkins can be picked so we made it!

Here’s the other one. They really are beautiful!

I’m still picking tomatoes. Roma, roma, roma… really the best tomato to grow if you want to do lots of cooking with them.

More basil! I cut it back hard a month or so ago and now there’s more to freeze and dry.

And the mesclun is ready! I’ll try to add another little bed of this somewhere. If the temps stay warm we’ll have it for awhile!

Peppers are coming along. I never grow enough to really “process and preserve” them the way I’d like to but we’re enjoying them as we pick them.

I cut the oregano way back too. I’ll cut it before it flowers and dry it in the oven. I hope it turns out as nicely as my basil did in August.

Kentucky pole beans. I keep saying that they needed poles, poor things..

A little tiny foxglove peeking out. I love foxglove! It’s nice to see a hint of it in September.

The liatris that I planted are being eaten by bunnies. Enough said.

This guy keeps an eye on everything..

Here’s a view in over the fence. Please notice my complete lack of perfection. Will someone please pull out those cucumber plants on the left? Really!! It doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, just loved and enjoyed.

And it is! Off to a kid’s dentist appointment and then the first game of the season for my little guys’ soccer team. Go Tornados!!

Happy Saturday! Love you all!

Michele

What’s Happening in the Garden – July 14th (thesalemgarden.com)

Related articles

Related articles