Grapes in the Hot Summer - a Nice Surprise

I've had this vine for awhile now, it started in a pot, then moved and transplanted several times. It went nuts this summer and really produced a lot of grapes -- the good old fashioned kind with actual grape seeds IN them.

Backyard Fruit Trees

'Gala' apple tree.
'Methley' plum tree.
Nectarine 'Sweet Pearl'
'Bruce' Plum tree.

They actually have fruit this year! The last two years we have had a late freeze after the blossoms, but this year -- no late freeze. Hopefully they will make it all the way through the elements this year.

Whew! It's a Lot of Work to Grow Your Own Food

Tilling, weeding, fertilizing, planting, watering, keeping pesky rabbits at bay, pesky bugs, pesky diseases, heat waves, pesky mosquitos (when you go out to harvest what you've been able to grow), and the list goes on. Why try a vegetable garden then? Because it feels good to harvest something from the earth right in your own yard, tastes better too. Also one can control what goes on the plant, like no chemical insecticides, etc. Even with apartment or condo living, a cherry tomato in a pot can be fun, or some lettuce plants maybe. It's work, but rewarding!

Sailors Sailing, Blossoms Blossoming, Spring has Sprung

Even though the winds were gusty to 25 or 30 mph - these sailors were ready to go sailing after waiting all winter.

Crabapple Tree and a Gala Apple tree (below) that I planted 5 years ago.
Sure hope I get to see some fruit this year.

Plum Blossom - First Signs of Spring

This is one of two plum trees in our backyard. I hope we do not have a late freeze this year -- last year it froze the blossoms and no fruit that year.

Starting to think about Spring

We've had some record breaking cold spells, and February has been about 6 degrees colder than average everyday. However today is sunny and so I'm breaking out the catalogs!

Seasons Come and Seasons Go

Last Summer
This Morning!

uPSIDE dOWN

I've got real skills and I've been helping myself to the birdies' sunflower seeds!

An Orchid in the Midst of Winter

I have had this little orchid for a few years. It was barely hanging through the summer but came to life on a windowsill it started blooming again right after Christmas.

Operation 'Save the Blackberry Bush'

OK, you know the cute little bunny rabbits... they chewed all the branches off of my 'Arapahoe' thornless blackberry bush. One of my gardening books said that blackberries grow only on two year old branches, so probably no berries next spring, but I tried to rescue the bush -- transplanted it with a little fish fertilizer, and put a tomato cage with fenced barricade -- ah, yes, woman vs. nature just to get a few berries !

Autumn Colors

This old oak is golden in evening sun.

' Celosia' and 'Knockout' roses. These made it through a mild frost.

Nandina berries and Pink Knockout roses.

Chrysalis and oh just one more bunny photo

This is so neat looking. I googled it and it might be a moth, the big butterfly chrysalis looks different.

I don't know, this little guy was sitting eating grass on our patio. Can't help myself with the camera.

Rose Hips and 'Carefree Beauty'

This rose bush is fantastic. 'Carefree Beauty' is no delicate plant. I don't spray roses with chemicals, so they need to be hardy. This blooms all through the season, except for a heat wave over 100F, but as soon as the weather gets reasonable it continues on blooming its heart out. Now it is covered in large rose hips. I'm going to harvest and try to dry them to make some rose hip tea. Here is a great website for more info on this rose. Plus they have a database and photos of almost any rose you can think of. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/pl.php?n=974

Garden Photos

This 'Celosia Cristata' came up from last year's seed that had fallen in the ground. This flower is large, about 6" x 8". They are very stunning and easy to grow.

Getting Bugs to Pose on Flowers

This little wasp didn't give me too much trouble when I ask him to pose for me on top of this onion flower.

I had a dickens of a time getting this fly to pose for me on the leaf of the 'Carefree Beauty' rose bush. But he finally cooperated.

But bees, on the other hand, absolutely love to pose on 'Echinacea' coneflowers.

Oh, Please, Just One More Bunny Photo

or two photos

Seems like that our wild rabbits are not running away immediately but kind of hanging to see if you walk towards them. This was a zoom in and cropped in Photoshop.

Too Hot for the Chimenea!

This photo was earlier this summer, but now it's way too hot (it was 99 yesterday). The chimenea has held up just fine to the repairs with the JB Weld (earlier post).

Sugar Baby Watermelon

The garden has not been great this year. I think I have not spent the time to nurture it along with these other pursuits. We had a few of these 'Sugar Baby' watermelons. They are small about the size of a cantaloupe, but very sweet and good!

Tomatoes, Dressing, Candle and Pinot Grigio

We are getting some tomatoes now. My favorite thing from the vegetable garden. I would show you some photos of the tomato plants, but they look kind of raggedy.

Wild Bunny Rabbit

I see quite of few wild bunnies hopping about in our yard. This young one is nibbling on some clover near the vegetable garden. Caught this with a 200mm zoom. I think this may be a baby of the one that was eating the artichoke leaves!