PEACHY LIFE!

When Bob and I moved in here almost fifteen years ago, one of the first things I wanted was a small orchard. I chose dwarf trees that were supposed to produce full-sized fruit. Yeah.

We've since lost all three of the cherry trees and two apple trees. The existing apple trees don't look any too healthy.

But the peach trees have done AWESOME... growth wise. Producing.. not so much.

A couple of years ago one of the trees was loaded with peaches but not quite ready to pick. We took a 4-day weekend to his younger brother's in Oklahoma and came home to find every single peach had been stripped.

We suspect this guy's relations were the culprits.

This year we had 3 peaches. 2 on one tree and 1 on another.

Of course, Bob was gone when the lone peach got ripe. I split this one three ways with the grandgirls.

The fruit was juicy and sweet.

Next year, being an even year, I'm hoping for a good production. We shall see. 

In the mean time, Bob keeps discussing not putting in any more trees. I keep telling him they will be an investment in our retirement. I'm not sure he's buying it. :-)

GLADIOLAS!

I love GLADS. I think they are so pretty.

When I was about nine or ten, there was a man that lived down the road from us that grew either glads or iris'... commercially. I loved riding my bike up to his place just to look at the massive field of flowers.

If you've never been to a flower show, check one out next summer. The criteria for a Gladiola show in particular is stringent but the results the growers are capable of producing is spectacular.

I'm a gardener in the lightest respect of the word. I just like flowers. Before we moved here, Bob wasn't keen on my putting money into flowers because the places weren't our forever home. Here, he has given me cart blanche to spend what I feel comfortable with. He even built me new flower beds on either side of the front walk just before going back out on the boat this time.

This summer I planted gladiolas on the south end of my office. I want to plant a bunch more here next spring.

These were two of my favorites. I want to find some really dark ones, too. I'd love a couple of black ones.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today is  my birthday. I wish my grandgirls were here to celebrate with me. I sure do miss them. Their mom's birthday is also today. Now that's a birthday present! While my daughter was born on my birthday, I tried every year to make sure her's stood alone... was the more important... more celebrated.

My sister and brother in law will be here this afternoon. We're going to hang out, eat. .. I plan to bake a layered chocolate cake this morning. She is diabetic and I'm pre-diabetic but between her insulin and my vinegar tea we should be okay. Just lots of vegies in our future for the rest of the weekend.

Other than baking, which is something I love to do, I'm planning to do nothing but craft. My sister and I both make Junk Journals and we are deep into the September Stashbuster Junk Journal challenge right now. I believe she is working on a Disney album and I'm putting together an October Daily in preparation to document my favorite month full of activities - October!

Tomorrow, I'll have flowers to show off.
Blessings

HICKORY HORNED DEVIL

Yep, there is such a thing.

I had never seen this scary guy in my yard before. I thought he was quite beautiful, even with his spines and horns. I swear only a witch would appreciate this caterpillar.

Here's a video about his story:

I had seen the moths, but not the caterpillar. Also interesting to note that they burrow in the ground then emerge in their moth state. 

Maybe I should have saved this for an October post. LOL

TOMATOES EVERYWHERE!

This was the first meager picking of Early Girl tomatoes around the first of August. You can see a few cherry tomatoes in the bottom of the basket.

I've since put two 2-gallon bags of tomatoes in the freezer for turning into sauce this winter. I probably have about that many more out there.

In June when the girls first got here, I planted all the volunteer tomatoes Adrian and I could find while she planted the 24 Early Girl tomatoes. She really got her hands dirty!

She had never planted anything on her own before. I helped her place the plants along the bales, showed her how to do the first one then turned her loose. She was one tired girl when she was done. I was so proud of her!

Here's what her handiwork looked like about the second week in August... after she'd gone back home.

Now about those volunteers I planted... over 30 plants. And they all turned out to be cherry tomatoes. I can only eat so many and they hadn't started producing before the girls left (we hope to fix that next summer)

One of my projects before they are all gone is to put up a few jars of green tomato pickles. My stepmom canned some one year and I remember them being quite tasty.

Tomorrow, I have a mystery plant for you. Well, it was a mystery to me :-D

Happy Gardening!

FALL HAS ARRIVED!

Okay... not if you go by the thermometer. Today is the first day in weeks I've turned off the AC for the entire day and opened up the house. While the temp has been hovering around  80* inside and I've had the tower fan blowing on me, I refuse to turn on the AC. There is a gorgeous breeze blowing outside, billowing the curtains. Who needs the AC? Or the power bill?

When you begin seeing these lovely pieces of nature's art around your yard you know fall is just around the corner.

I usually get three to four of these beauties from the eve of the house to the top of the deck railing. I'm also guaranteed of seeing at least a couple stretch from the bird feeder to the clothes line - a distance of about 4'!

I haven't seen the garden zipper spiders yet. I keep watching. When they appear I know the garden is winding down and soon I'll be pulling up stakes and prepping for the quietness of winter.

Here in the Ozarks, we are about 15* above our normal temperatures and have seen barely any rain in 22 days! At least where I live. Springfield did get an inch or so last week. Lucky ducks!

For now, I'll just keep watering the garden. I'll have pictures tomorrow.

Thank you for all the views. Now if we could just make a little noise. If nothing else, say HI! LOL

Happy Gardening!