Garden Vegetable summer medley

2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 large sweet peppers, seeded, cored and cut into strips
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
4 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
6 Garlic Cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions:
In a large serving bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
Bruise the herbs and crush the garlic to bring out the flavor.
Add the vegetables and toss to coat.
Spread the mix on a rimmed baking sheet.
Baked in a preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped parsley.

Yesterday Owen and I wove a soaker hose throughout the yard. Now when the plants need water I just turn on the faucet and set the timer...so easy. Last year I planted some Daisies again and they are coming into bloom now. But, they are lemon yellow so I guess I picked the wrong ones. Looks like the day lillies are about to bloom as well and a couple of the older ones are already in bloom. The rhubarb has been shared a lot this year and there's hardly any left. I need to let it grow for a while so the I can make some rhubarb ice cream with the kids. We missed our annual July 4th snowball fight, so while the freezer seems to be full of food, it's actually full of snowballs we made last winter. Also our fire works are waiting. Kids were with their Mom this year on the fourth, so we still have a celebration to go to, LOL.

I'm a saver

I've been saving my Dad's rusty old green wheelbarrow for ...I don't know how many years. I never used it for it's intended purpose. I just like to see it in the Spring and Summer and remember all the times my Dad would use it for hauling plants around, or loading it up with the vegetables from his garden, or hauling trash to the curb. The wheelbarrow had its spot in my Dad's garage. It was on the left side of the door next to the lawn mower. Everything in it's place in my Dad's orderly garage. I can see it now in my mind's eye. Of course the wheelbarrow didn't look old and rusty back then. It was clean and green. Today I decided to fill it up with flowers and put it in the front yard. It makes me smile.

This is what's blooming today in my gardens

This is California Poppy

This is Joe Pye Weed in front of the pool that's waiting for the children to return

The window box on the planting shed

The rain barrel planter, plants from Dan for Mother's Day

Iris Honey Suckle Vine

The Clematis has started to bloom

Earth Friendly Demise for Pesky Growth

Put a cup undiluted vinegar (5% or better...) into a pump sprayer and add 1/4 cup of dish liquid, set the nozzle at a thin stream and zap the centers of the pesky plants between walking stones and at lawn edges. Next day they're dead and a few days later no trace of them is left.

Perenials in Raised Bed

I took pictures of some of the flowers in bloom. Someday I'll remember what kind they are. Also the Pagoda Dogwoods have a lot of buds on them. I see some of the Bleeding Hearts are in bloom, both red and white. The lilacs are in full bloom as are the tulips. The Honeysuckle Vine has a million flower buds on and the Sweet Autumn Clematis is growing up on the fence as are the grape vines. Rhubarb is huge, too much to pick so I offered it to other people and have had a few takers.

I moved my house plants on the summer porch and recovered the ratan chairs in green and white. It's been very nice sitting out there in the evenings having my tea and reading. Or when the kids are here we play Star Wars Monopoly or go fish out there. It's a very nice spot.

Looking for a car that's a little newer than my twenty year old one. Owen wants me to save my Honda for him...I guess I'll have it another ten years until he's ready to drive.

Have some little flags for the kids to put out tomorrow in the yard, in addition to the usual regular size one.

Have a happy memorial day remembering your loved ones.

Yard work

cut the grass, not much grass left but it takes a while to cut cause I have to go around so many obstacles LOL. nap time then I'll do the clipping and plant two tomato plants...Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter. I usually plant Brandywine and Old German but decided to go with the other this year. I also need to plant some chives and some lemon balm. Still have the pink garden to put in but Hali doesn't seem interested lately. Peach tree didn't make it. No growth after the rabbits ate all the bark off. Just buds and then they died. Lots of flowers in bloom in the raised bed I planted last year. Some of them are Bee Balm,Grape Hyacinth, Beardtongue, Columbine,Danford Iris, Bistort, Wild Geramium and Bleeding Heart. The 4 Lilacs are in bloom to and the Lavender has buds on. Of course on the other hand I have the little emerald pines that the rabbits ate...thank goodness they don't like rhubarb. My plan is to finish a few things in the yard and then set up my hammock chair and read until dark. Or maybe I'll get a garden light. I wonder if they have solar lights bright enough to read by.

Mortgage Lifter heirloom tomato was developed in the early 1930's by a man named M.C. “Radiator Charlie” Byles. Byles was a radiator repairman who, like many of his countrymen, struggled to keep his finances in order during the Great Depression. As the story goes, Radiator Charlie cross-bred the largest tomatoes he could find in his hometown of Logan, West Virginia, and sold the resulting plants for a dollar each. The profits he earned were substantial enough that he was able to pay down his mortgage with them!
Mortgage Lifter is an indeterminate tomato variety, which means that the plants will grow vines and continue to grow taller as the gardening season progresses. Without pruning, the plant will continue to grow longer. To allow the plant to focus on growing higher yields of fruit, pinch the suckers on the tomato vine, and stake the plant well.
Thomas Jefferson grew Mortgage Lifter tomatoes in his extensive vegetable gardens at Monticello from 1809 until his death in 1826. Indeed, many gardeners fall in love with this tomato, growing it year after year in backyard vegetable gardens all over North America.
How to Grow Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes from Seed
Growing heirloom tomatoes from seed is not a difficult task, even for beginner vegetable gardeners. Sow Mortgage Lifter tomato seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Seeds should be sown in the seed starting medium of choice 1/4” deep, placed in a seed starting tray and covered with a plastic dome or plastic cling film in a warm room out of direct sunlight until seedlings emerge. Use of a heating mat designed for seed starting may be useful in cooler climates.
When the Mortgage Lifter seedlings begin to emerge, remove the plastic cover and position the tray under a fluorescent light, 1 to 2” above the seedling. As the seedlings grow, keep the light about an inch from the top of the growing leaves. Regular fluorescent shop bulbs work just fine. After the first set of true leaves appears, fertilize the seedlings weekly with a diluted solution of 20-20-20 fertilizer. Transplant the seedlings into larger pots, if necessary, to facilitate root growth.

Brandywine. While there are many stories about the Amish origins of this tomato, William Woys Weaver has documented this tomato as being introduced in January 1889 by the Philadelphia seed firm of Johnson & Stokes. Flavor is the sole reason that this Pennsylvania heirloom tomato from the nineteenth century remains available. The large pinkish fruits range in size from 10 to 24 ounces and are borne on vigorous vines. Fruits are flattened and irregular, a pinkish red. This is the true Brandywine from the famous Tomato Guru Ben Quisenberry. This outstanding large pink tomato is considered by many to be the best tasting of all.