Sweeet corn season, YUM

A co-worker/friend of Steve's gave us sweet corn from his field. First batch I did, I got 5 bags of corn for the freezer, plus we ate corn for supper that night.

The second batch of corn Steve went out and picked with him, I got 15 bags of corn to put in the freezer.

My corn is coming ready slowly, but the darn raccoon critters are feasting on it every night for their supper.

So glad I got what I did put in the freezer out of the friends planting this year. Last year, my corn mostly go destroyed by summer storm. This year the storm tried, but most of it stood up, or continued to lean and produce anyway.

Field corn mostly is up, some of the end rows got broken off, but just above the ear, so we are hoping they go ahead and fill out.

Yellow, Red and Green

It's been a very hot July for most of the USA in 2011. The first half of the month, we got rain in our area, lots of rain. One storm dumped it so fast, it ran off and didn't sink in the ground, and I was able to work in the garden 2 days later.

My sunflowers make me happy as wander around the garden, they are the first things which greet me as I enter thru the gate.

Tomatoes tastes so good on BLT's fresh sliced still warm from the garden.

My pumpkins are turning orange. They are the little sugar pumpkins for making bread and pies and any other way pumpkin is enjoyed. I don't like pumpkin soups, so for our house, we will have plenty of pies and bread.

I am going to attempt some pumpkin butter, as I love apple butter, it may end up being very similar.

Cherry tomatoes are booming, I think I can pick them all that's ripe, and by the time I get the rest of my produce picked, the weeds hoed, and the grass pulled along the fence when needed, I can walk by those cherry tomato plants have at least another dozen ripe.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, green peppers come home with me every visit. So the family enjoys lots of salads and summer squash cooked in different ways. Of course like many new dishes, some were a bust. lol

July 15 Pictures of garden and update of storm damage.

My garden will survive the storm of 7/12/11.

I had to rescue some plants from the the mud, but they look like they will be fine now.

Most, not all, my corn is standing up. Others are leaning over, but will continue to grow.

Once the ears are ready to harvest, I will take the whole stalk out when I harvest it, so those laying on the ground and over into the other corn won't be a problem navigating the rows.

I worked in the garden Friday morning for 5 hours, getting it weeded, tomatoes tied to panels, picking green beans, summer squash, cucumbers, green peppers, and tomatoes, tied sunflowers to the fence, removing broken off leaves and stems, pulling plants out of the mud, and removing corn tops out of corn rows from the wind during the storm.

I still have so much to do, grass and weeds are growing along the outer side of the fence, and I need to get them before they get too big. Seems like this year has been hard to keep up with those area's, but having a toddler around when I use the weed whacker, isn't a good thing. She tends to want to help me. I do let her work in the garden pulling weeds, til she starts on the plants too.

Kiley has this fixation on flowers. She has to pick every one she sees. I don't mind a couple, but I would like some to draw in the bee's and butterflies to my garden.

I am disappointed that my strawberries didn't flower and bloom at all. This being the first year for them, I guess maybe they weren't suppose to. They sure are producing some nice runner plants. Hope to fill in where the other 23 plants didn't grow that I planted. Maybe next year I will have fruit from them.

My pumpkins and cantaloupe are showing I have some work cut out for me this fall when they are ready to eat/harvest. I sure hope my family is ready for pumpkin bread, pies and cookies this fall.

And fresh cantaloupe for breakfast every morning as well as the all day snacks will be going on too.

So glad the storm didn't do all that much damage after I assessed it days later. Field corn is standing up too, after taking the brunt of the wind and heavy heavy rain. Whewwww.........

7/12/11 Farm scenes after storm

Another no need for words blog post.

About Town During and After Storm 7/12/11

Wordless blog post.

Garden Harvest Time for 2011

I have been eating fresh summer squash and cucumbers, added to my lettuce and radishes and green onions. The smaller the cucumber the crisper and better tasting they are.












Oh, there is nothing quite like the first tomatoes out of the garden. Steve and both had silly smiles on our faces as we ate our hamburgers with fresh sliced tomato out of my garden.
I ate the little cherry tomatoes in salad for lunch the nrxt day. And they were just as good.
Tomatoes are slow ripening, but they will pick up in the days to come.






Fresh canned french cut green beans are heading to my shelves. I have a total of 15 pints canned, and I only planted 2 rows, one 12 foot, and one 14 foot.
First picking was on July 4, then second picking was July 8. Not bad for a twice a week production. And they are still loaded with blooms.





No more store bought veggies for the summer. Now with tomatoes ripening, I am anticipating the sweet corn to get ready.
I think I am in heaven. God has blessed me with a bountiful garden, and in return, I am working it and keeping it weed free.

Flowers

I transplanted this spider plant into a bigger planter this spring when I moved it outside for the summer.

I sure did turn a deep green, and has the hardiest sprouts with babies growing from it.

My other spider plants are green with white stripes on the plant. This one is a baby from those.

Maybe I need to transplant all the others for more hardy plants.

I have a mother-in-laws tongue plant. Don't know the true name for it, but that's what it was called when I bought it 28 years ago.

I have seen pictures of them blooming, but never experienced one of mine bloom.

This summer, one of mine bloomed. I was so excited to see it's flower stalk.

It is a pretty small lily like flower opened. And during the sunny part of the day, they close, and open in late afternoon/evening. Another plant which goes out for the summer and in in winter.

My zinna's are finally sprouting out from the tall plants that looked spindly.

Guess all the rain we have gotten really got them growing.

I planted mixed color zinnia's and they sure are pretty colors as well as flower shapes.

I started the flowers in planters, but am transfering them to the ground, as the ones which I planted in the flower beds, they are all taller, hardier and more vibrant than the ones in the planter boxes.

And the squirrels left the soil planted ones alone, but dug every chance they got in my planter ones. Little buggers.

This calla lily is my pride and joy this year so far. It's like 3 years old, and this is first year for an actual lily to appear. So happy with this one, as it started white and turned light then medium pink, now it's almost purple.

I love bright beautiful colors.

Sewing for Kiley

I made 3 dresses for Kiley over the weekend.
I have had material for years sitting in my sewing supplies.
So after seeing how hot it is going to be this summer, decided to use some waffle weave, very light material so she isn't so hot while playing outside.
I sewed for my own girls when they were little.
Made special outfits for the holiday's.
Over the years, I have only done little things, curtains, table clothes, napkins, seat covers, tractor cover, and table runners. Simple things.


I have to confess, I can't use patterns. I see what I want in my head and make my own patterns on brown paper bags. No instructions needed, I just cut out, and sew.
Sounds weird, but all those lines on the patterns to chose a size, then all those little tabs to connect, then in the end, it doesn't look like what I wanted in the first place.







Just seems easier to make my own simple patterns and sew from there.
Loved her new dresses, and I loved sewing them for her.
I have more material, and when time allows I plan to make her some more. I also think I will make her Christmas dress this year. I have an idea of what would look cute on her, and hoping to find the lace I want to use. Then I have to wait til closer to Christmas, as she is growing so fast.




This last picture is of the front of the green dress. It's open in the back. This was the first one I made, for my girls each had these sort of summer sun dresses when they were little. And they were very cool and they looked gorgeous in them.
Since garden is producing, I have to set sewing aside for now. Canning and freezing time.