While walking back home from my neighbor's house, I looked over at my garden. It looks completely different, prettier I think, than it does from my side of the fence. Well, except for that patch of grass clippings in the center of the back yard. Mr. Granny removed the mulcher from the lawn mower yesterday, and made sure he mowed in circles to throw all the clippings to the center. He never got around to raking them up, and I was too busy to do it, so there they sit.
As soon as it cools off a bit this afternoon (yes, it finally warmed up!), I'll be planting my determinate varieties of tomatoes in that bare strip of ground, next to the fence on Pat's side. I'm out of room in my garden. I think I did well to get 25 (I think) tomato plants on my property. I'll put another 7 on her side of the fence.
Your boxes look very pretty and your yard is so nice and clean...now that I'm working the farmer's market I can't seem to find time to mow my own lawn...I actually paid my son-in-law to do it yesterday...(for the record he wanted to do it for free....but I insisted : )
ReplyDeleteDo you preserve any tomato sauces AG? I'm going to do more of it this year....if time allows... What is your favorite tomato?
Oh and yay for the sunny weather finally!
I feel like getting my yard to a point where it is even semi organized is going to be such an uphill battle. I was so in love with my garden bed when I dug it out, but I quickly saw that the rest of my yard was nothing to be proud of. Then my husband said the sweetest thing I have ever heard his lips utter, "Let's fix up this backyard." I'm still letting him think it was his idea.
ReplyDelete- Kimmi
I think we got all your cold weather, its been freezing. Good to hear things warmed up over there! The garden certainly is looking nice.
ReplyDeletei think you can never have enough tomatoes besides if you run into an abundance of them there are always willing adoptive neighbors like yours(wink). I dig your garden btw
ReplyDeleteI love the look of your raised beds, Gran. And seeing your garden, I really wish that I had removed every bit of sod from mine and not used straw to mulch the paths. I think I'm gonna remove every last bit of grass from my garden and switch to wood chips.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely, Granny. You've done such a great job on it. :)
ReplyDeleteHm, is this a variation of the grass is always greener? LOL! It does look nice, and sometimes it's good to get a different perspective on things.
ReplyDeleteJeez, the weather is nuts. First you're getting weird freezes and ridiculous winds, then it gets hot. Sigh...
Sunny, yes, I preserved a lot of last year's tomatoes. I harvested over 500 pounds of them, so I had to do something! There is a link in my sidebar, under the scale and harvest totals, "Preserving the Harvest 2009". Actual tomato products canned were:
ReplyDelete38 pints salsa
4 pints pasta sauce
3-1/2 pints pizza sauce
5 pints ketchup
5 pints chili base
2 quarts tomatoes
8 pints tomato juice
21 pints sweet chili sauce
19 pints tomato sauce
Tomato products frozen were:
2 1/2 pints tomato sauce
2 quarts tomato sauce
2 quarts tomato juice
1 pint roasted tomatoes
I didn't keep very good track of the tomatoes, as far as flavor goes. I'd harvest so many at a time, I'd forget the varieties by the time I got inside with them. Kellogg's Breakfast and Brandywine were two I loved and am growing again this year. I think I liked Homestead for flavor, but the tomatoes were quite small. I'm growing them again this year, along with Marglobe and Persey. I kept getting those three mixed up, but I think they were similar in size and taste. I'm going to be more scientific this year....I'm going to taste test "in the field"!
Kimmi, you're so lucky to have a husband like that! Mr. Granny mows. That's it. Oh, he does help with the "grunt" work, like shoveling manure out of the bed of his pickup, and helping me build humongous tomato supports ;-)
ReplyDeleteDan, I'm happy to say the only thing I lost to the cold were a couple of basil plants. Don't believe it when you read tomato plants don't grow in cold weather....mine grew at least 3" with nights in the high 30s and days in the low 60s. Most of them didn't even get covered, and I don't think it hurt them a bit. A few of them turned a bit purple, but one day of warmth turned them green again.
ReplyDeleteGaby, I had about half the plants last year as I do this year (assuming all of this year's plants survive), and I swore I'd never grow that many again. I was canning every day, we ate tomatoes until we were sick of them, I gave tons of them away......it's going to be even worse this year. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. Last year was my first to grow my own plants from seed, and now I'm a tomato/pepper seedling junkie.
ReplyDeleteThomas, I love the wood chips, but half my garden has already composted them and they need to be refreshed. My son-in-law has tons of them, if I could only find someone to load them for me. Mr. Granny keeps saying he will, but so far.......
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meredith! It's a labor of love.
ReplyDeleteSB, it's actually supposed to get nearly 90, then cool back down to high 60s/low 70s. Nights up to mid 50s then down to mid 40s. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster this year!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks really nice! I love the layout.
ReplyDeleteAll of the canning and preserving is well worth it in the winter. I can and can and can and can some more..and freeze and dry.....that is also what everyone gets for Christmas..homemade canned & preserved foods! Since "The Italian" is working from home now...maybe I can get him to help more this year!
So glad you took the time to notice what all your followers already know: your garden is beautiful! You are an inspiration and I always look forward to your photos. All your hard work and love certainly shows up in your yard!
ReplyDeleteGranny what are you thinking? 32 tomato plants? You do remember last year don't you, where people would run the other way because they couldn't eat any more tomatoes? Oh you are going to be busy canning this year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Your garden looks fantastic, and I love that you gave us the "neighbors' " view! :) I hope someday to have a garden as beautiful as yours! It won't happen in this house though :)
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks wonderful from the other side of the fence!
ReplyDeleteThe garden looks absolutely beautiful AG! I cannot believe you are planting that many more tomatoes this year?! You may need to attend a 12 step tomato program!
ReplyDelete...."Hi, I'm Annie's Granny and I am tomato addict"....
Your garden looks wonderful! I think mine might need a woman's touch to give it that something extra. What do you have on your paths to keep the grass out?
ReplyDeleteRobin, I still have pickles and relish to last me for years!
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Erin, I'm sure glad you can't see my front yard ;-) Honestly, my hedge trimmers died, and all my shrubs need pruning. My house looks like it's abandoned from the front view.
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Daphne, I lied. I didn't plant 32 tomatoes. I did a recount, and I planted 36. And I think there are four more to go into pots, 'cause those dwarf plants are just so darned cute. I mean, what's forty plants if you already have 36?
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Megan, thank you! I think veggie gardens can be beautiful, but they can (and do) turn not so pretty by fall. I hate when the potatoes die back and the squash get powdery mildew, and the tomatoes all fall down 'cause Granny didn't find time to tie them to the supports.....but it happens.
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Kelly, thanks! I think I'll take my chair over to Pat's side of the fence, and enjoy my morning coffee!
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Kitsap, Hi, I'm Annie's Granny and I am tomato addict!
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Thank you, Richard. I did have wood chips on the paths. The garden got its beginnings when a large maple tree blew down in the windstorm of 2008, and we had the chips left from its removal. Most of them have composted into the ground, so now I'm having to hoe a few weeds. I'm hoping to get a new load of chips this spring.
Granny, give some away as gifts.... Our friends and relatives look forward to the homemade gifts, they really love it! You will save some money too! Just make sure that they give your the jars back!
ReplyDeleteRobin, my pantry is open to the kids (three families), and they can get a fresh supply ONLY when the jars are returned! We also have a low income housing apartment down town, and I send my extra veggies there. They love getting garden fresh, firm tomatoes, as most donations are less than fresh.
ReplyDeleteYes, Gran, I am very lucky :)
ReplyDeleteLet's just hope "Mr. Kimmi" isn't all talk! :D
- Kimmi
lol I think you should go for even 50. I mean if you already have forty, what is 10 more?
ReplyDeleteI just still can't believe how large and sunny your yard is!
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I'm getting closer....5 more small varieties potted up today, which puts me up to 41 ;-)
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Ribbit, it's small compared to our previous house/yard. There I had an acre of grass PLUS a 1/4 acre garden. And I did all of the yard work, including the mowing. I even hand dug the trenches and put in underground sprinklers. It took me a couple of months, but it got done. I learned early in life, if you want it done right, do it yourself.