There's Always a Blessing in a Dilemma

I was folding laundry this morning and I came across my favorite gray t-shirt with Mickey Mouse stamped on the front. It was a great t-shirt, v-neck and just at waist length, made out of extremely light, soft material. I spent many hours in the garden wearing it after it was deemed slightly used and relinquished to garden attire. I have been extremely unwilling to banish it to the dust rag bin, its collar so frayed the banding has separated from the material and the material is hanging in holey tatters. Having said that, this morning I finally gave in and made my peace with the Mickey t-shirt so that it could go on and fulfill its next purpose. But, instead of throwing it in the bin, I laid it on top of my desk in my office . . . next to the new laptop computer my husband, David, was adamant that we purchase.

My computer, the one I've been using to write these posts, is ancient. I don't even like it much. It's slow and its cantankerous. I often think about picking it up and throwing it at the wall. However, it's familiar. We came to an impass years ago---we both have quirks and we've learned to live with them. This new piece of technology sitting atop my desk is loathsome. Every time I clicked on something, ten damn boxes opened up, all of which had text and questions I neither had time to read or answer. I couldn't find my documents. I had no idea where anything was. After thirty minutes of complete frustration, I pulled the phone cord and fired up my old boat anchor. At least it works, albeit slow, and I know where to find everything. David, darling, you can have the new one.

I'm not at all opposed to new things. I love the new leather office chair I purchased. And, maybe one day I'll admit I was wrong and actually find a purpose for the new laptop. Thinking along those lines, I'll have to admit that as a Midwesterner, I can be stubborn. Like, I refused to plant sunflowers in my garden because I thought they were cliche. Who doesn't think of the central Midwest when they see a sunflower? Boring. Anyway, upon researching ways to spurn more produce with companion planting, I read that sunflowers and cucumbers have a symbiotic relationship. Planting these two together causes the cucumber to produce heavily. I was up for trying it. The research is in and its favorable. I do think the cucumber produces more when planted next to the sunflower. The sunflower provides shade and it provides the cucumber something to grab onto once it's grown out of its trellis or cage. I'm now drying the sunflower heads so that I'll have seed to plant like this again next year. And, I have to admit, I think their bright, sunny faces are beautiful.

In a previous post, I really blasted those food pantries whose volunteers were taking the best food for themselves instead of using it as it was intended for the needy. As a gardener, I was despondent about it. I have a calling and a talent. God gave me a green thumb for a reason. I was certain beyond a doubt that He wanted me to supply my local food pantries with my garden produce. And, I did. Four area pantries received the best produce I was capable of growing. But growing and donating wasn't the only task God asked of me. I truly believed He wanted me to get that produce into the hands of those most needy and when I watched volunteers skim right off the top, somehow I felt I'd failed God because I hadn't fulfilled His directive. I stopped searching for a food pantry where I could take my vegetables and herbs. However, I didn't stop praying about my dilemma. I'd planted my garden three times more than Dave and I could ever eat. As it began to come to fruitation, I agonized over what I would do with it all.

The squash were particularly heavy and when I brought them in in bushels, I got angry and set about freezing them. I processed enough squash to easily takes us through winter. I watched my freezer fill with yellow crook neck, Italian, and Black Beauty zucchini. I settled them on top of the bags of processed cabbage I put up before them. As I worked, I noticed that my anger was subsiding. I started thinking about all those awesome soups and casseroles David and I were going to enjoy this winter. And interesting enough, once I'd processed all the food we could possibly use, I quit worrying about what we'd do with the excess.

Not long afterwards, people in need began coming my way. A struggling young couple with two small children. Both a relative and a friend, who'd lost jobs. I have an old orange wash tub--- there's a picture of it in my last posting---that I take to the garden when I'm harvesting. It has helped me haul in some heavy loads over the years. This gardening season, whenever someone in need is sent my way, the old tub easily becomes filled to the brim. And, there's enough to share with others not because they are needy but because there's a blessing in every dilemma.

So You Don't Like Squash: A No Fail Recipe for Even the Pickiest of Eaters

If you can deter the squash bugs long enough for the plants to bloom and set, the bounty of squash is usually overwhelming. In my garden, I have black beauty zucchini, Italian zucchini, yellow crook neck, and yellow zucchini. We are swimming in squash. I don't mind. It's cakes and casseroles and all kind of yummy treats. What I can't use right away is processed and frozen for winter cooking. David and I are vegetable lovers. We eat out of the garden all summer long. This picture tells of the bounty we harvested just last night. A good portion will go to our local domestic abuse center.


I've tried lots of different recipes over the years to make squash palatable to everyone sitting down to the table. Here's the one recipe that even my son, who dislikes most vegetables, will eat:
Yellow Summer Squash Casserole


1 large or two small yellow squash, seeded and chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 stick of butter (oh no! oh yes!)
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing, your favorite flavor
salt & pepper to taste
water

In large skillet, melt butter and saute squash, garlic, green pepper and onion until onion is opaque and squash is tender. Stir in the Stove Top Stuffing. If some of the bread crumbs remain dry, sprinkle with enough water to make mixture moist. Remove from heat. Now add the cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Stir to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is set.
I am so going to stuff our Thanksgiving turkey with this very recipe. I can't imagine just how good that kind of stuffing will taste! Fabulous. Now, if that wasn't tantalizing enough, feast your eyes on this collection of homegrown tomatoes. Zowie!!! They are plump. They are juicy. They are happening. I have every intention of cutting into the Black Krim for dinner tonight. I'll let you know.

And just as an after thought, I found a brand new recipe for Chocolate zucchini cake. As soon as I've tried it, I'll let you in on that as well.

Happy eating!

In Love with the Perfect Tomato: A Summer Treasure Grown on the Vine

When I'm talking to other gardeners about vegetables, I rarely hear much excitement in their voices over the subject of cucumbers or zucchini or green beans but all that changes when the conversation turns to tomatoes! I'll admit, I've carried out long passionate diatribes about the subject myself. Those of us who toil in a vegetable patch know there's no event more important than the first ripening of the season. I can't think of any other vegetable that elicits such ectasy, such unbridled sensual joy as biting into a ripe, juicy tomato. If you think I'm a bit wacky, you just run on down to your local supermarket and see if I'm not telling the truth. Rush right over to the tomato display, pick up a beautiful specimen and take a large bite of its pithy, tasteless flesh. Commercially grown tomatoes are for throwing, silly rabbit!

Anyway, I picked my first ripe tomato this season on the 4th of July. Happy! Not long after I pick the first, the rest tend to follow. In the above picture is an example of my favored child, Pink Girl. I picked it Saturday. Now I don't know about you, but when your tomato fills your hand, what larger joy can top that? In fact, there are others still on the vine bigger. Of course I'm bragging! After the serious conversations about growing tomatoes comes the garden rites of picking and then bragging about size. Okay, so I'm a woman and maybe my hands are small. Picture the same tomato, let's say, next to a pop can . . .

Alright, I'm done talking trash. Let's talk about varieties. In the picture are four different types I pulled out of the garden this weekend. Of course you can all spot the pink girl, at the 9 o'clock position. At the 12 position is jubilee. It is much like the pink girl in size and shape but has medium yellow flesh and has a more acidic taste. It's about the best yellow tomato I've grown. So far the plants are doing well and are setting nicely. In the 3 o'clock position are two pink oxheart. Don't waste your time. This plant is a 50/50 shot. What do I mean by that? Well, the plants are either very sturdy or very spindly. The tomatoes that set are both very sizeable or very scrawny. What I'm trying to say is it's not a variety where you can count on consistency. The flavor is, uh, okay. Moving on to the 6 o'clock position is amana orange. Both pink oxheart and amana orange are heirlooms and both won't be grown in my garden next year. The amana orange performs about the same as pink oxheart. The only difference between the two is taste. I liked the flavor of amana orange.

I'll be comparing some more later as I have other varieties ripen. This has been an experimental year for me. One that looks promising is Black Krim. I am on pins and needles for this one to ripen. The tomato is large. I would estimate it to be twice the size of the pink girl when it's ready. This is also an heirloom of the German varieity, I believe. Unlike the pink oxheart and amana orange, this is a consistent variety. It's plants are strong and set well.

Let's move on to some gardening advice. If you haven't already, it's time to help your tomato plants perform in the heat of summer. Last week I carefully loosened the dirt at the base of the feeder roots so that the tomato plants could easily drink more water. If that soil becomes compacted, either hand watering or rain will hit and run off. You want that moisture to penetrate all around the plant. I also worked a pelletized fertilizer into the soil. When the temperatures soar into the triple digits, its hard for any plant to set. Yes, they love warm weather but they'll expend their energy trying to stay alive and not set when it's an oven outside. So, make sure they can drink and feed heartily during extreme heat.

Now for a tip that's invaluable: My grandmother grew the most aromatic, succulent tomatoes in the whole world. I strive every year to emulate her gardening abilities. One thing that she stood firmly on was the use of bloom set. Why? Well, she gardened on a farm in south east Kansas where the rain fall is less plentiful than it is right here in the KC area. They relied on well water for their own needs so water was precious and not wasted. By using bloom set, Grandmother was helping her plants to grow and prosper. Bloom set can help a struggling tomato plant set more tomatoes. What I find is that bloom set also helps flush out a plants foliage. There's a visible difference in plants when bloom set is applied to the yellow blossoms. It encourages healthy growth in both plant and fruit. I pulled over 1800 tomatoes out of my garden last year. I think my grandmother had it going on! Lucky for me, with the advice of sage gardeners, my tomatoes do too!

Double Flora Pleno Tiger Lily

Once again, sorry for the delay in blog postings. I've been fighting an uphill battle with my health for the past eight months, the last three the most arduous simply because I could not find good medical help. Finally, I've found a combination of doctors which I believe have my best interest in mind instead of an interest only in the amount of money to be made. Now, having shared that much---possibly TMI---I'm on new meds, I'm already feeling better, so let's hope I can better divide my time between gardening and writing about gardening!

As most of you know, I love all things garden and the more whimsical the better. So at the end of last summer, when I was perusing garden catalogs and came upon the double flora pleno tiger lily, I knew it was a must have for Blessing Hill's gardens. Right away, I filled out an online order and could barely wait to receive email confirmation that my order had been received. Keep in mind, when ordering some bulbs, the time of year depends on the time of shipping. Usually, lilies ship in the fall so they can be planted and overwinter. Needless to say, I waited all winter to see these awesome creatures. It was worth the wait! I had no idea how prolific the blooms would be and no idea the lasting power they would have. They have been spectacular.

Each flower has 24-36 petals that unfurl to reveal that gorgeous orange color and all those fiesty black freckles. What was really surprising to me was each three foot stem produced a half a dozen blooms per.

I found these bulbs at Van Bourgondien's. I'd like to share my experience with you. I placed a fairly sizeable order and everything but the tiger lilies arrived first and in great condition. When the tiger lilies arrived, I was terribly disappointed. The bulbs were soft and mushy. I found it odd that all the other bulbs were fine albeit the tiger lilies. I did some investigating. I could not fault Van Bourgondien's. The first shipment was sent directly from their business through regular mail and arrived just fine. However, when the tiger lilies were shipped, they went through a delivery service that dropped off at the post office and then routed them out. When I talked to customer service, I pointed out the difference. Not only did Van Bourgondien's ship me all new bulbs, they shipped regular mail, and didn't ask me to return the damaged bulbs. When the second set of tiger lily bulbs arrived, they were fresh and went directly into the ground. To let you know the quality of their bulbs, I planted the damaged tiger lilies, not expecting good results. Every last one came up and bloomed just as beautifully as the second set.

Surviving the Scorching Heat in Style

It's been a blistering few days here at Blessing Hill as we've tried to survive not only the heat but the humidity as well. Luckily for us (me, the flowers, the dog) God sent some rain to intervene. We've had rain both Tuesday and Wednesday nights after some really unbearable temperatures. I'm talking daytime heat indexes of 110. It's a real testament to what holds up well in the garden. Of course there's always the tropical plants like elephant ears which thrive on this weather. My dwarf uprights have filled this swan planter with an abundance of foliage. Nice. But there are plants, perennial workhorses, who keep the garden fresh and beautiful no matter the degree of the inclemency. Here are some of my favorites:

Echinacea or Coneflower

A native of central and eastern North America, this hardy perennial survives diverse weather conditions from dry prairies to open woodland. It's being bred so that almost any color is available. My favorite varieties are white swan pictured, pink double delight, and coconut lime. However, I have several of the simply normal purple sprinkled through my gardens. They perform. When other flowers are wilting under the glare of an obtrusive sun, coneflowers are in their glory. Because coneflower is such an old garden standby, it can be dismissed for being too common. But, when the heat is scorching every parcel, you'll be glad you planted them. Zones 3-9, from Michigan to Louisiana.

Achillea or Yarrow

With around 85 species of this versatile perennial, I have to wonder why we don't see more variety in our nurseries. I would love to see a nursery carry a. clypeolata or a. ptarmica. Maybe I've just missed them when shopping. Anyway, I have several varieties in my own garden from pink grapefruit to moonshine, pictured is apricot. This season I've planted paprika and King Edward, red and light yellow respectively. There's a size, color, and light requirement for every need. The King Edward is a tiny yarrow, growing no more than six inches tall and spreading no more than nine inches in diameter whereas Moonshine can get up to three feet tall and two feet wide. Most flower all season with regular deadheading. Wonderful.

Hemerocallis or Daylily
This perennial can boast that it has over 50,000 named cultivars. If a person cannot find a size, color, and light requirement to fit the bill then maybe that person should just not grow daylily. These garden warriors can survive zones 3-10, preferring full sun but tolerating some shade. I have Stella de Oro planted in beds that receive full sun from dawn to dusk and in beds that appreciate the sun just till noon. In both places, they preform beautifully. Daylilies make exceptionally good border plants. When in bloom, there's not much showier. Just look at this gorgeous Barbara Mitchell I picked up at the end of the season clearance at a local nursery. What a gem. I have around 10 different daylilies in my garden beds and each year they just get better.

Some other heat tolerant favorites are rudbeckia, tall phlox, sedum, tanacetum vulgare, scabiosa, and oenothera.

Tomato Talk:

In a previous posting, I discussed Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. I'm happy to report that after spraying my plants, no further foliage damage was incurred. I pulled back the mulching material to increase air circulation, applied a balanced water soluble food, and watered vigorously. The plants look marvelous and are they ever setting tomatoes! Tomatoes love heat but not humidity because without proper air circulation, humidity breeds fungus. The straw I initially placed around my tomatoes to keep them moist in order for them to establish later becomes a problem if the air can't penetrate during humid conditions. So, problem solved.

Pictured are my Amana Orange tomatoes, a new variety I'm trying this year. Other new varieties to my garden include Cherokee Purple, Granny Smith, Black Krim, Pink Oxheart, and Orange Oxheart. I'm really experimenting this year. Usually, I'm a stolid Pink Girl grower. And yes, there are plenty of Pink Girls thriving. It's a race between one Pink Girl plant and a Black Krim plant to see who will have the first ripe tomato. I'll let you know if I would recommend any of the new varieties for next year's garden.

And, ooohh . . . EYES OPEN FOR THE GREEN HORNWORM! Yesterday, I was trimming my boxwoods and out on the ground fell two big, fat hornworms. Double Yuck!

Gardening for Donation: What's the Point?

(Before I begin this posting, I'd like to let our neighbors to the north of us, in Norborne, MO, know that our heart-felt prayers are with you for a speedy recovery after the storm damage you incurred this week. God bless you!)




I assume that if you read this blog you must, at the very least, be the tiniest bit interested in the subject of gardening. Whether you are a novice or an expert gardener, whether you grow enough food to keep your family fed for the winter or whether you garden no more than sticking a geranium in a flower pot, you still know the effort it takes to make things grow. Now, whether you've been forced to skip a meal due to various forms of fasting or whether you've been down on your luck and couldn't afford a meal, you know hunger. Could someone please tell me how the hell to get the garden produce into the hands of the people who truly need and deserve it???

After that outburst, I owe you an explanation. Last year, I was talking to a friend of mine who raises organic produce for a living. We talked about the excess and I told her how I was donating mine to food pantries. At first I was appalled when she told me that she'd given up on food pantries. Her chief complaint was she didn't think her beautiful produce was ending up in the hands of the people to whom she was donating it. New to food pantry donating, I found it hard to understand when she said it gave her more joy to watch all the excess of her hard work being eaten by the chickens she raises on her farm. Well, I've climbed up on that cynical wagon with her this afternoon.

I don't know about you but I take my gardening very seriously. In the early spring when the first seedlings are going into the garden, I fret and worry endlessly with the wax and wane of frost warnings. Once I can get the garden past being frozen, there's a whole new gamut of things to stew about. Insects. Fungus. Weather. It's what we do as gardeners. The other thing we do is take pride in how well it all turns out. This I know for sure: my cabbages are more tightly layered, my tomatoes are redder and juicier, my green beans are more tender than any mass produced crap picked green and chemically altered to ripen from a corporate farm. Corporate farm, what an oxymoron!

Here's another oxymoron, volunteer pay. I looked up the word volunteer in the dictionary just to verify that it still means: one who enters into any service without the expectation of monetary consideration. So imagine my dismay, as I watched the volunteers rifle through and bag up, for themselves, the food I'd just donated for the needy. When I voiced my displeasure, I was told
there wasn't enough of my good produce to go around so it was best if the volunteers took it and besides, it's the only pay they got for all their hard work. Really?

Furthermore, I discovered that this food pantry had no income requirement for recipients to meet. I could back my Cadillac DeVille Concourse right up to the door, get out in my designer clothes, and fill my trunk with food meant for the needy---no questions asked! Of course I couldn't expect to get any currently donated fresh produce, but, what the heck.

I'm sure you're thinking that's just one food pantry out of hundreds. I'm batting five for five. If you ask me, that's a lousy average.

Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1: Combating Diseases that Arise from Elevated Temps Heating Moisture Soaked Ground

Here in the heart of the country, we've been having some pretty significant storms. (Those of you in Drexel, MO, our prayers are with you for a quick recovery.) The rain fall totals, at least in the KC area, are above normal according to our weather forecasters. At Blessing Hill our grounds are ponded in places. The flower and vegetable beds are soaked. The tractor wheels churn water when I'm hauling around the trailer. But, it's not all bad. This has been great for the perennials, shrubs, and trees we've planted this season. At last count, I believe we were up to 16 new trees alone. I'm grateful not to be dragging the water hose or paying rural #6 those increased water rates.

And luckily for us, up until now, the temperatures have stayed an unbelievable 70's for the most part. These first 15 days of June were unlike any I've ever seen---chilly mornings for sleeveless shirts. Well, today that's coming to an end. We are going straight from comfortable to downright miserable with above normal temps and sweltering humidity. What might be great weather for my tropical weather loving friend the pink tiger lily pictured above, isn't such great weather for plants prone to fungus like Oenothera speciosa Siskiyou, Mexican Evening Primose, featured in the second picture. It prefers to be on the dry side. When its roots stand in moist, warm soil, a powdery film develops on its leaves. This is also said for most types of tall phlox. It's not detrimental to the plant's well being but it looks bad and the leaves don't fill out.

I'm an advocate for limited use of chemicals in the garden. But let's face it, sometimes it's necessary. Before applying a chemical fungicide, you could try spraying plants with a mixture of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil, and one quart of water to control powdery mildew. Unfortunately, that didn't work on my Siskiyou. However, what seems to have good results is a product from Spectracide called Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. This product is a combination of insecticide, fungicide, and fertilizer. I sprayed my Siskiyou with Immunox and the problem subsided for about four weeks which is pretty typical with this type of all-in-one fungicide. With the powdery mildew gone, the leaves were able to become lush, supporting new growth.

Yesterday, I noticed that nasty leaf blight beginning to develop on my tomatoes. Once that gets started it's a nightmare to combat. The first thing to do is pull back any mulching material and allow the sun to begin drying the soil around the plant. This also improves air circulation which is crucial in healthy development. Pick up any plant debris and dispose of immediately. Remember, don't compost any part of a tomato plant to prevent future contamination. Water early in the day to allow foliage to dry before evening. Since just a few of my plants are infected, I decided to take preventative measures. I don't want the fungus to spread to my other tomato plants. I got out the Immunox and read the label from beginning to end but there was no mention of use on tomatoes. Every chemical manufacturer lists contact information included in the labeling. I called the toll free number and spoke to a product specialist who assured me that Immunox was safe to use on the tomatoes. I'll let you know how it did in a future posting.

Immunox is also designed to work well on roses prone to black spot. I plant mainly shrub roses for their ability to withstand disease. Imagine my dismay with my David Austin's Mary Rose shrub rose when it developed black spot. It was my understanding that the Mary Rose was the most consistent and tidy performer of all English roses. Well, it might be elsewhere but not in my garden. (Still by and far my favorite is Lady Elsie May who I think outshines all other shrub roses.) Mary Rose sprung to life this spring with a robust vigor and bloomed profusely before shedding all her leaves to black spot. I've sprayed her with Immunox and I'll also let you know how that fairs in a future posting.

Here's a list of diseases Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 cant prevent and/or treat:

Black Spot

Brown Patch

Dollar Spot

Powdery Mildew

Rust

Blight

Leaf Spot



Insects it kills:

Aphids

Spider mites

Leafhoppers

Bagworms

Cicadas

Cankerworms

Webworms

Inchworms

Leafminers

Mealybugs

Thrips

Whiteflies

And, when applying Immunox, the plant receives a dose of fertilizer albeit a minor amount. I would suggest continuing with whatever fertilizer program you use.