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This is what part of our flower garden looks like this week…
Until I looked at the pictures, I never realized that dead plant was still in front of the bird bath! Oops! Guess I’ll pull that out once the ground thaws a little.
And because that picture isn’t all that exciting, this was the view out our sliding glass door at 7 a.m. on Tuesday…
The forecasted one inch of snow turned into 4 inches. We’re supposed to get more snow Thursday into Friday too. This is the earliest, and most significant, snowfall we’ve had here in W.Va. in a long time.
And here’s Sadie and her best dog buddy Spot enjoying their first ever snowfall…
Notice how Sadie is throwing the snow around? She loved it! And Spot thought he found a buried treasure when he dug up an old bone under the snow.
We have a wisteria “tree” at the side of our church.
Here’s what it looks like in spring and the beginning of summer.
It was specially made into a “tree.” Normally wisteria just grows like a vine. A large, grow everywhere, take over kind of vine.
Here’s what the wisteria looks like in November.
Not near as pretty. Can you see all the pods hanging on the branches? [Click pictures to enlarge.] They start out green and fuzzy - a bit fuzzier than peaches.
One day my kids had a blast collecting the pods and then pretending to have a bonfire, or food, or whatever they could imagine.
After they laid for a while the pods turned brown.
The kids found some that were cracked open and shouted to me that they found beans.
After they cracked open all the ones they could they asked me to crack them open. I was able to do it by stepping on the pods, but it wasn’t easy.
The wisteria seeds ranged from the size of a dime to slightly larger than a nickel. None of them were smaller than a penny or as big as a quarter.
Those seeds provided entertainment for a couple hours. Who needs to buy toys?
I found 2 good [and short] articles how to plant these seeds and actually have them grow. The articles are at Thrifty Fun and eHow.
Living out of the city has been eye opening for my children. Bugs and insects are bountiful here!
A couple days ago they started hollering about one on the hall ceiling. When I went to check on it this is what I found:
A walkingstick! It had to come through 2 doorways and get up to the ceiling to be in that spot. They don’t fly or move very fast so that’s a tad amazing.
I thought they were a predator bug, but found out that they eat foliage. Since I didn’t know that at the time and didn’t want to hurt it or get hurt I used the broom to get it outside.
After the kids saw that I wasn’t scared of it they were fascinated. According to other sources online they can be quite numerous, but it’s rare to see one around here - especially on the hall ceiling!
To show you how well it’s camouflage works I took a short video of it. That’s my 3 munchkins talking.
Seems like teachers like them and they don’t hurt humans, but they can be hazardous to trees. In good conditions they will multiply rapidly and eat all the leaves from whole stands of trees. The good news is that they can’t fly or walk very fast so a road or river can stop them from eating more trees.
A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air. - Eric Sloane
In my previous post I promised pictures so here they are.
Do you see my new garden?
No? How ’bout now?
Any clearer? It’s approximately 10 x 12 and I will have four main squares instead of rows.
I’m sure you can see it now!
The munchkins and I spread rabbit droppings, newspaper, and straw.
My husband got us some fence for free that needs to be put around it.
Now I need to get some garlic, and figure out where I will put what. Plus I want to build a little raised bed to start onions and peas as early as possible.
I have another place in mind for some pumpkins, corn, and possibly watermelon.
I know Kara’s gardens are huge. How big is your main vegetable garden?
My husband helped me lay out a new garden for vegetables. So exciting! It’s not large - just 10 x 12, but it will be a good size for me and my munchkins. I will have pictures soon.
I want to grow a variety of vegetables in small quantities.
The holiday season is quickly approaching and some of us are trying to figure out what to give special people in our lives. If you have a gardener on your list, I think this video will show you a fun, practical gift that you can make for them.
Wouldn’t chalkboard pots be great for starting seeds, growing herbs, and just making a boring pot look pretty? I thought so too!
If you’re giving one (or more) as a gift, add some seed packets, small garden tools and other “garden-y” things to fill the pot.
Do you miss the colors of summer? I sure do. I miss the purples, yellows, pinks, reds and blues and …
We’re having a couple of days of Indian Summer weather here and I so want to dig my hands in the dirt, pull a few weeds, snap off some dead blooms. But there are no weeds. *sniff*
Everything looks so blah. The lilies and irises still have some green leaves, but those just aren’t exciting. We’re having a housewarming party (yay!) the weekend before Thanksgiving and I need curb appeal! Aaahhh!
I’ve already decided I’ll get a couple of pumpkins. However, I don’t think we have any corn stalks left - the cows love that tasty treat. I’d love to buy some flowers, but I don’t want to break the budget or buy something that won’t make it through our cold, frosty nights.
What do you do to spruce up your curb appeal during autumn?
Our intent for Garden Vines is to show others how to use the earth and God's creation to live frugally. Follow along with us as we explore ways to benefit from plants and gardens, how to slash your grocery budget while eating healthier, smart ways to grow your own food, and ways to make money from gardening and raising animals.
