tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52654523227412557962012-01-20T12:38:04.739-05:00Amish Country, PALaurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.comBlogger3571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-21895838952614826852012-01-14T15:24:00.000-05:002012-01-14T15:24:21.380-05:00

 It seems like forever since I posted, but not much has been happening garden wise around here. Most of the work has been indoors and that is on my other blog. Today, it is a gorgeous January day and Mr H and I went out for breakfast. After breakfast we asked each other..."what do you want to do on this fine day?". Not sure what we wanted to do, but knew we didn't want to spend the day at home,

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-11458311284142329322011-11-22T06:35:00.000-05:002011-11-22T06:35:34.912-05:00

While cruising on Pinterest, I came across this idea. You can find the source here. Last spring, I purchased some chicken feeders and one of them was very similar to this one. How novel to plant some bulbs in like paper whites or crocus to force indoors over the winter? This would do well sitting across the fireplace brick (we don't use the main fireplace in the livingroom, just the wood stove in

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-22443038151719983662011-11-15T09:44:00.000-05:002011-11-15T09:44:25.763-05:00

 Mr H has been hard at work splitting wood to keep us warm this winter. This might get us half-way through the season. Still need to find more seasoned wood. I am just thankful for what we have so far. 

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-58845357806884598142011-11-11T15:29:00.000-05:002011-11-11T15:29:12.164-05:00

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-33805876846610471152011-11-09T06:08:00.000-05:002011-11-09T06:08:35.257-05:00

I know it is not very frugal, not that I am a totally frugal person, some things yes, other things, NO...I just had to share these fairy berries. I thought, what a cool way to light your garden if you are having a summer outdoor party. This particular website gave me more info than others - click here - They last about 20 + hours and the batteries can be replaced. At this place you can get 10 for

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-78345844276204140752011-11-04T16:59:00.000-04:002011-11-04T16:59:59.951-04:00

 $2 per pot! What a bargain! I even then got my 10% employee discount.  I wanted more sedum, so now I have two more to put in the front flower garden.  The astilbe will go up by the back corner garden I was like a kid in a candy store when I saw these gems. I said to Mr H a few days ago, " It will take some time to build the perennial garden up as they are so expensive." Ha! I am well on my way!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-45765170936383940912011-10-22T15:06:00.000-04:002011-10-22T15:06:05.234-04:00

 I was so excited to finally make some home made pumpkin pie from my garden pumpkins. I thawed out my pumpkin puree and added the sugar, spices, eggs, canned milk and vanilla. Mixed it all together and put in my pie shells. The oven was preheated and I was ready to bake for the next hour. (Yea don't look close at my oven...I know it needs cleaned...whatever) Here they are!!! Two fresh baked

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-39343314555172649322011-10-16T20:39:00.000-04:002011-10-16T20:39:24.260-04:00

 The veggie garden has been put to bed for the winter.  I am going to find out when I need to dig up my elephant ear bulbs before winter sets in. (If you can see them by the wood splitter) The mums are still bright and yellow! The Popcorn plant is HUGE! I will hate to see this go over the winter. Garden along side the sun room - still has some great color. The garden bed along the garage wall. I

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-18740261584466008082011-10-09T20:26:00.000-04:002011-10-09T20:26:39.162-04:00

This is what remained in the garden before clean up. The last of the green beans. It should be enough for Thanksgiving dinner - green bean casserole. Saving the last of the harvest will be a sweet addition to the table that special day. To wrap up this years garden...things I learned. plant in rows next year - the 3 sisters method just did not work for my garden. no watermelon next year. Did not

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-26112756185549717892011-09-22T21:13:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:13:18.074-04:00

 I finally got some mums and pumpkins to display with my corn shalks. I will probably add one more pumpkin, a larger one, as I do like to work in odd numbers when displaying. I am looking for a cheaper place to get my large pumpkin though. I just love the red mums and actually got 2 more small ones and they all will be going in the front garden in about another month. Something else I want to

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-13346865538509320982011-09-21T08:56:00.000-04:002011-09-21T08:56:01.137-04:00

 One sure sign that summer is just about over....like in about 2 days...is that the farmer behind us harvests his corn. After seeing nothing but corn all summer it is sort of weird to see, well, no corn! It is like a fence has been torn down and you can see across the field to the houses across the way.  Another sign that fall is just about here is the mums are blooming. These  vibrant mums have

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-60919014117408864792011-09-13T07:53:00.000-04:002011-09-13T07:53:48.624-04:00

 It won't be long until the farmer harvests his corn that sets behind our home. I thought I would take a picture of the moon lingering behind the corn field before he does. It makes for a spooky picture to use for my halloween collection. My own corn was harvested after Irene took it out, so I dried it and made corn shalks for my outdoor decoration. I just need to add some pumpkins and mums

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-70591693814705047072011-09-07T11:31:00.000-04:002011-09-07T11:31:57.250-04:00

For the past couple of days (before the rain came to visit and stay), we have had a little visitor in our yard. He just sits there and watches the birds at the feeder. We don't know who he belongs to, but he can wander if he wants. I hope he is a neighborhood kitty as when the corn comes down in the back, the mice begin to get closer to the house and hopefully this guy will "discourage" them from

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-80924358875775100372011-09-03T13:55:00.000-04:002011-09-03T13:55:38.736-04:00

Well, if Irene wanted to destroy my corn harvest, she didn't succeed. I can still use what is left of what she kicked around last weekend to make corn shalks to decorate the outside of our home for the fall season. I bundled them up and they are ready to place on posts out front of the house. I just need some *pumpkins and mums and maybe some cabbage to go along with and I am ready to celebrate

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-48566554971830612502011-08-28T17:50:00.000-04:002011-08-28T17:50:35.843-04:00

 Well, Irene came and went with a vengeance. She must not like gardens too much as she destroyed mine.  She uprooted my sunflowers She smacked around my corn, beans and anything else in the way. She even made a path right through my perfectly round and bushy marigolds.  Then she took a swipe at my butterfly bush, sedum and everything else growing by the north side of the house. I shall try to

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-68457097399907470572011-08-24T08:58:00.000-04:002011-08-24T08:58:39.099-04:00

 I was so excited!!! The cantaloupe looked ready. I was concerned that it was no longer attached to the vine as it was hiding under the foliage. I thought...Mr H is gonna be so happy to have fresh cantaloupe out of the garden with dinner. So I sliced it open and my heart sunk. From extreme high to way down low....there was mold growing inside the loupe. Dang it! The rest of it looked so good. I

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-39114403793361171082011-08-21T19:44:00.000-04:002011-08-21T19:44:42.584-04:00

The weekend's almost over.....hope it was a good one!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-61010161649677161132011-08-17T11:33:00.001-04:002011-08-17T15:59:46.581-04:00

 Holy cow!!! I had to make two trips from the garden today. I laid everything out on the sun room floor to access what all I had.  4 pumpkins - one may not be viable. I did leave 3 rotten pumpkins in the garden to compost. Note to self....pick these pumpkins as soon as they are orange. I had read where you can leave them on the vine, but this is how I lost some of them. They fell off the vine and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-2327840277341860942011-08-14T06:39:00.000-04:002011-08-14T06:39:11.744-04:00

 I got a pretty good harvest the other day and today there are a bunch more up there in the garden ready to pick. I think I may try to pick some corn as well. It looks like there are some ears ready. There are also some more pumpkins to pick. Still no green beans. I think something else is beating me to the punch!My chicken feeder is finally showing some life with the flowers that I planted. It

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-16007239505073772172011-08-07T15:42:00.000-04:002011-08-07T15:42:14.012-04:00

 Mr H was taking pictures of the birds at the feeders today. He took the pics through the bedroom window so they are not very clear.  It was funny seeing a yellow finch at the feeder. He must have been hungry. Usually I see them at the thistle feeder and not these feeders.  When I came home from work, I saw some butterflies at the bush, so I grabbed the camera once again and started shooting pics

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-9694173440156107332011-08-03T09:33:00.001-04:002011-08-03T09:58:43.118-04:00

 Well, I went ahead and did it...I harvested some of the pumpkins. This weather we have had lately is so dry and so HOT...the leaves on the pumpkin patch are drying up and it looks sorrysome in the garden. Even the maters don't look good anymore. Even with daily watering, for some reason everything is looking a bit 'scary'. I just can't believe this is all the beans I have. I have a feeling

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-12238114343856310202011-07-31T19:23:00.000-04:002011-07-31T19:23:13.666-04:00

I hope this helps you as much as it helped me!!!!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-60665724012281169002011-07-31T13:46:00.000-04:002011-07-31T13:46:45.245-04:00

 I love the huge leaves on the elephant ear plant! I swear I am gonna make a birdbath with one of those leaves. I have the cement and just need a not too dang hot day to do it!!!! This particular hosta is getting ready to bloom.  My sunflower heads are starting to droop over. I guess they are getting too heavy for the stem????2 of the 3 cantaloupes that started growing in the garden. On another

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-27164459071912204712011-07-27T09:21:00.000-04:002011-07-27T09:21:19.091-04:00

 We had rain off and on the past 2 days and in turn, the heat and humidity has gone and today it is just glorious. I opened the windows and walked up to the garden. The sunflowers were rejoicing in this wonderful, humidity-free weather.  This particular sunflower had a friend on him this morning. Not sure what it really is, but all I know is that he was better off on the sunflower than on me! 

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-56686495143196634042011-07-26T09:08:00.000-04:002011-07-26T09:08:59.338-04:00

Corn - Silver Queen - maturity 92 days Planted May 8 - 79 days to date Blue Lake Pole Stringless FMI Beans - Maturity 65 days Planted May 22 - 65 days to date Heirlom Pumpkin SMall Sugar - Ready To Harvest - 95 days after sowing Planted May 22 - 65 days to date Cantaloupe - Hearts of Gold - Harvest in about 90 days Planted May 25 - 62 days to date Watermelon - Crimson Sweet - Harvest in about 80

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-47454818921369871802011-07-23T10:03:00.000-04:002011-07-23T10:03:42.664-04:00

 As I was watering this morning, I had to do a double take!!! There was not one, but two canteloupes! I swear they were not there yesterday morning. I go over that garden with a fine tooth comb everyday and suddenly there is this nice sized cantaloupe!!! About as big as a girls softball!!!! I was so thrilled!!!!  More surprises, the beans are finally starting to take form!!!!  The sunflowers are

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-24345044892787536352011-07-22T09:02:00.000-04:002011-07-22T09:02:32.192-04:00

I took some pics in the flower garden beds. I have been so focused on the veggie garden, that I wanted to make sure I shared what else was growing. This is just an example of what is growing as I did not go out front yet to take pics of the corner garden. That one is just annuals as I am looking for perennials to plant there so it is not so demanding to water daily. I am thinking hydrangeas or

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-75317193797196829192011-07-21T20:41:00.000-04:002011-07-21T20:41:15.220-04:00

 The Sunflowers are opening!!! I can see the development of seeds. My first watermelon to develop, is losing its green stripes and there is more white than green all of a sudden. Does this mean anything bad? Good? I have never watched a melon grow, so I do not know.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-4590367345568181162011-07-20T20:19:00.000-04:002011-07-20T20:19:10.351-04:00

 Looks like one of the pumpkins is turning orange right before my eyes!!! This was the very first pumpkin I spotted and the second I spotted in the garden has hints of orange as well, but mostly green  I was so excited to see the corn is getting its silk!!! A majority of the corn is forming and has silk popping out. This is especially amazing to me as I never really paid attention to corn grow,

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-27385368402176910472011-07-19T21:39:00.000-04:002011-07-19T21:39:17.768-04:00

Some of my pictures are missing.....will figure it out..... joined google plus today....wonder if this has anything to do with it.....

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-80721569961343804312011-07-19T09:12:00.000-04:002011-07-19T09:12:01.065-04:00

 It may be a small harvest, but a tasty one! The strawberries will go in my lunch along with a sliced cuke (and some ranch dressing to dip). It is going to be a hot day, so this cool treat will fit right in and not a lot of wasted calories....well maybe the ranch dressing....but I don't mind.  I was trying to capture what I saw...the tassels of the corn in the morning sun. The sunflowers in the

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-46898351102939274722011-07-17T11:11:00.001-04:002011-07-20T06:33:36.443-04:00

 Part I and II are on my Home For The Holidays Blog. So on our tour of her homestead it was time to take the path to the gardens. I just love the layout of her property and the way she has it landscaped. In the cool evening air, walking this path is refreshing and relaxing.  If you get tired along the way, or just want to set and enjoy the beauty of nature and all it has to offer, there is this

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-21168495360646343752011-07-13T06:56:00.001-04:002011-07-20T06:40:20.561-04:00

 I am so excited!!!! It looks like my corn is forming in there. Several of the stalks have this growth coming out and I am sure that it is where the corn will grow??? I have never grown corn or even bothered to check out the corn field outside my own back yard to see how this happens. Anyway, hopefully there will be some sweet corn in our future.  I can taste the sauce these romas will make in

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-45118353000250998432011-07-09T13:54:00.002-04:002011-07-20T11:39:43.190-04:00

 I love the flowers on the pumpkins early in the morning. They are all open wide and give the garden a splash of color other than all the green foliage. Speaking of pumpkins, I have plenty!!! There at least 7 of them growing OUTSIDE of the fence and 4 of those are growing in the farmers cornfield....hahaha. They shall be fun to retrieve. I am sure I will get them as the farmer does not get this

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-9302654070181765602011-06-30T19:39:00.004-04:002011-07-20T11:46:15.018-04:00

 Ok...so I thought I read the back of the seed pack when I bought the watermelon seeds to plant.....apparently I was distracted as I thought the whole time I was growing small melons....like sugar baby sweets or something to that nature....well....I'm not...I am growing a whopping 25 pound crimson sweets.....Nonetheless, above is a pic of a baby crimson sweet. I said to Mr H....we are gonna need

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-92085000570744789622011-06-29T10:12:00.001-04:002011-07-20T07:01:06.208-04:00

 After painstakingly digging up two holes, i got the sedum planted. WHew!!! I split the group up and planted on both sides of the butterfly bush. Thankfully it is a beautiful morning here, with a nice breeze and NO humidity!!! So planting these two gems were not too bad....although I will be feeling it later...where's the ibuprofin??? Just a close up of the butterfly bush getting ready to blossom

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-84407421696230663412011-06-28T07:45:00.000-04:002011-06-28T07:45:07.318-04:00

 I think I may have gone overboard in my not so big space I allotted for a garden! The tomatoes are doing great as well as the cucumbers and are growing bigger than I ever had before. This is the first I have grown tomatoes that were not in a pot. My old garden was a lot smaller and I had to grow in containers and my yield was not what this will be or at least looks to be. The out of control is

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-76345869184045396752011-06-26T18:05:00.002-04:002011-07-20T11:47:58.324-04:00

 My good friend and coworker gave me some Sedum today. She is cleaning out her garden and passed along her generosity! Can't wait to get these babies planted!  Looks like the Thyme has a friend. Some Fennel snuck in there and is going crazy! (Along with a weed I see)  The Borage is getting ready to blossom! I need to find some good uses for this. It started off slow for me, but now is growing

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-83051582630616213622011-06-24T21:22:00.001-04:002011-07-20T11:51:32.685-04:00

I was so excited to actually have some onions and cukes already! We took some over to the senior Mr H as he eats those spring onions like candy. I kept one cucumber and gave him the other. I sliced that baby open it was so DELISH! Nothing like eating veggies right out of the garden! Can't wait for the rest of the garden to be ready to harvest. It shall be good eatin'!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-25819423881477398482011-06-20T20:46:00.000-04:002011-06-20T20:46:37.700-04:00

 I must have been so tired yesterday when I walked through the garden patch, that I didn't see all the fun that was happening!!! Cucumbers galore!!! Growing like crazy.  Even some tomatoes are peeking through. All of the tomato plants have either small tomatoes or are flowering. Looks like a good harvest will be had as long as all goes well during the growth process.  The pumpkins are looking

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-20374661119653554992011-06-19T07:22:00.000-04:002011-06-19T07:22:20.810-04:00

 Cucumbers are flowering. It won't be long until we see some baby cukes!  Tomatoes are also flowering. I can't wait for that first fresh tomato and mayo sandwich!  The 3 sisters garden is growing. Pumpkins are overtaking things. The more I see this type of gardening grow, the more I think next year I will go the more traditional route and plant the corn in rows and separate the other veggies. It

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-84315417806581542752011-06-15T17:00:00.000-04:002011-06-15T17:00:32.630-04:00

 The strawberries are getting ripe and ready to eat!!! YUMMO!  The popcorn plant is blooming! Looks like popcorn and smells like it too! The garden is just looking great! I am so pleased with the progress. It won't be long til we are eating some homegrown fruits and veggies.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-41119277247562115232011-06-08T07:42:00.000-04:002011-06-08T07:42:04.265-04:00

 Mr H and I were away for a week on vacation and my good friend stopped by to water the garden for us. When we came home, wow, what a change. So much growth and so many weeds - haha. The sunflowers have shot up as well as the onions. I need to go check some of those onions to pull for spring onions.  3 sisters method is working out nicely. The corn is up, the beans are up and the melon is up.....

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-66791188297607471322011-05-25T08:22:00.000-04:002011-05-25T08:22:33.371-04:00

I finally planted the cantaloupe. The last to be planted in the veggie/fruit garden. To take inventory of the garden Corn - so far so good - most coming up about 4 inches tall at this date.  Green Beans - just planted seeds  week ago Watermelon - just planted seeds  week ago Cantaloupe - just planted seeds - day ago Pumpkins - just planted seeds - week ago Tomatoes - 3 varieties - Early Girl,

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-69089824354652239832011-05-23T00:59:00.000-04:002011-05-23T00:59:00.412-04:00

 So Mr H and I went to Walmart as I needed some potting soil. I picked up this bag of Miracle Grow Potting Mix with moisture control. While filling up my containers, and spreading the dirt around I was poked with something sharp! Turns out there was a large screw in the potting mix!!!! Thankfully I had on my gloves. If you click on the picture to enlarge, you can see this screw/nail or whatever

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-13736406669563919492011-05-22T10:17:00.000-04:002011-05-22T10:17:05.089-04:00

 If you click on the picture to enlarge, you can see my markings of the beans, pumpkins and melon I planted today in the 3 sisters garden. You can also see some of the corn, sunflowers and onions coming up as well. I used popcicle sticks to mark what I planted where, so when they start to come up, I know they are not weeds....lol.  This is the shady oasis so far in the far corner of the yard.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-79390419853076550392011-05-18T11:35:00.000-04:002011-05-18T11:35:56.458-04:00

 We have been having a lot and I mean a lot of rain....well not as much as down in the southern areas....but enough. I long for the sun to shine. In the meantime, I have not been able to really go into the garden area between work and pouring down rain. When the sun does make an appearance, I am at work and when I leave, it rains buckets..... Anyway, this morning, as I have the day off, it was

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-35010979880493735662011-05-15T20:49:00.000-04:002011-05-15T20:49:52.463-04:00

Scenes from the past....hoping to have this again this year. -    -    -     -     -    -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     - So I planted the tomato plants I started from seed as well as some pumpkin on a stick that I started from seed.....and oh my....the farmer behind our garden that has the giant cornfield,

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-65416421271458929372011-05-11T15:46:00.000-04:002011-05-11T15:46:35.577-04:00

http://bloomiq.com/This has lots of info on plants of every type!Check it out!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-69915381376617122072011-05-10T07:51:00.000-04:002011-05-10T07:51:16.549-04:00

Now that some of my tulips have bare stems, I have researched and came to the conclusion that it is okay to cut the stem and leave the foliage until it turns brown and dries up? Some of my tulips have long stems and look silly with just a bare stem and I would like to trim them back down to the foliage. I am hoping this is okay to do.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-31105962536207870662011-05-09T06:28:00.000-04:002011-05-09T06:28:46.530-04:00

 The corner oasis is coming along, slowly but surely. We still have the branches laying in the yard where we cut them off the pine trees to clear it out. (Anyone in the Lancaster County area have a wood chipper and want the wood???) There must be 15 years worth of pine needles under there that we have been scooping up and hauling out. Straight ahead in the picture is a box of hosta that was given

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-468601106395769032011-05-04T07:41:00.000-04:002011-05-04T07:41:48.178-04:00

 The veggies are looking SOOO good! Broccoli is thriving. I can't wait to see the stalks and florets emerge.  Spinach is also looking wonderful. The leaves are looking tasty already!  I may start picking some young lettuce for a tasty sandwich at lunch today.  I started to fill the containers with some annuals to brighten up the patio. This has million bells, trailing verbena and a geranium. I

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-79109095205651652062011-05-01T17:37:00.000-04:002011-05-01T17:37:18.531-04:00

 Ahhh...I love this site! When the farmer brings the John Deere in and starts on the cornfield. I think he was putting some chemicals or spraying something to prepare the field.  Mr H and I decided to pull some shrubbery out Saturday afternoon. WHAT A MESS! Thankfully the neighbor across the street had a dump trailer for us to dump our branches and what nots into to take to a local nursery where

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-87017550587015833052011-04-30T07:30:00.000-04:002011-04-30T07:30:36.051-04:00

 I love this time of year when the greenhouses are filled with beautiful flowers, vibrant colors and the aroma....oh...nothing like the smell of heliotrope! I wish I could find a perfume with that scent! In this box, I have Bacopa, heliotrope and geraniums. These two geraniums will adorn the front porch in old clay boots.  The geranium in this section will go into my chicken feeder planter/bird

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-8424360005617647962011-04-27T06:05:00.000-04:002011-04-27T06:05:11.896-04:00

Thanks to my florist at work, I found out that this mystery plant of mine is Fritillaria (sp) or Crown Imperial. Whew! It was driving me crazy!!!!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-42130856078253049592011-04-26T11:14:00.000-04:002011-04-26T11:14:12.127-04:00

 It is a beautiful day here in Amish Country! It is a sunny 70 plus degrees and I am loving it. Too bad I have to go to work in a few hours and miss the rest of the gorgeous day!  The little greenhouse is also enjoying the summer like day. I cannot wait to get those sunflowers out there in the ground!!!!  The broccoli is looking amazing. I am so pleased with this and how well this is working out!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-80713533853365348282011-04-24T10:02:00.000-04:002011-04-24T10:02:02.869-04:00

Sun Sun Mr Golden Sun, please shine down on me.....for a change.....  Happy Easter to all you gardeners and internets....Mr H and I are spending the early part of the day piddling around the house, having Easter steaks on the grill and then heading off to a hockey game of all places.... So I thought I would do a garden update while I have the time. The tomatoes are doing great as well as the

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-48665892674812447592011-04-20T09:12:00.000-04:002011-04-20T09:12:41.939-04:00

   The loofah seeds are finally sprouting! I am not having a good feeling about this. I hope it isn't too late for this. I know I have about 2-3 weeks before I can plant them outside yet, but I was hoping for more growth at this point.  The tomatoes are finally sprouting and I guess I should thin them out a bit. I can't wait until I can get some of these tasty maters this summer! I see home made

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-64545070746738717042011-04-13T09:39:00.000-04:002011-04-13T09:39:36.446-04:00

 Another rainy April day...and cold to boot. The temperature reads 45 degrees. UGH. Ok, the rain I can maybe deal with, but the bone chilly temps get me even more. Yes a good day to stay in and snuggle up with a blanket and read a good book....but...who has time for that. Well, maybe I do, but there are other things to get done. ( I shouldn't even be on this puter ) Anyway...I am and want to

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-17429154364809798502011-04-12T10:23:00.000-04:002011-04-12T10:23:00.530-04:00

The weather Monday was FAB U LOUS! It was in the low 80's - my kind of weather. Of course the temps dropped in the evening as quick as they rose in the morning....we ended the day with 60 degrees and stormy. Oh well. Just a hint of what's to come. A spoiler. The broccoli is enjoying the wet cool weather. It is still rainy today and in the low 60's. The spinach is also enjoying the weather.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-23219671333026239952011-04-10T13:30:00.000-04:002011-04-10T13:30:15.939-04:00

 The Zinnias are starting to pop up as well as the Marigolds. Some people don't care for marigolds, but I heard they are deterents to little critters???  The tomatoes are still a no show, but I am sure they will pop out soon. Mr H and I were talking today that it is soon time to get the garden rototilled. I showed him where the best place would be and he agreed. So now we just have to borrow the

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-40293834752247715952011-04-06T09:58:00.000-04:002011-04-06T09:58:18.216-04:00

 So I created a montage of sorts of when I first planted the seeds to right before planting outdoors. The whole process was about 6 weeks? Began on February 23 and planted in container boxes outdoors, April 6 - today. Since I am pretty much new to this, it is important to me to log each step along the way. This is where I am now with it. I am sure any master gardeners or more experienced

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-88758322359091718692011-04-05T08:47:00.000-04:002011-04-05T08:47:55.893-04:00

Yesterday, we were blessed with a sunny, warm, 70plus degree day. Even though I had to work until 5pm, I still was able to enjoy the weather sans a coat and wearing my flips! Today is another story. The temperatures have dropped to the 40's and a storm is a brewing in the sky. The wind is howling, the birds are flying and flittering around, trying to go in one direction, but upswept by the winds.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-5232875407708120222011-04-03T16:24:00.000-04:002011-04-03T16:24:40.160-04:00

 I know plastic cups are not eco friendly, but I had some on hand and used them as starter pots. Better than throwing them out and I can reuse them. I have some tomato, zinnia and marigold seeds in these. I finally got smart and bought some popsicle sticks to label my containers. Here are some more pots I have started seed in and they are also marigold, zinnia and some coleus.  Check out the

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-32821225127616889272011-03-30T11:33:00.000-04:002011-03-30T11:33:46.019-04:00

According to my planting journal, I should have started my tomato seeds this week. OOPPSS... I will get them going tomorrow or this weekend. A few days is not going to hurt me. I want to grow at least 3 varieties of tomatoes: roma, grape and I am still up in the air what kind of sandwich type I want to plant. I will look at the seed wall at work and pick my 3 packs out. I will also use more of

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-71819512453341159872011-03-24T01:32:00.005-04:002011-03-24T01:32:00.795-04:00

I was reading other blogs and saw someone wrote about their potatoes grown in a sack. So I did some scouring and found some pics and liked this one the best ( I do not remember where I got it as I was looking at so many). Anyway, this got me to thinking...ok...I have the half barrel thing I was gonna use for the potatoes, BUT, I like this idea better and saw that you can also use burlap bags as

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-62165925507585719542011-03-23T10:52:00.000-04:002011-03-23T10:52:45.981-04:00

If you can see through the raindrops on the window, the temp is 35 degrees F. Brrrr cold. There is snow on the windshield of my car. It is a damp, rainy, cold, blah day. Figures, it is my day off. Whatever.... The broccoli is getting bigger. I am wondering if it is getting too leggy??(If that makes any sense). I am wondering if I should thin some of it out. I think I made a mistake planting these

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-52594165102136422692011-03-17T00:59:00.003-04:002011-03-17T00:59:00.593-04:00

3/6 - Sow broccoli, kale, cool weather lettuce, escarole, eggplant and thyme seeds indoors 3/13 - Sow pepper seeds indoors as well as indoors sow marigold, parsley, basil and beet seeds 3/25 - Start watching soil for 1st direct planting. When ready, sow peas, fava beans, arugula and radish directly into the garden 3/27 - Sow tomato seeds and cabbage indoors 4/3 - Transplant lettuce, broccoli and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-3837053830197164812011-03-16T09:32:00.000-04:002011-03-16T09:32:53.847-04:00

 Things seem to be progressing nicely with the seedlings. The newspaper pots are working out nicely. I planted more Loofah, some Borage and Pumpkin On A Stick. There are also some Mammoth Sunflower seeds in there as well. I am not too happy with this seed starter I am using and think I will go back to miracle grow potting soil when this runs out. Things seem to be taking forever to

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-69679661926893625622011-03-09T10:22:00.001-05:002011-03-09T10:22:55.584-05:00

First off though, a look at the progression of the broccoli, salad greens and spinach as well as the mold issue. I want to state today's date - 03/09/11 for the record books of this journal. The broccoli is continuing to grow and to my surprise and happiness, the mold has seemed to mostly disappear. I still have my reservations about these pots and since a light bulb went off in my head to make

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-86378648088794530062011-03-06T19:49:00.001-05:002011-03-06T19:52:12.837-05:00

 Upon inspection of the seeds, there has been some sprouting! The broccoli is on the left, salad greens in the center and spinach on the right. One problem....looks like there is MOLD growing on the containers! What causes this? I need to do some research and probably have to start over?? Why are my containers and seedlings moldy?? Even the salad greens have it As well as the spinachThe Cress is

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-87293734135979325212011-03-02T13:05:00.000-05:002011-03-02T13:05:38.451-05:00

 I ventured out this morning to take some shots with my piddly camera  I think if you click on the pictures, you can see them enlarged.?? I was able to zoom in and get some better shots. It is  a beautiful sight to see when the Snow Geese come to town. It reminds me that Spring is on the way when these guys migrate to this area on their way north. So many of them  I spotted another viewing area

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-76848582532310910792011-02-27T13:16:00.001-05:002011-02-27T13:19:36.738-05:00

I was so excited at work yesterday when I saw the greenhouse department had put some more summer bulbs out for display. I saw these huge bulbs and thought "what are these?". They were elephant ear bulbs and I knew in a moment I had to have one of these. Since they prefer a more shaded area, I have the perfect spot to plant this lovely in another month or two. I wanted one of these plants to make

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-46171000236253930232011-02-23T12:06:00.000-05:002011-02-23T12:06:18.037-05:00

 First things first, I know it wasn't very frugal of me as I could have just made my own pots out of newspaper or egg cartons, but I could not resist buying these cow pots. Made from manure...sweet. So I planted broccoli, more mixed lettuce greens and more spinach. Another look at the greenhouse. I love that little thing.Oh and also dropped some watercress seeds on wet paper towels. I thought you

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-50712746607800798122011-02-22T08:50:00.000-05:002011-02-22T08:50:01.455-05:00

I am so ready for the snow to go away and the spring weather to arrive. Mr H has a half barrel in the shed that I found and he said I can use it for potatoes. Yeah!I think tomorrow I will get some of  the loofah seeds started, so I can get them in the ground as soon as the weather lets up and it is safe to plant outside. The ones I start tomorrow, I may experiment and transplant them in a large

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-59922123991316765482011-02-19T13:52:00.000-05:002011-02-19T13:52:31.395-05:00

 The cover is a bit wrinkly, but it is up all the same...The spinach and lettuce seeds have been prepared. Now it is time to wait for the seeds to sprout....

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-66106988476948841782011-02-19T09:03:00.000-05:002011-02-19T09:03:49.899-05:00

Since the snow has finally melted in the yard, I am going to trek up to the shed and get the greenhouse out and start getting my mixed greens and spinach seeds started. They are going to go directly into containers after they are ready to transplant. I also have my eye on planting some potatoes in a container as well this season. I will post all progress as I do this. I have decided that this

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-48056636109195468922011-02-18T00:57:00.001-05:002011-02-18T00:57:00.456-05:00

The upper corner of the yard has a very large pine tree that has enough room under it for a little backyard oasis. In the picture below, I have drawn my version of what I would like to see under there and the surrounding area First things first - move the wood splitter up closer to the cornfield beside the tree. It will keep it out of the way, but still enough room for it to be up there. Next

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-24386446771677415532011-02-17T03:39:00.007-05:002011-02-17T03:39:00.886-05:00

Get out there and clean up the lawn where the snow has left its mark. Gather up all broken branches and rake away all the things that were left behind from the previous snow covered lawn. It's amazing what is uncovered when the snow melts. Things that were not there before, but were blown in from the winds and drifts over the snow covered period, can pop up and cleaning it up now will help keep

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-52071251695132073762011-02-16T10:58:00.000-05:002011-02-16T10:58:05.359-05:00

 The weather forecast for this week is quite delightful! It promises to be close to 50 degrees (F) and so far this morning the sun is shining. It will be so good to see that brown, blah grass turn to a luscious green lawn. The snow will soon be gone and I can make it up to the shed to get my greenhouse and place it in the sunroom to get my seeds started.  This has been an incredibly cold and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-13215781844007613182011-01-16T07:39:00.002-05:002011-01-16T07:42:33.467-05:00

I live in zone 6 - SE Pennsylvania, and want to grow loofah. Is there anyone out there in garden land that lives in my zone and has successfully grown this? I would love to hear about it if you have.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-79115295984263614962011-01-12T09:57:00.004-05:002011-01-12T10:08:33.562-05:00

These pictures are taken through double pane glass in my dining room...so they are not as clear as I would like them to be....Cardinal in flightI think that is a flicker?? As well as a Junco at the feeder.Cardinals are so bright and beautiful against a snowy background.Another shot of the flicker...if I am wrong about this bird, please let me know! How serene and beautiful. The morning sun after

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-26153432702150270682011-01-08T18:34:00.003-05:002011-01-08T18:51:33.695-05:00

Had several feathered visitors today in the backyard. We had a bit of snow today and the Blue Jays were out scavenging for food. There were about 3 males wondering about the yard. They looked stunning with their blue feathers against the white snow. We also had some cardinals visit the feeder about 15 minutes later. I didn't get a good pic of the male and the above female had her back to me.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-34200884943672805132011-01-03T21:46:00.003-05:002011-01-03T21:59:25.316-05:00

I bet those of you that actually still may possibly read this abandoned blog think I have just wimped out of gardening! Well....there have been a lot of changes this past year and this new year promises to bring gardening, gardening and more gardening!!!!Some of you may know that I currently work at a garden center and last week there were lots and lots of spring bulbs left over from the fall and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-25920781717089277882010-04-09T08:57:00.002-04:002010-04-09T09:07:15.830-04:00

I love chives. The many uses for them...butter, dips, potatoes, entrees, garnishes...I love the taste and smell of them. There is nothing like a fresh cut chives. The above pic is my chives I have had for the past 7 years. Same container, same soil....sits out all winter long (live in SE Pa). I cut them back in the fall and every year they pop back up better than ever. It is only early April and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-83344082333702181402010-03-31T09:32:00.003-04:002010-03-31T09:44:29.839-04:00

My life has taken a new direction over this past year.Last summer I did not have my garden, only a small container garden on my new deck at my new place.This summer....look out! I will have a BRAND NEW garden! The plans are for a small veggie patch in a new backyard (new to me) and some perennials and annuals around the outside of the house.My veggies and fruit plans are:strawberriesgreen

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-55829544168036241912009-02-02T08:14:00.004-05:002009-02-02T08:19:06.123-05:00

At the local garden center/grocery store, where I work, they offer coupons occasionally for free items. This month was a free Primrose. All customers who have the coupon (via the internet/email newsletter) will get a free Primrose. Here is an up close picture of mine. Yesterday felt like a heatwave with temps in the 40's F. The sun was shining brightly and I loved the shadows it casted on my

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-91685721981371535352009-01-28T11:41:00.005-05:002009-01-28T11:50:20.774-05:00

You will see in this picture, there are 5 wrought iron trellis'. 2 are arched shaped and 3 are fan shaped. They each normally ran over $40plus ....but I got the arched ones for $5/pc. and the fan shaped ones for $3/pc. ( I think you can enlarge the pic by clicking on it. ) Now that's a bargain. They are heavy and very sturdy.Notice the snow - we had several inches of snow and some ice on top of

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-61705237675455209582009-01-25T10:25:00.003-05:002009-01-25T10:33:37.261-05:00

Progress of the herbs. I finally have soil to transplant these gems into bigger pots and baskets. That will be a later post. The Luffa is starting to get more leaves. I need to place them in bigger pots as well until I get them outdoors. I know, I know, I started them too early. I guess I will just have to wait and see. I have seeds left to plant more in case these get too leggy and viney...time

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-68176389864558850062009-01-17T17:08:00.004-05:002009-01-17T17:19:12.978-05:00

I long for the days of summer.... I can see the vibrant colors of nature I can feel the warmth of the sun I can hear the cooing of the birds and hum of the bees I can smell the sweet aroma of all the beauty around me

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-50905549398900591842009-01-16T17:33:00.004-05:002009-01-16T17:39:21.828-05:00

I have had many questions on where I purchased my portable greenhouse. I got it at the garden center where I work. If you don't live in the Lancaster County area of Pennsylvania, that isn't gonna do you any good.You can google Portable greenhouses and then click images (which I just did) and I see many of them at different places on the web. You may even try visiting your local garden center and

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-59329688184077105332009-01-16T06:08:00.004-05:002009-01-16T06:12:23.613-05:00

When the outdoor thermometer is reading 8 degrees F, it is the perfect morning to make some Hershey cocoa and toast for breakfast! The forecast today is for sunshine, but the temps will stay in the teens. I have to work today, so I guess I better bundle up. I am thankful though, that we are not seeing below 0 temps like other areas of the country and continent. BRRRRRR...

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-90196139503419367352009-01-14T07:46:00.003-05:002009-01-14T07:58:04.961-05:00

WOW! In just 2 days, the luffa almost tripled in size! They are on the left. The herbs grew as well, but not like the luffa. I am just amazed at this. Can ya tell I am a novice at seed starting? It doesn't take much, obviously, to get me excited. Maybe it is spring fever and I am just ready to get out there! Maybe it is looking at the blogs from Australia and seeing their summer gardens, that is

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-40880341024456069042009-01-12T07:59:00.004-05:002009-01-12T08:10:31.917-05:00

Well, I did it. I took down the Christmas decor and tree. The greenhouse is now standing where the tree was - in front of the window. It is amazing how in 24 hours - less than 24 hours - overnight, the seedlings grew and I mean grew!Check out the Luffa seeds on the left! Here they were just yesterday! The herbs also shot up as well. I better hurry and collect more pots for transplanting next

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-14408017920885301342009-01-11T07:11:00.004-05:002009-01-11T07:25:54.759-05:00

I scored another deal at work yesterday. First off, I got a self watering window planter that was regularly $9.99 for $2.50. This will be great to make one of my herb planters. I also asked in the greenhouse for old plastic pots from the plants that come in. (They just throw them out) One of my coworkers will be saving these for me since I threw all mine out over the years...Live and learn. I

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-13136930168965224762009-01-09T06:34:00.003-05:002009-01-09T06:37:31.445-05:00

My mother in law gave us all an amaryllis for Christmas this year. Here is a pic of mine so far. I have never had one of these before, so I am excited to watch its progress.

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-31123372547832589862009-01-06T07:48:00.005-05:002009-01-06T08:14:40.594-05:00

Yayyy!!! I finally got my little greenhouse! (Thanks to Christmas money from the parents and inlaws!) It was only $39.99 at work and with my discount and $5 off coupon, it was a little over $30. It is a little over 5' tall and very roomy inside. There is ample space between the shelves for growth. I will keep this indoors until I am able to take it outside. For now, I will use it to get seeds

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-58634597000693472792009-01-04T09:42:00.007-05:002009-01-04T10:05:49.171-05:00

I just couldn't wait. I had to get my seeds as soon as I saw the rack being placed at work. I eyed them through the greenhouse doors and thought to myself...I need to get them NOW. Why? Just because I guess. LOLSo here is what I purchasedRoma TomatoBeefsteak TomatoPencil Pod Black Wax BeansButternut SquashMini Bottle GourdsJack Be Little PumpkinsSilver Queen CornOreganoBasilCilantroThymeI just

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-52653073914392783512009-01-02T00:08:00.005-05:002009-01-02T08:38:24.547-05:00

This sounds like a winner to me. I think I will try this herb in 2009. Has anyone ever used horehound?(If you click on the pic, it should enlarge for the recipe)

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5265452322741255796.post-23779994841859736942009-01-01T10:44:00.002-05:002009-01-01T10:49:31.547-05:00

A brand new year!My gardening plans are getting under way. I have been reviewing plans from last fall and revamping them.I am excited for what this new year will bring in my garden. With a couple years under my belt of trials and errors and successes, I am ready to go!Now to just get through these next couple months of cold winter weather...Happy New Year All!

Laurie from Amish Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135626598525124141noreply@blogger.com2