My garden buddy Steve was kind enough to help me make some photos for stock. He not only has a great face but equal in is knowledge about gardening. It was a lot of fun – I hope I can persuade him to pose some more!
Garden Stuff
Pretty mold
Who knew that mold could be so pretty? That was my thought when I saw how my swan neck gourd dried. The pattern is a speckled brindle color. I don’t know yet what I will make of it but for right now I just had to photograph it! It’s been a bit of work to get it to this point. I had to fight and win against powdery mildew attacking my plants. Then I had to figure out the best time to cut and wait for them to dry.
Here a pepper, there a pepper…
It’s that time when all the Summer fruit is in abundance. Now what the heck do you do with it all? There are only so many ways to stuff a pepper before they all start to taste the same.
When trying to figure out what to do with my peppers I happened across the Pacific Coast Farmer’s Market web database of recipes and found you could look up by seasonal ingredient, type of dish or type of cuisine. No ads and easy printing as opposed to other recipe sites.
I opted for the grilled bell peppers since I had garlic chives, rosemary and peppers. The only thing I didn’t grow was the olive oil. There is something so satisfying about using everything you grew yourself for a recipe even if it’s a simple one (something that rarely happens for me)!
Doesn’t it kinda look like Christmasy? 🙂
Powdery mildew solution
I was sooo excited about my big swan neck gourds that were developing only to be let down by the sudden appearance of fluffy ugly white patches on the bottom leaves of my plant. It’s right now in the heart of a hot August in dry California – it’s just a given that my plants are going to get it.
I instantly cut the leaves off only to find many more the next day. At that rate I wasn’t going to have a plant left!
From what I read powdery mildew thrives in hot windy dry conditions. From my reading this is one of those times that overhead watering is ok. This will slow the spread of the white patches. Before this I had only been soaking the soil with soaker hoses below and no water was getting on the leaves.
Ants in addition to wind spread the powdery mildew and when the ground is dry it’s more susceptible to an ant invasion – which I also had. If ants are on the soil after you water cover the soil with cinnamon. This acts as a repellent and they will go elsewhere. Which still left me with dealing with the powdery mildew that already took hold. Read more
Will you vote for me?
I entered into the Russian Standard Vodka Incredible pursuit for a chance to win $10,000 and several mentor sessions on my project. Along with my mother and I we have developed a way of gardening that requires very little work when set up and done in such a way that disabled or elderly people will still be able to garden. We call it “easy gardens” for now.
Someone with a wheel chair would be able to garden with this system. It requires little soil. Protects the plants from bugs and rodents and is completely organic. Once planted all someone would really need to do is harvest. There is no reason you have to be in tip top shape with a good back to garden. There is no reason the elderly need to be shut away in little boxes in front of a blaring TV talk shows when they could be enjoying the sunshine and enjoying ripe tomatoes fresh off the vine.
Click the button below to go the Russian Standards Vodka page and enter your birthday to make sure you’re of legal age and please show your support. I am happy for the votes I have so far and am energized that I might be able to make this a reality in an assisted living facility or a place like this where people are of limited mobility but still want to get out and enjoy life.
[button link=”http://russianstandardpursuits.com/entry/Eloine-Chapman” type=”big” color=”orange”] VOTE[/button]
I’m a sucker for these
My usual sunflowers with black centers grow above my head making a wonderful privacy and wind screen. I don’t always want that though so this time in a little corner spot of my garden I planted some little dwarf Elf Sunflowers. They are only 16 inches tall with yellow centers.
Shot with my iphone using painteresque and filter storm.
It’s flower time!
I love it when my garden starts to reward me with little presents 🙂
