Passing the torch, but running together

My oldest daughter and her husband occupy our house while we live at my job site.  If you look back at my posts through the years, you know this property is full of gardens.  It is no small undertaking to learn gardening in this environment.  My daughter has decided that she is up to the task.  
Between my job and hers, we are late getting at the gardens at both properties this year.  I got a good start at both places, but fell behind when my own work schedule picked up.  Michelle puts in a good amount of hours at her day job with a publishing company in addition to free lance work with a second.  Add a new puppy into the mix and the schedule gets pretty tight.  The only time we have set aside together has been to frequent some of the outdoor beer gardens in our local parks.  
This Friday we made a date to get busy.  The beer was picked up at the local liquor store famous for its price and selection.  I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the tremendous number of volunteer annuals that are filling the beds.  Our job was made easier as a result.  My plans had to be altered a bit as a result, but we ended up with a combination garden of flowers and vegetables as a result.
Michelle got familiar with the most prevalent weeds and got to work at clearing those spots out.  It took just a few more plants to make the garden complete.  The rain garden has filled in so well this year.  There are very few spots to put those shade loving plants that I have grown accustomed to adding every year.  The loss of the street tree has also changed the light level dramatically.  One of my Hostas at the edge was already showing sun scald.  There was also a complete mass of turf grass that despite my best past efforts, had completely engulfed one of my sedge clumps.  I dug out and removed all of that (ha! you never get it all) and my girls followed behind with her splash of color.  The result was very pleasing.  I also ended up with more Hostas for my very shady patch of earth in a smaller variety than what has already been installed at the new digs.
I knew that we would not finish this project together so we took the time to walk with a cold beer around the rest of the yard to discuss her next steps.  We looked over the seed packets purchased earlier this spring and talked about where they needed to go in the raised beds.  We talked about the current crops of potatoes, onions, and leeks that I did get in early in the season and their upcoming maintenance.  She had the usual question of how do you know when things are ready to harvest.  I told her a few times that she needs gardening to be a hobby, a time to relax.  Do things in small batches as a way to unwind and decompress at the end of the day.  Never look at it as another thing you have to do as this will take all the joy out of gardening. This is definitely a new stage of life for both of us.  Growing older is not a terrible tragedy as most folks view it.  Without the aging process, my daughters and I would not move past those tumultuous teenage years into a new phase of life where we share a beer and discuss the bigger things in life.  I am happy to have both my girls in that place where they are independent women who are making their own way in life.
Dark started to settle in as hunger gnawed at both of us.  Woman can not live on beer alone. My daughter headed in to make a very late supper, while I used the waning light to hand cultivate the vegetable beds to jump start her next planting day.  I looked up at the silver of moon followed by Venus in an indigo backdrop and savored my favorite part of the day.  The seasons turn and life takes its course.  Life is good.

Flower Garden Pictures

This garden has asters, Alysum, larkspur, and cone flowers that reseed themselves

I potted up all the flowering kale and assembled all for easy watering.  My husband commented that he liked it all together.

Three Mandevilla vines grow as one.  These I take in for the winter.  Cut back hard for easier storage.

Half of the Thunbergia vine in my garden is from gathered seeds. The Hydrangea is in glorious bloom even after taking off many for drying.

The wedding flower garden got a bit of a hair cut to make more light for the varieties I am trying to encourage more.  It is still beautiful and the hummingbirds don't seem to mind.

My grandmother's garden before I came along.  I love this picture of my older sisters.

Crazy busy but happy!

front to back: woodland phlox, blue flag, yellow flag iris

The garden has been coming along in leaps and bounds.  Everything takes me longer than it used to, but I enjoy each step as I go.  Now that I don't spend my days watering greenhouses in endless rows of benches and doing factory-like production, I enjoy the time I spend with my own plants.  I take the time to wander around and see what is blooming, what needs weeding, where my plants are dry, whatever!
I spent the very cool and cloudy Sunday on my knees picking through beds of weeds and plants.  I found that the reseeding annuals had reseeded in bigger clumps than previously thought.  I took advantage of the weather and pulled up and transplanted asters, Prairie Sun cone flowers, and Calendula into a better spacing.  I popped the black-eyed Susan vines in the back by the fence with the lattice (many were from seed collected last fall).  I added some zinnias, flowering kale, and Diamond Frost Euphorbia to fill in the rest.  I did not take my chances and shaded them all with row cover to keep them from wilting with the sunny days on Monday and Tuesday.  As soon as the evening scented stock is fully rooted, I will tuck some of this in for fragrance.

The vegetable garden is producing some of the best lettuce I have ever grown.  Winter Density romaine has proven to be a wonderful early lettuce.  With the grow cloth, it is pretty and perfect. I pulled the last of first crop radishes, second crop is less than a week from picking.  Radicchio is as beautiful as the lettuce.  I grew garden cress for the first time and it was tasty.  It is very similar to nasturtium flowers with a peppery bite.  My daughter's friend found it too peppery alone, but I broke it up fine in a salad.  The three greens made a great salad for supper last night.   We enjoyed the first pesto from pinching back basil.  I put in a few more seeds of cilantro, parsnips, and chard.  Rotating out one foot square areas means having enough to eat fresh with little excess.

Pole beans and first crop of bush beans are up as well as the soy beans.  As soon as I put in the peppers, I will also line out a couple more types of bush beans.  Peas are slow this year and are just starting to bloom.  Spinach was starting to bolt, so I pulled it all to keep it from getting bitter.  I weighed out my dozen plants at half a pound.  I will try to time a fall crop this year.  Same with radishes.  I always get both in too late and never enjoy the fall season crops.

Tonight I worked on the front garden, tucking in some annuals around my rain garden.  It was cool and light, occasional rain, but another great time for transplanting flowers.  I left a little sunny patch to fill in with some of the leftovers when I finish in the backyard.  I just have the tomatoes and cucumbers for the side to line out and get down the soaker hoses for the summer.  I might use stakes and twine for all the plants this year.  Doing the weave on the Roma tomatoes really worked out great.  I would have to go buy stakes first, so that plan may change.

My neighbor has three very large clumps of rhubarb.  I exchanged some greens for rhubarb.  Last night I cleaned, cut up, and froze five bags each with five cups of fruit.  I have another five in the frig to make jam with.  I want to try a very different recipe that my friend, Judy swears by.
I also made an old-fashioned rhubarb custard dessert with a press in pan crust.  

Very Berry Rhubarb Jam (Midwest Living)

5 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 “ pieces     

21 ounce can blueberry pie filling
4 cups sugar               

6 ounce package raspberry jello
½-¾ cup water

In large kettle, combine rhubarb, sugar, and water.  Bring to boiling.  Boil rhubarb, uncovered for 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Stir in blueberry pie filling.  Return mixture to boiling: boil for 6 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in gelatin.  Return to boiling.  Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Ladle into half pint jars or freezer containers leaving ½ inch head space.  Seal and label.  Let stand at room temperature for several hours or until jam is set.  Store 3 weeks in refrigerator or 1 year in freezer.   (8 half pints)

Aunt Bernice Riendl's Rhubarb Dream Dessert

Ingredients:
Topping - 2 eggs, 1 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 3/4 t. salt, 2 c. finely chopped rhubarb

Crust - 1 c. flour, 1/3 c. pwd sugar., 1/2 c. butter


Directions:
Press crust in ungreased 8/8 pan. Bake 350' for 15 min.
Mix dry ingredients of topping, add beaten eggs, add rhubarb. Spoon over. Bake 350' 35- or until set in middle.   Can be double for 9x13 and bake about 10 min. more.

Make sure to freeze rhubarb while it is in season as this is the only time you can afford to get it.  It is very expensive in the chain stores, so make sure to get to the early farm markets for it.

Planting Trees and other stuff

Kiwi and Honeygold apple supports almost finished.

The plantings are coming along.  My husband has constructed the supports for the kiwi and espalier apple tree, we just have to add the cable supports.  He is very good with wood and produces a fine product whenever I ask.  I got busy and sifted some compost so I could mix in some "good stuff" with the old shrub bed soil.  After getting these fruiting plants in the ground, we sighted the area for the peach tree and put that in as well.  It was a bit breezy this morning and the trees were not anchoring in the soil as well as I would have liked.  The are lightly staked to keep them from tipping their root balls out while they are settling in.

I have also been taking stock of what has reseeded that is worth keeping.  There is quite a bit of good stuff in the garden beds that I will have to weed around and tuck in additional plants from my garden stock.  Everything is on the small side from starting it later, so the plants will grow up side by side just fine.  Often the new additions are larger and over-power the reseeding annuals.  We have the materials for a new garden planter (raised) to go along the fence.  This will be the area for most of the bedding plants to go in.  We are still going to work on growing some flowers for the wedding.

I have taken stock of what I have inventory this morning.  I may have more than I need.  I really should get the flower pots done which would use up all the odd stuff I bought.  I would also know how much additional plants I have to share as far as all the cutting plants go.  I am just a bit tired from this morning, so sitting at the computer is much more appealing than crawling around on my hands and knees.  Time to motivate and get back out there.

Summer Lull

The garden is filling in and the pots are starting to look like show pieces.  With all the heat and dry weather, it has taken quite a bit of sprinkling to get to this point.  I am thankful for a husband who likes to take the time to move the hose around the yard during the day while I'm at work.  The plants are getting their moisture but have time to dry their leaves before bed time.  All gardeners should have a night shift worker for their watering.
I have hit the bottom of the barrel.  I have been reserving my rain barrel water for dipping my water cans in for my potted plants.  There is a bit more in there, but I have to move the can around to scoop it out now.  They say we have a "chance" of rain Saturday night.  We are not holding our breath.  Dark clouds moved over last Saturday with not a drop for our plants.  90's are predicted temps for the weekend once again.  It is almost 4 weeks since we had rain.
Some of my annuals are coming to the end of their bloom.  I will talk more about my reseeding annuals as the seed pods set and I can get some pictures for those interested in what to look for in their own gardens.  The larkspur in the picture above has green pods at this time.
I was thrilled to catch a gold finch perched on top of my "wild" sunflowers tonight.  They don't frequent my feeder but are stunning with the yellow of the sunflower and their arched bodies reaching for the seeds below their feet.  The thistles are also starting to bloom and seed now.  It is a good source for finch food, but they sure are not welcome in the lawn or garden.  Soon the finches will be gathering the down of the thistle to line their nests.  I still remember the early morning bird walks during my college summer school.  Dr. Hardin pointed out the finches up and down flight patterns as they dip and rise with the beat and glide of their wings.  I identify the finches in flight from this characteristic today.
No tomatoes yet, the fruit is setting.  I have enjoyed a couple of small zucchinis.  The chipmunks started eating the ends so they had to get picked earlier than planned.  Moving the strawberry planters into my new vertical tower has meant more strawberries for me the last couple days.  The chipmunks had too easy of access in the last locations.  They are also close to the hose, so the plants look less droopy than they have.
Time to move the hose...again.