tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60157005414162157422024-03-15T19:57:56.723-04:00In the Little Yellow Housealissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.comBlogger1352125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-17704561268085787352024-03-07T16:51:00.002-05:002024-03-07T16:51:21.600-05:00Spring is Coming <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCacj_hdlwy5VfMAaHfkbgiWNlMvwmoT2YeJ41oXwaWQ2eelFYOylFLaHy1rIYrxaFHt6H09um_aFHd5K6kXoKqQqZgSDMSQ__uD9cKOBTH22DaJrKd-z-xramcIfbfVxnZRNvnTnRklbd9_fSuRYNcWAKn2-5n6u41IAqkV15J5oFm_s4Gsa3EfSaq5IO/s4032/IMG_3636.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCacj_hdlwy5VfMAaHfkbgiWNlMvwmoT2YeJ41oXwaWQ2eelFYOylFLaHy1rIYrxaFHt6H09um_aFHd5K6kXoKqQqZgSDMSQ__uD9cKOBTH22DaJrKd-z-xramcIfbfVxnZRNvnTnRklbd9_fSuRYNcWAKn2-5n6u41IAqkV15J5oFm_s4Gsa3EfSaq5IO/w640-h480/IMG_3636.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The weather is warm and feels like spring outside these past couple days. It's <i>almost</i> time to start my garden seeds. I have a nice stack of garden catalogs with me to tide my garden-loving heart over so I don't start them too soon and end up with leggy plants. It all starts so quickly once the weather changes - seeds to be started, dahlia bulbs to pot up, mulch to be ordered soon. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbZrTmTMWHF9CyJMoGH1FzQ28dWrvDtosXhR-kd_-Y_yIBhTLpmG4lGI8Qr5AV4muZiHEUwTVRtgeBFTCshvlv9TGjhq21LpXN6vy2IMqLz0_Lro9exP1ffPEE0ErTIlb5pQmsoe-RfyFVuyntkolYyaM6koHD8F1QTHWIkmn3XUXScSqHIbYzoVmG8ib/s4032/IMG_3785.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbZrTmTMWHF9CyJMoGH1FzQ28dWrvDtosXhR-kd_-Y_yIBhTLpmG4lGI8Qr5AV4muZiHEUwTVRtgeBFTCshvlv9TGjhq21LpXN6vy2IMqLz0_Lro9exP1ffPEE0ErTIlb5pQmsoe-RfyFVuyntkolYyaM6koHD8F1QTHWIkmn3XUXScSqHIbYzoVmG8ib/w640-h480/IMG_3785.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>(<i>While I'm drooling over the David Austin catalog, it does not mean I'm buying another rose anytime soon. To be honest the 4 I have are very high maintenance as it is</i>)</p><p>I need to take some photos of our latest projects that took up our (limited) amount of free time this winter. We finally tackled the kitchen ceiling repairs and the basement reorganization. Both have been big projects we've really dragged our feet on for a long, long time. The last step is repainting the kitchen and we'll be able to check it off our list.</p><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-16664470994517060582024-02-29T11:19:00.001-05:002024-02-29T11:19:30.759-05:00Reflections on Wintering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB32cQ9cR3JD_odAU6prWzKuSyo1efVdZQqqV6mjClWO8Utk_OHkKLqpSeorxHlaQnwEmPsUIKzEBIVZafdEz1seBvCcwWAjSIY5NnBSWwYYMu7Xdvr-aYJ0Jmvudix2xrP7Itg7Fj7sx61WYbO2ndy10jESA4x_iRjuvtNWdwOobwNOEtwfyOOOlx_PPE/s4032/IMG_3654.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB32cQ9cR3JD_odAU6prWzKuSyo1efVdZQqqV6mjClWO8Utk_OHkKLqpSeorxHlaQnwEmPsUIKzEBIVZafdEz1seBvCcwWAjSIY5NnBSWwYYMu7Xdvr-aYJ0Jmvudix2xrP7Itg7Fj7sx61WYbO2ndy10jESA4x_iRjuvtNWdwOobwNOEtwfyOOOlx_PPE/w480-h640/IMG_3654.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I know I've said this before, but I've never been a winter person. It's always been something to <i>get through</i> while we wait for spring. I don't like the cold, I don't like the dark, I don't like the days filled with gray. I'm not a winter sports person. Germ season still hits us hard and it's brutal (3 hospital visits this season). January was long ago declared my nemesis month, even before kids. Mike has always said February feels endless (and today is leap day!). And now we still have March to tackle, in a state where we have far more late season snow storms than glimpses of early spring. </p><p>A positive interaction with social media and the <i>Evil Algorithm</i> (that mostly leads to doom scrolling), introduced me to a couple of content creators with a series on "how to make friends with winter" and the concept of wintering. <i>Color me intrigued</i>. We've been following the more obvious advice for a few years now, like getting outside every day during daylight hours for a walk. And I already try to embrace hygge and do winter cozy. But there were additional ideas like building in extra rest during the winter without guilt, because we are meant to get extra rest just like the world outside and have family time together. Why we are drawn to fire. How to stay warmer on walks (the secret is wearing at least 2 pairs of pants!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzX1mp2hBaQAN8siS_j9cGu0hiY54S2C_jm_Tyjx34RbPFHWebzYTqmAu9vIr87TPGArGTDUAlIG_rkusqnLQzr8noavMwWOFi-lUgM2-v_kZJITkw-qOSsWvI8ov8PayuDVb0q0XaM8sh3eL9xEyVeVBjfYkhsyRVfaUHuFqT-8rG1QQHb3VwJ7fYZkJv/s4032/IMG_2962.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzX1mp2hBaQAN8siS_j9cGu0hiY54S2C_jm_Tyjx34RbPFHWebzYTqmAu9vIr87TPGArGTDUAlIG_rkusqnLQzr8noavMwWOFi-lUgM2-v_kZJITkw-qOSsWvI8ov8PayuDVb0q0XaM8sh3eL9xEyVeVBjfYkhsyRVfaUHuFqT-8rG1QQHb3VwJ7fYZkJv/w480-h640/IMG_2962.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a list of all the things I liked about winter. The occasional flowering plant or bulb from Trader Joe's for the table feels like such a luxury. Houseplants and plants in the greenhouse really shine when everything is gray. Having later sunrises means I'm awake to see them. Now that the kids are older, I feel safer lighting real candles again in various candle holders. I love being under a cozy blanket. Eucalyptus hanging in the shower. Fires in fire pit with magic fire in the backyard. Keeping the colorful holiday lights on the back deck railing ALL WINTER LONG. Paper stars on the back door. Drinking more hot tea in oversized mugs. Winter evenings are the ideal time to do yarn projects (I like to crochet). The hush when snow is falling. Bright sunshine on a walk. Finding new, bigger hills to sled on when there is a snow storm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_yVDLaYJQzYqZb2GUYWhIgHkn1d5vBL7c4Qyil5ulKD-CRGtROOdKcK5IcyXX8xbTAgy_69d-8_X4QDb4dW9UaUGOXqaN135HiR8yc_LatwBtCmw3uD3-GXHV-m578Jiw9cmCQjD9SvaRymXmiuq0FDTm-IPNdn257jwKpkr0FqvUTXcGbRPqaMyE57M/s4032/IMG_2690.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_yVDLaYJQzYqZb2GUYWhIgHkn1d5vBL7c4Qyil5ulKD-CRGtROOdKcK5IcyXX8xbTAgy_69d-8_X4QDb4dW9UaUGOXqaN135HiR8yc_LatwBtCmw3uD3-GXHV-m578Jiw9cmCQjD9SvaRymXmiuq0FDTm-IPNdn257jwKpkr0FqvUTXcGbRPqaMyE57M/w640-h480/IMG_2690.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGsVTDN5zUCZssolr6cD8XxTdX8k-1eEQ_Wl-CTtXw5T9qR4jkS4FE3YazT9FSyNWuoz9wChoiD3yWAmWtMR6EtixqeuAfZuEsqGQk7VODorwJf-hHNCooRvU0vna-aXFjThJrQJF454c7E9gGRuUNF8c5886m9BrNodJv0_VhiEfIxl3HJ84mc0f-ceQ/s4032/IMG_4272.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGsVTDN5zUCZssolr6cD8XxTdX8k-1eEQ_Wl-CTtXw5T9qR4jkS4FE3YazT9FSyNWuoz9wChoiD3yWAmWtMR6EtixqeuAfZuEsqGQk7VODorwJf-hHNCooRvU0vna-aXFjThJrQJF454c7E9gGRuUNF8c5886m9BrNodJv0_VhiEfIxl3HJ84mc0f-ceQ/w640-h480/IMG_4272.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmkNk-5n2RguDGvbPrp1UmbgI0fpCLpAtTALv6NFvD0EKVVm_j1Ks94gWbVBrlZlxn_sa4nzQEsqqAIXrtYFipPgjPQBz8uMwlzLDSKoYVMg6dm5JSBfc87wDdsgO77MsMHDMRwGKRqxWhXPtevIbvjiMZpstf8uZnetNwhT7JAj7Ed_dtokjaK4Xw728/s4032/IMG_4264.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmkNk-5n2RguDGvbPrp1UmbgI0fpCLpAtTALv6NFvD0EKVVm_j1Ks94gWbVBrlZlxn_sa4nzQEsqqAIXrtYFipPgjPQBz8uMwlzLDSKoYVMg6dm5JSBfc87wDdsgO77MsMHDMRwGKRqxWhXPtevIbvjiMZpstf8uZnetNwhT7JAj7Ed_dtokjaK4Xw728/w480-h640/IMG_4264.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwmOr43MNABJxyCwxS-sStr-cB3Glzity167rGyh0DRjHvyjirL0zEnwGP8gCECY7rX2TyuO6_9T4X6L-ytdRzyrqF-mX-ks_vtx8qL4O-mRrhOGfZspHdVWSG4A8VF7hIojQf58_D_mT4KxnTqHwuq9g2mScr4T5aAUBGgeVBf2e4RWHNd_FGW-aUhro/s4032/IMG_3095.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwmOr43MNABJxyCwxS-sStr-cB3Glzity167rGyh0DRjHvyjirL0zEnwGP8gCECY7rX2TyuO6_9T4X6L-ytdRzyrqF-mX-ks_vtx8qL4O-mRrhOGfZspHdVWSG4A8VF7hIojQf58_D_mT4KxnTqHwuq9g2mScr4T5aAUBGgeVBf2e4RWHNd_FGW-aUhro/w480-h640/IMG_3095.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iwM1D3_dtpKwRb3qwntpVcEjM3l8PV7IuJowXav8LGKuc2AeLrQ0Is-7NBSv3g3umOknfHOmrKtlrech9uUebawOe4Qzz0qyUoBpxhWWRWJUCioIVpOmqGysf-oaNn2BV-cgYKa7Glaz9CDqLtlKM1v4177gZtr__1eywSFsHMC1s_ZvcE1EfK6pN5WY/s4032/IMG_4439.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iwM1D3_dtpKwRb3qwntpVcEjM3l8PV7IuJowXav8LGKuc2AeLrQ0Is-7NBSv3g3umOknfHOmrKtlrech9uUebawOe4Qzz0qyUoBpxhWWRWJUCioIVpOmqGysf-oaNn2BV-cgYKa7Glaz9CDqLtlKM1v4177gZtr__1eywSFsHMC1s_ZvcE1EfK6pN5WY/w480-h640/IMG_4439.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxc7kLc5FSSIL_CztBYn832cxFYNT6RSrI_LNGLwxtnthXPng-6BVlnZofT-4TuD1U4xxTOqSHuETaxvxcXOw4YB73svuwI_4eBHIdrlmKwtPG8zVoAECNjtay-RQLANOud5Er6E9xW93naHGTeZy5ACH7zZEDMCFID_Y2tHG_Pi5_S-GTIaoJoynO7u8/s4032/IMG_3445.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxc7kLc5FSSIL_CztBYn832cxFYNT6RSrI_LNGLwxtnthXPng-6BVlnZofT-4TuD1U4xxTOqSHuETaxvxcXOw4YB73svuwI_4eBHIdrlmKwtPG8zVoAECNjtay-RQLANOud5Er6E9xW93naHGTeZy5ACH7zZEDMCFID_Y2tHG_Pi5_S-GTIaoJoynO7u8/w480-h640/IMG_3445.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06AUOvvFZlA7fKwKkJ6t6YApF_rL884R7Rrx1wKOeKjenEMklODzl25v_ruZZz6XR9PtEwyPZt3p_HPvqFFjaxTwk-E7KNGHLHMCechul_goIk4mh0kOFQjidOroVkPucRMNCAtArDvypQ0WhVtO0aoBWLBTh9Ikwq07MXJ_Mcr27Bpe8myCuGxbfmyR7/s4032/IMG_3505.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06AUOvvFZlA7fKwKkJ6t6YApF_rL884R7Rrx1wKOeKjenEMklODzl25v_ruZZz6XR9PtEwyPZt3p_HPvqFFjaxTwk-E7KNGHLHMCechul_goIk4mh0kOFQjidOroVkPucRMNCAtArDvypQ0WhVtO0aoBWLBTh9Ikwq07MXJ_Mcr27Bpe8myCuGxbfmyR7/w640-h480/IMG_3505.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I think it's made this winter season a lot more pleasant and easier to get through. I'm not quite friends with winter yet, but maybe someday we will be? As the signs of spring are starting to emerge and I'm counting down the weeks now to spring and seed starting, I know we are getting close. The sun is stronger and melting the ice, the feeling of hope and light are returning full force. </div><div><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-47631740111171719542024-01-01T09:07:00.001-05:002024-01-05T09:15:33.255-05:00Happy New Year! <p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWMu7HEYBDsyVdzaRLjZ2jbe7y0kMvMCd1nLufy7ymu8_hnGjalcSYEDWnJM64u2poz17BQ5i9cVvcpQ0jf1j3F9-EuXP2dWa4uCpEUHQ01Kl2ufv4wTxKZaZrcmzx2o6tcVhh0fYJZV3u49WaFrEWObHydOOHBh4PTzW3E5-o7n29vU1mL_lQn_lQt2G/s2160/2023-holiday-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2160" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWMu7HEYBDsyVdzaRLjZ2jbe7y0kMvMCd1nLufy7ymu8_hnGjalcSYEDWnJM64u2poz17BQ5i9cVvcpQ0jf1j3F9-EuXP2dWa4uCpEUHQ01Kl2ufv4wTxKZaZrcmzx2o6tcVhh0fYJZV3u49WaFrEWObHydOOHBh4PTzW3E5-o7n29vU1mL_lQn_lQt2G/w640-h408/2023-holiday-card.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-3156950268823223462023-11-01T10:52:00.029-04:002023-11-02T11:16:43.284-04:00Happy Halloween!<p>Happy Halloween! We had a day full of spooky fun at school and at home. </p><p>The night before Halloween we always watch a Halloween movie and carve our pumpkins - the boys have gotten really good at it as they get older. Matt's is at the top, then Mike's, Oliver's and mine. They looked great on Halloween night lit up on our porch! </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNCz_fVUOjm2F9iBIorVS9hO9fG-IH-Rt4Sncis_pux-u8Czp6YiU77DXtwWoOhV0nNYXTiYfV_AF1wc1apDAr5qv1mfsUyRRUxkrlJhmqSr83bb9FF8Jybl9Y7gbssPMTQpKzQDcmPgXpH3QtR-jq3O-VKxzmE2FoxHVbbioHz2_WggIK7TuDOe6lxlL/s4032/IMG_3968.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNCz_fVUOjm2F9iBIorVS9hO9fG-IH-Rt4Sncis_pux-u8Czp6YiU77DXtwWoOhV0nNYXTiYfV_AF1wc1apDAr5qv1mfsUyRRUxkrlJhmqSr83bb9FF8Jybl9Y7gbssPMTQpKzQDcmPgXpH3QtR-jq3O-VKxzmE2FoxHVbbioHz2_WggIK7TuDOe6lxlL/w480-h640/IMG_3968.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All the leaves fell off the tree right before Halloween, adding such a nice ambiance to the cemetery! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryZOtNgkrJvVswUur4cz1T2YOCCj7FA1_dkmqJ-ULZKSnaKEZJ218OB5oTo-PlBuJYpwBtmw34rMcDOiPzpD78jDlHnJQPlXiTzJt9DSKE1rsM2Sd-0ASV2_Ab1A_xY51TqPG_NxwvCSlR7c-0Q8wXXwRBeP7ZkhB5vapiVs1aYbtEfoBNH4a4tVWWFmR/s2305/DSC_7049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2305" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryZOtNgkrJvVswUur4cz1T2YOCCj7FA1_dkmqJ-ULZKSnaKEZJ218OB5oTo-PlBuJYpwBtmw34rMcDOiPzpD78jDlHnJQPlXiTzJt9DSKE1rsM2Sd-0ASV2_Ab1A_xY51TqPG_NxwvCSlR7c-0Q8wXXwRBeP7ZkhB5vapiVs1aYbtEfoBNH4a4tVWWFmR/w640-h426/DSC_7049.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The boys went scary for costumes this year - a zombie lab worker and a shadow. Very creepy. They went trick-or-treating in a big group of boys this year, it was hard to keep up. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFyk4UmxO9g77urwQbXOFrYmeRfs0TbVIQLiNeZ7nL8k-IthjUyBn9dherpJaur7f77HWwAv-O97qe8h5JZ1t9fLMs72tPU5SxdalHafm0PgRtZYT_cRIxR1QkrBz20lXdyf264ESaOq27jVlqroaAVutE7STWumeipcB_4uT0gJc-eCIw18cg9vzhpIG/s2305/DSC_7016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2305" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFyk4UmxO9g77urwQbXOFrYmeRfs0TbVIQLiNeZ7nL8k-IthjUyBn9dherpJaur7f77HWwAv-O97qe8h5JZ1t9fLMs72tPU5SxdalHafm0PgRtZYT_cRIxR1QkrBz20lXdyf264ESaOq27jVlqroaAVutE7STWumeipcB_4uT0gJc-eCIw18cg9vzhpIG/w640-h426/DSC_7016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWWe4HiZQIwnE49-9xFZRpvgrj0N3VL_zoAO4YpEbLpKnlVYuaUfchAcLSEadj1zNO51CT2pDZNhIh36m7L9T6hkA1FmGTk7Ts0bLQhqqwZgR9fmD_dKlydg-sOdPPomMnvOKwI7vuDZHLALuGNkgzvCC_PZWHJdxYk-y_pD6ksjk8BHr2rNASmHbRjxY/s2305/DSC_7050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="1537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWWe4HiZQIwnE49-9xFZRpvgrj0N3VL_zoAO4YpEbLpKnlVYuaUfchAcLSEadj1zNO51CT2pDZNhIh36m7L9T6hkA1FmGTk7Ts0bLQhqqwZgR9fmD_dKlydg-sOdPPomMnvOKwI7vuDZHLALuGNkgzvCC_PZWHJdxYk-y_pD6ksjk8BHr2rNASmHbRjxY/w426-h640/DSC_7050.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Halloween! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-92106667549229828172023-10-30T12:45:00.019-04:002023-11-02T10:48:39.468-04:00October Garden <p>October had a few surprises for me in the garden. Like more raspberries (<i>WHAT</i>?!). And the biggest dahlias bloom I've ever grown at over 10" wide. It's a Wynn's Moonlight Sonata in a peachy orange color.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1yXEZYlrGaf7d-xUFwLBHdHP_hqvj9wU73RY3gBnqgkWtku0AAo3lTlKoPT0vuogWX68fWfJe7DV_gDc6kPASjqrqKFd96PVutOYKrsTkPaMN0-hOJ2lpbtOT5Bi18SR1UZTW0Iu2VMqWpK1LujDR8rwOORSDIkh1cufTM3_Jp2wmnooz-tPdoCmM1PX/s4032/IMG_1546.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1yXEZYlrGaf7d-xUFwLBHdHP_hqvj9wU73RY3gBnqgkWtku0AAo3lTlKoPT0vuogWX68fWfJe7DV_gDc6kPASjqrqKFd96PVutOYKrsTkPaMN0-hOJ2lpbtOT5Bi18SR1UZTW0Iu2VMqWpK1LujDR8rwOORSDIkh1cufTM3_Jp2wmnooz-tPdoCmM1PX/w480-h640/IMG_1546.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">I also had the biggest Belle of Barmera I've ever grown too - it was about 9" or so and the most beautiful shades of pink! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLi8bbLoSyD1yX5zNcXgDpjhyiy7I8MSMYMgHE-YFXfqVHg_ymDUSKTe3FLNz9cY1zzbmNK-oI5CQFp-EBeMzjMTC_MTHWEGWbiIv3OjMynGG2ink32lQU4CJmS9eWLrh7AkMx1klu4fsqo-nOrCZ13bc9gTHP3fLqkPA-7jJhSML3R6_a-6vzgYVlZA3/s4032/IMG_1549.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLi8bbLoSyD1yX5zNcXgDpjhyiy7I8MSMYMgHE-YFXfqVHg_ymDUSKTe3FLNz9cY1zzbmNK-oI5CQFp-EBeMzjMTC_MTHWEGWbiIv3OjMynGG2ink32lQU4CJmS9eWLrh7AkMx1klu4fsqo-nOrCZ13bc9gTHP3fLqkPA-7jJhSML3R6_a-6vzgYVlZA3/w480-h640/IMG_1549.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>There were figs from the fig tree until frost. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl8rfC8Vd7ygKxlvtoKT1XNI22I9XnNdXhq1kXxRE931jGgqxhVeUUahvHANuwygk5KbByipQEnqSvdZfXm6HqHRZEESUxhpwX6svjinJEdyorfjSRk1GDWUrsFK_ZhJ4B9HffAK5MYqbUZ-8IVo232LM3ljeYf0qh3GDXY0D7iBU_tfstw3WOwwcOybv/s4032/IMG_1570.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl8rfC8Vd7ygKxlvtoKT1XNI22I9XnNdXhq1kXxRE931jGgqxhVeUUahvHANuwygk5KbByipQEnqSvdZfXm6HqHRZEESUxhpwX6svjinJEdyorfjSRk1GDWUrsFK_ZhJ4B9HffAK5MYqbUZ-8IVo232LM3ljeYf0qh3GDXY0D7iBU_tfstw3WOwwcOybv/w480-h640/IMG_1570.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">The raspberries. We had multiple rounds of October raspberries. It was the strangest (and most wonderful!) thing. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1CrGpcfC6bii887_TXR2M8NZSa6mtNhqIIjF_FXOo0eo3eyoryJejM7NQLYbHKitgMPlInR1iR9vYZXa4DmViSfHsGpnp0YdV3GVzsCG_13l7DtKf5COagXXxVINxQkXDA_Gq8KdnkHX_r1p14kZm1Xk0LuRqRyn0awDS6n6OIoDncC49WooakBaEqNP/s4032/IMG_1720.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1CrGpcfC6bii887_TXR2M8NZSa6mtNhqIIjF_FXOo0eo3eyoryJejM7NQLYbHKitgMPlInR1iR9vYZXa4DmViSfHsGpnp0YdV3GVzsCG_13l7DtKf5COagXXxVINxQkXDA_Gq8KdnkHX_r1p14kZm1Xk0LuRqRyn0awDS6n6OIoDncC49WooakBaEqNP/w640-h480/IMG_1720.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>The morning glory bloomed on the trellis with pretty purple flowers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NmSjdKAxEFQ-Rplh5N8ogQE0jtFPWNbU1cdi59AEMnEFAv9SLcIJ4lZ05sBzVDz7mTAjVPQNJk7KpzTIKmbNnEdv6AjbiShgma7IKTBlu0JjfvCci71ghvV-TLY-VaDFo48DXzWnqMcB0yXAzAYjk7TvE2qxiBCe1TGOzioN6BjiawogbPkDqNYo6RcU/s4032/IMG_1562.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NmSjdKAxEFQ-Rplh5N8ogQE0jtFPWNbU1cdi59AEMnEFAv9SLcIJ4lZ05sBzVDz7mTAjVPQNJk7KpzTIKmbNnEdv6AjbiShgma7IKTBlu0JjfvCci71ghvV-TLY-VaDFo48DXzWnqMcB0yXAzAYjk7TvE2qxiBCe1TGOzioN6BjiawogbPkDqNYo6RcU/w640-h480/IMG_1562.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXEBw8dZ7Er9fh6Ani2ebgKGlRYquSPJwT8o5a-0QicZvwkU0-WgnVy8S37p21BVSPUMy4L83cqTNDB7xrAf_aCwSniXcxzL_hKkyaMPlxs3UFKZON3HiueTecWPwYzTo-gJUuFoap8t_S-ZhR5zp0zEiGbWEybnnX3F7vri8m3wUuvVsR0MflHnBfnwj/s4032/IMG_1561.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXEBw8dZ7Er9fh6Ani2ebgKGlRYquSPJwT8o5a-0QicZvwkU0-WgnVy8S37p21BVSPUMy4L83cqTNDB7xrAf_aCwSniXcxzL_hKkyaMPlxs3UFKZON3HiueTecWPwYzTo-gJUuFoap8t_S-ZhR5zp0zEiGbWEybnnX3F7vri8m3wUuvVsR0MflHnBfnwj/w640-h480/IMG_1561.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was the garden at mid October: </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZT2bxyAeD8ApSxfcAMsmZKfUKwgS9HqH9Pz_qdmqO3S-BgBbAY7Q6VqJCZaavLP3Ba4oeTDxcbSuQJVaro_2EIeOQSRyr3I4YB6BvvCDtzWSQ-R8tlgmDYjW9pqliWlDIDPxlQGjJrxXDW6xDqFG28N7xOGmmd_KHJgxBPuwkh6wwBzvYy7jibOUrGLo/s4032/IMG_1564.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZT2bxyAeD8ApSxfcAMsmZKfUKwgS9HqH9Pz_qdmqO3S-BgBbAY7Q6VqJCZaavLP3Ba4oeTDxcbSuQJVaro_2EIeOQSRyr3I4YB6BvvCDtzWSQ-R8tlgmDYjW9pqliWlDIDPxlQGjJrxXDW6xDqFG28N7xOGmmd_KHJgxBPuwkh6wwBzvYy7jibOUrGLo/w640-h480/IMG_1564.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I cleaned out the green house, organized the piles of pots and tools. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wY4nLP5FDzfOOJIA9ujHzyJBQvii7rT7ublE0jm1Jku7Jt-1Tvx7y8rGrggDRkq-g_GN0PT9GlPTZdA9kLcXmojRQAgZrHQ4alNcaQawBSdTGBTgq-paYUVdO39WOgrbybhuC0afji6jLJUpijJFgERlC9W0F7Re6tYTSng6fBhb_-FJDdD2ACh0xUBR/s4032/IMG_1698.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wY4nLP5FDzfOOJIA9ujHzyJBQvii7rT7ublE0jm1Jku7Jt-1Tvx7y8rGrggDRkq-g_GN0PT9GlPTZdA9kLcXmojRQAgZrHQ4alNcaQawBSdTGBTgq-paYUVdO39WOgrbybhuC0afji6jLJUpijJFgERlC9W0F7Re6tYTSng6fBhb_-FJDdD2ACh0xUBR/w480-h640/IMG_1698.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Towards the end of the month I began loading up the greenhouse with plants. The first ones in were the ones that prefer warmer weather. Then I started transferring herbs like rosemary and sage from the garden beds back to pots. I saved a lot less than last year. I decided I wanted more room for seeds, bulbs and that sort of thing in February than overwintering more plants. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The garden is waning... but it's not over yet. A big hard freeze is coming soon (it's in the forecast for November 1st), but until my dahlias are nipped I'm going to enjoy more of this: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAaqcwfZuXv1IU0WAfscM9qzwbudXriU4QzhNKvFoKlhFP1o_LzsWV1IPz_zWzf6a1fPgJvFF6CUYOutOKVExPaJlk_1a9gDgW8hYoIhKPC7P5zanSNqlvPyBFHEeblmDrUWKIA84LGt0KFnyTiXwpDlgtDZYOOZInt6udfGRLreO1U8JwPvCemFSLmp2/s4032/IMG_1601.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAaqcwfZuXv1IU0WAfscM9qzwbudXriU4QzhNKvFoKlhFP1o_LzsWV1IPz_zWzf6a1fPgJvFF6CUYOutOKVExPaJlk_1a9gDgW8hYoIhKPC7P5zanSNqlvPyBFHEeblmDrUWKIA84LGt0KFnyTiXwpDlgtDZYOOZInt6udfGRLreO1U8JwPvCemFSLmp2/w480-h640/IMG_1601.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfGqZmXpB3miR5qe1KzMy0qu8MyPEbfsFBcfsHMfh0A0LzRs8UnSjG0Y7yq8KULJm4618L7IH8BnEJj-6wzxZAPYtyyTxkzuQ3GPDNx2aReHKUtWXOILqswiGxwYtQMUuT0HWmGxYsbROi2Po0L-yuyLEsQiPu4r-prdlEON1rqWUyv9ASLMzV4T12ca/s4032/IMG_1696.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfGqZmXpB3miR5qe1KzMy0qu8MyPEbfsFBcfsHMfh0A0LzRs8UnSjG0Y7yq8KULJm4618L7IH8BnEJj-6wzxZAPYtyyTxkzuQ3GPDNx2aReHKUtWXOILqswiGxwYtQMUuT0HWmGxYsbROi2Po0L-yuyLEsQiPu4r-prdlEON1rqWUyv9ASLMzV4T12ca/w480-h640/IMG_1696.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-18831408537422917842023-10-13T08:00:00.017-04:002023-10-13T08:00:00.156-04:00Halloween Spooky Season <p> Happy Friday the 13th! Feeling spooky? 👻</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE4MyFfDz5yCBhzGo4BDv0CMAQY3Stas4jFj7xCcb96td4LdPe_40Cse7E8jBbt5fwBrg05bQJwsTuSAJIHz3wRFBdDsF8rKCqbef9nMiHkga294TY6R0fFFQyqh6NYgxyXeKS_P_Ui-U4fHbCnD8u-eQJEOjjUkyIRw05GRokBKMqyRG9kYrIw_kroS-/s4032/IMG_3658.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE4MyFfDz5yCBhzGo4BDv0CMAQY3Stas4jFj7xCcb96td4LdPe_40Cse7E8jBbt5fwBrg05bQJwsTuSAJIHz3wRFBdDsF8rKCqbef9nMiHkga294TY6R0fFFQyqh6NYgxyXeKS_P_Ui-U4fHbCnD8u-eQJEOjjUkyIRw05GRokBKMqyRG9kYrIw_kroS-/w480-h640/IMG_3658.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk-PvGqRQYjvCFaKKJfBnbi72IE_pWbtBu49Sw2W-SpsEjZLynnsLaivHDeOLyGyZFZJ-LOVNR1rfkN7DGIXOmrWWWMKgr5MIjeIDqAZ5x1VMNyKcKRsriacQ2iSk4vhFptVah5aF1uKBMqYpN1ktHIg5rYO15VYE3wVLMRNVB4sMHEP7q3M8kz9AgHz7/s4032/IMG_0610.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk-PvGqRQYjvCFaKKJfBnbi72IE_pWbtBu49Sw2W-SpsEjZLynnsLaivHDeOLyGyZFZJ-LOVNR1rfkN7DGIXOmrWWWMKgr5MIjeIDqAZ5x1VMNyKcKRsriacQ2iSk4vhFptVah5aF1uKBMqYpN1ktHIg5rYO15VYE3wVLMRNVB4sMHEP7q3M8kz9AgHz7/w640-h480/IMG_0610.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The house is decorated for Halloween. Not a lot of big changes, it's very similar to <a href="https://inthelittleyellowhouse.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-little-bit-of-halloween.html" target="_blank">last year</a>. <div><br /></div><div>However, new this year is decorating the bathroom with bloody handprint decals, I put them in the bathroom to surprise the boys. The decals have worn surprisingly well in a high traffic area, they are much nicer than I expected! <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgaJAwFlMMK_dU7q20Rj05KG_TcjxkR_r0DcFEB-Jp-rFmIfPcNUpnvvV-dlhhM4k4iiMk0XiFrw21JMspWfMuojOUygkRbHNgFAbLQTHniH8z1dxvu0ho2Qn2gglsKyfcVr0lMH-OZErZl94dqtbEGVLc5LIVcFJIwDIAAMeZ-S2xPteO-nv7FPVF3Pu/s4032/IMG_1074.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgaJAwFlMMK_dU7q20Rj05KG_TcjxkR_r0DcFEB-Jp-rFmIfPcNUpnvvV-dlhhM4k4iiMk0XiFrw21JMspWfMuojOUygkRbHNgFAbLQTHniH8z1dxvu0ho2Qn2gglsKyfcVr0lMH-OZErZl94dqtbEGVLc5LIVcFJIwDIAAMeZ-S2xPteO-nv7FPVF3Pu/w480-h640/IMG_1074.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the house is more cute spooky. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHm-ZxCGFsi6WsW0Vu-nbinV_MERyFAuJVaDu7Nwb9mYcqAP5moGpwy0egq5PzuFyRpVQXFz1gqROb3nTL-qtaJ_eIBEAYCMaTY_o5E-gfIYOLZ6TC6BnQiDZn11TtNb2bFPFqDrOUVi5n6LnKv80WAiUIPI9zPzNyaPsXaSsmYblyLz7gjNnSRqUHo-j/s4032/IMG_1690.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHm-ZxCGFsi6WsW0Vu-nbinV_MERyFAuJVaDu7Nwb9mYcqAP5moGpwy0egq5PzuFyRpVQXFz1gqROb3nTL-qtaJ_eIBEAYCMaTY_o5E-gfIYOLZ6TC6BnQiDZn11TtNb2bFPFqDrOUVi5n6LnKv80WAiUIPI9zPzNyaPsXaSsmYblyLz7gjNnSRqUHo-j/w640-h480/IMG_1690.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yFO2XWXVvYBu8cJmEA3mJrPaPZIkuOFukO0zfm6GX0R4IYuGtJ3Mu7dR6L2_3o-Kz4TvAzXuove-O0diArx4jwhNshYXGIIjgtGKnILoh_7FgqUyWHoNI3Qd49udQe_tci-80hFZhvGKSHN7s8rDujNZzcimS9qOlWXSP3LjQpfRvPfYcJ_heynhdI30/s4032/IMG_1673.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yFO2XWXVvYBu8cJmEA3mJrPaPZIkuOFukO0zfm6GX0R4IYuGtJ3Mu7dR6L2_3o-Kz4TvAzXuove-O0diArx4jwhNshYXGIIjgtGKnILoh_7FgqUyWHoNI3Qd49udQe_tci-80hFZhvGKSHN7s8rDujNZzcimS9qOlWXSP3LjQpfRvPfYcJ_heynhdI30/w640-h480/IMG_1673.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqtvKPdGzos1ap7B7ckAUgfVQeVe_hbmFtWFU6PY7FHB5brBeWDkXDii0exjn1PO-YekYaAzgCo73ZhmNKEQOceotgDcresAIqsShM6WDQP1Iish0fEIvzGle8DUbAFilkEWPxarIJz3C8e-oPr8xYXlSAvJoxYGamz6q_WQ3DjKHVudcbTCn34w3Dg5S/s4032/IMG_1691.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqtvKPdGzos1ap7B7ckAUgfVQeVe_hbmFtWFU6PY7FHB5brBeWDkXDii0exjn1PO-YekYaAzgCo73ZhmNKEQOceotgDcresAIqsShM6WDQP1Iish0fEIvzGle8DUbAFilkEWPxarIJz3C8e-oPr8xYXlSAvJoxYGamz6q_WQ3DjKHVudcbTCn34w3Dg5S/w480-h640/IMG_1691.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QeZCQfEg_xzJJa_kvAzmmhF7yy0URzHV_xOB2l8TwBvrkZffx7aTwCdND3QKEKaDGSkOJdJjCandpp3DLE3MkUepVCS_z0JqDD72R9eN8EXs9MxgazJpTNtob3eMzotkUnBktBrVmevXcMj10-dQQizP3Qlk1S1Ou8KPMgWtlO36XqX8ypqP1Jg1SAYQ/s4032/IMG_1693.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QeZCQfEg_xzJJa_kvAzmmhF7yy0URzHV_xOB2l8TwBvrkZffx7aTwCdND3QKEKaDGSkOJdJjCandpp3DLE3MkUepVCS_z0JqDD72R9eN8EXs9MxgazJpTNtob3eMzotkUnBktBrVmevXcMj10-dQQizP3Qlk1S1Ou8KPMgWtlO36XqX8ypqP1Jg1SAYQ/w480-h640/IMG_1693.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Outside on the porch the skeleton family has been picked clean by a new giant spider (from my neighbor's garage sale). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrnhBX8G_Iksnp3Ev9El8m1prgIbbppfrqEj707DYx__JqW18-cV5N50yTYS-fbs5pafyBBNZgmyQgP8sijHJ4cakslCFDfebIDdIlieRSdTCwJJvk1XPzK3VEwW8-S7-r6DFb5mQwzyGOWOnFV9rzebi323vbH3sF4LtUNTtlVwaIHhKERjBVu1sq6ta/s4032/IMG_1596.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrnhBX8G_Iksnp3Ev9El8m1prgIbbppfrqEj707DYx__JqW18-cV5N50yTYS-fbs5pafyBBNZgmyQgP8sijHJ4cakslCFDfebIDdIlieRSdTCwJJvk1XPzK3VEwW8-S7-r6DFb5mQwzyGOWOnFV9rzebi323vbH3sF4LtUNTtlVwaIHhKERjBVu1sq6ta/w480-h640/IMG_1596.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WniirCaaMayWDsvPftkYbGjnRcFlYWVJYwV3HSeWVNk4FecurJIe6hbvg1SIcS8qGw4e81f9szrVGqML1j5oS_kj-4cUh7DXD6F92QFfzlQHuZ8T6Yw6Vn5VW0fQfDMhxvPMNbs8EC7WZEAAloVfCn3Ierwgd0k7DNe466ZI7fevGm7FQo_2h3Whu3Sl/s4032/IMG_1587.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WniirCaaMayWDsvPftkYbGjnRcFlYWVJYwV3HSeWVNk4FecurJIe6hbvg1SIcS8qGw4e81f9szrVGqML1j5oS_kj-4cUh7DXD6F92QFfzlQHuZ8T6Yw6Vn5VW0fQfDMhxvPMNbs8EC7WZEAAloVfCn3Ierwgd0k7DNe466ZI7fevGm7FQo_2h3Whu3Sl/w480-h640/IMG_1587.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiThNFwC7pgUw47MoTFPl5AY8RadC-yh4Dg7p-zqa89naUNxRRCeJeA_wYfG9wg6TVwmVdPfXcKsmb86a80qtBTmWkT9rMLT4XrSXhO6eChremeKioe6Gx7UBsO7BHOBHtwP7PjqauaKIy34c-CqmWa2GUGARF6Z-Dw1vi6tA7NgULSiQqaOymOOmcUTV/s4032/IMG_1584.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiThNFwC7pgUw47MoTFPl5AY8RadC-yh4Dg7p-zqa89naUNxRRCeJeA_wYfG9wg6TVwmVdPfXcKsmb86a80qtBTmWkT9rMLT4XrSXhO6eChremeKioe6Gx7UBsO7BHOBHtwP7PjqauaKIy34c-CqmWa2GUGARF6Z-Dw1vi6tA7NgULSiQqaOymOOmcUTV/w480-h640/IMG_1584.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The graveyard is full of ghouls, evil clowns and bats. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilhIuX-nl1JHtprQ5N-ilfj5E0JuEHjsXitw0Cxpd7lqHaSaMj-cOU__6yvTCe1dpGd5RtrO6dgTmts_QIS2Nssx1lL916Do_RAYpqNV9P6FRhtkWqLhjfdH7gtCCdDl-Gvad3TMwh26pQE8KExUwLRjQhTCT0MBivZFrbplMFbQDXwGmfzwOjz8yjeAb/s5331/IMG_1583.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3001" data-original-width="5331" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilhIuX-nl1JHtprQ5N-ilfj5E0JuEHjsXitw0Cxpd7lqHaSaMj-cOU__6yvTCe1dpGd5RtrO6dgTmts_QIS2Nssx1lL916Do_RAYpqNV9P6FRhtkWqLhjfdH7gtCCdDl-Gvad3TMwh26pQE8KExUwLRjQhTCT0MBivZFrbplMFbQDXwGmfzwOjz8yjeAb/w640-h360/IMG_1583.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCawm07mkRdsLqP0Lpij8QPNz-ILw293klTIcscB6aV8z6sCM9MznF9eLfhv9XFYKFve2BW0WOmTEH-uDJv7709DBA3dY3x51mvMRJAFCJkZCnBpRhWH96Yy-D4I22yJ6R2tbVI4PzK6LVgHv856a4UZF5GiThX8f_nsJkIkfn9P0XZj7HG_FMFEf-ZEl/s4032/IMG_1576.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCawm07mkRdsLqP0Lpij8QPNz-ILw293klTIcscB6aV8z6sCM9MznF9eLfhv9XFYKFve2BW0WOmTEH-uDJv7709DBA3dY3x51mvMRJAFCJkZCnBpRhWH96Yy-D4I22yJ6R2tbVI4PzK6LVgHv856a4UZF5GiThX8f_nsJkIkfn9P0XZj7HG_FMFEf-ZEl/w640-h480/IMG_1576.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfAlCjPhBg-cTfM80dmc0_UlV_ItQA6CCA70SAiTE3W12mkO-pcCAAUz9pe_3lnOcLvgCpuu_OWQPB0_mvMNcHhe2yZtEdPrhOgHKrJjh-Kmyd3J7IgFf67y1HRy0mKAEv2s33o6AwuMp7JFLlzjOMaUCakS3iVnAvUHAIpGuqxl-TcYt1KPz05c4lDkB/s4032/IMG_1571.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfAlCjPhBg-cTfM80dmc0_UlV_ItQA6CCA70SAiTE3W12mkO-pcCAAUz9pe_3lnOcLvgCpuu_OWQPB0_mvMNcHhe2yZtEdPrhOgHKrJjh-Kmyd3J7IgFf67y1HRy0mKAEv2s33o6AwuMp7JFLlzjOMaUCakS3iVnAvUHAIpGuqxl-TcYt1KPz05c4lDkB/w480-h640/IMG_1571.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>At night it looks super spooky right now - I love it!!! The orange porch light makes the skeleton family extra creepy. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1qW5KTLyECJc3-u4icqf5aKacZYO0YmLKJjPRLVvVkTpBr1PynD3rr7ujTkNGNSV1BL93dyxLhaqvw38cKavsqCStEct3LLp2Ycx_5DaCk7JSMNwSBPEWxmRoRtIIxqdct_sDuTinmn362jyV8D_vjHGY8ocih_fYCFjXKWImeKhTDSiqfcWK4vb34Rh/s4032/IMG_3828.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1qW5KTLyECJc3-u4icqf5aKacZYO0YmLKJjPRLVvVkTpBr1PynD3rr7ujTkNGNSV1BL93dyxLhaqvw38cKavsqCStEct3LLp2Ycx_5DaCk7JSMNwSBPEWxmRoRtIIxqdct_sDuTinmn362jyV8D_vjHGY8ocih_fYCFjXKWImeKhTDSiqfcWK4vb34Rh/w480-h640/IMG_3828.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-i7zMv6u5aCfAZdipxeh64Jk_lXoX0HuElwZ8JfgDfwQQRL4JqeBK7YYyBN2GgzspqW6Ob434wO0fYm8rSebiNO8nJOV2w4RuFimqnvW6Nee5IQGk6Ji3JbBuCArw9Oiv9B3jEXSs5oeXCggT8ProZh1KRqaattWTE6Na4bkOOFd1b8sa4gjX0LYalR2/s4032/IMG_3830.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-i7zMv6u5aCfAZdipxeh64Jk_lXoX0HuElwZ8JfgDfwQQRL4JqeBK7YYyBN2GgzspqW6Ob434wO0fYm8rSebiNO8nJOV2w4RuFimqnvW6Nee5IQGk6Ji3JbBuCArw9Oiv9B3jEXSs5oeXCggT8ProZh1KRqaattWTE6Na4bkOOFd1b8sa4gjX0LYalR2/w480-h640/IMG_3830.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnb2pocq_0puA4lZ59yOC7aFlksmSpP_7ut7_3j-gsK_wqG9ZiSv45h7rYI3uWYmAI-LoAoEyNVlh1LsLF7L9vyDs5fT8P1z3mSXB5-vnqRdy2rRBwPOWXN4g3wN5LVkVT3p5at3nATyq9QpvytE-S4TNwLDYYBPZSSehpkY8gJWiv8LlRiqRvRenkWR5/s4032/IMG_3831.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnb2pocq_0puA4lZ59yOC7aFlksmSpP_7ut7_3j-gsK_wqG9ZiSv45h7rYI3uWYmAI-LoAoEyNVlh1LsLF7L9vyDs5fT8P1z3mSXB5-vnqRdy2rRBwPOWXN4g3wN5LVkVT3p5at3nATyq9QpvytE-S4TNwLDYYBPZSSehpkY8gJWiv8LlRiqRvRenkWR5/w480-h640/IMG_3831.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaIDMSn189PN35YLFcckKa3rAJRUbC0Ne-zu36x2_Vh3cCtrHaxB540Be5jz36yl5Mwq0e3L4dJyOawGhv5z9TsIThOjGuEjecZ97mkfjIhlg7Gz8R_aXgdRi2t7aSVh7rJxMoMlYFOyqAso5q3xntmUSca6kTeAqbcEbEPZii1OZnuh-gZlEVQMxsH3s/s4032/IMG_3834.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaIDMSn189PN35YLFcckKa3rAJRUbC0Ne-zu36x2_Vh3cCtrHaxB540Be5jz36yl5Mwq0e3L4dJyOawGhv5z9TsIThOjGuEjecZ97mkfjIhlg7Gz8R_aXgdRi2t7aSVh7rJxMoMlYFOyqAso5q3xntmUSca6kTeAqbcEbEPZii1OZnuh-gZlEVQMxsH3s/w480-h640/IMG_3834.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The graveyard has almost an ethereal glow in the pictures...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsduAYrDpk6lptSpt4R1xWx1Xy9_raNs923R0FcADHJnV96EQKTq2UoOOErlJWn31JdWcF9a2YvjivKbEcwqojOQ1UKitxGWgqooi2sCOktHI22i4HAAKzZLRjiicdW2o7iuvH7m1QMw6K4ttEYZ7IMq9eXcRVi-WfOw4oMmwTnrvJF10K8V7ymnNX42y/s4032/IMG_3839.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsduAYrDpk6lptSpt4R1xWx1Xy9_raNs923R0FcADHJnV96EQKTq2UoOOErlJWn31JdWcF9a2YvjivKbEcwqojOQ1UKitxGWgqooi2sCOktHI22i4HAAKzZLRjiicdW2o7iuvH7m1QMw6K4ttEYZ7IMq9eXcRVi-WfOw4oMmwTnrvJF10K8V7ymnNX42y/w480-h640/IMG_3839.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLUwZeWBv9DZTYeBQS1EZHstXePtGih-M7R_oZe61N55ElqmL6_L_QRp2igFj2c4wAwLUROZXDrCOHefooXUlIi4BVyIB69b-2dqx08sqRTsD-ezQiQ6DWj4P82Z8hwe4ZlI5b2N8gkXvOrSJpTkay6yQSEnMV1opUwhVVEi7aOo0lT3dWpVtEvqeRKis/s4032/IMG_3841.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLUwZeWBv9DZTYeBQS1EZHstXePtGih-M7R_oZe61N55ElqmL6_L_QRp2igFj2c4wAwLUROZXDrCOHefooXUlIi4BVyIB69b-2dqx08sqRTsD-ezQiQ6DWj4P82Z8hwe4ZlI5b2N8gkXvOrSJpTkay6yQSEnMV1opUwhVVEi7aOo0lT3dWpVtEvqeRKis/w480-h640/IMG_3841.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As always, we are looking forward to the big night! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGEz42NrVGnHrwNF-NTipE7Y822s_cfb_WjxlZvsCGcHJQbAA-uR9WFbfulZQcGLgMO_y4Vh7pJFKrTZwACv0CjOniREq-Y7WGXNl4TJRh-xghwILKtNsJCVSNKbGghLurnUYEQDOZUXKdV0EVmTyPP0CKlsWIrEvwbl2ac4P2_uhuXY_AjwStA6SXjH-/s4032/IMG_3835.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGEz42NrVGnHrwNF-NTipE7Y822s_cfb_WjxlZvsCGcHJQbAA-uR9WFbfulZQcGLgMO_y4Vh7pJFKrTZwACv0CjOniREq-Y7WGXNl4TJRh-xghwILKtNsJCVSNKbGghLurnUYEQDOZUXKdV0EVmTyPP0CKlsWIrEvwbl2ac4P2_uhuXY_AjwStA6SXjH-/w480-h640/IMG_3835.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-87669713756802053032023-10-04T13:56:00.001-04:002023-10-04T13:56:00.143-04:00Navy Blue Half Bath<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh8Nr6Mt-5QAkfbVPAbTLZYRyrC6mewWJ567G5xLLdj3eDZnLbVPRKBkDNyVg4yXsxbbMbbBXFiNTb8cWaYtMvgBtnqPUZPWoRH3FUroaRKJ8XMzIn1W3ckQ56EHj7LHjUqRCGrFvA9vSyWy1gvVhvlzw_oNK6j2KiddNDTMGHTx76xRCnt2tan4syYaE/s4032/IMG_1232.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh8Nr6Mt-5QAkfbVPAbTLZYRyrC6mewWJ567G5xLLdj3eDZnLbVPRKBkDNyVg4yXsxbbMbbBXFiNTb8cWaYtMvgBtnqPUZPWoRH3FUroaRKJ8XMzIn1W3ckQ56EHj7LHjUqRCGrFvA9vSyWy1gvVhvlzw_oNK6j2KiddNDTMGHTx76xRCnt2tan4syYaE/w480-h640/IMG_1232.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>We painted the half bathroom navy blue a few months ago and I never took pictures because this room is impossible to photograph. It's just way too small. I decided to just take a few quick pics to share here today though, because I figure a few snaps are better than nothing! I really like the dark blue for this space - it compliments the wallpaper nicely, coordinates with the navy blue couch in the living room and hides dirty handprints from the boys well (coming in from outside to wash their hands in here)!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIMu6F6EkTRQ4TGPkvt7UfBaXJeRcE1Xty3SwsiB-ITsLJ3lZtQ8Z7e9IQhyphenhyphenc1Tw2LB1AVLmbgJfggrHe210KTIvka_nppHD-2rr-VcLykOSkK3jkPC0U7aCtjX1IfLyyqSDwnRVj2mEwVVLGBV7vl3lbzod6KseNlffWL5HMddzG9PF7c6Bq0Xf3JtYP/s4032/IMG_1237.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIMu6F6EkTRQ4TGPkvt7UfBaXJeRcE1Xty3SwsiB-ITsLJ3lZtQ8Z7e9IQhyphenhyphenc1Tw2LB1AVLmbgJfggrHe210KTIvka_nppHD-2rr-VcLykOSkK3jkPC0U7aCtjX1IfLyyqSDwnRVj2mEwVVLGBV7vl3lbzod6KseNlffWL5HMddzG9PF7c6Bq0Xf3JtYP/w480-h640/IMG_1237.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>We had lots of navy blue paint leftover after finally painting Matt's bedroom ceiling (photos coming soon). He wanted a dark blue night sky with glow-in-the-dark stars just like his big brother. The yellow walls were not in good shape, so this was an ideal solution. The color is Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection Hale Navy, just to keep things consistent around the house. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPZ_mxVSWJNUIpJd3uUJJWCw0HwCQJmENlMJqrKEfFzgU8Hq_PXBLrRORT1dica0VvWK13V67XUl-l2nWVWuxNKZtOP1_s73ebs7hvYCPjhMAbHLg3z4g6GmpUizUeJtvrkY6f1oquGj1DNjD1rj3pE6ySsFNWuzbpEajXTipmy2ipJguKAKv0QpLqaGt/s4032/IMG_1233.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPZ_mxVSWJNUIpJd3uUJJWCw0HwCQJmENlMJqrKEfFzgU8Hq_PXBLrRORT1dica0VvWK13V67XUl-l2nWVWuxNKZtOP1_s73ebs7hvYCPjhMAbHLg3z4g6GmpUizUeJtvrkY6f1oquGj1DNjD1rj3pE6ySsFNWuzbpEajXTipmy2ipJguKAKv0QpLqaGt/w480-h640/IMG_1233.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The room needs some updating and fixes, but that's a project for another day. Just don't look too closely. The paint is good enough for now. </div><br /><p></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-22496942009470043692023-09-29T12:32:00.001-04:002023-09-29T12:32:00.147-04:00September Garden<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WmS3nqTGE_S9BXnKrxNxBgEXcugpQDbnu3c42basEIw7v5Iunifnl_gTk7dx5kFSI1fUsVOI37OwCQvXQBCr1QKKxRQKvyKevjbPtDuXMV-0fzs9UoCINOQOXi0W6SguMuC615M8ArqEjJaC2Wab_NVZOkNWR4VqbN9fyMGyk8Hyt58qkxQFNJC0i8rY/s4032/IMG_1265.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WmS3nqTGE_S9BXnKrxNxBgEXcugpQDbnu3c42basEIw7v5Iunifnl_gTk7dx5kFSI1fUsVOI37OwCQvXQBCr1QKKxRQKvyKevjbPtDuXMV-0fzs9UoCINOQOXi0W6SguMuC615M8ArqEjJaC2Wab_NVZOkNWR4VqbN9fyMGyk8Hyt58qkxQFNJC0i8rY/w640-h480/IMG_1265.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>The garden is fading, as September gardens do. </p><p>Gone are the tomatoes, the melon vines, the cucumber vines. The nasturtium has taken over an entire bed. The cosmos succumbed to blight, the zinnias continue to struggle. I'll enjoy the dahlias and snapdragons until the frost that will wipe out the dahlias once and for all at some point in October. I really felt like I found the right combination and balance in the garden this year. Even though not everything did well, I plan on repeating it next year and hoping for the best. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tomatoes (or where they used to be) </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eQOEX1UPeOFRJQfsSYfGUJ7KQLOL6FfjEtco9Wwx9VTFgZMnkaFeiFaGUgej7skGDOOGmS-n9VLNKtK4taormqSD24p5Y8kmmrZ9RmbVKE9hboxp8-qG47twjCJOPGuxPERSl2bdnjLTQ1Sko7fNKIr_OFP7dVtU0yUPL4hpfDOVX8NpfH2R1nfs8qmS/s4032/IMG_1248.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eQOEX1UPeOFRJQfsSYfGUJ7KQLOL6FfjEtco9Wwx9VTFgZMnkaFeiFaGUgej7skGDOOGmS-n9VLNKtK4taormqSD24p5Y8kmmrZ9RmbVKE9hboxp8-qG47twjCJOPGuxPERSl2bdnjLTQ1Sko7fNKIr_OFP7dVtU0yUPL4hpfDOVX8NpfH2R1nfs8qmS/w480-h640/IMG_1248.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwrKksRcHhiWqmcjn-CE3cQsB29Rx_uExaHfRStgdJJSkVdVRfU9K_4yooq7pydwb70j994-i1r_yQsOWMRgTNABr_SVLRgHzpAEzWbUk5Mpi5rnbUaKJBJmk5qsqaTqXKas_8krOXaVT6drBlSxNwnRi8ibrF8hvwXzD3IIkRLgTZPChZ0w8sE9SaIEB/s4032/IMG_1261.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwrKksRcHhiWqmcjn-CE3cQsB29Rx_uExaHfRStgdJJSkVdVRfU9K_4yooq7pydwb70j994-i1r_yQsOWMRgTNABr_SVLRgHzpAEzWbUk5Mpi5rnbUaKJBJmk5qsqaTqXKas_8krOXaVT6drBlSxNwnRi8ibrF8hvwXzD3IIkRLgTZPChZ0w8sE9SaIEB/w480-h640/IMG_1261.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The tomatoes were pulled up at the very end of August as I mentioned in last month's garden update. I was tired of feeding the chipmunks and there weren't many green tomatoes left either. Last year the tomatoes were overabundant, but this year, not so much. The pollinators love the marigolds and borage, so those will stay until frost. I think I'll repeat the same varieties next year (2 paste, 2 cherry sweet 100s, 1 tappy heritage, 1 early girl and 2 bushsteak hybrid) and hope for better results. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines and Things</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pvTBjdWHso7xZZAXaKW4sJ1qMkICpWHE1XGfPOuowcq-moez3kEGs_gUr6v4xSYi4FQFXpxYzrodgjtsOAsCoeib_5gqjhkWmfvozJzixa4xnOhmwcnSFKfPKjw4Yh9i4atgjw742TznLyU_medlO_nI8-gLgKN3_YSOCINFCe1cTMfNnNNvc5DQrr38/s4032/IMG_1255.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pvTBjdWHso7xZZAXaKW4sJ1qMkICpWHE1XGfPOuowcq-moez3kEGs_gUr6v4xSYi4FQFXpxYzrodgjtsOAsCoeib_5gqjhkWmfvozJzixa4xnOhmwcnSFKfPKjw4Yh9i4atgjw742TznLyU_medlO_nI8-gLgKN3_YSOCINFCe1cTMfNnNNvc5DQrr38/w480-h640/IMG_1255.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2Zh0VBXQkfC65-IjSddugGVBz3rvRusrMx2g_jvRBVBmf19q_seod1wLA02MDAz6M9y9TkIK3lkkwVcBo1rSVEgd745M_4ZCbgn6_KzpnRMou4YhTPFn82CtcdeGWwAbwdPX8tRquqcYlDTVRQHZNh9HuUOly2N8XVEElLbAhI_4LoeoIEQzT7NC3Plb/s4032/IMG_1252.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2Zh0VBXQkfC65-IjSddugGVBz3rvRusrMx2g_jvRBVBmf19q_seod1wLA02MDAz6M9y9TkIK3lkkwVcBo1rSVEgd745M_4ZCbgn6_KzpnRMou4YhTPFn82CtcdeGWwAbwdPX8tRquqcYlDTVRQHZNh9HuUOly2N8XVEElLbAhI_4LoeoIEQzT7NC3Plb/w480-h640/IMG_1252.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>I pulled up the cucumber and melon vines mid-September. I picked the last of the cucumbers and the melons had already finished. Now the nasturtium has taken over and the chard is shining bright. The carrots will get pulled up in October. I skipped mini pumpkins in this bed this year and I missed them. I tried them elsewhere in the yard, but the vine was eaten. The garden is the safest place for them to grow, however they attract squash vine borers and I'm trying to break the cycle of infestation by skipping all squashes/pumpkins for a while. If I hold strong another year, it would help even more. But I wish we had grown some now that Autumn is here. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Mixed Flowers</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRqUe8BWZ35SmErlN_IOuUBzv8AakYO-i211cP9E1ahgbO7CEWoIe5fwEi4f922QbNFamKIh5Vmnt9Xt5u1KrGUU0qTNi0QrKYDgqqMg-gJxMEbrVAgp2FrY2i84_jIqsqgbmihBHFybIb5Lpq2VNHKXh1i4ZoxyagWuRfw9zSuXkRRWzGLRBuwtjitKS/s4032/IMG_1253.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRqUe8BWZ35SmErlN_IOuUBzv8AakYO-i211cP9E1ahgbO7CEWoIe5fwEi4f922QbNFamKIh5Vmnt9Xt5u1KrGUU0qTNi0QrKYDgqqMg-gJxMEbrVAgp2FrY2i84_jIqsqgbmihBHFybIb5Lpq2VNHKXh1i4ZoxyagWuRfw9zSuXkRRWzGLRBuwtjitKS/w480-h640/IMG_1253.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The snapdragons are producing less flowers as the month goes on, the cooler temps and shorter days signaling the season will soon wrap up. There are still blooms, but handfuls instead of bucketfuls. The cosmos withered away from blight, but there were lots of beautiful flowers all summer. The zinnias continue to limp along - these are usually my easiest flower to grow but this year wasn't their year. The globe amaranth did much better with a corner placement. Next year I will plant this bed exactly the same (hopefully with happier zinnias). </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Dahlias</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifes8H0OVJUOpv5wX7yxQ-xByLll60SqO-3SAyr9s04ilMkPHzbEXpfyOIZ-N8CtAtJyeU9_jx6ktzL1CRPn5ZmG_jmVbNa6YPy5vPI_vWIHthy9fVdQc3SpjCO_4i_DZoXlaXpsqJW2MsLUvckKdOxD9e8D5eDyfrNlFhia4NUqAZCg4wMNZUg9k4cL_2/s4032/IMG_1249.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifes8H0OVJUOpv5wX7yxQ-xByLll60SqO-3SAyr9s04ilMkPHzbEXpfyOIZ-N8CtAtJyeU9_jx6ktzL1CRPn5ZmG_jmVbNa6YPy5vPI_vWIHthy9fVdQc3SpjCO_4i_DZoXlaXpsqJW2MsLUvckKdOxD9e8D5eDyfrNlFhia4NUqAZCg4wMNZUg9k4cL_2/w480-h640/IMG_1249.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8lid1hkL_h3p_U5_8XRaiz_4GBMjH56kGvQMpWZZxGh_1Na8enN_gblDFvgAI8PjBX97tB5ylybqPgR7gexDm5WLDq-5QiH78ugc8hOOpSE00FoiJTgJhElNblyqPeqqXxCeyoejKlRfIQOGSpSd7ZmDCgyNQrOxwS8WB34xJQg9C9E15pGNOKBjtqO1/s4032/IMG_1259.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8lid1hkL_h3p_U5_8XRaiz_4GBMjH56kGvQMpWZZxGh_1Na8enN_gblDFvgAI8PjBX97tB5ylybqPgR7gexDm5WLDq-5QiH78ugc8hOOpSE00FoiJTgJhElNblyqPeqqXxCeyoejKlRfIQOGSpSd7ZmDCgyNQrOxwS8WB34xJQg9C9E15pGNOKBjtqO1/w480-h640/IMG_1259.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGA9Bm5t9gGXQ-4cM_9IrgOK2XL8EvCQ47-PwkYcyqKSlRiaH5dn1GD0t8Z7xaj3jbtNIMnl5AbI_ezm421MyqwyAFo7zlxpA5a_6Fjc3SY_HgmOkZ7rp8-DMNBIXC9jzjX_yhQCQ10-6TNp_HWlZYj-VpDQ2imWCFKr8eya56D6ATai6FwWsmZ8h7A7Sl/s4032/IMG_1246.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGA9Bm5t9gGXQ-4cM_9IrgOK2XL8EvCQ47-PwkYcyqKSlRiaH5dn1GD0t8Z7xaj3jbtNIMnl5AbI_ezm421MyqwyAFo7zlxpA5a_6Fjc3SY_HgmOkZ7rp8-DMNBIXC9jzjX_yhQCQ10-6TNp_HWlZYj-VpDQ2imWCFKr8eya56D6ATai6FwWsmZ8h7A7Sl/w640-h480/IMG_1246.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>This was a MUCH better year for dahlias that last year. I didn't have to spray anything with insecticidal soap or neem oil (which I really hated doing because it's bad for the pollinators). I had lots of gorgeous blooms. The plants are so tall now that they are snapping branches in our many heavy rainstorms. It's been a much needed good year - after last year's mite infestation I was ready to give up. This year has renewed my love of the flowers! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs and Strawberries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1-nzwSNxaEHPBgp-0mJIG6-4r1YXEjBPSTypwu-1PRB2GFvr1gO4SpL2KqshAdDocvJ4Odws35EyGYf3HsMsoANbngKfwQaT8FhDECqMpzugVsnemls8LDeY1h3XGj8EydnA5lsCgyqrj0imSrunY0jsJZTYwfkoo9GCyNSJ_kUA46arcLeefb72vpz_/s4032/IMG_1258.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1-nzwSNxaEHPBgp-0mJIG6-4r1YXEjBPSTypwu-1PRB2GFvr1gO4SpL2KqshAdDocvJ4Odws35EyGYf3HsMsoANbngKfwQaT8FhDECqMpzugVsnemls8LDeY1h3XGj8EydnA5lsCgyqrj0imSrunY0jsJZTYwfkoo9GCyNSJ_kUA46arcLeefb72vpz_/w480-h640/IMG_1258.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2yn5fao6z1lZzNLa9Z-p8mGvxzjCY4pqzFFz9OiDbtdjiUBLGrAqqUJJcXzDB6iGmnVDJjD1ttmDMtjdgmXuFqxcXXFXE8lA-Jpr_XnPI7QG_hLNhrb_TpJkqvxrfTYe1-geVSc8Ew9sw4FC5agjusd9xyheZQXCG5_AyTc1v4fU6jjKY2v0hH1EwuWl/s4032/IMG_1254.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2yn5fao6z1lZzNLa9Z-p8mGvxzjCY4pqzFFz9OiDbtdjiUBLGrAqqUJJcXzDB6iGmnVDJjD1ttmDMtjdgmXuFqxcXXFXE8lA-Jpr_XnPI7QG_hLNhrb_TpJkqvxrfTYe1-geVSc8Ew9sw4FC5agjusd9xyheZQXCG5_AyTc1v4fU6jjKY2v0hH1EwuWl/w480-h640/IMG_1254.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The herbs all did really well except for the basil, and that was probably weather related. The purple sunflower was a nice change of pace over the giant sunflowers I usually plant here, it kept blooming through the summer. The oregano needs to be cut way back in the late fall/ early spring - it's trying to take over the bed again. </p><p>The rosemary bush will be harvested and put into a pot in the green house. There are two lavenders in this bed, one I'll cage and cover with leaves, the other I'll dig up and overwinter in the greenhouse like I did last year. The sage will be harvested and transplanted into a greenhouse pot as well. The thyme, oregano and strawberries will be overwintered here. The chamomille, calendula, borage, dill and sunflowers will start fresh again next year from seed. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FKuqGFE44qf_zRwEzoBuDp953OE0gcGYZS2oPWygMkb8bdx4exdSOlezqhnlqfyGdhyphenhyphenDg3XYCWwkFMg8aQ2UE1WORLUvNX_9cerjgi8MDEycT0cKJEH8nqFKU5OVvRf1qaNdhFhyphenhyphencdJ3UpzMATRYNq8Hg1j4GI9fzkUQqgtqOHOlwYplYdX3hHcQoRdj/s4032/IMG_1251.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FKuqGFE44qf_zRwEzoBuDp953OE0gcGYZS2oPWygMkb8bdx4exdSOlezqhnlqfyGdhyphenhyphenDg3XYCWwkFMg8aQ2UE1WORLUvNX_9cerjgi8MDEycT0cKJEH8nqFKU5OVvRf1qaNdhFhyphenhyphencdJ3UpzMATRYNq8Hg1j4GI9fzkUQqgtqOHOlwYplYdX3hHcQoRdj/w480-h640/IMG_1251.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge03GoIOLM9oJiYnDQjmPnZcQh7ADTM6_BW7Bahu-f3yZJXc7_54bx4v11LpdKaV0N7pEXaD3E2w8vFGKWN8mpTf4oeusVS4PgYI2_l5tUBRxqFQEXuzvGV-DHpOCA7IGjhlpkICa3TFgs_Gn4hAxGpKbldJCebYgD_jWD7DTuyo7zu7_I6-LSVfM1QTrK/s4032/IMG_1239.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge03GoIOLM9oJiYnDQjmPnZcQh7ADTM6_BW7Bahu-f3yZJXc7_54bx4v11LpdKaV0N7pEXaD3E2w8vFGKWN8mpTf4oeusVS4PgYI2_l5tUBRxqFQEXuzvGV-DHpOCA7IGjhlpkICa3TFgs_Gn4hAxGpKbldJCebYgD_jWD7DTuyo7zu7_I6-LSVfM1QTrK/w480-h640/IMG_1239.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The pots did well. The small snapdragons kept blooming on and off all season. The morning glory actually is doing better than previous years by far, I'm hoping to see blooms in early October. The hot peppers are the perfect level of spicy and abundant. The lemon balm was abundant. The only plant I had issues with was the patio tomato in a pot and that was mostly due to the chipmunks. Even the potted dahlias are blooming, which doesn't always happen because my dahlias have never been very happy in pots. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the Yard</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fW1_JKesTL8BH9KaK6W6L_5u5qKUpGwNpybhDgfc2GLmh0-EtP8aVYJtJ9oyT3LX_54Jg-iP00dj5WvXWJhsAYexhDJnse1S1-eAz_VMhCLzjfIJHEhJaYindaniYwRHrEVjcffoq7utZKQmgLZ58OV_UA8EzjcJuR7pg3h9rxVyZ1x4lLcCeDG06FrY/s4032/IMG_1007.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fW1_JKesTL8BH9KaK6W6L_5u5qKUpGwNpybhDgfc2GLmh0-EtP8aVYJtJ9oyT3LX_54Jg-iP00dj5WvXWJhsAYexhDJnse1S1-eAz_VMhCLzjfIJHEhJaYindaniYwRHrEVjcffoq7utZKQmgLZ58OV_UA8EzjcJuR7pg3h9rxVyZ1x4lLcCeDG06FrY/w640-h480/IMG_1007.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>September brought elderberries! A lot of elderberries, even though the birds love them too. I did not anticipate how difficult they are to get off the stems (<i>which are apparently toxic, great</i>). I read a tutorial to freeze them first, which did help make it easier for about 5-10 minutes... then the berries thawed! So they have to be done in small batches. Luckily they seem to only ripen a few bunches at a time, so as long as I don't let them pile up in the chest freezer we're good to go.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjty8Q3kZ7st7PWOlRe90s73Bz3RhUyCy7umhUbRiALbEUh8V33vEnhm_qtuzfwMhErPNOOUduGgbiE3in7CtN41tfgLAYGj1L5O-8w_7xjwyS9zxvUnvH5lcjzCCIkaYw5BYX2qdCTgWE8x03HINA-x_STZk8gZH623u_XE3rZ4aziGAslU9uKYmZI9g/s4032/IMG_1269.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjty8Q3kZ7st7PWOlRe90s73Bz3RhUyCy7umhUbRiALbEUh8V33vEnhm_qtuzfwMhErPNOOUduGgbiE3in7CtN41tfgLAYGj1L5O-8w_7xjwyS9zxvUnvH5lcjzCCIkaYw5BYX2qdCTgWE8x03HINA-x_STZk8gZH623u_XE3rZ4aziGAslU9uKYmZI9g/w480-h640/IMG_1269.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>There are a lot of figs on the fig tree right now, but we've only had a few ripe ones. I have a feeling there will be quite a few in October as long as the frost holds off. Fingers crossed!</p><p>I had a surprise this week - a handful of raspberries hidden in the raspberry thicket in late September. I was looking for a lost ball and I've never seen this before, we usually get one big harvest in June and that's it! I'm surprised the birds found this before I did! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKmqGtnWnk48UGB8Ofi0j6XtHal061DgkqO0iwWcVgZKXrpxBMblY3EMPjW4gF8y3JBxnbtCNgJkxVhOjuTgPZ4NKqCRW_yYep2HFBn_SvhzaVxjQQYGF48dYXGo2Jax4b2bRovIdtBovQsE2OeFzcYBa7O5akUVVG0H5d72SXn7tRM-C1xlPaoX2oW_S/s4032/IMG_1272.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKmqGtnWnk48UGB8Ofi0j6XtHal061DgkqO0iwWcVgZKXrpxBMblY3EMPjW4gF8y3JBxnbtCNgJkxVhOjuTgPZ4NKqCRW_yYep2HFBn_SvhzaVxjQQYGF48dYXGo2Jax4b2bRovIdtBovQsE2OeFzcYBa7O5akUVVG0H5d72SXn7tRM-C1xlPaoX2oW_S/w480-h640/IMG_1272.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>Also I just need to share my dark pink anemone, because it is blooming right now in the back and it's GORGEOUS. This anemone is so polite compared to my light pink ones, compact and covered in blooms but doesn't try to take over. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTE4HCP1_wTHcvYR8eHYaggX3-3PxL2Av8vCm2u_d5rv28eg7diVkhokzjHKCA_inqBz-sbAxlqcNaE3wOKcNg1hcZQsZsYsU4TvIvyAxvNpPEs_DnKRopr6C9taRCCjfeh5AoUtVrX6ZJVhUSgQgCwcJPF4lqYteog6LgxnwvDb77baweRsxo5FyHfNX/s4032/IMG_1070.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTE4HCP1_wTHcvYR8eHYaggX3-3PxL2Av8vCm2u_d5rv28eg7diVkhokzjHKCA_inqBz-sbAxlqcNaE3wOKcNg1hcZQsZsYsU4TvIvyAxvNpPEs_DnKRopr6C9taRCCjfeh5AoUtVrX6ZJVhUSgQgCwcJPF4lqYteog6LgxnwvDb77baweRsxo5FyHfNX/w640-h480/IMG_1070.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-90698037453812715082023-09-28T13:12:00.002-04:002023-09-28T13:12:08.006-04:00Late September Musings <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNUgMZEnmr6Gx93ezZlH2uCM-KyQSQqBU1ayx-qr_A1aWcldhABrMAEGcFfYnvJcnnlYciLkTCTHIB0VTBmmpwGAAazxJ7qtaM6ajnkFBYijNYInx2r7Wz_9aZ0FeU6sVKFt--kofHMcok2wWFRt-iH2qi3h_HVM0f22JqC0355LkYKc_LPjvqHz768Lr/s4032/IMG_9155.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNUgMZEnmr6Gx93ezZlH2uCM-KyQSQqBU1ayx-qr_A1aWcldhABrMAEGcFfYnvJcnnlYciLkTCTHIB0VTBmmpwGAAazxJ7qtaM6ajnkFBYijNYInx2r7Wz_9aZ0FeU6sVKFt--kofHMcok2wWFRt-iH2qi3h_HVM0f22JqC0355LkYKc_LPjvqHz768Lr/w640-h480/IMG_9155.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>How in the heck is it late September? Life has been a whirlwind. I'm juggling, floundering, living, flourishing, surviving. It's crazy, beautiful chaos and I'm consistently overwhelmed on even the best days. Sometimes it feels like I'm leveling up and that I've totally got this. Sometimes it feels like it's all too much.</p><p>The silver lining (<i>realization #53 of my forties: my toxic trait is that I am an aggressive seeker of silver linings</i>) is a major shift in perspective this year. </p><p>I have to <i>choose</i> exactly where I want to spend my time. I am setting boundaries with myself (as a serial people pleaser) - why am I spending time on this? Does this need to happen? Does it make our lives better? Does it make me happy or fulfilled? Does it make our family happy? Does this strengthen our family or community? Am I sharing this for myself and memories, or is it to stroke my own ego? Can I put this off? Let this go? Am I really letting someone down or is it no longer measuring myself by the expectations of others? How do I want to spend these little bits of precious time?</p><p>These questions have led us to... a messier house (but not so messy that it stresses me out). A dirty car. A mulch pile that is <i>still</i> sitting in the driveway. Laundry that doesn't always get put away. A neglected section of my yard that desperately needs weeding. Neglected craft kits bought with good intentions. A garage that still needs to be cleaned out. A basement that needs to be organized. But also... plenty of flowers in the garden and backyard. More friends over. More family visits. More play dates and trips to the pool and swims in the backyard and family bike rides and hikes and day trips and core memories. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPiuyR0dzISU9tMyY8jgEyZ2xZ5_74oMo8NtfEexxxYrBFXqBSID0CNHLCxtOvEpaTZdJ2XmsaMTw0gecxushaUZqOVCtjLMyejaOTOAxVi2oElzePQrKG0QZYaKvv1BYg9JUeJax3lKmx15C7b1-CybFKxSqgND7pUKMYSBETNU6qgEjW29AlwwqvnP6/s4032/IMG_0434.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPiuyR0dzISU9tMyY8jgEyZ2xZ5_74oMo8NtfEexxxYrBFXqBSID0CNHLCxtOvEpaTZdJ2XmsaMTw0gecxushaUZqOVCtjLMyejaOTOAxVi2oElzePQrKG0QZYaKvv1BYg9JUeJax3lKmx15C7b1-CybFKxSqgND7pUKMYSBETNU6qgEjW29AlwwqvnP6/w480-h640/IMG_0434.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>I am trying to carve out bits for myself, otherwise I would have gone batty months ago. All summer I made sure to take the time to <i>enjoy</i> the backyard pool more and not just <i>clean</i> it. I actually tried to swim or relax on my favorite float with headphones. We swam in the ocean, hiked to waterfalls, saw the rings of Saturn and the super moon from our telescope, watched the Perseides meteor shower from the mountains, floated down the Delaware River. Flowers and gardening are my big happy and I pick bouquets that fill our house until frost. I drink lavender cold brew, draw on my iPad or sketchbook, ride my bike, walk the dog, read plenty of books and try to meditate a few times a week. My goal is to spark joy, celebrate milestones and little things. Big adventures and small ones. <i>Find the silver linings. </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pRzwJ6ol8rhFJEXBuZ-PEM8rTwaksgArpUB3TZ3lf6k-9evpEQa3b8cXxhwXF1pXhckldRdZN6-_dN0rOtYC7-tJJnbW-QIIC_EyePylJt5DLJCtpe_wKMrss8VGA8bq_rtJq0jpDxfgkItEz5Mso-vt4mlu9V7S3uePIMjcxmbuaqMZQ0JolXbY9Xrb/s4032/IMG_1165.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pRzwJ6ol8rhFJEXBuZ-PEM8rTwaksgArpUB3TZ3lf6k-9evpEQa3b8cXxhwXF1pXhckldRdZN6-_dN0rOtYC7-tJJnbW-QIIC_EyePylJt5DLJCtpe_wKMrss8VGA8bq_rtJq0jpDxfgkItEz5Mso-vt4mlu9V7S3uePIMjcxmbuaqMZQ0JolXbY9Xrb/w640-h480/IMG_1165.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>And time is in short supply. Having two <i>very</i> active boys in multiple year-round sports is... a lot. It's good for them for a million reasons, it's fun, and we support whatever they want to do. I'm fully immersed in this season of life because I want to be here for it, I want to <i>enjoy</i> it. I know now that this is as fleeting as the early years which felt so endless at the time and are now distant specks in the rearview. The games and meets, the practices, the driving, the volunteer hours at their schools, the fun outings, family time and friend time and everything - it all takes up pieces of a finite amount of time. </p><p>In April, May, June we had a completely insane schedule of double taekwondo and double baseball chaos, plus birthday season and general end-of-year craziness. June and July were packed with trying to juggle camps, swim team, swim lessons and taekwondo. In August camps wrapped up, we were grieving the loss of Mike's dad, we went away to the mountains in New York state, we prepped Oliver for middle school. September has been a lot of back-to-school chaos, both boys in soccer and taekwondo <i>and</i> Oliver is doing the middle school cross country team. It's A LOT. However, for Oliver this is his year of new sports... swim, cross country, wrestling, fencing, track and field... because we fell into the trap of "do what we've always done" in athletics (after a couple of failed attempts at new sports). We realized it's time to try some new things and explore new opportunities before he's locked out due to lack of experience. So this year is Oliver's journey to discover what else is out there, what sports he also enjoys. So far he loves swimming and he loves running... next year is going to be full of tough choices! </p><p>As for my choices and this space, I know I've been posting less while flying too fast through my life. There have been so many distractions, and it's easy to overlook what I'm doing here, but the truth is I still like it. Writing and taking photos takes up precious time, but I'm looking at this blog like a journal. In the long run it's fulfilling to have posts to look back on. Re-reading some of my old content has brought me lot of joy. So I'm going to try to make a bit more effort in this space again (hopefully), I want to choose to come here more often. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuvumV6NgtU4PGe7G-hgp04HgpvtL72I021TPE8OWwy6uBMNQmrnv6Wg8o7KvzFdnG6n29iHu9Td_TVZ-7GZVyM6FjlZkGt0U7_1x31ca81ydcIQk409Cl8C7uN7QiBKTq-B8U9pKDQwxkU9VvAAotdE2wiHojYrHButm-VyQcwbwREWrm2RYMOMLWsQj/s4032/IMG_1154.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuvumV6NgtU4PGe7G-hgp04HgpvtL72I021TPE8OWwy6uBMNQmrnv6Wg8o7KvzFdnG6n29iHu9Td_TVZ-7GZVyM6FjlZkGt0U7_1x31ca81ydcIQk409Cl8C7uN7QiBKTq-B8U9pKDQwxkU9VvAAotdE2wiHojYrHButm-VyQcwbwREWrm2RYMOMLWsQj/w640-h480/IMG_1154.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-17118469073127008142023-08-31T17:20:00.248-04:002023-08-31T17:20:00.135-04:00August Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuJQk9cSoQTP9Cq-ZpkRyFF4llM3fLtYesU99VizrVAZWrBcN9CzP6Oq3mmhZogYBsclZv4T2TL44rORAO-nPBtfDniIHO1OayydMpli6vMWs0E7u1PKoNtSMdJP2C1dvoH3itMiRHhkWqyedZBGDOY2HBLCVt_jy4cQ92xEsjs4a9R_9XGd28k70SuVu/s4032/IMG_0650.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuJQk9cSoQTP9Cq-ZpkRyFF4llM3fLtYesU99VizrVAZWrBcN9CzP6Oq3mmhZogYBsclZv4T2TL44rORAO-nPBtfDniIHO1OayydMpli6vMWs0E7u1PKoNtSMdJP2C1dvoH3itMiRHhkWqyedZBGDOY2HBLCVt_jy4cQ92xEsjs4a9R_9XGd28k70SuVu/w480-h640/IMG_0650.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>August started strong. Everything in the garden was at peak harvest and loveliness. Then the heat, humidity and rains of August brought the blight. The cucumber vines went from a wall of green to a shriveled yellow mess in a couple of weeks. The tips of the dahlia leaves began to yellow and brown. The zinnias, never having done well this year, started to show freckled brown spots along with the melons. The tomato blight + chipmunks were decimating my tomato crop and I was tired of feeding the critters every tomato that was about to ripen (these little monsters are excellent climbers and can reach it all). Last week I picked every green tomato that was left and pulled up the plants. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbz2EhwMiGjK4y1nE39mnajkHgBulXdSJZHtf9GR8AgVTSjRZl2umfMWYc59WUa2Yk5nwg61HY77cFQYcgXw3wsRz-BgqHuklbYjBjJjtGGJDuMaOiUGulaOcQ48QWyNDDnPXON1DhnQptM3ZVg5ZbbuYKDMXKnqccYeJlPNY00CLOil-_nV1gCLOVWUU/s4032/IMG_0651.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbz2EhwMiGjK4y1nE39mnajkHgBulXdSJZHtf9GR8AgVTSjRZl2umfMWYc59WUa2Yk5nwg61HY77cFQYcgXw3wsRz-BgqHuklbYjBjJjtGGJDuMaOiUGulaOcQ48QWyNDDnPXON1DhnQptM3ZVg5ZbbuYKDMXKnqccYeJlPNY00CLOil-_nV1gCLOVWUU/w480-h640/IMG_0651.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><b>Tomatoes</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYqUv_ouwbZ3LhdJsa8K5d1ktByjFMWJeDWVtfgIqU3UIe2ObrUYzGEEa0hBoPPF6gGYdfPbRZmA_mWoAZ9jgxzuk-VNkxA9-Atw3KapcXludBqXe99oXkHkcbjw-csNm3PXriEgT-5X2M12dJNpy3M-YSJT0XkwiLDYZy_t_U-FMln5K-fxi4D5N2pfC/s4032/IMG_0405.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYqUv_ouwbZ3LhdJsa8K5d1ktByjFMWJeDWVtfgIqU3UIe2ObrUYzGEEa0hBoPPF6gGYdfPbRZmA_mWoAZ9jgxzuk-VNkxA9-Atw3KapcXludBqXe99oXkHkcbjw-csNm3PXriEgT-5X2M12dJNpy3M-YSJT0XkwiLDYZy_t_U-FMln5K-fxi4D5N2pfC/w480-h640/IMG_0405.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhID-rKCSubc7KohP3mRCit30TzhorwjtsN1yIL6Yu-6lVE9D9ocNLAXLnsHhiPQRHH3M-2nMcIxw52Z5tiq3e5mjifegpgfR62Bgtt75lzmgWy-cOWGeaiT9LFddXhdhZSYUgujxzWI3WP_bY63De9ji6kf85kuMHeLpjqo5v4omIUTaISBVX8K1GM2QMN/s4032/IMG_0631.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhID-rKCSubc7KohP3mRCit30TzhorwjtsN1yIL6Yu-6lVE9D9ocNLAXLnsHhiPQRHH3M-2nMcIxw52Z5tiq3e5mjifegpgfR62Bgtt75lzmgWy-cOWGeaiT9LFddXhdhZSYUgujxzWI3WP_bY63De9ji6kf85kuMHeLpjqo5v4omIUTaISBVX8K1GM2QMN/w480-h640/IMG_0631.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1dGMiSrHz_ylGJHtBRAuo3--3FPd7olwB0cB444V2fE-WP7tN1I0vSM2tOTpQSJNxrOv2Bbia3EBhZYCGl5IYFaAYncMwXpqFgfX1Bi7jW5ouW39RMZEMocnhR71rQmtbAZZGOG6WLklUIxK6MR6_TzpYIWZNPV6qvj6rwCFOl7d0EPr-oJcrAEbFoBX/s3837/IMG_0672.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3837" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1dGMiSrHz_ylGJHtBRAuo3--3FPd7olwB0cB444V2fE-WP7tN1I0vSM2tOTpQSJNxrOv2Bbia3EBhZYCGl5IYFaAYncMwXpqFgfX1Bi7jW5ouW39RMZEMocnhR71rQmtbAZZGOG6WLklUIxK6MR6_TzpYIWZNPV6qvj6rwCFOl7d0EPr-oJcrAEbFoBX/w400-h315/IMG_0672.HEIC" width="400" /></a></p><p>We had a decent amount of tomatoes in July and August, though it wasn't the massive abundance we had last year where the plants were 6-8ft tall and there were tomatoes everywhere. This year the plants reached like 4 ft and flopped over. I'm going to assume it was the weather conditions. They were sufficiently watered, fertilized and staked. They had fewer aphids and white flies this year, they had their companion plants (borage and marigolds, which both did amazingly well). They just didn't thrive. There were flowers and fruits and even with the reduced crop I made a few batches of sauce, the boys ate a ton of cherry tomatoes, the chipmunks ate any tomato they could get their hands on (and left me the skins so I would know!). </p><p>A week ago I was looking at what remained of the tomatoes. The plants didn't look great. I knew the tomatoes on the vines were the last ones we were going to get. And the chipmunks had eaten three that were starting to ripen. I was tired of feeding them. I wanted the final few tomatoes for us. So I picked everything left and pulled up the plants that evening. One less thing to do this fall, one less thing to worry about, and now the chipmunks can go eat everyone else's tomatoes instead. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines and Things</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKw3JXrDDiMY8yNcn4KRCtj17hiJ8OQlzWf5tx9i1cEu2nA7BglMgqp8FU_QLNo0ymQaM7NyXy-2ze5DUxUrH4WfoHvAPaUc-Odj5XXg6JdL5o2FDhBb5uZLoOPx65dh62yA_iVpy8LF5BapTbsJr14rUPy8xf2fqpYuR7sLq35ZCCXr_OdoZb0dW3GlF/s4032/IMG_0638.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKw3JXrDDiMY8yNcn4KRCtj17hiJ8OQlzWf5tx9i1cEu2nA7BglMgqp8FU_QLNo0ymQaM7NyXy-2ze5DUxUrH4WfoHvAPaUc-Odj5XXg6JdL5o2FDhBb5uZLoOPx65dh62yA_iVpy8LF5BapTbsJr14rUPy8xf2fqpYuR7sLq35ZCCXr_OdoZb0dW3GlF/w480-h640/IMG_0638.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_2qQXJAZtVsPkeXM6kp8PGSO-OBYvyUS-xdrtmKZKPn06VaaetfyTfwqRzEhw8SNx1OJ8dnRAUrWQoCc6Vh5thgQhSWnhIRfij6ghDxn7YogQlA9SMwllrPCus8OJQp-VEJBgwVJg9WMR64ossmJZRH_N8uOXb8qC1MiK1juXMiZqKJB4afCy94ay3-7/s4032/IMG_0647.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_2qQXJAZtVsPkeXM6kp8PGSO-OBYvyUS-xdrtmKZKPn06VaaetfyTfwqRzEhw8SNx1OJ8dnRAUrWQoCc6Vh5thgQhSWnhIRfij6ghDxn7YogQlA9SMwllrPCus8OJQp-VEJBgwVJg9WMR64ossmJZRH_N8uOXb8qC1MiK1juXMiZqKJB4afCy94ay3-7/w640-h480/IMG_0647.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The cucumber vines are on their way out. They were from a beautiful wall of green to a shriveled yellow mess. The plant isn't completely gone and there are cucumbers still ripening, but they are waning. Another couple of weeks and I'll be pulling them up. The melon vines are done and will get pulled soon - we got three small melons at once and now they are 90% dead. </span></div><p>The malabar spinach is much shorter than other years. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe I harvested it too aggressively when I needed extra spinach in a pinch and didn't give it enough time to recover. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dahlias</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrihom_oM0H1hnfOkkRhCK-KTDwHjiL9_2kkskv7RWAChNiH3V8BpeYBOcLiQ6UHX6soaJUqGpLMtuxhD4AC1Fa9dB1f8r9Y0sJQLMkq_K3nj9VOGgoeqspKiBViQbkueGYxvMJmBxRrpblRmwLdqrvctRxEKWPdE7vw7CCE42FQsV59iYo6oVoWvWUGc9/s4032/IMG_0328.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrihom_oM0H1hnfOkkRhCK-KTDwHjiL9_2kkskv7RWAChNiH3V8BpeYBOcLiQ6UHX6soaJUqGpLMtuxhD4AC1Fa9dB1f8r9Y0sJQLMkq_K3nj9VOGgoeqspKiBViQbkueGYxvMJmBxRrpblRmwLdqrvctRxEKWPdE7vw7CCE42FQsV59iYo6oVoWvWUGc9/w480-h640/IMG_0328.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxlQiWHt8EJrxfT71OZHjFoOpEnas0p581zCi8qX_RPF45pJA9HykGCywDONcTrFNZJwam_6BWGqQqMDRxW2RDEKFztiyiza-UWucVC8A08AlAVfh4oSiYbtQhC5gVRM2EIp_LkHWU32UzstjZw4gttGO3UmVRHTlYpWYGbXB_5179dk3JVz-iX6C7nCR/s4032/IMG_0659.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxlQiWHt8EJrxfT71OZHjFoOpEnas0p581zCi8qX_RPF45pJA9HykGCywDONcTrFNZJwam_6BWGqQqMDRxW2RDEKFztiyiza-UWucVC8A08AlAVfh4oSiYbtQhC5gVRM2EIp_LkHWU32UzstjZw4gttGO3UmVRHTlYpWYGbXB_5179dk3JVz-iX6C7nCR/w480-h640/IMG_0659.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd2igwQ_PqkPbh89XCrV0P5oK0FCWesfA_KzavPa9RPd0ZchmXVOJExtc1DkGhVDB65dE1LpeVQR8tntA2COK1Iaqrtr-kASCM5MNw3IR6ccELoyJF9CojOSm7_EcKbD8KXxLLVjeWgwV0ZDIwNMf9DI9PXEcPMETbmFbWSUfTgwnuRTX6kgEPhJl54I-/s4032/IMG_0660.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd2igwQ_PqkPbh89XCrV0P5oK0FCWesfA_KzavPa9RPd0ZchmXVOJExtc1DkGhVDB65dE1LpeVQR8tntA2COK1Iaqrtr-kASCM5MNw3IR6ccELoyJF9CojOSm7_EcKbD8KXxLLVjeWgwV0ZDIwNMf9DI9PXEcPMETbmFbWSUfTgwnuRTX6kgEPhJl54I-/w480-h640/IMG_0660.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m7lUAmYMQ_mP8XCgJ3L3Ybatsae7n04q8Jcxh2hGs7acvF7WTW6DMCNU3MWG6YOqz4Pbvh4X12rTMKBfCrs_4hlamfvsk_BKHH9cdYi3uDc_ilhQc62-fkss7vYff84ZWUSkseD4yLk8kt5mykmEg4xM1gtxGIIyjPpGJAvel4uW1hrRDao095uxs28x/s4032/IMG_0632.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m7lUAmYMQ_mP8XCgJ3L3Ybatsae7n04q8Jcxh2hGs7acvF7WTW6DMCNU3MWG6YOqz4Pbvh4X12rTMKBfCrs_4hlamfvsk_BKHH9cdYi3uDc_ilhQc62-fkss7vYff84ZWUSkseD4yLk8kt5mykmEg4xM1gtxGIIyjPpGJAvel4uW1hrRDao095uxs28x/w480-h640/IMG_0632.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJCmVnwStWlnX49a8QYnv0mw1wFhpBPaz6A18waL7OBEuD8w5Fu1MXjk7t0D-agQmJNb9u7pqwdPNpQaEeO6aqEplOGc9988ZR6RdLxUGIVHoNfebYVbTDuWrJn_Qzqu04KDTGmr1xeltuLD-D3zSUhps8o2MVD7cicSzNjoEW-mdnEEWSTUyBo2jNXS5/s4032/IMG_0383.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJCmVnwStWlnX49a8QYnv0mw1wFhpBPaz6A18waL7OBEuD8w5Fu1MXjk7t0D-agQmJNb9u7pqwdPNpQaEeO6aqEplOGc9988ZR6RdLxUGIVHoNfebYVbTDuWrJn_Qzqu04KDTGmr1xeltuLD-D3zSUhps8o2MVD7cicSzNjoEW-mdnEEWSTUyBo2jNXS5/w480-h640/IMG_0383.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>It has been a good summer for dahlias. I've been so relieved that the plant problems are in the normal range of pests and forgetting to fertilize and not a mass die off from spider mites. I don't think I could take another year of that. I did lose 3 plants in the yard for unknown reasons, but in the garden the dahlias are flourishing. I've been swimming in blooms all summer long and the colors have been spectacular. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Flower Cutting Bed</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLrbwdS9yCFJ2rwxGRSv00qzp79RJruK2J9T9XwsMrdOBiIulIlhXkMm-X0UKAbMRfb75jW17tHtbsL2kkLjhh5lvw0YNvkwISoOb3ZqyB8UR76YUy0cRSsL-t4yEy3H-SvElPhIBGzieySxafWDYBu85eYdd_ROHEL-6SbLdPnT4lQuH661XKU-Ssb6E/s4032/IMG_0313.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLrbwdS9yCFJ2rwxGRSv00qzp79RJruK2J9T9XwsMrdOBiIulIlhXkMm-X0UKAbMRfb75jW17tHtbsL2kkLjhh5lvw0YNvkwISoOb3ZqyB8UR76YUy0cRSsL-t4yEy3H-SvElPhIBGzieySxafWDYBu85eYdd_ROHEL-6SbLdPnT4lQuH661XKU-Ssb6E/w480-h640/IMG_0313.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8LhPrc_wJkAZuTV4IyGvl2n-bR_XMHPKBp6lu8MQKA_3gp4slXg64_4Lt-L6MKon6HsHFshAms7WiPQpOw9SfMMsC7ePQZSYGnvBtr8vpi3GVaWD7AHiNLquhwhfG-wISvfc06KcZD0S1oW25DuX0dTpCH06Lflnxbvro0nBySzMe1hU5PC81sYbb6ao/s4032/IMG_9155.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8LhPrc_wJkAZuTV4IyGvl2n-bR_XMHPKBp6lu8MQKA_3gp4slXg64_4Lt-L6MKon6HsHFshAms7WiPQpOw9SfMMsC7ePQZSYGnvBtr8vpi3GVaWD7AHiNLquhwhfG-wISvfc06KcZD0S1oW25DuX0dTpCH06Lflnxbvro0nBySzMe1hU5PC81sYbb6ao/w640-h480/IMG_9155.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE6GMBh-HIvS-EQTqJD761S9ghR52RxGE2XPD1YePUJkgNWmcl7TgPQUqSKU4ifHAqUXdAIVSDFy2JV2u285jh27PkKbwx-erQIUbmcOmDSUiHWUjlGaAghSWjMckhSPddgMjLDQmMYDtfwTQnBeaRgONm-A6HhJXDKpVCk1uSCu-ZirrqdkS3pkCtm4A/s4032/IMG_0635.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE6GMBh-HIvS-EQTqJD761S9ghR52RxGE2XPD1YePUJkgNWmcl7TgPQUqSKU4ifHAqUXdAIVSDFy2JV2u285jh27PkKbwx-erQIUbmcOmDSUiHWUjlGaAghSWjMckhSPddgMjLDQmMYDtfwTQnBeaRgONm-A6HhJXDKpVCk1uSCu-ZirrqdkS3pkCtm4A/w480-h640/IMG_0635.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>The snapdragons and pink lemonade cosmos have been FABULOUS. The plants are huge and healthy and producing a ton of blooms. The Apricotta cosmo got hit with a blight and died, I planted new seeds but they are tiny seedlings still (the blight also hit the potted cosmos on my patio this month and two died). I'll definitely try Apricotta again next year because I LOVE the color. The globe amaranth did much better this year being planted in the corner with the snapdragons. </p><p>I've never had trouble with zinnias like this before. Most of the plants are dead or half dead, then a couple of plants are doing fine and creating spectacular zinnia blooms. I don't know what or why. I'm happy to get a few zinnias over none, and I really hope whatever has been shriveling the zinnia leaves doesn't come back next year... it's been a bummer because zinnias are a huge draw for the pollinators, especially the butterflies. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs & Strawberries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kRD_eMbm6013ob7Q0s9qci7w1C_MuKSeSl1B8LYXneksRxjY-jRafKv-ETFVm73QHDm7i0k48Za2TFl2Yc1HCNNQtYkhcG7K8h8Zau-kHARhGK2yVeHq6MlWYOGGDFc6qIruHKcpehl06ZdOjs7KBAYT6EOvH58cEY9zt09HFX02qJ8QvwnH7P5ML6GQ/s4032/IMG_0643.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kRD_eMbm6013ob7Q0s9qci7w1C_MuKSeSl1B8LYXneksRxjY-jRafKv-ETFVm73QHDm7i0k48Za2TFl2Yc1HCNNQtYkhcG7K8h8Zau-kHARhGK2yVeHq6MlWYOGGDFc6qIruHKcpehl06ZdOjs7KBAYT6EOvH58cEY9zt09HFX02qJ8QvwnH7P5ML6GQ/w480-h640/IMG_0643.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3XQob_4-OORqBxqftYpTTvTsQ61p89zq6vrMMM_5cLY006UksY2DjPIzuBscIdVW1_ku3Wks4VzpKBjiYW2p1HG-4H_HHlVK4HVxc3RgYAgqqFvBUG0kUCu019oJfaHKBLOZQAvwD1tDDm62W4MIpqumUZUIytq4rD5tWS47NnLncv7n80crwYbw5C61/s4032/IMG_0637.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3XQob_4-OORqBxqftYpTTvTsQ61p89zq6vrMMM_5cLY006UksY2DjPIzuBscIdVW1_ku3Wks4VzpKBjiYW2p1HG-4H_HHlVK4HVxc3RgYAgqqFvBUG0kUCu019oJfaHKBLOZQAvwD1tDDm62W4MIpqumUZUIytq4rD5tWS47NnLncv7n80crwYbw5C61/w480-h640/IMG_0637.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWnI0khMQrHKaIQk7Nu18E5R80qm_0JMFX7zXfsuR2zIj21VpD1lWCEl52XH8CjT7bribjXquqzw-eAEDC3TL4xhhiwBTKesfOIdnMkG83S_iyXtHpCmQ-ougY2J_OZpyOPSf3ci1Y1pXcnQaPHtSN7x8eoOTmudVPoSflg-HUxukprD9rUhezQZCp-8x/s4032/IMG_0639.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWnI0khMQrHKaIQk7Nu18E5R80qm_0JMFX7zXfsuR2zIj21VpD1lWCEl52XH8CjT7bribjXquqzw-eAEDC3TL4xhhiwBTKesfOIdnMkG83S_iyXtHpCmQ-ougY2J_OZpyOPSf3ci1Y1pXcnQaPHtSN7x8eoOTmudVPoSflg-HUxukprD9rUhezQZCp-8x/w480-h640/IMG_0639.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>With the exception of the basil, this has been a great summer for herbs. Sage, chamomile, calendula, thyme, rosemary, lavender. Even the dill is still alive. The oregano is doing so well it's out of control. It's attacking everything, spreading a million sprouts that I'm pulling up all over the place. The self-seeded borage started to bully my other plants so I pulled it up. The red/purple sunflower has been delightful all summer long. </p><p>The strawberries usually spread more by this time of year, and they haven't as much as usual. There are spots on the leaves... we'll see how they come back next spring. I need to also figure out a way to make this bed chipmunk proof. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyWF03PgTyZkoB-e4CwB4CPWVw5eY_fIBeagELX11TDnPWvHuMcpiY32U2__nf05Py2LHOAhtWtQA5hzzEBb6jK1LDteSmfXy9p2RUJlr7eu9-7qHTpEQT4JsxOyzy6rKLns1LClrDNEnigN_kogVyVB2jB6Sv0WjEIlvwpaHJDa3Z3vG3QTPAVFwBShD/s4032/IMG_0406.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyWF03PgTyZkoB-e4CwB4CPWVw5eY_fIBeagELX11TDnPWvHuMcpiY32U2__nf05Py2LHOAhtWtQA5hzzEBb6jK1LDteSmfXy9p2RUJlr7eu9-7qHTpEQT4JsxOyzy6rKLns1LClrDNEnigN_kogVyVB2jB6Sv0WjEIlvwpaHJDa3Z3vG3QTPAVFwBShD/w480-h640/IMG_0406.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7na3RXyg8WXKlcJhrve0GrntrOyfiy33LyGABlwYM038fk4Yg4RtoFlJRLx3dDcH9HEAx6f-BIKkup_DLOVyGcHEyxR_pQeCzk_K9aIKbzeOZlm726a8Jc_g5566jM3uO-btoYVABoXkFlVILJEHoXHd6yJC5YJ2cj9-p4lcxLEVPn-Iev8NuE6eZB4mR/s4032/IMG_0653.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7na3RXyg8WXKlcJhrve0GrntrOyfiy33LyGABlwYM038fk4Yg4RtoFlJRLx3dDcH9HEAx6f-BIKkup_DLOVyGcHEyxR_pQeCzk_K9aIKbzeOZlm726a8Jc_g5566jM3uO-btoYVABoXkFlVILJEHoXHd6yJC5YJ2cj9-p4lcxLEVPn-Iev8NuE6eZB4mR/w480-h640/IMG_0653.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The hot peppers are having a fantastic year. Whatever has been terrible for the tomatoes has been great for the peppers. There are so many jalapeños and cayenne peppers and they keep blooming and producing more. The chipmunks steer clear, so we've been raking them in for hot sauce. </p><p>I pulled up the potted tomato for the same reason I pulled up the others. the basil is covered in brown spots and almost dead. The lemon balm is yellow and sickly. The potted rosemary looks unhealthy too. The flowers are doing okay, but they aren't as big and happy as they have been other years. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the yard</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBFNXRA8bBQ0pNhdC8VBjJshihh0tovPMIcn-2Mnh0H3BMkQkeYRXOfoheBWISWPP8F4mPSpyB4gAbEhMe-1lnYXFIAo-EWeoJZUUQkJP6peQEur6y3r0RPD32xx28J5jzWwMsH050pAdiWRxPkCKa5-A1b9UTH0fmy5GJY6FnNdVn87TDUXMeoPFvhVS/s4032/IMG_0674.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBFNXRA8bBQ0pNhdC8VBjJshihh0tovPMIcn-2Mnh0H3BMkQkeYRXOfoheBWISWPP8F4mPSpyB4gAbEhMe-1lnYXFIAo-EWeoJZUUQkJP6peQEur6y3r0RPD32xx28J5jzWwMsH050pAdiWRxPkCKa5-A1b9UTH0fmy5GJY6FnNdVn87TDUXMeoPFvhVS/w640-h480/IMG_0674.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Blackberries! So many blackberries. We had an excellent crop of blackberries this year. The chipmunks and birds also really loved the blackberries, which was sometimes annoying, but honestly there were enough for everyone. </p><p>The brown turkey fig tree that was left in the greenhouse had brown turkey figs this year! The greenhouse kept the birds from getting them and we got to eat them this year. The Chicago Hardy fig tree has lots of green figs but none have ripened yet - it's usually a September/October crop. </p><p>The elderberry bush produced some berries but I didn't wrap them in time and the birds got them. Next year I'll have to try those netting favor bags that can be used for flowers and berries or something. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObduULMooSJuJkJ-34zoVIdIUudq_fwBYI0wlmJJZxVUuea9a4NvbaHeehK73hLpiPvg6FSg6T0WgjjKym1wooT7hIFqQhMj4g6uEghnJr_rlWfdY2Z_r-gi-0KJtC0FsgVmhgag1syHbusYj0yFjJyLYnRy-H7dk7nQ4HcS2MT2LBWEgUUpMnVT1J5qb/s4032/IMG_0427.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObduULMooSJuJkJ-34zoVIdIUudq_fwBYI0wlmJJZxVUuea9a4NvbaHeehK73hLpiPvg6FSg6T0WgjjKym1wooT7hIFqQhMj4g6uEghnJr_rlWfdY2Z_r-gi-0KJtC0FsgVmhgag1syHbusYj0yFjJyLYnRy-H7dk7nQ4HcS2MT2LBWEgUUpMnVT1J5qb/w480-h640/IMG_0427.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmm8UWAawgMaPsTLnnxzB1GYllu7Jd4AIbx9mXdksKrr-LyQK_uL2sRAqGLrq3IVTm5XY3TIz0k2wKkulHUKqyLg6h_Yu-sEQ8RQoNeGgfXv9X7pw_iVABqmRjmOx5__oewmOdJoqhiVpafsfnE6z1-LR7TzeY5xOpCViS3Yp4-4m1FrrJhKr_-W1iBfS/s4032/IMG_0649.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmm8UWAawgMaPsTLnnxzB1GYllu7Jd4AIbx9mXdksKrr-LyQK_uL2sRAqGLrq3IVTm5XY3TIz0k2wKkulHUKqyLg6h_Yu-sEQ8RQoNeGgfXv9X7pw_iVABqmRjmOx5__oewmOdJoqhiVpafsfnE6z1-LR7TzeY5xOpCViS3Yp4-4m1FrrJhKr_-W1iBfS/w640-h480/IMG_0649.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>It's the beginning of the end. The crickets are now at a full roar, the light is starting to change and it's getting dark and 7:30 now. School starts in just a few days. Summer is waning. In September I'll be starting to the slow cleanup as things wane. </p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-61505801466587756122023-08-25T17:09:00.003-04:002023-09-26T10:38:55.273-04:00Outdoor Updates... flowers! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWY3iplG_hiObYDp0o7faDPOQ30Uh9ErM1EttVeWcEtLuIJ5JpuH8R1tEVaUwnCZUYsZivxLvIo3RkWHjIheYFM5yaLM2b8eLt9Qxu5ftMGrDfBpEeG9E3oV9F3hW_o3Wf5GNe00XMsuqtP9SKg6aQI7uUaMsJG5hRigPGXY-CVwouFKBh55P9cFxfoQE/s4032/IMG_8406.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWY3iplG_hiObYDp0o7faDPOQ30Uh9ErM1EttVeWcEtLuIJ5JpuH8R1tEVaUwnCZUYsZivxLvIo3RkWHjIheYFM5yaLM2b8eLt9Qxu5ftMGrDfBpEeG9E3oV9F3hW_o3Wf5GNe00XMsuqtP9SKg6aQI7uUaMsJG5hRigPGXY-CVwouFKBh55P9cFxfoQE/w640-h480/IMG_8406.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>This year... has been a doozy. It's been wonderful. It's been dire. There's been joy and sorrow. We've had big highs and terrible lows. Big adventures and small. Hellos and goodbyes. There are things I want to share, but everything is so tangled up and emotional that I'm not even sure where to begin to pick it apart. This will forever be the year that Mike's dad passed away unexpectedly. We are so sad and grief is complicated and heavy, it comes in waves. And life doesn't pause, it doesn't stop for anything... until it does. </p><p>The garden brings such joy and peace to me during the tough times, the busy times, the happy times... so let's talk about the flowers in yard! I need the distraction, the balm for my soul. And in July and August we hit peak flowers and it's beautiful in our little oasis. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgzP5lGyzCPq4maMBb9HKNWaPtPO8MUfhKyCmdTWv9vaiz58TYfdscxnUo1p1kMfPJOhNy8sRsRDR-bpUUYQRkAbv7nV4BRWCAbC1CpxxveMSDxbyBY1M0If6yWTYWc6e5fFgVHfGBLBKuc2dYR0bqtIWmJ66G0-FW5TyFmBv-x5ThPmhj40D-jSDKyT3/s4032/IMG_8774.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgzP5lGyzCPq4maMBb9HKNWaPtPO8MUfhKyCmdTWv9vaiz58TYfdscxnUo1p1kMfPJOhNy8sRsRDR-bpUUYQRkAbv7nV4BRWCAbC1CpxxveMSDxbyBY1M0If6yWTYWc6e5fFgVHfGBLBKuc2dYR0bqtIWmJ66G0-FW5TyFmBv-x5ThPmhj40D-jSDKyT3/w480-h640/IMG_8774.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_VzX7O7FtS2X389tN0EE5SBw286WdSEEp38sSX1X-10xDL5nGoDq-W18hQyjL-EOhNKYUtz2w5Mgo_stj74kPT5u2ecaTvuEXR19Ja-6P6FIJgd-coZGGxmfrYiyKsMzznneqTuzCMSvYIN61qEQw5iFO9fI-3szerIOMH3AeW_PN1qNwf48TsjONYxN/s4032/IMG_8484.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_VzX7O7FtS2X389tN0EE5SBw286WdSEEp38sSX1X-10xDL5nGoDq-W18hQyjL-EOhNKYUtz2w5Mgo_stj74kPT5u2ecaTvuEXR19Ja-6P6FIJgd-coZGGxmfrYiyKsMzznneqTuzCMSvYIN61qEQw5iFO9fI-3szerIOMH3AeW_PN1qNwf48TsjONYxN/w480-h640/IMG_8484.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymzhI-7sG3wtUYvmzuaTHSZAsDnAZDRLlXkLSBu0GM44FSqERfpYellAR-ay0HxMwB0Q-yClxXRSbg8py5kSrbh1RtkgccJeZG7eBO1G6jCMuH2Fl-Unx4nUg_2YLFi9X3idQTkvwPzZ97HicQgKTXDNwmIFsmKdxeMd7IjKWSLMUC4AEfLhfX7iYnfuh/s4032/IMG_8764.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymzhI-7sG3wtUYvmzuaTHSZAsDnAZDRLlXkLSBu0GM44FSqERfpYellAR-ay0HxMwB0Q-yClxXRSbg8py5kSrbh1RtkgccJeZG7eBO1G6jCMuH2Fl-Unx4nUg_2YLFi9X3idQTkvwPzZ97HicQgKTXDNwmIFsmKdxeMd7IjKWSLMUC4AEfLhfX7iYnfuh/w480-h640/IMG_8764.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Everything but the dahlias are perennials, coming back year after year on their own. This year, more than ever, I really appreciated the past work to build up the yard to this degree so it looks like this without adding much to it. I completely overbooked myself and I just didn't have the bandwidth to do more than plant the dahlias, stake a few plants and mulch (which took months to finish, whoops). </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8WmglNBZZZpQn-i9pIid-pajsfqilzM3uOoGRgvdhhQHSIPFbHErLTarXdUxrQZYT3hPTg4y4k-rdOxa4l68E5CGUwHYiTdxPSCnAn-GcJ9F1Myu0yZeWQb5V3V2FEeFvQaD_SVGYUN15h48rixECQ4AijE-EYqqpC0FsMyPZ7fRBQFqaWX7ijfjRl83/s4032/IMG_8777.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8WmglNBZZZpQn-i9pIid-pajsfqilzM3uOoGRgvdhhQHSIPFbHErLTarXdUxrQZYT3hPTg4y4k-rdOxa4l68E5CGUwHYiTdxPSCnAn-GcJ9F1Myu0yZeWQb5V3V2FEeFvQaD_SVGYUN15h48rixECQ4AijE-EYqqpC0FsMyPZ7fRBQFqaWX7ijfjRl83/w480-h640/IMG_8777.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkNKYJkLIyZ2uwsiAfc-dU0Y7_odknkYU9TxhbikpC3TGVwhjwjW65DhU8IpK2hd0WMpH5_wOI-_sKbJVr2pp9SFLAxYhhFv0jfE0ceUCdq8LG5BojGGuchPYmrsXACLcTAHtz3tlxP1n0_twEAeQC63mTfnWTqQv_shl2dFWDTCwvHpRZ0LogE-Kflk3/s4032/IMG_8772.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkNKYJkLIyZ2uwsiAfc-dU0Y7_odknkYU9TxhbikpC3TGVwhjwjW65DhU8IpK2hd0WMpH5_wOI-_sKbJVr2pp9SFLAxYhhFv0jfE0ceUCdq8LG5BojGGuchPYmrsXACLcTAHtz3tlxP1n0_twEAeQC63mTfnWTqQv_shl2dFWDTCwvHpRZ0LogE-Kflk3/w480-h640/IMG_8772.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Front yard</b></p><p>In late June (first 2 pictures) the astilbe was blooming beautifully, the rest of the flowers I planted out front were getting established. It's a mix of things - annuals like lantanas, dalinovas, snapdragons, bachelor buttons and perennials like the astilbe, echinachea, columbines, balloon flowers and the new jacob's ladder and golden alexander. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb-NM5QYJ53hU4Sq5w92tKtDJauShgvRxWduSz5z0KqkCY2-z_dAtk9RZpgOuv-14lrRoIQ_wX-Ot3u7Y2nkoxTTVm0QR5LzgvyhcwGaHOcVAHRDmB7rj4Q5TizkraMasZJihxqN5P4HWXmTbzpdQ1ojUX356tUfkBf5i1rkVI9732HKfyYMFEwz1cq3Z/s4032/IMG_7982.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb-NM5QYJ53hU4Sq5w92tKtDJauShgvRxWduSz5z0KqkCY2-z_dAtk9RZpgOuv-14lrRoIQ_wX-Ot3u7Y2nkoxTTVm0QR5LzgvyhcwGaHOcVAHRDmB7rj4Q5TizkraMasZJihxqN5P4HWXmTbzpdQ1ojUX356tUfkBf5i1rkVI9732HKfyYMFEwz1cq3Z/w480-h640/IMG_7982.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3ivwtvAfitDxDPG0SJY_ZXDdfdcCm7ozApCf4NnEYgcuP5UScDGbFah2T1KfPeXqnywhHSVMwtVGmokTQbExvqGuBNwS13axwOYvZkfyY4RlG-ZCmr8nRHXO2vVjIgsIBhdRrotOzLPefPvH8MmD2YY7uGmBu6iT0gti18NR3CF58XqwrBsNaLFRhg5X/s4032/IMG_7981.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3ivwtvAfitDxDPG0SJY_ZXDdfdcCm7ozApCf4NnEYgcuP5UScDGbFah2T1KfPeXqnywhHSVMwtVGmokTQbExvqGuBNwS13axwOYvZkfyY4RlG-ZCmr8nRHXO2vVjIgsIBhdRrotOzLPefPvH8MmD2YY7uGmBu6iT0gti18NR3CF58XqwrBsNaLFRhg5X/w480-h640/IMG_7981.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By August everything really filled in - see the difference below. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkPrJ1Dj80Kp9S9N1P4hB9TwPdRaUSBE_TrLXNtULYjvnUrsgHpS1pg6u82Cmlveht5IQg8XyeEuwVKZTOrqWNY8In55Bwa5iZGzFk9iHoD_esOh_ppXCvUHx-donSzaEhlaJzkI7DcMluQ8K1tsk32mev5W8IEwU81QilTwtAXEzyKWD3unKXpTk1nYr/s4032/IMG_9144.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkPrJ1Dj80Kp9S9N1P4hB9TwPdRaUSBE_TrLXNtULYjvnUrsgHpS1pg6u82Cmlveht5IQg8XyeEuwVKZTOrqWNY8In55Bwa5iZGzFk9iHoD_esOh_ppXCvUHx-donSzaEhlaJzkI7DcMluQ8K1tsk32mev5W8IEwU81QilTwtAXEzyKWD3unKXpTk1nYr/w480-h640/IMG_9144.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ySyQ_yBAP8segt8WdWjxOsNN-1s4Fyx80mvH0LsEPM6kk8MzHdBJFL04LAlx2MrN17cwXtwVlAmo2Q6hbXu9yMzEA4wCQX4aD-GDxhYugVhMw178eyGPSAtBqzy4dfwdEkDlsIQCBCi5O0NmjI5oJP1DVdJINW1t9_oE2olGwboCRTl3E5QtPnY1OXq7/s4032/IMG_9145.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ySyQ_yBAP8segt8WdWjxOsNN-1s4Fyx80mvH0LsEPM6kk8MzHdBJFL04LAlx2MrN17cwXtwVlAmo2Q6hbXu9yMzEA4wCQX4aD-GDxhYugVhMw178eyGPSAtBqzy4dfwdEkDlsIQCBCi5O0NmjI5oJP1DVdJINW1t9_oE2olGwboCRTl3E5QtPnY1OXq7/w640-h480/IMG_9145.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr69KlH5q59r_1SRMI3qhcEZvTEPDWTm5Vm4bZoLJaOkPp5c1Ue4KQNVKzQ2-kKyMLzHvqLHGjp7sUwgfoPrTXKqCqzEMySQ65_6AI2FJXYUqcHRhmSCVJjzFwRfvb573RQIsH94SnsvlRQfq7RRkTt4SM7K3fk65zQzetvULCJD3xSGuV6zX-2YzXHDe/s4032/IMG_9146.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr69KlH5q59r_1SRMI3qhcEZvTEPDWTm5Vm4bZoLJaOkPp5c1Ue4KQNVKzQ2-kKyMLzHvqLHGjp7sUwgfoPrTXKqCqzEMySQ65_6AI2FJXYUqcHRhmSCVJjzFwRfvb573RQIsH94SnsvlRQfq7RRkTt4SM7K3fk65zQzetvULCJD3xSGuV6zX-2YzXHDe/w640-h480/IMG_9146.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGoscSKSQOsbqUH3KB_dEIPmqGKj7B67Xyw3KJoeveGgfeA9Se21J-RyshQClf3gTxaZDBCl8pJkjY1flj0yC2_l9T_vYnd7G3RdRRAxQEJPKZFLnNybojBMWkNJlVxYncQv9aLz6PD010XHC_ISX68oq9HRcpB0mFNQ08i8W_f674MWqtizqIBU0hEt3/s4032/IMG_9149.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGoscSKSQOsbqUH3KB_dEIPmqGKj7B67Xyw3KJoeveGgfeA9Se21J-RyshQClf3gTxaZDBCl8pJkjY1flj0yC2_l9T_vYnd7G3RdRRAxQEJPKZFLnNybojBMWkNJlVxYncQv9aLz6PD010XHC_ISX68oq9HRcpB0mFNQ08i8W_f674MWqtizqIBU0hEt3/w640-h480/IMG_9149.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBorBRCmF1K78KqfVg_vOxmoNSWtcOqBEUUH2oK6GBA_zYgLch7GYjdUC9w9FKvBv17uapsk4mZkIOVehP_mR4wGPrzKnNaWRcgPS-N-kwovp_I9Z9RgJAJzSsPkIuZvOMOarNAmw-RAkcE4qbBCa6r7hFthpnubb4THfXRKoTzSZ0CmZhsfTlY8E3ph-/s4032/IMG_0360.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBorBRCmF1K78KqfVg_vOxmoNSWtcOqBEUUH2oK6GBA_zYgLch7GYjdUC9w9FKvBv17uapsk4mZkIOVehP_mR4wGPrzKnNaWRcgPS-N-kwovp_I9Z9RgJAJzSsPkIuZvOMOarNAmw-RAkcE4qbBCa6r7hFthpnubb4THfXRKoTzSZ0CmZhsfTlY8E3ph-/w480-h640/IMG_0360.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dgdNtIjhSB8MTkfLmG8XDP_z_5yCo1IkJ3XGVWGXPggWJFd3xbUiFGiIGaHgrfaGjsZRqOkepynFHaJIM0vlM8bLL-jbqvXRsk4Ydln0gnWlrXXs6kwdZg-LjHONopkhIzpNMv-fL9pn7o0PQKVOrQKPEbINQ5FuFN5MGLqZsUJSsGzHhtUjk2whoDPz/s4032/IMG_0365.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dgdNtIjhSB8MTkfLmG8XDP_z_5yCo1IkJ3XGVWGXPggWJFd3xbUiFGiIGaHgrfaGjsZRqOkepynFHaJIM0vlM8bLL-jbqvXRsk4Ydln0gnWlrXXs6kwdZg-LjHONopkhIzpNMv-fL9pn7o0PQKVOrQKPEbINQ5FuFN5MGLqZsUJSsGzHhtUjk2whoDPz/w480-h640/IMG_0365.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><b>Flower Pots</b></p><p>I'm really happy with our front porch flowers. The blue pots and the array of colorful flowers really come together nicely. The front porch begonias have been overwintered for a couple years now and keep coming back strong from the greenhouse. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPihe1lio55_d822LHMkL0ub_jRxErZi4qt40BmHoGcB7Ode8jVfdhfC82iZ3Q9lj65MTFK8y3g6nzQOdKW7thFbG4MzR7VOGlV9gwWPL_4cNSa6xdPyEWgP-UjkEQMe2gmJI2GYniGNdptIbFoZ6bnkCmqCsuKovBIoiH5Vfh353NLjNk5hvcd0pAWq1p/s4032/IMG_8797.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPihe1lio55_d822LHMkL0ub_jRxErZi4qt40BmHoGcB7Ode8jVfdhfC82iZ3Q9lj65MTFK8y3g6nzQOdKW7thFbG4MzR7VOGlV9gwWPL_4cNSa6xdPyEWgP-UjkEQMe2gmJI2GYniGNdptIbFoZ6bnkCmqCsuKovBIoiH5Vfh353NLjNk5hvcd0pAWq1p/w480-h640/IMG_8797.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X1h8O-7VWOrfVBn-fKSPl2J-trrK5pHDz8WKar36ffgXLoZi4OBmEgL8JGbL7WiwHHXJ3OFP9Fvs1sK_iOlncWhPSRG2doRSw5-XUHDaezQ3YTGnZcLf6DO-D9F58aJcPrihT6c6lla3r2WgxOnDTtagQVpJfxNTqCHJ89ALolLkF0Yfwa120jgpUXfP/s4032/IMG_9150.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X1h8O-7VWOrfVBn-fKSPl2J-trrK5pHDz8WKar36ffgXLoZi4OBmEgL8JGbL7WiwHHXJ3OFP9Fvs1sK_iOlncWhPSRG2doRSw5-XUHDaezQ3YTGnZcLf6DO-D9F58aJcPrihT6c6lla3r2WgxOnDTtagQVpJfxNTqCHJ89ALolLkF0Yfwa120jgpUXfP/w480-h640/IMG_9150.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the backyard the flower pots are a mix of old and new flowers. Things overwintered, new seedlings, and a few flowers from the nursery. I have them on the patio and on the deck. There are fewer pots than last year but still enough to make an impact and gives the patio and deck a really nice vibe. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEauVX3LNEprNY8L8bXpXSr0MeTkrh3aq6oTO7zqrwo1ddaVDN4HTGwqrH73co4XiNVJE4TVvWxWL2Dji7qVWGIymFKD8KwuV1N1Efq_eLfvLbf0gbn74xUEulJPFRqK_XoBk-pZCoocsTOsUNemHl2zQBvF5kXF-eoJrjYMC72R4xrkVoU1dYC0EmWay/s4032/IMG_8770.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEauVX3LNEprNY8L8bXpXSr0MeTkrh3aq6oTO7zqrwo1ddaVDN4HTGwqrH73co4XiNVJE4TVvWxWL2Dji7qVWGIymFKD8KwuV1N1Efq_eLfvLbf0gbn74xUEulJPFRqK_XoBk-pZCoocsTOsUNemHl2zQBvF5kXF-eoJrjYMC72R4xrkVoU1dYC0EmWay/w480-h640/IMG_8770.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldOFh6MPvb5O0K65WdjsljV9QMkgdGnFuuoKFPr2xNNoIxSQJGO2BEn3IN3ivV9tlBWMqBMPFv3B0U4q7BetsfZuhc4FxbinpVfOvfV_67TDgWzZDi-_4ionMAKJphR9iwUWaL5q3ZVykXZVizT0ZNLzbzhSgC7pVnMLWaGAQg1uCoDcrxNPVYHoE_U4k/s4032/IMG_8767.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldOFh6MPvb5O0K65WdjsljV9QMkgdGnFuuoKFPr2xNNoIxSQJGO2BEn3IN3ivV9tlBWMqBMPFv3B0U4q7BetsfZuhc4FxbinpVfOvfV_67TDgWzZDi-_4ionMAKJphR9iwUWaL5q3ZVykXZVizT0ZNLzbzhSgC7pVnMLWaGAQg1uCoDcrxNPVYHoE_U4k/w480-h640/IMG_8767.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjKL6LJkcI-CqyKm27UoxiyEiGl_qS4yFsCi7pNgxbaz1K-Ar5INC2G-MRNdKH2JrwiwpBmMzl8CH2K4wBtGXvJkdnLGaZNreWQAcB44vmlv0psChKw7I-IIy2TnYPLM7GBsePIzp4-F0fHuOtEGMlVcJYJ3RTX38KNTYOpx0VPXmkmlxM3ezBHcATl7v/s4032/IMG_8766.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjKL6LJkcI-CqyKm27UoxiyEiGl_qS4yFsCi7pNgxbaz1K-Ar5INC2G-MRNdKH2JrwiwpBmMzl8CH2K4wBtGXvJkdnLGaZNreWQAcB44vmlv0psChKw7I-IIy2TnYPLM7GBsePIzp4-F0fHuOtEGMlVcJYJ3RTX38KNTYOpx0VPXmkmlxM3ezBHcATl7v/w480-h640/IMG_8766.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p><b>At Night</b></p><p>Mike and the boys gave me those garden firefly solar lights for my birthday. You mix them into the plants and it's so pretty when they come on at dusk. It's very tricky to photograph in low light but they are beautiful and add so much ambiance to the backyard when we're on the patio in the evening under strings of globe lights. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHidg0L-2GakZa1ZJh_rjjOx4iLtjjXhGgkiu9r44Dy8pfdfPQ5DpaapUK0sAP_j09OYqPF7KS71RrZKpwY9K35fUYm3M3QEOKFV68Ar4II7yn3Y7QxV9RCQi2knP-bdWT_7fJBDGe8cEHDeDBDTztY_tn9Chj1ycTDVMxu1JItXYwPDUZQ4J18c6TZUU/s4032/IMG_9103.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHidg0L-2GakZa1ZJh_rjjOx4iLtjjXhGgkiu9r44Dy8pfdfPQ5DpaapUK0sAP_j09OYqPF7KS71RrZKpwY9K35fUYm3M3QEOKFV68Ar4II7yn3Y7QxV9RCQi2knP-bdWT_7fJBDGe8cEHDeDBDTztY_tn9Chj1ycTDVMxu1JItXYwPDUZQ4J18c6TZUU/w480-h640/IMG_9103.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0UwsrsnB0zTqivB1F0yH-jh29MsOGYOTLJoMt-9_4RvBmEhPzQ8estanxibrG1NOMshVoECZtfKI3_F4QGwIpDq0Bgp4LbXQGSfWTmQzWzhUICaDwLbxntdbYOygV717s_nokhLed1Gjo-E50sdEzqcxztcEtL4OqXJCWwNGHvLS3mifxNlyn5-phDxs/s4032/IMG_9101.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0UwsrsnB0zTqivB1F0yH-jh29MsOGYOTLJoMt-9_4RvBmEhPzQ8estanxibrG1NOMshVoECZtfKI3_F4QGwIpDq0Bgp4LbXQGSfWTmQzWzhUICaDwLbxntdbYOygV717s_nokhLed1Gjo-E50sdEzqcxztcEtL4OqXJCWwNGHvLS3mifxNlyn5-phDxs/w480-h640/IMG_9101.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraOK3Wr4iNWM1PM8jquira7eSjepEQdECuhdGOIxriIn43jnQrfPsMAQLvCXpmb33nEseJTgaYTfTfhnq7RPmfXHHqeG4ZDWhmdR2XtM23NBS6qc2o14UdssHAL7UCMlo52fVZKUufQHnz-OSf_3HDz83D4CjiH7TjKa90zdtZDYBZrIIhhdKMorOvqe6/s4032/IMG_9099.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraOK3Wr4iNWM1PM8jquira7eSjepEQdECuhdGOIxriIn43jnQrfPsMAQLvCXpmb33nEseJTgaYTfTfhnq7RPmfXHHqeG4ZDWhmdR2XtM23NBS6qc2o14UdssHAL7UCMlo52fVZKUufQHnz-OSf_3HDz83D4CjiH7TjKa90zdtZDYBZrIIhhdKMorOvqe6/w480-h640/IMG_9099.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Bonus Flowers</b></p><p>Lastly here are a few bonus flower pictures because they are just SO PRETTY. I'm going to miss all this color when summer starts to wind down in a few weeks. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGOk0UTUKFKEikkSeNYKY2F1DRpHSG5XLCb7CaY57r_QiSdZkq-bvy-8pr3FKx-mzttCJ1y5kziaAA8jw-k_gIttIWMbz5jUIJLYbP0jQCy3467FiKLt3YuoVc8Kz3TM14352dYYetpTGOZ5e8IWocOLte0OsryMsB7keBeB1JWS0LVKjJfIxb0J5BFbR/s4032/IMG_8479.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGOk0UTUKFKEikkSeNYKY2F1DRpHSG5XLCb7CaY57r_QiSdZkq-bvy-8pr3FKx-mzttCJ1y5kziaAA8jw-k_gIttIWMbz5jUIJLYbP0jQCy3467FiKLt3YuoVc8Kz3TM14352dYYetpTGOZ5e8IWocOLte0OsryMsB7keBeB1JWS0LVKjJfIxb0J5BFbR/w480-h640/IMG_8479.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvzVThs1FQvBe_X6xZHaCulG6AnesuZgpQcgtDT3PrLvlwPQJQfkVCY9MLPYZZT9cm1Ry1mAUMbONSSnl8ac8FMgqiUSuVgu82yZ9y1KAmOvqo2wayur3yg9yV2u7TNCTQqROVQeUndkWYdW1cteVZ_MyWQeArcDUa0z9RHHO7PDc6WBoeW8f79yMTAJY/s4032/IMG_8781.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvzVThs1FQvBe_X6xZHaCulG6AnesuZgpQcgtDT3PrLvlwPQJQfkVCY9MLPYZZT9cm1Ry1mAUMbONSSnl8ac8FMgqiUSuVgu82yZ9y1KAmOvqo2wayur3yg9yV2u7TNCTQqROVQeUndkWYdW1cteVZ_MyWQeArcDUa0z9RHHO7PDc6WBoeW8f79yMTAJY/w480-h640/IMG_8781.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nigoXhiJ2LtSp_4LeAPeR1APCqdmKx-QoaKlUlAfN10h0i-lOm5M8uOc3tf1m8Kc3utQRZkTK-DWUE-7jqWNfxp9tDrwjsZvYtbJbucbWOBTu-yG_c2z2UFy1QxXZllzfgkgi8j2lffStJzkeYSrGIRuNfkXNTRp2ZfurAHH4CzJHIpM2kd7i4w8JCH3/s4032/IMG_8186.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nigoXhiJ2LtSp_4LeAPeR1APCqdmKx-QoaKlUlAfN10h0i-lOm5M8uOc3tf1m8Kc3utQRZkTK-DWUE-7jqWNfxp9tDrwjsZvYtbJbucbWOBTu-yG_c2z2UFy1QxXZllzfgkgi8j2lffStJzkeYSrGIRuNfkXNTRp2ZfurAHH4CzJHIpM2kd7i4w8JCH3/w480-h640/IMG_8186.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w6399PoxYRB2TTZPUvgCxAuMi18l3szM2vTM1O2Cv9CNy17vpmwyfkYFI-c-WAVGHlcOmGh87Ul4_PCeI50nFR3g207j1W4HhAaG2vg_DRUJ587TNIydpc94KiNVVxriABS0DpVQHcRxP4Q4iV4w6pe0-PSlimQBidtLt-GQgdMnFtaQeBi_ZgphhvAy/s4032/IMG_8703.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w6399PoxYRB2TTZPUvgCxAuMi18l3szM2vTM1O2Cv9CNy17vpmwyfkYFI-c-WAVGHlcOmGh87Ul4_PCeI50nFR3g207j1W4HhAaG2vg_DRUJ587TNIydpc94KiNVVxriABS0DpVQHcRxP4Q4iV4w6pe0-PSlimQBidtLt-GQgdMnFtaQeBi_ZgphhvAy/w480-h640/IMG_8703.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZX4tkPBrQ1M31GM1kgFucJ70nLp4vY5SquGbdDQPR8T6uC3S-VSisYvPQ6sxdKQI5ABXkcuGHiQquYVOYuiF83rtXq1m3DpHTlXIQf4KcgmomcRgD99MqCCCWNeXpP1-f6vaEKb2mzL98s-316nexYb1WBctuOhG4t_H0MMovHNRhcKk7Zz_rWPC4cdp/s4032/IMG_8705.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZX4tkPBrQ1M31GM1kgFucJ70nLp4vY5SquGbdDQPR8T6uC3S-VSisYvPQ6sxdKQI5ABXkcuGHiQquYVOYuiF83rtXq1m3DpHTlXIQf4KcgmomcRgD99MqCCCWNeXpP1-f6vaEKb2mzL98s-316nexYb1WBctuOhG4t_H0MMovHNRhcKk7Zz_rWPC4cdp/w480-h640/IMG_8705.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp666qgVU6T-dYQIJBTxkMqovrdDaS83YaAczIAHZsM0QgEoBjWV3e5BOvgGm-fygCDXpX77lvWd2mFq2OVLt_Z8Giwaz-TD3MDsYJYVuo7GUX6boeVzDZXTN_gACEM4P5A8q5PwowcoWyEgeAoPa9e1D0y2Bz_d_-3KQbhEOuXzeEkk9-VnQKaMLJzBIJ/s4032/IMG_9040.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp666qgVU6T-dYQIJBTxkMqovrdDaS83YaAczIAHZsM0QgEoBjWV3e5BOvgGm-fygCDXpX77lvWd2mFq2OVLt_Z8Giwaz-TD3MDsYJYVuo7GUX6boeVzDZXTN_gACEM4P5A8q5PwowcoWyEgeAoPa9e1D0y2Bz_d_-3KQbhEOuXzeEkk9-VnQKaMLJzBIJ/w640-h480/IMG_9040.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>One of the things I find so wonderfully challenging about gardening is that you can do the exact same thing year after year and every single year will bring a different outcome. Last year we really struggled with chipmunks, white flies and spider mites. We had lots of dry weather with sunshine and low humidity so we saw less powdery mildew and black spot, though the pests more than made up for it. This year everything is different. May and June it barely rained (and I was constantly watering the yard), but in July it rained all the time, even if it was just a thunderstorm blowing through (there were weeks where that happened daily). The wildfire smoke comes in so frequently the sun is often lost in a weird haze and I can't help but think that's effecting the plants too. </p><p>This year the pests are chipmunks, lantern fly nymphs (soon to be lantern fly adults, ugh) and blackspot mildew so far. Some of my plants are doing amazing, and other plants are struggling. Plants that did great last year are doing terrible this year. It's funny how gardening always keeps you on your toes. </p><p>The flowers are fantastic right now. I have a rotation of bouquets in the house all the time and they make me so happy. I love flowers and having a constant supply of my favorite flowers in my favorite colors is just the best. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tomatoes</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeA6VWH8CSLDgilhmpl-xeLe8bbEyBkqFwEnSRXCfuPxu5JBRjcgMJ2lhc78fuiElgO0fUcPL5Zev1Ex88pNODu9DlYKLh8bRolKxRZvA0F4PICNPn949k2qI0BhOuwW1MNxmKxYHlnBdGXCaYY4OHwFj--T4aqaFUx55JyRHZAfpYMt_HvIKXdusvNfi/s4032/IMG_8684.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeA6VWH8CSLDgilhmpl-xeLe8bbEyBkqFwEnSRXCfuPxu5JBRjcgMJ2lhc78fuiElgO0fUcPL5Zev1Ex88pNODu9DlYKLh8bRolKxRZvA0F4PICNPn949k2qI0BhOuwW1MNxmKxYHlnBdGXCaYY4OHwFj--T4aqaFUx55JyRHZAfpYMt_HvIKXdusvNfi/w480-h640/IMG_8684.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttCyJGXZxhczr087Nygu4pd5z6ZOC2YMXLOIHxb57D6AKmqbcgPjKugIcZ4VDESgLp7wNbwrQ576QtwxSK05XbA4mM5vI4Hs1teSCsIQTYtO2rQkDwqilLXNiRFCtNDPPa19D90kWWcyVyqrGkCmTyrv5PIE1VxjJuwFu4tCI0IcuX-Q6VNK8vGfcTyqj/s4032/IMG_8691.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttCyJGXZxhczr087Nygu4pd5z6ZOC2YMXLOIHxb57D6AKmqbcgPjKugIcZ4VDESgLp7wNbwrQ576QtwxSK05XbA4mM5vI4Hs1teSCsIQTYtO2rQkDwqilLXNiRFCtNDPPa19D90kWWcyVyqrGkCmTyrv5PIE1VxjJuwFu4tCI0IcuX-Q6VNK8vGfcTyqj/w640-h480/IMG_8691.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>The plants are noticeably smaller than last year. They aren't nearly as tall, the branches are weaker and floppier, there is less foliage. Black spot is doing a number on a few. I gave the plants extra tomato fertilizer, but they are still struggling. It must be the weather. </p><p>It's the end of July and we're getting cherry tomatoes finally. The big tomatoes are still green but I can see a slight blush on a couple so they will be ready soon. The chipmunks are DEFINITELY eating my cherry tomatoes, leaving the shells of the fruits behind after enjoying the pulp and seeds. I'm still getting some, but it makes me mad that they are getting into the garden at all. I'm pretty sure those little monsters are climbing and have learned to steer clear of the traps.</p><p>The marigolds and borage are doing phenomenally in this bed. Last year the marigolds struggled with some sort of blight, but this year's from my own seed are huge and so healthy. The little blue borage flowers are the bees' favorite. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines and Things</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9PZxCDQ5-dHSC_MsI8CKA4rGUepLlt6OQNDlAAPAAC5LD57vMu-08lq3O9Uv73gNJbi_Q4QG3oTlzHpK4XkOncGe2tyda1tEcCJBLH0gBwuqln-ZPrmOdm5zMahDfYS-AwAKsPOEy-SQAKCpjaobyxnq-Hf6FMVhJyvi9QBQLR7sP23YIand-TvYCUHe/s4032/IMG_8704.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9PZxCDQ5-dHSC_MsI8CKA4rGUepLlt6OQNDlAAPAAC5LD57vMu-08lq3O9Uv73gNJbi_Q4QG3oTlzHpK4XkOncGe2tyda1tEcCJBLH0gBwuqln-ZPrmOdm5zMahDfYS-AwAKsPOEy-SQAKCpjaobyxnq-Hf6FMVhJyvi9QBQLR7sP23YIand-TvYCUHe/w640-h480/IMG_8704.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1bkwKCkfvMAOkWcD7JLa3DdWaX8-xcxVr4o93Iwj5K9E8pEFZabQnxDgSWb6NtSUqE_xBwjpETnseWgXpaEGhFuvHtR747rh3PkEgd8YeLAYrkZGwzkTO8mrfrA9QK7K3YSUCFYhw7CveKQS_ZwYglNMh72_hHB8dE9Iq8uLYcGTh2nrAojP39bTZ0ca/s4032/IMG_8700.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1bkwKCkfvMAOkWcD7JLa3DdWaX8-xcxVr4o93Iwj5K9E8pEFZabQnxDgSWb6NtSUqE_xBwjpETnseWgXpaEGhFuvHtR747rh3PkEgd8YeLAYrkZGwzkTO8mrfrA9QK7K3YSUCFYhw7CveKQS_ZwYglNMh72_hHB8dE9Iq8uLYcGTh2nrAojP39bTZ0ca/w640-h480/IMG_8700.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0RicZPJ93z3dJktLeBx3Wgw_fgm2HVlMWXy3vlJNoQkLBk5qJi_XO61vuTzQm-NMaMMD0fxbIHQzBnIn5jEb77LJCm7pzE1s0rTwbg9DS92sNFOnqAFggPV4D-pPI7vXv7EcbsDTadQoHEwG_UbKElemoDz8Vke5Zw2Gh8mtj51q97YRGC84GX8kqozM/s4032/IMG_8693.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0RicZPJ93z3dJktLeBx3Wgw_fgm2HVlMWXy3vlJNoQkLBk5qJi_XO61vuTzQm-NMaMMD0fxbIHQzBnIn5jEb77LJCm7pzE1s0rTwbg9DS92sNFOnqAFggPV4D-pPI7vXv7EcbsDTadQoHEwG_UbKElemoDz8Vke5Zw2Gh8mtj51q97YRGC84GX8kqozM/w640-h480/IMG_8693.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>The cucumber vines are at their July peak. Everything is green, there are a ton of flowers everywhere, the vines are criss-crossed every which way on the trellis. There are large cucumbers hiding under the leaves. The malabar spinach is slowly growing up the archway. I feel like it's growing even slower than previous years, but I might be wrong (I know it's a slow grower). The nasturtiums are already trying to take over the bed.</p><p>The rainbow chard has some sort of blight again like last year, but it's still pretty to look at in the garden (though it's unappetizing to eat). The carrots are growing. The melon vines have taken over the tower and there are a few tiny melons I'm hoping will become bigger melons. The medium pink snapdragons have been big flower producers despite their shorter size. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Flower Cutting Bed</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGFBj5So9SxWvCel_GvlSS4z7bE-ANefAhKwXfQsj-hImddeuPph2nUyztcYRXw9ROXElUG9QAvzSI3SqFUfcztLHB4iRf5k15PHoGqiREYmOijwB-pPkakmJLPRT9Y3eKt3NoJsuabXmZez7P2qsMSgST0dUg0F0jeq8WvGmV1PfHTouwgou8F669hg7/s4032/IMG_8692.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGFBj5So9SxWvCel_GvlSS4z7bE-ANefAhKwXfQsj-hImddeuPph2nUyztcYRXw9ROXElUG9QAvzSI3SqFUfcztLHB4iRf5k15PHoGqiREYmOijwB-pPkakmJLPRT9Y3eKt3NoJsuabXmZez7P2qsMSgST0dUg0F0jeq8WvGmV1PfHTouwgou8F669hg7/w640-h480/IMG_8692.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bU65yfYr_dqWhOmFCO3s3g5GYYiNi3OrAIUbwrKzWZYxglJ6-sUlJ1YKijVTX0jjEGI-IpTxRY5cV8d2km9Xg8AysN_RJywxJCgwgheJKL1oEekj1e5rjZ0RYWSNWLul6LKPVyqx380pCFlVJVa4qwRTKwr2unJP10uieDjSBsYURQdXa7I1gmF4Z21b/s4032/IMG_8694.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bU65yfYr_dqWhOmFCO3s3g5GYYiNi3OrAIUbwrKzWZYxglJ6-sUlJ1YKijVTX0jjEGI-IpTxRY5cV8d2km9Xg8AysN_RJywxJCgwgheJKL1oEekj1e5rjZ0RYWSNWLul6LKPVyqx380pCFlVJVa4qwRTKwr2unJP10uieDjSBsYURQdXa7I1gmF4Z21b/w480-h640/IMG_8694.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj3CiZiJJZa-7v-O1tvmb2NZlqdaLp-Q7sQJdwQHOYJENPnlGMkLKIK6LoqXuuxBajZhsLOpWAh1JsX3oZFBqGnZnqDgST61sOTb9IgTogyMfQQLzeWbDf1IEtHf2yDRjLdvArQmIK1oWvMhaYpPqBdNzJ5AAObf0OJfvdk4hvoI_0ylL4MdrlrFDEPVC/s4032/IMG_8698.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj3CiZiJJZa-7v-O1tvmb2NZlqdaLp-Q7sQJdwQHOYJENPnlGMkLKIK6LoqXuuxBajZhsLOpWAh1JsX3oZFBqGnZnqDgST61sOTb9IgTogyMfQQLzeWbDf1IEtHf2yDRjLdvArQmIK1oWvMhaYpPqBdNzJ5AAObf0OJfvdk4hvoI_0ylL4MdrlrFDEPVC/w640-h480/IMG_8698.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsERqhHdqW2eV8gA5MoOsg2LNZpZosdQBI8MahwclTk4IDCwOeKluJBFuMbj19lxnQN6fxRPSImkbUmn5pqykIxbqdLgrvOKQgs9lX2pg08EGMKAVtqLgBpPyfgrVOd4QjSKuOml3PLULvnUumXwSGu-S2jguQPw6MZ7ko6dAMNGhdptwQu48sT3CU4Z5u/s4032/IMG_8721.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsERqhHdqW2eV8gA5MoOsg2LNZpZosdQBI8MahwclTk4IDCwOeKluJBFuMbj19lxnQN6fxRPSImkbUmn5pqykIxbqdLgrvOKQgs9lX2pg08EGMKAVtqLgBpPyfgrVOd4QjSKuOml3PLULvnUumXwSGu-S2jguQPw6MZ7ko6dAMNGhdptwQu48sT3CU4Z5u/w480-h640/IMG_8721.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The snapdragons are doing fabulously. There are so many colors - pink, orange, magenta, purple, lavender, yellow. I love the colors and they are all huge producers. I constantly have bouquets of flowers in the house. The globe amaranth is also doing great - last year it didn't get enough sun and struggled, this year going in the corner with the snapdragons is the right position for it. There are so many flowers. </p><p>The pink lemonade cosmo is enormous and looks pretty healthy, but it's not producing a lot of flowers yet. This happened last year and then suddenly the flowers came in non-stop, so I'm hoping that's the case again. The Apricotta cosmo is mostly dead. Some sort of blight. I direct-sowed a few new seeds in an attempt to get it to regrow, but we'll see how that goes. </p><p>This is the worst season I've ever had with zinnias. Zinnias are usually the easiest thing to grow, because despite the blight on the leaves they still grow and thrive. This year, not so much. I'm watching half my plants wither and die. It's weird. I'm getting a few blooms, but I've never struggled like this with them before. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dahlia Bed</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs_dIFUQx7fvEO38yCGziOjCReXAaKtQNxOtloSKA7ztbzfHNbjsjwJoBaM7BnC0oc8w9GbzdvSmtfslDEc9wUiwSUBO5xewzaFMx2ecmTciBhabvDrqodsuuE0MlYA8VovEn63Ui1kZ-0MgMNabikPWVH0jX6RH33K1y5cvobycliW-05R5yEWsTP-e3/s4032/IMG_8683.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs_dIFUQx7fvEO38yCGziOjCReXAaKtQNxOtloSKA7ztbzfHNbjsjwJoBaM7BnC0oc8w9GbzdvSmtfslDEc9wUiwSUBO5xewzaFMx2ecmTciBhabvDrqodsuuE0MlYA8VovEn63Ui1kZ-0MgMNabikPWVH0jX6RH33K1y5cvobycliW-05R5yEWsTP-e3/w480-h640/IMG_8683.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS1_kHJpyAVezPB4JBGQ4RgT5lVg2IEL1IGfr4KP6X1qIxNrHtA-NFjgmG-6Q0MppRZDknwivrAqhzzslsDZtHCjXJVAFXjXQSD7Unt0sCSoKttFY8pCWuhkMr_LTVJWuVDyPYj2btWmIu9dgqLuZ9lfpfRO9DOm0115jZ6DYXijRoFmq0Xwv3DhkQkab/s4032/IMG_8690.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS1_kHJpyAVezPB4JBGQ4RgT5lVg2IEL1IGfr4KP6X1qIxNrHtA-NFjgmG-6Q0MppRZDknwivrAqhzzslsDZtHCjXJVAFXjXQSD7Unt0sCSoKttFY8pCWuhkMr_LTVJWuVDyPYj2btWmIu9dgqLuZ9lfpfRO9DOm0115jZ6DYXijRoFmq0Xwv3DhkQkab/w640-h480/IMG_8690.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmDMNn2idFCUkmtVv_Utl3fpcGXv5EYBZrwMPs5UQdnytcKIEewv_5ICyX2zRwHy2ZsdVnuUtzqRLnH2Or1ehbePz2qtmihljF4DhuLhjmvRK21x9CCwpbEm5JB10sEUq8vin9Eh1egBe5JOLIAzngGlXYkO0eWJm019syD7EJMDNOB-kRBZEvCriYmJA/s4032/IMG_8712.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmDMNn2idFCUkmtVv_Utl3fpcGXv5EYBZrwMPs5UQdnytcKIEewv_5ICyX2zRwHy2ZsdVnuUtzqRLnH2Or1ehbePz2qtmihljF4DhuLhjmvRK21x9CCwpbEm5JB10sEUq8vin9Eh1egBe5JOLIAzngGlXYkO0eWJm019syD7EJMDNOB-kRBZEvCriYmJA/w480-h640/IMG_8712.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The dahlias are doing great and I'm constantly watching for spider mites constantly (though I think the weather right now is too wet and humid for them this year ... I hope). There are so many blooms and I'm enjoying all the bouquets of flowers. So many bouquets of flowers. Hopefully this year the dahlias continue to thrive! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs and Strawberries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIAdbQ6BwNqqWC3f-7yY29FvMR8Ph8CmQ0yXcDtNwc4u1wL_Pj4MCxHSlrEOfUFiAN5iVOQf2kKE3Doc4AYnUBVfW8kPdl2QbueHH78ch9wMIcVg-eksaXnoc8sWcR0_xpj6bLpxPy6tqnfSqNEsMV3aNCXV0PyZ6sZcWAo4COLW9nF6h4EshJ0VUmR9L/s4032/IMG_8696.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIAdbQ6BwNqqWC3f-7yY29FvMR8Ph8CmQ0yXcDtNwc4u1wL_Pj4MCxHSlrEOfUFiAN5iVOQf2kKE3Doc4AYnUBVfW8kPdl2QbueHH78ch9wMIcVg-eksaXnoc8sWcR0_xpj6bLpxPy6tqnfSqNEsMV3aNCXV0PyZ6sZcWAo4COLW9nF6h4EshJ0VUmR9L/w480-h640/IMG_8696.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUr4hWlS1riNUiEwqaqj99sSkjuUDd803hlhZhMe6V-UIgM8OM6nCnmZWYf9QHiO_Dr4l4vtB7RT-OSyV33Oh-qobwq3gm-pEV7-tklDE8ANZZoTxeKeaag6SYhu-xRCV_7SNYbp7AbFq3jsqt19acAHZy1ejPdaoaEPwf65R_tUbbPKUzKIeg2qpti1O-/s4032/IMG_8708.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUr4hWlS1riNUiEwqaqj99sSkjuUDd803hlhZhMe6V-UIgM8OM6nCnmZWYf9QHiO_Dr4l4vtB7RT-OSyV33Oh-qobwq3gm-pEV7-tklDE8ANZZoTxeKeaag6SYhu-xRCV_7SNYbp7AbFq3jsqt19acAHZy1ejPdaoaEPwf65R_tUbbPKUzKIeg2qpti1O-/w480-h640/IMG_8708.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The strawberry bed was taken over by borage and I had to cut it back. Between the oregano flopping over and the borage taking over, the strawberries haven't really filled in like they usually do in the summer. They also have spots on the leaves, which is concerning from a disease perspective. While the chipmunks left us nothing this year, there's always hope for next year... if the plants survive. </p><p>The oregano is out of control. I'm pulling up a ton of oregano seedlings from the pathways and the long stems are trying to crowd every other herb out. The dill bolted in the heat. The thyme almost died off over the winter but the little bit the survived spread back out. Sage is doing well. The basil in the bed died off. The borage is trying to take over. The purple (red) sunflower is blooming and quite cheerful. The calendula has seen much better years production wise. The rosemary bush needs harvesting soon and is doing well. Chamomile always struggles a bit in my garden and this year is about normal, it just doesn't go crazy for me the way it does for others. The lavender I overwintered had a massive bloom production this year and I had a big harvest. Combined with the lavender from elsewhere in the yard I harvested 3 big bouquets. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxinSgzfinMTR1qwfBNTd3YR6BPy7qtM88XjOBNr84qrrysTszBmgOtsjYHF1tP_bmSOsNbiLIFH0cYdVUuNUK3mso5INpUyV1yDQKWXsil59VYq7j25OezVSqLzCok3DAZcBGXaVCssxzKb1vbnaSGSP5F9VFhEjSuLNXcROG5Kr5UzkXtdag9AqwgA4Y/s4032/IMG_9125.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxinSgzfinMTR1qwfBNTd3YR6BPy7qtM88XjOBNr84qrrysTszBmgOtsjYHF1tP_bmSOsNbiLIFH0cYdVUuNUK3mso5INpUyV1yDQKWXsil59VYq7j25OezVSqLzCok3DAZcBGXaVCssxzKb1vbnaSGSP5F9VFhEjSuLNXcROG5Kr5UzkXtdag9AqwgA4Y/w480-h640/IMG_9125.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p>The lemon verbena in the pot is doing well. The lemon verbena weeds that cropped up on the pathways and even in the beds are a battle. The potted rosemary looks sickly and probably should be repotted into something bigger. The potted basil is starting to look sickly (it must be a bad year for basil). The potted dalinova doesn't look great either but dahlias don't really like small pots.</p><p>The medium potted snap dragons I harvest like the cutting beds. The morning glory is doing better than last year but still experiencing some wilt on the trellis. The potted peppers are both producing well. The patio tomato has tomatoes about to ripen if the chipmunks don't get them first. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the Yard</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcE2H9JbUtn3pjqBnb9KTfW9WIqOPXLRwIJuf3ys7537uC023RTp7u1a--ggyG8XP0xXWnQ3XkLUkOa6gLTBLmyzOg3CuNVsq9nQsfGFQ29nCIOtj9wqHAtTrJVJs5J4aEob0pto04B4bbiWeEvnxhdCvqatPTAj9-OIx1dWyRWEwmDZic07H4OdljG2E/s4032/IMG_8770.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcE2H9JbUtn3pjqBnb9KTfW9WIqOPXLRwIJuf3ys7537uC023RTp7u1a--ggyG8XP0xXWnQ3XkLUkOa6gLTBLmyzOg3CuNVsq9nQsfGFQ29nCIOtj9wqHAtTrJVJs5J4aEob0pto04B4bbiWeEvnxhdCvqatPTAj9-OIx1dWyRWEwmDZic07H4OdljG2E/w480-h640/IMG_8770.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfRy14CluoMAcutV9aept6cHoPtF1oqimxP0zzv__rewGATGqo87EvqyZeAT9Vh0FnhmGR02woqUKqQEtjTgcY_MnIKhMdiNvaCfOoNbvUGoTNXm0xiInBQ1sJNRIWTG0z1g5m8JeRUVAZHkjaGoacqeZ45REf6IDaETqiiaF8zRndtvnba0u53P0JOKz/s4032/IMG_8764.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfRy14CluoMAcutV9aept6cHoPtF1oqimxP0zzv__rewGATGqo87EvqyZeAT9Vh0FnhmGR02woqUKqQEtjTgcY_MnIKhMdiNvaCfOoNbvUGoTNXm0xiInBQ1sJNRIWTG0z1g5m8JeRUVAZHkjaGoacqeZ45REf6IDaETqiiaF8zRndtvnba0u53P0JOKz/w480-h640/IMG_8764.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>It's blackberry season. Despite the greedy, climbing (!) chipmunks, we are still enjoying tart blackberries. We still haven't built the blueberry boxes (life has been exceptionally busy), so the blueberries were eaten by birds long before they ever ripened. </p><p>My citrus trees look healthy but we have yet to have a summer bloom like they usually do which is strange. The giant elderberry out back has lots of blooms and even the smaller one is blooming. This means... Berries?! Maybe? I will keep checking in August. </p><p>There are tiny figs on the fig trees. I haven't pulled the potted brown turkey fig tree out of the greenhouse yet (it's been overwhelming for months) and at this point, I don't think we will. This year is an experiment in year-round greenhouse living. As long as I keep it watered and don't forget about it, it might be fine in there (though it's always about 10+ degrees hotter in there). </p><p>I need to take more photos of the flowers. There are so many lovely flowers. Inside, outside, everywhere. The July garden had yard have hit peak magic. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlSct5qbk6NLP5gufeUzw4ojqlVRpBjGjowEVog0FZjrIgvdYDPnxsbS0lVd6a_GridfAdOw5hGA1JopZRhJMMfqIZE19byztB0s5BLatr0tfSmvtNC4tAvRBLcucoBAzFz3VLRmJFQE2eWbTLCMRPJORMF9fx1fSdz2C7HLrow5M65H-vsSqJEbmyRg/s4032/IMG_8803.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlSct5qbk6NLP5gufeUzw4ojqlVRpBjGjowEVog0FZjrIgvdYDPnxsbS0lVd6a_GridfAdOw5hGA1JopZRhJMMfqIZE19byztB0s5BLatr0tfSmvtNC4tAvRBLcucoBAzFz3VLRmJFQE2eWbTLCMRPJORMF9fx1fSdz2C7HLrow5M65H-vsSqJEbmyRg/w480-h640/IMG_8803.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6749fKQZP1F4gl7MuVcp5LX3vMWxSt5vf351FvklrkyUg5B6Jf3lTGaS2VQtme6RmVpgQRLbUmrvMy4egiO8TPlI4h3goLSoKPo-YbmzUlpNa1reeGaFXkbhLq4CWUh1xuFQwrz_uR-BdGsRj8CSP8mVsGZVc0gknuaTAWDFWlfcE4o5B3vpDCNn4VJJ/s4032/IMG_8738.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6749fKQZP1F4gl7MuVcp5LX3vMWxSt5vf351FvklrkyUg5B6Jf3lTGaS2VQtme6RmVpgQRLbUmrvMy4egiO8TPlI4h3goLSoKPo-YbmzUlpNa1reeGaFXkbhLq4CWUh1xuFQwrz_uR-BdGsRj8CSP8mVsGZVc0gknuaTAWDFWlfcE4o5B3vpDCNn4VJJ/w640-h480/IMG_8738.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2XT8499QEJJ88SgQUJOld85ZK9QbLRzIuVLgTXhXwuGqMZApZo-2IsBDeJGNWzN3IHjcz7_gYtHdhOxr45__3VP0kZJY4j0hM1qB8wESY3hdWXhm5HpqhZISire_NiBTQYYMH15qr0KNlr8iIX9Rbp_94UkiNlR63YpRIouASLEI2ozuTKx7M-ydz0sN/s4032/IMG_8760.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2XT8499QEJJ88SgQUJOld85ZK9QbLRzIuVLgTXhXwuGqMZApZo-2IsBDeJGNWzN3IHjcz7_gYtHdhOxr45__3VP0kZJY4j0hM1qB8wESY3hdWXhm5HpqhZISire_NiBTQYYMH15qr0KNlr8iIX9Rbp_94UkiNlR63YpRIouASLEI2ozuTKx7M-ydz0sN/w480-h640/IMG_8760.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8XGfe5B2jyemvF_t5dpsEZW_oIRU5mi4SSdzR1plSM7dcFCzpykMWINlq06o1V6CL8noDDxl9jYcUooCePq6uPEpT-RUAwI5l08mzTy6MvhrV9_067rssAxxB8MPoBJ6ZYu5T4_YtgfD4HKCbut9kyxPZCjnOozAZKtYmzUyfwzS0dHUXlGqIXVmeJpz/s4032/IMG_8746.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8XGfe5B2jyemvF_t5dpsEZW_oIRU5mi4SSdzR1plSM7dcFCzpykMWINlq06o1V6CL8noDDxl9jYcUooCePq6uPEpT-RUAwI5l08mzTy6MvhrV9_067rssAxxB8MPoBJ6ZYu5T4_YtgfD4HKCbut9kyxPZCjnOozAZKtYmzUyfwzS0dHUXlGqIXVmeJpz/w480-h640/IMG_8746.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-29690330051896374942023-06-30T13:55:00.246-04:002023-08-08T09:49:01.234-04:00June Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6vFsQ6qB-MxPIgCBORYb47tBtdUWAN5VuVO4Dq1gXYgoFLHWtQcYsR1Lrxwk-NZ-l8ef02PMFDjaY4wfDW8LYJpaiJKWgws38_1fVUnVcY4nhIzTTWeMX04m3R1FPIbFVVg2nq3GKRVflkUcSzEqTA8oIFCVOWNrn_FuvYw931lHLhSQsQMj_pBhLD0J/s4032/IMG_8138.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6vFsQ6qB-MxPIgCBORYb47tBtdUWAN5VuVO4Dq1gXYgoFLHWtQcYsR1Lrxwk-NZ-l8ef02PMFDjaY4wfDW8LYJpaiJKWgws38_1fVUnVcY4nhIzTTWeMX04m3R1FPIbFVVg2nq3GKRVflkUcSzEqTA8oIFCVOWNrn_FuvYw931lHLhSQsQMj_pBhLD0J/w480-h640/IMG_8138.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmqKoup-aEPbKhApcoGTWIWhjb2ZXpaZnhPKerLoKMBv1UrmoJebr163q4-D86Scp_Fv_PTYd4qNlhHQ7Sncr1sZLcW4oWAPnp8Ulic9t1OjcpVvhCxX8cxCAj7zd9Kk87pzQhTevbR5Bo6LeN55lHEfASJjhOVIXjgiD9VAwL6r0eKQ8BAdCe_rQcbl-/s4032/IMG_8537.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmqKoup-aEPbKhApcoGTWIWhjb2ZXpaZnhPKerLoKMBv1UrmoJebr163q4-D86Scp_Fv_PTYd4qNlhHQ7Sncr1sZLcW4oWAPnp8Ulic9t1OjcpVvhCxX8cxCAj7zd9Kk87pzQhTevbR5Bo6LeN55lHEfASJjhOVIXjgiD9VAwL6r0eKQ8BAdCe_rQcbl-/w640-h480/IMG_8537.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>June is typically a month of rapid growth. In May everything is small, starting from seed and seedling, becoming established in those 3-4 weeks. June is when everything starts to really flourish, grow large and start blooming for July and August harvests. May and half of June had really strange weather, it barely rained at all and this month we had repeated wildfire smoke blocking the sun (and putting us in a dangerous fog once too that was really scary). The dahlias began blooming, thanks to pre-starting, which always makes me happy. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tomatoes</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XNHSPQZbCDYJCTWkkip6tpT2t18I1JwuhALF-jb38do0RTyKoCf9GzfIEMM0SZKpUaHsnIQBjqzCJNJpS7nmqBIgXoVtM3ITnTDMLuRFD_iRldW3BGIfONyvDfitqCAHDX-WXx7w1XFCMn3VRCZ6esCDGx5uMO9kNp1Dm1BRJuQMfMWxQbUNB9bxPda8/s4032/IMG_8493.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XNHSPQZbCDYJCTWkkip6tpT2t18I1JwuhALF-jb38do0RTyKoCf9GzfIEMM0SZKpUaHsnIQBjqzCJNJpS7nmqBIgXoVtM3ITnTDMLuRFD_iRldW3BGIfONyvDfitqCAHDX-WXx7w1XFCMn3VRCZ6esCDGx5uMO9kNp1Dm1BRJuQMfMWxQbUNB9bxPda8/w640-h480/IMG_8493.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnQy_n-MCNKXuGErDv2rIIWXf9eHMPDvCsKiGiir8HZAb7XC4ELuEIG-IDM4c9_VDvQe-6v4UEhCiD6g_AJuLTIhGSz1dvT_Hz3GdEgpGNNoFrwzD9pDDhYc9q3cxPiN3w_uUOdjmzvZCiLKQA6t_B9MtgGDU3VrHMdrOcDrtMS2O_Kt-NUTXwjHA4_94/s4032/IMG_8530.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnQy_n-MCNKXuGErDv2rIIWXf9eHMPDvCsKiGiir8HZAb7XC4ELuEIG-IDM4c9_VDvQe-6v4UEhCiD6g_AJuLTIhGSz1dvT_Hz3GdEgpGNNoFrwzD9pDDhYc9q3cxPiN3w_uUOdjmzvZCiLKQA6t_B9MtgGDU3VrHMdrOcDrtMS2O_Kt-NUTXwjHA4_94/w480-h640/IMG_8530.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The tomato plants are growing, there are blooms and tiny tomatoes. There's a little more early blight than I would like and they feel a little smaller than normal, so I put some fertilizer spikes for tomatoes near each plant. The marigolds are growing nicely (these were seedlings from seed) and the borage (transplants from the pathways and possible from seed) is also doing great - it's large, flowering and attracting pollinators. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines and Things</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66HQ7tTd1-OKikKFTbvvBygbOMnaMJ1jy69GZvAeKrjBNu1WoUavA8xbiPapIBFKUJQHdyhWpto2k32jd9ZEcNUhEh16sIH9uHUgy-Wb8KY8mm0hEKiV3C7YvPZVXdwprfonUYJ6v93fDxcePayawuCiGp5Ccfca0kD0a2Q8BWPS98WeuXeYSgb144KVM/s4032/IMG_8527.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66HQ7tTd1-OKikKFTbvvBygbOMnaMJ1jy69GZvAeKrjBNu1WoUavA8xbiPapIBFKUJQHdyhWpto2k32jd9ZEcNUhEh16sIH9uHUgy-Wb8KY8mm0hEKiV3C7YvPZVXdwprfonUYJ6v93fDxcePayawuCiGp5Ccfca0kD0a2Q8BWPS98WeuXeYSgb144KVM/w640-h480/IMG_8527.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-otVoRl9DcPrs6BX9aXUXxPx94FzqXyzglNxO4QzLVUBm3ZggwEeMf0UNyaOJQ8gjOIr6a7Nq3nQ8Zao5nkMfvqfpqTI4sRpBlFHoa3Fzv3ewitGOyKTQwsytJl8nFlIRlLXSWSW66qHFMUg-unEm0GAmbmohMZ7RTBpOAF5fi7W4eZ6Oix2cZRvek00J/s4032/IMG_8529.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-otVoRl9DcPrs6BX9aXUXxPx94FzqXyzglNxO4QzLVUBm3ZggwEeMf0UNyaOJQ8gjOIr6a7Nq3nQ8Zao5nkMfvqfpqTI4sRpBlFHoa3Fzv3ewitGOyKTQwsytJl8nFlIRlLXSWSW66qHFMUg-unEm0GAmbmohMZ7RTBpOAF5fi7W4eZ6Oix2cZRvek00J/w640-h480/IMG_8529.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p>The cucumbers are growing up the trellis. The nasturtiums are growing nicely. The rainbow chard is already looking great and the carrot sprouts are slowly coming along. The melon vine started small and I was concerned it wasn't going to make it, but it seems to have rallied and taken off. The pink medium height snapdragons have really filled in and are budding. The malabar spinach vine has sprouted - it's a really slow starter but should grow a lot later. The peas on the archway (that are actually in the flower cutting garden bed) are ready for harvesting - we are enjoying the short season while we can. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Flower Cutting Bed</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeox_FkJ6-joN1ikzmGweGPbQsqSDY1tVhGNwCaAKj4ZIJzjtsouze_vM1KoAkRiuTaR7Jop1uFPrGZoOxYov1ZXNu7XhD6OVRnutTfL2tFb-5FVT8XiuSGmWaltQBAtC6pCpo3sbIEBdTEmuTce2LmtRlOPVO3BeG7sCtkdd_Yr_nGsoqtTW_SvfVLyx/s4032/IMG_8500.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeox_FkJ6-joN1ikzmGweGPbQsqSDY1tVhGNwCaAKj4ZIJzjtsouze_vM1KoAkRiuTaR7Jop1uFPrGZoOxYov1ZXNu7XhD6OVRnutTfL2tFb-5FVT8XiuSGmWaltQBAtC6pCpo3sbIEBdTEmuTce2LmtRlOPVO3BeG7sCtkdd_Yr_nGsoqtTW_SvfVLyx/w480-h640/IMG_8500.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEFXQMHYfO0c3r8aEWuIQnk-0nJx1SjWtUvIW8isJl0OgQevFGlAkduo6tI3rmS0Ko88h_e8PJQyNJpEpZ6HxvX1BNCyMVSIcu4xiOPoqKA9GFD7yMjtUrlYowVyB-x4rQJZ0UI5GehLrBIZN7GewOH2p9MytLDyglDfRQ8pSgl2w1i1p4joBaKfYDPfl/s4032/IMG_8511.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEFXQMHYfO0c3r8aEWuIQnk-0nJx1SjWtUvIW8isJl0OgQevFGlAkduo6tI3rmS0Ko88h_e8PJQyNJpEpZ6HxvX1BNCyMVSIcu4xiOPoqKA9GFD7yMjtUrlYowVyB-x4rQJZ0UI5GehLrBIZN7GewOH2p9MytLDyglDfRQ8pSgl2w1i1p4joBaKfYDPfl/w400-h300/IMG_8511.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1rJwrGM08tdJM8q5Da3SWrTnuVaqFSRDd5jbB8RWw2Z6jQfq7e3HKfTX3ZIderBgD23_z6Pdm_46M7PnV5bxNVfvQGPW9bByzac6V9XhePbwTDCpsbre9l9vXm2FE4DDZFNYjgeZGtoxLB5aXorFiaSD7GQb_iuekMT-BZxorpzP2M1HqR40U9fsaZGe/s4032/IMG_8524.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1rJwrGM08tdJM8q5Da3SWrTnuVaqFSRDd5jbB8RWw2Z6jQfq7e3HKfTX3ZIderBgD23_z6Pdm_46M7PnV5bxNVfvQGPW9bByzac6V9XhePbwTDCpsbre9l9vXm2FE4DDZFNYjgeZGtoxLB5aXorFiaSD7GQb_iuekMT-BZxorpzP2M1HqR40U9fsaZGe/w480-h640/IMG_8524.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p>The snapdragons have really popped and started spreading out. I have a few blooms coming in with a lot more going to pop soon. There's definitely pink, a bright magenta/purple, lavender, white, yellow and orange in there. The Apricotta cosmo is producing early blooms but the plant is super small. The pink lemonade cosmo is the opposite (see pic 3 above) - it's a huge plant with no blooms yet. </p><p>The zinnias are struggling a bit - the sprouts are withering and turning brown instead of taking off like they usually do - zinnias are usually the easiest thing to grow! Some of them are fine, but others are really sad looking. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dahlia Bed</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB8R_Slxt3cgoC9vWTBv8Dr7XhpwYewNTDbaUU_vZb6RQ9Wc6pX9GJAC_vXuf_YFyF2-sKk35yyjoo-brRhQpSVeQdkFJiDqtjzFz3km93HKoqczKwn5XXCJxIqopAA0aXqAtig63kW3s8Rs97zAVf0Kk8CNXvIOUV0vvEEJ_IgjxjEoSnFRQr5pnSyMM/s4032/IMG_8492.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB8R_Slxt3cgoC9vWTBv8Dr7XhpwYewNTDbaUU_vZb6RQ9Wc6pX9GJAC_vXuf_YFyF2-sKk35yyjoo-brRhQpSVeQdkFJiDqtjzFz3km93HKoqczKwn5XXCJxIqopAA0aXqAtig63kW3s8Rs97zAVf0Kk8CNXvIOUV0vvEEJ_IgjxjEoSnFRQr5pnSyMM/w480-h640/IMG_8492.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuLGFLOjKnJu0X_t8_zQdeGfinDl-5QmQPGzy0LZe7tPR9vSSQGGDMoN_uqxdyoXM3xTpXbYgH20RDfQ58oZsGKB3ln0MrIPiRmUKuQCmNcLIpzeFwmS_JMSbm4ho4WCUp77K8X-sXEATkPUVbBmH7q389fOavf3KTMeOb3YlZ7Ccjp4syqXqaoOWD3fF/s4032/IMG_8560.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuLGFLOjKnJu0X_t8_zQdeGfinDl-5QmQPGzy0LZe7tPR9vSSQGGDMoN_uqxdyoXM3xTpXbYgH20RDfQ58oZsGKB3ln0MrIPiRmUKuQCmNcLIpzeFwmS_JMSbm4ho4WCUp77K8X-sXEATkPUVbBmH7q389fOavf3KTMeOb3YlZ7Ccjp4syqXqaoOWD3fF/w640-h480/IMG_8560.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p>The dahlias just started blooming at the end of this month! Every single one of them, which is fantastic since late June is early for dahlias (thanks to pre-starting them in the greenhouse). The earliest blooms were cornel bronze, american dawn and felida Solar flare, but soon the rest came in. And the biggest surprise of all... Fairway spur was not fairway spur. It's a white and purple dahlia gifted to me last year by my neighbor before the spider mite invasion. I thought this one had died, so I must have mixed them up (the plant was alive but not blooming). Bummer about Fairway spur, but I'll get another one when I'm ready - in the meantime this one is lovely with the purple snapdragons! </p><p>Here are all the dahlias:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zgqZhrH_kiNHbF80eUyGlPNcw_RdbTQSDyYnC5b9IMr8YX-O_OdAG2EQta2tjk74o7Tx5UvZrfVpbj0OaIL42Yha77CuigF7Bi8tTYtE0S1F3PRBI1xKjWpTdU8WdAo48hvDxCvz1o6YJa0-_M639uWzUU7mE3i957-Y7-R71WKO-n_egaTlKR38t-Je/s4032/IMG_8512.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zgqZhrH_kiNHbF80eUyGlPNcw_RdbTQSDyYnC5b9IMr8YX-O_OdAG2EQta2tjk74o7Tx5UvZrfVpbj0OaIL42Yha77CuigF7Bi8tTYtE0S1F3PRBI1xKjWpTdU8WdAo48hvDxCvz1o6YJa0-_M639uWzUU7mE3i957-Y7-R71WKO-n_egaTlKR38t-Je/w480-h640/IMG_8512.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz63-BNbacL8FM0Q_WcGUHJ9kIifg0m1lz_QhRvGf0JhcGVMvQBm2-3KNy9z3s9QEsNPRTUwY3Z59vuJbdTa4mxOywyJf0Uf03DydO8Z-QL0R85RmfeB87QQAypeL2j5Yyj7VcAhJJcpjNRFjONNZPkrvTmxh_PJ3ZnYb4w4iyp_KQbjYQAjxPdYW52RKr/s4032/IMG_8513.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz63-BNbacL8FM0Q_WcGUHJ9kIifg0m1lz_QhRvGf0JhcGVMvQBm2-3KNy9z3s9QEsNPRTUwY3Z59vuJbdTa4mxOywyJf0Uf03DydO8Z-QL0R85RmfeB87QQAypeL2j5Yyj7VcAhJJcpjNRFjONNZPkrvTmxh_PJ3ZnYb4w4iyp_KQbjYQAjxPdYW52RKr/w480-h640/IMG_8513.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeHT1wVxYyAshji3PNz-wpm-8kRmmV6i21Nn9nxcav-9yd2knFYZqQRQHJ0eehU7GvLaRejNirUEDaZjaplyX9c_6m2ZxrjGZo-EcTlW_T9OS7sguVvhWKqYdRElJ-GnSbSG484cdn4qktvw225gi1alJ9ffxiENxwZwgRfmr-8U5iU0FDytrf7tgwk5e/s4032/IMG_8514.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeHT1wVxYyAshji3PNz-wpm-8kRmmV6i21Nn9nxcav-9yd2knFYZqQRQHJ0eehU7GvLaRejNirUEDaZjaplyX9c_6m2ZxrjGZo-EcTlW_T9OS7sguVvhWKqYdRElJ-GnSbSG484cdn4qktvw225gi1alJ9ffxiENxwZwgRfmr-8U5iU0FDytrf7tgwk5e/w480-h640/IMG_8514.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0t3eLDD9KyMwx0R7vCUxbP-7_mzz7p1qt5ZosNJiJaJv9Dkl4lZ64cIGtAd8Dyj0cowndh6DqQaJcDLyJ_eAa5d2OpwhLUCQHK8FCg0kbkdb5QZv7tEcu9BQHxdycx7iIbNbMzJeqVMMtri93oA3gxvZfWOdZcITwL4MjnmExEnzBAnY4beW-TiVkj0m/s4032/IMG_8515.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0t3eLDD9KyMwx0R7vCUxbP-7_mzz7p1qt5ZosNJiJaJv9Dkl4lZ64cIGtAd8Dyj0cowndh6DqQaJcDLyJ_eAa5d2OpwhLUCQHK8FCg0kbkdb5QZv7tEcu9BQHxdycx7iIbNbMzJeqVMMtri93oA3gxvZfWOdZcITwL4MjnmExEnzBAnY4beW-TiVkj0m/w480-h640/IMG_8515.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdfECqb8KqVy34jOSLiMHf2dIe9Rjy6RbSbEcf4vxTnD69uUmsEAMDNqIpqzHQ0YeBok4qo13g2HHQuLB5bO1BOFhzFKkRtfcylHvQgfe3TqvR6UdBkTkb0dwJRFyW-l6mPCB820SOLlpeogvvunmLakBGrAanW8eymA0OSQbVV4RZJlqh6wLSGFVJe7E/s4032/IMG_8516.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdfECqb8KqVy34jOSLiMHf2dIe9Rjy6RbSbEcf4vxTnD69uUmsEAMDNqIpqzHQ0YeBok4qo13g2HHQuLB5bO1BOFhzFKkRtfcylHvQgfe3TqvR6UdBkTkb0dwJRFyW-l6mPCB820SOLlpeogvvunmLakBGrAanW8eymA0OSQbVV4RZJlqh6wLSGFVJe7E/w480-h640/IMG_8516.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dgUQjHK4w2gT6jJaUHalpgCdQs83xHzXfYZmWDFgaUrAyb4uccazDtKhyZ-vK2p4dHYdYM3LDHJT9ORyobctwze_liFlA4yaeVVazyZOfYRI5QLtrfWzzO3UDXSVRG0_J0L2eVQXMQZYcPc38Uy0SYoS-GNdRXoB1JNCwOimJf_-XoSeRqhGonXtQJzS/s4032/IMG_8518.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dgUQjHK4w2gT6jJaUHalpgCdQs83xHzXfYZmWDFgaUrAyb4uccazDtKhyZ-vK2p4dHYdYM3LDHJT9ORyobctwze_liFlA4yaeVVazyZOfYRI5QLtrfWzzO3UDXSVRG0_J0L2eVQXMQZYcPc38Uy0SYoS-GNdRXoB1JNCwOimJf_-XoSeRqhGonXtQJzS/w480-h640/IMG_8518.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxhJNM04D5g-n3RcTrA892lVYYvSR5raQmJaNnxs_YYPpmSRhA7SEXpA2uOHNKbKWX38g_96VkBK_8SjCu6afTxo4jRi2cHPLIncIomaERf_3CwkYq8RBRIyQiqXP32hROf1rhWT7Le6l-kCVTpoeVl-ydm6TyWNII-62xko0bAG47N3LLeLkXFzhxLGD/s4032/IMG_8520.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxhJNM04D5g-n3RcTrA892lVYYvSR5raQmJaNnxs_YYPpmSRhA7SEXpA2uOHNKbKWX38g_96VkBK_8SjCu6afTxo4jRi2cHPLIncIomaERf_3CwkYq8RBRIyQiqXP32hROf1rhWT7Le6l-kCVTpoeVl-ydm6TyWNII-62xko0bAG47N3LLeLkXFzhxLGD/w480-h640/IMG_8520.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs and Strawberries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIS43CvEIEdmvZtp0IVuhTLO8guhy8lW6SiCxvOM2LL8cr0wF954e75MmSS8Bnx2QyPqDiT-6bS6c3MGkk_qoHzhOOrg42EN0O0jj-rW-KOGK8S_qmTyMzNV3riML74oCFAdiLf2DEOR0Zg8IsYSfSEmfqhvzCKmc_MOi3Q7B2ofnkyU194nFcoITVKV_/s4032/IMG_8507.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIS43CvEIEdmvZtp0IVuhTLO8guhy8lW6SiCxvOM2LL8cr0wF954e75MmSS8Bnx2QyPqDiT-6bS6c3MGkk_qoHzhOOrg42EN0O0jj-rW-KOGK8S_qmTyMzNV3riML74oCFAdiLf2DEOR0Zg8IsYSfSEmfqhvzCKmc_MOi3Q7B2ofnkyU194nFcoITVKV_/w640-h480/IMG_8507.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NaUr0I6UUvEmwFcvtX_rUDiBK4rpWrRV7_8Vp1rtcglqFUtI5iG6DfXkuJk67emiwJkEz4GDKqAAZzfvbRZefYsIf_Ndvb4Bd93nZWtabuRBUivDwPHCI2gKFiyZL27U6ZehyL-MnnYckXUJ6eN2U-varg8WBKcLCsYl3cSSVicQR08kRrJm8oAkusFM/s4032/IMG_8501.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NaUr0I6UUvEmwFcvtX_rUDiBK4rpWrRV7_8Vp1rtcglqFUtI5iG6DfXkuJk67emiwJkEz4GDKqAAZzfvbRZefYsIf_Ndvb4Bd93nZWtabuRBUivDwPHCI2gKFiyZL27U6ZehyL-MnnYckXUJ6eN2U-varg8WBKcLCsYl3cSSVicQR08kRrJm8oAkusFM/w640-h480/IMG_8501.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07IgmXE0VZqnbrERZRlYRaUo6odMljNngLnjFJ3vlkh3SExCJiaLjCQ-N6zb_6lhYjx7XyWTpPPwqszER6eKFrceuqL71lH0GzOAomHecFFgqszJtDxE-acSv2SLk6eARD4bshwXWeg-M3_t3bFFtTBI4MpgXyh79OOHo87gJNRZ0KQ6A4P9O8ilyOMOU/s4032/IMG_8502.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07IgmXE0VZqnbrERZRlYRaUo6odMljNngLnjFJ3vlkh3SExCJiaLjCQ-N6zb_6lhYjx7XyWTpPPwqszER6eKFrceuqL71lH0GzOAomHecFFgqszJtDxE-acSv2SLk6eARD4bshwXWeg-M3_t3bFFtTBI4MpgXyh79OOHo87gJNRZ0KQ6A4P9O8ilyOMOU/w640-h480/IMG_8502.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p>The strawberries never stood a chance because the chipmunks are getting in somewhere. I need so set up a camera or something to see where they are getting in - I can't find any holes! My best guess is that they are climbing or jumping the fencing. These monsters are excellent climbers. The two strawberries we got in May were the last of the berries. They ate everything else green. </p><p>The herbs are all thriving. The oregano is already trying to overtake the garden. There are two borages here that self-seeded and growing large, I'm leaving them for now since the bees love them. The sage, calendula, chamomile, dill, thyme and purple sunflower are all growing nicely. The overwintered lavender is going to bloom soon and the rosemary that overwintered in the greenhouse looks great. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYDX4C9h7Qg1MiTFfJMqumyLtUPwvw5o-Mj9AK2XNvxi8Av9kevHCy7rijV9HhvcEd6H5lZseMI3TASulxC6pQTW7Vx_itKAx7bc44ZAqTYIfqRcz2OS36Vl8IpdJJhdgvPx_fLwb4QYhtumdjK5eyJQVw-4H1bYeY3CTDg7BUAMKUgKvPkB9geDjdsE1/s4032/IMG_8682.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYDX4C9h7Qg1MiTFfJMqumyLtUPwvw5o-Mj9AK2XNvxi8Av9kevHCy7rijV9HhvcEd6H5lZseMI3TASulxC6pQTW7Vx_itKAx7bc44ZAqTYIfqRcz2OS36Vl8IpdJJhdgvPx_fLwb4QYhtumdjK5eyJQVw-4H1bYeY3CTDg7BUAMKUgKvPkB9geDjdsE1/w480-h640/IMG_8682.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBXQDdIUPz8Nb4PuVmw0di1QomWo6vusjLlXrUH01_6GAxXlY-3E-jvWrx4B8qLSY39jpqCjc_k5aHdNSoyeIbQfABmrlsIGe9qBsvurhrDfMulNhX626OrcE-BhmA8UL9rIhxz9tBul3-kIK0EOL11Ge3enYza4Di1ft7yESvcqaCW2XdGb2vkKNP1kB/s4032/IMG_8681.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBXQDdIUPz8Nb4PuVmw0di1QomWo6vusjLlXrUH01_6GAxXlY-3E-jvWrx4B8qLSY39jpqCjc_k5aHdNSoyeIbQfABmrlsIGe9qBsvurhrDfMulNhX626OrcE-BhmA8UL9rIhxz9tBul3-kIK0EOL11Ge3enYza4Di1ft7yESvcqaCW2XdGb2vkKNP1kB/w480-h640/IMG_8681.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>My neighbor gave us a patio tomato and I put it in a big pot. The cayenne pepper already has peppers growing and the jalepeno pepper is blooming. The seeds for the morning glory sprouted and are growing up the trellis (maybe this will be a better year?) and the mini snapdragons I grew from seed are still alive. The medium snapdragons in a pot I overwintered are blooming already (probably because they overwintered). There's a dalinova I potted that is an experiment because they don't like smaller pots. There's basil in a pot, lemon balm I transplanted from the pathway (they were weeds and are now thriving) and a tiny rosemary I keep bringing out. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the Yard</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcw662cDSUxOCYEXjaqxS3qJjPLr3KfPiyv-paDN7D4uxesCj_cNG90A6WWiqRscQkUNvdNJVfW1NZveDTfogOMzce5KQHJJK1TbFEX4olVI2YEqa8dkDwgAIUysaSvGuL3TgUKiw7YzZP24wKffzbUO5fJk7wbBowSKcsfVJb7JdqGb7Buhs2IFfeK7w/s4032/IMG_8470.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcw662cDSUxOCYEXjaqxS3qJjPLr3KfPiyv-paDN7D4uxesCj_cNG90A6WWiqRscQkUNvdNJVfW1NZveDTfogOMzce5KQHJJK1TbFEX4olVI2YEqa8dkDwgAIUysaSvGuL3TgUKiw7YzZP24wKffzbUO5fJk7wbBowSKcsfVJb7JdqGb7Buhs2IFfeK7w/w640-h480/IMG_8470.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnkaeHRJcpc-ump5b0bAonqs1UiVpWQh3ZxXj9iWI0b2ivIoesJuSeheaDLQFoDFLLm_TpJsWuR2_UbZyvxs6PLveF0AlNEM_dGYPSF4LpUiSblPCUbDWqc9MbahavkFJvy9WqVoMX858d2eZbUV4yRwpiF5XSFwjJ0we_6Pp8yVcUx_rT6onr0Cci2fq/s4032/IMG_8129.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnkaeHRJcpc-ump5b0bAonqs1UiVpWQh3ZxXj9iWI0b2ivIoesJuSeheaDLQFoDFLLm_TpJsWuR2_UbZyvxs6PLveF0AlNEM_dGYPSF4LpUiSblPCUbDWqc9MbahavkFJvy9WqVoMX858d2eZbUV4yRwpiF5XSFwjJ0we_6Pp8yVcUx_rT6onr0Cci2fq/w480-h640/IMG_8129.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ATK-vBwhfC1HLYU-remNsbhlGw6i3kKVKmr0vHGZ6SQ9NxqqfwwXH7D3IvjKpMyBAqF5KTuQwP_hlmCvY7Lk5WQiskLjEnVTSDldh-BU3cTtW3iGNSvSJNJm3ulwXvkLUYEpGbJawbNVSz2Gfz1b-bbkpDdf8BSnn4RiEbMKZRnEQMtEIJYCDqtZedxC/s4032/IMG_8137.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ATK-vBwhfC1HLYU-remNsbhlGw6i3kKVKmr0vHGZ6SQ9NxqqfwwXH7D3IvjKpMyBAqF5KTuQwP_hlmCvY7Lk5WQiskLjEnVTSDldh-BU3cTtW3iGNSvSJNJm3ulwXvkLUYEpGbJawbNVSz2Gfz1b-bbkpDdf8BSnn4RiEbMKZRnEQMtEIJYCDqtZedxC/w480-h640/IMG_8137.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB66XavL0BUs6XkDRPX_Ekx17dQ37DGBMgN0TTyhTWj7XK8WkUMqJNL1cAfaUPt_W-IEpoC6eacn0zEGgRkAX2nqIrkTo_HsoI8ePNVpQjP1nGG3rx9lgcIXz38vHXIgUu46ogFwvNqo7NbB8poiRUTebcqgrIfhAD9H43zOJnpmKxR5WSql4naQW8sZTd/s4032/IMG_8199.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB66XavL0BUs6XkDRPX_Ekx17dQ37DGBMgN0TTyhTWj7XK8WkUMqJNL1cAfaUPt_W-IEpoC6eacn0zEGgRkAX2nqIrkTo_HsoI8ePNVpQjP1nGG3rx9lgcIXz38vHXIgUu46ogFwvNqo7NbB8poiRUTebcqgrIfhAD9H43zOJnpmKxR5WSql4naQW8sZTd/w480-h640/IMG_8199.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G_hcdllxxecSpjArXmsNmq8d93C2NRtMWapjLVMBpupidmfVMS2lCuTXUsrgZ4DgteN6IEH3NgUiqC-fWYlC4mf8chfhDpKjbZbjbD5ADlMS9UQLHvJCv698CtYHdOvfBOfqsHAcJX6bBwGrNF3smalhZnfkyEQl6ilq32vqSUeYhDf3RxiwDErGk2e1/s4032/IMG_8147.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G_hcdllxxecSpjArXmsNmq8d93C2NRtMWapjLVMBpupidmfVMS2lCuTXUsrgZ4DgteN6IEH3NgUiqC-fWYlC4mf8chfhDpKjbZbjbD5ADlMS9UQLHvJCv698CtYHdOvfBOfqsHAcJX6bBwGrNF3smalhZnfkyEQl6ilq32vqSUeYhDf3RxiwDErGk2e1/w480-h640/IMG_8147.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>I had one final big bouquet of lavender from the plant by the house. It's my best lavender harvest yet (3 big bouquets of the dark purple, plus the light purple one in the raised bed garden hasn't even started blooming yet). The dark purple one barely survives in this zone (6A), but this spot is a sunny southern exposure and well protected by the house, tree and deck in the winter. The light purple one overwinters in the garden out back without the same protections and does fine, so it's definitely a hardier variety. </p><p>It has been a wonderful season for raspberries. The bramble was thick with healthy canes - new growth for next year and old growth covered in berries. We had so many over 3 weeks it was delightful. Raspberry bird ate quite a few but there were plenty to share. </p><p>There are tiny green blueberries growing on my blueberry bushes, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop the birds since we don't have much to cover them with right now. Those blueberry boxes are still a dream and I can't find my mosquito netting either (bird netting did nothing but hurt the birds when they got stuck in it, no thank you). </p><p>My citrus trees have adjusted to being outside, they came out mid-May and it takes a bit of time to reacclimate to the sunshine and weather conditions (though they are much happier outside in the summer). The elderberry bushes in the way back along the fence are growing really big (one more than the other, but both are establishing themselves!) and we even had a couple of blooms. I harvested a few of the early blooms - they are big, white and lacy in the bottom photo. </p><p>The dahlias I've planted decoratively around the yard are also all doing well - the only ones that are struggling are in pots, and I knew that was a risk because they don't really like being in pots (at least for me). Even the ones I've thrown along the back border are doing well. I'm scared we're going to have another spider mite infestation but so far everything seems to be surviving okay. I check them often! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2djG3FpsE_3eyRO2IH7Xq6UEhlKbEzxOCMmDjKJOiMCv_TyzDY4JfAJLSkhP32sIEOBk-qyARA41HY5mzoYHhZ2QRGBW8h4lp5zd3FRU13Y0HhoHcebT-7qqXwk2A-8MhSbuiWZC_kqwtLeoaJuIYSz9VqkF8vjklbTb9nzZYEzA6kiSJ9fiqV59lU_hx/s4032/IMG_8553.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2djG3FpsE_3eyRO2IH7Xq6UEhlKbEzxOCMmDjKJOiMCv_TyzDY4JfAJLSkhP32sIEOBk-qyARA41HY5mzoYHhZ2QRGBW8h4lp5zd3FRU13Y0HhoHcebT-7qqXwk2A-8MhSbuiWZC_kqwtLeoaJuIYSz9VqkF8vjklbTb9nzZYEzA6kiSJ9fiqV59lU_hx/w480-h640/IMG_8553.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-84471494100600318512023-05-31T09:00:00.251-04:002023-08-07T11:04:12.787-04:00May Garden<div class="separator">At the end of May, the rose archway was this INCREDIBLE show. I couldn't bear to trim it until it finished blooming. Last year the whole thing died back from black spot and I wasn't sure if it would survive another year... I think it did?</div><div class="separator"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid65-Fg7n2Txc8Z0n1m4nu3FWEh64eczP344yE2KtDy3lKKjQEbLvYN1wVQU18EGbf_-nKHgbv6b6Itg2qHpRISqxRcMEoETGY2i8ZuWjYzynJWpi2GooXTnmf5h68p4Hyk7kCjq8nn2DDCqqycILSjHx9tC2IQs9QgrQf3xpOsJTBF10kOSBqlMNb7OUX/s4032/IMG_7102.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid65-Fg7n2Txc8Z0n1m4nu3FWEh64eczP344yE2KtDy3lKKjQEbLvYN1wVQU18EGbf_-nKHgbv6b6Itg2qHpRISqxRcMEoETGY2i8ZuWjYzynJWpi2GooXTnmf5h68p4Hyk7kCjq8nn2DDCqqycILSjHx9tC2IQs9QgrQf3xpOsJTBF10kOSBqlMNb7OUX/w480-h640/IMG_7102.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MdrB13Xe2iRCvwnjDmAHCBsb0-HIPa53n0RsEbPb1MWdSwrxaUo78rfT3olKdwrASdCqeuk_GZgLFyxHad1--3bq9caY0JlFUHdLH9KxlpPpexM--EzgtWME87o3JfWhiDuQwbBrD0kj0l3sfgR43rT_sXvuKLCqyVVt7k2kRz3Im_war8jj5pgsIIW3/s4032/IMG_7111.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MdrB13Xe2iRCvwnjDmAHCBsb0-HIPa53n0RsEbPb1MWdSwrxaUo78rfT3olKdwrASdCqeuk_GZgLFyxHad1--3bq9caY0JlFUHdLH9KxlpPpexM--EzgtWME87o3JfWhiDuQwbBrD0kj0l3sfgR43rT_sXvuKLCqyVVt7k2kRz3Im_war8jj5pgsIIW3/w480-h640/IMG_7111.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe6zRfhqTnf55hfGF9bZHtKzN9N1O1qtTVIT4BNCQRw37ot9SzVW2awJJMEJrbY6ZtqZgeXgkV33_RXwKlmRbuz1hIvo7eUhoGZXtrfVpkFjqdi4uZj6OSASy96L_tKIM76GRO0EfAmUx2hbwVJ1V-G1DbbimL9pkWnDiKKVnnRYLdpknq6mj8UekQkJd/s4032/IMG_7104.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe6zRfhqTnf55hfGF9bZHtKzN9N1O1qtTVIT4BNCQRw37ot9SzVW2awJJMEJrbY6ZtqZgeXgkV33_RXwKlmRbuz1hIvo7eUhoGZXtrfVpkFjqdi4uZj6OSASy96L_tKIM76GRO0EfAmUx2hbwVJ1V-G1DbbimL9pkWnDiKKVnnRYLdpknq6mj8UekQkJd/w640-h480/IMG_7104.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>We planted the garden in early May. This year has been so busy that it was done one part at a time as I could squeeze little pockets of time in. Seedlings first, then seeds, then dahlia bulbs. I pre-started a lot of flowers this year in the greenhouse to cut down on what I needed to buy from the local nurseries - prices have gone through the roof (<i>like $6-7 for a single tiny thing or at best a 3-pack</i>). I did buy hot peppers (jalapeño and cayenne), basil and some flowers for my flower pots on the porch and patio. I started marigolds, snapdragons (rocket hybrid tall, deluxe tall, a few medium and small pot ones), cosmos (apricotta and pink lemonade), small heirloom dahlias, globe amaranth, sage, chamomile, purple sunflowers and coleus from seed. </p><p>Not all of my seeds were successful. Only two sunflowers sprouted and one of them died. I used way too many self-harvested mini snapdragon seeds (I didn't fully trust it would work!) and the seed starting containers were overly full. I couldn't seem to manage moisture levels of the coleus sprouts - they were either too wet or too dry. We also had some white flies hatch which was really frustrating because I spent so much time cleaning everything that was brought in here last fall. I tried sticky traps in the seedling containers which did seem to help. We'll see what summer brings. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bbxkuvE6DimCGmNHvzfoPjeCg6a7W9tK8lbgkKeWYXKlpduf-IjMSKvNnyRPN-Y_F3TTTSUAIC8Nrx6Cm6xq705IZKcdNWgLEgz5y98XmESpOO6JuMiZP3c9uyVYCGW3s60uiYGcMo0MK9g2zbq_LyvcdyjCi6I6VvourUwdaIPZIh_qBMKG0yORicow/s4032/IMG_6657.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bbxkuvE6DimCGmNHvzfoPjeCg6a7W9tK8lbgkKeWYXKlpduf-IjMSKvNnyRPN-Y_F3TTTSUAIC8Nrx6Cm6xq705IZKcdNWgLEgz5y98XmESpOO6JuMiZP3c9uyVYCGW3s60uiYGcMo0MK9g2zbq_LyvcdyjCi6I6VvourUwdaIPZIh_qBMKG0yORicow/w640-h480/IMG_6657.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Tomato bed</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdm5R87_agS0mj3ftyO0bk8F-TV9a8ZQ07DzFfrMxoMxFP8Tcz6mHPx3HEzGIgdVxFl7sU3jlEaVZbQryoXgSyECOmeBkyWP9QuQG95zugHxmqUJHZlCI2jYSAO7szmNzCnkOmh7wDARcR-CLtjokIYMxkEoja9gFF1MqglBqPqKpo49kboAh2osE9gl3u/s4032/IMG_7114.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdm5R87_agS0mj3ftyO0bk8F-TV9a8ZQ07DzFfrMxoMxFP8Tcz6mHPx3HEzGIgdVxFl7sU3jlEaVZbQryoXgSyECOmeBkyWP9QuQG95zugHxmqUJHZlCI2jYSAO7szmNzCnkOmh7wDARcR-CLtjokIYMxkEoja9gFF1MqglBqPqKpo49kboAh2osE9gl3u/w480-h640/IMG_7114.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>There are eight tomatoes in here - <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">2 cherry tomatoes (sweet millions), 2 roma paste, 1 Tappy heritage, 1 early girl, 2 bushsteak hybrid.</span> I only planted what will be eaten or easily sauced this year. They looked a little spindly when I first planted them, but they always do from living under a grow light. I didn't do the best job hardening them off this year, but it was enough that everything survived. In the four corners I planted marigolds (from seedlings I started in the greenhouse). The corners work well because they have enough room to grow and get light, while still deterring aphids and other pests. </p><p>At each far end I planted a couple borage seeds, but I also noticed I had a lot of little borage sprouts in the pathways next to where the borage was last year! Borage does <i>not</i> like to be transplanted (which is why direct sow is better) but these were going to be pulled up anyways - why not at least attempt to save the biggest ones? It was touch and go for a week, but they took. And the seeds took. And now I probably have too many borage plants crammed together but they really helped with tomato production in years past. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines and Things</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTyVU_orHBoLuB3-2VFqDc2VV1NzDJZYM9hTOKp7cQnBA7NMxov8QPqE87r7BX3TqCCnyd5QqyxZYYe5-5ekUYMx6E-hqDtGKLFiqcYkzInFE5QS1RqiS8t6TmyfwkvwKJE5bTeg1xn6a-Zlg9OtPw8AZNKwHoVuSIqZsvKzTNqVaM_btZo3shOs_M_YY/s4032/IMG_7115.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTyVU_orHBoLuB3-2VFqDc2VV1NzDJZYM9hTOKp7cQnBA7NMxov8QPqE87r7BX3TqCCnyd5QqyxZYYe5-5ekUYMx6E-hqDtGKLFiqcYkzInFE5QS1RqiS8t6TmyfwkvwKJE5bTeg1xn6a-Zlg9OtPw8AZNKwHoVuSIqZsvKzTNqVaM_btZo3shOs_M_YY/w480-h640/IMG_7115.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><b><p><b><br /></b></p></b><p>This bed always looks so empty since it's always direct sow seeds. There are cucumber seeds at the base of my cucumber trellis. Malabar spinach seeds were planted next to the archway to grow up - these are a slow starter and take a long time to get toing. I planted peas on the other side of the archway but they went in late (peas need an April start) so I know the season will be short this year. </p><p>There are melons on the opposite side of the bed on a tower trellis. In between there's one nasturtium (I only planted one this year instead of 2-3! I'm learning!), 2 rows of bright lights swiss chard and 2 rows of carrots. I still had space on the sides of the melon but ran out of carrot seeds! I'll have to order more next year. I was tempted to foolishly planting more nasturtium like in years past, but instead I planted 2 medium snapdragons that are too short for the cutting beds and were destined for a pot. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Flower Cutting Bed</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7VwRwexHnn7g5mrvb3CckxvjrKJcuexVcTQx1bq-Xwkc1woBQGGq2r_G829Qiq0kO_p5L_1utCWlKj4UyLIHbgb8ul6BvRZ-EeYZjcbYg2IQMa7VuUNofWl04nCnvmITPubHFwmjgjHpQE4sTu70Tqe3ejHBByiZ-kqwj8XZD_cLnQunJ5TF1pjh-Fkf/s4032/IMG_7116.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7VwRwexHnn7g5mrvb3CckxvjrKJcuexVcTQx1bq-Xwkc1woBQGGq2r_G829Qiq0kO_p5L_1utCWlKj4UyLIHbgb8ul6BvRZ-EeYZjcbYg2IQMa7VuUNofWl04nCnvmITPubHFwmjgjHpQE4sTu70Tqe3ejHBByiZ-kqwj8XZD_cLnQunJ5TF1pjh-Fkf/w480-h640/IMG_7116.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG5unQcbR3QySKA9LQAcSrovDulaplwy9zEEEKO1tXFmiXuEAJxpDscoma_PrQHXbUGZY0C9h9aSrSxSzV5C1agd6rUAV4pO93b8ZXIYAhGr-2Z43VqxHb7XiFSPOqDEjgGUb4KWY4Flet2sypc1GCP8IiADtfhARxBgsXNp6alKf5uB1oGh4OVj1t9lz/s4032/IMG_7119.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG5unQcbR3QySKA9LQAcSrovDulaplwy9zEEEKO1tXFmiXuEAJxpDscoma_PrQHXbUGZY0C9h9aSrSxSzV5C1agd6rUAV4pO93b8ZXIYAhGr-2Z43VqxHb7XiFSPOqDEjgGUb4KWY4Flet2sypc1GCP8IiADtfhARxBgsXNp6alKf5uB1oGh4OVj1t9lz/w480-h640/IMG_7119.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>Last year I found the perfect ratio of flowers for this bed. Half of the bed is full of snapdragons with one globe amaranth in the corner (last year I tucked the globe amaranth in with the cosmos and it was quickly overshadowed). I went with rocket hybrid snapdragons and deluxe tall snapdragons. I'm excited to see what colors come in! There are two cosmos in the middle of the bed - one pink lemonade and one apricotta (which is already blooming! Look at those colors!). The rest of the bed is 3 rows rows of zinnias. I did one row of mixed carnival zinnias and two rows of salmon zinnias (one is a salmon cactus variety, one is a regular salmon zinnia). I did these last year and they were gorgeous in bouquets.</p><p>There's also the previously mentioned peas tucked away here climbing up the archway. I know I planted them too late. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dahlia Bed</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQLVm_WoLWH-T0TlERXqrtq-JvZVzlZ_FPvxG8WSx5l1gEiDrTkCnVPO0WoFrxFCalwPVPc5yz0GWihEDi-unRb6TYN6LHrBnkFqUzRNrR3kIenWO_j4Dp2UjezhkFjosYmXD2GjQBRMjscEwAMB1SqJW0BIPNVQwMz2MnVqMZBYcV__qlBJaTp4WIoSM/s4032/IMG_7117.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQLVm_WoLWH-T0TlERXqrtq-JvZVzlZ_FPvxG8WSx5l1gEiDrTkCnVPO0WoFrxFCalwPVPc5yz0GWihEDi-unRb6TYN6LHrBnkFqUzRNrR3kIenWO_j4Dp2UjezhkFjosYmXD2GjQBRMjscEwAMB1SqJW0BIPNVQwMz2MnVqMZBYcV__qlBJaTp4WIoSM/w480-h640/IMG_7117.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I planted 8 pre-started dahlias here from the green house, choosing my biggest and healthiest of my favorite varieties (aka the survivors of last year's tragic spider mite infestation). Laybrinth, Belle of Barmera, Felida Solar Flare, Cornell Bronze, Wynn's Moonlight Sonata, American Dawn, Daisy Duke and Fairway Spur. Dahlias elsewhere in the yard are starting to bloom - totally tangerine, red bishop's children and Thomas Edison. They are earlier bloomers. I am happy to say that I had more dahlias come back than expected (though many did not come back after last year's mite damage), but I was even able to share a few and I filled in all of my designated dahlia areas. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs and Strawberries</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FGtpsHNDVsjmmMG3nmwbi5JNiIUxwmLC296FkVUizDLhogvrzbpcTyQhS26lj5N6J2EuhO__8g7_z6J9MfC8T8s8mXI-yvD0bDgeFaDy1qamg-tBik-tEPvoktJIlkzshlw-4viHoIFXc39kFC8UE3xiaokXUOW346h2nFc-lWxHLgxAwprygXUT59hf/s4032/IMG_7122.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FGtpsHNDVsjmmMG3nmwbi5JNiIUxwmLC296FkVUizDLhogvrzbpcTyQhS26lj5N6J2EuhO__8g7_z6J9MfC8T8s8mXI-yvD0bDgeFaDy1qamg-tBik-tEPvoktJIlkzshlw-4viHoIFXc39kFC8UE3xiaokXUOW346h2nFc-lWxHLgxAwprygXUT59hf/w480-h640/IMG_7122.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqvRNZL9xIW5xRJV8-rH9FELzS06phwFycZra2oyAVTrkyNnGnXNY4iUopYZ678IrZGbU0uNmsVPjcU5-5lDfeAyLUJmPt8-DFcEXjHgGP39rtpoFjBFI8aD8neMxAGF4LLDfyS2VNVSlxt-xHBcbXuM3Ri9pvKJG-XJd5QnbMbZe21fLxa_z2vwgevQO/s4032/IMG_7121.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqvRNZL9xIW5xRJV8-rH9FELzS06phwFycZra2oyAVTrkyNnGnXNY4iUopYZ678IrZGbU0uNmsVPjcU5-5lDfeAyLUJmPt8-DFcEXjHgGP39rtpoFjBFI8aD8neMxAGF4LLDfyS2VNVSlxt-xHBcbXuM3Ri9pvKJG-XJd5QnbMbZe21fLxa_z2vwgevQO/w480-h640/IMG_7121.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR907Mm7ItplJQ6HLj9yWhcM1ESbvCiDrfIgYhQiivBFagmvuNotyHJJMaCKtImiP0eJc5qwI7QNnodBp4DhBpzARuO3Lmq8RkK-DUf1fNxManm6e-w6aFi65Wk-a-KD5GTr4-Lev-dlXwtiPYD-mhG--RSI15d8afZ3jId6OvtWTQaSBIGsnrhM2Kvhi/s4032/IMG_7126.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR907Mm7ItplJQ6HLj9yWhcM1ESbvCiDrfIgYhQiivBFagmvuNotyHJJMaCKtImiP0eJc5qwI7QNnodBp4DhBpzARuO3Lmq8RkK-DUf1fNxManm6e-w6aFi65Wk-a-KD5GTr4-Lev-dlXwtiPYD-mhG--RSI15d8afZ3jId6OvtWTQaSBIGsnrhM2Kvhi/w640-h480/IMG_7126.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjxv_MusYDIczl5SKwK2fN1jQpKqLUy4gBpfE_glKElBcGd2tD9iCLk2_2_bEuuph37OYdnMBHCLPPPUve-mqhFwc6BdIVbRCLLyT8fgFDScTc_VZAl5-dTDhkrUAt6yWBKuZGCZDwvQ2gWB7Ejrm5xWmGG9t3YXMAovaSMZPIvqlsvMq4UAKIMgvE2Sm/s4032/IMG_7120.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjxv_MusYDIczl5SKwK2fN1jQpKqLUy4gBpfE_glKElBcGd2tD9iCLk2_2_bEuuph37OYdnMBHCLPPPUve-mqhFwc6BdIVbRCLLyT8fgFDScTc_VZAl5-dTDhkrUAt6yWBKuZGCZDwvQ2gWB7Ejrm5xWmGG9t3YXMAovaSMZPIvqlsvMq4UAKIMgvE2Sm/w480-h640/IMG_7120.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>The strawberries are blooming and there are a lot of green berries. I'm hoping the fencing will keep the chipmunks out, but they are too smart for their own good so we'll see. The population seems to have bounced back this year. We had two berries at the end of May! </p><p>For herbs there's lavender (overwintered outside), calendula (from direct-sow seed and self-sown), basil (purchased), chamomile (seed started in greenhouse), a big rosemary plant (overwintered in the greenhouse), sage (seed started in the greenhouse and an overwintered one), dill (seed started in the greenhouse), oregano (overwintered outside), thyme (overwintered outside), borage (self-sown), and a purple sunflower (started in the greenhouse). The sage I overwintered is blooming with purple flowers and they are pretty!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPzRn9k-EzdMTjZvp8wROf771bGxzsWLpU-p8tC1iB-l25rSWEp0VmR3nOnpNB8RbRaSw3nm-Jla6AFGESXcWf_1OW9rNPpxhMbgpgnoQAihFVZtvcMPhgn774gnk-mRfN72U92oXn101RnbkuNUFm9ZoAQX153yaeDn4oR6X0MYkFk6JarbTwCL6SxDn/s4032/IMG_7291.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPzRn9k-EzdMTjZvp8wROf771bGxzsWLpU-p8tC1iB-l25rSWEp0VmR3nOnpNB8RbRaSw3nm-Jla6AFGESXcWf_1OW9rNPpxhMbgpgnoQAihFVZtvcMPhgn774gnk-mRfN72U92oXn101RnbkuNUFm9ZoAQX153yaeDn4oR6X0MYkFk6JarbTwCL6SxDn/w480-h640/IMG_7291.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGvxx6fSk3yPumYBXOhC6F31zOe28jWCeV49qpoeaovQetzoowOs6KSQUUby4oHdy_Cfw6BrxuZQoqpUE3siUFSfLPNYSIxCa31M0duRNORuC-y0wGz08lcvR-P-SaHTPoYd68ONibeDPhSBPaP1akujwnTqJrd2trpR4gRUPLXZNOhVrc7_j9nqJlS-T/s4032/IMG_7207.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGvxx6fSk3yPumYBXOhC6F31zOe28jWCeV49qpoeaovQetzoowOs6KSQUUby4oHdy_Cfw6BrxuZQoqpUE3siUFSfLPNYSIxCa31M0duRNORuC-y0wGz08lcvR-P-SaHTPoYd68ONibeDPhSBPaP1akujwnTqJrd2trpR4gRUPLXZNOhVrc7_j9nqJlS-T/w480-h640/IMG_7207.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I didn't take a picture of the garden pots! Whoops. Enjoy the pots from my front porch steps instead. </p><p>However I did plant stuff! This year the pots are a mix of herbs, peppers and flowers. For flowers, I have a pot of overwintered medium snapdragons (transplanted from overwintering in the greenhouse), new snapdragons from seed, morning glory vine for the trellis (I was going to do a new vine but it didn't germinate in the greenhouse), and a potted dalinova. I bought 2 pepper plants from the nursery (I can't grow these from seed and I have no idea why) - a jalapeño and a cayenne. I also have a random a patio tomato gifted by a neighbor. For herbs there's basil, rosemary and lemon balm. The lemon balm that I overwintered in a pot didn't come back, but I had a million little sprouts in the pathways near where it lived last year... so I transplanted a bunch. Hopefully they survive (I think they will, they are very hardy). </p><p>On my patio I have mint and peppermint in two pots, they come back every year after overwintering outside. The mint actually was struggling a bit so I transplanted a handful from where it grows in the yard (it's with the raspberries and they battle for space, but they seem to keep each other in check and Mike hits the rest with the lawn mower). </p><p>I still need to bring the potted brown turkey fig tree out of the greenhouse but it's really heavy. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the Yard</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdHa1Pu8ROcuRM5-8z3Zz1ew2WMk7LV60_QTD2KoI5CwOkYBD9-bSI9irRCx5Trax1VshYik3FObhDLcGRKcA9d-J5A18YfS_tHHmXgHESYH9_Lt1yqR4Jx2KyhdnoyBydewjKGofi6VrOkx5vnlbxBFcEPhnpfU8ayxo7gyZsnZA089uPlrd84xGjg09/s4032/IMG_7466.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdHa1Pu8ROcuRM5-8z3Zz1ew2WMk7LV60_QTD2KoI5CwOkYBD9-bSI9irRCx5Trax1VshYik3FObhDLcGRKcA9d-J5A18YfS_tHHmXgHESYH9_Lt1yqR4Jx2KyhdnoyBydewjKGofi6VrOkx5vnlbxBFcEPhnpfU8ayxo7gyZsnZA089uPlrd84xGjg09/w480-h640/IMG_7466.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK8jOSJMBXVamCIiT8WAVIToAHiL0iAs8RjPgTaV61HEy7MUu9XhSGevkVYmekBmXfYfiQt5dtxbmJxtgj09fuxs-fOtrt_yByZa1zWyz7Nk8Nj67DZ9QvQl9kOlPbVUgasp-0Zr0BQu_pqKcfvx9G3drfXAKKTIbfL_G1GMLDMIWLze9RaLh5wHSIwKa/s4032/IMG_7763.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK8jOSJMBXVamCIiT8WAVIToAHiL0iAs8RjPgTaV61HEy7MUu9XhSGevkVYmekBmXfYfiQt5dtxbmJxtgj09fuxs-fOtrt_yByZa1zWyz7Nk8Nj67DZ9QvQl9kOlPbVUgasp-0Zr0BQu_pqKcfvx9G3drfXAKKTIbfL_G1GMLDMIWLze9RaLh5wHSIwKa/w480-h640/IMG_7763.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrx2YvnAfK13GkvvWRdH32sIZn6A5M1DQ_0ykgC8tHP_-OyF7UBArEVhEZLwBIky8buKYCueF3uhg3q3iz4gem4p6T7cyMp5-lZMft4dZDd73TDU9OTc-TMF640Pv1h1wIrUhX5oJUD-KA4Je_zSCzoHH56-zhfgiCHT1AHosGGJzdU9Si4RO_7vIuPaC/s4032/IMG_7173.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrx2YvnAfK13GkvvWRdH32sIZn6A5M1DQ_0ykgC8tHP_-OyF7UBArEVhEZLwBIky8buKYCueF3uhg3q3iz4gem4p6T7cyMp5-lZMft4dZDd73TDU9OTc-TMF640Pv1h1wIrUhX5oJUD-KA4Je_zSCzoHH56-zhfgiCHT1AHosGGJzdU9Si4RO_7vIuPaC/w480-h640/IMG_7173.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQL2o6c9eLToEqoO6Cc5BrcZr5kATJybZG7pcmTeDGLmVWcNFJ9HgSofqK-qWTGjOMuWcEQnpSrfPDOosoUSqQEsLKD2ZZZRHRC_Igsd5ldTLSbI7Mdp-D8ZnQ9KQP1pKey9P_ySVPPmn479yzGPW02vWPQmOOH-GleToJVB7GYCJqcYckMuDjkSfuKDou/s4032/IMG_7093.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQL2o6c9eLToEqoO6Cc5BrcZr5kATJybZG7pcmTeDGLmVWcNFJ9HgSofqK-qWTGjOMuWcEQnpSrfPDOosoUSqQEsLKD2ZZZRHRC_Igsd5ldTLSbI7Mdp-D8ZnQ9KQP1pKey9P_ySVPPmn479yzGPW02vWPQmOOH-GleToJVB7GYCJqcYckMuDjkSfuKDou/w640-h480/IMG_7093.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF-ed3c-Y-AJ8eoMbgtf33TBS0y4F103CYcE8RtXUgo9xvh_o2i0Y5lbw9h4R9Ply6Qm9lwZeylNyyeNvES7NEViSR7vOoIC9tpuWlt-kay_ruma3O_i6-Rzp8pf1dXkJr8-4nAJimeWgwhHy1REabfQCoLGb5x9vbuHpmfn2kMJm2GetkVmNNpWR4Fvc/s4032/IMG_7129.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF-ed3c-Y-AJ8eoMbgtf33TBS0y4F103CYcE8RtXUgo9xvh_o2i0Y5lbw9h4R9Ply6Qm9lwZeylNyyeNvES7NEViSR7vOoIC9tpuWlt-kay_ruma3O_i6-Rzp8pf1dXkJr8-4nAJimeWgwhHy1REabfQCoLGb5x9vbuHpmfn2kMJm2GetkVmNNpWR4Fvc/w480-h640/IMG_7129.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdlcswc5bnECvIPDBg_JtubgdI3D7Jv8VSsnNXMjaT9-uOOczxQVycXctbxZpmJir4Ce70fb7uf4IK9aFpH5qJVCBWp9ydl5VJzLXtws9tmGikfKfq7-uzHAo_Ki3s1ynsQNPpNVtPzASAjUNSv3fP8wlVZjuNHCaZ-evQGpzLLX1N7ovCWxO1ZpjfjOC/s4032/IMG_7731.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdlcswc5bnECvIPDBg_JtubgdI3D7Jv8VSsnNXMjaT9-uOOczxQVycXctbxZpmJir4Ce70fb7uf4IK9aFpH5qJVCBWp9ydl5VJzLXtws9tmGikfKfq7-uzHAo_Ki3s1ynsQNPpNVtPzASAjUNSv3fP8wlVZjuNHCaZ-evQGpzLLX1N7ovCWxO1ZpjfjOC/w480-h640/IMG_7731.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>The lavender by the patio/deck is blooming (it has one big bloom a year) and I harvested two big bouquets and a smaller one. They are hanging from a mirror in my dining room drying out. </p><p>Elderberry bushes are much taller this year. I'm hoping both bushes will bloom this year so that we might get berries... but we'll see. If not this year, next year. The fig tree is back and growing little leaves and lots of sprouts (they always want to become bushes). I'm trying to transplant the babies into small containers for transplanting. </p><p>And I just need to share the gorgeous flowers happening right now. The roses are incredible - not just the archway but also Lady of Shalot and Bascobel. The honey suckle vine is blooming, peonies and astilbe and early geraniums and dahlias. Overwintered snapdragons. The clematis. It feels so good to be in that late spring/early summer part of the year. So much potential, possibilities, so much green and color coming out. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVVEMQAyIJ0k0mdUBPxXH01lmL5_dKD57sbEtpGeqk6uRqH0sCmiKoYO22VbdRZbpdR5hW9naZ7Ep7qq2yDu788T9Du70w98yrBl6TLkPTmKFIzpsuaogfERBJDtENpqJMlTLUimKHDeM33m3yVNDSomnugT13PueCbznX2N1jk4gR8-SG_z655Nz7da-/s4032/IMG_6834.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVVEMQAyIJ0k0mdUBPxXH01lmL5_dKD57sbEtpGeqk6uRqH0sCmiKoYO22VbdRZbpdR5hW9naZ7Ep7qq2yDu788T9Du70w98yrBl6TLkPTmKFIzpsuaogfERBJDtENpqJMlTLUimKHDeM33m3yVNDSomnugT13PueCbznX2N1jk4gR8-SG_z655Nz7da-/w640-h480/IMG_6834.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o8ZChNuG9CrmXdp0m-i1mcO2sdprLAliybLFmcrgjMS4mKDiX9PoW_LklgeVZjSv-BMBwZdq3N9ykxQlcy-aCtuc_wYaS-jrhoCBjt_OIrqLqN3h6snA1a_FwHwRQp9DJeqp7S2I42KMra1SDPWjJ2iQVto70fiZqMBn8WZJKB017DDXrZNVkjM4Ef08/s4032/IMG_7462.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o8ZChNuG9CrmXdp0m-i1mcO2sdprLAliybLFmcrgjMS4mKDiX9PoW_LklgeVZjSv-BMBwZdq3N9ykxQlcy-aCtuc_wYaS-jrhoCBjt_OIrqLqN3h6snA1a_FwHwRQp9DJeqp7S2I42KMra1SDPWjJ2iQVto70fiZqMBn8WZJKB017DDXrZNVkjM4Ef08/w480-h640/IMG_7462.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-67437298828530196202023-04-29T16:57:00.001-04:002023-04-29T16:57:46.099-04:00April Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7M7DngehICglrCMraaEhx4fLNDw6xFqIoW9Ei38oUdJmRpUu_dnGzFgt89It-JxJG8P2shh_sJipO9GxlO7Hz4XhlDT0-T3lraAAaudce3u1G8dg1BxtPqHz6SBmRF6qv7_K47DteCnxWbnI5h-KOa_ZSb_bX8s4jjN3MCLjRL9QGbOU6c4v-n0yBWA/s4032/IMG_6409.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7M7DngehICglrCMraaEhx4fLNDw6xFqIoW9Ei38oUdJmRpUu_dnGzFgt89It-JxJG8P2shh_sJipO9GxlO7Hz4XhlDT0-T3lraAAaudce3u1G8dg1BxtPqHz6SBmRF6qv7_K47DteCnxWbnI5h-KOa_ZSb_bX8s4jjN3MCLjRL9QGbOU6c4v-n0yBWA/w480-h640/IMG_6409.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Things are BUSY. The house littered with cleats, baseballs, giant gym bags filled with sparring gear. There are nights when the kids are eat dinner in the car between practices. This past week we had 14 games/practices/sessions in 6 days between the boys. The spring is full with school events, volunteer work. Music lessons and rehearsals, after school clubs. It's a lot. Too much. </p><p>It's raining heavily today, games cancelled, I've gained back 5 hours and it feels amazing. The kids are enjoying some unscheduled relaxation time before heading off to birthday parties. Right now I <i>should </i>be writing up the volunteer schedule for Science Day and making another signup genius. Or work on something artistic before I use up all my creative energy. Maybe bake a banana bread or organize the garage sale items in the basement because the town yard sale is coming all too soon. </p><p>But I feel like I've earned at least a few minutes here to write a quick update (<i>Hi!</i>) and reflect on the insanity of April. I dropped an entire carload of toddler stuff at my sister's house this morning from our attic and every square foot regained feels like an accomplishment. A weeks worth of teacher appreciation gifts were acquired during errands. My to-do lists are a mile long - I don't think that's going to end anytime soon and I am enjoying this unexpected break.</p><p>Inside the house in April, we did things! But now I need to photograph them which requires cleaning and good light and TIME. We updated Matt's room. New art that isn't for a baby nursery and reflects his interests. I drew most of it myself over the winter. We repaired a ceiling crack, painted his ceiling navy blue (just like Oliver's room) and restyled his bookshelves. Oliver's room also has new custom art. I repainted the downstairs half bath navy blue because it <i>really </i>needed a fresh coat of paint (and the dark blue looks SO GOOD in there). I've been meaning to do it for a year. We also repainted the upstairs bathroom ceiling after making a minor repair. The kitchen ceiling is untouched but next on our list. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiooHV6jgLQ5CsLus2Zjk2BRTueDASmJDadBeNetQH4gU3iPyz9NiAP5vfoZDPMhrC9mMsLxrh5-B85UKONMapp7NP9DjeL6V0A4-zp1sGWNd5qjN2PSlZ3VhJbyhkTE3qbKl39d7gqz57_0WFoEY5XO7mr6gKDAIRBcY1rFhw1O77rH4l8hsiZ-I68g/s4032/IMG_6411.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiooHV6jgLQ5CsLus2Zjk2BRTueDASmJDadBeNetQH4gU3iPyz9NiAP5vfoZDPMhrC9mMsLxrh5-B85UKONMapp7NP9DjeL6V0A4-zp1sGWNd5qjN2PSlZ3VhJbyhkTE3qbKl39d7gqz57_0WFoEY5XO7mr6gKDAIRBcY1rFhw1O77rH4l8hsiZ-I68g/w480-h640/IMG_6411.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><br /></p><p>Outside... I prepped the garden for planting, but haven't done any planting yet (first weekend in May!). I have trays and trays of seedlings ready to finish hardening off this week. There are so many dahlias sprouted in the greenhouse. I bought a bunch of beautiful, earth-friendly native plants from a plant sale I ran for the boy's school recently and planted them in landscaping gaps in the yard (hopefully they do better than some of the other things I've planted). </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHRLP4LGGSteULojLRlZGSSKiWzhDXbDXBjHThLmD2Jf69UVUMDhcdsLG-tCpt5oyqLEsRDG-1KcsCR-r05q5Enr96w0Q6tmvpnR_junkuWx086fyRiXLvyRUIBmBpYb458G48LyQZk0TKURlVv4AAOc96C1-VuEbp0uU46E18CghKaoQeaDzUJc-LA/s4032/IMG_6433.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHRLP4LGGSteULojLRlZGSSKiWzhDXbDXBjHThLmD2Jf69UVUMDhcdsLG-tCpt5oyqLEsRDG-1KcsCR-r05q5Enr96w0Q6tmvpnR_junkuWx086fyRiXLvyRUIBmBpYb458G48LyQZk0TKURlVv4AAOc96C1-VuEbp0uU46E18CghKaoQeaDzUJc-LA/w640-h480/IMG_6433.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>I'm still mulching the backyard, but I'm more than half done with the big pile. I <i>really </i>wanted to be done with it before May, but between the schedule and the weather it's a miracle I've gotten as far as I have to be honest. One big thing in my favor though is that the garden beds have needed very little weeding - the result of all my consistent mulching efforts the past few years. If it wasn't pouring right now I'd probably be outside mulching (OR at baseball!).</p><p>We have not touched the inside of the garage yet, but will have to get into high gear soon because it has the pool equipment, the flower pots and summer toys tucked inside. I have big plans to deliver the best of the outgrown toys to my sister and sell the rest at the yard sale. The patio furniture at least is set up and we are hoping to have the pool go up in the next 1-2 weeks depending on the weather. Lots to do and very little time to do it! </p><p>This phase of life is crazy... but it's also beautiful and amazing and we are embracing it. Even though we are exhausted and overwhelmed sometimes, they are so lucky to have so many opportunities that it's hard to fit them all in. We are cramming as many fun things into the spaces between as we can. Sometimes it's big stuff (like day trips), sometimes it's little stuff (like homemade pizza on a family movie night) and sometimes it's in between (like friends over). I think my biggest issue right now is that I'm not taking enough pictures, I'm not documenting enough of the fun... but I'm absorbing it and it's keeping us going in the middle of the chaos. </p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-5303938386917415022023-03-20T17:26:00.002-04:002023-03-20T17:26:29.014-04:00Full House <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfUnS2p0YqYaj8apznu3KSzlgGbabHYlRC0IcbpIf0-QriSyLcQq1XcXv0DiE3hJpSYWAYRYxXVIp9SM1_n49thaZE2JIWpxzk_5LV0LklDyaCMkLZtKbOCy6_vF6kzQfqAkYcxKpnoFSqC8yCC0OpWyFBsVOK1a6xEAZpBpYsNowvb_lwnNNOWFlfQ/s4032/IMG_5681.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfUnS2p0YqYaj8apznu3KSzlgGbabHYlRC0IcbpIf0-QriSyLcQq1XcXv0DiE3hJpSYWAYRYxXVIp9SM1_n49thaZE2JIWpxzk_5LV0LklDyaCMkLZtKbOCy6_vF6kzQfqAkYcxKpnoFSqC8yCC0OpWyFBsVOK1a6xEAZpBpYsNowvb_lwnNNOWFlfQ/w480-h640/IMG_5681.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I finished potting up the dahlias - just in time for spring. It's a full house in the greenhouse, I have dahlia starter pots squeezed into every nook and cranny. The shelves are full, the crates are being used as a second set of shelves. Even with the mass die-off of dahlias last summer, I think I have just as many as last year... just fewer varieties. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mWz_tAAZw_KUbdJRw2zlmrsELhddoVyXi4SlxI6qAJ_r3b36xVvLzX1jTlffgwhnEsGYcqTFwYB8WC_bwKkAkjve3aiXz0SkMgJVEU4vXJ-ZYnNUGHMjGrgK_NySSX_LNLt9cMOVDMFiZy0-5enWX6vGo9ebmwcuHK2s6lFhJsINBQm8gQw0h6auKw/s4032/IMG_5679.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mWz_tAAZw_KUbdJRw2zlmrsELhddoVyXi4SlxI6qAJ_r3b36xVvLzX1jTlffgwhnEsGYcqTFwYB8WC_bwKkAkjve3aiXz0SkMgJVEU4vXJ-ZYnNUGHMjGrgK_NySSX_LNLt9cMOVDMFiZy0-5enWX6vGo9ebmwcuHK2s6lFhJsINBQm8gQw0h6auKw/w480-h640/IMG_5679.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Apricot desire died off completely last summer. Waltzing Matilda looked dead when I opened the bag (I still pre-started it, my purple Bishop's Children dahlia also looks totally dead every year and comes back, so you don't know until you try). Last year a few bulbs that looked perfectly healthy never sprouted when they were potted. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDsmJTo3AnLuIpE9BTK7rOTIggDael-Oe59dEHmQqsxrtaaJeaupwZwIQEc-diSTy_2j0XpO8LdORHAK1ZHM8tSDbD3oaZjgyS4wPYO9lgJGxKAJmtqyxONmirIKQS08_61gsNGSGDQ9pPkDH2-oZ7TlpoAM6Cp6X0Db8DxmJcDyDkvrmblI32H-GqA/s4032/IMG_5684.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDsmJTo3AnLuIpE9BTK7rOTIggDael-Oe59dEHmQqsxrtaaJeaupwZwIQEc-diSTy_2j0XpO8LdORHAK1ZHM8tSDbD3oaZjgyS4wPYO9lgJGxKAJmtqyxONmirIKQS08_61gsNGSGDQ9pPkDH2-oZ7TlpoAM6Cp6X0Db8DxmJcDyDkvrmblI32H-GqA/w480-h640/IMG_5684.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I used every single saved plastic pot I had stored, plus 2 I had to borrow. I went through 2 of the big bags of potting mix. I crammed multiple bulbs into the same pot to get everything in dirt. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1RqYXggdRFKice4TxaQTW92HruTjRsmH4vZf3keuvT4dzyVBeRN55NMwB7OThYlLcX830ISCMSKyeTmcm-4lh8aN6GRigA0dl_2A7-4idsLYxWAuPWIJ-TMlJIV6TxTlRcq-PzIvQeXuBQO13fiXy-nW6PPDE-bnh2Et_gXrViH1qLQcCZVK2DePag/s5251/IMG_5676.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="5251" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1RqYXggdRFKice4TxaQTW92HruTjRsmH4vZf3keuvT4dzyVBeRN55NMwB7OThYlLcX830ISCMSKyeTmcm-4lh8aN6GRigA0dl_2A7-4idsLYxWAuPWIJ-TMlJIV6TxTlRcq-PzIvQeXuBQO13fiXy-nW6PPDE-bnh2Et_gXrViH1qLQcCZVK2DePag/w640-h372/IMG_5676.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It feels so good to be done! First day of Spring and exactly 6 weeks until May 1st... I'm ready! (Next up: ordering mulch and starting to mulch.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYQOGBcIahVUwpsekDZctipMdyAXwh5wRp4kywEWA5Z8DG_BRQBVYswSI7KBmbJ5VQs1eGCHOAR_bYboVqlKq9a0dXJvJRnOdBYE3Si-VIGxl7d3EIqMZ-_wd-kXfAOzboEk36TA8iL6odxH7U6WEAVKtfWp70bgrOLDn_eB5-UrLJxS408M5L3OHcw/s4032/IMG_5674.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYQOGBcIahVUwpsekDZctipMdyAXwh5wRp4kywEWA5Z8DG_BRQBVYswSI7KBmbJ5VQs1eGCHOAR_bYboVqlKq9a0dXJvJRnOdBYE3Si-VIGxl7d3EIqMZ-_wd-kXfAOzboEk36TA8iL6odxH7U6WEAVKtfWp70bgrOLDn_eB5-UrLJxS408M5L3OHcw/w480-h640/IMG_5674.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-71889583813056601462023-03-15T18:06:00.002-04:002023-03-15T18:06:29.859-04:00Seed and Dahlia Starting<div class="separator">We've seen more snow in March this year than any other month this winter. The weather keeps waffling between this...</div><div class="separator"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESfrST8tQ_nlpXRFC32Ar7Cpcma1gpG4gIL-qwHCK9aQWSjBx8gyFgXKt9O77W3GmmY0glRia2o5RJ43N1sVQTXofydc3iTk5WATTOGTbGVT3fjQwagqxq08V1JvU23DyqTNPGISSzAmGoQWVhRpJyMaWHFwoUte0iHHSoPlkLpGPlKor4Du0YkjheQ/s4032/IMG_5365.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESfrST8tQ_nlpXRFC32Ar7Cpcma1gpG4gIL-qwHCK9aQWSjBx8gyFgXKt9O77W3GmmY0glRia2o5RJ43N1sVQTXofydc3iTk5WATTOGTbGVT3fjQwagqxq08V1JvU23DyqTNPGISSzAmGoQWVhRpJyMaWHFwoUte0iHHSoPlkLpGPlKor4Du0YkjheQ/w640-h480/IMG_5365.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GkIF_QZeycTLq5SgxpwD10hpmC9IWSOlTDFq4DnX1QpRhFXN0VyrAfTQpNKVdfSrAYmPumBnJcny-0v0uvX2q5_clw2OC6MUscKNkFE5wsL9o-1SkVKUFpJnSx7eO9tKZsgys0YQi59NM7VyC7GmRmX6OzlwXe9ooEZa2Q-fZFeuLgws15MEYezEmw/s4032/IMG_5401.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GkIF_QZeycTLq5SgxpwD10hpmC9IWSOlTDFq4DnX1QpRhFXN0VyrAfTQpNKVdfSrAYmPumBnJcny-0v0uvX2q5_clw2OC6MUscKNkFE5wsL9o-1SkVKUFpJnSx7eO9tKZsgys0YQi59NM7VyC7GmRmX6OzlwXe9ooEZa2Q-fZFeuLgws15MEYezEmw/w640-h480/IMG_5401.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>And this...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGw0CxxQMp25uL0KPdu0L_QqNu2rWPED1dDQtsnz4vYqM41dHtgEzElC-m9SwDAdSCTHGmFRZHN3ctlfxec0aICCTdTW8I6mXI3AOw_2XE7dycJFn03Uu9qBU6hZuBAuy87_FnpCqeZynsWQYXH-jzempmYO1R0K6lgR_bpA88sPxHHvWU2RksFMsgA/s4032/IMG_5391.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGw0CxxQMp25uL0KPdu0L_QqNu2rWPED1dDQtsnz4vYqM41dHtgEzElC-m9SwDAdSCTHGmFRZHN3ctlfxec0aICCTdTW8I6mXI3AOw_2XE7dycJFn03Uu9qBU6hZuBAuy87_FnpCqeZynsWQYXH-jzempmYO1R0K6lgR_bpA88sPxHHvWU2RksFMsgA/w480-h640/IMG_5391.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm over it. It's time for spring. </p><p>I started my seeds in the greenhouse. Mostly flowers - lots of flowers - in early March. This past weekend I also started 8 tomatoes. I am only growing the tomatoes that everyone eats this year - 2 cherry tomatoes (sweet millions), 2 roma paste, 1 Tappy heritage, 1 early girl, 2 bushsteak hybrid). These were the best and most eaten tomatoes of last year and the most versatile for sauce. While I love the fancier heirlooms, I can't eat raw tomatoes anymore and they were a pain for sauce, so this year we are keeping things simple. I have the tomatoes and some snapdragons inside under the grow light, everything else is outside or headed out there after sprouting on the radiator. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReAwAtHtMIi0isebRZNdVptrYu1xc9Bice23bEs3Grj9mLbMlgdbWbkJ9La73KyYYcd2BqB7qh4B59zPtnZv-jG70kWpae1sjCTmcCu_tsTT03D0UJEETnWpK0l5tW_s48nwMuCY4ack6iGaZjClpb83QtVsoKIiWlKAt0pON-5BJf7QI1_y7nVZfPw/s4032/IMG_5373.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReAwAtHtMIi0isebRZNdVptrYu1xc9Bice23bEs3Grj9mLbMlgdbWbkJ9La73KyYYcd2BqB7qh4B59zPtnZv-jG70kWpae1sjCTmcCu_tsTT03D0UJEETnWpK0l5tW_s48nwMuCY4ack6iGaZjClpb83QtVsoKIiWlKAt0pON-5BJf7QI1_y7nVZfPw/w640-h480/IMG_5373.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This year I'm having fun with flower seeds! Two kinds of snapdragons (rocket hybrid and tall deluxe) for the raised bed garden, some low ones for pots and the front yard (twinny apple blossom and seeds I collected from white-purple, yellow-pink and orange-pink varieties). Pink lemonade and Apricotta cosmos, blushing black eyed susan vine, sunflowers. Butterfly weed for the far back garden. Dahlias from seed I collected last fall. This year I'm experimenting with growing coleus from seed too - it's self-seeded so beautifully in my pots the past couple of summers, I feel like it's worth trying out. My homegrown marigolds last year were the only ones that didn't have blight, so I'm growing more of those as well. In combination with the flowers I've overwintered - I have a really great start this year to the garden beds and pots. I also started a few herbs from seed that did very well last year - sage, dill, chamomile. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLypbKIXOEALw0N5b5UI3fllCzYxTkMHSsaZerCWuBVDIqt7aESo10cJ4uvxRUmxcSdRUM9qXc8etuVnkLJIkxnyK45uF2QFynVyPn6Z8_Ppt4zRlK0kkGl7qw3GRFUY9v4BHrIyVBvgwR7tgTYbsZLuqcwvjA9X4ItIAUeHKgaflJMioYR6LBhAguyQ/s4032/IMG_5519.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLypbKIXOEALw0N5b5UI3fllCzYxTkMHSsaZerCWuBVDIqt7aESo10cJ4uvxRUmxcSdRUM9qXc8etuVnkLJIkxnyK45uF2QFynVyPn6Z8_Ppt4zRlK0kkGl7qw3GRFUY9v4BHrIyVBvgwR7tgTYbsZLuqcwvjA9X4ItIAUeHKgaflJMioYR6LBhAguyQ/w640-h480/IMG_5519.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSnKonaVbLw-3Ku2qNw7mp6HL95cBTv32eg3YMqrAQ5yn11fvq-e08OTm7Tn13mvgnD6GsjUSvwkB8QybTgv2uoLAKu5gBIfT1iuAWXOJZ5F_vbEMUpgTGvQ-3WdIJTTv3YTtaSOOi2TwnvyRIMpsJaQwxhEwB3JGRdFmwsoH4qL8VM_GmguLnEQjgA/s4032/IMG_5521.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSnKonaVbLw-3Ku2qNw7mp6HL95cBTv32eg3YMqrAQ5yn11fvq-e08OTm7Tn13mvgnD6GsjUSvwkB8QybTgv2uoLAKu5gBIfT1iuAWXOJZ5F_vbEMUpgTGvQ-3WdIJTTv3YTtaSOOi2TwnvyRIMpsJaQwxhEwB3JGRdFmwsoH4qL8VM_GmguLnEQjgA/w640-h480/IMG_5521.HEIC" width="640" /></a><br /><p>I've started potting up dahlia bulbs, one crate at a time. There are quite a few (even with the mass die-off), so I'm only about halfway at this point. I need the weather to warm up soon so we can take the heater out of here and have more room to stand. Space is at a premium in here this time of year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZcevQOsOSAUFD__1t7JKtgY_HDZHVvtcG6IvIMQssLlbQTXQvCCpKcDu6fNN-0zlRHphGuJtLbcaZoMWchviTI-MDDvUtv2l-k8cNZjEeB7LAhNczgMLEHhN5_03L49e2rR5U7mwAFmG2gjE5JZP7oa-48RBVMboEwJIo8EPByucYR9aNijn7o-DQQ/s4032/IMG_5522.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZcevQOsOSAUFD__1t7JKtgY_HDZHVvtcG6IvIMQssLlbQTXQvCCpKcDu6fNN-0zlRHphGuJtLbcaZoMWchviTI-MDDvUtv2l-k8cNZjEeB7LAhNczgMLEHhN5_03L49e2rR5U7mwAFmG2gjE5JZP7oa-48RBVMboEwJIo8EPByucYR9aNijn7o-DQQ/w640-h480/IMG_5522.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHbqiq2Fz6H4EJnCKxvUozMpxWS7ehnTrs0HQ96S_Uk5JFeXeD-TVtV45u3hkqHV_Eh37kqgbkfhMTlyAZ5Aj4U8RtjsSp3oRszpLVhmqzoP3hYSdq035YVzHqyADEjfGqygdA7caykTmrPr_p0BCmHbmBbxuSNzZPo5nSyAm_7k97E5TM-nqlzv_lA/s4032/IMG_5396.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHbqiq2Fz6H4EJnCKxvUozMpxWS7ehnTrs0HQ96S_Uk5JFeXeD-TVtV45u3hkqHV_Eh37kqgbkfhMTlyAZ5Aj4U8RtjsSp3oRszpLVhmqzoP3hYSdq035YVzHqyADEjfGqygdA7caykTmrPr_p0BCmHbmBbxuSNzZPo5nSyAm_7k97E5TM-nqlzv_lA/w640-h480/IMG_5396.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>My next big to-do after pre-starting the dahlias is to order mulch, finish spring yard cleanup and begin spreading mulch around. April is going to be an even crazier month, so the earlier I can started the better (which scares me because March has been ridiculous and it's the calm before the storm). Hopefully the weather cooperates and we are finally done with the snow. </p><br />alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-47782613549345136332023-02-27T13:26:00.002-05:002023-02-27T13:26:43.817-05:00Winter-ish Garden Planning for Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1Rh1T_M6H5t5wNcN_vlfhdFq_b8Ftoh4hj5aV4TOD7Ed6-4DI0m54SWjUyf6Ka7pvOYv5uthmVuL7pXLSGDIDXkzaje-KHz1UsG22FON0fiRn7hL4f8MEPdRfJKiC-q4ovmehoJaBSNmoX5syzSy9HSwfeRuewi25xvTwhvOFDHyROcSH_KreF5ySA/s4032/IMG_5148.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1Rh1T_M6H5t5wNcN_vlfhdFq_b8Ftoh4hj5aV4TOD7Ed6-4DI0m54SWjUyf6Ka7pvOYv5uthmVuL7pXLSGDIDXkzaje-KHz1UsG22FON0fiRn7hL4f8MEPdRfJKiC-q4ovmehoJaBSNmoX5syzSy9HSwfeRuewi25xvTwhvOFDHyROcSH_KreF5ySA/w640-h480/IMG_5148.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Like many parts of the US, winter here in Northern NJ has been unusually warm and oddly snow-free (tonight is supposed to be our <i>first </i>snow storm of the season!). Other than the battering ram of seasonal winter illnesses that have hit our family, I could have easily mistaken January and February for March and April. It's chilly and damp, it's mild and sunny, it's mild and rainy, the bulbs are coming up, the crocus is blooming across the backyard, the trees are budding way too early. We've had a few quick frigid blasts but they haven't lasted very long. Winter just hasn't been nearly as painful as other years. Even tonight's snow should melt quickly - it's expected to be almost 60 on Thursday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAJS0iOpqLneK89RJ_GT-bZ22x9ehY7dw5htZl8pZmEZLralaKeE1BSfVTSI-P-zVfb4-C6MWKuOvu6cmi2Jclg3kchjFii-gxufe-LGZR56VULnbv1fgU8VZeLrFakBh5StaJA7hACzqIdECZqu2HWaqm4QsaMtI7yJfwXyqTKGNy_b5GTs10IiKpA/s4032/IMG_5247.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAJS0iOpqLneK89RJ_GT-bZ22x9ehY7dw5htZl8pZmEZLralaKeE1BSfVTSI-P-zVfb4-C6MWKuOvu6cmi2Jclg3kchjFii-gxufe-LGZR56VULnbv1fgU8VZeLrFakBh5StaJA7hACzqIdECZqu2HWaqm4QsaMtI7yJfwXyqTKGNy_b5GTs10IiKpA/w640-h480/IMG_5247.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The greenhouse has been a wild ride. Too hot during a sunny warm spell hitting 90+. Too cold during a polar vortex. Mike brilliantly realized that an old wool rug from the basement (previously chewed up by a <a href="http://inthelittleyellowhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Georgia">vengeful french bulldog</a> on one side) is a fantastic greenhouse insulator on the roof during a brutal cold snap when the heater can't keep up with 7 degrees and 60 mph winds. The plants inside though are surviving, some are straggly but others doing surprisingly well. I have had little bouquets of snapdragons and geraniums on and off all winter. </p><p><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvqi2XfR1YhRdJRC2wi_SpIDza0gEuP_gEvnOV2xSBqgSLPVZG--B_X2iTpS1wZLRNvZrq-kS5CUjiKFDl49qZwEyxfx2iup_oxRUujaNQxi-W_iq77PGxeLLKvwOe7GUJSoP_Tq3O2eSboNzhYL6MSrKRDA6hR49drHTDLBOAioAXS2hA0leC6aApA/s4032/IMG_5229.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvqi2XfR1YhRdJRC2wi_SpIDza0gEuP_gEvnOV2xSBqgSLPVZG--B_X2iTpS1wZLRNvZrq-kS5CUjiKFDl49qZwEyxfx2iup_oxRUujaNQxi-W_iq77PGxeLLKvwOe7GUJSoP_Tq3O2eSboNzhYL6MSrKRDA6hR49drHTDLBOAioAXS2hA0leC6aApA/w640-h480/IMG_5229.HEIC" width="640" /></a><br /><p>Spring and the garden are on my mind of course as February draws to a close. Things are busy and only going to ramp up... My year of "yes" has been catching up with me, for better and worse. Mostly for the better - it's been a year of new experiences, new places, more fun, more quality time, more people and projects and all the things we missed during COVID isolation. However as spring nears, a lot of my yeses are coming home to roost. And that's on top of our annual crazy of birthday season (most of our family birthdays are crammed together in May and June) and double sports for two kids. Did I mention I'm a double room parent and on the PTO board? This spring I'm also running my first fundraiser, chairing science day in two schools and helping to set up an outdoor classroom at Oliver's school. It's all amazing stuff... but it's also A LOT. I just might have overextended myself a bit this year. (<i>Before anyone sends me helpful information on the "power of no" ...I wanted this. I like being involved in their schools, classes and interests. I like sharing my expertise. I want to support the boys' sports passions. Oliver also heads off to Middle School next year, so this is a last hurrah for me in this arena with him</i>). </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoVO2SoF-PK51RfBfeDf0dWQrTMi_XVdDHt7cic6V0HRHhqx663iP2w5x1d6sl93BeUwiFy1uioaZamw7T2IWgZneIHUtfU0Phu0sjESja0LrT7yW7iGemM8rVIgH-5joyNZTj9dEH1lT7va6_f5FuqBZ-Jm1wTpx7h6ps31h6foqs2xJ3JgqyNGs3g/s4032/IMG_5062.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoVO2SoF-PK51RfBfeDf0dWQrTMi_XVdDHt7cic6V0HRHhqx663iP2w5x1d6sl93BeUwiFy1uioaZamw7T2IWgZneIHUtfU0Phu0sjESja0LrT7yW7iGemM8rVIgH-5joyNZTj9dEH1lT7va6_f5FuqBZ-Jm1wTpx7h6ps31h6foqs2xJ3JgqyNGs3g/w640-h480/IMG_5062.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Spring will be all about <i>Prioritizing</i>. </p><p>I don't want to give up anything that's important to our family at home, like setting up the pool as early as possible. Luckily I think the heavy lift was done last year building the base and it's held up great all winter. It just needs some raking and a few bags of sand to level everything off before setup. After that it's just the regular pool maintenance. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hcXd-obmgtfZuBqMrTTFcerGsbX8gKwYSFR-bxXM1TnccF2_9zmJLHopkqzrHVGFCif_NxCidYTX_rOMbTAZfhXu20hQN7Dv5KZHORsVKGBL0m6_GGIg7AnL111ZXAX81fu5CNdSbG7gs2crqNWmLkZNZaGeY8f3Cb_4EwlQ4HzV2blrX3O8hJS40w/s4032/IMG_5244.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hcXd-obmgtfZuBqMrTTFcerGsbX8gKwYSFR-bxXM1TnccF2_9zmJLHopkqzrHVGFCif_NxCidYTX_rOMbTAZfhXu20hQN7Dv5KZHORsVKGBL0m6_GGIg7AnL111ZXAX81fu5CNdSbG7gs2crqNWmLkZNZaGeY8f3Cb_4EwlQ4HzV2blrX3O8hJS40w/w640-h480/IMG_5244.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I also don't want to give up anything that's important to me, like the garden and flowers. It's a lot of prep work in the spring, but the outdoor oasis brings me so much joy. Our plan this year is to keep things as simple as possible. Minimal new challenges and do what has worked well previously. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Mulching early</b> was a game changer last year, getting it out of the way in late March and early April before true schedule chaos hit. I plan to do the same this year if the weather allows. </li><li>I'll be <b>seed starting in mid-March</b> - the plants get leggy if I start my seeds too early. I'm pre-starting 8 tomatoes, flowers and a few herbs. </li><li>I want to try to get the <b>dahlias potted up</b> in mid March as well, so they have a good head start. I love that they bloom earlier this way. </li><li>The <b>raised bed garden</b> will be planted as soon as the weather and schedule allows in early May.</li><li><b>Pots and the front yard</b> flowers will be planted after the garden is done, with annuals and dahlias in early to mid-May. </li><li>The fundraiser I'm running is a native plant sale for the school, I admit I intend to buy a few native perennials to support a good cause and fill out key spots in our yard. </li><li>I will replace the thujas that died along the fence with either new thujas or something similar </li></ul><p></p><p>This is a low stakes, low maintenance year in the garden. The appeal of the native plants is that they should do fine on their own and work in parts of the yard I'm finding challenging. I also decided on no new/replacement dahlias, which was a hard decision - even though I <i>really </i>want to replace the dahlias I lost last year, I'm taking a gap year from purchasing any to see how things go this summer, the mites last year were brutal. And I still have <i>a lot</i> of bulbs in the basement. It's not like I'm going to have gaps that need filling! </p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-73113088169612463982022-12-23T17:17:00.001-05:002022-12-23T17:17:00.193-05:00Happy Holidays! <p> Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZR3qiyyub5lVprDKvVu5asbImY6NmWS8cASvOkUCxrV0E1DA36Otj_18TySkNZeIU_H4j0Gjopp3ZNKFJlsPT429zeNznzoS1orZsbrHGcY9EewoYdHCqjKFdaJ5j2hc0LPOfB2EVbnWbxP1qLpOkkoNgHHpRlnzSnehGXlM0l58E-12jUYFZF4DRA/s518/2022-holiday-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZR3qiyyub5lVprDKvVu5asbImY6NmWS8cASvOkUCxrV0E1DA36Otj_18TySkNZeIU_H4j0Gjopp3ZNKFJlsPT429zeNznzoS1orZsbrHGcY9EewoYdHCqjKFdaJ5j2hc0LPOfB2EVbnWbxP1qLpOkkoNgHHpRlnzSnehGXlM0l58E-12jUYFZF4DRA/w408-h640/2022-holiday-card.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lnxS-F9l4SRqJ3SwcYVx-zgdR0gH_c70ZGMFVmfvUW5Xin4dvYvJ3H7He_ArjFpppR9-vY3WTKjpP4EVG5Pn2yRTAqGu7e98q1GNmncRModVRzWZhdGmJYD6APiyX-BL525Lo-t8kolbNAQTG-D9Ifpqn_2UjjlRcb6YezsG_79eH7Tl9HHfDaFlZw/s518/2022-holiday-card2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lnxS-F9l4SRqJ3SwcYVx-zgdR0gH_c70ZGMFVmfvUW5Xin4dvYvJ3H7He_ArjFpppR9-vY3WTKjpP4EVG5Pn2yRTAqGu7e98q1GNmncRModVRzWZhdGmJYD6APiyX-BL525Lo-t8kolbNAQTG-D9Ifpqn_2UjjlRcb6YezsG_79eH7Tl9HHfDaFlZw/w408-h640/2022-holiday-card2.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-42971795765768241822022-12-05T11:10:00.001-05:002022-12-05T11:10:26.708-05:00The November-December Hustle<p>Oh the late Fall Hustle. My yardwork to-do list goes from a relaxed "not much else we can do until the frost..." to "<i>OMG WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO BEFORE WINTER SETS IN</i>" way too quickly. I went from slowly pulling up the garden bit by bit to feeling like everything is urgent in the Nov-Dec hustle. There's no snow in the forecast - yet - but we've run into some hurdles and setbacks that have eaten into our yardwork time. There have been years where very little cleanup gets done and we have to wait until spring, I know it's not the end of the world, but I much prefer putting the gardens and yard to bed with a blank slate ready for the good stuff in the spring when the weather warms up. </p><p>Top of the list - I pulled up my dahlia bulbs. They are all tagged, bagged and put to bed in their crates in the basement crawl space (this spot has the best conditions for overwinter the bulbs). I have one less crate of dahlias this winter thanks to the<a href="http://inthelittleyellowhouse.blogspot.com/2022/08/august-garden-pests-gone-wild-edition.html" target="_blank"> mass die off</a>... but I could <i>zero </i>crates right now so I'm very grateful the dahlias had a recovery period. Hopefully everything survives the winter. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2QcSiov1OwzSlswGCocha00SDM8x__OccIxmrtEGACVYsh2-MQH_PiCYXJbU5gLj4pzAiResQYzT7Uncd0q_i-xzD4i5mFz_v7zVHlycF6yjdWa8qhicJsPXdQvQ2n57BufQ9AEJZFge14EIVZAtCAuAqwJmTy2SIKr3qp-2oApkBcwsw08wM49ueg/s4032/IMG_3810.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2QcSiov1OwzSlswGCocha00SDM8x__OccIxmrtEGACVYsh2-MQH_PiCYXJbU5gLj4pzAiResQYzT7Uncd0q_i-xzD4i5mFz_v7zVHlycF6yjdWa8qhicJsPXdQvQ2n57BufQ9AEJZFge14EIVZAtCAuAqwJmTy2SIKr3qp-2oApkBcwsw08wM49ueg/w480-h640/IMG_3810.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3-J8rxJUd-nCYug7PLGmLq6mia6lmuGwCCk5lf4oviGepYe_oFXl-THplmIWz6ZpniSM7_02jidma4j7JqopxdiWMyrq7HLi2yws92LwtoYTLCIQ5AtPO3O9p3uLz3SW7J5wrGxg7CthIOXkHcLXWuPT3zZcI3anyL1vWVl0a1MwU40gGBxTgBULSQ/s4032/IMG_3811.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3-J8rxJUd-nCYug7PLGmLq6mia6lmuGwCCk5lf4oviGepYe_oFXl-THplmIWz6ZpniSM7_02jidma4j7JqopxdiWMyrq7HLi2yws92LwtoYTLCIQ5AtPO3O9p3uLz3SW7J5wrGxg7CthIOXkHcLXWuPT3zZcI3anyL1vWVl0a1MwU40gGBxTgBULSQ/w480-h640/IMG_3811.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While I was digging up the dahlias this big girl climbed into my hair, made me scream like a girl in a horror movie, and gave me the shivers for the rest of the day (she was like 8 inches long!). I promise she was completely uninjured by the panicked removal from my head and I left her snug in the snapdragons that week. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5ZeFxOR-TdEYZ-37zQUU3ZSqNgYfTNyQdeuU8sf6lJ9-aqc604tsEWjL1OTeHeZhZF5jB8R3SixxgZpG0R3Ocf70h0OD2WYBxRYnK4Gz5MDVP4oNz4c6j2kGSsF15AA949sqn1LsgrjMYVjjExxqpWfTQ3NNoFoXuqkgA-vMDutudaf_kL4PXKDbnA/s4032/IMG_3809.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5ZeFxOR-TdEYZ-37zQUU3ZSqNgYfTNyQdeuU8sf6lJ9-aqc604tsEWjL1OTeHeZhZF5jB8R3SixxgZpG0R3Ocf70h0OD2WYBxRYnK4Gz5MDVP4oNz4c6j2kGSsF15AA949sqn1LsgrjMYVjjExxqpWfTQ3NNoFoXuqkgA-vMDutudaf_kL4PXKDbnA/w480-h640/IMG_3809.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The weather was so confusing in November - cold, warm in the 70s, cold, hot in the 80s, cold, then frozen like January. A little bit of time in the 50s where we should be, then back to January. The flowers were all mixed up - roses were losing leaves and blooming, the quince bloomed a bit. And then everything was decimated from multiple hard freezes. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNni950bRqNLpRp_5kYLjmBFnVzGjpaq61CvRWHecxzCqY0LWcZj1EAW-DidP-9codLmpuXpudX9oaa56XKGJGZXUDMU6FD67XI8hNjFvmTnTmblYq6zlXj1gJGg6ThJnOijjIdJjJ9YNfT1H5I5DTKY5kf_JJnWkoPfDwuz96jEf0P9qUAPkbfPgxw/s4032/IMG_3800.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNni950bRqNLpRp_5kYLjmBFnVzGjpaq61CvRWHecxzCqY0LWcZj1EAW-DidP-9codLmpuXpudX9oaa56XKGJGZXUDMU6FD67XI8hNjFvmTnTmblYq6zlXj1gJGg6ThJnOijjIdJjJ9YNfT1H5I5DTKY5kf_JJnWkoPfDwuz96jEf0P9qUAPkbfPgxw/w480-h640/IMG_3800.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAbyPVohCGIMZRXIz3M5lXoSDJLawhG0e_FKMj9arysLx9pZbxIsThpd57xI9fCPWBAadqDjD0yy94Ausg9a_a5I2egzqAhFZXOpzdNEsMYdbiftI_6M54WPIhKd0xprj65ZaM6uUi43zx8X6VAd8h16RRUjqKCgBj7Dkasvx3F6AYQst-Bv0hlNUqg/s4032/IMG_3798.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAbyPVohCGIMZRXIz3M5lXoSDJLawhG0e_FKMj9arysLx9pZbxIsThpd57xI9fCPWBAadqDjD0yy94Ausg9a_a5I2egzqAhFZXOpzdNEsMYdbiftI_6M54WPIhKd0xprj65ZaM6uUi43zx8X6VAd8h16RRUjqKCgBj7Dkasvx3F6AYQst-Bv0hlNUqg/w480-h640/IMG_3798.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This was the last bunch of flowers from the garden before the big deep freeze. So beautiful. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5sHvhac4PGG4iZu0393AM44dt5d0m8q6yahc7F0Vew26rLdu2wZ2YUkTqGpO41OSvCSr6lUccvOSrbgyH-HrjlPul9pRQ0w0qtuaZ3gvBmMTDwMfObgTbhdXg8Sir5kv_e0fLLXbEeILVXUIVRHyeCA5Ujx7RsAsENNYD1hoDQzTdGiNlgsV-Y_jfw/s4032/IMG_3766.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5sHvhac4PGG4iZu0393AM44dt5d0m8q6yahc7F0Vew26rLdu2wZ2YUkTqGpO41OSvCSr6lUccvOSrbgyH-HrjlPul9pRQ0w0qtuaZ3gvBmMTDwMfObgTbhdXg8Sir5kv_e0fLLXbEeILVXUIVRHyeCA5Ujx7RsAsENNYD1hoDQzTdGiNlgsV-Y_jfw/w640-h480/IMG_3766.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Yard cleanup began in earnest after the cold snap. The front yard is done. I literally cleaned up the plants and put out Christmas lights the same day after Thanksgiving. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9NH4V6nGmjXsyWyPS0eAcrznfW7YAcKd_aKeNmBtcK_yitJMdmi8bL2vlJmzosvGE-MRT1FTA2ibUn-h2hkfQ6f0-g6KSm9bBBml0fyRKt_7kFrl2_R7SEK-zRLPs9WTC7wNjABJ8FQRZWXTqkGT1Ty5jmCYNJ6Rz_Odyg_F3OuEoi11s5ZeYZ8xYg/s4032/IMG_3938.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9NH4V6nGmjXsyWyPS0eAcrznfW7YAcKd_aKeNmBtcK_yitJMdmi8bL2vlJmzosvGE-MRT1FTA2ibUn-h2hkfQ6f0-g6KSm9bBBml0fyRKt_7kFrl2_R7SEK-zRLPs9WTC7wNjABJ8FQRZWXTqkGT1Ty5jmCYNJ6Rz_Odyg_F3OuEoi11s5ZeYZ8xYg/w480-h640/IMG_3938.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>The garden in the way back has been put to bed... sort of. Everything in the rotating beds is pulled up, but I ran out of weed blocking fabric. I thought I had more but I can't find it, and the place I bought it from is <i>half </i>the price of the big box stores, local nurseries and Amazon. It's far away though, so I'm not going to make a trip until spring. But I also just can't justify the cost difference to myself, so we'll wait until spring. Two beds are ready to go, the other two have weird layers of this year's old fabric down to cover the holes. It's not pretty, it's not "ready for spring" the way I like to leave it... but it will work for now and block early spring weeds. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGvOoiwqa0HuKXObGG9CJ_PH7I7WvAdJdrdXfLTDrMci09P8govYJ_OqSQTf9ltzspOuh7zdNJ1k01UmGm8zzW423O8j_OUj1rdpgP9bbne8meF8PR17v810Kxe1p48Q9fNATn5G8UFddMKOx9CNRrk7JWrATiqhHl-hVduC4nt8eY9kruiC8Mq0XSQ/s4032/IMG_3980.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGvOoiwqa0HuKXObGG9CJ_PH7I7WvAdJdrdXfLTDrMci09P8govYJ_OqSQTf9ltzspOuh7zdNJ1k01UmGm8zzW423O8j_OUj1rdpgP9bbne8meF8PR17v810Kxe1p48Q9fNATn5G8UFddMKOx9CNRrk7JWrATiqhHl-hVduC4nt8eY9kruiC8Mq0XSQ/w640-h480/IMG_3980.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>What's left... cleanup of the backyard garden beds everywhere else. Wrap the fig tree. Put away the last of the furniture and finish covering the rest. </p><p>Also we have some issues to deal with. SIGH. </p><p></p>3 thuja bushes died this fall along the fence. I'm sad because they have been awesome for privacy and greenery. We think they actually died over the summer in the drought and they just lost their color this fall. I didn't water these as much as I should have because they used to have really wet roots before we put in the backyard drainage. Hopefully it's not a disease. We want to cut them down soon and replace in the spring. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEpwjoR6JGHorJUhwN8G8p37_4aTr7AEQeWm4lMzE0x618U2WP-ws6A1fc9CdUU8qOtDVmcwFbPrA6Ewm6pTqyObY4nZGEgRZAHokQj2S82LUzguzrC8_j0q1yPJhJiHSMSCDNMfOM1nNYy7q5EqRkqG_xy3l6rbtqygawAMMW1qZsnZNYS-kc_NPdQ/s4032/IMG_3983.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEpwjoR6JGHorJUhwN8G8p37_4aTr7AEQeWm4lMzE0x618U2WP-ws6A1fc9CdUU8qOtDVmcwFbPrA6Ewm6pTqyObY4nZGEgRZAHokQj2S82LUzguzrC8_j0q1yPJhJiHSMSCDNMfOM1nNYy7q5EqRkqG_xy3l6rbtqygawAMMW1qZsnZNYS-kc_NPdQ/w480-h640/IMG_3983.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p></p><div>The obelisk I made for the honeysuckle broke. It's hard to see in the photo but, the only thing holding it together at this point is the vine it's supposed to be supporting! We need to get on a ladder and try to fix it before the weight of the snow topples and destroys the whole thing. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ko1T9HZ1tATPysItmm0G5ewd15zvpEoZBHUNaUVokExA0_JJzEJXH_zQyji5t-BtldjXnfp35blKE1jO5wiloawugpfcWUfHXeBn3I4dPHIXv07-4eyOwoAqBMTRqylrZ7SctaE0J7pYk0-vW4GCWTTckrYlMH13kSyuyZPHc5ikKweE_cpojRhMdg/s4032/IMG_3979.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ko1T9HZ1tATPysItmm0G5ewd15zvpEoZBHUNaUVokExA0_JJzEJXH_zQyji5t-BtldjXnfp35blKE1jO5wiloawugpfcWUfHXeBn3I4dPHIXv07-4eyOwoAqBMTRqylrZ7SctaE0J7pYk0-vW4GCWTTckrYlMH13kSyuyZPHc5ikKweE_cpojRhMdg/w480-h640/IMG_3979.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The greenhouse roof started leaking. The more we tried to fix it, the worse it got, and water + electrical just seems like a really bad idea to me. But the plants will not survive January without a nighttime heater. We bought a big piece of clear plastic that won't block the light much (the ceiling bubble wrap blocks more) but will keep the water out. Inside it was time to replace the old outdoor extension cord while we were at it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately we tried to fix the green house the "right" way long before we resigned to the plastic cover (since the plastic won't work in the spring/summer/fall when we need to vent the heat through the ceiling window and the leak is ridiculously bad now). This is a project we'll have to revisit in the spring.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfh69U8i8utE6RgOOisHn8lGkiiWMGxgK03Kpm1yK2lExVaciA8DtzmOWLmbA6aUoYf3xaJXA297sx_7U1AflaQrIPRSOkclvs-NrBnxrs6XEJT9fLjZksWYEgg_p3uOki07G4mBOcyS1QWAm-4xZml_Yjx5F8wYJ7UUl8sOT-HdG3QkZcYEdXL16hQ/s4032/IMG_3977.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfh69U8i8utE6RgOOisHn8lGkiiWMGxgK03Kpm1yK2lExVaciA8DtzmOWLmbA6aUoYf3xaJXA297sx_7U1AflaQrIPRSOkclvs-NrBnxrs6XEJT9fLjZksWYEgg_p3uOki07G4mBOcyS1QWAm-4xZml_Yjx5F8wYJ7UUl8sOT-HdG3QkZcYEdXL16hQ/w480-h640/IMG_3977.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Now that it's December and we still have a bunch of things to do... we'll see how much gets done before the snow. Mixed in with the holiday season and everything we have going on, the hustle feels a little overwhelming... but we'll just take it one step at a time and the rest can wait until spring. </div></div><div><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-20384126439617293452022-10-31T23:58:00.001-04:002022-11-02T09:16:48.834-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkaIimPDDTPqO8rWa5O6CX8XB-iD80AYsClDx5a7DZU5KFpr9mHwzAE0KdbQCm61qG_qMpQ_fsxjEco4S7bpNTnKSJ8FXA8NPTObVrNZh4vwwvIe8rVxalZagD942ec1viWenKhONSau5npY2FAW1X-1yzl38riTCknF1O8D0-gFdE1tCaDDvGKvryw/s3786/IMG_1789.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3786" data-original-width="2839" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkaIimPDDTPqO8rWa5O6CX8XB-iD80AYsClDx5a7DZU5KFpr9mHwzAE0KdbQCm61qG_qMpQ_fsxjEco4S7bpNTnKSJ8FXA8NPTObVrNZh4vwwvIe8rVxalZagD942ec1viWenKhONSau5npY2FAW1X-1yzl38riTCknF1O8D0-gFdE1tCaDDvGKvryw/w480-h640/IMG_1789.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Halloween was a blast, despite being on a Monday. The rain held off, the house was spooky, the kids had a great time trick-or-treating until their legs were too tired to go on. We had lots of trick-or-treaters stop by our house (it's big in our neighborhood because the houses are close together) and the whole evening was high energy fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnjuly8rf_SbgjwOhWDePEEBPvcP9dwQh_mtnh9Bar5i7KImcvJho4MHcwZrywutgVIhVlFcQUKtTTO89Thx4WreJRXJta1CknA_SpwIo0vfg8iQDX0eML1qgmptXGd19qLLwm38lUMpbvCCI4f1pz6sISjDmUWyuovp2D0hBQ922Y5ImAW-mZi04NA/s4032/IMG_3563.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnjuly8rf_SbgjwOhWDePEEBPvcP9dwQh_mtnh9Bar5i7KImcvJho4MHcwZrywutgVIhVlFcQUKtTTO89Thx4WreJRXJta1CknA_SpwIo0vfg8iQDX0eML1qgmptXGd19qLLwm38lUMpbvCCI4f1pz6sISjDmUWyuovp2D0hBQ922Y5ImAW-mZi04NA/w640-h480/IMG_3563.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year was the first year that BOTH boys completely carved their own pumpkins. Mike and I only had to cut out our own... it felt like a big milestone. And both boys did such a good job - I bet you can't guess which one was done by a 6 year old. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliLhuxrjhQFhcDpHSMa8IYn-se2xDCjFFZGJcZjBAuTJY6wLGIF3BPnaW678L9txEw9LQjzj4tj9L0N_tKsf5Oku_Vb3RRXRwFRpDvUqW2R58snYzB63trCaKn4sVLQj8IJN4yPq1MfgYwOFJOLPowRP4Bi1vMS4M1EZOjkCJHYP42oU-Gyy_N3N-DQ/s4032/IMG_3676.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliLhuxrjhQFhcDpHSMa8IYn-se2xDCjFFZGJcZjBAuTJY6wLGIF3BPnaW678L9txEw9LQjzj4tj9L0N_tKsf5Oku_Vb3RRXRwFRpDvUqW2R58snYzB63trCaKn4sVLQj8IJN4yPq1MfgYwOFJOLPowRP4Bi1vMS4M1EZOjkCJHYP42oU-Gyy_N3N-DQ/w480-h640/IMG_3676.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0syWKFil05QWaOAcUru44du2ACE4PXoQYdnidj8nIELj5Wpgz62uSWNPRHNKIolZqnonbkJFiT0WLFH00dkO2FHLKs0XjJKeg2gch5dxULSdjFxQF_3uW3HSZtf8HCAFn0TdwRne7Ou0WygbycjDz9WKWZhvDxvvup5aHJGbG6MiLjkphI2MNw-0VNA/s4032/IMG_3565.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0syWKFil05QWaOAcUru44du2ACE4PXoQYdnidj8nIELj5Wpgz62uSWNPRHNKIolZqnonbkJFiT0WLFH00dkO2FHLKs0XjJKeg2gch5dxULSdjFxQF_3uW3HSZtf8HCAFn0TdwRne7Ou0WygbycjDz9WKWZhvDxvvup5aHJGbG6MiLjkphI2MNw-0VNA/w480-h640/IMG_3565.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVy1ZoJ9wh8ydWrSv0rneZck_q2Y82nVKQHC2EJ8tLQiwt3e5MOngK5FJaByHT-yrRadUuTJZccGK0d9SK8XhYigYVnmsN00m63j3mORh5xCu0sfAhpDWbBuRG1TNnNNZs1gLl--2bZWXlFpLSbslaNcYhhzsDEKxgMcvrL_8oTzixf0cMzX-sDwxWQ/s2305/DSC_1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="1537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVy1ZoJ9wh8ydWrSv0rneZck_q2Y82nVKQHC2EJ8tLQiwt3e5MOngK5FJaByHT-yrRadUuTJZccGK0d9SK8XhYigYVnmsN00m63j3mORh5xCu0sfAhpDWbBuRG1TNnNNZs1gLl--2bZWXlFpLSbslaNcYhhzsDEKxgMcvrL_8oTzixf0cMzX-sDwxWQ/w426-h640/DSC_1134.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJq6MzoqMeFRW-GIiV0h2fVCr319fC6g-NgKSCZV_K1Xtv7DL_EWVIT98RzfN1HVG-Wwo2clTgKK3pdZ0wq75M3Nu7jl-bJ6wTTJIBpvtExEtCCYYVFf3Y7yJuU7F4aENMcqj6g8Xc2uifn6C-T-t5RnQ7Mc_zOh8N9GqLiJdylX0S94UaPxNFeHLRg/s4032/IMG_3633.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJq6MzoqMeFRW-GIiV0h2fVCr319fC6g-NgKSCZV_K1Xtv7DL_EWVIT98RzfN1HVG-Wwo2clTgKK3pdZ0wq75M3Nu7jl-bJ6wTTJIBpvtExEtCCYYVFf3Y7yJuU7F4aENMcqj6g8Xc2uifn6C-T-t5RnQ7Mc_zOh8N9GqLiJdylX0S94UaPxNFeHLRg/w480-h640/IMG_3633.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-53915980863733878482022-10-28T09:50:00.003-04:002022-10-28T09:50:40.628-04:00A Little Bit of Halloween<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qhoqoUC46r2C7SeDErAINY4QNMpRi4aLubm7_xbDHjIi3iYSspdrvq5luuH5entVUNQyIuUiFPsP2l6auxAQti38Wedczio6h4wwNG1XnTS3ZNbMJo4JQpec2eUkMr1BPBBIDgZpJN16q6TNG8vjRxlhnoe34qf1T6HShYjYzFsGfKT9xpOAiev1QA/s4032/IMG_3383.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qhoqoUC46r2C7SeDErAINY4QNMpRi4aLubm7_xbDHjIi3iYSspdrvq5luuH5entVUNQyIuUiFPsP2l6auxAQti38Wedczio6h4wwNG1XnTS3ZNbMJo4JQpec2eUkMr1BPBBIDgZpJN16q6TNG8vjRxlhnoe34qf1T6HShYjYzFsGfKT9xpOAiev1QA/w480-h640/IMG_3383.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>We love Halloween in our house. I haven't really shared many decorating posts in the past few years because we mostly do the same thing every year with a little something new. This year I realized that our little additions have accumulated in a good way - our house is quite festive inside and out. </p><p>A few snapshots...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A graveyard and a tree full of ghosts, ghouls and evil clown spirits. (<i>And yes those ARE severed clown parts laying in the graveyard, Oliver bought them with his own money at my neighbor's garage sale.</i>) </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRuHAj_TWPj-haM3sjLxyzFUJj0DvmUdk14SJ8c9X1_6kvSEzvdYjlg0CMmjsp7uMfH47pG8pAOILyNCJV_azK9tUevOdIVpfKS-I727e4pMuTv4UYWcEOxDrsiIhmMv_SMFztyX5oYv6vCuPQ4UcWTbozLQCEWD8ykrpRM3S10U0vvEtqNe4pGolCQ/s4032/IMG_3382.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRuHAj_TWPj-haM3sjLxyzFUJj0DvmUdk14SJ8c9X1_6kvSEzvdYjlg0CMmjsp7uMfH47pG8pAOILyNCJV_azK9tUevOdIVpfKS-I727e4pMuTv4UYWcEOxDrsiIhmMv_SMFztyX5oYv6vCuPQ4UcWTbozLQCEWD8ykrpRM3S10U0vvEtqNe4pGolCQ/w640-h480/IMG_3382.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The porch spiderweb with all the bats and rats is always a favorite of mine every year - it really pops and is the perfect size for the porch. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_HLccdpmoAngfctFCjVMTaR__PJTuUdEMUdWbehN2faHam4E_Y0kY2DM6iMmNpx1l1BIhS-To98AYs_XhvCXkzqB5xVSvhoVvU3ny0xD90wSRrsxy9eFg9bRqO_AbpX5HVZazEVf0GSdnCW-PRVY762SvLXpmaerN96u60FityvS1-svkVzaHP8-QA/s4032/IMG_3379.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_HLccdpmoAngfctFCjVMTaR__PJTuUdEMUdWbehN2faHam4E_Y0kY2DM6iMmNpx1l1BIhS-To98AYs_XhvCXkzqB5xVSvhoVvU3ny0xD90wSRrsxy9eFg9bRqO_AbpX5HVZazEVf0GSdnCW-PRVY762SvLXpmaerN96u60FityvS1-svkVzaHP8-QA/w480-h640/IMG_3379.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The bird skeleton has been going on the mailbox for years. I wonder what our mail delivery person thinks of it...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6i2wtwXWlAvUaqRtgichTo_swn84M7zEFXcH6v4pt37EHupBuEsO4TKhngZY-GBrpSTFtg4P4ThfRkh0wCJvp9PqzmrVjxyrwIavXGqtSQ3xQmmJoy1-jtCIy5Pysjng2Y0lPp6dVD99zHqhSnNXJmK6of6tCoxCUdRtIoaQQ4gdg2CiGkViWAa5AQ/s4032/IMG_3369.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6i2wtwXWlAvUaqRtgichTo_swn84M7zEFXcH6v4pt37EHupBuEsO4TKhngZY-GBrpSTFtg4P4ThfRkh0wCJvp9PqzmrVjxyrwIavXGqtSQ3xQmmJoy1-jtCIy5Pysjng2Y0lPp6dVD99zHqhSnNXJmK6of6tCoxCUdRtIoaQQ4gdg2CiGkViWAa5AQ/w480-h640/IMG_3369.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There's a lot going on for Halloween on our porch - I'm so glad that this year the kids will be coming up to the house again to ring the doorbell. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FJX9ZfW8pe5pL1p80A4sQoe4UaRldZyCvuoUMWZd3JqJf4RLf9nRnYN_jJSExQVW-sVfbDkf0Mr2oFfFiYwlYrNlIHLjAn22h4_7rnpcr67hkCitws4Ds7dD_cmsbKF3MOtTYDoATWoFUSJ-KWmGqOCg6IYEj6LxQXto1b0XRI7AAoNlqFDj12Z9Iw/s4032/IMG_3366.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FJX9ZfW8pe5pL1p80A4sQoe4UaRldZyCvuoUMWZd3JqJf4RLf9nRnYN_jJSExQVW-sVfbDkf0Mr2oFfFiYwlYrNlIHLjAn22h4_7rnpcr67hkCitws4Ds7dD_cmsbKF3MOtTYDoATWoFUSJ-KWmGqOCg6IYEj6LxQXto1b0XRI7AAoNlqFDj12Z9Iw/w480-h640/IMG_3366.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82g3hZyos24gsfMeAMTQEuXN5yp9dy3wj-x1IG84CzLAkkQtbLEDPK62Va307Tt1gXPivAczFWYCCyHFfwRWdG1sDoAIePvoQiIV6eRi3cG8sRsb0vp6aiNMq_oGjPd23AkNPKc-CI9VBf-sDkaQUDxDtWAlk6jb1b3bNG7jvw1jy064oWeMKMXzQuQ/s4032/IMG_3365.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82g3hZyos24gsfMeAMTQEuXN5yp9dy3wj-x1IG84CzLAkkQtbLEDPK62Va307Tt1gXPivAczFWYCCyHFfwRWdG1sDoAIePvoQiIV6eRi3cG8sRsb0vp6aiNMq_oGjPd23AkNPKc-CI9VBf-sDkaQUDxDtWAlk6jb1b3bNG7jvw1jy064oWeMKMXzQuQ/w480-h640/IMG_3365.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When anyone asks why there's a crab and a lobster with the rats, bats, frogs, ravens, snakes, spiders and flies... the answer is this - have you ever stepped on one in the ocean? Pure terror. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUkrhW0AXDYyu1jlxhdUuk6qVoq-eJrk5bY3a87W8PJc57qCp1LaMzOjBG_r8HVotkBwjLPnJcOiMIi1PcJRz-PeLLIGZc-87UdJD5AWIdaIe9WfH_yg7r7gGs2hLMOww811iP60_DG_C3DSw7Wv1BVQZNSDEVPWSxqwrHeqD4HAxScfTgz9bJG6dXQ/s4032/IMG_3359.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUkrhW0AXDYyu1jlxhdUuk6qVoq-eJrk5bY3a87W8PJc57qCp1LaMzOjBG_r8HVotkBwjLPnJcOiMIi1PcJRz-PeLLIGZc-87UdJD5AWIdaIe9WfH_yg7r7gGs2hLMOww811iP60_DG_C3DSw7Wv1BVQZNSDEVPWSxqwrHeqD4HAxScfTgz9bJG6dXQ/w480-h640/IMG_3359.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf6V0oOfCId7E4JBy654FSZn1v-POz_YKOkN__nUYGD6xk0tjOQRlWYMCbvbSm9Lr-gTzdg5QN9Ox7FV6lfzWI-p1ET6iUmrpCwt3so0U8CHVyRjbtlLlpaRzhfKyZXE7tRTp3gnkud9rwv8m9MLBahYUB8tf5pH-0PeTqFHc92unAMi0uy8wTZHlDw/s4032/IMG_3360.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf6V0oOfCId7E4JBy654FSZn1v-POz_YKOkN__nUYGD6xk0tjOQRlWYMCbvbSm9Lr-gTzdg5QN9Ox7FV6lfzWI-p1ET6iUmrpCwt3so0U8CHVyRjbtlLlpaRzhfKyZXE7tRTp3gnkud9rwv8m9MLBahYUB8tf5pH-0PeTqFHc92unAMi0uy8wTZHlDw/w480-h640/IMG_3360.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld-m_fh9IwB8u_YPcl_ysejL4LpCDdoA6AL-R1KtYDEdL9OLk06fp1eOkIZPYas8Xc4Nwwm-qYcSprmUNmyXPqa0AsrKcwJ1SiWaav5Noleu1kL1CIqIN9BIaghG7YhcaaxyyRoOLCB2blqfoA3iAqFvpiFALlGJu1wjUZzZC_FPhiH1lL30GqluIUA/s4032/IMG_3357.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld-m_fh9IwB8u_YPcl_ysejL4LpCDdoA6AL-R1KtYDEdL9OLk06fp1eOkIZPYas8Xc4Nwwm-qYcSprmUNmyXPqa0AsrKcwJ1SiWaav5Noleu1kL1CIqIN9BIaghG7YhcaaxyyRoOLCB2blqfoA3iAqFvpiFALlGJu1wjUZzZC_FPhiH1lL30GqluIUA/w480-h640/IMG_3357.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Inside the house, it's festive all over the downstairs. A few of my favorites include the bat wreath on the back of the door and a bat skeleton hanging on some artwork. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMcJktvKpdwPoptT-MmEIMwdppU1iZLAKr34sETY85jJjCtmhH_ec8fBWuP7CxJR5ApK5mHXKdf9lDlXwfjGZJlvISjicgOqvlKXQjzKGOk0745NHfIT20SSYyOhrzDhLzITxsFbMu2dmRcXiGEKfCcHklStZsX_Lb3HPZVykcsNCXF5BDIOmsQuRLA/s4032/IMG_3341.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMcJktvKpdwPoptT-MmEIMwdppU1iZLAKr34sETY85jJjCtmhH_ec8fBWuP7CxJR5ApK5mHXKdf9lDlXwfjGZJlvISjicgOqvlKXQjzKGOk0745NHfIT20SSYyOhrzDhLzITxsFbMu2dmRcXiGEKfCcHklStZsX_Lb3HPZVykcsNCXF5BDIOmsQuRLA/w480-h640/IMG_3341.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU8UuYcI67fHSdw04CKtj5NmjFAUNsaB8UDRhpjmJDc0_W4DWgDXKEUbhkd-uqUJ8MiiqBPunTXp-QPHafu0IhCbIyV6F4Rk1lej1iZI_MOQ7a5glLUcvuZp9oRwy0jwfeSYJrxFWmVB5mZiRebFyMwiNBwSb55Ki4MSLFXKjhxrTanIKwi21gySepA/s4032/IMG_3340.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU8UuYcI67fHSdw04CKtj5NmjFAUNsaB8UDRhpjmJDc0_W4DWgDXKEUbhkd-uqUJ8MiiqBPunTXp-QPHafu0IhCbIyV6F4Rk1lej1iZI_MOQ7a5glLUcvuZp9oRwy0jwfeSYJrxFWmVB5mZiRebFyMwiNBwSb55Ki4MSLFXKjhxrTanIKwi21gySepA/w480-h640/IMG_3340.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like I've <i>finally </i>hit my stride with Halloween decorating on the bookcases this year. I've been slowly adding bits here and there over the years, but the addition of a few inexpensive placemats from Target this year as backdrops has really finished this off and ties everything together. The skull is my favorite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKTi_I_GzdkcG00XqEPN7-20MpKiY1JgCYByZlyW9dwNzjvhVvZPzafeE4vPXGf5_9_4W9FxBWQGr-MTokRQ-ghCRj8TZTYmc_h6UDqWJA3H8mZbpOBmqN8iUylUeceWdxmZVqEEmwK46RinMO0O3EjVkB2-18tNGhxzvuT-HukUURi1cJPzWMoetlQ/s4032/IMG_3347.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKTi_I_GzdkcG00XqEPN7-20MpKiY1JgCYByZlyW9dwNzjvhVvZPzafeE4vPXGf5_9_4W9FxBWQGr-MTokRQ-ghCRj8TZTYmc_h6UDqWJA3H8mZbpOBmqN8iUylUeceWdxmZVqEEmwK46RinMO0O3EjVkB2-18tNGhxzvuT-HukUURi1cJPzWMoetlQ/w640-h480/IMG_3347.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(<i>Also yes I should be putting the non-seasonal decorations away BEFORE cramming a ton of Halloween stuff on top, but honestly... the season is short, I'm super busy and this year I'm learning the art of good enough. It's very cluttered and I debated even sharing it but whatever! Embrace the cringe!</i>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrc5iR_4RYATEOtWJuXYUNjld-_Yq421erUjrjwmGvbdiST2zPNky_drONpqG1E4UBUBzDyMsaQid5c4IZGxxHicA6bLKOIUx1_2nG1MiuXnhTL1b3eJXoRHtI3yLWTdpyj_0mQnvNwtHEhgSdcregSOnW-64vBr1sHtEJ4PQllCamrIqKbwAT_J7kg/s4032/IMG_3344.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrc5iR_4RYATEOtWJuXYUNjld-_Yq421erUjrjwmGvbdiST2zPNky_drONpqG1E4UBUBzDyMsaQid5c4IZGxxHicA6bLKOIUx1_2nG1MiuXnhTL1b3eJXoRHtI3yLWTdpyj_0mQnvNwtHEhgSdcregSOnW-64vBr1sHtEJ4PQllCamrIqKbwAT_J7kg/w640-h480/IMG_3344.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDIM6gj-pM87f5N9tnNe4RX2k-a-zHCKu_TvBt836pCJca1zpa2UyYG9yZ9VBhvAcjt7dIINH4oScbz8cPdp6t74R2XnEAlIsNY-25PrjmRTe84zwFKbgXkKeV3gLAUUiyXIzdDO-jwl5KPz-dFxBBvRlZs3gL9EIMC-AvGwGz-S55HvZgZBanXG5sg/s4032/IMG_3349.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDIM6gj-pM87f5N9tnNe4RX2k-a-zHCKu_TvBt836pCJca1zpa2UyYG9yZ9VBhvAcjt7dIINH4oScbz8cPdp6t74R2XnEAlIsNY-25PrjmRTe84zwFKbgXkKeV3gLAUUiyXIzdDO-jwl5KPz-dFxBBvRlZs3gL9EIMC-AvGwGz-S55HvZgZBanXG5sg/w480-h640/IMG_3349.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVXxREHIsN5qRJrKxmTRw_Jqoj-E-lkiwGpdqjbPzqfkD-O2Mdh08ljbOPRBg2gohyUhgxJyf8hJ8dvaxyR9M2hMVTQuTt6gaF95nS8aitEVBcCdNImD5BTZt2CX3quL62ICEYzJH_x33uNyYV0ii40f4yaQTussl8m7jnc8jxX7_js47BumTukKIxA/s4032/IMG_3348.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVXxREHIsN5qRJrKxmTRw_Jqoj-E-lkiwGpdqjbPzqfkD-O2Mdh08ljbOPRBg2gohyUhgxJyf8hJ8dvaxyR9M2hMVTQuTt6gaF95nS8aitEVBcCdNImD5BTZt2CX3quL62ICEYzJH_x33uNyYV0ii40f4yaQTussl8m7jnc8jxX7_js47BumTukKIxA/w480-h640/IMG_3348.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82Qh-ydMMRUr9OrZIgr8i28cngdaszEnMhC_4Q_dX-oxKwPhCVZF5UARy0gIDFvgg4tBd-fDBIYmdhq0tMKCCh9L9i5DMvdtzQq7xAH2AAGL3Ft8vQuC9gsmaisddPmtpmm-UWC7U9exV0C-d876GkJSz6N9uw8ZsEo1jgTWmBX81NrTRBkcGgtkxOw/s4032/IMG_3345.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82Qh-ydMMRUr9OrZIgr8i28cngdaszEnMhC_4Q_dX-oxKwPhCVZF5UARy0gIDFvgg4tBd-fDBIYmdhq0tMKCCh9L9i5DMvdtzQq7xAH2AAGL3Ft8vQuC9gsmaisddPmtpmm-UWC7U9exV0C-d876GkJSz6N9uw8ZsEo1jgTWmBX81NrTRBkcGgtkxOw/w640-h480/IMG_3345.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePL2_4E_IsT3R0XCYwjfgq9uK_J1DTxRudBUAf_IAbhd7KKUBcK6bmhf5yeFycshuHqsh7ivPpiMP06y2Bcegs5yjcyHxdWAn8wehjDG1MEoPD1p8cosNCQiyfYhQSZ9bthvdCP4Ew_uWZWw6XrivPW7VUkdI98GvnPpL4rrzpLSs3R505i2e4IReYA/s4032/IMG_3350.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePL2_4E_IsT3R0XCYwjfgq9uK_J1DTxRudBUAf_IAbhd7KKUBcK6bmhf5yeFycshuHqsh7ivPpiMP06y2Bcegs5yjcyHxdWAn8wehjDG1MEoPD1p8cosNCQiyfYhQSZ9bthvdCP4Ew_uWZWw6XrivPW7VUkdI98GvnPpL4rrzpLSs3R505i2e4IReYA/w640-h480/IMG_3350.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbMTOmf-w4NN6qAIWyQJet9KTXZEACaH-Z6TCkwgb3WIEfbTENSjeNilH6NnrSGe4udDJEv-osS6vsLMXAju6pX1rEL2whJ-Jiqo-35jJxtkpwWydcURf2O7lCzcR2ldyjZ5llXBjC_4uxe-1dROO8gaSkJZIhC-jTJr58CwcRanuLNTImKD0bRLtLQ/s6848/IMG_3354.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="6848" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbMTOmf-w4NN6qAIWyQJet9KTXZEACaH-Z6TCkwgb3WIEfbTENSjeNilH6NnrSGe4udDJEv-osS6vsLMXAju6pX1rEL2whJ-Jiqo-35jJxtkpwWydcURf2O7lCzcR2ldyjZ5llXBjC_4uxe-1dROO8gaSkJZIhC-jTJr58CwcRanuLNTImKD0bRLtLQ/w640-h218/IMG_3354.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I reserved my seat on the couch in the living room (witch parking only).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC4biDqTscSfjeyD2hOjsWpj1LHm5Y-A-GL-dew4pJDIFZYX6BAbwMa_sd1tVRhoFkBPs2gOIyYoenMfNXR1SnVuKTYKz2RX_pEju_7SHiGilAr5De3sHNbhPq144xk9QSoObqmFuSuMnvk2CHF9bxwMyaU4dq3x2LmbbfCccZhC1nTCjUYlwqbcojw/s4032/IMG_3338.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC4biDqTscSfjeyD2hOjsWpj1LHm5Y-A-GL-dew4pJDIFZYX6BAbwMa_sd1tVRhoFkBPs2gOIyYoenMfNXR1SnVuKTYKz2RX_pEju_7SHiGilAr5De3sHNbhPq144xk9QSoObqmFuSuMnvk2CHF9bxwMyaU4dq3x2LmbbfCccZhC1nTCjUYlwqbcojw/w640-h480/IMG_3338.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The inexpensive felt placemats from Target also make great door signs for the kids rooms upstairs. A couple years ago I bought felt snowflake placemats for holiday/winter door signs on clearance and they loved it. The pumpkins this year are perfect for the upstairs hall and both boys are happy. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALMTImcZhjJyRwF39B9feAyoKRlUYS42phBsGm1XIJecvaGuU0jRf-TSdEcfZatKwlxruVNsfk2V_GNlZtOeTDzcUt5HW9cR-3_Pu9TqwVIuYG7vBwg2YK-LuK224gHpqXkLLPOV6LPrlIpkTYBsz3AgzyxQIQ2430yBd72P7yeJAwsdUINt21olgEA/s3918/IMG_3377.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3918" data-original-width="2938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALMTImcZhjJyRwF39B9feAyoKRlUYS42phBsGm1XIJecvaGuU0jRf-TSdEcfZatKwlxruVNsfk2V_GNlZtOeTDzcUt5HW9cR-3_Pu9TqwVIuYG7vBwg2YK-LuK224gHpqXkLLPOV6LPrlIpkTYBsz3AgzyxQIQ2430yBd72P7yeJAwsdUINt21olgEA/w480-h640/IMG_3377.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll get more/better photos of our house at night on Halloween. The porch always looks best when it's lit up with the jack-o-lanterns. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHVHeprMJ3nRuvJEPNMopTReCK_4y5yRLVcL_bYK7c_mHFTDz6JkYvivRHYebjUJjEMhDmIIOmNHz6lRpwy_Tpm5r5CXxyoK7z8ix8aQkO1ToynnIa4rKcVMOLqMAjVnx274EB57p-caQjnhV2EVnoCnriTYT3v443kH0lcyGn7ykhFC7oc4ylfiSgw/s4032/IMG_3388.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHVHeprMJ3nRuvJEPNMopTReCK_4y5yRLVcL_bYK7c_mHFTDz6JkYvivRHYebjUJjEMhDmIIOmNHz6lRpwy_Tpm5r5CXxyoK7z8ix8aQkO1ToynnIa4rKcVMOLqMAjVnx274EB57p-caQjnhV2EVnoCnriTYT3v443kH0lcyGn7ykhFC7oc4ylfiSgw/w480-h640/IMG_3388.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0NLmy45a_WJh2Vr-SvsDMo-mpmObITA-Zp0OxGqZNSgvFeF9x5jSoAylQNxCIwuxYk5m66GJpGd6_LKXBCgf2jgZ2RS2YM3GW2ATYxmclkGQoqUmw8vmuNQ1ukJmb2g9khaieN_QkHWdrKhJ5tvhj-I-GpZ3_7NeaT6XEJx-i0eSFUmNdexMLWPxKw/s4032/IMG_3383.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0NLmy45a_WJh2Vr-SvsDMo-mpmObITA-Zp0OxGqZNSgvFeF9x5jSoAylQNxCIwuxYk5m66GJpGd6_LKXBCgf2jgZ2RS2YM3GW2ATYxmclkGQoqUmw8vmuNQ1ukJmb2g9khaieN_QkHWdrKhJ5tvhj-I-GpZ3_7NeaT6XEJx-i0eSFUmNdexMLWPxKw/w480-h640/IMG_3383.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Our house is actually pretty tame compared to several of our neighbors. We LOVE Halloween around here - it's just too much fun! </p><p><br /></p></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-42882690226346322922022-10-25T13:39:00.000-04:002022-10-25T13:39:37.605-04:00October Garden Wrap Up & Greenhouse <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QMutlHBfJjr1WmWhiX5AS3LY-SuLDqb5me-mjJ9xu_0vvYkO0xh0nbrqEUmBZqobJnh5P5K1rujszIWD4Uhf2DspVQF39cZPNxqX3uJcupFtveVkyFRXjfGpnqUgXED0wrGqV30OHlz0E86UAOv6xReCtW1BAtywSaBE3aRoM-ku8NWwt-T80ZfCKg/s4032/IMG_3077.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QMutlHBfJjr1WmWhiX5AS3LY-SuLDqb5me-mjJ9xu_0vvYkO0xh0nbrqEUmBZqobJnh5P5K1rujszIWD4Uhf2DspVQF39cZPNxqX3uJcupFtveVkyFRXjfGpnqUgXED0wrGqV30OHlz0E86UAOv6xReCtW1BAtywSaBE3aRoM-ku8NWwt-T80ZfCKg/w640-h480/IMG_3077.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Whew! This has been A YEAR. I am relieved the season is over to be honest. The chipmunks, the white flies, the mildew and blights, the lantern flies, the spider mites... this year has been <i>stressful</i> with all the pests. I can't even compost most of the garden because it's all <i>contaminated</i>. And while most of these things will be restarted again next year from seed, I lost way too many dahlias this year... but at the same time I'm grateful I didn't lose them all. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tomatoes</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzystLWh5loU2bzxDCRh-C3ckXMItpl25whpNXXhMxJvG-vRLnUlW2wY4lMdhwMI94PjV9JClI0nnF0EODE0L00AAqP4GfNmOGSV88I2-tTYM9CWGS3q0Vh2KNm_BPRt35gWzUD13d39AHdg6cwXL5E8CX3yso3MlJZK-RqscVXstVxDemqUDsPewsRg/s4032/IMG_2998.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzystLWh5loU2bzxDCRh-C3ckXMItpl25whpNXXhMxJvG-vRLnUlW2wY4lMdhwMI94PjV9JClI0nnF0EODE0L00AAqP4GfNmOGSV88I2-tTYM9CWGS3q0Vh2KNm_BPRt35gWzUD13d39AHdg6cwXL5E8CX3yso3MlJZK-RqscVXstVxDemqUDsPewsRg/w480-h640/IMG_2998.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p>The tomatoes are fully pulled up. Originally I pulled up the big tomatoes in September, but it was time to pick the last of the cherry tomatoes and pull up those plants plants. I left the borage and marigolds for the pollinators until we have a hard freeze. </p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023:</i> Plant 2 cherry tomatoes, 2 plum/paste, 2 bush steak hybrids, 2 early girls + borage and marigolds. These tomatoes did better than all the others hands down and were the most widely eaten by the family (and were easily made into small batch sauce when we had too many). </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dahlias</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6BGO6JejPtnhc8kGc9-wxghPu0ATLZkzHLN9A6et3xwOqMOtHUP4nUsJ-ENgY0zU_smC8LXnY9hcH4uqga7OeOY1Snr5J6s2RFxcC6BfgSMpjyOAfFv_bYCF-qnlhK8qva5GsgwrSi3J1UUeXZlgv650-NYUDgYOD5zieR3pDARmxELoZtRbztLYEw/s4032/IMG_3011.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6BGO6JejPtnhc8kGc9-wxghPu0ATLZkzHLN9A6et3xwOqMOtHUP4nUsJ-ENgY0zU_smC8LXnY9hcH4uqga7OeOY1Snr5J6s2RFxcC6BfgSMpjyOAfFv_bYCF-qnlhK8qva5GsgwrSi3J1UUeXZlgv650-NYUDgYOD5zieR3pDARmxELoZtRbztLYEw/w480-h640/IMG_3011.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EPHSbvd4m9prKKG174SMf6VtXwJv69UAm80OKc6U0tFpMr2JP_sNETI7B9Ymg6Uh_qSh5AbPKwxbebVjnGs-Am57DgLJqrEC1rtnAUXwnsLslo6XLVXB4NadMJqhW8VpdnaL6pV7Kh0cXhP0-LBNvtG6hHvfG7zPD8rM4lmZq8RxnSyntl4tE7QOHQ/s4032/IMG_3008.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EPHSbvd4m9prKKG174SMf6VtXwJv69UAm80OKc6U0tFpMr2JP_sNETI7B9Ymg6Uh_qSh5AbPKwxbebVjnGs-Am57DgLJqrEC1rtnAUXwnsLslo6XLVXB4NadMJqhW8VpdnaL6pV7Kh0cXhP0-LBNvtG6hHvfG7zPD8rM4lmZq8RxnSyntl4tE7QOHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3008.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaApqNK9GKRP02TFie_L2hJ6TN8nARTupy82gMRDB6w6yYiQKmapANLPLfVZUS8jCOOzBPnJpMQ2gept23FKDHEPnP9Snd8xfQMFzUo2RwSaW4mbSDGmne0r5lDkCwO-CbRkwJQLvxLH4PV7dcog1iHnzymi8X6Ry9E3kRmDH8xP1Nmy12b4mYA5cBbA/s4032/IMG_3094.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaApqNK9GKRP02TFie_L2hJ6TN8nARTupy82gMRDB6w6yYiQKmapANLPLfVZUS8jCOOzBPnJpMQ2gept23FKDHEPnP9Snd8xfQMFzUo2RwSaW4mbSDGmne0r5lDkCwO-CbRkwJQLvxLH4PV7dcog1iHnzymi8X6Ry9E3kRmDH8xP1Nmy12b4mYA5cBbA/w640-h480/IMG_3094.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>The surviving dahlias bounced back and starting reblooming, all of them except Labyrinth (which took the most damage of the survivors). Apricot Desire didn't make it. All the dahlias got frost burned during a 3 night cold snap, but it wasn't a killing frost as predicted. I'll pull them up once they are fully wiped out. Hopefully all of these come back next year and that the bulbs are strong enough to survive over-wintering. </p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023</i>: I need a replacement for Apricot Desire. And possibly Labyrinth if that one doesn't come back. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Mixed Flowers</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8yT1r6kBgKRDDlN65MfQjurcenN57tXSEgGeBPv4r7aYQ097qx2uG2Fepnrbt6L-6LDp-dcCmpwDUJ61j1vXLJBtrStT786PpzZNHSwom--QG0TkFsFlM-9q_VPAPpTvmeyHen_PUdXz47bOCJTTsGD_sr6j237epvNZ-vGwN-S0pgaT0Gj925F86w/s4032/IMG_3005.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8yT1r6kBgKRDDlN65MfQjurcenN57tXSEgGeBPv4r7aYQ097qx2uG2Fepnrbt6L-6LDp-dcCmpwDUJ61j1vXLJBtrStT786PpzZNHSwom--QG0TkFsFlM-9q_VPAPpTvmeyHen_PUdXz47bOCJTTsGD_sr6j237epvNZ-vGwN-S0pgaT0Gj925F86w/w480-h640/IMG_3005.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv-Kvn51i5SZ1XdCI69pBoV7-jsnxZ4RMRUiXH87LUXWgafBfFanEn8ffGSrtu_bkJ6gllaT7psk81gonYvRIFgbOfhRlBilXxhEL__F-tQwBh61vEIDT2E5AxP2I030DYC3iRoSJ1Zay-AwisCQtsPB7r4fbmwBiLcCnwnsJvQnreaaTXwdyt_oUVQ/s4032/IMG_3009.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv-Kvn51i5SZ1XdCI69pBoV7-jsnxZ4RMRUiXH87LUXWgafBfFanEn8ffGSrtu_bkJ6gllaT7psk81gonYvRIFgbOfhRlBilXxhEL__F-tQwBh61vEIDT2E5AxP2I030DYC3iRoSJ1Zay-AwisCQtsPB7r4fbmwBiLcCnwnsJvQnreaaTXwdyt_oUVQ/w480-h640/IMG_3009.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>The mixed flowers this year were an ideal balance for bouquets. Half snapdragons the bed was, 2 cosmos, 3 rows of zinnias (2 coral + carnival mix). It was just the right balance of flowers for my bouquets. Even the random dark magenta celosia ended up growing well here. </p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023</i>: Move the globe amaranth to the corner so it can get more light. Plant one pink lemonade cosmos and one of those new apricotta cosmos that I'm seeing everywhere (it's coral and I <i>WANT </i>it). </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vines</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNbOtBbSaAeGZQTR-EnuovKTA5qyiRGq59vVess_iIK2R0qwkF8vYZVbqHL35eWww__PCpuk3azhMofRn_yApHbeJ2HP6i37_iq0NmROdR6g-GgkxEmI5ROKViANfAgZvjw8OpTKom3R8U5L6nf0wmClCG5OgLTUej530MTdekO_G5_wYSSLLAYbEQ/s4032/IMG_2999.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNbOtBbSaAeGZQTR-EnuovKTA5qyiRGq59vVess_iIK2R0qwkF8vYZVbqHL35eWww__PCpuk3azhMofRn_yApHbeJ2HP6i37_iq0NmROdR6g-GgkxEmI5ROKViANfAgZvjw8OpTKom3R8U5L6nf0wmClCG5OgLTUej530MTdekO_G5_wYSSLLAYbEQ/w480-h640/IMG_2999.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI-QUGfysqNzituyZV6BBcOZy9LP8_1ej3sI5gJLxgwq8IIRyW2xxM_yUbc5-MKfYikWKMOKho5Su-vXAhQwbnYBvrTlSuc9EyvgSmot-G8gD7U5-Frsl4wZAfPX_lGCallyUNwqaXSRVpZIAtPiOz-vFsrvotKbzvI7fUMoW6Pj5GGfulg8O2yFDVw/s4032/IMG_3001.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI-QUGfysqNzituyZV6BBcOZy9LP8_1ej3sI5gJLxgwq8IIRyW2xxM_yUbc5-MKfYikWKMOKho5Su-vXAhQwbnYBvrTlSuc9EyvgSmot-G8gD7U5-Frsl4wZAfPX_lGCallyUNwqaXSRVpZIAtPiOz-vFsrvotKbzvI7fUMoW6Pj5GGfulg8O2yFDVw/w480-h640/IMG_3001.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The nasturtiums took over this bed, as always, during August and September. Chard and carrots remain (they don't mind a nip of cold) and will be harvested at the end of the month/first frost so I can tuck this bed in for winter too. </p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023</i>: I need to only plant one nasturtium here not two. They get so big! I say that every year and always forget in the spring. No other changes - the successes (melons, peas, nasturtiums, carrots, chard) and failures (cucumbers) here were pest related. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Herbs and Strawberries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOfKfiZjgtZDr-iP8UONBs9nQsXzcyec02z5z3L1DAO7KjWqNml9Y_9A3IthF-8bJNojD1PFKtIKVSQuGCANftdIqLLAZNhtSir0MqcHlK8ClWLYOrh7noTBfse_xrYsa-6aGIQWdayJ3hAIlzNWRqforc5jpzN7xk0IMmyf46z5i7JIGd-mASh0Sng/s4032/IMG_3002.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOfKfiZjgtZDr-iP8UONBs9nQsXzcyec02z5z3L1DAO7KjWqNml9Y_9A3IthF-8bJNojD1PFKtIKVSQuGCANftdIqLLAZNhtSir0MqcHlK8ClWLYOrh7noTBfse_xrYsa-6aGIQWdayJ3hAIlzNWRqforc5jpzN7xk0IMmyf46z5i7JIGd-mASh0Sng/w480-h640/IMG_3002.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>Herbs were top notch this year. Rosemary, sage and lavender were dug up and brought into the greenhouse for overwintering. The calendula self-seeded so it might come back on its own, and the oregano, thyme and strawberries definitely will. I'll restart the sage, calendula, dill, borage, and chamomile from seed in the late winter/early spring. The sunflowers were really pretty here as always. This bed will be tucked in with lots of leaves for insulation once we have a killing frost. </p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023:</i> Hopefully next year we'll have a better strawberry harvest with the new garden defenses in place against the chipmunks. There's nothing I would change here - this stellar herb harvest this is weather related, not effort or strategy related. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pots</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm2aJCtnMLkMI6VLeNsPa6tpq4-96E2kFR8bI96cVzSHBJpq7ZzayIgR2i20cfkDY9I9G4PaiFijbe4bl-Smgsvsgiz_ee2ugkaqK6Ddg2CneCb1iea7RojBAwre3_pXDJ5Wo4ycKAXspOZ6GbODT6QzTG2bhpLd2J2W8zrF9Iw4YtUj0ik2hGSsxoA/s4032/IMG_2674.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm2aJCtnMLkMI6VLeNsPa6tpq4-96E2kFR8bI96cVzSHBJpq7ZzayIgR2i20cfkDY9I9G4PaiFijbe4bl-Smgsvsgiz_ee2ugkaqK6Ddg2CneCb1iea7RojBAwre3_pXDJ5Wo4ycKAXspOZ6GbODT6QzTG2bhpLd2J2W8zrF9Iw4YtUj0ik2hGSsxoA/w480-h640/IMG_2674.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>The potted rosemary also went to the greenhouse, along with the brown turkey fig tree for overwintering. The lemon balm will come back next year in the pot on its own, I usually put it up against the house for protection and residual heat. We were happy with the hot pepper harvest, Mike made plenty of hot sauce. The potted herbs did great this year, just like the beds. The potted flowers were a mixed bag - the morning glory was a dud again this year.</p><p><i>Thoughts for 2023</i>: Next year in the big aqua pot against the trellis, I have to pick a new vine. This is the second year in a row that the morning glory did terribly. I didn't even bloom! I could probably try one somewhere else (against the chain link fence perhaps?) but no more wasting pot space. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Elsewhere in the Yard</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrySMTG3RNKC_Iq7sp1g9IgByYZhrB-oObWNW34zeRxo54aPQZYAbeHJ10H2nkBKzaHymC0-fVgZnU_U9tBs2Ld1nYXZeufGxZH48L3JKnKfWGpAXJLuS4r-d4BoIC3LwXTgf3sbo-RrXtqmcV2nP8bOm-vtHSGnGl8HvwS3fRAVQk1-iBOeac5_muFQ/s4032/IMG_2682.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrySMTG3RNKC_Iq7sp1g9IgByYZhrB-oObWNW34zeRxo54aPQZYAbeHJ10H2nkBKzaHymC0-fVgZnU_U9tBs2Ld1nYXZeufGxZH48L3JKnKfWGpAXJLuS4r-d4BoIC3LwXTgf3sbo-RrXtqmcV2nP8bOm-vtHSGnGl8HvwS3fRAVQk1-iBOeac5_muFQ/w480-h640/IMG_2682.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p>One elderberry bush bloomed, one did not, before the deer came through. I knew both bushes have to bloom for cross-pollination, so I harvested the flowers instead. The birds ate all the blueberries before they ripened. The raspberry-loving bird (that I call "raspberry bird") ate some of our raspberries in July but had already flown South when the small random September/October harvest happened so we didn't have to share. The blackberries were tart this year from lack of rain but we had plenty and they made nice sorbet. The fig tree has had a decent harvest, but not as many as last year (the harvests are cyclical). </p><p><i>Thoughts on 2023</i>: Next year I'm adding deer netting to the back fence in hopes of keeping the greedy deer out of the yard and hopefully spare my poor elderberry bushes (and hostas!). The blueberry bushes need blueberry boxes, which is still on the "things to do" list. The citrus trees need a repotting in the spring. I also want to do mini pumpkins. Outside the garden though, because they attract those awful squash vine borers that hurt other vines like melons. So I'm including pumpkins here instead, they will be elsewhere in the yard.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Flowers Elsewhere </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOgQCgpzTZEuFMW3huR3JU7XwKmm5Ll5ArWrTE1C4XZ2u8FeEU5ifxSU_XwbpheXV2ps1YnXYUU9zsTUliXBE_9tN2aE_jtBokr3qV-WgY0ijlWAUXmnRo5q83buQSD9H9zveZdIhNwU3z0o7hecynpkW6rjWokqOy4pDDZqN6K2_Y-__tS1pSAy8g/s4032/IMG_2793.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOgQCgpzTZEuFMW3huR3JU7XwKmm5Ll5ArWrTE1C4XZ2u8FeEU5ifxSU_XwbpheXV2ps1YnXYUU9zsTUliXBE_9tN2aE_jtBokr3qV-WgY0ijlWAUXmnRo5q83buQSD9H9zveZdIhNwU3z0o7hecynpkW6rjWokqOy4pDDZqN6K2_Y-__tS1pSAy8g/w480-h640/IMG_2793.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19EYpCtuUC9aDxDZwoETdq1lH0Aiob396850TuGk5bEGap2o5kB3f0ijgcnwBLxHaTNvKyhhwWyNWitMsxMeBTvV8RoQ_dLUbt751yNTJW7vTxSfH71LHEAVNF2_Yq4RpO10crh0QcJphZ144AM3vDzKWeHPNAu8hY_H8fepVfPSSxPZUDAv5tYUFbA/s4032/IMG_3088.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19EYpCtuUC9aDxDZwoETdq1lH0Aiob396850TuGk5bEGap2o5kB3f0ijgcnwBLxHaTNvKyhhwWyNWitMsxMeBTvV8RoQ_dLUbt751yNTJW7vTxSfH71LHEAVNF2_Yq4RpO10crh0QcJphZ144AM3vDzKWeHPNAu8hY_H8fepVfPSSxPZUDAv5tYUFbA/w480-h640/IMG_3088.HEIC" width="480" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndwdPc9e1Zl14wA0JgF9OTOMurgWRX0uvCGxa4GbXFCB_HaNsKdisA4bAf2rB9uc0HsiKFVjm2XjkezUrUyTKluB3NxBcUrU1VDiTMIG2tn7xKyO-xmjSlZYFIRYxT5pcF0sXFkmKKXjBkFlSrXv1lweJvnCSqYaWt2vqP9a48ryKwiCBGXZb4zccqA/s4032/IMG_9724.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndwdPc9e1Zl14wA0JgF9OTOMurgWRX0uvCGxa4GbXFCB_HaNsKdisA4bAf2rB9uc0HsiKFVjm2XjkezUrUyTKluB3NxBcUrU1VDiTMIG2tn7xKyO-xmjSlZYFIRYxT5pcF0sXFkmKKXjBkFlSrXv1lweJvnCSqYaWt2vqP9a48ryKwiCBGXZb4zccqA/w640-h480/IMG_9724.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAohpBYp3K3HPvLdsx4f6P82UKT-70eIofAIy-XnHmXBrYc11Wej-icPY_LIxfR4mDyCvQU1t-ZUkNWaYb4U9M5gGTSiy87lm8ZkdHHTDbZWuM7FC7OrV-60a04SLn3PbaDPMmqaynqLoWpGGM6IzljnyX_j3JAv6lP2qqBLPYEcrkGWSSScOjq-5AA/s4032/IMG_9729.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAohpBYp3K3HPvLdsx4f6P82UKT-70eIofAIy-XnHmXBrYc11Wej-icPY_LIxfR4mDyCvQU1t-ZUkNWaYb4U9M5gGTSiy87lm8ZkdHHTDbZWuM7FC7OrV-60a04SLn3PbaDPMmqaynqLoWpGGM6IzljnyX_j3JAv6lP2qqBLPYEcrkGWSSScOjq-5AA/w640-h480/IMG_9729.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>While not part of the main garden, I want to note flowers for next year beyond dahlias. The dahlias were a struggle, but hopefully the mite issue won't be an annual thing and next year I'll be sure to do an early spray with neem oil. </p><p>The flowers in my pots were a mixed bag. The same flowers in different pots were beautiful or terrible. I'm not really sure what happened unless there were insects or blight. The coleus that did the best was the one that sprang up from self-seeded seeds. This has inspired me to try growing it from seed next year. </p><p>I REALLY liked what we did in the front yard this year, mixing snapdragons (including ones I started from seed), lantanas and dahlias across the front bushes. It was a great mix of colors and textures. The only thing I want to do differently is to note dalinova colors, something I never thought about before until I had 4 orange dalinovas in a row out front this year. I made sure to tag them before the frost so that I can put all of the orange into one bag, pink into another bag. None of my red or yellow survived overwintering I guess. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Greenhouse</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1-aqImPBiCrmqeoMJzg0i1Rk8BAfAxIz_GM36G4MHuWe5BHF0lEcLNgNNvqD7U7ujAL0Gj0XRx1kclFaxRvlv1G8ZmlAfbUlNgsL21_5hD8WqJXv7yoEXPfPR1NObYGynLxjN6KbQIxJrx2eFzqbkQ7tBe3r7ctbEf1QDesOpSpRnPHrtFM4aPzb_Q/s4032/IMG_2995.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1-aqImPBiCrmqeoMJzg0i1Rk8BAfAxIz_GM36G4MHuWe5BHF0lEcLNgNNvqD7U7ujAL0Gj0XRx1kclFaxRvlv1G8ZmlAfbUlNgsL21_5hD8WqJXv7yoEXPfPR1NObYGynLxjN6KbQIxJrx2eFzqbkQ7tBe3r7ctbEf1QDesOpSpRnPHrtFM4aPzb_Q/w480-h640/IMG_2995.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a8C64QY9Yz7pxBTVrLR5Ze0a4k9MPfdnJhDJBknxTPi7sa_K7s1TGtODW8bJCawt8UIBzWp4rO-tBT-_VC0Ilnwlgn3kq29MDLnmYP6nSz2qrULSz-Vl2dV4vLtXYHz0GzYFFTKy-elxRVtp844pkWA091w-moE4SZmoVrb08dnTyQ-tXPQ2BSZ75A/s4032/IMG_2994.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a8C64QY9Yz7pxBTVrLR5Ze0a4k9MPfdnJhDJBknxTPi7sa_K7s1TGtODW8bJCawt8UIBzWp4rO-tBT-_VC0Ilnwlgn3kq29MDLnmYP6nSz2qrULSz-Vl2dV4vLtXYHz0GzYFFTKy-elxRVtp844pkWA091w-moE4SZmoVrb08dnTyQ-tXPQ2BSZ75A/w480-h640/IMG_2994.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf--_KFya_ACG9dD_ziKB3YJg9J--0ewTDg61WskNJqrH5PbBmY1ca0giMSxQ0MTuK6hZc-HUuQkOpnUTpef56ZtHEeeeQv3XrEkYX3d8q6xL_g7SMtzLZMReZEN8EZU-uFS5yoCLUhjZ6df2JzRdl6FvR4WRQnKD03-1BhzSdPFMvY9mOrVr5vKWCfw/s4032/IMG_2996.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf--_KFya_ACG9dD_ziKB3YJg9J--0ewTDg61WskNJqrH5PbBmY1ca0giMSxQ0MTuK6hZc-HUuQkOpnUTpef56ZtHEeeeQv3XrEkYX3d8q6xL_g7SMtzLZMReZEN8EZU-uFS5yoCLUhjZ6df2JzRdl6FvR4WRQnKD03-1BhzSdPFMvY9mOrVr5vKWCfw/w480-h640/IMG_2996.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44QKd2amHFuvgBLDYoH1Mf8-fCK6fGGyLraVjzP59s6T874na129YysdUwrxiYQ0dhxosshF3Kd7PVFfj2EGg_3vI9MFDNemQ_LvDZq4mAcBR3dzKb6HU1R9X0zKGY1YOcd2i5qgUg8OLS1ZjRPsnRrvB1y39vQ74UEJTvy2vkvz97DbeDKt3Fj8W8Q/s4032/IMG_3115.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44QKd2amHFuvgBLDYoH1Mf8-fCK6fGGyLraVjzP59s6T874na129YysdUwrxiYQ0dhxosshF3Kd7PVFfj2EGg_3vI9MFDNemQ_LvDZq4mAcBR3dzKb6HU1R9X0zKGY1YOcd2i5qgUg8OLS1ZjRPsnRrvB1y39vQ74UEJTvy2vkvz97DbeDKt3Fj8W8Q/w480-h640/IMG_3115.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Here's the greenhouse right now with what I decided to overwinter. It's mostly herbs and flowers. The geraniums had a rough summer so only a few were worth saving. There are lots of snapdragons (<i>and that's not even all of them, just the little ones that fit in pots in colors I wanted to save</i>). A few of the snapdragons are a little meh looking - I debated keeping them but decided to give them a chance to bounce back - they have surprised me in the past. Worst case I'll pull them up in the winter to make room for seeds and dahlias in late Feb. I also saved the lantanas from the front yard. It's an experiment. I really liked the colors and how big they grew this year, I'm hoping if I can overwinter them they'll have a head start next year. Two look terrible and one is fine, I think this is due to how I pulled them up (<i>lessons learned for the future</i>). </p><p>The begonia bulbs have a reserved spot in the greenhouse, same as last year on a bottom shelf. They really like overwintering in dry dirt in the greenhouse and came back better than ever this year. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcgj7DomjpNkBCuFK9qQlq9qHndV72s9nitDbcFWNRzjW_XUTDCPf2DX7QHMq1vBH0ik_QCaCMFBvYVcnBNOYiWw3a-Eofa5fw0uxBRtYQGXcTmwBEhV8_W03QlbtbANhJKTmWB_yn2LbdAVaeWjQUEZ3jELWkEC4MLbQqgvmYZp1aGIUvYAO5tlw-Q/s4032/IMG_3068.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcgj7DomjpNkBCuFK9qQlq9qHndV72s9nitDbcFWNRzjW_XUTDCPf2DX7QHMq1vBH0ik_QCaCMFBvYVcnBNOYiWw3a-Eofa5fw0uxBRtYQGXcTmwBEhV8_W03QlbtbANhJKTmWB_yn2LbdAVaeWjQUEZ3jELWkEC4MLbQqgvmYZp1aGIUvYAO5tlw-Q/w480-h640/IMG_3068.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>So that's the garden right now and my big plans for next year. Or not so big, since I think I'll just be ordering a few seed packets and maybe a replacement dahlia (<i>but maybe not... it might be smart to hold off and use what survived next year and see if the mites persist... I'd hate to re-invest only to lose more stock</i>). I have a lot of cleanup work ahead of me to get everything ready for winter this November. </p><p><br /></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-73078185137831832092022-10-13T08:00:00.001-04:002022-10-13T08:00:00.198-04:00Stairwell and Upstairs Hall: Painted<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFlZ-Q_p8JpJh3QL54HoXIigfQXM2Vd0VJHJO5kdU8CZo4j1M0S9K6ljBnjDbwQFxZTSylGazqUNeY9P9cy_O738xQtB3y0HDbkdIzYdrLFWFfP4j_zqQLgPt7neIyPMLSeryuekhVm_WjItDGeSIfB_EmZ1P1PxkuDIls4ZRDDuKKjgiXHZExhxDgg/s1620/DSC_1607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFlZ-Q_p8JpJh3QL54HoXIigfQXM2Vd0VJHJO5kdU8CZo4j1M0S9K6ljBnjDbwQFxZTSylGazqUNeY9P9cy_O738xQtB3y0HDbkdIzYdrLFWFfP4j_zqQLgPt7neIyPMLSeryuekhVm_WjItDGeSIfB_EmZ1P1PxkuDIls4ZRDDuKKjgiXHZExhxDgg/w426-h640/DSC_1607.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The upstairs hall and stairwell that leads from the living room to the upstairs hallway were painted silver gray as well to tie the two levels together. The hallway is the same color (silver gray) as the living room downstairs and the stairwell is painted a shade lighter. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTV0TFH_BRW1U6aVcYbEEFlmUFKe-9RMqzAjo38GnBe-nIDS--cVz2yr2AnlQC9b_TacIOy1jbe8TH9u2ZnDDUZcP55SJK2Uw6mu2WLMPgoycnL84JLDXdPUM657t_A2lTglVxnH5tKi7um2kPXI7nhwGP8sZWC0QHHzHfkj-VXa1NRWib05mm_wL3Q/s1620/DSC_1604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTV0TFH_BRW1U6aVcYbEEFlmUFKe-9RMqzAjo38GnBe-nIDS--cVz2yr2AnlQC9b_TacIOy1jbe8TH9u2ZnDDUZcP55SJK2Uw6mu2WLMPgoycnL84JLDXdPUM657t_A2lTglVxnH5tKi7um2kPXI7nhwGP8sZWC0QHHzHfkj-VXa1NRWib05mm_wL3Q/w426-h640/DSC_1604.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeQRcOlf9pHuSR-U5MZPZIx8jpm976yVOLRF7atNWZ96-a1v5cniohoMUMFpX3Q5zcyNaATUy90h4mysdXQn4e-CMuDT5C0H-u32KXZNPbfwd3Sx-qsCRyfq2iTkLBM6qxbx16zjyNkU2DtwBuTM7eqnBPIpcgXz5zlPbUDCEtmR5_jV5sNHwhkm7uw/s1620/DSC_1563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeQRcOlf9pHuSR-U5MZPZIx8jpm976yVOLRF7atNWZ96-a1v5cniohoMUMFpX3Q5zcyNaATUy90h4mysdXQn4e-CMuDT5C0H-u32KXZNPbfwd3Sx-qsCRyfq2iTkLBM6qxbx16zjyNkU2DtwBuTM7eqnBPIpcgXz5zlPbUDCEtmR5_jV5sNHwhkm7uw/w640-h426/DSC_1563.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsp6erndSKqYBpUh4MR98QhpOHc1K2c8SUIapU_D6K39MIcTscPTieAAzibp5LBg-lcIrLBhCTRfIboeMVGh6Hl2nlaRwhiHazINmuhgDXj_QKM6QU0_M9khIW4fQu_x5nVYsSV4Hgz-If7TbbFNNdFNduMIJIedwdnuXkSSacntAaWBcJr0Kec2sEw/s4032/IMG_2391.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsp6erndSKqYBpUh4MR98QhpOHc1K2c8SUIapU_D6K39MIcTscPTieAAzibp5LBg-lcIrLBhCTRfIboeMVGh6Hl2nlaRwhiHazINmuhgDXj_QKM6QU0_M9khIW4fQu_x5nVYsSV4Hgz-If7TbbFNNdFNduMIJIedwdnuXkSSacntAaWBcJr0Kec2sEw/w480-h640/IMG_2391.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ38GeJ6_hsSTsBhd-CegN1VVMHtmfVeN-z829b2s61rdo_WK8xTPhObJIs-23sTVWNGavtZOkPRdwh0Uly86lYUEmDlQGJDXhVOUJ4JVMMYmuZ2xfBC1qxNu3R4_jjz22QuU35vK1lxRUy4inIWMHGOSZSe37LgSRU6X9AIT_4e6luYt_OAd6B_TUXQ/s4032/IMG_2386.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ38GeJ6_hsSTsBhd-CegN1VVMHtmfVeN-z829b2s61rdo_WK8xTPhObJIs-23sTVWNGavtZOkPRdwh0Uly86lYUEmDlQGJDXhVOUJ4JVMMYmuZ2xfBC1qxNu3R4_jjz22QuU35vK1lxRUy4inIWMHGOSZSe37LgSRU6X9AIT_4e6luYt_OAd6B_TUXQ/w480-h640/IMG_2386.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The updated colors feel really fresh and airy. The stairwell finally being painted the light gray in September tied everything together (it required the big ladder so we put it off). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIn9bwOjMqg_FqSzZf95aW_sZ_6qNvlAGPxhC9_ht-Ox8BFqpIKcFcZEpGJskv_H4eODso0PTPjFiY4RSJ7nvk9GETMDDvt-BIDtQ0Y7ZG4nMiluW2sMtxsPS1DgxRQ9hbMojYfD1-VZvGi9ye0T7X3AmVvrNh9HRtqVbdfnukIRvBCcCY4oe58fa_sw/s4032/IMG_2384.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIn9bwOjMqg_FqSzZf95aW_sZ_6qNvlAGPxhC9_ht-Ox8BFqpIKcFcZEpGJskv_H4eODso0PTPjFiY4RSJ7nvk9GETMDDvt-BIDtQ0Y7ZG4nMiluW2sMtxsPS1DgxRQ9hbMojYfD1-VZvGi9ye0T7X3AmVvrNh9HRtqVbdfnukIRvBCcCY4oe58fa_sw/w480-h640/IMG_2384.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNlTfRTY9uDknJFrHBzjQ0chXh9pOFR7q-BUymJ2AOuls-_VDpqdlOKMzC59PTKFLCfT0C69wwBAH5gOZ8PFn2roYPpf_sybFdKeO5Bd-k5pongck1cHQubdh5TtaAlE8_dYBioNQxg11YqoIFPQAqiP9CFpWFAB66fzEDTd2lmpd01WK6ei0-zuRrA/s4032/IMG_2398.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNlTfRTY9uDknJFrHBzjQ0chXh9pOFR7q-BUymJ2AOuls-_VDpqdlOKMzC59PTKFLCfT0C69wwBAH5gOZ8PFn2roYPpf_sybFdKeO5Bd-k5pongck1cHQubdh5TtaAlE8_dYBioNQxg11YqoIFPQAqiP9CFpWFAB66fzEDTd2lmpd01WK6ei0-zuRrA/w480-h640/IMG_2398.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015700541416215742.post-62490329148477373272022-10-10T16:28:00.002-04:002024-02-21T09:18:00.285-05:00Dining Room Painted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwGnZhmpmFciH_X4hJKgxCwPIM0BtrtgLXxxi4aaJcNjrrmJfwI4Opk9Y3ghszbHkqooNS-IIpQvu0MEEW8cPfOKgGq8mo2eUGcYMRGek231c7I7RqeUGlEy2zReJxXWNACvtQFCY9Uwhyc54XWjrLtIHVTXk3JyEIEK3QMJFz0giEMpAIW2pcLe1FA/s4032/IMG_2436.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwGnZhmpmFciH_X4hJKgxCwPIM0BtrtgLXxxi4aaJcNjrrmJfwI4Opk9Y3ghszbHkqooNS-IIpQvu0MEEW8cPfOKgGq8mo2eUGcYMRGek231c7I7RqeUGlEy2zReJxXWNACvtQFCY9Uwhyc54XWjrLtIHVTXk3JyEIEK3QMJFz0giEMpAIW2pcLe1FA/w640-h480/IMG_2436.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The dining room went from Benjamin Moore's Salisbury Green (a lovely soft sage) to Woodland White (the lightest sage I could find). It's a lovely whisper of sage. I love that the vibe of this room in green, but I needed something fresh. Lighter. Brighter. This is just right. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxqnQ0aE-6w_Y6T1TVkyCGMvJpFMWyL1pbjzkxd4du1vPS9n1AEoOrwD0_YP_JmD7RD5XZiYhDebpbEko1zJCD1BCRFtOaI2BjjNfgnmTPc_-sCHhhahmsiAeJK_kDMBWCX9uthvyDfFPm9ZOVpRQY42_p_afzEeJlVEDiDPc8XIF1IT8ZWb7T_3cew/s1620/DSC_1575.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxqnQ0aE-6w_Y6T1TVkyCGMvJpFMWyL1pbjzkxd4du1vPS9n1AEoOrwD0_YP_JmD7RD5XZiYhDebpbEko1zJCD1BCRFtOaI2BjjNfgnmTPc_-sCHhhahmsiAeJK_kDMBWCX9uthvyDfFPm9ZOVpRQY42_p_afzEeJlVEDiDPc8XIF1IT8ZWb7T_3cew/w640-h426/DSC_1575.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj1zviB4tEit-sdr6ro5vKhkZYnPJmMb_jXJmgCdP3sE6CD8qREhz-9uk0RDDzdxvtVCajveWDuuAOyMz0_oyd79xw3i-jNH_XcoIr8zC2Pyb-rBjc4hyuLP4xyt20H_m0wU6IyZXOCu0OYOOXW4HI3EPkHVUV5UqJOhV5DRwuGyKCa5pZCJN8bOrHw/s4032/IMG_2442.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj1zviB4tEit-sdr6ro5vKhkZYnPJmMb_jXJmgCdP3sE6CD8qREhz-9uk0RDDzdxvtVCajveWDuuAOyMz0_oyd79xw3i-jNH_XcoIr8zC2Pyb-rBjc4hyuLP4xyt20H_m0wU6IyZXOCu0OYOOXW4HI3EPkHVUV5UqJOhV5DRwuGyKCa5pZCJN8bOrHw/w640-h480/IMG_2442.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This room was a pain to paint because we have BIG clunky furniture. We accidentally scratched the floor moving the big white cabinet. I had to pull out the roller to do this room, so I did most of the edging and brushwork at my own pace in small spurts, then blocked off a couple of hours to use the roller to finish it off. I'm really happy with the way it came out. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sm3ktAp5aedCTZBrXu11s7Egj1EFhsCPnhredvgQ6QqrXhspmtNtXLs7ziQ7IF6v0Uch5I-Aezf21mN4Lu4cR4bArVSPqyKHQ1nRBvfuK_QTKSkJSVtz50IBG6zzg438F6FHc27cpc4axLg6Q8eFKPoVjrJHA15zGwSzi72h67LDeOlvazf83IeuyQ/s4032/IMG_2448.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sm3ktAp5aedCTZBrXu11s7Egj1EFhsCPnhredvgQ6QqrXhspmtNtXLs7ziQ7IF6v0Uch5I-Aezf21mN4Lu4cR4bArVSPqyKHQ1nRBvfuK_QTKSkJSVtz50IBG6zzg438F6FHc27cpc4axLg6Q8eFKPoVjrJHA15zGwSzi72h67LDeOlvazf83IeuyQ/w640-h480/IMG_2448.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The updated cabinet by the back door is still working well and looks good in the space: <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaHc0mMTK9zj3QbZzSlTYS3nFlraKGmurun3x6ToNYMb-b_Tt-YLs1JBwYpnvwmVKYrCv2qo304bAFuLf4VsiMG5nd9T5QJilRaaup0fYpZHQZSJQq495YClSp-aUOIPjnUOHesNmrcXaY18cVaK87nJClR_zT8w06PlpYbeXWTwwukAUfUQ43yhAWg/s3843/IMG_2446.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3843" data-original-width="2882" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaHc0mMTK9zj3QbZzSlTYS3nFlraKGmurun3x6ToNYMb-b_Tt-YLs1JBwYpnvwmVKYrCv2qo304bAFuLf4VsiMG5nd9T5QJilRaaup0fYpZHQZSJQq495YClSp-aUOIPjnUOHesNmrcXaY18cVaK87nJClR_zT8w06PlpYbeXWTwwukAUfUQ43yhAWg/w480-h640/IMG_2446.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokgWr5nz03vps2CMEfUP7-eFnvG7IgX0ay49inFV_5hr7qPk5qVGZqajAkIsjHNQaoaBc5pPqyFQQsqJbMB_oB_7OiNueesaqXe7u46MHGN0Lu6lEW0HHCFc2gkdGxaorRat-5e-VP0-_h6A_ttpicl0Q8UCVlJlbY6IsFvVUxJjBtT4UP5AYT_n2tw/s1620/DSC_1596.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokgWr5nz03vps2CMEfUP7-eFnvG7IgX0ay49inFV_5hr7qPk5qVGZqajAkIsjHNQaoaBc5pPqyFQQsqJbMB_oB_7OiNueesaqXe7u46MHGN0Lu6lEW0HHCFc2gkdGxaorRat-5e-VP0-_h6A_ttpicl0Q8UCVlJlbY6IsFvVUxJjBtT4UP5AYT_n2tw/w640-h426/DSC_1596.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgibdvdyj6vJ1eD4UtvE8cbldfO-4pbTucORXHlS5S3VpDkj5U4omry9lVrHx883_PedxtkIeBZMKIFHmYyrGl38AfaAwnUevRR9-9q6vLRVaFOG0leHhFxhTcDnWhe6Z7TYYrkb4kRI6aPGhiE9m-kIFpvCNuSC_PlugvUuhUtnZXPtGdr29R2F8FQ/s1620/DSC_1569.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgibdvdyj6vJ1eD4UtvE8cbldfO-4pbTucORXHlS5S3VpDkj5U4omry9lVrHx883_PedxtkIeBZMKIFHmYyrGl38AfaAwnUevRR9-9q6vLRVaFOG0leHhFxhTcDnWhe6Z7TYYrkb4kRI6aPGhiE9m-kIFpvCNuSC_PlugvUuhUtnZXPtGdr29R2F8FQ/w426-h640/DSC_1569.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmSm5ZUV5av2xCNqwCq4s5v4lECW_DKhvvWLGb7tG0Lqjrl51VGAd27FGyhWFVvmF9zHFQYLviuK0R1c94qhUx3CD17mkwqZBZElTcTItiG6f9HdZT8cuQ1DQ7OoI2WY8LYKfKvV06OQOdXyNCn_rIS9xaZ_Pm8AhTgx9mb1GcLimbCbgqr_s1P3CwA/s4032/IMG_2458.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmSm5ZUV5av2xCNqwCq4s5v4lECW_DKhvvWLGb7tG0Lqjrl51VGAd27FGyhWFVvmF9zHFQYLviuK0R1c94qhUx3CD17mkwqZBZElTcTItiG6f9HdZT8cuQ1DQ7OoI2WY8LYKfKvV06OQOdXyNCn_rIS9xaZ_Pm8AhTgx9mb1GcLimbCbgqr_s1P3CwA/w480-h640/IMG_2458.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div>alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700783855071567533noreply@blogger.com0