Thursday, June 25, 2015

My Potting Shed & Recipe




It's done! I'm so happy to share the redo, the revived, the restored
Potting Shed. Ron, wonderful hubby out did himself. Thank you
my sweet! Now go play some golf…you deserve it.   It looks like I
have my first visitors too. Mama Hen and her chicks have arrived.
Sit back and enjoy the tour……



Let me tell you about the redo process. All done in white peg
board and the floor and surfaces were painted white. Ron
built the potting table using a 4 ft. countertop. He cut out
the hole for an enamelware bowl. I added adorable curtains
that I found at Walmart for around the sink, and the potting
table and at the windows. The valances match. There is also
a deep shelf under the table and sink too. He added a shelf 
to 2 walls and another large shelf unit that I found at the flea
market. The desk and chair I had but changed out another
chair to a wicker one with a quilt and pillow. I added books
and pictures (of a garden nature). The loft area we left open,
no redo. Accented with metal/tinware and added a lamp and
radio. (We had electricity already). Finally a rug (soft for the 
feet) and new doors, white and vinyl (no painting). Check out
my new chalkboard picture. Here's a close-up. Done by 
Shelby. You can commission one through Midwest Redesigned 
in Tipp City, Ohio. She did an exceptional job.

Ok, I'm so jittery…whatdoyathink? Love it??? I do. I think
it's outstanding, homey, and functional.



And here's the man of the hour, on Father's Day at daughter's
house. Check out the bike, a gift from the kids and I.


From Shakira & Mark, & Ben, in dictionary speak….
DAD n. 1. father, guardian, protector, friend.
2. mentor, task master, listener. 3. loves to play basketball,
a golfer, handyman, UC grad and proud of it. 4. best dad
a kid could ask for. Love you….

Now how about that recipe. Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars.
See EARTHLY DELIGHTS for recipe.


Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Here Comes Summer!!




Whatever your pleasure, now's the time. Even though we're
being socked by rain and early high 90's we have to remember
the minus temps back during winter.  Summer soltice will occur
on June 21st, 12:38 EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. The first 
day of summer folks, the longest day, the signal to celebrate 
summer has arrived!
                          

                                             I love summer! Summer is hot.
                                             It's sun and shade.
                                             It's water to wade.
                                             It's frogs and bugs.
                                             It's grass for rugs.
                                             It's eating outside.
                                             It's a tree-swing ride.
                                             It's tomatoes and corn.
                                             It's dew in the morn.
                                             It's dogs and boys
                                             And lots of noise.
                                             It's a hot sunny sky.
                                             It's summer. That's why….
                                             I love summer.
                                                                    from canteach.ca  


SAM ENJOYING SUMMER

Remember Father's Day this Sunday June 21st.  Celebrate that 
special father in your life!







Next up, a recipe &
the Potting Shed

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Updates, June Chores, Etc.



I thought we should get this over with first thing. There it is the
dreaded mole. Caught in a trap set by Jake from Wildlife Control.
Ugly thing isn't it. Look at those feet.  He also got a shrew a few
days later. After seeing no activity for a few days, the traps were
pulled. I am continuing to watch for any new mounds. Now I
need to reseed the areas that were torn up. I can only hope this
story ends here. Oh, I am still on the lookout for snakes as well.
Moving on….

Yes, warmer weather is here. Our gardens are growing, flowers
are blooming, and yes the weeds are increasing as well. We've
got some maintenance work to do. Stay ahead of the game.
Visit your garden and yard area every day, notice the changes,
check for pests, and look for diseases on your plants. I'm
keeping an eye on my knockout roses, something is already
eating at the leaves. Catch and treat early. Plus an early morning

 walk through the garden area is so enjoyable, relaxing..ahhh.
So first, pics to share, then a short list of things to do in June….



To do:
- weed, weed, and weed some more
- dehead the flowers to keep them blooming
- water container baskets, daily if needed, they dry out fast,
   fertilize every couple of weeks, it helps
- trim and prune forsythia and lilacs before August
- turn the mulch as needed, you might be seeing white
  powdery mildew
- mow your lawn a little higher, get on the grub control
  list for fall
- stake tomato plants as they grow, pinch out suckers, keep
  watered
- pinch back fall-bloomers like mums and asters
- if you like and use a lot of Cilantro, plant more now
  then again in a few wks. they bolt fast(going to seed)
- keep geraniums cleaned up, remove yellow leaves, dehead,
  don't keep them wet, they can tolerate heat, sun, and dryness
- edge beds and trim for neatness, you'll notice the difference
remember use your herbs, keep them cut so they will 
  continue to produce
- replant in your garden warm season veggies, still time
- cut back the chives (after blossoms fade) to half
- take pictures of your yard and garden, fun to look at
  next year
- add something new to your garden, decorate too..
   a flag, yard sculpture, fairy garden, etc
Is that enough for you, remember just do a little often
to keep up.

Psst..yes Ron still working on the Potting Shed redo, its looking
great, should be done by end of June. Keep you posted!!

Until next thyme..


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

What Another Snake? And Moles?





May was not ending on a happy note. I noticed volcano shaped mounds in 
my backyard, down below the hill. I knew this was not going to be good. I
squashed the mounds downs, Googled for information and off to Lowes I
went. I thought I had gophers. For a few days Ron and I applied all the
pellets, chemicals, and organics we could lay our hands on. We thought we
had turned a corner and didn't notice new mounds. Wrong!! They started up
again. I started panicking. Then I started dreaming. Dreamt about snakes
and gophers. I shared my dream with my neighbor Natalie. Yep, she informs
me there's a snake in her window well and it's all my fault. So there we were
staring down at this hideous garter snake; pictures were taken, she called her
Mom who told her to kill it with a shovel. Great idea I thought. Natalie
decides to capture it. So with a bucket, pillowcase, and extension tongs, it
began. Long story short she got it into the pillowcase, then into the bucket,
with a snap- tight lid. She was going to take it far away and release it. Hmm.


No, the story doesn't end there. I fretted about snakes all afternoon. Worry
was nagging at me. I checked and rechecked my garden area. Nothing.
Wait a minute, it's coming…Ron decided to mow, it was getting dark so
I thought ok another check in the herb garden. Went to the little area that
has pebbles and an ornamental clay frog hut. I lifted it up…there it was, a
large coiled SNAKE. Dropped the pot back down and went to get Ron.
He said I had the strangest look on my face. I said SNAKE. He got a
large bucket and put it over the clay hut. We had to decide how to get
this thing, this invader, this slithering reptile. Because no way was I going
into the house with this "serpent" still in my garden. It didn't take long.
We needed to call Jack from Wildlife Control. He would get it for sure.



It wasn't Jack, it was his brother Jake coming to my rescue at 10 pm. Head-
lamp, gloves and pillowcase. Caught him with a gloved hand. It was now
take it away Jake! (see the post from June 16, 2014 for my other snake story).
Ron quickly says, "oh by the way, can you take a look at some mounds?"
So yes, Monday came and Jake set about to trap, not gophers, but MOLES.
I have hope again. Jake says he will get them!!  I'm not to do another thing,
but wait for it to happen. I have confidence…they got the snakes..right???
Jake suggested I might want to have a contract with them…….funny!



It seems we have visitors to Garden Thyme. Let's welcome Mama 
Hen and her Baby Chicks. They seem to be everywhere in the 
garden, see if you can spot them in the coming posts. They like a 
bit of adventure!






Yes, it's Strawberry Festival Thyme in Troy, Ohio. The annual 
event that celebrates everything strawberry takes place this 
weekend along the levee of the great Miami River and continues 
in town. You'll find 200 arts and crafts booths & 70 food booths. 
It's big folks with over 100,000 people attending. If you like 
festivals, this one is for you. Just Google for more info.



I think we need a strawberry recipe. How about something 
simple and fresh. Easy No Bake Strawberry Ice Box Cake.
You'll be surprised, see EARTHLY DELIGHTS for recipe.







Yea, Sam (the Pug) is here for a short visit. And guess what, he
went right to the area where we found the SNAKE. What a dog!
There it is folks, of course all cleaned up now. Yes I lifted the hut
up for Sam…no SNAKE there, whew! He's on guard duty now.








Wanted to share the dressing I normally use
for my Garden Pasta Salad. Found it at a small
grocery store locally here. Please try this, it is
delicious. See last post for recipe. >>>










Next up: June garden chores