Bringing the outside in

It is always a sad time when I have to bring the plants inside for the winter. On the other hand, it is nice to enjoy the ‘outside’ plants indoors.

While I didn’t have a plethora of plants this year, there were a few that are already doing quite nicely inside.

I love petunias and I hope I can keep this plant alive long enough to plant it outside again next spring.

In the meantime, I plan to enjoy this pretty purple petunia on my back porch. There are actually a couple of plants that are blooming, so the odds are pretty good that I’ll have petunias next year.

That just makes me happy.

I grew these in a pot on the deck where they did so much better than they ever did in the ground. I need some major soil amendments to be able to grow any flowers in what I hope will one day be a perennial garden.

I’ve always thought the purple coneflower was the perfect flower with its simplistic form and perfect color—my absolute favorite.

I still have a pot of the pink begonias that I dug out of the ground two winters ago. They have been simply thriving in our south-facing sun porch.

I hope to be treated with hot peppers all winter long.
Then last but not least of my noteworthy selections, is the Serrano Pepper plant that is still producing. I wasn’t going to leave that outside to die. So I brought it in as I have done in the past.

Gardening--I might as well laugh...

My green thumb has to be a recessive gene, because I have more trouble trying to grow food here in Arkansas than anyone should have to. I keep trying though. One day I am going to figure this out and will have the world's greatest crops to eat all summer, have a pantry filled with canning jars and a freezer brimming to capacity. At least that is what I dream about.

Granted, this year, I didn't put much effort into it. Since my husband, John had a stroke a year and a half ago, I've been relegated to chief household chore meister, cook, therapist, and animal tamer--we have cats. Truthfully, I'm lucky to get the yard mowed. I did however, get a container garden going on the deck. I planted some tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and a couple of flowers. The result is, as always, a mixed bag.

This pot of Basil, that I shall call "Count," fills a huge 20" pot, shown left, with its intoxicating scent, is attractive all on its own. It would be a success story for anyone, but the beauty of it is, I didn't do a thing. This was last year's garden plant, wintered over inside. The plant died--I have very little luck keeping Basil growing all winter. When I cleaned my sun porch this Spring, I placed this pot on the deck. The seeds that had fallen previously began to sprout and this is the result. I just love how it turned out.

I think it is time to make a little pesto, yes?

You can't get much more neglectful than this pot of Bermuda grass, at right. I call it "Shorts." I actually hate this stuff because it invades every garden and tries to wipe out every plant I have ever dug into what little soil I have.

This stuff is a scourge, for sure, but doesn't it make a pretty plant when it is contained in a pot?

At least that was my thought.

I have no idea what was growing in this pot before. I suspect a tomato plant, but whatever it was, it is long gone.

Shorts will be having an abortion the moment I see seeds form. And, it will be cremated in the Fall. But for now, I kinda like it.

One of my success stories, except for last year, has always been my favorite Serrano peppers. This year is no exception.

I just love these things. The heat is just about perfect. They might be a touch hotter than jalapenos, but it is a different kind of heat. And, they have such a wonderful flavor when cooked. They make delicious salsa, taco seasoning, and can be added to chili, or any other tomato-based dish.

This plant, "Peppy" like Count, is from last year. I dug it out of the garden and brought it indoors. I got a pepper or two while it was inside. It was really happy when I brought it out in the Spring, once it was warm enough. Peppers don't like the cold, so I was careful to monitor the temperature before I subjected Peppy to his new environment.

I think he liked it, because almost immediately, he started growing flowers and making babies.

And then there are the tomatoes, the one thing I really want to grow more than anything. For some reason, I am just unable to make it happen. This is one of several I have in pots on the deck. Thank goodness for the farmers in the area that are much more skilled than I. Only once in the 11 years that we've lived here have I canned tomatoes. A friend, who is no longer with us, was overrun with tomatoes and donated to my cause.

These pictured above happen to be Black Cherry tomatoes. The plant was doing really well, growing some beautiful fruit that was just nearing its ripening phase when I saw a rotten varmint squirrel carrying off the one I had been eyeing for weeks, in its fat little cheeks. This literally means war. I've begun playing Annie Oakley with a BB gun and mostly I just scare them...so far! As much as I love little animals, I see squirrels as evil thieves.

Anyway, a little fertilizer has encouraged this plant, "Tommy" to begin again. I still have high hopes for my garden.

A green bean plant seeded itself in the garden, which I have totally ignored this year. I've harvested one bean from it. There are lots of flowers though, so it behooves me to keep my eye on it.

And then, there's always next year.

Vegetable gardening coming along

This year's vegetable garden is coming along. I always love taking pictures of the new garden so I can see the progress as the year goes on.

Weather has been totally cooperative of late, in that the extremely warm early spring we enjoyed has now settled into total perfection. It is now after 11 a.m. and the temperature is holding steady at 61º. It will probably warm up to about 70º later in the afternoon.

An early view of my tomatoes, peppers, etc.
Seeds are starting to come up.
There is lettuce growing on the far end.

I watched the deer in the backyard yesterday, perilously close to my raised-bed garden. I stood on the deck eye-to-eye with them, wondering if they could read what I was trying to convey. Get out!

They probably want to wait to hit the tomato plants, like last year, just when the plants are getting close to producing ripe fruit. Right now, we have minimal protection for the plants, but I'm thinking about a more secure structure in the near future. Right now there is a rusty, metal blue heron crying to be painted, guarding the garden. He is wearing a necklace of Irish Spring as a deterrent, but I doubt it is effective. A sliver of soap was hanging on a post on the other side of the garden until we discovered it on the ground, all chewed to pieces. I have no idea if it were deer who did that deed, but I bet whoever it was  had a belly ache.

I hope my tomatoes and peppers grow as well as the Vinca-that-tried-to-eat-Arkansas.

That stuff is amazing. It is the most prolific plant I have ever seen. It grows well, has pretty purple flowers, is healthy, and requires no care. I take that back--the only care it requires is to remove it from where it doesn't belong, but that isn't much of a problem. I love this stuff! I can't believe I used to buy it every year when I lived near Chicago to add interest to flower flower pots and boxes. Here, it lives and thrives.

A few Roma tomatoes growing in a pot

The garden looks pretty much like crap right now, but I'm hoping a little Arkansas sunshine and some rain that has been promised this week will help these plants perk up.

Just in case of another deer disaster, I have planted tomatoes and peppers in pots too. I want to ensure a crop this year, even if it is just a small one. I'm tired of being skunked every year when it comes to my beloved tomatoes.

A tiny Serrano pepper growing on last year's plant

I have several pepper plants this year--varieties that claim they are red peppers. Funny, I thought all bell pepper varieties turned red eventually. Oh well, the picture of the red pepper on the label was enough to entice me.

I also saved a couple of Serrano peppers from last year. At the end of the season I dug them up, put them in a pot and brought them in the house. I had a few peppers to enjoy all winter. I just planted those same plants outside. One of them is already growing a baby pepper. My mouth is watering already. Serranos are my favorite.

I never heard of them or even considered growing hot peppers until my former neighbor Cel Hernandez brought me a couple plants. I was hooked. I will be forever grateful to him for introducing me to what is now one of my favorite foods. I love to use them in salsa, guacamole, and tacos, as well as in soups, spaghetti sauce, or just about anything. They are a little hotter than jalapenos, but are much more mild when cooked. They are so much more flavorful.

Herbs plus strawberries and raspberries

The herb garden is looking much better than the veg garden, although that is because the plants are perennial.

The only thing that was left of the herb garden was that lovely rosemary, chives, oregano, lemon balm, and sage. That is the new raised bed my hubby built this year. I added a few strawberries and two raspberries, as well as lavender, coriander, and basil. I still have a basil plant in the house, but one can never have too much of that. I had a pot of chocolate mint, but it wasn't happy so I moved it. I had planned to leave it in the pot because mint spreads so wildly, but I decided to plant it right into the garden. Perhaps she will have more clout over the Bermuda grass that continues to invade my life.

I have high hopes for this year's garden--just as I always do--around mid April. As they say, hope springs eternal.