• Fruits & Veggies - Our Garden

    Hey! The raspberries are starting to get ripe!

    July 1, 2009 - By 

    Little McKay finally decided to try raspberries (we’d been trying for a few days), and he LOVES them! Now, he says “I want some of that candy!” While we were out in the garden picking them, he said to my wife, “Will we have them with some ‘licious ‘nilla?” That’s delicious vanilla ice cream, if you didn’t get it. :) He’s so funny with what he remembers sometimes. We had talked about how good they are with ice cream on Sunday with some friends. So, yes, we did have them with some ‘licious ‘nilla, and they were awesome! I still…

  • Flowers - Fruits & Veggies - Our Garden

    Cherries, grapes, lavender, poppies, and more

    June 14, 2009 - By 

    I just had to share that wonderful ‘Yellow Simplicity’ rose. I like how this one came out with a more golden color than they usually do. My ‘Lapins’ cherries are ripening early this year. Not really sure why, because it’s been cool and wet lately. But it was very warm about three weeks ago, and maybe the heat back then boosted their maturing process. The birds are starting to eat them, but they’re not quite ready to pick yet. I suspect we’ll be picking later this week. I have sprayed them with malathion this weekend and two weeks before. Hope…

  • Flowers - Fruits & Veggies - Our Garden

    A little Sunday harvest

    June 7, 2009 - By 

    I went out this morning and harvested this nice little batch of strawberries. There are plenty more ripening for harvest in a few days and next week. Mmmmmm….. Yesterday, I got a little garden work done, in between a bunch of other things. I finished spading and tilling up a former flowerbed on the south side of my house that is now a vegetable garden. It’s the spot where I planted the tomatoes and corn a few weeks ago. I planted the rest of my white Mirai corn seeds as well as some zucchini and pumpkins. I made mounds in…

  • Flowers - Fruits & Veggies - Our Garden - Plant problems - Trees

    My garden in late May

    June 2, 2009 - By 

    Lots of things to share, and I think I’ll just use the photos as my guide: My Clematis ‘Ville de Lyon’ is beginning its bloom season now. It will hit its peak probably a week from now, and I’ll post another photo later. I’m having a little trouble with the clematis, because after this time of year, the trees by it are leafed out and start to give it too much shade. I don’t know if it can handle transplanting, but I don’t have another great place to put it anyway. First roses of the season. This is some unknown…

  • Fruits & Veggies - Our Garden - Utah gardening

    The midnight gardener: planting tomatoes, corn, etc.

    May 19, 2009 - By 

    It can be so hard to find gardening time when you have young kids! For several days, it’s been my intention each day to get my tomatoes in the ground and plant some corn seeds. Tonight, my wife was gone to her regular Tuesday night youth activities with the girls at church, and I had the younger kids at home. I thought maybe I could get the twins to watch our two-year old son, but he’s such a bundle of energy lately, and they didn’t seem quite up to it tonight. So, I played with him outside and listened to…

  • Flowers - Garden maintenance - Master Gardener Stuff - Others' gardens - Our Garden - Plant problems - Trees - Weather

    Time to start blogging again… Snow, a dying fir, the Tulip Festival, fruit trees, blooms in my yard, etc.

    May 3, 2009 - By 

    OK, well I’ve been a bit slow to get into the groove this spring, mostly because I’ve been working hard to finish my basement construction, and now I’m almost done. Carpet goes in this week, and I should now have much more time for gardening. What a relief! I’ve been working on that basement project for about 14 months, trying to do most of it myself. I’m going to catch up on several weeks of photos in this post. I’ll start with our big April 15 snow storm — I took these shots the next morning. It was huge! Some…

  • Flowers - Great plants - Our Garden

    The first flowers of Spring 2009!

    March 8, 2009 - By 

    My crocuses are such tiny things, and the clumps are few and far between, but I like how they are the first heralds of spring. I have them next to the walkway to my front door so they’ll get our attention as we walk to or from the house. At this time of year, I always think of planting more of them, and then I forget later, when they are dormant. I should remember next fall to get a bunch more bulbs. While I was shooting these photos, I was happy to also see the first bees of spring! I…

  • Our Garden - Weather

    Belated fall photos from my backyard

    November 12, 2008 - By 

    These photos were taken on November 1st — four days before the snow pictures that are a few posts below. These tall Swedish aspens get some nice color in the fall. I thought they were cool enough to post now, even though I’m out of order with some of the stuff below. We had wanted to take some family photos out by the arbor, but the next day was too rainy. Then it got windy, then snowy. Too bad our fall color can’t last a little longer!