A little visitor

We tried something new this year – Pumpkins!  Our neighbor had a couple of extra pumpkin plants he started from seed, and we had some extra space in the garden.  Why not?  Well, I will tell you “why not”, because they grow like wildfire!  One of the vines went into our window well and left this welcome surprise for us.  It is just now turning orange, but it looks perfect to me.  Like it was supposed to grow there.

New Year, New Tomatoes

Early girl tomato

We picked our first tomato of the Summer yesterday, July 18th.  Apparently, we are one week ahead of last year on the tomato growing season front.  The cucumbers seem to be a little behind.  We have two growing, but they are not close to being ready for eating.

We planted pumpkins this year.  The two vines are slowly taking over the rest of the garden.  It is a good thing the Sweet William flowers are almost done.  I can vine them in that direction.

…And the winner is – Oregon Spring

Of the seven varieties of tomatoes we planted, the first to ripen for picking and eating is Oregon Spring.  We had a pretty wet and cool Spring and it seems that the tomatoes are lagging behind last year in the eating department.  We picked our first cucumber the other day and the second one went into the greek chicken salad.

Sunflowers

I LOVE SUNFLOWERS!  I don’t know why, but they make me smile.  We have sunflowers in our garden and when I am driving home I see their bright yellow “faces” greeting me as I turn the corner onto our street.  We have had a particularly windy Spring/Summer and one of the stalks bent at the point where I had attached a tie to secure it.  I did not get around to removing the stalk and yesterday, I noticed that the sunflower has formed a crook so that its “face” can still soak in the sun.  It has received an official pardon and I guess it will stay until Fall after all.

Some Photos Of Geraniums Planted From Seed

Next year we will start them earlier.  These are recently transplanted to bigger containers.  Others planted from seed are really growing in larger containers.

Seed Geraniums

The greenhouse is providing good growing conditons for our 3-inch seed geraniums.  Beds are prepared and planting soon as the geraniums have tripled in size.

Tomato Growing Update!!!

They are getting bigger!!! All our tomatoes are growing well in the greenhouse, and we are expecting to plant them in the next two weeks or so as the weather warms.  Eight varieties and two plants each — we’ll need additional tomato cages.  Can’t wait to compare fruit ripening times.

Happy Birthday, Bette!

Bulbs provide some early color in the yard before the weather warms enough to plant the rest of the flowers.  The earliest we can plant most annuals is mid-May in this area of the country.  So let’s enjoy the red tulips and yellow daffodils a few more days until the deer find them and enjoy them for a completely different reason…yum!

Tomatoes galore!

This year, we decided to try several varieties of tomatoes.  We ordered seeds from a company in California and planted them less than two weeks ago.  The first one to peak through was the Oregon Spring tomatoes, followed shortly thereafter by Brandywine, Sebastopol, Siberian Red, Stupice.  A few days later, the Black Cherry and Boxcar Willie began to sprout.  I guess I better make some more room in the garden.

They grow up so fast

It is a big day in the gravel pit.  Our first tomato seeds have emerged in the greenhouse.  Pictures to be provided shortly.  The Oregon Spring tomatoes have two plants barely visible.  Now the race for second place begins.

Sharing the premier window ledge

The other big change is that Sami’s final respite has been invaded.  Gabby can leap onto the sewing table that leads to Sami’s prime picture window without any assistance.  The window is ground level and offers excellent views of both flora and fauna.  The fauna includes ground dwelling and airborne organisms as well as their best friends Pete & Ruth (our neighbors).  Now the fauna includes another feline who shares the window ledge.

Starting geraniums from seed?

Every year, we plant geraniums in our planting beds.  At the end of the year, we try “wintering” them so that we can keep growing the same plants.  So far, this has been a challenge.  For some reason, the success rate of the wintered geraniums is running approximately 50%.  One year, we may have watered them too much.  The next year, we probably pulled them out too late and this year…who knows?  Due to the fact that they were moldy, I assume that they either froze or still had too much moisture due to covering them when the weather dipped around zero degrees.  We will keep working on refining our wintering technique.

Spring brings bleeding hearts

I love this time of year!  It is about renewal.  I love to see the bulbs emerging from the frosty earth.  I love watching the trees and bushes fill with buds.  But mostly, I love to watch the bleeding hearts.  The way they force their plantings up like alien pods emerging from beneath the soil before the other plants have even begun to awaken from their dormant slumber.  The shades of green and plum on their stems and leaves as they reach up to the sun.  They don’t wilt when the evening temperatures dip back around freezing.

They continue their quest to flourish and provide beautiful foliage for us to enjoy until it is “safe” to plant the rest of the flowers for the Summer.  And they remind me of Helen.  She loved them too.

Previous Olympic Gold Medalists At Spokane Event

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Spokane fans were treated to a grouping of past US figure skating Olympic gold medalists on Sunday. They included Dick Button, Peggy Flemming, Tara Lipinksi, Sarah Hughes, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Dorothy Hamill, and Brian Boitano. The 12 U.S. Olympic gold medalists were gathered together for only the second time in history.

Johnny Weir At Sunday Finale

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Johnny Weir, who will represent the United States as the bronze medalist in the Olympics at Vancouver in February put on a stunning display of skating and artistic ability at the Sunday Event.

Davis and White

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Meryl Davis and Charlie White In Senior Dance Competition

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Davis and White skated to a first place position following the Senior Dance Original Dance on Friday night at the ATT 2010 US Figure Skating Championship in Spokane.

Agosto and Belbin

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Tanith Belbin

Photography by: Second Chair Video

Agosto and Belbin

Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin perform on Friday night in the Senior Dance Original Dance competition at the Spokane Arena

More Practice Sessions in Spokane

Photography by: Second Chair Video