July: time for the red, white and blue!!

Time for our new thread for July! We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1363250/#new

It hardly seems possible that the year is half gone. We were all so eager for spring and to see our plants start blooming once again. Now we are really into summer and we will be wishing for cooler weather--at least here in the southern states. Here in southern Missouri, our wish is being granted. A "cold" front is coming through today around noon bringing cooler temps (in the low 80's) and lower humidity and no rain for the next few days! Hooray!

I thought that in keeping with the red, white and blue theme for the month that I would post some photos of red, white and blue blooms from my garden. Let us see your red, white and blue blooms, too!


EDITED to say: Hollyhock blooms look good right-side-up or sideways!! LOL

This message was edited Jul 1, 2014 7:41 AM

Can't believe it is July already! Time just flies......

Marilyn, your flowers are gorgeous and I do love the new porch!

Elaine those tomato plants are huge - and so are the tomatoes!
My plants are really tall this year as well - I guess because of the rain. I picked about 7 tomatoes yesterday and we have eaten several already. I planted three different varieties I believe - I planted the beefsteak I believe, a couple of Bradley's because Leigh is from Bradley County and loves pink tomatoes, and then some better boys...... and maybe a big boy. I was intending to see which did the best and which one we liked the best, but I can't get to the tags-.....so that didn't do much good! Leigh just has stakes in mine. Started out with short stakes about 2' above ground - now I have stakes 5' plus on some and they appear like they may reach the top. I really need to invest in some tomato cages - I think that would be easier! Some of mine are splitting open as well......... and then my worms ate holes in some of them. Jess hopes to get enough at one time and some of the jalapenos to make some fresh salsa. We should be there soon. This is the best my tomatoes have done in a long time as far as growth of the plant - hope the tomatoes are able to do the same!

I had hoped to get some cucumbers planted because I really wanted to make some homemade pickles...... but I didn't get them planted. :(

Marilyn, and Elaine, that plant is this

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/113466/

Unbelievable that it is July already but the as hot as it has been the last couple of days I guess it's time. They said last night on the news that our 1st tropical storm has developed so down south is officially in our 5th season of the year… Hurricane Season. Please pray that it is a calm year!!!

Genna have you heard anything on Amy recently? Hopefully her treatment has begun and she is able to receive it without too many problems.

Mary has gotten back in with her old Dr. and sees him Thur and then will do her 1st chemo. We don't know if they are gonna keep her on what she started in Pa. or go back to the Taxil.

That a neat plant Sandra.
My chinese long beans are going to town. I just bought two plants but they are going to have lots of beans. The bean is about 18 to 20 inches long.

I've been working inside. I spent Sun afternoon getting my soap organized for storage. I cleaned out an area in the laundry room for it. Now to finish throwing away or finding a new home for the stuff I pulled out! I bought a new table/cabinet for beside my chair. It has lots of storage. Now I've got to go through the drawer in the old table and also in a temporary drawer thing to decide what is going in the drawers of the new piece of furniture. I have too many things to store "things" in and still have "things" with no place to put them!!!

I'm trying to get a lot of furniture painted for my new booth. They have not told me an exact date it is going to open but have said it will be at least 2 weeks. I'm guessing more like 4 weeks. Probably the first of Aug. I've decided I want to have all off white furniture and in the booth with a few accessories with color. So I need to get enough painted up for a whole 10 x 10 space. I have enough furniture - just need to get it painted. I had one piece I was planning to put in the new space and had to go ahead and put it in one of my other booths.

Jeri we did a cross post. Glad to hear Mary is getting started back on her chemo.
Where is she living now?

Amy is taking some type of chemo treatments in preparation for the HIPEC procedure that she is having on August 4. Kyle did some reading on that HIPEC and it seems to be a great new procedure that is having a really good success rate. I just keep praying everyday that this will be exactly the treatment she needs for it to eliminate her cancer!

I do hope that Mary is feeling ok. Did she ever make a decision about the apartment?

Charlotte, we cross posted............... sounds like you have a lot of painting to do. Is your new booth going to be in the same mall?

Yes Genna it's in the same mall but in a new area they are opening. It will be more upscale and called the Gallery.

Peruvian Daffodil, huh?! Sounds exotic! Thanks so much Sandra. I've never heard that name before. Have you ever grown one? Oh, and one lady posted this: "This plant suddenly bloomed in my yard, I did not plant it, and it is a mystery as to how it got this far north and survived. It is sheltered by a brick column only slightly, and it is a single stalk with one bloom and one bud. It is a lovely surprise." Funny, as this is exactly what happened to me. Mine bloomed again yesterday - 2 more blooms.

Marilyn, please send that cold front on down this way! I'm melting...... Seriously, we went from a nice cool spring to HOT! I'm not adjusted yet and it's only in the 80's. August will be rough!

Thanks for the update on Mary. Glad she is going forward with her chemo treatment. Were y'all happy with this doctor previously?

This message was edited Jul 1, 2014 10:39 AM

Strange how some things can survive. At the end of fall when I was putting all my tropicals aways I had a few pots that I decided were just going to have to live or die. I thought one pot was a pretty hardy EE. So I put it against the L by the sunroom and put a frost cloth over it.. Late this spring (almost summer actually) I saw some new growth coming up. Looked like EE's and then to my surprise it turned out to be a beautiful pot of caladiums that had survived the winter!!! I guess the foliage had all died back when I put it next to the house.

I do have some of those lilies, Cindy gave me my start, they grow from a bulb and in a few short years they will be a huge clump. I dug one out of my daylily bad 2 seasons ago that probably weighed about 75 pounds, it took me a couple of hours to get it all up. I still have some in 2 more bed and love it but haven't seen any blooms yet. The bulbs can get really big over time

So that is a Peruvian daffodil, huh? Well, it is gorgeous but probably wouldn't survive the winter up here.

glad to hear that Mary is back with her old doctor again. Sure hope everything works out for her. I still get angry when I think what the folks in PA did to her!

Charlotte, you are going to be busy, busy painting all that furniture but I know it will all turn out beautifully and probably sell right away.

I also hope everything works out for Amy. Cancer is such an ugly disease!

Speaking of things that survived the winter, I noticed today that one of the 3 Hot Lips Salvia which I had last year is actually putting up some green leaves. I pulled up the other two but left this one, "just in case" and it has a stalk that is about 12 inches tall. I am thrilled. I just hope it gets big enough to bloom again before winter! It was really big last year.

We will be picking some of our bell peppers tomorrow. I can hardly wait to taste one of them!

The timer on the stove is telling me that supper is ready. Gotta go.

75 pounds! Eek! I guess I'll be moving mine before it gets that size! Marilyn, one lady that has one who posted in the plant files lives in Kentucky so you could probably try one.

Glad everyone has had Hot Lips survive. Mine is huge but it quit blooming for a while. I gave it a dose of fertilizer Saturday so maybe it will get going again. Probably this crazy weather.

I went out to take a pic of the blackberry lily blooms a little while ago but they had already closed up. However I had a nice little encounter with a little deer by the driveway. It was totally unafraid so I just took a bunch of pictures and talked to it while it nibbled on the grass and told it to stay away from the plants. Yeah, I'm crazy.

I made a big pot of tomato soup this afternoon with some of my tomatoes. I had more than I could possibly eat and didn't want them to go bad. It was so good. I just poured boiling water over my tomatoes to loosen the skin and then peeled. Chopped them up coarsely along with an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and some basil leaves. After it all cooked for a while I used my stick blender to puree it. Then I made a roux with a couple of tablespoons of butter, some flour and a couple of teaspoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt For some reason it really hit the spot. I can't stop eating it!

I went to an auction tonight and ended up getting a big box of gardening supplies - fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, bone meal, etc, etc. all for 17.00. Most of it hasn't been opened. You never know what you will find.

That is a good find, Charlotte! Congrats! The tomato soup sounds delicious. I am quite sure it tasted so good because the tomatoes are home grown and not hot house tomatoes. Of course, your culinary skills added to the success of the soup! :D

Elaine, that is amazing that the deer didn't bolt when it saw you. I'm not sure that is a good thing--for the deer or for your plants! LOL We have seen a very young deer--still had its spots--a couple of times in our front yard. No mother deer was to be seen but I'm sure she was around somewhere. So far they have left my plants alone---don't know how long that will last, though. I might try one of those peruvian daffodils but I would need to put it somewhere that will allow it room to grow. I don't want it in my big flower bed for sure!

Today is my day to volunteer at the local senior center from 10:30 to 12:30. I usually work the desk and take the money when the folks come in for lunch. If they don't have the money, they still get a hot meal. They get a hot lunch for $3.50 and for many of them it is the main (or only meal) of the day, plus they get to visit with the others who come in for lunch. The senior center also provides the lunches for the meals on wheels program here in our area. Local churches take turns providing volunteers every week for the various jobs that need to be filled. There are a few paid positions such as those for director and the cooks but the rest are filled by volunteers.

Elaine, it would probably bloom heavy again if you cut it back a little, I say a little, you need to get below all the old bloom stems, a good deadheading !

Charlotte, you're making my mouth water with that tomato soup. That's one of my favorite soups, especially in the summer. So many of my tomatoes are cracked when I pick them, I think I'll make some for dinner one night. Easy peasy!

Marilyn, I hope that deer doesn't come back and nibble on the DLs. We've seen 4-5 down near the burn pile but that's the only one near the house so far. Those are really about the only thing I worry about. That's why most of mine are really near the house but you can't put all of them there. I've had 1-2 out in the driveway they eventually eat the foliage down to the ground in the fall/winter but in the spring they come right back up and bloom. Some of the foliage on some varieties dies totally back. That Peruvian daffodil is about the size of a DL now, so I guess I'll move it this fall. I'll see how long it keeps blooming this summer. It's great of you to volunteer at the senior center. I'm sure it is sad to see in some ways but uplifting in others to know how good it makes them feel to see a smiling face and get a meal.

Sandra I was posting when you did. I need to do some deadheading this weekend. It's supposed to be less humid, so I'll do that. It's been awful these past few days. Thanks!

Marilyn, maybe that cool front did head this way apparently!

That must be a BIG bulb................ not sure where you would put something like that!

Elaine the little deer is cute - but I doubt that she listens when you tell her to stay out of your bed. :( I do love to watch them though.

I picked another 5 tomatoes last night............ Jess is going to have to get busy on that salsa or something because we won't be able to eat them all fast enough. I had planted a couple of tiny plants, some mid size plants, and a couple of larger plants trying to stagger my harvest time so we could have a few fresh ones to eat for several weeks - but that plan didn't work at all and now all the plants are the same size and all the tomatoes are getting ripe at one time! LOL.....so much for planning!

Marilyn, sounds like ya'll have a great senior citizen center. I know that some of those people cherish the time they get to spend there. So many seniors don't get any interaction with others during the day. It is good for them to get out and about and talk to others! Hope you have a great day there!

Yesterday was a pretty good day in our household! Jess got "official" word from the hospital that she is employed - and she is going to make 9/hr- a nice increase from the min wage she makes at Merle Norman - even though she has a key and has to open and close now. Although she will continue to work at Merle as well - she will be working hopefully almost full time in the pharmacy at the hospital. She needed the experience to put on her application for pharmacy school - and we had hoped she would get on at the beginning of the summer.... but she will finally get to start work soon. She has to go back tomorrow to get her TB test checked and the results of the lab work to make sure she has the Hep B antibodies - then hopefully she can start on Monday. Also, Natalie got a new job!!! AND a 1.25/hr raise! She was super excited - and so thankful!! I was excited too!! All in all, it was a good move for her to leave the bad situation she was in. I really hope these people treat her nicely! News of two nice raises in one day...... a great way to start off the month!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Genna

Genna, it was a huge CLUMP of bulbs, not just one bulb, they multiply well in a good sunny place

Oh ok....... then the key is to thin them out every few years and share......... :) They are a lovely bloom.

Congrats to both Jessi and to Natalie for the new jobs and the better pay!! A great way to start the month, for sure!! All this talk about tomatoes is making me want to go out and tell our tomatoes to start turning red, already! LOL

Elaine that is amazing that deer didn't run off. They are getting use to humans and I don't think that is a good idea. Jimmy saw 2 coyotes in the back of our property so now the horses are being put in the barn at night even though it's so hot. I'll swap you a coyote for a deer.

Charlotte that soup did sound good and easy too!!! Congrats on the new booth!!!

Genna that is wonderful for the girls!!! Will Jessi be able to work while taking classes when school starts back?

I had no idea that the bulb could get that big on the Peruvian Daffodil. I had some about 15 years ago by my bench at the pond but after a few years they just didn't come back. I think the ground was too compacted with roots from the holly tree in that bed.

I have one black & blue salvia that returned. It has gotten so tall that I think I can make 3 or 4 plants out of it. I'm gonna try after my garden club meeting on the 15th and I can do things I enjoy instead of what needs to be done to be show ready. LOL!!!

I haven't painted in years b/c of the way my hands shake but I'm painting my benches white. I thought I had finished one but when I went to move it back in place found a bunch of spots that I had missed so hopefully today I'll get those covered. Now that it's white I don't like it. After my meeting I think I'm gonna paint the brown or even a beige. The white is too drastic for my yard.

Well, I just lost my post so I will try again!~~~

I know what you mean Marilyn, it seemed I went and looked at mine every day for a month waiting for them to FINALLY turn!!

Midnight Marvel Hardy Hibiscus
Smiling Tiger FFO - It is new this year and still in a pot - but determined to bloom
Illini Showgirl
Baby mockingbirds....... thought I was there with food! ^_^

They have told Jessica she will probably be able to work 40 hrs each week if she wants to. Once school starts, she will only work occasionally on the weekends. Her schedule is too difficult to be working a lot of hours - and her school is an hour away, so that will limit how much she can work. At the pharmacy, they do their scheduling 3 weeks at a time, so she will be able to look ahead and know somewhat how her test schedule and other activities will be and if she can work. One advantage of the hospital is that she can work Saturdays and Sundays....... where at Merle, if she came home to work , she was only working one day. I really don't want her working too much during semester because she is already on overload between the classes she is taking, Grid Iron Girls (she volunteers and does things for the football players every week of football season which is most of the fall semester), Ouachita Student Foundation - which has a lot of activities and does campus tours to visiting prospective students, etc), and Tiger Tunes (the variety show they have in October - it demands practice 3 and 4 nights a week for about 5 weeks)....... so I can't see her working much in the fall. ^_^ After tunes is over, things will lighten up some. But, she said they seem really nice and said they would work with her on scheduling and they will just use her to fill in. Hope it works like that in real life...my experience says you never know for sure until you get there! I found it interesting that in her handbook it says in the event of a natural disaster or major emergency in our area, she has to report to work. Guess I never thought about that before!

Jeri, why not paint those benches a nice, bright accent color?? Have that "pop of color" as Jess would say! I know everyone will be in awe of your beautiful yard!! Have you had any interest in your house??

Is Mary still living where she was?

Marilyn the senior program is a good program. Kristi delivered every week for meals on wheels for several years when the kids were younger. It would take her forever to finish her route because she would visit with each person. She would take the kids with her during the summer and they would also visit with the people. Lots of lonely people as well as in need of the food.

I've been on the go since 6:30 this morning. I was planning on picking blueberries early this morning but when I got there they were closed! Seems it pays attention to what you are reading! They are open every other day and I was reading it as Tues - Sat. Oh well! Will try again tomorrrow.

Genna the job at the hospitable will be really good experience for Jessica plus a good paying part time job. Glad Natalie found something so quick and even at better pay.

I've been juggling furniture all afternoon. I think I have maxed out the garage!!! Got to get some things out of there. After going through my box of garden stuff I realized it was even better than I thought. Several things of Bayer products that I use all the time. Stuff to spray on roses that I need to do now. Something (can't remember the brand right now) that says it feeds and weeds. I sure need that. It's granules and it says you can use it year round in the flower bed. Maybe it will help get rid of some of the woodruff weed! It's one of the well known brands just can't remember which.

Next I'm going to make Gazpacho with my tomatoes. Plan to do that tonight. I like it better than just eating sliced tomatoes.

Jeri I never paint my concrete benches. I have several but I just let mine age. Too much trouble to paint! I have one in the front yard that seems to be sealed with something. I bought two old bench bases and had to buy a new seat. I've had it for about 18 years and the seal is still on it. Was probably just a clear sealer. I actually like the weathered mossy look.

Charlotte, please share the recipe, I hope we are going to soon be getting lots of ripe ones in our area. I bought some today that are homegrown.

I've had mine about that long too but the one by the back fence has some kind of rust stain and they are in the hot sun so I thought if I painted them white they wouldn't hold the heat as bad. I think now I've decided on a light gray. It should still be cooler and not as bright as the white ended up being.

Yes she is at her BIL. She came by today and looks a lot better than when she 1st got home. She is scheduled to see Dr. Fort and if things go well she'll go a head and do her 1st chemo too.

Gotta run I have a bread pudding in the oven and the buzzer is going off.

Sandra here is the Gazpacho recipe I'm going to use. They are all basically the same. Just adjust to the amount you want to make. This says it serves 2.

Gazpacho
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped (if I don't have green I just use whatever kind of onion I have)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped (can be green bell pepper)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a blender until smooth. Add the vinegar and olive oil. Blend until well integrated. Season with salt and pepper.
I have discovered the wonders of a stick blender so I will just put all mine in a big bowl or pot and blend with my stick blend. Chill and enjoy a bowl whenever the urge hits.

This has been a long day. Got to thinking about what I had done today and thought "was that all in one day!"
Started out attempting to pick blueberries and of course that fell through because I didn't read close enough! On the way home I stopped by my garden and picked tomatoes and pulled a few weeds. Then I went home and loaded up the SUV with stuff to go the the storage unit. Took it over and unloaded. Then my lady with the goat milk called and said she had my goat milk ready to PU. So I went home fed Richard showered and headed to Jacksonville. Got the goat milk and decided to stop by a flea market for a few minutes. Then stopped by Hobby Lobby in N. Little Rock to PU some supplies I needed. Then went back to the auction house and picked up 6 chairs I had bought and took them to the storage unit. Then stopped by the antique mall to check it and straighten. Then met my moving guy at my house - he had the rest of my things I had bought last night. Got all that situated. Had to move some things around to get it all in. Then Richard and I went to Pei Wei to eat. Afterward I brought him home and I went to the drug store and then to Kroger. Actually that's a pretty typical day!

I'm tried just reading that Charlotte!!! What is Pei Wei?

Pei Wei is owned by PF Chang and has very similar food but more casual and less expensive.

I was totally wrong!! I was thinking Hawaiian!!!

Love Pei Wei! We ate there last Sunday when we were in town. That's also what we did for Alex's rehearsal dinner......


Charlotte - what kind of chairs did you buy? I am looking for some nice oak chairs, preferably with the seat that can pop out to be recovered easily. Might also be looking for some solid ones as well..........

Not familiar with gaspacho..... is it similar to salsa? do you eat it by itself or with crackers or chips or on things?

Gazpacho is a cold soup. You don't eat anything on it. You eat it just like you would a hot soup. Muffins are good with it.

Genna the chairs I have are not oak. They are Jacobean style. They are from the thirties and are fairly small scale. Not sure what the wood is maybe walnut.

Finally got my blueberries and blackberries. Got a gallon of blackberries and about a gallon and a half of bueberries.

I love Pei Wei too. The one in Huntsville is not close to us, but neither is Change's.

Took the day off today and boy have I gotten a lot done already. About to go get my hair cut, but I did a 3 mile run, had a guy doing some punch list stuff in our bathroom, got my car washed, went to Belk for a couple of things (got some shoes for $32 marked down from $125!), had a quick salad for lunch, ran thru BB&B (bought a small frame), went to Target for a couple of things, went to Publix for groceries for tomorrow and the weekend, and now taking a quicker breather until I have to leave again.

Beautiful weather today. Humidity is low and was only 84 a little while ago. I could deal with this kind of weather all summer. My brother and his wife are in San Diego this week celebrating their anniversary. He says it gets up to the 70's and they think it's real hot. Ha!

Whew, you ladies have been busy for sure!

Elaine, I had to think twice to figure out what BB&B is. I live so far away from anything like that I have almost forgotten about it but I did remember that it is Bed, Bath and Beyond! LOL I think the closest one to me is in Branson but, if not, there surely must be one in Springfield. I buy quite a few things online these days because it is too far for me to hop in the car and just "go shopping". I think that is what I miss most about living up here in the beautiful Ozark mountains so I do my shopping online. Currently I am looking for a summer bedspread.

I was rather busy myself today. This morning I cleaned and then spray painted a big flower pot in preparation for the citronella plant I bought the other day. Then I painted a white stripe on each of three clay pots from which I made a bird bath. I previously painted them and the tray a deep red. then I decided I wanted a white stripe around each of the pots so I taped them off and painted them. It sort of "dressed up" the bird bath. I got the idea for the bird bath on Pinterest. It cost me a total of $33.00 for the 3 pots and the tray, which isn't exactly cheap but it is still cheaper than most bird baths you can buy. Plus it is unique because I painted it in the colors that I wanted. I will get outside and take a picture of it tomorrow.

Anyway, after I did all that spray painting, Al and I had lunch (he mowed the entire lawn this morning) and then we went back outside and did some more things around the yard that needed doing. There is a space about 3 1/2 feet wide between our carport and the concrete pad where the fifth wheel is stored. Al has a hard time keeping up with the weed-eating as there is a lot of it to be done around here. So I thought it would be good if we covered that strip with some black tar paper which we had left over from having the porch added to the house and then put gravel on top of the tar paper. We had started that chore a couple of weeks ago and not finished it due to rain, etc. This afternoon we finished that job! Then we picked up and straightened up around the carport. Al has a bad habit of just putting things down out there instead of putting them in his shop or in the storage shed. It drives me crazy to see gasoline cans, oil cans, this and that, etc., etc. just sitting around so I "suggested" (use your imagination--LOL) we get things put away. We managed to get quite a bit cleaned up and it looks soooo much better out there. "Mama" is a happy camper now. :D You know how the old saying goes: "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" It didn't take Al long to pick up on that! LOL

Do you all have special plans for the 4th? We might go to the parade in Gainesville tomorrow morning. It is their "first annual" 4th of July parade. It is supposed to be a big deal so we might as well go see what it is all about. There will be booths with food and lemonade and cookies, etc. and all your typical July 4th activities in a small town. We shall see. . .

Weather is perfect here--low humidity and unseasonably cool--in the 70's but our thermometer made it up to 80f late this afternoon. Still, it was quite pleasant with a nice breeze blowing most of the day. It is supposed to be the same tomorrow. Hooray!

Marilyn you are quite the task master!!! LOL What happens if "daddy" is not happy!

Charlotte, Al is really easy-going. I don't mean to imply that he is a pushover, because he isn't, but he and I both know what it is like to lose a spouse through death so we don't sweat the small stuff. It makes life much more pleasant. He is happy and content most of the time and I am, too. :D We work together well and we enjoy being together although every so often we encounter a little "speed bump" along the way. Yesterday was one of those days but we worked together to get things cleaned up and all turned out well. :D

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYONE!





This message was edited Jul 4, 2014 6:15 AM

Marilyn, that is a "man thing" Jerry does the same thing! Sometimes I pick them up and sometimes I don't! The crowbar stayed on the front porch for about 3 weeks until we were both outside one day, I said, " when you need your crowbar again it is sitting on the front porch". I went inside and when I came back out it was gone--LOL. I tell him that is why he can never find anything because he doesn't put things up!
Our holiday somewhat saddened, Judy's MIL passed away Wed. She will be at the church tonight for visitation and the funeral tomorrow. We will go tonight but going to go to Amanda's tomorrow Ben is grilling !

Happy Birthday America---let have cake !