5-21-12

 7:30am

I found a bag of 15 mixed beans

marked down at Kroger.

Was $2.96 paid $1.49.

I put about 3/4ths a bag in a pan of water

to soak.  I want to make a big pot of ham

and bean soup for supper.

I saved the other 1/4 bag and put it with

my garden seeds.

They say you can plant store bought

bags of beans.  You just can't plant the split peas.

Beans in this bag-

Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Yelloweye Bean,

Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split Pea,

Kidney, Cranberry Bean, Small White, Pink Bean,

Small Red, Yellow Split Pea, Lentil, Navy,

White Kidney, Black Bean.

10:05am

Got the garden watered this morning and 

hung the grape vine on the trellis.

I also got all the weed debris raked up

that I took down from along the fence yesterday.

I have baby radishes beginning to sprout.

I planted them  May 14th

so it took about 7 days to get this far.

I also have some Zinnias coming up  

that I planted in the tomato beds.

Now to get a game plan for this back fence

and planting a flower bed in front of it.

This is where I'd like to plant 4 rose bushes

and 5 hydrangeas along with other flowers.

This is where the back of the yard slopes downwards.

Hard to tell by just a photo.

 Doesn't look to hard to do right?

Well you figure each fence panel is 8 feet wide

times 7 of them will make this flower bed

56 feet long.

Now that I look at it this way I should

have bought all the remaining rose

bushes Big Lots had marked down half off.

 I might plant 2 hydrangeas 

(pink and hot pink but they could change 

their color to blue once planted in the soil)

at each end of the fence

then plant one in the middle of the fence.

Plant 2 rose bushes 

 (pinks and reds)

on each side of the middle hydrangea.

Then plant a low growing white flower like

asylum in front of everything.

I know everything won't fill in right away

and may take years to grow so I need

to have patience, lots of patience!

 I would so love to accomplish this look one day
except with white alyssum in the front 
instead of hostas.

Alyssum

Now all I  have to do is dig out a flower
bed and any grass in the area in front of the fence.
Hmmm, how do you make a flower bed border
for cheap especially one that is 56 feet long.
So I'm Googling some cheap garden edging options
because you know me, cheap is my middle name, lol.
Here is what I came up with-
Pallet edging.
You can find pallets for free.  I like free!


Cut the pallet slats as shown.
This also includes the stakes to pound them in the ground!

 Paint them black to make a more
dramatic flower border.

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3:30pm




Got a big pot of ham and bean soup on the stove.
I let my beans soak for 7 or so hours.
In a large pot I added 4 cups water and
2 packets of sausage flavored country gravy mix
along with a teaspoon of better than boullion chicken base.
Then drained the beans and added them into
the gravy.  I have it all simmering on the stove
on low for the next hour to hour and a half
and I also threw in a large ham bone with ham.
Would love to add in a little celery, onions and carrots.

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3:45pm




My tipsy planter petunias are starting to take
off and fill in their pots.  Each day I dead head the
old flowers so they keep producing more and more.
I like to show progress in the garden
and how fast things grow.
The Daylilies behind them are getting
ready to bloom.  

April 22

May 21

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4:35pm


I filled up the birdbaths this morning.
One metal birdbath bowl I put on the ground
for the squirrels.  Today a pair of doves
stopped by for a bath.

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9:00pm


This evening we took all the yard waste
to Tony's work to drop off.
When looking for a dumpster to put it in
I drove by one that had 4 trellises hanging
out of it.  Of course I stopped and had
to have them, lol.  The top two weren't
so bad getting out.  It was the bottom two
that were a real pain because two heavy
pallets and other things were on them.
I was wore out by the time I was done 
getting them out.
I figured I can wash them up and attach
them to the back fence for climbing flowers.

Well I am off here for now.
Me and Tony are trying to plan
our Father's Day weekend vacation.
Very rarely do we actually go far away
for a vacation and do something.
The farthest the whole family has been for vacation
is either Indian Lake or Hocking Hills.
This year Tony wants us all to go to Michigan
to a NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
His friend took him free last year to
a Nationwide Series race in Michigan.
He loved it so much now he wants
to take us.
We'll go up Saturday and get a hotel room.
Go to the race Sunday then back to the
hotel that evening til Monday and then
head back home.
He's taking off a total of 5 days
including the weekend.  That way we
have time to recover at home for a few days. 

It's one thing to plan for places that you have been
to or know the area and it's completely
different to do it with an area you've
never been to.  I don't know where
hotels, fast foods and all that jazz are.
I plan to take food for lunches and supper
to try and cut the costs down.
I'm sure breakfasts are free at the hotel.
At least kids tickets to the race track 17 and under are half off.
Still, tickets for the four of us is going to
cost around $240. 


Oh yeah I see a headache coming on trying
to figure all this out.
I priced hotels and it would cost us 
$300- $400 for 2 nights.
Then comes the idea of camping.
HA HA HA.
I saw the price of $229.
Hmmm, wonder if we could all
sleep on a blow up mattress in the
back of the Suburban?




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10:45pm


I just saw this unclaimed funds link
on wbns 10 tv on Facebook.
Unfortunately I don't have any.
So I started typing in names of people I know.
Hey, if you are my aunt or a cousin that name
starts with a "T", I saw that you are
owed money :0)
For my aunt type in your last married name.
Doesn't say how much, only under $100.