Plant and Decor Haul - October 2018

My most recent haul from Jo-Ann came out to around $40 total. I used a 20% off entire purchase coupon to add to my savings. Don't be ashamed to work those coupons!

All of this Fall harvest decor was on sale at 50% off.

This decorative yet simple pumpkin was on sale at 40% off.

A home for a gnome. This was the only item I purchased at regular price which allowed me to use a 50% off coupon.

This is my most recent Lowe's haul. Three strawberry plants were $3 each and the reason for this shopping trip. The rest of the haul was an impulse buy. I don't always know what I want to purchase prior to entering the doors - most of my decision is based on deals and sales (and the colors).

I picked up some yellow and red snapdragons for $1.38 each.

This Marigold came in a 4 pack at $2.49.

This is an Evening glow mirror plant, originally $16, purchased on super sale for $5. I plan to use it as a tree in one of my fairy gardens.

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A Pop of Yellow

This lawn decor was purchased from 99 cent store. I bought it as a pair but did not like the black finish it came with. I decided it would look better in my garden with a coat of yellow, the same way I did my garden path a while back.

This photo shows the most recent appearance of them in the blog. They've been reused many times and remain in the garden without needing to be repainted.

They've been seen in my garden as far back as February.

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My Fairy Folks - Unexpected Harvest

A few months ago I received some pictures from one of My Fairy Folks that I knew would be perfect to share this month. This first photo is a jack-o-lantern that Gus from Riverside carved and decorated her porch with last Halloween. Very creative. After the festivities had ended, Gus hosed off the porch and called it a day. By June of this year, some interesting development had begun to happen near the front porch. A personal pumpkin patch had grown!

In July, the plant had grown significantly. "It's tripled in size over the past week" Gus wrote.

A beautiful bloom.

Mid August is when the first pumpkin showed up.

In September, I got this update:
"I had to cut most of the pumpkin plant off because it was dying. The only one that grew is still going strong though so I left him some leaves for shade and a plate to rest on so his pumpkin butt doesn't rot in the wet grass. We named him Ichabod."

And here is the most recent picture. What a wonderful story! I'm eager to hear what becomes of Ichabod. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful garden adventure.

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Food Garden - Fall/Winter 2018

(L-R) Dragon Tongue beans, Green Arrow peas, Blue Lake beans, Oregon Sugar Pod peas.

Blue Lake bean being planted.

Left: Dragon Tongue began to sprout a week later. I also planted Royal Burgundy beans to the right of them but they weren't showing signs of growth. I decided to pop in a few more seeds, this time I disregarded the instructions that said to soak them before planting. Whether that was the factor that caused them to grow, I do not know, but they finally showed growth a week later.

You can see a bean sprout popping up on the bottom here. These popped up in less than a week and I didn't soak these beans before planting, so I think I'm not going to worry about that step with beans in the future.

And here is the newest photo of the Burgundy bean sprout taken this morning. Quite a start.

Oregon Sugar Pod peas have done quite well. They look very similar to snow peas in the photo on the seed package so I'm hoping they taste similar because I love those.

Top row: Bibb lettuce, looseleaf lettuce blend, red and green Romain blend. Bottom row: Brussel sprouts, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce and Buttercrunch. I also purchased some garden labels to help keep track of what is where and they've proven to be very helpful.

I planted my Gold Mighty Mustard in this container which was already housing a sweet Lilac bell pepper which I purchased as a tiny plant at the Green Scene Expo back in April.

This is how the purple bell pepper looked in April. I've read on the internet that many people have had problems with bell peppers coming through this year, so at least I know I'm not alone. 

Not long after planting the mustard, I noticed tons of plants popping up. I was so surprised and confused until I thought on it a bit and realized these are not all mustard sprouts. After a little more time (and a bit of a taste), I could tell the difference between the mustard seedlings and what I've determined are radish sprouts, reviving themselves from Spring. A tiny snail managed to sneak into this photo, on the right  rim of the container.

I've also put these seeds in a container but they're slow to grow, so no progress pictures yet.

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My Fairy Folks - Ladder as Shelving

I love receiving photos from My Fairy Folks that invite me into their garden and expose me to their DIY projects. Recently I received an email from a reader who was inspired by some of my DIY projects to repurpose this ladder that used to be attached to an above ground pool. It now acts as shelving for her outdoor succulents.

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My Fairy Crate - September 2018

September's delivery of My Fairy Crate came with quite a few adorable items. I was so excited to see another glossy tarot card (which is what I'm referring to them as) which is one step closer to a whole set. I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, but the prospect of collecting more cards is strong encouragement for me to continue with this subscription box!

This elf and owl are so adorable! His facial expression is too cute and the design is lovely. Of course I'm in love with the fact that there are mushrooms on it! The rest of the items could work for a cute fishing scene - lantern, tackle box, fishing pole, log bench and a frog.

The frog on the left is the new one. The larger of the two frogs I currently have, I've decided to name him Hermitt. And because I've never got around to naming the frog on the right, today's the day. Say hello to Charlene.

Thermin the elf echoes the hoots of Oswald the owl. 

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Unboxing - Seed Bank Box - September 2018

King Richard Leek - Depending on how much you love leeks, or how impatient you are, these leeks can be harvested at 3-4 inches or you can wait until they reach their full length of 1ft. Whenever you choose to harvest, they suggest trying your new leek in mashed potatoes, soup or even roasted.

Walla Walla Onion - Mild and extra sweet, these are not your typical onion! People have been known to eat them "like an apple" but I'm not sure how I feel about that. These along with the leeks will be the first time I've ever attempted growing onions (if you can believe it)!

Touchstone Gold Beets - Have you shied away from cooking with beets because they are known for staining kitchen ware that you do not want stained? Unlike other beets, the Touchstone Gold Beet is notorious for just the opposite - NOT staining things! This fact coupled with their mild flavor makes me more likely to attempt this root vegetable in my garden and hopefully have my mind changed on my dislike of beets.

Green Zebra Tomatoes - If this light green fruit with dark green stripes doesn't catch your attention, the bold, sweet taste surely will! This unique addition to the garden will have visitors requesting to take a few home to try and you'll be able to oblige because this plant is a heavy producer! 

Jewel Mix Nasturtium - This edible flower blooms in beautiful clusters of red, orange and yellow and I'm very excited to plant these in my garden since they are one of my favorite flowers.

Royal Burgundy Bean - I was just getting ready to plant some beans the week this box arrived so this is pretty exciting. After I'm done with that I'll need to sweep my house for cameras and microphones because I don't know how this company keeps knowing exactly what I'm planning to plant!

White Gold Mighty Mustard - To add to my list of "I've never grown this," this particular mustard plant is a jack of all trades! The plant serves as ground cover and suppresses weeds, attracts beneficial insects, the leaves are edible and its deep roots enrich the soil. What a power plant!

Surry Arugula - This fast-growing plant has a spicy kick to it which will be a punchy surprise to add to a salad. Potassium, Calcium, vitamins C, B, K - what a great addition to my garden and with great timing, I'm preparing an area to grow a salad mix already.

Seed Bank Box continues to impress me with their unique plants and vast variety. Like I always say, if I won't eat it, someone I know will (although of course I am willing to give every plant a fair chance). If you'd like to subscribe to the Seed Bank Box and have a mystery box of edible future food delivered to your door, please follow THIS LINK and let me know how you feel about what you receive. If you send me some pictures of your Seed Bank Box garden, I'd love to spotlight it here on my blog.

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