As you can see, I take lots of pictures on the move.  We were only doing about 25 mph when I got this one.  

 

These cattails growing in a ditch on a city street crack me up.  Cattails are usually found in the shallow water of lakes, ponds, and rivers, and is considered to be a common aquatic plant.  But these are growing next to a four lane highway in Blairsvillle.  I wonder if they planted themselves, or if somebody planted them here.  

 

Either way, I love seeing them.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

The native Clematis is blooming!!!  We saw it on Monday when we were driving through the Ocoee.  It was draped all over the rocks and everything.  It was breathtaking.  If you get the chance in the next week, go there.  And be sure to roll down the windows.  It has a lovely fragrance.

 

I couldn't get a good picture then, but I did get this picture on the road to Blairsville.  This is probably how you will see it, at 45 mph.  It is a white vine that drapes itself over everything.  

 

We saw a little bit in the park up close, so I took its picture too.

 

 

You can see how it is related to the big clematis that I always show you blooming at Roxanne's.  The leaves are similar too, wrapping themselves around anything that doesn't move.  In this case, an azalea.  If you get to see it up close, be sure to smell it.  You can thank me later.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

I love these microgreen trays.  I got them from Sow True Seeds for $5 each.  The green part has holes in the bottom so the little plants can grow in soil and be watered, and the blue part has no holes so they don't leak onto the counter.  You could even grow microgreens in the kitchen.

 

I sowed these seeds 4 days ago, and they are ready to harvest.  I just hold onto the green leaves, and cut above the soil line.  Of course I drop them in a bowl of water to wash off any dirt, and they are ready to eat!!!

 

What an easy, cheap, healthy way to get fresh kale, arugula, and radish greens into your diet.  See why I save the seeds when my plants go to seed?  I also buy seeds for sprouting from Amazon.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We grew orange bell peppers this year.  And aren't they pretty?  This one bush has 4 big fat peppers on it.  

 

I grew 6 from seeds, and gave my friends 3 for their garden.  I hope theirs are doing as well as ours.  I love these.

 

This may surprise you, but from seed, it has taken since March 9th for these peppers to get this big, and ready to harvest.  I will do the math for you:  that is 173 days!!!!

 

So, when you see organic peppers on sale for $2.50 each, buy them.  Somebody spent a lot of time and energy to grow them for you.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Look at the persimmons!!!  They are starting to turn orange.  We check on them everyday, and look forward to them ripening and falling off the trees. That's when they are delicious.  I think we still have about a month or so to go, but we still keep an eye on them.  We don't want to miss out.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I was thinking, every day as we walk the loop, how fortunate we are to live in the forest.  We step outside our door and walk down the road and we are in the forest.  

 

It reminds me of that Japanese word for forest bathing:  shinrin-yoku.  You can read about it in Wikipedia.  Just put in shinrin-yoku, and you can learn about this nature therapy.

 

HAPPY ALMOST FALL!!! 

 

 

 

I know I show you this every year, but here is our old friend Joe Pye Weed.  

 

It stands about 6 - 8 feet tall, and you can see it at 45 miles per hour.  I love it when they are in bloom all along the highways.  

 

I hope you get to see some in your travels.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We saw this beautiful one in the beans yesterday.  And the colors were so pretty.   

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Today when I was in the garden I saw a lot of caterpillar poop on the ground.  So I looked around and found this caterpillar on one of my hot pepper plants.  Of course I knew what it was, so I cut the branch and carried it back to the potting bench.

 

We have seen these before, and we try to keep them out of the garden.  Tomato Hornworms!!!

 

Jon asked me what kind of moth produces these larvae.  So I looked it up.  Manduca quinquemaculata, and Manduca sexta, the five-spotted hawk moth.  OK.  We still don't want them in the garden.

 

But I found this interesting:  Tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms are closely related.  Just two different species.  The tomato hornworm has V shaped markings, and the tobacco hornworm has these hashmarks.  The tobacco hornworm is more likely to live in the southern US, and the tomato hornworm lives more up north.  

 

We have always called these tomato hornworms.  But now we know that they are tobacco hornworms.  OK.  Whatever we call them, we still don't want them in the garden.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

As we entered the Walmart garden center, this is what we saw.  There were about three aisles filled with these adorable sunflowers.  They were in pots, and stood only about 12-16 inches tall. 

 

See?  I told you that sunflowers come in all sizes, for all size gardens.

 

I hope you plan to grow some sunflowers.  They are always good for a smile.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!