Harvest Season

That's right guys its time to start harvesting! And I did so, last night! I began with the bushy globe basil last night. It was the only plant that I allowed to create flowers, because that way I would have busy plants from it from next year. HOWEVER! After much research it seems that I may have harvested too early on that one, but I got 10 black seeds, the rest were white and thus immature when I picked them. But 10 seeds is all I need for next year! They are lovely little things, tiny and round and look just like their brothers in the seed packs! This means I have my very first 2nd generation Tine Seeds! After harvesting that plant, I removed it from the garden, its had its day and we all waved goodbye.

After that we moved on to the coleus, which had tons of seeds to share with me! Lots from only the pink and purple one because I like the multicolored ones and I think it will look nicer net year to have the same kinds in the one pot together. Those seed pods were so interesting! I mean how do you think God decided that he wanted 4 little seeds in each pod and that you'd have to peel the pod apart to get at them, just to replant again next year? Very fun.

After THAT! we hung Emma's basil upside down to dry because its come to the end of its rope. Literally, hehehe.

So yes, the harvest has begun and after I finished writing this! Time to trim back the lavender! If mom doesn't thwart me again...

Buds and Blooms

This morning started with a tummy ache and thankfully it was solved by crushing some of my dried basil. Its smells filled the air so beautifully and wonderful that I was solved of my stomach ache and went outside to tend my plants between the football plays. Upon going out there, I did two things! First checked for my mantis, and to see if she's chosen her place to make an egg case (she's very good at hiding mind you), and then checked the plants for buds. I was pleased to find!

Emma's marigolds have produced buds and are ready to make flowers. These flowers started in a Vacation Bible School in Sycamore, where they were teaching the kids what plants grow in. If they could plant in sand, dirt, or rocks. Very interesting. Anyway they planted several plants inside paper cups, marigolds, basil, and carrots, as well as pole bean in a plastic bottle. The bean didn't come up, but everything else did and the marigolds are ready to sprout after 2 and a half months. Exciting!

Also after some thinking about it, I let one of my basil plants make its flowers so that I can harvest it again next year and make a bushier plant by only harvesting from the plants that are bushy. They look very nice and smells better. I have a full jar of dry basil now. I am flattening a branch it as well between the pages of my heaviest book. I would love to make some shampoo however. That would be really nice. I just really love basil. I used the microwave to make them as crispy as I could. First time using that method!

On top of that! Our strawberry plants are getting much heartier and I'm glad to say their stems are very strong now! They look extremely good. I'm very proud of them.

A Splash of Color

My latest gift from mom was this beautiful clearance plant from menards! I love it. They are orange mums. My favorite color on my second favorite plant. Its truly amazing how cheap they were considering how many blooms and how inspiring they are. I love them so much! I just can't help but love them because God gave me this precious gift and I never want it to be squandered. So lovely. So perfect. Thank you! And thank mom for buying me these amazing little suns in a pot.

On a nice note, Nicky's sunflowers made seeds! That's right they got all huge and upright and bees came and went. Now they have tons of seeds. Well not tons, the blue jays came after they smelled them and ate most the seeds, but there were lots of bees and I love bees! I can't wait to see what my sunflowers look like now that they have had more time to open!

Its such an interesting thing, working in ones potted garden. OH! And speaking of pots I was also gifted with some new ceramic pots from mom. They are so amazing. She understands my taste in pots I swear. One is a vibrant deep blue and the stains look like its raining. The other is mint apple, my favorite nail polish and tall with a lipped edge. I am allowing Emma to transplant in the blue one so that her strawberries (which have finally gotten a growth spurt), can be moved to. The other green one, is going to be the new home to a Thai basil plant. I planted seedlings with Emma on Monday, the babies are sprouting now. Very nice to see.

This thing is also making seeds now, and I'm waiting before a little bit of more time goes by so that I can harvest the seeds, as well as with a single basil plant that I allowed to make flowers. Its the stoutest and bushiest. The more seeds I take from the busier plants, the more bushy they will get from being harvest and planted from those perimeters. At least that's what I'm hoping.

Its very relieving to finally have some time to sit back and smell the basil.

MANTIS!

Oh my gosh!!

Its been such an exciting week! Mom is on vacation leaving me more time to do what it is I lurves! First, I harvested one of the bigger basil plants because it was in desperate condition. Not enough space for all those roots. So I clipped those down and hung them along with the boxwood because it was starting to dampen off.

The strawberry has grown leaps and bounds and I can't wait for it to start its own little flowers and berries for Emma's delight. So I'm watering and moving them from the indoors to the out because of the chronic storms that have been happening and placed them outside when I discovered something completely shocking!

A MANTIS ON THE MINT PLANT!!!!



Just awesome! I guess he was sheltering from the storms on my mint plant which is awesome. Such a great opportunity.

Busy with the Buggies

Sooo I failed. I thought that the uggy buggies had only taken over a few of the plants. Well upon getting them off those plants they returned... from the other plants. So NOW! I'm going to eave them out of doors. Well the first bunch I am going to leave out of doors. I have 4 outside now. The Lavender, the second boxwood basil, the mint, and the sweet basil. They are going to be getting the 'cold shoulder' of bug techniques. First they go outside, then! I spray them with chilly water every few hours and sprinkle it all over them until the bugs decide its the worst place EVER to live.

THEN! I move them indoors after washing down the plant area and take the next batch outdoors. I've decided the soap thing is evil because it killed most my plants. Well it ate away at the leaves and its sort of miffing me off so that tech is gone. But this way I'm hoping that I'll get everything all cleaned up and such. Anyway I hope that my wonderful neighbors don't think of this as an opportunity to put their cigarettes out in them. They seem decent enough people. Anyway. Here's hoping.

Poor jail babies!

More New Additions

Yesterday was EPIC! I started out the day checking out my bank account to realize I had about 50 dollars more than I thought I did, so! I brought home some new additions to my store bought plant family. Its been an awful growing season so far, but its finally starting to look good rather than the bleak sadness that has been going on here.

To start out the happy day, I opened my windows and let in the morning air. The strange thing about that, though I live at a complex with little to know yard, there are outdoor plants that stand about as tall as my window and blew their smell right in. LILACS! It inspired me. So seconds after getting up I whooshed through the house to find a jar and filled it with lilacs to begin the oiling process for the essential oils. Its so cool. I've read that no one makes lilac oils, but I'm going to try and I'm going to succeed.

After that we went to do the laundry like we do every weekend. Between the loads we usually do something so mom took me to the dollar store where I found some more nice candle holders and we gathered some pots for mom since she thinks we should put some flowers in the Chris/Kelly garden and I think she's right. Next step was getting the flowers, of course! That's where we found Walmart, and holy cow, it was amazing. I found dwarf lavender! Something I can grow at home for only 2 dollars! Its amazing. Here it is!

Mom however did not fin the flowers she was looking for, so after changing over the laundry again, we headed to Menards. That was even more amazing because mom found the flowers she wanted and I found, you guessed it, ANOTHER lavender plant! This one was an herbal lavender, meant specifically for the fun stuff, and it was even cooler because they look so much different, I mean look at this!

Its been so very fun! Look at how beautiful. The day just went so amazing. I had this great day and it wasn't going to go unwasted. That wasn't the only thing huh!? We went to my cousin's/auntie's house so that I could hang with the fam. It was so nice to drop by and see my family enjoying the day. Check out what they've got in their front yard.

We were there until 8pm and my goodness it was just nice. I've missed you spring, so much.

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Today! Today is going to be something that resembles, though a home version. I'm going to be replanting today, the boxwood basils that I have been claiming to replant for a week, and after mom gets home I will gathering up some cheese cloth so that I can take care of step two of the dandelion oils. The full day to come, later!

Phase One

Alrighty! So I was afraid I was going to have to wait until tomorrow to begin the actual oil making process, but you know what, gosh darn it if I didn't get home in time to make it. It was grand to find that I don't need as many dandelions as I thought for the process, well I mean I'll need 4 times as much as I picked today over the course of a week, but that doesn't change how pleased I was to find that I didn't need an atrocious amount. Hopefully this will work out though.


I used olive oil because I couldn't find anything else inexpensive. I would like to try safflower oil but I can't find any on the shelves and as we are all aware I am broke that kind of makes it impossible for me to buy them. Anyway for this experiment that's what I used and I bruised the flower petals just like I was told. Now I have to buy a cheese cloth or something. For straining. If anyone's curious on my method, here's the places I used for aiding my progress:

http://make-fragrances.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-make-essential-oils.html
http://www.rainbowcrystal.com/oils/oils3.html

Its really kind of fun and I enjoyed myself a lot. Emma helped of course because what's better than a 5 year old picking flowers in the field next to our house right? Lack of field, but there's space, lol. Its just a strange thing, but you know it was good. I'm really interested to see how it turns out. I mean if this works out I can make basil candles once those get bigger out of my own materials. I'll let you know whats in the news about it tomorrow!

Who Needs a Stork!?

So I don't know about you people, but I don't! I have a garden Snail!!! Who needs a stork when you have a snail? Its awesome. Mom bought it for me, along with a bunch of garden stuff for my faux garden. She said if I was going to have a garden it needs hanging things and spikes and stones and there's no reason why I shouldn't have them! So she took me first to Lowe's (never been to one before), to pick a nice blackwood mulch. Very nice stuff if I do say so myself! While there, she got me a beautiful boxwood basil plant. Let me tell you it smells AMAZING! Definately going to be aiding the candle making business. ^^ Then we went to Walmart to check their prices and procured some weed and feed so that the gnarly death plants won't regrow. AND THEN! we went to Menards to check the prices of hyacinths. This is also where we got Ant killer, because there's a large amount of them in the garden and well, we all know I don't like to be crawled on. In between all THAT! We went to the dollar store and got these amazing little garden sparklies which I can't WAIT to show off. I promise pictures of the middle process will be taken tomorrow. Before is before we tackled it, middle is cleaned but no flowers, and after is once all the plants come up!

I'm going to be working on the garden tomorrow morning, well more like noon, BUT gonna put in the stone works, sparklies, and ornaments. Also going to use the weed and feed, mulch and then plant the babies! Very exciting work for tomorrow. I can't wait. Just telling you now. I'm in a great mood.