And The Beat Goes On...

My view in early August.....

 ...my view now (at least there's a tree :)

 The way we got here....

 ....not everyone was happy initially...

 ....change is hard, y'know....

 ....but eventually creature comforts can be found.

This post is the last for the blog called Millertime...I feel that I've taken it as far as it can go. It's been a real hoot, and I will leave it in place for the foreseeable future. I'm just in a state of transition these days, and so my blog life is as well. But I'll be back...like it or not....for I am an irrepressible, un-stoppable, un-shut-up-able force! (Like y'all didn't know that by now, eh? :)  See you in the funnies!

Meh....I'm kinda off plants lately....

...."Really?!"  Naw Gizmo, I'm just kidding. I'm simply frustrated with my slow internet connection, and busy with other things lately. But I'm excited for the upcoming growing season...

 ....particularly since the catalogs have begun pouring in. I mean, just look at this purple swiss chard!

 Plus I still want to blog about last year's season! I'm just rather overwhelmed lately, so if you can just bear with me.....okay Bentley?

"Zzzzzzzzzz" .........I'll take that as a "yes".

What Do You Want For Christmas?

Now I love snow....I really do......but while looking through some pictures today I felt a twinge of wistful desire for something really different this Christmas.

I felt that a glimpse backward might be nice....

....maybe a colorful blast of sunshine....

...I mean, we all seek it from time to time......

...that delightful color explosion.....

....we just want to immerse ourselves in it.....

 ...long enough to feel those simple pleasures of warmth and relaxation...

....that make up this fabulous life we all cherish.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!  *~<]:-)

Checking In

Wow, I certainly haven't been here in awhile! Looks like things are getting kinda dusty, like this squirrel...

.....oh wait-that's snow (and LOTS of it!) Guess it's time to work on my gardening "year in review" posts....

.....this could take awhile. May as well get comfortable!

Worm Bin Update

I haven't posted about this in awhile! My worm bin is nearly ready to remove castings from the bottom bin, and place it atop this one for a wormy migration.
Naturally my pal Gizmo has to check things out...

....I'm seeing lots of worms wandering up the sides, too. After digging around, it appears that my population has exploded! I'll need to either make another bin, help a friend make a bin, or sell them as "fishing worms"! Yikes!

Well, all those wormies need to eat, so I dropped in some scraps and coffee grounds...

....until next time! (By the way, I regularly inpect the bin, add bedding and feed the worms-despite my last post being over a year ago :)

Mystery Review Product Revealed!

I broke the news the other day that I would be reviewing a complementary item from CSN Stores , and I got word that it shipped on February 26th. March 2nd it arrived! Pretty speedy shipping, and Gizmo is obviously excited for the big reveal... ...it's an Earth Box! Have you ever tried one of these? According to their website: "The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm. Our maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort." I'd seen these advertised and always wanted to try one, but they're fairly pricey (like $50!) so I never bought one. Thank you CSN Stores!!

Got it unpacked, comes with a bunch of accessories-even wheels!

Not too sure how I feel about this "plant food", since I prefer amending my soil over granular products. Guess I'll behave myself this first year and follow the instructions :)

Gizmo inspects the planter, pretty large considering he's 23" long (not including his tail). Interior planter dimensions are 27 1/2" long, 12" wide, and 8" deep....I should be able to grow a bunch of veggies in here!

Good clear instructions too...now I just need some warm weather....soon!
Meanwhile, Gizmo has selected his favorite item in this shipment =^^=
Wow, now I'm really anxious for this growing season!

Disclaimer: CSN Stores gave me this complimentary item in exchange for a review of their stores. The opinions expressed here are honest and all my own.

Current Events

I'd like to interrupt my 2009 veggie review to celebrate winter, at a time when most folks are sick of it. I'm planning out this year's planters, but for now they rest...

...unlike my furry friends here. I have grey and black squirrels up here, but none of the big red version we had in Indiana. (Click on the link to be schooled like I was when I read that these two are "Eastern Grey Squirrels", and the red ones are "Fox Squirrels". I'd always thought they were color variations of the same creature since they look so similar...huh.)

I'm organizing my seeds to gear up for wintersowing , and even acquiring new ones like this assortment from an awesome garden blogger's seed swap-initiated by Monica.
Look how many packets I had to choose from!

The kitties are pretty much in "hibernation mode".....

....but the wild birds don't have that luxury. I'm fortunate to host so many doves....

...they're just lovely!

Spring may be on the way, and I'll be happy to get back in the garden. But there is a calm and beauty to the clean white winter landscape that I'm actually going to miss. Really! :)

Salad Planter 2009

I take my salad very seriously, so when I planted the "Pot & Patio Lettuce Blend" in this saddle planter, I left nothing to chance. This wire cover worked out well, and it also protected some spinach ('Bloomsdale Longstanding'), as well as Golden Purslane and carrot "Little Finger" . Planting was done on May 10th, and by early June we have lift-off! On June 21st a thinning was in order (not the first one).....

.....there! This little garden was the most productive of all my container veggie experiments....

...with the succulent leaves of purslane as the star of the show. Who knew a "weed" could be so delicious?

Well I've been schooled!

The carrots grew amazingly well in this tiny planter, too....

.....and the greens just wouldn't quit! This particular harvest contained a surprise that I only noticed after I took this picture....

...aphids! I've heard about people eating bugs, but I passed on all that and this harvest became worm food. (Just the other day I found a link that said I could mix a few drops of peppermint essential oil with water and spray for aphids. Sounds safe and kind of yummy, I'll try it this year.) I didn't feel too badly about sacrificing just one salad though, since our cool summer made the harvest last and last.

By September there are a few more carrots...

....even Gizmo was interested!

Then October gave just a few more leaves before the frost shut it down. One thing I learned from growing my own salads last summer...

...plant a lot more this year! Staggered plantings will help keep the harvest going much more regularly, so I'll have all the supplies I need to eat a salad at least once a week...maybe more!