Lettuce! February 14, 2019

Thankful Thursday and Little Things Thursday

Prentiss County, Mississippi, USA, February 9, 2019

Thankful to have home-grown lettuce in February! I planted Black-seeded Simpson Lettuce in large plastic tubs in September. I cover them with old bath towels when our temperatures drop below 40F (4C). There have been stretches of cold weather that I have had to keep them covered for several days.

Lettuce grows slowly in cold weather, but it does grow!

I have to add a lot of store-bought ingredients (peppers, peas, cheese, carrots, cucumbers, croutons, etc.) to make a salad, but picking my own lettuce makes it special. And I add canned chicken or canned tuna for enough protein to make a salad a meal.

But what I am most thankful for today is that my doctor referred me to a Diabetic Foot Care Clinic. It was a very pleasant experience, and my feet look and feel much better, but I knew you did not want to see before and after photos of my feet!

Have a blessed day!

Let us know what you are thankful for, visit Thankful Thursday: Click Here!

For an interesting variety of photos, visit Little Things Thursday: Click Here!

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Willy Nilly Friday, November 23, 2018

Willy Nilly Friday 5, Sky Watch Friday,
and on Saturday, Saturday's Critters, and I'd Rather B Birdin'

1. Thanksgiving Day (Sky Watch Friday)

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, November 22, 2018

We had pleasant temperatures and beautiful blue skies on Thursday.

2. Good Food!

Prentiss County, Mississippi, USA, November 22, 2018

In September I sowed lettuce seeds in large plastic tubs. Since our nighttime temperatures began to drop below freezing, I have covered them each night. Now I am picking home-grown lettuce - in November!

3. Animal Shelter

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, November 7, 2018

The Tupelo-Lee County Humane Society recently moved into their new building.

It includes a clinic where the animals can be spayed or neutered before they are adopted.

4. Camouflage (Saturday's Critters)

Tishomingo County, Mississippi, USA, November 5, 2018

A pony trying to hide from my camera!

5. Eagle (I'd Rather B Birdin')

Pickwick, Tennessee, November 5, 2018

Because of the mottled brown and white feathers on its back and its dark beak, I think this is a juvenile Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

The young Bald Eagles do not have the white head and tail feathers of the adults until they are about five years old.

Have a wonderful day!

For more weather-related photos, visit Sky Watch Friday: Click Here!

For an interesting variety of photos, visit Willy Nilly Friday 5: Click Here!

And on Saturday, please visit Saturday's Critters and I'd Rather B Birdin'

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

A Frozen Bloom Day, November 15, 2013

Here in the northeastern corner of Mississippi, we have had two nights of below freezing temperatures. It was 27F on Tuesday night and 26F on Wednesday night.
These photos were made yesterday (Thursday morning).

Butterflyweed

The Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa, produced an amazing number of seeds in late Summer.
I am hoping to have a lot more plants next year, though I think it will take several years for them
to be old enough to bloom.

French Marigold, beautiful even with deadly frost

The Marigolds have been steady bloomers for months.
I will certainly plant them again in the Spring.

Pansies

Pansies are hardy here in the middle of Zone 7. You can expect to see their smiling faces for the December Bloom Day (unless they are covered with snow).

'Little Marvel' Peas

The seed packet says these garden peas are hardy to 20F. The weather forecast for the next few weeks is for milder temperatures, so maybe I will get a harvest.

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

To see what is blooming around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens: Click Here!


For photos featuring the color ORANGE, visit Orange You Glad It's Friday: Click Here!

October Salad Days, October 26, 2013

'Grand Rapids' Lettuce, October 5, 2013

'Grand Rapids' Lettuce seeds were sown the last week in August
First harvest was October 5th, very near the '45 days to maturity' promised on the seed packet.
Now the weather is getting much colder, I'm covering the plants at night.

'Limestone Bibb' Lettuce, October 26, 2013

The first sowing of this lettuce failed to germinate, probably because the weather was still too hot.
'Limestone Bibb' Lettuces sown again on September 18. They are growing very slowly.

'Fooled You' mild Jalapeno Pepper, October 26, 2013

I've been covering the pepper plants at night hoping to coax a few more to get to eating size.
The rest of my garden (beans, tomatoes, okra) is finished. I'm already planning for next year!

First Frost, October 26, 2013

The view this morning at breakfast - first frost!
The field in the background is Soy Beans ready for harvest.

Have a beautiful day!

To be inspired to grow your own salad ingredients, visit Veg Plotting: Click Here!

Planning the Fall Garden August 23, 2013

Sky Watch Friday

Cloudy skies all week. Finally the rain came on Thursday night.

Salad Days

Sweet 100 (red) and Sun Sugar (yellow) tomatoes can be sliced in half or added whole to a salad.

When these two tomato plants first began to fruit in July,
I was getting about the same amount of tomatoes from each one.
But now the Sun Sugar has slowed down production and the Sweet 100 has speeded up!

Lettuces and peas will be planted next week.

Now that the worst heat of the Summer is over, I can plant cool weather vegetables.
I am planning to plant two types of lettuce:
Grand Rapids is a loose leaf lettuce, and Bibb is a butterhead variety.
I have not grown either one before, so I am eager to see how they do.

Another cool weather vegetable I am trying for the first time is Little Marvel peas.
The packet says "8-12 days to germination, 61 days to harvest"
Little green peas can be cooked like any other pea, but we like them sprinkled raw on our salads.

Have a wonderful week-end!

For more Sky Watch Friday: Click Here!

For more on Salad Days, visit Veg Plotting: Click Here! and learn about using seed tapes.




The Winter Garden February 2012

Winter Gardening Experiment
and the 52 Week Salad Challenge
 This is my first year to attempt growing a Fall/Winter garden. On August 31, September 13, and September 24, I planted radishes, onions and carrots in containers - just a small experimental garden.

Home-grown salad ingredients February 22, 2012

My harvest from October 2011 through February 2012
'Early Scarlet Globe' Radishes - 34 (they were ready to eat in 6  to 10 weeks).
'Little Fingers' Baby Carrots - 65 (with a few more still to be pulled).
'Evergreen Long White Bunching' Onions - 4 (The onions are just now getting big enough to eat.
                                                                      Many more to come).

Not a great total, but pretty good, I think, for a small experiment in winter gardening.

On November 24, I planted a container of potatoes. They have had a stuggle to survive. The foliage was frozen twice in January, despite being covered at night. (One night 22F, -5C, another night 19F, -7C). However, with warmer temperatures, they put up leaves again.

When, and if, I have new potatoes to eat, I'll have rosemary to season them with.

February 5, 2012 - The Rosemary seems to enjoy the winter weather!

On February 1, I planted more radishes in the container that has only onions left in it.

Of course, the weather immediately turned much colder!

They poked their little heads up on February 13 and seem to be growing well.

I sowed more radish seeds on February 20.

The first of March, I plan to plant more containers with lettuce, onions, carrots and radishes. It will be another two months before the weather is right to get started with tomatoes, peppers, and other warm season vegetables. But I may try to get an earlier start. We'll see how it goes! 

Veg Plotting has issued a challenge to grow our own salads all year round.

For more on the 52 Week Salad Challenge Click Here!