Tomato Volunteer

Every summer, like most vegetable gardeners, I end up with tomatoes that are damaged in some way that makes them inedible. Usually a bird has pecked them or it they did not get the right amount of water and have blossom end rot. I usually just pick those tomatoes and drop them on the ground under the tomato plant. By doing this, the following spring I have tomato volunteers. I found my first one this afternoon. From where it is located, I can hope that it is a Green Zebra. However, there is no telling, it could be anything. The main purpose of these little volunteers is that when they come up and are about six inches tall, I know it is probably the right time to plant my other seedlings. I know other gardeners plant either on April Fools Day (to early for me) or Mother's Day (to late to suit me).

When I get back in town Sunday, I will plant my tomato plants that are about six inches tall. Many of my seedlings are still tiny and not ready to be planted in the garden. The Cherokee Purple and Early Girl are ready. I have been worrying over these tiny little tomato plants. They just don't seem to be growing fast enough. Last week I added compost, blood meal, and bone meal to each of the pots. Two days ago, I made a solution of fish emulsion and Super Thrive and watered them with it. Today they looked a lot better. I think they are on their way.

I will be away for the next four days. I will be traveling with four of my friends to the Texas State Master Gardener convention in Conroe. I was just informed by email that I am a delegate. That means I have to vote on an agenda and a budget. We will take six classes and go on at least one garden tour. I should come home with all kinds of great new ideas and information plus a few stories about who snored the loudest. I am not going to do the wild flower post this week unless something inspires me between now and sunset. To make it up to you, I will find some cool wild flower or wild flower field between here and Houston and post about it when I get home.

In Honor of Earth Day I Stole Meme's Garbage

Today I took care of my two grand nephews. I watched them at Meme's house. Meme is their grandmother. The boys ate apples and I drank coffee. I grabbed a plastic grocery sack ( Yes, she still has plastic grocery sacks), and put the apple core, apple peels, coffee grounds and coffee filters into it. I then put the sack on the kitchen counter so I would not forget to take it home for the compost pile and worm bin.

A few hours later, Meme comes back and wants to know what's in the sack. I said, "Stuff for my compost pile." She got the you've got to be kidding me?? how did I pick you as a best friend???? look on her face and handed me the bag with two fingers barely touching it.

A few years ago she was surprised that my compost pile did not "smell." She actually asked, "Why doesn't it smell?" I told her that compost should not smell.

I am going to try to convince her to put compostable stuff in her freezer and save it for my worms. My worms really need more food now that there are bazillions of them.

Come on family and friends celebrate Earth Day and help me feed the poor hungry worms in small town Texas.

I am going back to watch the boys again tomorrow and I am going to steal her garbage again.

Get ready everyone, there will be snarky comments.

Oil of Oregano

I finally feel better and I had the answer in my cabinet all along. Oil of oregano. I used to work at an organic nursery and one of my coworkers was/is an herbalist. She turned me on to oil of oregano, wild oregano to be exact. This took care of my recurrent upper respiratory symptoms. The stuff works for me and it works fast. I just put a drop of it under my tongue and then drink a cup of very warm water. Things generally open up right away and I get better within a day or so. So why, oh why did I subject myself to a weeks worth antibiotics, steroids, and a sedative cough medicine when I had the cure right at my finger tips. I forgot. I completely forgot about this wonderful herb. All the "medicine" did for me was upset my stomach and make me sleepy. The oregano let me breathe immediately and the cough is almost gone. I spent over $100 when a $1 dose of oregano oil made me actually feel better. I could have saved mysef the side effects. I should have at least tried the oregano before going to the M.D. The only drawback, oil of oregano tastes worse than fennel tea.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

Baby Monkey is nine years old today. Hard to believe. The time goes by so fast.

Mac&Cheese with a Twist

As some of y'all may know, I am under the weather. Well, really under the bus. I have bronchitis exacerbating my asthma. My breathing sounds a little like my Daddy Jake's old tractor all rattling and back firing. When I answer the phone the person on the other end automatically says "your sound terrible." Thanks y'all. I am so obviously sick that I am being tag team checked on by several of the sisters, Meme, and Mamala.

To help me out, or maybe because the just wanted to, Manly Man and Middle Monkey took over dinner last night. Manly Man commandeered the grill and made blackened chicken. Middle Monkey made mac & cheese and corn. He was the cutest thing ever standing on a step stool belly up to the stove. My contribution was wandering out into the garden and picking a bowl of mescalin mix lettuce.

There is nothing much nicer that having my man cook for me. There is absolutely nothing sweeter than watching him teach his ten-year-old son how to cook. I tried to help, but was banished from the kitchen. Apparently, they did not want me to contaminate the area.

The food was good. Middle Monkey put butter in the mac & cheese and corn. He has already figured out that butter is the way to a southerner's heart. My man's blackened chicken is absolutely the best. It was the very first thing he cooked for me when we were dating. This pretty much sealed the deal for me. One winter evening, he tried making it on the stove top in the house. Very, very bad idea. The smoke detector went off and we had to open the doors and windows in thirty degree weather to air out the place. Dixie and Allie, our cats at that time, were miffed for days.

Early this morning, I woke up from my codeine cough syrup induced sleep very hungry. Blackened chicken makes a wonderful sandwich with mayo and garden fresh lettuce. I added a little basil to the mac and cheese and reheated it - heaven in a bowl.

I hope nobody else wanted left overs. I think this is a sign of recovery and the reason I will never be skinny.

Thank You VP for the E.

VP of Veg Plotting honored me with the E for excellence blog award. How sweet she is. Please be sure to visit her blog. How to give a cat a pill is quite priceless. In accepting this award I have to pass it on to ten other blogs. Here are my choices. I know some of you have already received this, but it's my turn and I am doing it my way - Imagine that.


First to Just Jack My sister's boy and the cutest baby ever. Dee at Red Dirt Ramblings For getting me into this mess. Dee encouraged me to join Blotanical. I have had so much fun and cyber met so many other bloggers. Her site is beautiful. Sherry at Sherry's Zoo and Garden because I love a zoo. Joy at GardenJoy4Me I know you already have this, but I had to share again. You crack me up. Anna at Flower Garden Girl One of the nicest ladies you will ever read. She also has some of the prettiest designs and collages that I like to copy. Matt and Jen at Our First Garden A sweet couple with lady bugs all over their blog. It has been fun watching as they create their new garden. All those at Tomato Casual this blog is obsessed with or dedicated to tomatoes. Ourfriendben, Silence Dogood, and Richard at Poor Richards Almanac Always a great read. Sometimes funny, sometimes smart, sometime a little sad, often about one of my favorite subjects, food. Curmudgeon and Wing Nut at Weed Wackin Wenches Two ladies with a wicked sense of humor, great plant stuff and a raccoon. Finally, VP at Veg Plotting I had to tag back, I love your blog.

Thanks again VP. This has been fun.

My Passion for Passion Flowers

Look what I found this afternoon. My Passion Flower has already started to bloom. This is Passiflora incarnata or Maypop. This vine is about 25 feet long covering a corner of our chain link fence. It blooms almost all season. In my area it is almost evergreen. It is also the larval food for Gulf Fritillary butterflies. In a few weeks we should have caterpillars having an feast. As soon as they show up, I will post a picture.

According to Wikipedia, Passion flower is native to all areas of the world, excluding Europe and Antarctica. There are nine species native to the U.S. The structure of the flower requires a large bee or humming bird for pollination. We will see humming birds, bumble bees, and caterpillars all over this all summer. It is a happening place.

I am a pretty happy gardener right now.