We have some winners....and a few new things in the veggie garden

13 comments:
 Sequoia strawberries...
The local growers are currently planting new crops so I figured I could give this a try too...

There are some amazing farms right along the highway 
heading north between Oxnard and Santa Barbara

I would suspect that a huge amount of the strawberries 
for sale in grocery stores
 come from this area

But I think the birds are going to be a problem...I need a scarecrow!

 Wonderful mesclun and lettuces 
love
 love 
love 
the seeds from Renee's Garden
 These seeds can be sown directly into the garden bed and in about 3 weeks you will have more lettuce than you know what to do with....
even if you have just a small garden area.

One seed packet covers about a 2'x2' area

A few of my favorites are:

Monet's Garden Mesclun
Garden Babies Butterhead
Heirloom Cutting mix
and
Paris Market mix

 Radish can be done a variety of ways...but I have found the seed tape from Burpee's to work really well and you get really big BIG  radish...like golf balls
 and it's easy to use...try the carrot tape too
 this summer I finally got a handle on the tomato plants
 I did some Roma...these are the easiest tomatoes to grow and seem to have the least problems with pests and that type of thing...

I have not used any pesticides on my vegetables yet
and want to keep it that way if at all possible...but there are so many new organic products on the nursery shelf that it's really not a big deal if you need some help

 Early Girl...a big favorite of many gardeners
Try these...I don't think you will be disappointed
 Sweet 1000 cherries...amazing and so sweet...hence the name...duh
and yellow pear, which are coming in really slow

 The apple crop was good and so were the peaches...
but the critters had a heyday with the fruit...
wish they would head off to somebody else's garden...right?!
 I tried some Jalepeno peppers this summer and they came in great...love them!
 Flowering chives are wonderful...the blossoms can be tossed into a salad for some spice
Yum 

 It's funny how I used to be so careful,
 about labeling what I was planting...now I use wood stakes and turn the seed packet on end and call it a day.

I figure, that if I can't tell what the heck I'm growing by looking at it
 or tasting it
I should give up the vegetable garden all together...

OK so enough gardening for today...
 on to the good stuff:

The Herbarium winners!!!!
woo hoo

Winner number 1

Doreen!





Winner number 2

Paula!


Thank you to everybody who entered...
I will share the pressings that they will be getting on a future post 
and I hope the winners will share their creative ideas for using them too...oh and please email me at here so I can mail out your goodies!

 I think as summer is winding to a close, we should all give ourselves permission to take a break and enjoy the sunshine...
take time with family and kids and pets
eat a big ripe tomato 
and 
take a run through the sprinkler!

Congrats to the winners
&
Bon Appetite

kelley

13 comments:
  1. Love you, your blog, your pictures and your giveaways! I just sent you an email. And my face is now the color of those tomatoes!

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  2. Love all the photos of your garden. Wish i had some of those tomatoes- yum! Have you done any thing new to the condo? You always have such great ideas.

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  3. Yea! It makes my week when there is a garden post from The Polished Pebble! Lovin' the garden photos and just hearing how it is doing! I love your garden wicker type chairs. What is the details on those?? Thanks so much for the posts! Love it!

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  4. What a bountiful harvest! Beautiful.

    Love this tomato photos, I had good luck this year too even though I only planted two pots full.

    Have great week.

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  5. Those tomatoes look so good! Enjoy your harvest...
    Jane (artfully graced)

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  6. Congratulations to Paula and Doreen! Your garden is my inspiration Kelley!

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  7. Your garden is wonderful.. those radishes! yum! big enough to make that radish juice the French say is so good for your skin!

    inspiring!

    xoxo Kit

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  8. Congrats to the winners, and I'm coming to your house for dinner...yum!

    Kat :)

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  9. Okay what is the "seed tape"? I am going to have to Google that as soon as I am done here..I grow radishes. Not very well but I grow them. They are always a bit misshapen because I am too lazy to thin the seedlings. Try the "watermelon" variety if you haven't already - great whimsical reverse coloring!
    Just tonight I was clearing the last of my bolted and flowering radish plants from my garden and I found one shaped like a heart!
    I am considering seeding a second round of cold crops since I have freed up a row or two and it if fall is mild enough I could have time for some more lettuce and more radishes!!

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  10. Hi - I'm your Newest Follower! Nice to meet you -

    I love gardening but tend to grow flowers...I live in South Florida, so I should really attempt vegetable gardening - I'd have fresh vegetables year-round!

    Your garden looks like it's doing beautifully...enjoy the rewards!

    Best Wishes,

    Linda

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  11. Congrats to Doreen & Paula!! Lucky girls!

    Love seeing what's happening in your garden Kelley, your thumb is greener than all of those beautiful baby greens put together!
    Happy gardening!!!
    xo J~

    (I'll take some of those strawberries if the birds leave you any leftovers ;)

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  12. Hi! I know you are super busy with everything right now but I just wanted to take a quick second and say THANK YOU for the kitchen garden inspiration!

    During the winter I found you lovely kitchen garden and it enlightened me to thinking that my soon to be "kitchen garden" could be a lovely space to be! If you have time glance at it here:

    http://cowgirlculture.blogspot.com/2011/08/kitchen-garden-update-august-2011.html

    but if not just know that you and what you do are appreciated! Have a great day!

    Oh, and I did give you credit as my inspiration in this post here:

    http://cowgirlculture.blogspot.com/2011/03/kitchen-garden-inspiration.html

    Kelsey

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  13. I got my prize yesterday. Your packaging ROCKS!

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