Home grown TOMATO Pests and garden woes.

August 10, 2012 By Filed Under: Gardening, gardening plants, tomato

Every year we plant a garden and always get tons of delicious juicy tomatoes. There’s nothing better than a red ripe tomato and we sure do enjoy them.  This year birds are eating up our tomatoes like they never have before.

rotten tomato

So many of them look like this with the center eaten away.

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So now we have a fence to keep out the rabbits and netting to keep out the birds. I tied on some  plastic bags and aluminum plates in an effort to keep away the pests. Along with the lack of rain, crunchy dead looking grass and intruders in the garden the whole yard looks pretty bad.  How do you keep pest out of your garden?

I am at my daughter’s house watching Mia and helping her move into a friend’s rental house while their new home is being built. I hope to take some pictures of the model house to share. She’s lucky to have a friend that will rent to them on a short term basis but it’s hard knowing that you have to move twice. ugh, don’t you hate moving?

I didn’t have time to work on a Friday feature this week but it will be back next week. Hope you have a great weekend!

 

Thanks for visiting! Debbie (((xx)))

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, gardening

August 18, 2011 By Filed Under: Cooking ~ baking ~ recipes~food, food, foods, Gardening, gardening plants, home canning, peaches, tomato, zucchini

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We plant a garden every year and I have to admit, this year, our garden is a mess. Between too much rain, no rain, pesky insects and rabbits, it’s looking pretty bad.

Despite all that, we are still getting some vegetables. Not as much as we have in past years, but still plenty for us. Our neighbors must be wondering why they aren’t getting many tomatoes or zucchini from us this year.

The GOOD.     We got some absolutely delicious cantaloupe, there were plenty of zucchini for making relish and my husband got plenty of his beloved chili peppers. And I had a burst of energy and actually put up some peach preserves. Put up means canned around these parts.

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The BAD.  Cracked and split is how almost all the tomatoes look and an insect is eating them up right on the vine. It has to be insects or birds because rabbits can’t reach that high. Next year I guess we’ll spray them.  We never have before and always got nice looking tomatoes.

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The UGLY. This year I tried a new tomato, Black Krim. The pictures don’t show just how ugly they are. When cut open, the edges are black and I thought rotten, but boy are they loaded with a rich tomato flavor and not rotten at all…..just ugly.

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We planted a couple rows of green beans and  harvested about…….four! That’s four beans. I saw that the plants didn’t have many blooms on them and sure enough it was rabbits. Our garden is completely surrounded by wire fencing but baby rabbits still get in and had a grand smorgasbord. We didn’t see them because they hid in the zucchini plants.Bunny

Next year a new fence will be the first project on the list………unless Clint Eastwood shows up.

 

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How does your garden grow this year?

Debbie (((xx)))

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~My Darling, I love YOU~

August 28, 2008 By Filed Under: Cooking ~ baking ~ recipes~food, tomato

My Darling,
You know how much I adore you! In my younger years I was blind to your beauty, but as I mature I grow to appreciate you more & more each passing year. I adore you all ways, but especially firm, red & ripe from the garden. .

Freshly picked, I’ve eaten you as if you were a juicy apple with your sweet juices running down my chin. I’ve enjoyed you red & yellow & orange paired with aromatic basil & feta cheese, a combination created in heaven. I’ve loved you in crispy salads & dishes savory & sweet. You add that certain je ne sais quol in fresh tomato cake. There would be no creamy tomato soup without you, it would be only the heart broken, lonely grilled cheese sandwich without it’s perfect companion. I can’t say enough about my love for you, so I’m begging you PLEASE don’t go! I know that you’ll return again next year, but how I’ll miss you! In my heart those supermarket imposters will NEVER take your place.

You must go, I understand, but PLEASE hurry back my love. In the Spring, with shovel & hoe I’ll be waiting for you…….only you. Tears of joy will flood my face as I press your tender roots into the warm earth knowing that soon we will be together again.

I Love You, DebraK

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Fresh ripe tomato dripping with mayo, salt, pepper on toasted bread……..mmmmmm. Enjoy this simple summer treat while you can.

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