Salvia

I decided to plant some red salvia in the garden bed. I haven't grown it before but my husband brought it home because he thought i'd like it. I do. It's a perennial for warmer zones but here in Kansas the winter will be too hard . Nevertheless, it will be a nice summer addition, possibly growing up to 5 feet.

Petunia Love

I love petunias because they're not only pretty but easy to grow and care for. They're very hardy and grow in all zones.This year's batch in the garden bed is spreading nicely. My pots are starting to bloom and will be good showpieces for the patio and porch. Plant petunias in your summer garden and you'll never be sorry.

Thoughts on Container Gardening

I started growing flowers in pots a couple years ago, and although I made a lot of mistakes i've learned a lot. I'm doing a lot more this year and they're coming along nicely. I'm designing an area in the front yard to display them all and of course i'll put pictures up when it's ready.

If you want to start your own container garden there are many good tips at This site from the University of Illinois. Another site from HGTV has some ideas for patio or yard display. Here's a slideshow of my pots from last summer.

First Handful of Strawberries

The strawberry patch is producing like crazy and I just picked some ripe ones. They're very juicy and sweet and i'm putting together recipes for them. Jam will probably be first. I also have a blackberry bush but no berries on it yet. It's looking healthy though so I hope we'll get some soon.

My Chili Recipe

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes. It's easy to make and it's delicious. We like to have it with cornbread.

1lb. gr. beef
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 can(16 0z) peeled tomatoes
1 can(8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
3 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 cloves garlic minced
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, if you like

Fry up ground beef, onions, and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, sauce and rest of seasonings. Stir in beans, bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Put shredded cheese on top.


The result

Sharing Some Tips

A very informative article from Mother Earth News.
Best Tips For Starting Seeds Indoors

Strawberries!

Strawberries are blooming this year so we should have plenty this summer.Can't wait to make some preserves. I'll have to send my mom some, she just loves them.

Planted the corn today so all that's left is tomatoes and potatoes. I hope this awful heat gets better. 102 degrees today. All my flowers are in the ground or in pots. Anxious for my summer blooms.