Tomato Super Cage

Critters! Tomatoes! Off-Limits!

We love heirloom tomatoes! The taste is divine! I passed by that beautiful Cherokee Purple just about ripe. One more day I said. My husband anxiously awaited a BLT with the first one of the season. Out I go for a morning stroll and to pluck up that beauty...

NOT COOL CRITTER :(

Darling hubby is DONE! Reclaimed wood and hardware cloth and a weekend later.

Tomato Super Cage Anti-Critter

This photo was taken before the doors were installed, but you get the idea. I figure when the heat gets bad we will add shade cloth to the top and in winter try adding some plastic wrap to prolong the growing! The pallet herb garden on the right was a housewarming gift from a dear friend! However I grow herbs everywhere!

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, one of our favorites!

Yesterdays harvest. The bright reds came off a volunteer bush last fall that produced all winter in the greenhouse and is still going! The Cherokee Purples are the first keepers we protected with our Super Cage! First bell of the season. Have you noticed how long produce lasts just out of your garden compared to store bought?

Window Boxes

Love those volunteers!

Window boxes from Ikea. Mirrors in old window frames add character to the side of our pool house. Snapdragons and Asparagus Fern do not require much care. Sometimes the plants that volunteer to come back are the best!

Awaiting Spring

Do you long for warm weather? I count down the days to guessing if all the freeze possibility has past. My bulbs don't care though they bloom when they are ready and make me smile. Daffodils already bobbing their heads give me hope.

I'm a lover of flowers and live for Spring!

Getting ready on those unusually warm days can seem overwhelming and the urge to run out to the garden center and buy all those beautiful spring flowers before prepping is finished is hard to control. Trust me I have done the process in reverse and at times have lost plants while I'm preparing the beds.

So to organize plantings, start with a rake and some gloves with a trash bag in tow. Assess what made it through, what is likely to come back and then step back and plan. I like to mulch now, even though you can after you've planted. (your preference)Make a list of what you think you need along with starter solution and plant food. But don't buy more than you can do in one day.

If you go to Louisiana

We lived a good portion of our raising children life in the heart of Cajun Country! My husband hails from a long line of southerners and loves his southern comfort foods. He also loves hot peppers and spice! He thinks I'm "hot" that's why we are still together! :)
I love the natural flavors in food, but I also have studied herbs and spices to learn what seasonings will enhance those natural flavors.I grow a lot of my own peppers and herbs as well and have learned how to dry them.  So what does this have to do with organizing you may ask?
Confession: I alphabetize my spices.
When you see how many I have you will see why. There are a multitude of spice racks out there,  so you choose what is best for you, judging on how many you want to store and whether or not you like them out on the counter or not. I prefer these acrylic storage racks available at The Container Store. Herbs and spice have a limited shelf life too so keeping them out of direct light is important to me.


So here is a view inside my spice cabinet. Yes, I'm obsessed.

Hint: There is enough room behind these racks to store extra spice for refills. Behind the large containers I have seldom used items. I always try not to store things where you have to constantly shuffle items to find what you need. Things you use all the time should be in clear view and within easy reach. 


One of my favorite cookbooks, Talk About Good!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Spices Add Variety To Any Kitchen (thehomeadventure.com)

Cooking without herbs and spice is like missing the sunset

Seasons
In my youth I skipped through the garden, sat in tree houses and ran through the wheat, in my teens I sat on the porch and ate fresh tomatoes from my father's garden, watched my mother baby her plants and turned cartwheels on the grass, as a mother I produced my own produce and gathered annuals for my yard, as an empty nester my green thumbs throbbed and my garden replaced races from soccer fields and church camps, and late night chats with children. My garden pace is slower now, but I once heard the best fertilizer for the garden is your shadow. I love our little piece of heaven on earth!