Blooming orchid tree

I planted 3 seeds of an orchid tree in the spring of 2009. I used simple white plastic cups for planting and wrote on each: "Please grow". Well, it listened! We've got 3 perfect little seedlings. We left 2 in the pot and planted the third one right in the garden.

Over the years the 2 potted ones died but the one in the ground survived the heat, the frost, several transplants and became a beautiful little tree. Today it's about 7 feet tall and this is the first spring when our tree made some flowers and there are so many of them!

I am very happy about it - big smiles :) I just took a picture of the massive planting of these trees by Harrah's Hotel in Laughlin, NV so here is how it will hopefully look one day: 

Insecticide soap for your garden

If you are a gardener, you probably will recognize this picture:

Aphids. I went to the garden to cut some fresh dill yesterday and found them everywhere. It's like they arrived overnight and got comfortable in our yard. 

Luckily I know what to do and it took me just half an hour to get rid of them. I made insecticide soap from vegetable oil, laundry detergent and water, sprayed the plants and I found aphids dead in the late afternoon.

I am going to continue growing the dill I sprayed and use it for the seeds for the next season. I still have some flower beds with herbs which were not infected by the insects. These plants we will be able to use for food.

I'd like to share the recipe of insecticide soap with you. It works great on plants and you can make it any time from your household items. It is also inexpensive compare to the store-bought insecticides and can be organic, depending on what ingredients you are using.

You will need:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 table spoon full of liquid laundry detergent (not concentrated, not citrus based)

Water as needed

1 pint jar, mixing bowl, spray bottle

Mix the first 2 ingredients and pour into in a jar. Now, mix 1 to 2 tea spoons of this mix with 1 cup of tap water. Pour it into a spray bottle.

Use your insecticide in the early morning on a dry non-windy day. Shake the content of your bottle and spray the plants preferably under the leaves of the infected plants. I always get so enthusiastic and I spray the entire plant.  

I have used this recipe for over decade now on my roses and tomato plants (now herbs, too!) and it always works for me.

Welcome Spring!

The spring is here, no matter what our local groundhog said. I even saw a little lizard on a fence sunbathing in a warm rays.

It was not a long cold winter for us, no. But it was still slightly cold. So I am really happy to see the first signs of desert spring.

 I even worked in a garden a little yesterday and enjoyed our first crop. 5 radishes, some green onions and bell peppers. Some greens from a local store and we'll have a salad!

The time for comfort food has passed!

Our babies are also enjoying their greens. 

I planted some grass seeds in a planter last fall and they found it very useful now :)

The homegrown mushrooms project

Well, we purchased a log of shiitake mushrooms online. 

What a fun project! You don't have to do a lot, just follow the simple instructions, pour some water on the log about 3 times a day and they will grow. 

 The most delicious mushrooms ever!

Late summer garden

It is still hot here in Arizona and not much you can do in a garden right now. You can still run outside and quickly do something at about 6 o'clock in a morning when it is finally getting a little cooler but other than that there is no time for gardening yet.
During day I am quickly running outside to walk dogs and it is brutal... I am surprised that my garden has survived this summer! We had some wonderful monsoon season rainy days earlier this Month, I wish there would be more! The desert needs it !Well, on a positive note, my roses are starting to bloom again which is a good sign. That mean Fall is almost here with it's moderate temperatures. I can not wait :)Another nice thing is that we got our first harvest of bananas! We planted this small banana bush 3 years ago with intention to give our garden a tropical flair. Well, 1 bush turned into the tree, than another one, and another one... it is very pretty and huge now but the sad thing is each tree dies after producing fruits. Pity ! The good thing is the new one is quickly growing since it is multiplying from the rhizomes. There is still hope we will be lucky to have it for years to come! :)
I did some canning (yes, I thought of my friends & family, the jam is a lovely Holiday gift) and finally digged out the spring bulbs of freesias, hyacinth and paperwhites. It is time to dry them and prepare for the Fall storing!

SALE at SOCKSANDMITTENS

It is never too late for Christmas in July, isn't it? or, in May :)




Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know:

There is a SPRING SALE going on right now in our store!

You can find some lovely hand knit socks or gloves or cell phone sleeves on sale for less than if you'd get it right before the Holidays.

By the way, our acrylic socks are great to use all year round - I am wearing mine in a garden with my cloggs or around the house, the bare floor is still too cold for me! And gloves - they are great to type in in a cold office or use it for work inside of that huge refrigerator - believe me, I've been there!

So, take a look at our sale items, I hope you will find there something you like!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend,

Tanya

This little piggy went to market :)

I bought so many pretty flowers today!





I can't wait for the morning coffees outside while we sit & look at their pretty faces! :)