I shared my new gardening overalls earlier in the summer. They’ve been put to good use this year.
The vegetable garden is in full force, harvesting zucchini and tomatoes each day. The zucchini, well, it’s starting to pile up. Time for more zucchini bread and noodles. The tomatoes will be stored in the freezer until we have enough to can. (Oh! I got a new canner. An electric Nesco pressure canner. So far, I’ve only water bathed jam. Strawberry, cherry, and rhubarb orange. Looking forward to dipping our toes into pressure canning with tomato products.)
I removed a corner of hosta in our backyard and planted a cut flower garden. For most of the summer, I’ve been wondering if it was a mistake. Fighting with deer and rabbits, and my own dogs to keep them out. Slow growth due to colder temperatures this close to Lake Michigan. It just felt like a failed effort.
Until August showed up. All of a sudden, I have dahlias. Dahlias! My first time growing dahlias and, my goodness, they’re impressive. Zinnias. Bachelor buttons. Calendulas. Cosmos. A Shasta daisy plant that grew bigger but never bloomed. (Sigh.) It’s been a joy to cut flowers and have a vase on the kitchen counter.
Our other big gardening project this year was to take four metal file cabinets, turn them onto their backs, add wheels, remove drawers, paint and plant them. Our “patio” is on our driveway and we sought to have some sort of division. The file cabinets of wildflowers and sunflowers have done the trick.
there's no place like gnome. 
Love all your ideas! So clever!❤️
Sounds awesome!
Not so sure about bike…
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Looks good I love zucchini if you make somemore I’d love some Grandma doesn’t make it anymore
Oh my, I love all this news. We have had nothing but trouble with squirrels and rabbits. They dig up and eat everything that is on the ground level. I had to dig up my zinnas from Fort Forth Texas (Lianna) brought back seeds from an early vacation. The rabbits or squirrels dug almost all of them up, left the root so I put in a hanging basket and hung on a hook. They look really crazy tall in a basket but I saved a few. We are having lots of heat. So your cooler weather sounds welcome. Today 94, and next 2 days 100 and 104. I will be at the sewing machine. Lawns are terrible. Weeds finally grew after some much needed rain so after of wee from the day they got sprayed I am out in the evening gathering the dead plant and as many seed as I can. But after 7 pm. Probably making it worse but I can’t look at those dead weeds everywhere. Love your patio and yes, I can imagine it with all those beautiful flowers. My glads are just blooming so enjoying them. As soon as they open they come in as the heat will just make them wilt. Now into fall. Enjoy all you garden produce So good to hear from you. Blessings.