The garden

Well Fall is here, and it seems like it showed up overnight.  The temps have fallen to "absolutely perfect", the monsoon rains have ended, and the humidity is approximately 0%.  The summer certainly was eventful, especially in the garden.

  Some plants had a rough start in the spring because the winds were just nonstop.  The cukes never really did get going too well, but I still managed to make 3 jars of pickles, and two plants look like they might revive a bit for Fall.  At first I thought the beans wouldn't be able to recover from the wind damage, but by late spring and early summer they were going strong and I've harvested more beans than ever before.

  We blanched a whole bunch of them last month, and will probably be able to do a second batch in a few weeks.  I only got a few beets, and the onions (planted nearby) didn't fare so well either- many of them have been rotten.  The monsoons were absolutely intense this year and one half of the garden (where the beets, cukes, and onions are planted) got flooded more than once even though the garden is higher than the surrounding area and has great drainage.  Then there was the hail with the one storm which tore up most of the leaves on the Butternut squash, zucchini, and yellow squash.

  It looks like we'll still have a pretty good harvest of Butternut squash though since the hail came after most of the veggies were big enough to handle it.

  We got a good crop of the zucchini and summer squash earlier in the season and were able to blanch and freeze enough of those to take us through winter.

 By the middle to end of the season though, the plants had just gotten too much water and the roots were rotting.  And of course the squash bugs took advantage of the weakened plants and further damaged them.  A few weeks ago I pulled up the ones that were too far gone, leaving just a few that may recover enough to give us at least a few more veggies.  Luckily tomatoes like rain and can handle some pretty tough conditions.  All the varieties we planted (yellow, pink, and 2 varieties of cherry) have done well, although they are ripening more slowly as the nights turn colder.

 The Bell peppers and mini Bell peppers are doing really well, as are the carrots, so I should be able to make at least one more big batch of my garden fresh pasta sauce (I basically throw in all the fresh veggies and herbs I can harvest and cook it low and slow all day long).

 The Japanese eggplants have just recently started producing, but they seem to be doing well.  I made a mouthwatering eggplant Parmesan the other night ;) 

The herbs and salad garden have fared quite well and I've had fresh salad every night for months now, along with plenty of fresh basil (made tons of pesto!), parsley, chives, scallions, oregano, and rosemary.

 Oh, and for the first time I got several REALLY good cantaloupe.

  Although the season is coming to a close we should have another couple of months before the first frost, so I imagine I'll be harvesting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salad, Swiss chard, carrots, and herbs at least until Thanksgiving.  This was my first year gardening in Arizona (I'm originally from Ohio) and while it has it's own unique challenges, I love this place and this was the most successful garden I've had.  Of course I've been saving seeds from everything I can (flowers included), so I won't even have to buy seeds next year.  Right now I'm planning on what to plant in the greenhouse.  I put the garlic in last week and some of it has already sprouted.  It takes hard work, dedication, and lots of sweat (especially when it's 115 degrees!), but nothing beats fresh herbs and veggies, grown organically and nurtured by your own hand. =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Natural Squash Bug Killer recipe

Ah, squash bugs- the bane of any gardener who grows any type of squash!  These nasty little suckers attack zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, melons, and other related plants (cucurbits).  The complete life cycle of the squash bug commonly requires six to eight weeks, which is why if you catch them early you can at least reduce their numbers, if not eliminate them completely.  Squash bugs overwinter as adults in plant debris, so it's a good idea to thoroughly clean up your garden in the fall.  We also let our chickens free range in our large fenced garden during the winter and up until planting time in the spring.  Chickens love nice juicy squash bugs!
The adult squash bug (Anasa tristis) measures 1.4 to 1.6 cm in length and is dark grayish brown in color.  Adults can live 75 to 130 days, depending on availability and quality of food.  This is a picture of a pair of mating squash bugs I took recently (before destroying the pair).

 The squash bug causes severe damage to cucurbits because it secretes highly toxic saliva into the plant. They feed primarily on the leaves, but will also attack the fruits sometimes. The foliage wilts, becomes blackened, and dies following feeding; this malady is sometimes called "anasa wilt."  A large number of squash bugs can kill an entire plant, and even if the plant survives the attack, your harvest can be severely reduced. 

Squash bugs typically deposit about 20 eggs per cluster on the underside of leaves.  You can see what the eggs look like above.  I've also seen them lay their eggs along the stem, and I even saw a cluster on the trellis once.  When you spot these egg clusters just smoosh between your finger and thumb (I wear garden gloves), otherwise in about 7 to 9 days you'll have a bunch of nymphs like these ready to ravage your garden.

Your best bet for control is to catch the adults early in the spring before they can start mating and laying eggs.  You can hand pick them and drop them in a pail of soapy water to kill them.  Early morning is the best time for this as they move more slowly at this time.  Check the base of your plants and the underside of the leaves.  The adults can be difficult to kill with insecticide (and I prefer not to use any chemicals in my garden).  The nymphs are much more vulnerable though, and that's where my natural squash bug killer recipe comes in. 

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno pepper
1 small onion
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tblsp. liquid dish soap
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. neem oil
1 qt. warm water
You can either finely chop the pepper, onion, and garlic, or use your food processor or blender.  Place these in a quart jar, add baking soda and neem oil, then add the water.  Add the soap last to avoid a sudsy mess (I learned the hard way- LOL).  Put the lid on and shake gently to mix everything together and let sit for 24 to 48 hours.  Strain out the solids (I use a fine mesh coffee filter) and pour the liquid into a handheld sprayer.

I take the sprayer with me every time I go out to the garden, but I only spray when I see the bugs.  I don't want to just douse all the plants because I'll also end up inadvertently killing beneficial insects.  I try not to spray the blossoms or the growing tips either because these are tender parts of the plant and might get damaged by the spray.  I also want to encourage pollinators, so I don't want the smell of the spray on the flowers to drive them away.  I only spray when I have to; even though this is a safe and natural control method, less is usually better.  If I can I'll simply cut off a leaf with all the nymphs on it and feed it to the chickens.  If you're careful the nymphs will stay right on the leaf, and removing the leaf won't harm the plant.

I've had great success using these methods, and although there are still squash bugs in the garden, they're not causing nearly the amount of damage they would  have if I hadn't been so vigilant from the beginning of the season. I hope these tips and the recipe are helpful for you as well.  Another bonus is that if you grow your own garlic, onions, and hot peppers like I do then your cost is fairly minimal.

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Fall is the perfect time to plant vegetables and herbs

Right about now is the perfect time to plant Fall crops, including those that will be harvested this fall and winter, as well as though planted in fall for an early Spring harvest.

Although there may not be much time left until the first frost, you can still get a good harvest of certain crops in the next month or two. You'll have to be sure your seedlings get plenty of water, and they may need some extra protection from the sun, but once the plants are established, they'll thrive in the cool Fall weather.
Johnny's Fall Planting Calculator is a handy tool to help you figure out the dates crops need to be planted outside without season extension products. By growing your plants under row covers, your planting dates can be later than the calculator advises.  You can find different weights of row covers, from lightweight to heavy, that offer different levels of frost protection.  Some covers protect down to 20 degrees!
Some plants you can start growing in the Fall include Basil, beets, Broccoli Raab, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, kale, endive, cilantro, onions, spinach, radishes, and Swiss Chard.  I like to plant lettuce in the Spring and again in the Fall.  All of these plants enjoy the cooler Fall temperatures and more regular rainfall.  Planting in the Fall also helps make me feel better about the summer crops that are starting to \fade.  I enjoy replacing those dried up and yellowing cucumber vines, summer squash plants, and other warm weather crops with bright green little seedlings that will fill the garden with color (and food) right up until the first frost, or even longer if you use row covers.  Plus working in the garden is even more pleasant when it's a comfy 60- 65 degrees, versus the 85- 90 degrees of July!  So get out there and get your hands dirty- you'll reap the rewards of your labor in no time!
Happy gardening! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters
Find my e-books on Smashwords and Amazon

My book What To Do With Extra Zucchini is now available!

 

I am very happy to say that I am now a published author!  My very first electronic book, What To Do With Extra Zucchini, is now available for sale on Smashwords and Amazon.  I've been an avid gardener for many years now, and have grown LOTS of zucchini.  In this book I share tips on how to plant and grow zucchini, tips for growing zucchini in small spaces, and include delicious recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts.  I've also included some fun facts, along with helpful nutritional information, as well as some very creative uses for this prolific vegetable.  I know that right about now gardens are starting to overflow with zucchini, and many people are searching for new and interesting ways to use it.  It's my hope that this book will offer up a few new ideas you may not have thought of before. 
If you want your zucchini to be all that they can be, from artistic design expressions to community zucchini racing and zukapaults, this is the book for you. 

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for new books!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Find me on Smashwords 

How To Preserve Tomatoes in the Freezer

In my neck of the woods the tomatoes are producing like mad right now.  I have quite a few tomato plants in the garden, including Roma tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, a few types of red cherry tomatoes, and a few larger unknown varieties.  With all the rain and warm temps we've had over the last few months the vines are absolutely loaded with fruit, and I pick a good sized basket full every day now.  I've already used some of the larger tomatoes for chili and a chicken dish, and I munch on the cherry tomatoes like they're candy.  I still end up with more tomatoes than I can use before they go bad though.  I know many people like to can tomatoes, but the thought of adding even more heat to an already hot house isn't very appealing to me.  Several years ago I discovered that you can preserve tomatoes very simply by freezing them.  Just place your washed and dried tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I put a towel on my so the tomatoes don't get bruised) and put the sheet in the freezer.  Use the best tomatoes you can for this.  Try to avoid freezing tomatoes with bruises, spots, or other damage- use those fresh and just cut out the bad spots.

 

Let the tomatoes harden up for several hours until they're frozen solid.  Then you can just store them in a freezer bag and pull out what you need as you need it.  To thaw the tomatoes you can put them under running water.  As the tomatoes thaw the skins slip off, which is very convenient.  This works for any size or type of tomato.  Don't try to put them in the bag before they're frozen because they'll probably get squashed and it will be a mess when you go to thaw them out.  (Trust me, I'm speaking from experience- LOL).  I usually end up with enough preserved tomatoes to get me through the winter and following spring.  And when you freeze them at the peak of ripeness like this that delicious flavor (along with all those healthy nutrients) is preserved beautifully.  I turn my tomatoes into pasta sauce, chili, tacos, and all sorts of delicious things.  They blend beautifully with the garlic, onions, peppers, eggplant, and fresh herbs from my garden.
I just wanted to share this useful little tip for preserving tomatoes- it's saved me a lot of time and tomatoes!
Thanks for stopping by! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Composting Has Many Benefits and is Easy To Do

There are many benefits to composting and just about anyone can do it.  It's a great way to recycle kitchen scraps and yard debris, and keeps a lot of waste out of the landfills.  You might be surprised at what can be safely composted.  Everyday household items including cardboard tubes, newspaper, eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and leaves can be composted.  Compost enriches the garden soil and provides essential nutrients to plants and eliminates the need for adding chemicals.  Compost improves all types of soil, whether you have heavy clay like I do, or coarse sandy soil.  In clay soil compost helps loosen up the soil and in sandy soil it helps the soil retain water better.  Compost can even help prevent some soil borne diseases.  Using compost in your garden reduces the need for additional fertilizers, pesticides, and extra water.  I've been adding compost to my garden, which started out as hard packed clay with virtually no worms or insects, for the last 5 years and have seen an incredible improvement in the texture of the soil and the quality of the plants and vegetables.  I now have a thriving earthworm population, and all sorts of other beneficial insects that call my garden home.  Composting replicates nature's system for feeding plants by turning organic waste into rich hummus.  Below is a basic recipe for making compost.  With fall right around the corner, you'll be finding plenty of ingredients in your yard for compost.
Green plant matter includes: lawn clippings, old vegetable vines, weeds that haven't gone to seed, hedge clippings, vegetable and fruit skins and trimmings. 
Dry plant matter includes: fallen leaves, straw, small twigs, cornstalks, and black and white newspaper.

To make your compost:
1. Combine your ingredients in a compost bin (I use a Compost Tumbler, which works well in the suburbs).  You want your mixture to include both green and dry materials.  To speed up the composting process you can chop or shred the materials and add compost inoculant (available from most organic gardening sites).
2. Moisten the pile with the hose, but don't saturate it.  You want it evenly moist, but not sitting in water.
3. Turn the pile at least once a week.  I usually turn mine every few days to keep everything well mixed.  This allows air to move through the pile so the microbes get enough oxygen to break down the materials quickly.
4. Allow the compost to cook.  You want the pile to get nice and hot (I've had mine up to about 120 degrees) in order to kill any pathogens and weed seeds.  Check the pile regularly, especially during hot weather, and water as necessary to keep it moist.  In about a month you can start checking for finished compost.  When it's ready to be used in the garden it will be dark, moist, and crumbly.  It won't smell rotten, but will actually have a sweet earthy odor.
Happy gardening! :-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Gardening in NE Ohio can be a challenge!

I've lived in NE Ohio all my life, so you figure that by now I'd know what to expect when it comes to the weather and be able to plan my gardening activities accordingly.  Unfortunately the one thing about our weather that you can count on is that it's unpredictable!  I've been gardening for almost 15 years, and I've had to get pretty creative to help my plants thrive some years.  This year I started my Bell Peppers and Eggplants indoors a little earlier than usual because they take so long to produce vegetables.  A few weeks ago the weather was pretty nice so I started hardening them off by leaving them outside in a sheltered location for a few hours a day.  Gradually I increased the time outside and their sun exposure.  This allows them to adjust to outdoor conditions, which are quite different from what they've been growing in inside.  Calcifer enjoyed checking out the plants after I brought them in each day.
 
I've learned from experience that simply putting these plants in the garden with no additional protection is risky.  In Spring we have severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, gusty winds, and sometimes even hail.  I've lost many plants to the ravages of a Spring storm!  Wall O Waters have helped save many plants since I started using them.  They're plastic tubes you fill with water and they form a teepee over the young plants.  The water warms in the sun and protects the plants from cold weather by raising the temperature inside.  They also protect the plants from wind, heavy rain, and hail.
 
I set these out a week before I planted my peppers and eggplants so the soil would warm up.  Then when I was ready to put the plant in the ground I moved the Wall O Water and centered the plant.  These are two of my pepper plants.
 
Then I do something that may seem weird- I place a can with the top and bottom cut off over the plants and press it firmly into the dirt.
 
This acts as a protective collar and keeps cutworms and other crawling insects from attacking the young plants.  I've seen all my peppers wiped out overnight by cutworms.  They chew the plant at the base of the stem, and then just leave the toppled leaves.  For the last few years I've been saving cans and using them like this.  It really seems to help and allows the plants to safely grow big enough without being damaged.  Then I (carefully) put the Wall O Water back over the plant, making sure the bottom is flared out and the top is at least mostly closed.  This will help retain heat, and give added protection from heavy rain and hail. 
I closed this one up after I got the picture. ;-)
And since I planted these guys we've had temperatures down in the 30's, several bad thunderstorms with sleet and hail, and heavy sustained winds.  I checked on them every day (wading through inches of water between the raised beds) and was surprised to see that they actually look pretty good.  When I put my hand inside the Wall O Waters it feels much warmer than the outside temperature, and none of the teepees was blown over in the storms either.  If we can get a few days without rain I think the beds should drain and their roots won't get waterlogged.  I really did think it would be warmer by now: normal temps for this time of year are in the 50's and lower 60's.  But NE Ohio is anything but "normal" when it comes to weather!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Kozy Coats make useful season extenders for the garden

It's still pretty cold here, and I know many people won't be planting their tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other heat loving vegetables until May, or even June.  I like to get a jump on the season by using Kozy Coats, a teepee made of plastic tubes which you fill with water.  The sun heats the water, and the temperature inside the teepee is considerably warmer than the air temperature.  I have a raised beds, which warm faster than the rest of the soil, and I set out my Kozy Coats several weeks before I intend to plant my seedlings.  This allows the soil under the teepees to warm as well.  I bought the green ones quite a few years ago (these were actually called Wall 'O Waters), and aside from a few small punctures (don't use sharp tools around these!), they've held up quite well. You can get replacement tubes though, so that can make them last even longer.   I recently got some of the red ones because the red color is supposed to produce stronger, stockier tomato plants with higher yields.
This is where I'll plant my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

 
And not only has it been a cold Spring so far, it's also been pretty wet.  And although I placed the garden where it gets the most sun, it's also in a low lying area, which means flooding.  That's another reason I built raised beds.  The beds themselves drain well, but the rows between can have a lot of water, making it difficult to work in the garden in Spring.  My solution this year (instead of patiently waiting for the rows to dry out) was to lay down several layers of newspaper topped by some old wooden boards.  Newspaper is good for the garden anyway, and earthworms love it.  Earthworm castings (worm poop) provide fertilizer for the plants and their tunnels help aerate the soil.  Before I rigged up this little walkway the water was up over the top of my shoes, and there was a lot of mud under that.

I'll use my soil thermometer to periodically check the soil temperature under the Kozy Coats, and when it's warm enough (hopefully within a few weeks) I'll plant my little vegetables in their warm coats.  This is what they look like in the house right now.  So far they're doing pretty well.
 
Before long I'll be munching on nice fresh tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, and more fresh from the garden! ;-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Spring means flowers, in the garden and in my jewelry and sculptures

I've been planting flowers ever since I was a little girl, and sculpting them nearly as long.  When I was little I would help Grampa plant annual flowers for Gramma each spring.  She always had Marigolds, Irises, Lily of the Valley, Roses, Tulips, and many others.  Flowers and Gramma have always gone together in my mind.  While she never grew Orchids, she did love them.  Whenever she had to stay in the hospital they would give her an Orchid with Sunday breakfast.  I always loved that they did that, because that pretty little flower brightened her whole day.  She always made sure to show me her Orchid, then had me take it home so I could enjoy it too.  It wasn't until these earrings were actually complete that I realized I was sculpting one of Gramma's hospital Orchids.
 
And then there are Gramma's roses.  These roses have survived drought, neglect, and being dug up by the plumbers.  I couldn't believe it when I saw the plant pushing through the hard clay soil last week.  Like Gramma, these flowers are survivors!  After all the plumbing work was done a few years ago I found a little sprout and transplanted it to a better location.  Gramma was so happy to hear that at least one plant had been spared and might have a chance to grow again.  But when I saw that rose coming up in the area that had been destroyed (not the piece I transplanted, but the original rose plant), it brought tears to my eyes.  Gramma's been gone for almost a year now, and that rose just reminded me of how strong she had been for 93 years.  I feel Gramma's spirit in those flowers, which is just one of the reasons I tend them so lovingly.  This sculpture was inspired by Gramma's roses, as well as the yellow roses I had in my own garden. 
With Spring coming I've been thinking more and more of Gramma, and missing her very much.  She always loved Spring, and for her birthday in April I would always pick her a bouquet of Daffodils and Tulips, some of the first flowers to bloom in her yard.  She'd have me put the vase right where she could see it while she sat in her chair, and sometimes those flowers lasted so much longer than they should have.  Maybe they knew how happy they made Gramma.  While I was living with her I always showed her my sculptures after they were done.  She really liked this one
. 
Her only complaint about Tulips was that they didn't last long enough.  She said with this sculpture they'd never drop their petals ;-)  I still miss her every day, but little reminders of her are sprouting all over as the days grow warmer.  And she'll continue to inspire my work, just as she's done since I was little.  Thanks for sharing some very special memories of Gramma with me.
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How to turn an old drawer into a raised bed for plants

I'm very good at recycling and finding new uses for old things- it just comes natural to me.  While I was cleaning the basement I came across an old drawer (the dresser it came from is long gone).  The lettuce I started from seed under florescent lights was just about ready to be planted outside, so I thought the drawer would make a very nice raised bed.  One problem I often have with my early spring crops is that it's usually too wet to get out to the garden and get them planted at the right time.  Usually I end up waiting until the garden dries up, and that shortens the time I have to harvest the lettuce before it goes to seed.  This year, by using the drawer as a planter, I can have the lettuce close to the house, and even move the planter around as needed.  This is what I started with.
 
Then I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage (otherwise the water would just sit in the bottom and the roots would end up rotting).
 
Then, to improve drainage further and make sure the potting soil won't block the holes, I added a layer of styrofoam packing peanuts.  I've used this method before in a variety of other planters and it's worked quite well for me.
 
Then I filled the drawer almost to the top with good quality potting soil.  Add the soil slowly or you'll have packing peanuts flying all over the place!  And a windy day isn't the best time to work with packing peanuts outdoors either ;-)
 
Then I added the lettuce- a variety of loose leaf and semi head lettuce (Buttercrunch is my favorite!).  I added potting soil around the plants as needed and gently firmed the soil around them.  I made sure the plants would have enough room to grow too. 
After I gently watered the plants I used two row cover supports and covered the whole thing with a lightweight row cover, attaching it to the drawer with clothespins and plastic spring clamps.  The row cover serves a few purposes: it keeps animal from eating or digging up the lettuce (and I've got all sorts of critters in my yard who would love a nice fresh salad!), and it protects the plants if the temperature drops below freezing.
 
Lettuce does quite well in cool temperatures, and so long as it's protected from actually freezing, it can handle pretty low temperatures.  I used the same row covers one year when the temps were down to about 27 one spring, and not a single plant was damaged.  Within a few weeks I should be eating nice fresh salad from a drawer- LOL!  Happy gardening! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Starting seeds indoors

It may still be cold and snowy, but now is the time when I start planting my seeds indoors for the garden.  I've been starting seeds indoors for years, and generally have been pretty successful.  I started my lettuce a little earlier than usual this year, but I want to plant it outside sooner than I usually do.  I have row covers for frost protection, so they should be OK if I put them outside in March.  I also started my sweet Bell Pepper and my Eggplant seeds this week.  They take longer to mature and produce vegetables, so I want to get them started as soon as possible.  They won't go outside until May, maybe late April if I have enough Kozy Coats. You fill the tubes with water, which warms in the sun.  The plant stays nice and cozy warm, even when the temperature outside drops.
This year I'm starting some of my seeds using the bottom of paper egg cartons.  I filled each cell with seed starting mix and set the entire thing in a basin af warm water.  The carton and seed starting mix soak up as much water as they need.  Then I put the carton in a dry basin, add the seeds, and cover lightly with more starting mix.  When it needs water I just add water to the basin and it's soaked up as needed.  That way I don't disturb the seeds.
 
Once the roots start to grow through the bottom of the cups it's easy to separate each cup and plant the whole thing in a larger pot.  This way you don't have to disturb the delicate roots.  This year I'm using a spare closet for my plants.  The florescent plant light hangs on the curtain rod and I've set it up so I can use the entire closet to grow my plants.  The lettuce is doing quite well.  I moved it into larger pots after about two week.  I'm using plastic yogurt cups which I washed thoroughly.  It's very important to keep everything clean if you want to keep your seedlings healthy.  Now all the lettuce should be fine until I'm ready to plant it outdoors.  And by the time I do get it outside it should be strong enough to handle the weather.
 
So this is how my garden gets started.  And this really helps me get through the last month or two of winter!  I like to take care of my little plants and enjoy their fresh green colors and scents.  Plus it's SO much cheaper to start your own seeds than it is to buy plants at a nursery.  Buying seeds rather than plants allows me to plant a wider variety of vegetables, without blowing my budget.  Stay tuned to watch my little green seedlings turn into full grown plants full of delicious vegetables! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Compost tip

I just wanted to share a tip for heating up your compost pile quickly.  This time of year it can take longer for the compost to heat up (and the faster it heats up, the quicker it decomposes).  I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough compost.  However, when I want to give the pile a boost, I've found that adding fresh grass clippings, and mixing them in well, gets the pile hot very quickly.  I live in the suburbs, and use a Compost Tumbler.  I compost weeds, food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, and shredded newspaper.  Our temps have been in the mid and low 60's all week, and the pile I started several weeks ago wasn't heating up the way I wanted it to.  One day after adding several bags of fresh lawn clippings the pile was steaming hot.  In the cooler fall (and spring) temperatures this is a good way to speed up the process.  I also turn the bin every few days, as well as fluffing it with a pitch fork.  This helps break up the material and evenly incorporate everything.  Before the snow flies I plan to spread the compost on the garden, then cover this with more grass and leaf clippings.  By spring everything will have decomposed completely and will be ready to be worked into the soil.  I'll probably start another pile before winter, and just let it sit until spring.


-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Been doing some work in the garden

My garden harvests this season weren't very good, due in large part to every critter in the area deciding it was an all you can eat buffet.  At ground level I've got mice and voles, midway up I've got a very large groundhog, which had babies this year, and at the top level I've got deer.  My pitiful, patched together 3 1/2 foot high fence was not doing the trick.  So I decided to take down the old fence, renovate the garden a bit, and put up a 7' tall deer fence for next season. 
It took most of the day, since some parts  had several layers of fencing to peel away.  This is what the animals have been doing to my veggies!

I 'm still in the process of making a path around the outer perimeter of the garden.  I've discovered that it would make life much easier if I can get at both sides of the garden rows.  Hopefully the new fence won't be too hard to put up.  I'll probably wait until I can put the garden to bed (take all the dead plants out, add compost, leaves, and grass clippings) before putting the fence up.  I'm thinking things out a bit more this time, and planning based on the problems and issues I've had in the past.  I'm planning my planting chart this Fall as well.  Last year I didn't do that, and just sort of planted things all over.  So, the tomatoes ended up blocking the sun for the zucchini and squash, and the lettuce got too much sun and set seed faster than it should have.  I've been doing some pruning as well, making sure the garden gets as much light as possible.  The evergreens behind the garden have really gotten out of hand, and the Snowball bush seems to creep closer each year.  I'll try to keep you up to date on the yard and garden.  Hopefully if I do a little extra work now, it will pay off in a bigger harvest next season.
Happy gardening!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

This Praying Mantis chose MY Garden for his Home!

This large, beautiful Praying Mantis seems to have decided to make a home in my garden.  This is totally awesome!  I haven't seen Paying Mantises in this area since I was a kid.  They're fascinating insects and do a great job hunting and eating the bad bugs in the garden.  And they seem to enjoy getting their picture taken- LOL!  I swear this guy was posing for me.  I'm very happy that he chose my garden as his hunting grounds.  That tells me I'm doing something right.  My garden is completely organic- no chemicals or pesticides, only natural fertilizers and insect control.  And what could be more natural than one insect eating another?  Hopefully this is a female and she'll lay eggs.  I'd love to see a healthy Praying Mantis population around here again.  It seems like I discover new creatures in my garden every year- it's like an entirely different world in there!  This is what happens when you let nature take over a bit. ;-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Lots of Zucchini? Here's a great recipe!

Baked zucchini bites

I originally posted this recipe last year, but thought I'd share it with my new readers.  This is the time of year when we gardeners seem to end up with more zucchini than we know what to do with.  While I really like zucchini bread, it does get boring after a while. After a little experimenting,  I came up with a new recipe for zucchini. Nothing is actually measured, and all the seasonings can be adjusted or substituted as desired. First I take a medium (7"-10") zucchini, wash it, and remove the seeds. I don't peel most of my vegetables because that's where the majority of the vitamins are. I then cut it into 1/2" pieces. Next I dredge it in a mixture of bread (or cracker) crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Then I dip it in beaten eggs, and dredge again in the bread crumb mixture. Then I bake it on a foil covered baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. This is absolutely delicious, and completely customizable. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven and taste just as good the next day. I also used this recipe for eggplant, with the same yummy results. I just wanted to share this quick, easy, and delicious recipe with everyone. Please feel free to comment with recipes of your own! I love to cook, and I'm often as creative in the kitchen as I am in the craft room. Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoyed this as much the second time around ;-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Fall harvest

Well, it's a cold, wet, and rather miserable day here, but I figured I'd better get out in the garden and harvest the rest of my veggies before we get any dreaded snow (yes, it's actually in the forecast!). I did manage to get another zucchini (I swear those things would keep growing all winter if they could), several mini eggplants, 3 nice butternut squash, a few acorn squash, and even a couple of peppers. Not too bad, considering the groundhog and deer have been helping themselves to the garden. The groundhog seems to be partial to the bottom half of my tomatoes. That's OK though, I don't mind sharing with my furry friends, for the most part. Above is a picture of my veggies, still wet from the drizzle.

While I was out there I also saw a cute wooleybear caterpillar trying to stay dry under the leaves of my basil. Looks like he got hungry and had a little snack while he was there.
I like wooleybears because they're very cute and fuzzy. We have a wooleybear festival around here in September- that's how popular they are. I can't remember exactly how to read their stripes, but they're supposed to be able to predict how bad a winter we're going to have. Hopefully this one will be mild- I hate being stuck in the house for months at a time!
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Recipe for Eggplant Parm Ravioli

Here's another great "garden fresh" recipe I've discovered. I'll give you the original recipe, then let you know how I tweaked it.

Eggplant Parm Ravioli

3 eggplants (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and coarsely chopped

6 1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

Salt and pepper
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
12 egg roll wrappers

1. Using food processor, finely chop the eggplant. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 clove garlic and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan.
2. In the same skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to low and stir in the basil.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the remaining 2 T. of olive oil. Working with 1 at a time, fill each wrapper with 2 rounded T. of the eggplant mixture: moisten the edges with water and fold in half, pressing the edges to seal. Working in 2 batches, cook the ravioli until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 ravioli each to 4 shallow bowls. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water into the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper; spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top.

I changed it up a bit by adding some mild Italian sausage, which goes quite nicely with the eggplant and cheeses. I browned the sausage, then added it to the eggplant mixture. I didn't have quite enough eggplant in my garden, (and I had an abundance of zucchini), so I added a peeled, seeded, and chopped zucchini to the eggplant. I also used fresh garden tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes and just cut them into chunks. The garlic and basil were also fresh from the garden. The end result was just delicious. So, if you got veggies in the garden, this is a great way to use them up and make a yummy and satisfying meal. I'll probably try different variations of this in the future, as well. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Baked zucchini bites

Well, I don't know about you, but I've harvested tons of zucchini from my garden. While I really like zucchini bread, it does get boring after a while. So I came up with a new recipe for zucchini. I didn't really measure anything, and all the seasonings can be adjusted or substituted as desired. First I take a medium (7"-10") zucchini, wash it, and remove the seeds. I don't peel most of my vegetables because that's where the majority of the vitamins are. I then cut it into 1/2" pieces. Next I dredge it in a mixture of bread (or cracker) crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Then I dip it in beaten eggs, and dredge again in the bread crumb mixture. Then I bake it on a foil covered baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. This is absolutely delicious, and completely customizable. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven and taste just as good the next day. I also used this recipe for eggplant, with the same yummy results. I just wanted to share this quick, easy, and delicious recipe with everyone. Please feel free to comment with recipes of your own! I love to cook, and I'm often as creative in the kitchen as I am in the craft room. Thanks for reading!


-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Garden progress

Well, my garden is a wild jungle! A very productive wild jungle. I don't even have that many weeds, because they simply don't have room to grow! I'm still harvesting lettuce, yellow beans, green beans that sprouted from last year's fallen seeds, zucchini, yellow squash, and garlic. The tomatoes are still green, but there are a lot of them. I think once the nights warm up (it's been unseasonably cool lately) they'll start to ripen pretty fast. I have flowers on my bell peppers, and tiny baby eggplants coming. I just love my garden! Here are some pictures I just took last week.
These are my zucchini and beans, although there's a lot more where these came from. I've been picking beans and zucchini almost every day.
This is my wild tomato patch. The plants are taller than I am now, and I'm 5'8"! All I've really done is add some compost and a little organic fertilizer.
This is my garlic, with parsley and Borage mixed in. I planted the bulbs last fall, and they're getting ready to be harvested now. I dug up a few nice bulbs yesterday (I don't have pics of those yet). Let me tell you-this garlic is DELICIOUS! I've already used some of it on some baked chicken- YUM!
This is one of the garlic plants that formed a really cool flower at the top. Sometimes I just like to let plants go and see what they do. you can get some interesting results. I usually let at least some of my lettuce go to seed as well. I end up with lettuce popping up all over the garden next season.
This is the view down one of the garden rows. The pink and white flowers are Dianthus I planted last year. In the fall I'll plant them in the flower bed.
And this is some of the catnip I just harvested really quickly the other day. The stuff grows like mad! There's a lot more that I can get if I take a little time. I dry it on screens in the garage, then use it to stuff catnip toys for my own cats and my friends cats. Of course I always have to bring in some of the fresh stuff for Ozzy and Cedric- then I've got a couple of loopy cats for the next several hours.
This is a shot of my zucchini row. I have dill scattered all over the garden as well. It reseeds quite freely, which is fine with me. Not only is it a useful herb, but beneficial insects love the flowers.
And speaking of beneficial insects, if you want to make your honeybees happy, Borage is the plant for you. This pretty flower has attracted more honeybees than anything else in any of my gardens. Plus it's native to NE Ohio, so it does really well here. this is the first year I planted it, but it's supposed to be a self sowing plant, so I should have Borage for years to come.
This is a shot down my eggplant row. An absolute jungle!
And this is an eggplant flower- isn't it gorgeous! You could grow these for the flowers alone. I should be able to harvest eggplants by the end of the month. I used no chemicals or pesticides on any of this, and to be honest, I haven't had the chance to spend a whole lot of time in the garden this year (Gramma's kept me pretty busy). It's amazing what nature is able to do pretty much on it's own. I did have to spread some vole repellent yesterday. They're cute, but boy are they dumb! I was picking some lettuce and saw a vole, and actually pulled a leaf out of his mouth! I yelled at him to scat and he just looked at me. I could have picked the silly critter up, had I wanted to. Not that I ever would. Handling wild animals of any sort is not a good idea. I just got my vole repellent and spread it throughout the garden. It won't harm them, it'll just make them look elsewhere for dinner. So that's the latest happenings in my garden. Thanks for stopping by!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters