The Mighty 100

Today is my 100th post! I started this blog last January after I came across a gardening blog from Michigan. I started poking around and found Blogger. It has been such a wonderful thing to share with all of you, the gardens I have seen along with my own. The countryside that I have explored, the sunsets, blossoms and cows I have meet along the way.

I think today will be a hodgepodge of things that I have not shared with you so far.

One of the weekends I actually really got to spend entirely in the new iris garden, I made this friend.
This little toad hung out for several days in the doorway of the garage nestled in my water shoes. He would leave at night but would be back when I checked in the morning. I walked past him many times to retrieve garden tools. He hardly ever budged.

This is the sewing machine my mother bought me this spring. She found it at Goodwill for $20. What a steal. It's a heavy old machine and runs great. Barely been used from the looks of it. I have been practicing my sewing skills since I have been back in the south.


A view I wish I had.


My nephew, Leahm hitting the slide.


A cicada hitching a ride in my car. Buckle up!



Wine grapes from a vineyard i scout.


Oh those nasty horn worms! They seem to come out of nowhere.


An overeager tree. This photo was taken about three weeks ago!


Thanks to all of you who follow along! There are many more posts to come.

Michelle aka flowrgirl1

Millions of Peaches

It's over now but I did take lot's of pictures during peach season. They were extremely prolific this year.

It's strange that Michigan experienced one of it's cooler summers on record but also had some of the largest apple, cherry and peach crops ever.

Mooo!

I just love cows. They started way back in the field and slowly worked their way over to me.





Look at this adorable little face!

Late Summer Mushrooms

Here are a few of the interesting fungi I ran across while working in the orchards late this summer. I don't what any of them are so maybe some of you shroom experts out there can i.d. them.

This one is huge! I had to put my hand over it so you could really gain perspective.


Love how this one is set atop a mossy bed.


Mushrooms seem to be posing, always photogenic.

Country

Various farms and scenes of Northern Michigan.

Garlic has Arrived

My order from Gourmet Garlic Gardens arrived! The bulbs are beautiful and the cloves are huge! The order came with complete planting and harvesting instructions as well. I'm having my mother plant them in my MI garden around the first of October. These are all hardneck varieties that are great for northern climates but Gourmet Garlic Gardens carries many more for every area.

The sent five varieties, 10 bulbs in total. That's gonna be a lot of garlic next summer! I can't wait to try them all out.

Heading South for the Winter

I am pretty sure that this summer went by at record speed. Maybe it was because I worked my butt off or maybe it's due to the cooler weather we had. I do know that I'm sad it's over. I head South on Monday.

There is much to do this weekend. Plant the last of my new irises. Till the veggie garden to over winter garlic and some potted plants. Collect some leaves from the neighbors ditch. Still need an oil change and a tire rotation. A cookout with my family. I hate saying goodbye. Harvest my unripe tomatoes. They never ripened due to the cool weather. I plan to make some green salsas and fried green tomatoes with them. They will make the trip south with me along with peaches, nectarines, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry jams.

I'm making the trip by myself too. I really don't want to due to my driving anxiety but I don't really have a choice. My mom was supposed to go with me but we waited to long to get her a return flight and now the tickets are to expensive. Perhaps it will be a liberating experience for me. I have always envied those who can just take off on their own to see the country side or even backpack Europe.

Slightly Compulsive

I get a little carried away each year. Here is a list of most of the plants I bought this year through co ops.

1 lb of hardneck garlic Bought at Gourmet Garlic

600 Eon metal markers

09 Allium and Fall Specialty Bulbs:
7 Aflatuense
7 a. christophii
5 a. ivory queen
5 a. schubertii
15 a. drumsticks
5 a. mount everest
5 a. rosenbachianum
15 a. purple sensation
3 a. round and purple

48 Dog Tooth's Violet

ferns
1 Lady in Red
1 Pictum
1 Regal Red
1 Bradford Rambler
1 Ghost
1 dryopteris Brilliance
1 dryopteris austrailis

09 Hyacinths & Crocus:
5 Blue Jacket
5 Carnegie
5 City of Harlem
5 Gypsy Queen
5 Jan Bos
5 Pink Pearl
5 Woodstock

crocus
6 Colchicum Giant
1 Colchicum Mauve Wonder
6 Colchicum Water Lily

09 Bleeding Hearts:
1 luxuriant
1 aurora
1 candy hearts

lily
15 Casa Blanca

muscari and hyacinths
15 Valerie Finnis
15 Latifolium
5 Cotton Candy
5 english blue bells
20 siberian squill
5 hollandica Bronze Queen
15 s. histrioides Katharine Hodgkin
5 hollandica Eye of Tiger
5 hollandica Sapphire Beauty
5 hollandica Carmen
5 hollandica Yellow Queen

09 Narcissus
5 Dutch Master
5 Holland Sensation
15 Mount Hood
5 Exception
15 Money Maker
15 Daydream
5 Flower Record
15 Ice Follies
5 St Patrick's Day
5 Red Devon
5 Rainbow
5 Cool Flame
5 Misty Glen
10 Precocious
5 Thalia
5 Barrett Browning
5 Orangery
5 Fortissimo
5 Pappy George
5 LaBelle
5 Garanium
5 Pipit
5 Martinette
5 O'Bodkin
5 Pink Paradise
5 Sir Winston Churchil
5 Tahiti
5 White Lion
5 Yellow Cheerfulness
5 Golden Ducat
5 Obdam
5 Flowerdrift
5 Cheerfulness
5 Double Campernelle

heuchera
1 Heuchera Havana
1 Heuchera Shanghai
1 Heuchera Golden Zebra
1 Heuchera Electric Lime
3 Heuchera Midas Touch
3 Heuchera Midnight Bayou
1 Heuchera Mint Julep
1 Heuchera Sugar Plum

09 Tulips:
25 Wildflower Mix
5 Peppermint Stick
5 Sweet Lady
10 Bronze Charm
15 Apricot Beauty
10 Yellow Emperor
10 Pink Emperor
10 White Emperor
15 Sweet Heart
15 Pirand
15 Pink Impression
5 Ivory Floradale
15 Apricot Impression
10 Apeldoorn's Elite
15 Jasp Groot
5 Design Impression
15 Ice Follies
5 Giant John
15 Shirley
15 Tennessee
15 Arabian Mystery
5 Yellow Flight
15 May Time
15 West Point
15 Burgundy
15 Elegant Lady
5 Pretty Woman
5 Bleu Aimable
15 World Expression
15 Pink Diamond
15 Temple of Beauty

terra nova 2010 pre order
1 Echinacea Firebird
1 Echinacea Maui Sunshine
1 Echinacea Flame Thrower
1 Echinacea Hot Lava
1 Echinacea Tangerine Dream
1 Echinacea Tomato Soup
3 Heuchera Autumn Leaves
3 Heuchera Berry Smoothie
3 Heuchera Fire Chief
3 Heuchera Georgia Peach
1 Heuchera Plum Royale'
1 Heuchera Mahogany
3 Heruchera Marmalade
1 Heuchera Midas Touch
1 Heuchera Midnight Bayou
1 Heuchera Midnight Rose
1 Heuchera Shanghai
1 Heuchera Sweet Tea

1 Pulmonaria Dark Vader
1 Pulmonaria trevi Foutnain

09 Iris:
1 Beautiful Vision
3 Edith Wolford
3 English Charm
1 Gypsy Romance
3 Mariposa Skies
3 Monet's Blue
1 Mother Earth
1 Night Ruler
3 Play with Fire
1 Spin Off
1 Tiger Honey

Irises
MEDIANS
1 All That Magic
1 American Patriot
1 Antics
1 Autumn Wine
1 Ballistic
1 Ballycastle
1 Bourgeios
1 Breezy Blue
1 Cantique
1 Cat's Eye
1 Cherry Curls
1 Clever Touch
1 Cousin Carol
1 Delirium
1 Domaine
1 Eye of Newt
1 Eyes for You
1 Face Paint
1 Fancy Sparkler
1 Folk Art
1 For Your Love
1 Foxy Doll
1 Glamour Cat
1 Goosebumps
1 Hot Glow
1 Hot Topic
1 Jillaroo
1 Maple Madness
1 Marksman
1 Midnight Mist
1 Mikey Likes It
1 Ming
1 My Kayla
1 Oasis Rootbeer
1 Oddbod
1 Overcast
1 Party Animal
1 Posing
1 Ruby Eruption
1 Ruby Slippers
1 Serendipity Elf
1 Smooth
1 Snugglebug
1 Stormy Circle
1 Ultimate
1 Winged Angel
1 Witch's Cauldron
=================
AUGUSTO BIANCO Irises
=================
1 Acqua di Rosa
1 Brigantino
1 Burano
1 Innocenti Evasoni
1 Nava
1 Pollicino
1 Polvere de Stelle
==============
TALL BEARDED
==============
1 Act of Kindness
1 Alien Mist
1 Bold Encounter
1 Bold Expression
1 Celtic Melody
1 Crystal Gazer
1 Dancing in Ruffles
1 Dandy Candy
1 Daughter of Stars
1 Doodads
1 Gracious Curves
1 Honey House
1 Ididit
1 In Love Again
1 Introspection
1 Mastery
1 Momentous Occasion
1 Moonlit Water
1 Musician
1 Oasis Classy
1 Oasis Elmer
1 Oasis Shooting Star
1 October Sky
1 Opposing Forces
1 Owyhee Desert
1 Petite Princess
1 Planned Treasure
1 Powerpoint
1 Prague
1 Pretty Edgy
1 Reality
1 Ring Around Rosie
1 Secret Recipe
1 Sharper Image
1 Slovak Prince
1 Social Graces
1 Socialist
1 Society Lady
1 Society Page
1 Splashacata
1 Sun Fun
1 Tamara Kay
1 Telepathy
1 Total Chaos
1 Tour de France
1 Trade Secret
1 True Spirit
1 Venetian Glass
1 Wearing Rubies
1 Who's Your Daddy
1 Wild Wings
1 Pane E Vino
abiqua falls
ghost train
badlands
arctic age
time piece
wild thing
lace legacy
qualified
hold my hand
double bubble
drama queen
decadence
candy club
battle royal
birthday girl
brilliance

1 ABBEY AND ME...4...(2004)
1 ALPINE VIEW...9...(2002)
1 AMARILLO FRILLS...2...(2002)
1 BADITUDE...5...(2001)
1 BATTER UP...8...(2003)
1 BINGO BANGO BONGO...2...(2002)
1 DA BLUES...16...(2004)
1 FLORENTINE SILK...7+...(2004)
1 GRANDMA'S SMILE...21+...
1 JANE TROUTMAN...1...(2006)
1 JEAN QUEEN...12...(2005)
1 LEAP OF FAITH...27+...(2004)
1 NAPLES...23+...(2000)
1 NO DOUBT...28+...(2003)
1 OKAPI POPPY...8...(2003)
1 TALKING TURKEY...3...(2001)
1 TEAM SPIRIT...5...(2004)
1 TELEPATHY...32+...(2003)
1 VAPOR...27+...(2001)
1 WINNING DEBUT
dance recital
roadmap
starring
hue heaven
helgas hat
dark drama