Spotted in Orrville
While in Orrville last week watching my nieces at the swimming class, I spotted this HUGE Sum & Substance Hosta. I noticed this hosta last summer and always wanted to take a photo but never had my camera. Now that I have this blog, I am always armed & ready.
This gardener is serious about this hosta. Why do you ask? It is an almost perfect specimen of a Sum & Substance Hosta (about 5 feet in diameter & perfectly greenish yellow). Why is it so perfect? They are providing it with ample shade via a patio umbrella to keep it looking it’s best.
Since hosta’s love shady areas and tend to get a bit crispy if they get too much sun, this one is perfectly protected with this umbrella. Notice the size of the hosta in relation to that umbrella!
Oh yeah, here are my nieces at swimming lessons (look closely and you’ll see little Orin walking around in the background with grandma)
Little Orin (our nephew) was happy running around the pool hanging out with grandma while the girls were swimming.
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Bring on the Salad Bowl
A few weeks ago I ordered some lettuce seeds. I started them on the 23 of July. I put them in the basement where it’s cool (lettuce likes cool weather). A couple days later they germinated and then under the grow lights they went. This is what they looked like on July 27th. 
I can’t believe how quickly these seedlings grew. I think the secret this time was the Dr Earth Starter Fertilizer that I added to my seed starting mix. From now I’ll be using this with all my seeds.
Today the seedlings went outside on the back deck to get ready for planting in the garden. They’ll stay there a couple days to get used to the sun & wind.
So what kinds of lettuce do I have for our late summer & fall salad bowl?
Black Seeded Simpson
Green Jericho Romaine Lettuce
Simpson Elite Lettuce
Red Sails Lettuce
I also started some Red Ruby cabbage for the fall.
The spinach seeds I started haven’t germinated much yet. I have one that’s just starting to emerge.
I can’t wait for all these salads.
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Empty Barrels
My rain barrels are empty. We haven’t had any rain here in almost 3 weeks. So how many gallons have I used in the last 3 weeks?
Each one of these hash marks represent 1 fill of my 3 gallon watering can (and there are a few more on there now since I took this photo the other day). There are 117 hash marks x 3 gallons = 351 total gallons of rain water used. I’m sure there were a few times I forgot to notch the board so I could probably add another 20 gallons or so to that number. I’m hoping we get some rain tonight so they fill up again, if not out comes the soaker hoses & the sprinkler.
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Bunches of Blackberries
The wild blackberries are in full swing right now.
Mr Chiots and I have been picking almost every day. Some days we end up with a 2 bags, on Friday we picked 5 quarts in one day!
Picking berries has it’s own challenges, the thorns on blackberry bushes are wicked. I have so many scrapes on my hands, arms & legs (and I’m even wearing long sleeves, heavy pants & boots).
It’s not for those afraid of bugs either. I almost stuck my face in this guy one day (and he’s pretty big too, about 2 inches around).
Even the Chiots likes to head out with us. She enjoys running around in the weeds & eating grass while we pick. She gets an occasional berry as a treat as well.
So what have I been doing with all these blackberries? Making pies & cobblers and freezing the rest for winter enjoyment.
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My First Ripe Tomato
I picked my first ripe tomato on Sunday. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season. I plan on canning a bunch for sauces & soups this winter. (it is a Viva Italia Tomato)
So what did I do with the first one? It graced the top of our grilled pizza in thin slices. Perfect!
