Today I’m trying one last row of beans. The first row I had planted this season has now produced its last. The rows that were planted later are still producing.

The plants will be removed and ran through the shredder and added to the compost barrel. Soil prep will be no more than working the area up with a hoe. I’ll sow the seeds, water them in and lightly mulch the row.

They will take 45 to 60 days to be ready to begin harvest. An early frost could prove problematic. Covering the plants in anticipation of a frost may solve that problem though. It will be nice to have fresh beans that late in the season if it all works out. Even if I just get a small crop of them.

I have never started beans this late in the season. I’ll keep you posted on the results.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Last night I saw something I had never encountered before. My wife discovered a butterfly just sitting in our driveway. No matter how close she got to it, or how much she tried to shoo it, it wouldn’t move.

As I got down for a closer look I realized it was stuck. It had some type of sticky “something” on it and was stuck to a small stone. I’m guessing it was tree sap.

The butterfly appeared to be perfectly fine, although I’m guessing it was exhausted from trying to free itself. I was able to gently remove the stone and the sticky material came off with it.

Our “patient” was placed in a protected area of our butterfly garden. My family spent a while watching over it last night. This morning it was gone. I’m hoping it rested and then flew away. My family refuses to believe anything different.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found this version of stuffed peppers at cooks.com. I thought I would share it.

4 red peppers
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1/2 c. cooked rice
1 egg
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste (1 tbls)
marinara sauce 1 jar 20 oz

Cut top from peppers and remove seeds, saving the tops. Mix meat, egg, rice, onion and Worcestershire sauce; stuff peppers with mixture. Put in 3 quart pan. Pour sauce over peppers and bring to slight boil. Cover, reduce heat to a medium simmer for 45 minute.

Red peppers are sweet and kids who don’t like green peppers will usually eat these.

Submitted by: pat

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I can’t believe that the days are getting shorter. Anticipating this earlier darkness, now is a great time to repair, update or install landscape lighting.

Landscape lighting is a nice way to accent certain points in the landscape as well as light paths or walkways. Lighting can be solar powered or wired twelve volt lighting. Both can be very good choices.

Wired lighting is usually a simple plug in transformer. The wire is ran from that transformer to the various lights on the system. The lights are then connected into the system as you install. These tend to be the brighter of the two types of lights. This type of lighting works well in beds and along walkways where there is easy access to electricity.

A downfall to the wired lighting is where there is no easy electrical connection. Plant beds a distance from the house, for example. Another possible problem with wired lights is crossing over sidewalks or other areas that may prove difficult to run the wire. A simple tip to solve this problem can be used in new construction or renovation. A sleeve made of plastic pipe can be installed under a sidewalk or other obstacle prior to construction. The wiring can then be passed through the sleeve at a later time.

Solar lights are a very straightforward installation. Just place them where you want them and you’re done. This is a great addition to an existing landscape as you don’t disturb anything with no wires to bury. An area far from electricity is not a problem either. They can be adjusted and moved easily as they aren’t connected to any others. They solar batteries will run the lights for a good number of hours before a need for a recharge.

Solar lighting is not as bright as it’s hard wired counterpart. If you are looking for a guarantee the lights will still be on at dawn, solar may not be for you. Some adjustment may be necessary to be certain they receive ample sunlight for a full charge. Solar lighting has com a long way. I’m sure it won’t be long and they will perform even better and longer than they do currently.

One thing to remember is that a little light can go a long way as an accent. Another thing is that extra features come with a higher price. From simple to extravagant, the prices vary greatly. It would be my assumption that higher priced solar will run longer than the cheaper. Wired lights at a higher price tag may have more features than their cheaper counterparts. It is always best to comparison shop prices and features to choose what is best for you.

So turn on the lights and add a totally different look to your yard. It can make a beautiful addition.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

The cooler nights have been wonderful lately. Even with the dry weather the cool evening temperatures help the plants to bounce back from the heat of the day. September will be here before we know it.

Soon I’ll be back to raking and composting leaves. Every year seems to go faster than the last. With every season comes new challenges and new opportunities. It’s a great feeling to have such a connection to the outdoors. I must say I enjoy every minute of it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found this one at cooks.com. I thought I would share it.

12-14 peppers, split and take out seeds
1 box Stove Top stuffing
2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Tomato sauce (lg. can)
Garlic (optional)

Mix ground beef, Stove Top dressing, onion, egg, salt, and pepper to your own liking. If needed, a little tomato sauce. After mixing, put mixture into peppers and put in pan and cover with tomato sauce. Bake 1 hour in a 350 degree oven until meat mixture is done. Cover with foil until the last 10 or 15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found this at About.com:SouthernFood. I thought I would share it.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 medium cantaloupe
* 3/4 pound granulated sugar
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Cut cantaloupe into sections. Remove seeds. Remove rind. Cut firm portion of pulp into uniform pieces (should have about 1 pound). In a non-reactive saucepan, add sugar to melon in alternate layers of melon and sugar. Let stand 24 hours. Add the juice of one lemon. Bring to boil and boil quickly until the fruit is clear and tender. Remove fruit to shallow dishes or trays with slotted spoon. If syrup is too thin, continue cooking until thicker. Pour hot syrup over fruit and allow to stand overnight so fruit will absorb some of the syrup. Next day, boil jars, seals, and rings to sterilize, following manufacturer’s directions. Pack cantaloupe cold in sterilized jars. Seal and process at simmering for 30 minutes.
Makes about 3 8-ounce jars.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

It’s amazing how kids will take to a garden. It seems the only thing I enjoy more than finding more ripe tomatoes daily is watching my kids “discover” those same tomatoes. The next day it may be cucumbers, peppers or whatever else we may be growing.

It’s fun for them and they don’t even realize how much they’re learning. From how things grow and being responsible for those growing things, to being environmentally conscious. They’re also learning to be more self sufficient. Many life lessons can be learned in a small patch of soil.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I decided it was time to put the last of the birdhouse gourds to use. They have been hanging up in the garage drying since last fall. This is a great project to entertain the kids.

You’ll know the gourds are ready when they have become lightweight and you can hear the seeds rattling inside. I will usually wash them in a light soap solution. It is then just a matter of cutting a round hole in the gourd using a utility knife, jigsaw or other tool you may have for the job. After the seeds are cleaned out of it you can simply hang it in a tree or other suitable location. I just drill a small hole through the top of the gourd and put a wire through for a hanger.

The kids may enjoy researching birds in the area and learning the best placement for the house.

Other possible ideas: I have used misshapen gourds as scoops for watering in the garden and feed scoops for our pets. They can be painted and used as decorations as well. A coat of sealer will keep them looking fresh.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found this one at cookthink.com. I thought I would share it.

4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick planks
2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
timer

prep: 15 minutes
total: 25 minutes
tools

grill (gas or charcoal)
grill brush
tongs
small bowl
large bowl

Instructions

1. If using a gas grill, preheat it to high. If using a charcoal grill, pile the coals together to create a hot zone for direct grilling. Clean the grill with a grill brush. Oil the grill by holding a folded wad of paper towel with tongs, dipping it in vegetable oil, and brushing the oil (sparingly — it’s flammable) onto the grill grate.

2. Rinse and dry the zucchini. Cut off the ends and discard them. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks. Put the zucchini planks in a large bowl and toss with the garlic and olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini over direct heat until they’re well browned, 4-6 minutes per side.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!