Photo Safari Number Two!

Today is the 28th of the month and that means it is time to take a picture of "my" vineyard for my YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A VINEYARD blog.  So Gunther and I ventured out to get that picture and then we decided to finally get a picture of the Fowler water tower and well, while we were at it we decided to get some pictures of the churches in town. 

Cathie

Strawberries!!! And a trip to the winery!

 According to the tags that were in the strawberry plants, we should have fruit in 60-70 days from now!

Today I was invited by my friend Donna to take a ride out in the "country" to a winery.  What a fun time.  I did not expect to get to taste some wine but indeed we did.  Six different wines in fact.  Problem is, I did not taste one that I did not like!!! Oh no.  I took some pictures, thank you Donna for pulling over for me!

View from the patio at Cedar View Winery

On our way home from the winery we made a stop at Simonian's and picked up some coconut toffee almonds and pomegranete orange bark... yummo!!!

It's Strawberry Planting Time!

We found this really neat place out on Manning Ave going towards Reedley from Golden State.  It is called Ortegas, for my Vegas peeps it is much like Little Baja.  We purchased two large strawberry pots and a small one.  The large one will hold strawberry plants... duh, but I got the little one to plant a succulent garden in.  It only has four pockets and then the top so it will be a cute addition to my patio.  In addition to the strawberry pots we got a cute bird bath and I finally got a St Francis of Assisi statue for my yard! I have always wanted one and now... I do.

I went online to learn the proper technique for planting strawberry pots and so right now I am soaking the pots with water because they are made of terra cotta and it will draw all the moisture from the soil and plants if I don't prepare them.  I also learned that to insure all plants get sufficient water you need to place a piece of PVC pipe that you have drilled holes in down the middle of the pot and water from the top.  This acts as a drip irrigation system of sorts.  I got the proper potting soil, blood meal and fertilizer so I am hoping to have a "bumper" crop of strawberries!!

Strawberry pots being "prepped"

Yummy, strawberry plants waiting to be planted.

I need to go back to Home Depot or Fowler Ace Hardware to purchase more strawberry plants as I got the last ten plants that Home Depot had yesterday and I need at least six more to top off the "garden". Each pot has twelve pockets and the there is room at the top for three to four more plants. I am excited about planting these strawberries and look forward to enjoying the "fruits" of my labors later this summer.

This beautiful sunflower came from Simonian's on Jensen and Clovis Ave.

This garden sculpture also came from Simonian's

Small strawberry pot succulent garden

St. Francis

All in all, the backyard is starting to come together.  It will be a wonderful place to relax in this spring and summer.  We have also added a bird feeder with more to come.  I have two chicken feeders that I am going to do something with.  One I think will be used for button display in my scraptuary and the other I think I will make into a hanging feeder for the little birdies in our back yard. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings today and I hope you all have a wonderfully relaxing Saturday.

Cathie

Mystery Vegetation Update

Wow! My mystery vegetation is getting big.  I'm hoping I will be able to figure out what it is before it starts blooming.  Here for your viewing pleasure is the newest picture taken about five minuted ago!

You can compare the growth by checking out this older post.  Thanks for reading my blogs and being a follower.  I do this for me but am happy if anyone else finds this interesting.  Have a great day and Happy St. Patrick's day if I don't see you then.

Cathie

Things Are Coming Together

I have been living here in Fowler, California for almost three months now!  It is so hard to believe and yet it is getting more real to me every day.  Our house is starting to feel like home as I continue to unpack boxes and hang pictures and decorations on the walls.  I love to look at and read "Cottages and Bungalows" magazine and I love the images of clean fresh rooms that are presented.  I think that I'd like to have something uncluttered and simple then bam, I visit my parents in Angels Camp at their log home and realize that their home is what I want mine to feel like.  My parents have a mixture of furniture styles and periods all in the same room and let me tell you, it works.  I love the look and feel of it all.  I feel so comfortable there and I hope that when people come to visit our home they feel that same comfort. Yesterday a friend came over and put the insulation in my "scraptuary"  Now I need to get the electrical put in then we will sheetrock the walls.  I am going to put up wallpaper to give it a cottage sort of feel.  Then I can actually start creating in it. 

Cathie

This morning I checked on my mystery vegetation on the north side of the house again.  It is growing!  Here is this mornings picture...

The yard is starting to come alive now.  Dormant plants are growing.  I took a new picture of one of the Hydrangea plants in the front yard...

And I can't forget my cute little flamingo...

Well, I think it is time to venture back into the garage and tackle some more boxes and try to figure out what to do with it all.

Mystery Vegetation Update Pictures

Well, the mystery vegetation on the north side of the house is growing!  I still can't tell what it is but I am going to get my Western Garden Book out today and do some research.  Here are the three pictures I have taken of it so far... it is really a pretty color and I am anxious to see what this turns out to be.

February 21, 2012



February 26, 2012

March 6, 2012