Garden Spiders and White Pumpkins

Halloween always includes a good spider!

Orb Weavers comprise a huge family of spiders with several hundred species in North America.

They are great additions to the garden by eating the insects that fly into the web.

This particular spider kept our grandson entertained this Fall.

This year all our pumpkins are white.  Whether on the window sill or in a wood bowl, I love the look.  

These are "Baby Boo" and only grow to 3".  You can find several white varieties that work not only for decorations, but also for carving and baking.  

Try "Casper", at 15 lbs it is a sweet tasting pumpkin and is perfect for baking.  "Cotton Candy"  (5-12 lbs) and "Moonshine" (8-12 lbs) are also good for decorating and carving.  

The smaller 2 lbs "Lil Pump Ke Mon" is just the right size for displaying.

Looking for recipes for pumpkin treats?  Try the new shopping list app aisle411.  They have over 130,000 recipes!  

Looking for pumpkin seeds to grow your own next year?  Try Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Preparing your Plants for Winter

This is a wonderful link about getting your plants ready for the winter!

Thank you to Fox2 and Jennifer at Greenscape Gardens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsNTErSV9IA

Fall, Friends, and Fun

Our daughter sent this picture of the grandchildren visiting one of the many parks near their new home.

It is such a beautiful time to be outside. I love all the color nature provides.
One of my favorite projects in the Fall is decorating our friend Olive's front porch.
Last year she was approached by the photographer from The Today Show, so we hope that happens this year also--it would be fun to see it on national tv.

Our friend, Marilyn Geery, just got back from Yellowstone Park where she volunteered for the Elk Rut.

This picture has it all...bird, antlers and big brown eyes.

The grandchildren are loving all the pumpkin patches and Fall Festivals.

More grandchildren and pumpkins!

And finally, another photo by Marilyn Geery, giving a new meaning to antlers in the home.

Hope you get outside and enjoy the Fall Fun!

Ladue News Show House 2011

This is my latest bird nest.

One of the Alpha Phi Omega Washington University Students found it while cleaning the property.

How appropriate, as landscapers and interior designers begin transforming the house, that the bird that built this nest used duct tape!

Read more about this fun day here.

Brightside St Louis VolunteersPhoto from Ladue News September 16, 2011
More information on the Show House is available here.

Bird Nests Indoors

It is entirely too hot and dry here so I am messing around inside.

The first nest is one we bought. It sits in our window.

The second nest came from our daughter's tree and sits in our greenhouse.
The third nest is from this house and sits on the mantle with shells and antlers.
I just talked with our daughter in California and it is 33 degrees cooler there.

She says no one talks about the weather, so she asked their real estate agent what everyone talks about there.

The agent told her "food".

That works.

It is too hot to cook. Is that close to talking about food ?

Why I haven't blogged for a month...

It has been just a bit crazy. I won't mention whose dishwasher this is-ha!

All I can say is it has been quite the month.


We were in San Diego.


This is one of my favorite streets in northern San Diego County.
The Eucalyptus trees line the whole street.

Then we went to Los Angeles.

This is the entrance to the Nestle Building.

I loved the combination of the white roses and evergreens.

Unfortunately when we got home, our dog's cancer was to a point we had to put her down.

That still hurts...

On the much happier side: Our youngest daughter became engaged while in Napa Valley.

This picture was arranged by his brother to capture the exact moment! What a wonderful gift!

We are so lucky to be getting another son-in-law.

Then she packed up, put her condo on the market and moved to Atlanta!
I love this shot of the dog.
I miss him also.

Meanwhile, our oldest son and fiance' mailed their wedding invitations :)

Her sister took this picture in Forest Park.
We welcome her and her two beautiful children to the family!
I will blog another day on the wedding photographer, which we loved.

Three days after the wedding, our oldest daughter, son-in-law and four children moved to the San Fransisco area. I think this picture four days later says they are going to love it! Lucky me went along to help with the children while they unpacked.

Mr. M and I are ready for some down time....and cooler weather to garden.
p.s. I didn't mention our youngest son, but he has been plenty busy also with a beautiful (inside and out) girlfiriend.

Strawberries

Few things are more refreshing than the taste of a strawberry just picked.

Recently in California we visited the famed Chino Ranch.

The have a very small farmers market with the fruits and vegetables

they have not sold to the top chefs in the San Diego area.

These small, pale red "French" strawberries were unbelievable.

They melt in your mouth with a sweetness all their own.

My husband was impressed that a small tug on the stem removed the whole center.

Yes, we ate the entire box before getting back to the hotel!

Can't you see these 'sturdy bone china' farmers market baskets

from Jayson Home & Garden filled with fresh strawberries from your garden?
This picture is from their Spring 2011 catalog.

Strawberries are plants that are easily grown here in Missouri, but do take some time and work. Weeding, especially grasses, from around the beds is essential. I find they do best in raised beds where they get good drainage and air circulation. If that's not possible, I suggest you grow the plants in mounds or in hanging planters. This is my personal go-to book for growing strawberries and other fruits here in the Midwest.