This is my new flower garden. The top picture shows the layout better, but I replaced the taller edging with the short edging in the lower photo. I plan to line to the pathways with hostas.

In the top photo you see what's left of my previous flowerbed and now I'm trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. Heidi

Hi Ginger! Wanna have a play date with my kitty Annie?

New garden project. Hostas are planted along the edging except where it will be full sun and in those places I have yarrow and coneflowers. I have always dreamed of looking out this window and seeing a sea of coneflowers, but it was always too shady. My friend gifted me "2" coneflower plants which turned out to be about 5 when I divided them. It's cool and wet here so all the transplants can have a calm relocation.

I got to the Dollar General sale! I bought spring flower bulbs and planted them. I've had luck in the past. For the 50% off prices, I'm taking the chance.

I have to do some research on brown-eyed susans. I have 3 kinds, but I'm not sure which are perennial or annual.

Heidi

Been out of town.......always good to get home.

I host the month of October....I will post the swap later in the week.

No idea what I am going to do....

But it will be simple!!

Happy Monday!!

I'm still canning something every day. Today I was teaching a young lady who wanted to learn to can, she's a friend of my granddaughter, The Princess. I asked what she would like to can because it should be something she'd use. She took one look at the tomatoes on the tables in the backyard and promptly said she'd like to can marinara sauce.

4 quarts and 4 pints of marinara are on the counter, sealed and cooled, she'll take them home tomorrow after their required resting time. Meanwhile, I have beef bones and scraps in the Nesco so tomorrow it'll be beef stock in the canner.

It's now 9/21/26 and I just canned 7 quarts of beef stock and have grape juice draining though cheesecloth on my counter, that'll be tomorrow's project.

9/22/26: 4 quarts of grape juice added to my pantry, and I swear I'm done with grapes, I don't care how many more get ripe! Also 9 quarts and one pint of sauerkraut.

Annie

I did a search and found this page with ideas for using grapes:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/creative-recipes-for-grapes/

I didn’t grow balloon peppers this year, but I once had a year with my plants absolutely covered in peppers, so I know what you mean!

https://justinesnacks.com/wprm_print/11267 for a nice savory pumpkin tart.

I have actual pumpkin in the freezer. Good thing. My beautiful, cooking sized jack pumpkin was literally rotten to the core. It turned black from the inside out, in a few days. ;( I only use canned for cake, but freezing puree sounds like a good idea, fresh or canned.

Most of my pumpkin recipes have carbs. My favorite is pumpkin lasagna. I'm hoping to get a chance to try it with pumpkin pasta and pumpkin filling (so far I've only done one or the other), but I think I'll try roasting the pumpkin for the pasta to up the flavor.

Here is Marcolo's pumpkin soup. It's a memoir rather than a recipe, but it's SO good it's worth reposting. It's fine with just pumpkin, but the butternut is sweeter which some prefer.

Marcolo:

I roasted cut-up sugar pumpkins and butternut squash to within an inch of their life, just a little brush of veg oil, salt and pepper. Peel and sorta mash 'em a bit.

In a stock pot saute the aromatics of your choice in butter, especially leeks or onions and a few carrots for sweetness, plus celery and parsley or whatnot. Add the spices now. Use regular pumpkin pie selections like allspice, cloves, cinnamon, etc. But add two other key things. One is sage, which I used both fresh and dry. The other, which is the key, is pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika. When the onions and carrots are carmelized plop in the roasted pumpkin, some chicken stock and water. I don't like all chicken stock, it's too chickeny, so I use mostly water. S&P to taste, and keep adjusting all the spices until you feel the punch. Once everything is good and soft, turn off the heat, let it cool a bit and puree. I may add a touch of half and half. We roasted pepitas to put on top and I may also garnish with fried sage before serving.

Sorry I can't get more specific. I was winging it.

Posted before but these are my pumpkin bars. Promise they won’t disappoint.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp.
2 cups canned pumpkin (one 15-oz. can)
4 eggs, room temp.
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 15 X 10 1/2 X 1 pan. Sift flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean (start checking early). Cool completely and slather with your favorite cream cheese icing.

Note: If desired, the bar recipe can be very easily halved. A 9x13x1 sheet pan (quarter sheet) works perfectly. The baking time will be a little less; start checking at about 15 minutes.

I freeze pumpkin puree in small scoops to add to my dog's food on those days when her digestive system could use some improvement.

My calendula from back in April.

My Thunbergia started coming on good by the end of August.

These were two different varieties. The Sunny suzy 'rose sensation' had more numerous leaves than the 'red orange' and those hid a lot of the red/pink flowers. I'd probably plant just one variety in the future. Both these types have permeated the entire trelis from end to end and overwhelmed the flower bed at the bottom.

Even tried to take over the inside of garden shed, dark as it is in there. 🫤

Closeup of flowers and leaves.

☺️

Lovely swaps sent for the month of August. Thanks for participating.

Hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend.

Annie and Ruth, your prizes should arrive tomorrow.

Wouldn't you know it, some seeds were on sale today with free shipping. Just ordered 3 more packs. I'd better stop soon because definitely limited plant space here.

Cherry Falls tomatoes are still producing. I have pulled out about half of the plants though at this point. The plants don't give up but the extreme heat and many dry spells cause the skin on the tomatoes to become tougher. I will definitely plant some again next year. I'll have to check on planting dates for the things I hope to plant for fall/winter. Growing here is different even from growing at my house in Cary.

Jeanne, thank you so much for my prize that came today. It had me puzzled at first as to what it actually is.

Also thank you for hosting a fun month.

Sharon, way back you asked about yarrow. I do grow the common white flowered yarrow. I have never used it for any herb stuff although I should. It returns every year.

Jeanne, got my prize!! Thank you!!

I so enjoyed your month of shapes and scents!!

Yarrow, I have never grown...that I can remember!!!!