Display Your Blogger Email Address...No More No-Reply!

I don't usually respond on Sweet Bean Gardening to your amazing comments, since Blogger doesn't offer (yet?) a fantabulous feature like ReplyMe, which emails you when I respond to your comment here. 

If you leave a comment, I mentally sing my little Frere Jacques comment song and then go visit your blog. (Okay...sometimes I sing it out loud, too). But if you ask an intense gardening question like say, how does Zelda maintain her blueberrry mole?, it's a little odd to leave the answer in the comments on your post about Composting 101.

Maybe she's born with it? Maybe it's Blueberrine?

But if you have displayed your email address, then I can just email you Zelda's beauty secrets!

But more often that not, this is what shows up: 

noreply-comment@blogger.com

Which means I can't contact you! Boo!

I thought my email address was displayed on my Blogger profile until I read Hartwood Rose's helpful post about how to set your email address up for receiving replies. Here's how to change your settings:

1. Go to your Blogger profile and click "Edit Profile."

2. Check the box that says "Show my Email Address."

3. Scroll down a little to the Identity box and enter in the email you'd like to receive replies at. You don't have to use your personal email address...it's very easy to set up an email just for your blog. :)

4. Scroll down just a little and click on Save Profile.

Easy peasy! Your email will NOT be plastered all over the comments, but now that pesky "no-reply" email will be gone and I can email you Zelda's top-secret-mole-maintenance routine. 

I really do love hearing your comments - I have learned so much from you all - and relish the freedom to give a personal reply in thanks! :) 

Midsummer Blooms

This morning I peeked out the window in my pre-coffee daze and spied a deer leisurely snacking on my tomatoes.

I very nearly grabbed the camera, but in that split-second decided I was *not* going to give that deer any more fame than he is already getting from his infamous nibbling. 

Dirty Deer apparently gets his fill in the vegetable garden, so he hobbles his overstuffed belly back to the woods before he can reach the cottage garden. That is the silver lining!

I think these brightly-colored flowers are blackberry lilies...I alternately call them blackberry lilies or candy lilies. They were a passalong from my mom's garden, and get lovely rich-glossy black seedpods after they flower.

The Pink Delight butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is in full bloom. I pruned out several of the lower branches in early summer, and that must have made it skyrocket. It's huge! We often see hummingbirds flirting around from blossom to blossom if they aren't feeding on our homemade hummingbird nectar.

I just adore Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata), especially the David variety. It doesn't mildew like so many other kinds of garden phlox...it just keeps looking better and better! I can't wait until the clump gets clumpier. :) 

I gravitate toward softer colors in my garden...and midsummer colors often tend to be brighter and bolder. Even my Top Fives of Six list shows blooms in pinks and purples. (What it doesn't show is that the Top Five plants that are blooming are the ONLY plants blooming! haha!) 

I noted in my garden daybook that next year I ought to plan for a Soap Opera midsummer garden. I need an extra push to plant the bright and bold - sunflowers, black-eyed susans, zinnias, yarrow, red-hot pokers, etc.

What is your favorite Bold & Beautiful midsummer bloom?

Linking up today to Fishtail Cottage's Cottage Flora Thursday!

Dirt Cheap: Keeping House Sparrows out of Bluebird Boxes

This has been the Year of the Bluebird.

First I had to figure out how to mount a bluebird box. Out of all the things you can Google, finding instructions that I understood on how to actually get the box to attach to the pole was not an easy task! Especially considering my tutorial uses such lofty language as thingamajigger and handy-dandy connector...

I was ecstatic when I discovered sweet baby bluebird eggs in the box.

And then crushed when they were kicked out by house sparrows.

House sparrows (HOSP) are nasty little enemies of bluebirds! They will not only kick out the bluebirds, but often kill them. I found a ton of helpful information at Sialis about recognizing a HOSP attack on bluebirds. (Warning: The house sparrows are not kind to the bluebirds...I had to skim past some of the info on this page because it was pretty yucky)

"Without question the most deplorable event in the history of American ornithology
 was the introduction of the English Sparrow."
-W.L. Dawson, The Birds of Ohio, 1903

Since house sparrows are not protected in any way, we removed their nest. I kept an eye on the box - I was going to take it down if they kept building nests in there. Within a few days the tree swallows found it, and so I was glad enough to let them have it, although I did miss seeing the bluebirds.

To my surprise, a few weeks ago the male bluebird kept flying in to the garden. (And very much kept watching me as if to say, "Get on with it, lady!") The baby swallows were all out of the nest, so we cleaned the box again. Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird again took up residence, but this time I was prepared.

Anti-House Sparrow your Bluebird Box

1. Take four eye screws (I think that is what they are called anyway) and put them in a rectangle shape around the entrance hole. The exact placement may differ depending on your bluebird box design

.2. Scavenge some heavy fishing line and thread it through the holes, tying it down securely. Just make sure that you can still open the box! :) It's okay if the line is slightly overlapping the entrance hole.

3. I also added an eye screw on each side of the roof, threaded more line through, and tied the other end to a small metal nut. If you don't add the nut as a weight, the line could potentially get tangled inside the box and pose a threat to the nestlings.

The house sparrows are supposedly spooked off by the fishing line...who knew fishing line was so scary? This method is not 100% foolproof, but I am happy to show this off:

I've been keeping an eagle eye out on the box, and can only hope the anti-sparrow-contraption will continue to work its magic until these babies are off on their own!

Harvest Monday: July 25

The following points have contributed to my lack of effective gardening this week:

I mentally sing "So long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Goodnight!" every time I see this picture

1. Poison ivy attack

 (Thank you, Brave Husband, for weeding that nefarious corner where I was sure I saw a mutant spider. My spider-eyes obviously are not in sync with spotting poisonous plants)

2. Temps over 100 with 200% humidity 

(The reader may at this point be indicating the humidity reading is inaccurate, but I am willfully choosing to disregard reason here. Going outside was equivalent to smothering myself.)

3. Non-tornadoes

(Judging from what ended up in our yard, I am sure several used diapers mysteriously appeared in someone's else's yard. Extending my deepest apologies!)

(Source)

Once I was able to get outside and check on things, I was appalled at what I found:

Eeek. The deer and the slugs and who knows what else have been having a hey day out there! There's a strong possibility they harvested more than I did this week...at least somebody enjoyed it. I still did get a fair amount of cukes & zukes though.

What did your garden give you this week?

Linking up to Daphne's Harvest Monday...

Thankful Wednesday

Come in, sit down, relax, converse,

Our house doesn't always look like this - 

Sometimes it's even worse.

I was all prepped and ready for 1:00 naptime to hit so I could post my Thankful Wednesday post.

Did I mention the temperature has three digits today?

Happy Thursday, all. 

I'm thankful I was able to sweep away enough magnetic doll clothes to set my lunch plate down.

Pretty sure the pink warrior here is thankful he isn't looking for a nose job like the guy on the left...

My current memory verse on the ledge above the kitchen sink...I have REALLY enjoyed being a part of Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Team this year. You commit to memorizing a verse every two weeks for the year. It's incredibly encouraging to visit her blog every two weeks and see God's Word being hidden away in the hearts of hundreds of women.

This bit of awesomeness came in the mail today, and yes, I blame my boards on Pinterest.

Thankful that I have a window to see the hot, hot garden wilting away. Note to self: Bust out the compost next year for the parched area in front of the birdbath. Also, it would help to plant something there.

A friend just gave me a sweet tutorial on making hairbows last week. I haven't had time to make any more, but if the ones I have made in my head would materialize, we'd be set on hairbows for a long, long time.

You know, diapers really should have messages for the parents instead of the babies. The Professor isn't checking out Cookie Monster when he's getting changed - he's too busy twisting & arching & attempting escape. Things like...

Cleaned out now...the next diaper won't be so bad! (Diapers for the New Parents)

Just wait until the next one, Mommy & Daddy... (Diapers for the Seasoned Parents)

Sometimes the Internet is too overwhelming, so this has been a *fabulous* vegetable gardening Bible - Rodale's Growing Fruits & Vegetables Organically. And I got it for free using Paperback Swap. Double points!

 

For the glory of God alone...the most thankful of all.

What are you thankful for this Wednesday Thursday?

Harvest Monday: July 18

I wonder if Zelda suspects that everybody knows her mole is fake...

And you thought your parents were only kidding when they told you what would happen if you didn't eat all your kohlrabi...

Alvin knew he shouldn't have eaten all 2 pounds of the zucchini by himself, but it was so good...

What did you harvest in your garden this week?

Linking up to Daphne's Dandelions for Harvest Monday! 

GBBD: July 2011 Confessions

The garden is running on autopilot.

Let me share with you why, O reader.

1. It's July, which means it is way too hot for sunburn-in-a-second me to be out much during naptime (which of course takes place in the heat of the day)

2. I'm a wee bit afraid of how many more weeds may have sprung up overnight, and...

3. Our house is in complete disarray since I may or may not have accidentally toppled the piano during one of my "let's rearrange the whole house!" sprees.

I dashed outside this morning once everybody was strapped in their seats for breakfast and snuck a few pictures though. I couldn't miss Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

On a positive note, when parts of the piano ripped off, I discovered a card inside that graciously informed me the last time it was tuned was October 2004. If it didn't need tuned before, it definitely does now. :)

What's blooming in YOUR garden this afternoon?

DIY Chic: Modern Paint Chip Circle Pendant Lamp

I've been loving on some modern light fixtures recently...

which are usually huge, quirky, expensive, and the type my husband would grimace at.

What to do?

Use paint chips (free!), to make my own temporary modern pendant to cover my very traditional light fixture. I get an updated look, my husband doesn't suffer financial trauma. Score all around.

How to Make a Modern Paint Chip Circle Pendant Lamp:

1. Get yourself a hefty load of paint chips in the colors you desire.

 Confession: I made two trips to the store because I felt like I was ripping them off.  I kept telling myself, "They're free! I'm not stealing anything!" as I shoved handfuls in my purse. You will need a LOT though.

2. Start cutting out circle-esque shapes.

 If you have a fancy die cut machine or punch that would cut out circles for you, even better. I didn't mind if mine were whimsically organic shapes. (Doesn't that sound nicer than crooked circles?) If you do end up cutting by hand, a couple of hard-earned tips:

-Tip One: Cut out two circles at a time. 

Place the paint chips so the back sides are facing each other (the colors facing out) and cut both at the same time. This way you will have two shapes the *exact* same.

- Tip Two: Don't try and make perfect circles.

 If you make a small pointy tip/edge (see above photo), it will be much, much easier for you to match up the shapes evenly later on.

3.  Cut a long length of string. 

You'll be taping the paint chips to it, so make it as long as you desire.

4. Use double-sided tape to tape the paint chip to the string.

I found it was easiest to place the string in the middle of the paint chip, then stick a length of double sided tape on top of the string. Then I stuck another length of tape the opposite direction for maximum hold.

5. Take another paint chip circle, match it up, and stick it on top.

This way you have the pretty color on both sides! This is also where it is extremely helpful to have a little point/tip to match up your second shape if you cut out by hand.

6. Keep adding circles to the entire length of your string, until it's all filled up.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 until your work surface is nearly invisible with paint chips taped to a string.

Or until you think you have enough. Either way.

8. Attach the strings to your light.

Originally, I had planned on tying the strings to one super-long string, then tying that to the top of my light fixture. 

Um, it slid right off.

So this step really depends on what kind of light fixture you are covering with the paint chip pendant. What I ended up doing was taking the glass bowl off the lamp, sliding a piece of string along the edge, then re-attaching the bowl. Then I just tied the paint chip strings to this string. 

Unfortunately, this made the paint chips strings much lower than I had intended, and wasn't as clean of a look as I wanted, but I had to "make it work" a la Tim Gunn.

And there you have the Modern Paint Chip Circle Pendant. 

All for the cost of double-sided tape.

I'd like to add more layers, but I had to stop at this point. The Tornado was stealing the paint chips and using them as pretend money; the Professor was wildly yanking them off the table and eating them at an alarming rate. :)

Pin It(If you don't know what this means, check out my Welcome to Pinterest post!)

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Harvest Monday

This past week, I happily stumbled upon Daphne's Dandelions - a fabulous veggie garden blog!

 Her veg patch (below) puts my humble plot to shame. :) She hosts Harvest Mondays, a weekly meme to showcase what you have harvested, or how you are using/saving your harvest.

(Source)

I also love that she has a running list of how much she has spent on her garden, vs. how much savings she is receiving from her harvests. I am doing something similar with my Harvest Home tally, but I am waiting until the end of the season to add it all up.

I just decided to join the meme this weekend, so I just have photos from this weekend. The Tornado helped me pick a half pound of basil, and we made up a batch of pesto. She kept exclaiming, "I don't like that green stuff, Mama!" when she saw it in the blender, but ate it up rather happily at suppertime. :)

I was surprised to find a few jalapenos ready, and a few green peppers, too! I pulled up the rest of  my onions, even though they were pretty small still. I wasn't thinking when I planted them, and they were in a terrible location.  Next week the good old Kentucky Wonder beans should be ready, and the Early Girl tomatoes, too.

Live and learn for next year! As a veggie newbie, I've been leaning into the the learning curve steeply this year. I have several notes to remember for next years garden...vegetables are much trickier than flowers, I think! :)

What did you harvest this week? 

Come and share over at Daphne's Dandelions!