Mid-August and the Bounty of the Garden means IT"S TIME TO SHARE!

Have you ever just stopped and thought, "Where is all the time going?"  It seems like just yesterday we were discussing what we were going to grow in our gardens and now we are starting to reap what we have sown!

For some of us that means a bounty of beans, peas, beets, tomatoes and zucchini!  It seems that anyone who has planted zucchini, is now trying to find friends and neighbors who don't have any.  That's what gardeners do, they share the bounty that Mother Nature is providing after finding a hundred ways to prepare zucchini.

But the bounty of the garden isn't all we share, we also share our delight in this years garden, while dreaming of the garden that is to come next year.  So many of us are also sharing the seeds from this years plants, getting a head start on what will come next year.

To that end,  I hope you find a few of these reviews interesting and informative.

Let's start with this years garden and all the bounty that is found therein......
Basil Garlic Pesto Recipe  Use all the herbs that are growing in leaps and bounds.  Don't let them go to waste!

For goodness all year long that started in your garden you could try this, How To Freeze Rhubarb  Nothing says loving like something from the garden to the freezer to the table.

For all those who are reaping an abundance of peppers, you can do this with the red or green varieties and I'm sure your family will love them.  How to Roast Red Peppers

Jaguar Julie's got a vegetable that many people don't like, but try them in her recipes and maybe, just maybe your taste buds will thank you!  I Love Brussels Sprouts : 5 plus 2 Fabulous and Tasty Recipes

There are lots of things growing in the garden and I know for a fact that zucchini is probably one of the most prolific plants.  It's green and good for you, but what do you do with all the abundance? 

Now when all is said and done with the vegetables,  there is also a lot happening with the flower garden too!  It's time to collect seeds and keep them for a beautiful garden next year.  Get out there and start saving something from the present, to add to the future.   If you have never done this before,  there are some great ideas here to help you get started. The Time is Ripe for Seed Saving

Well, I'm hoping that I have given you just a few ideas on how to make the most of your garden abundance with an eye to the future.  Gardeners are the most optimistic people in the world, if it doesn't work this year, there is always next year!


Hope you enjoyed the review, I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor, come join me and many others, who write about what they love!

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When It Comes to Musical Styles, Where does your Passion Lie?

Music is the way to GO!

Choosing a Musical Style is something that everyone does in some way or other.  Each of us tends to like different styles of music for many different reasons.   That is the way it should be.

Wouldn't life be just so boring if everyone just liked Jazz, or Country, or Gospel?

Then there are our choices in instrumentation too!  I know that there are certain times when I can really get into a piece of music that has a terrific drum beat, and other times when something much softer like an orchestra playing Fur Elise, would just make me happy.

So what's your favorite style of music?  You can check out some of the best and newest country and western music with any one of  Brite-Ideas articles.  Her latest one is just so good and enjoyable.  A Country Song from Son to Father

Or if you haven't had a chance to hear some really good rock and roll,  you can always go to the 70's contributor "Fullofshoes" and check out some great early rock with her article about Please, Please Me!  My First Beatles Album, Please Please Me, $2.50

But that's just the tip of the musical chart, there is so much more to enjoy and listen to with ballads, and folk songs, one in particular that I really like, because he's from my own backyard, Gordon Lightfoot!


And when all is said and done, there are those special times of year, when we celebrate Holidays, my favorite being Christmas. So without too much ado, you can and should check out some oldies but goldies for the upcoming (it's less than 5 months away) Season.  Christmas Music That Stirs the Soul

Then there's all the Techno Pop and Rap that is flooding the airwaves these days.  If that floats your boat there is lots to choose from including Step Up 5, Step up 4 Revolution Movie, Soundtrack List


Either way there is lots to entertain you and open your ears to some new sounds, so enjoy.




  

 

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Gardeners not only Know all the Dirt, they have the Best Tools to spread it around too!

The first set of garden tools ever created are right at the end of each of your arms.   I don't know a gardener anywhere,  who hasn't made use of those ten fingers to dig, pull, make rows, and then plant seeds.

Unfortunately, those ten fingers will only get you so far and then you need to bring in the big tools. Every Gardener that I know also has his or her own set of favorite tools that help in their task of creating beauty in the space they call home. If you are new to gardening, acquiring your first tools might just be a little easier if you do some reading right here!

Charlino knows how to get rid of weeds in a non-harmful to the environment way!   Check out her posting right here:  The Best Chemical Free Method Of Ridding Your Yard Of Weeds

If that's not a good enough start there is always some tools from other countries that might help you with any gardening chores you might have.  Check out Nejiri Kama, Japanese Sickle  or the other favorite Japanese gardening tool, one that I happen to really love and use daily:  Sharp Tools are Required, Sometimes

Among other things to do in the garden with your tools is to set up your space.  This of all things can be the most daunting.  It's not enough to have some dirt,  you do need to keep in mind what your plants are going to need as far as sunlight, watering and other needs to get you growing in the right direction.  Having a plan sometimes helps!  Books are a great resource and can help to kindle the desire to help nature be everything it can be.  Planning and executing can be the most interesting part of your new garden and can be done in the months that aren't quite spring or summer yet! Or if you have tried and weren't quite happy with the results, then some books can help you make it better next year.  Gardeners are the eternal optimists.  Whatever didn't work this year, will work next year for sure........

There is a host of good reading available at the Weekend Gardener's Contributor page Weekend Gardeners/Weekend Warriors


When you think you are ready,  it's time to move on to the real joy of gardening and literally reaping the fruits of your labor.  Here are some great tips for having the best tomatoes you could ever dream of.   13 Tips for Growing Better Tomatoes

Hopefully you will find something here that will make your time in the garden productive and pleasurable too!

Happy Growing!

p.s.  there is a ton of information for gardeners of all skill levels at the Weekend Gardener's page on Facebook, come and like us there or visit Pinterest  for even more!


Weekend Gardener on Pinterest

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Gardening is Therapeutic

Gardening is a wonderful way to spend time in nature without anyone or anything there to undo your sense of calm and contentedness.   Gardening is Therapeutic in so many ways!  Not only is it therapeutic,  but you get to create and enjoy the labors of your work.  Now that could be sitting by the garden and admiring all the beautiful flowers or it could mean having a nice fresh salad with vegetables that you helped to grow!

I can't think of a better way to have beauty and bounty all in one place at the same time.  Oh how wonderful it is to garden.

In order to get that garden to that state though requires some work, and work requires tools.  Oh of course we have our two hands,  but there are tools that Gardeners just must have and to that end I would like to make some suggestions, gently pointing you to some of the tools that we just can't live without!

Review these tools and if there is something that you really need, read on and put them on your "Gardening Bucket List"  who knows, there just might be a new tool to make your gardening chores easier and more rewarding than it already is......


No home should be without at least one of these. I have a couple, one for me and one for my other half, that way we aren't fighting for the same tool at the same time.......he has his and I have mine and we will battle the weeds together....The Best Chemical Free Method Of Ridding Your Yard Of Weeds


Having a Garden also means that sometimes you will need to dig. Nothing makes that job easier than a good Garden Fork. See for yourself how this tool will make some job easier.....A garden fork does many jobs

Those tools are for some of the harder work,  but there are tools that will help you to enjoy the beauty in the garden too.  Just see what a good pair of garden nippers can do:
Ratchet Secateurs

Then there are the tools that are used in other parts of the world, that have found a home here too!  One of my personal favorites is a Japanese Sickle.  I love this tool!
Nejiri Kama Japanese Sickle

This is a short list of tools that will make gardening a real pleasure.  If you have a favorite tool that you would like to see featured, then write about it and let me know so that after all is said and done, we will have a great list of wonderful tools for every garden everywhere.

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I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor

Hi, I'm known as GrammieO and I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor.

Let me put this right out there:  I am not happy unless I have some dirt stuck under my fingernails at some point in the day! 

  

There I’ve said it.  Now this doesn’t mean that I go around with dirty hands or anything like that, but the feel of the earth on my hands is like a salve that takes all my troubles away.

  

Short of Parenthood, I don’t know of any other miracles that we are allowed to partake in.  Parenthood lets you (two) become the makers of a new life. 

  

Gardening lets you take a little seed, with all its Genetic Materials wrapped tightly inside it, and nurture it to life as a plant, that will bear many more seeds just like itself.

  

Gardeners help to color the world with their own special brand of flowers and help feed our families and friends with the abundance, from our gardens.

  

I have been a gardener for a very long time.  My parents started us off, by making us help weed the vegetable gardens.  Our home grown tomatoes were the best!  While I was young, I’m not sure that I had the same appreciation for getting my hands dirty.  Over the years though, that has changed.

  

I love to garden, help other people learn about gardening, encourage others to try something new and share all the beauty that is out there.  Come join me and a great bunch of others, as we learn and grow, not only our gardens, but also our minds, bodies and souls.

  

After all,  I think that was how I was made the Weekend Gardener. I have two lists of gardening tools and products that need to be reviewed and I would welcome you to join in the fun.  Tell us what you like about any one of the things you see on either list, write about your experiences and I will make sure that everyone sees what you have to offer.  I will promote your writings on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest so that all your great ideas will be shared.

Gardening has been a passion of mine for the last 40 years or more. Now don't start adding the years to figure out how old this Grammie is....cause I'll tell you!  I will be 60 this coming 4th of July, so get the fireworks ready.

I love to share gardening ideas, tools, plants, best practices and anything else that makes gardening more enjoyable.

When I find something I like, I Pin it on Pinterest







If you have something that would interest other Gardeners, please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know.  I'm only too happy to spread around the beauty that I find in nature.

Come and check out some of the best ways to make things grow in your garden, right here!

As well as having dirt under your fingernails, you will end up with so many interesting ways to make your garden a beautiful place.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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