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Ornamental Black Pearl Pepper

8/29/2014

Can you eat them?

Yes, they are edible. No, I haven't tried them. My understanding is that they do lack the flavor of peppers grown as a true vegetable though.

This variety of ornamental pepper is called Black Pearl.

Black Pearl grows rapidly and outgrew this hanging basket by the first of July. So I replanted the plant in its own pot. They thrive in full sun (which this was) and humidity, which we have here in southwest Missouri.

The sun turns the leaves this awesome purple and the pepper is ripe when it turns a beautiful shade of red. It is now a gorgeous specimen plant!

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Fall Outdoor Decor

8/25/2014

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Fall outdoor decorations over several years.

Fall is my favorite time of year and I love to change up the decorations from season to season and year to year. One of the many reasons I love to blog, it is like a diary for me. The year is stamped on each picture.

The large pot has a white mum and witches legs stuck in the side of the pot. I used a cutting machine to cut the vinyl white spots for the large pot, the two smaller pots have painted circles.

This photo has a little Photoshop magic. The scarecrow, galvanized bucket full of fall pansies and ornamental pepper, and stone posts were actually in our yard but I used an old stone house from Vinland, Kansas for the background.

This photo has a beautiful baby girl, my granddaughter, but besides that a gorgeous mum in an orange pail with an old wheelbarrow tipped on its side full of pumpkins.

Scarecrow with orange pail full of a mum and pumpkins on front porch. This photo also has the picture of my fall topiary. See below.

Letters from Hobby Lobby that I painted and put on the pumpkins which sit on two stools made out of barn wood.

And finally by fall topiaries last year, 2013. I had made them over ten years ago. Directions of how I made them here. I have made topiaries for every season and placed them in the urns. But alas, it was time for them to move on- to the trash dumpster.

Joined these AWESOME link parties:
Yesterday on Tuesday
One Krieger Chick
Savvey Southern Style
Creations by Kara

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Concrete Leaf Pond Spitter

8/22/2014

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This pond is several years old as well as the hardy lily, umbrella palm, gold fish and the concrete leaf used as a spitter/fountain, an established pond that has developed its own ecosystem. The leaf has a hole drilled out with a cement bit (carefully) to put the tube through the leaf that is connected to the pond pump. I added the dragonfly from a broken chime. The pond sets on our back deck and receives afternoon sun. We do put a heater made for ponds in it during the winter.

This is the fourth post in a series of using concrete leaves in my garden. Complete instructions to make the concrete leaves from a previous post is here.
Fairy House Roof Made From a Concrete Leaf here.
Concrete Leaf with Flower here.

Close-up of pink hardy lily.

Three bright orange goldfish call this little pond home. They are so tame, they will kiss your finger as you walk by, of course they like to be fed at that time. It is important to have pond plants for the fish to hide and get out of the direct sunlight. The size of your pond will determine how many fish and plants are appropriate.

Ponds with fish need water movement and the faint sound of water trickling down the side of the leaf is peaceful. The little pump also helps filter the water and help to establish the ecosystem of a pond. I clean the pond every year in the spring but take out any leaf debris all during the year.

The concrete leaf is made from a canna leaf that sits perfectly on the edge of the pond.

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Mushroom-Zucchini Pork Casserole

8/19/2014

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Not another zucchini recipe, NO!
But - believe me this is excellent and. . . . .
If you are lucky enough to have a local farmer, like R-N-R Farms here in Shell Knob, MO, offer USDA inspected farm fresh beef and pork direct to the consumer, with no antibiotics or hormones added then be sure and support that farmer or merchant because their meat is exceptional.

Notice that there is no grease left in the pan.

Ready to go in the oven.

Mushroom-Zucchini Pork Casserole

1 lb. uncooked ground pork
3-4 small zucchini or 1-2 large zucchini
5-6 large portabella mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
Corn bread stuffing mix
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup water
2 Tablespoon Butter (melted)
Parmesan cheese (grated)

1. Slice zucchini and mushrooms and set aside
2. Brown pork in large skillet
3. Put zucchini and mushrooms in with cooked pork and place lid on pan to steam
4. Bring water to boil, dissolve bouillon in water and stir together with soup and sour cream
5. Place cornbread stuffing in sprayed 9 x 12 casserole dish
6. Drizzle melted butter over stuffing mix
7. Spread pork and vegetables on stuffing mix
8. Pour soup mixture on top
9. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncover and continue to bake until mixture is bubbling in the middle
10. Serve with grated parmesan cheese

Joined These Awesome Link Parties:
A Delightsome Life
Domestically Speaking
Dolen Diaries
Savvy Southern Style
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

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Mason Jar Solar Light On Old Oar

8/15/2014

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Here in Southwest Missouri, on beautiful Table Rock Lake it is not uncommon to see more trucks with a boat attached at the local grocery store than cars. Old oars are in abundance here, so what a perfect repurpose of an old oar, make a solar light décor for our yard.

Notice the beautiful turquoise of the jar and the condensation inside the jar, this has all occurred in the last two years, since we hung our jar/oar décor. The newly purchased jar and solar lid were attached by hubby to the oar with a U-clamp.

The solar jar/oar décor hangs on the 2nd deck level and illuminates the garden below of the night. A small bird bath sits on the rail above the oar and there is a bird acorn feeder by the oar. (See the first picture)

Joined These Awesome Link Parties

Jennifer Rizzo

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Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hummingbird Moth)

8/12/2014

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We have been seeing this beauty at our tall phlox over the last few weeks, as have many gardeners reported also.

Photo by Jim McCormax

I wondered though, what he looked like as a caterpillar and to my surprise he turned out to be a hornworm, I wonder how many of these I have squashed over the years thinking they were the dreaded tomato hornworm.

BUT, there is a difference in these caterpillars . . . . . . .

To the left is a picture of a tomato hornworm and the above picture is a Five-Spotted Moth that it morphs into.

I'm thinking of being more careful about what I squash from now on, even though I don't think (after some research) these beautiful moths eat tomato vines.

Joined These Awesome Link Parties
Fishtail Cottage
A Delightsome Life

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Black-Eyed Susan Vine

8/7/2014

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Look at this beautiful soft yellow flower. It grows on a very vigorous climbing vine. If you look closely at the center of the flower you will see that it is actually a very deep color of red and not black as the name would have you believe. I have grown these flowers now for three years and was fortunate enough last year to have found one with orange flowers. I have gotten these vines from local nurseries and understand they come in several colors.

This year I grew the vine in an old iron kettle/pot with a trellis in front of the garage. In years past I have grown them in hanging baskets and trained the vines to grow downward, yes that is possible. It makes for a beautiful addition in a hanging basket.

It is now August and the vine is getting pretty leggy. It also has a morning glory growing in it accidentally. I have to keep the vine from growing into the garage. It has been quite a showstopper but I don't think I would plant it again in this pot nor in this spot again. I really liked it better in a hanging basket and may try that again next year.

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Unusual Bluebird Home

8/1/2014

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This sun hangs above our side door into the garage, we go in out of this door frequently all day. What a surprise to find a family of bluebirds using it for a nest!

I could never get a picture of the babies, but I saw and heard them. Really!

The female bluebird feeding her babies.

I think he is looking at me taking his picture.

This is the female sitting on the highline, just before sundown with a worm for her babies. She is waiting for me to leave.

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Can you eat them?

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