This is a lovely summer’s day. The temperature is not sweating us out of the house. The rains have come and gone. This means no more restrictions on watering with sprinklers.
Come let’s walk through the backyard and view the plants. The first plants we come across are the herbs. Mom has dried lots of them and is looking to make herbed vinegar and oil. I told her she doesn’t have the time but she insisted in that way peeps can.
You see the tall herb right in the middle of the barrel….well, that is tarragon and mom is going to put it in wine vinegar. I wonder if the wine vinegar will taste yucky after she finishes with it.
We are headed to the veggie garden next. I have fertilized and watered everyday. Also I have mixed the soil so that bugs don’t have a chance to set up housekeeping.
You will notice in the first row there is cauliflower, 3 of them to be exact. There are a couple of beets and a few carrots. I got to aerating the soil and couldn’t help myself and did a witches dance. The results are only 2 beets remain in that row and there are very few carrots this year. However, mom got all carried away with the beets and chard in the second row….making up for my boo boo in the first row. The 3rd. row is all corn and doing very well from all that hot weather we had. The two last rows are beans and peas. Notice the sunflowers mom grew from seed.
Come over here my friend and see part of the flower garden.
Right in the middle of the picture are the lavender coloured phlox. The aroma from the phlox is divine, so mom says….I think it stinks myself. Beside the phlox, is the new rose mom got as a remembrance of her mom. Behind the phlox and rose and well protected are 2 huge tomato plants. Moving to the left, there is the pink hydrangea. Mom added a chemical compound to the soil to turn the soil more acidy, thereby giving us blue flowers instead of pink. It didn’t work mom. There is another big tomato plant behind the hydrangea. The tomatoes have lots of fruit but they’re not red yet.
Let’s step into the greenhouse for a few moments and see how the crops are doing in there. 
You are looking at the 3 pepper plants we got from small transplants. All 3 have peppers on them. The one pepper to the right is an Hungarian Sweet Pepper Plant. Mom thought because of its shape the peppers would be hot and she figures she’s hot enough and doesn’t need those to help her. Aw mom I didn’t mean to embarrass you! MOL You can see the leeks just in front of the peppers and the celery is to the far left. To the far right and out of sight is the Spaghetti Squash. Mom has pollinated the squash but no big ones are on the way yet.
Let’s mosey (mousey) back to the deck.
Look who stopped by for a visit, the cow kitten neighbour from next door. He sure is growing.
Ack! Don’t run at me like that! Now I need a piddle pad from Dezi of Dezi World’s powder room. Geesh. This is not how to make friends!
What’s happening out her Shoko? Look for yourself Kali, its our neighbour again. 
What’s he doing Shoko? I don’t know….maybe, no it can’t be….biting his tail? Really?
MOL, Look at his reaction after biting his tail Kali. MOL. What a funny guy.
The Canadian Cats 
your garden is beautiful. and I like the idea to use a barrel for the herbs, that looks stylish and it has something from secret mixtures the wizards used many moons ago :o) the cow-kitty bit in his own tail?…hmmmm that’s a wild kind of playing tug of war, huh?
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Thank you Easy. It sure has grown since you were here. You would be tunneling through the squash if you came up by ground.
I never said this wee cow kitten was a genius. Obviously he is a bit odd. Odd is good….makes life interesting. I think mom is a little odd too! Although she doesn’t try to bite her butt. Good thing too! MOL
(((Shoko)))
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maybe you should call him Od(d)ie like the dog of Garfield.
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I like that Easy!
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The cow cat is funny. If you don’t scare him, he’ll scare himself! I love your garden. It is very impressive and seems to be growing well. Your gardening skills are amazing, S. I think tarragon vinegar would be delicious!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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He is a funny guy. We need a laugh like peeps do and this guy is good for a chuckle or two. Thanks Cupcake, the garden is a lot of work and today it is raining so I’m having a well deserved snooze.
(((Shoko)))
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WOW Shoko and Kali, your gardens are all doing BEAUTIFULLY well! You certainly have green thumbs – I mean PAWS! Little cow-kitty is really quite adorable and I hope you don’t mind him coming to visit you. He can’t resist the beautiful “girls next door” I’m sure!
Hugs, Sammy
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Thank you Sammy. The gardens are not Kali”s doing. She’s afraid to get her nails dirty or get mud on her white fur. She’d rather watch me get dirty. The wee cow kitty is kinda cute and when he’s over here, he follows me around even when I turn around and growl at him.
(((Shoko)))
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Wonderful guided tour through the gardens Shoko. The smells must be wonderful. Be nice to the baby “cow” kitty. He needs love too.OK?
Scout Charles
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Mom and I are happy you enjoyed the tour. The cow kitten is kinda cute and he does follow me to see what I’m doing…I might be able to like this wee guy.
(((Shoko)))
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Sure looks nice in your garden and your neigbor seams to be a fun little guy 🙂
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haha…he’s a pushy little twit right now. He is getting closer to us each time he visits.
(((Shoko)))
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Your garden is lovely! Mes should embarass Mommy and post pictures of the dry patch of weeds that SHOULD be a garden!
And the cow kitty from next door sure wants to play!
Kisses
Nellie
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Your mom is doing so much in the Farmer’s Market she probably doesn’t have time for gardening. One idea mom got from the Farmers Market here was a spread made of rosemary and garlic. Sorry, she’s having a grey moment and can’t remember the name. Mom will think about it and let you know. It was very popular and cheap to make….it would be ideal to sell with her baked goods.
Shoko
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hubba hubba – your mom is hot – snorts my friends. I love your tour of your yard. WOW – your humans have been busy out there. It looks grand and like a food market for moi – 🙂 grins. My mom puts tarragon in her sausage sometimes when she makes it. She says it gives it an unique taste. Daddy has also had it in his tuna sammies. Love that stuff. Ya’ll take care and get Mr. Useless out of your yard. Don’t I hear his mother calling him? Rolls with piggy laughter. XOXO – Bacon
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I’d like to taste your mom’s sausages sometime….that sounded dirty…..I didn’t mean it that way. Mom says she never thought of trying tarragon with fish but its a good idea. Mom is planning to make tarragon oil and herbed wine vinegar. She looked the oil up on the internet and one has to be careful not to get botualism. Mmmmm…not sure of this oil then.
Good idea, I’ll tell him I hear his mommy calling him. MOL
Shoko
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You dirty kitty – snorts with piggy laughter. That did sound dirty but oh so funny indeed! We love herbs – so much fun. You can even infuse them in butter. Now you’re talking. Smacks piggy lips. XOXO – Bacon
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It was kinda funny..MOL Mom forgot all about herbed butter but you’re right…mmmm…good.
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OMC What a gweat gawden y’all have. Yous got lots of nommy eats gwoin’ out there. And did dat cow kitty weally just rush up on ya’. OMC Is hims gettin’ bwave or what? Hope y’all have a good day.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
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Thank you Dezi. The garden is lots of work for mom and me. Today it is raining so we don’t have to water. I’m having a snooze on the bed. This watering was getting to me. I think mom is going to join me as she is pooped too.
The cow-kitten is getting very brave. When I go to do my own thing….he follows me. I growl at him but he still follows me.
(((Shoko)))
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hay ewe gals…moms gardin iz awesum….her haza done a reel lee grate job on it with yur help N taht oh de naybor kitteh ~~~~~ waves….we will all ewe thomaz….any way we hope de spaghetti plant does de best…think oh all de grate sghetti dinnerz ewe will have AND yur mom can make a sauce with all her herbz !!! hhhmmmmmmmmmm…sghetti 🙂 ♥♥♥
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Dai$y, we worked hard but it was worth it. The Sghetti plants are doing well and we will be doing up lots of sghetti. One year mom got 96 tomatoes off her sghetti plants and canned tomatoes with her fresh herbs She only has 3 pints left of the tomatoes. She must have had 20 quarts. MOL
(((Shoko)))
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You have a pretty garden. Everything seems to be growing nice. Your Mom has a green thumb. I see your BF stopped by to visit you.
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We worked very hard on the garden and have been rewarded with some hefty veggies. The cow kitty is not my BF but I think we’ll get closer in time.
(((Shoko)))
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Your plants are all amazing. I would love to run through them and sample the goods. But why do you have tomatoes in with the flowers??
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What a beautiful garden ! Veggies and flowers are gorgeous ! Purrs
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Thanks, we worked hard at it.
(((Shoko)))
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Good question Lexi. Mom grew them in the greenhouse for years and the green fruit would be present but very few of them turned red. One year mom didn’t have enough room for all the tomatoes and planted one behind the rose. She read where tomatoes and roses were companion’s….at least she thought she read this…the tomato was planted. It turned out the tomato plant was protected from the wind but got lots of sun and soon the green fruit started to turn red. Mom reaped the most tomatoes in the fall from that 1 plant than she had from all three plants over the years. So the following year she planted them all outside behind the flowers. The yield that year was 96 tomatos….not bad. She canned about 20 quarts of tomatoes. I don’t know exactly what it is that makes them thrive outside but they do.
(((Shoko)))
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WOW! I am going to ask my Mom to plan tomatoes and flowers next year!!
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I think one of the things is that they are protected from the wind so bees and bugs can land on them without fear of being blown away.
(((Shoko)))
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Your garden looks fabulous! The mom never plants any vegetables. And the rabbits are eating her flowers. Cow kitty is cute.
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Don’t blame your mom if the rabbits eat the flowers….they’ll eat the veggies too. Besides your mom has very little time with working and all. I don’t think cow kitten is cute at all. He makes me wet myself with leaping at me.
(((Shoko)))
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That kitten is so cute, I would snatch him right up. Your garden looks fantastic and weed free. We haven’t even planted carrots yet. We just discovered the joys of swiss chard this year- so good.
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Mom and dad love swiss chard too. There very favourite is beets. You can cut the tops off for greens and darned good greens and eventually eat the beets.
(((Shoko)))
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Wee iss amazed at yur gardens there…so many vegss an thee flowers are so purrty Shoko an Kali….Yur pawentss are grate gardenerss…..
An yur ‘cow’ kitty iss a ‘crazypantss’ just like mee!!! Mew mew mew….
***nose kissesss*** Cuss-inn Dharth Henry xXxXx
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You’re right, he’s a crazypants alright. hehe
(((Shoko)))
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That iss why mee finkss hee iss a boy Shoko an Kali!!! Mew mew mew….
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Your garden looks so beautiful and so Yummy, Shoko and Kali…yummy is Granny’s word for it 😀 Cow cats are cute, especially this one…MOL 😀 Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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You’re right there are more cow kits than this guy…I never thought of it that way before..hehe
Shoko
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