rustynailgarden

2019-03-05T21:19:00.001-08:00

2018-05-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, the temperatures are warm enough to do some planting. Sometimes, it is overwhelming because it all happens at once.

The green houses are full of a kaleidoscope of colors and the ground is finally warm and crumbly. I hope you all enjoy your day in your garden whether you're sitting and resting or working very hard. Blessings

2018-05-08T20:27:00.002-07:00

Good morning friends of Rusty Nail Gardens. This is a great day to soak up the sun and get dirty in the garden. We put up the canopy on the deck so we can take a rest break. The deck still needs cleaning, but not today. Enjoy the day.

May Tulips

2018-05-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Finally, we remembered to plant fall tulips and so glad we did.

We picked up a few bags at Menards one frosty, fall evening last year. Our local seed store also had some nice quality bulbs so we grabbed the reds and yellows. They add so much color to a baren spring landscape. We will definitely plant more this fall.

FARM SALE

2017-08-21T17:00:00.001-07:00

The end of an era. Auction Day. A local farm family once raised their kids on this central Illinois farm.

I attended this auction to pay my respects to the majestic barn before it crumbeled to the ground.

No one cared to restore it, and as I write this the barn is in a heap on its foundation.

Along with it some authentic pieces of history. That is why two of the bidders came from a famous tv show, hoping to acquire the old gas pump.

It makes my heart ache to see this wonderful barn falling apart with each season.

The beams were notched and fitted.

The dumpster was overflowing with junk not worth auctioning.

However, I spotted something and grabbed a broom handle to retrieve it.

No, there was no rainy day fund inside the can.

The cattle chute was wobbly and dry rotted.

Someone's bike. Feed pails from the barn and machine shed.

Was the tree as old as the barn?

* famous tv personality *

Original linoleum and wallpaper upstairs.

Porcelain fixtures with pull cords.

More wallpaper and linoleum in the bedrooms.

AND HERE IT IS..............DRUM ROLL PLEASE.................
A MOBILE GAS PUMP

Leaning outbuildings.

The rafters are so pretty, all set with a keen eye and a hammer and nails.

Alwasy keep a few extra nails on the window ledge.

An old leather strap for a shed door pull.

I wonder what he is thinking? Been a long time since I used one of these.

I think we are about the same age.

I love this picture.

Listening to the banter of the auctioneer.

This is how I felt when they called "SOLD"

The end.

THE GRAPES ARE READY

2014-08-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watering flowers and noticed the Concord Grapes were bursting with color.

This time of year, the night shift critters have usually picked the vines clean. I ran really fast to the kitchen for a container and began picking grapes.

Next, I had this flash from the past of a fall day in Galena when my high school friends and I were in a grape stomping contest. Let me tell you grapes are slippery, and cold, and they turn your legs purple.

But I am not making wine with these grapes. Nope, these will be cooked and poured into cute little jelly jars. Then smeared on warm rolls drenched in butter. Yummy.

Here is my right hand "paw" helping me with the harvest.

I only have one grape vine but it is a doosy, hanging over the fence and on the ground.

By the way, it is almost dark again. I never get to garden in daylight, except at my day job, inside, behind a desk, tied to my chair, whipped daily, and spat upon. Ok, you know I am kidding.
I love my job.

And I love these grapes!

Hey, that is not a grape! But it is ripe.
I ran to get another bowl.

I am not making jelly or wine with these tomatoes.

But I could cook some mean tomato sauce.

The hens were clucking as they jumped up on the roost.

I looked in on them. More eggs!

No, I am not making egg jelly or wine from these eggs.

It's been fun harvesting the fruits of my labor.

It's also been fun laboring over the harvest.

And fruiting over the fun.

SELLING MY FLOWERS AT OUR LOCAL MARKET

2014-08-03T21:36:00.002-07:00

After visiting the Farmer's Market at the Peoria Riverfront, I thought maybe I could sell my flowers at a market. I asked my friend, Doug, at Heritage Farmer's Market, if I could bring some flowers to his market. Doug kindly said yes.

I contacted another friend who runs our college horticulture program and asked for her suggestions.

Genny is a wealth of knowledge and was also very kind to share her knowledge with me.

Genny covered such things as when to cut the flowers, how to cut them, preserving the flowers and tieing the bundles.

On this early Saturday morning, the air was cool. The flowers were loving this unusually nice weather. Look how happy this one is!

This is his sister. She is singing, "You Are My Sunshine."

The difficult thing about picking from my home garden is that I hate to pick the blooms.

I would prefer to be selfish and keep them all to myself.

The yarrow and lilies are full of clean, perfect little blooms.

Then I moved on to the pink garden. I took a few cuts from each plant.

Then picked some red Bee Balm and more lilies.

I trimmed the stems to get rid of some torn leaves. I took a handful of flowers and held them upside down. This way it is easier to stretch the rubber band around the bundle, and snip the ends off straight.

I filled several white buckets with water and a drop of bleach to kill the bacteria.

Then put the bundles in the buckets. I set the buckets in the back of the van and headed to market.

How fun! Now this would be a great retirement job in a few years.

At the market I used a pretty tablecloth on the table and set up a grouping of my flowers in some pretty vases. I set out a little sign with my name and price. Well, not 'my' price, but the price of the flowers. I could get arrested if I'm not careful.

Since this day, I have sold some flowers and am reading every flower power book I can get my dirty, grubby, little hands on. After ten years of growing my garden, I am thrilled to have some very nice flowers.

Bloom where you are planted. Do what you love. Love what you do. Do da day.
Do wa diddy diddy dum diddy do.

STEPPING STONE

2014-07-21T23:20:00.002-07:00

The Pekin Rotary Club holds a silent auction annually, in June.

I look forward to going to this with Dennis. We eat dinner, have a few drinks, and bid on fun items.

We also take an item of our own to donate to the auction. This year we offered a snail flower pot with pink petunias.

I bid on this patriotic stepping stone and I won!

One of the members crafts this by hand. I have a light blue, tulip stone he made three years ago.

I guess I am starting a collection.

So, I tried it out. I took a step.

But I can't bear to step on it! It might get dirty.

Look how dirty my work shoes are.

I tried again and still could not step on it, only around it.

Then I tried my left leg. It just sorta bent at the knee and went west. Again, not stepping on the stone.

That's ok, I have seen paw prints on it so I know someone around here steps on it.

SWEETIE PIE IS BROODY

2014-07-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

Our little Sweetie Pie is "broody". This means she wants to sit on eggs and hatch baby chicks. This is a natural instinct for hens.

When they become broody, they quit laying eggs. In fact, they never leave the nest except for a sip of water and maybe a bite of food. They are not fussy whose eggs they sit on either. In fact, Sweetie is sitting on Maureen and Colleen's eggs, hoping they will hatch.

Sweetie can make it very difficult to find the eggs she is hiding.

A hen has a way of almost attaching herself to the nest, making it hard to get your hand under her to locate the eggs.

SELLING FLOWERS AT THE FARMER'S MARKET

2014-07-14T22:53:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday, we drove to the Peoria Riverfront Farmer's Market.
Weekly during the growing season, vendors sell their produce, baked goods, and even crafts from tents set up along the Illinois River.

This is a retired man who make stained glass pieces with his wife.

Dogs are welcome too.

Women in summer dresses, moms pushing strollers, and an old couple holding hands.............oh, that was us! It's a friendly atmosphere.

As we looked at each display, my wheels began to turn.
Little did I know Dennis's wheels were turning too. We were coming to a similar conclusion. I studied the fresh flower and herb arrangements.

Tired of walking on the cement and getting hotter as the temperature rose, we opted to head over to our favorite coffee shop in Peoria Heights. We rested and shared our thoughts on the market.

We both agreed we have some nice, established, flowers blooming in our garden and it might be fun to try selling them for profit.
The wheels continued to turn.

Dennis found some great books on raising flowers for profit and I began to cut flowers and put them in tubs in the basement to see how well they kept during the next week. I contacted a friend, who is a horticulturist, for advice.

This past Saturday, we took our flowers to Heritage Farmer's Market in Tremont. I arranged them on the table and priced them.
This first trial run was actually very helpful. I was challenged by several tasks. Should I gather flowers together by color or by size?
Which colors look best together. How many leaves do I cut off?
Ew.......ants on my table!

I experimented with throwing in some variegated leaves from my trees and bushes. It was fun!

It was also difficult to keep Cupid from eating the greens. I had to put him in another room.

This is our display. We will have more flowers next week.
Buy A Posey For Your Rosey.

Tonight I planted more flowers.

OH MY DARLIN', CLEMATIS (CLEMENTINE)

2014-06-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

Love the colors of these fun pots. Dennis picked them up to add a punch to our back yard.

We put them several places, and then I found this wire stand at a little shop.

I told everyone I got it for 25 cents at a garage sale......I lied.

But I felt better telling people that!

Just down from the pots are these blooming Clematis.

Holy Clementine Batman, look at those flowers.

"Pick me, pick me."

No, I can't pick any they are just too pretty right where they are.

I think all women named Clementine should plant Clematis. Just because.

But if your name is Taylor, or Reba, or Trisha you can have someone plant them for you.

I am just plain old Mary. I had the little lamb. I was also the Mother of a holy figure, but my figure is far from holy or anything. But I do wear holey underware on occasion. See you later.

WHAT THE ?

2014-06-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

Look closely around the hosta.

Let me get a little closer.

I can't stop laughing.

Talk about a Fun Gi.

Sometimes they pop up unexpectedly.

There was a nice soft rain last week, and the temperature was very warm.
Nature has its own sense of humor.

BRICKIN' THE APPROACH

2014-06-12T21:56:00.002-07:00

The yellow is beginning to grow on me. I think this shade will be fine. Thank you to my friends who gave their approval.

I continue to play around with my relics and bricks when I get a few hours. It's like playing house. I move things around and stand back and look at it. Then I take something away and again stand back and look at it. Doing this also keeps my mind off my dirty, cluttered basement. I just can't get up the gumption to do that project.

This is where I left off. I hauled over a three more loads of used bricks and began to arrange them. Keep in mind this is supposed to be imperfect and rusty, not nice and new and square.

I can't do anything square if I tried.

This is not looking right.

Ribbitt. No, we don't like it. Start over. First, give us a push, please.

Next, I got rid of the white baby bed frame. I put it back in storage.
Then I moved the 16 inch squares to the flower garden.

I layed more bricks and brought over a few flower pots, and a dog.
The dog can make a lot of things look better. This is Jazzy Girl.

Jazz is pretending to be a statue.

I think this looks better.
Tomorrow, I have a lot more painting to get done.

JUNE BLOOMS

2014-06-11T20:38:00.001-07:00

Although I am usually tending to dogs, or mowing, I still take time to stroll around the yard and just enjoy the blooms.

June is such a pretty month in Illinois.

The greens are so bright.

Tulips hug each other.

I wonder if it is scary being the first and only bloom in the new world.

A bean stalk tree. Oh, not really, but it grew a few feet since last year.

This is my favorite spring color. I won't get to see it again until next year.

Pop, pop, pop. Is everybody here?

My dear cousin wanted a few starts to some plants. Perfect time for rooting new growth.

Even the pond grasses are shooting up from the bottom of the pond.

We cleaned the pond again this spring, and then refilled it with champagne

Ok, seltzer water..

That was a fun little walk. Come back anytime and enjoy a glass of champagne with me.

MELLOW YELLOW

2014-06-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

The chicken house has been white for a long time. I think it needs to be jazzed up.

I bought a quart of yellow to test and see how it looks.

I think this will be just fine.

Now the quart is gone so I need to buy a gallon of old yeller.

And I also need to buck up and lay some bricks down for a small approach.

I have been putting it off for a long time because it "hurts".

Laying bricks hurts my back, my legs, my thighs, and every other part of my body.

Dennis tilled this spot for me. I have planted three tomato plants and a border of marigolds.

Pekin, IL is the home of the late Senator Everett Dirksen, so we are honoring him with his chosen marigolds. Why? I really don't know. We just are.

Old Everett.

The tomatoes are staked, marigolds are watered, the bricks are in a pile by the shed, and I am off to buy more paint. Oh wait, it is midnight. I think I'll go tomorrow.

$3.95 EMERALD ARBORVITAE

2014-06-07T19:13:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday we took Jazz for a ride and ended up at the nursery, of course.

I found these little shrubs on the sale table. They were marked down because they were not healthy when they first arrived at the nursery.

I felt so bad for the little fellas that I adopted them.

This open spot needs a little privacy screen in winter.

I'll take a chance and see if they fill out in a few years.

The trees behind the bush are about 6 years old and 6 feet tall now.

I know you are thinking the same thing Dennis is, "You have too much jammed together in the front yard." Well my response to that is, "I know how to use a saw." I can cut something down if I choose to do so. But I won't.

If you drive by on June 2nd, 2024, check out the three tall shrubs.

These Spirea suckers were sprouting up under another bush by the garage.

I dug them up and soaked them overnight.

Tomorrow I might put them in this new planting area I am working on.

Hopefully, they will add some pizazz to the end of the road someday.

Honk if you love my rock!

REDNECK CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

2014-06-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

I might be a Redneck....my Christmas lights were still up until this week.

I'm not really sure if winter has ended. Until a few weeks ago it was still cold here.

I just could not force myself to go out in the cold.

I nicked a few strands when I was weed wacking so I forced myself to take the lights down.

I'm not sure if I would have taken them down if not for cutting a few wires

Here are my neat little piles.

Here is Jessie wondering why I am playing with Christmas lights on a 90 degree day.
She is in the air conditioning.

For some reason I am not even ashamed.

ROBBIN'S NEST WITH A SURPRISE INSIDE

2014-06-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

I was planting tomato plants in front of this row of trees last night.

I looked up at our dog, Jessie, who was standing on her tip toes trying to see inside this evergreen.

I did not see anything.

But Jessie smelled something deep inside the tree.

Take a deep sniff............can you smell it?

Look closer, can you see it?

Do you see two blue eggs and two bald birdies?

I doubt if they are 24 hours old, maybe 23 hours.

I bumped the tree and now they think I am going to feed them!

Their mother was in the tree above me, watching.

I quietly planted the last tomato and left.

Tonight, 24 hours later, there was one egg that had not hatched. Three baby birds are huddled together. Maybe tomorrow it will hatch.

Isn't Mother Nature miraculous!

This is Momma Robin high up in the tree. She is scolding me with every four letter chirp she knows.

I better go now.

REJUVENATION AT RUSTY NAIL GARDEN

2014-06-01T20:34:00.002-07:00

Our spring ritual is to visit Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton.

As you can see this tree has a sold sign on it. I phoned ahead and reserved a Tri Colored Beach. It is now outside my back door.

In spring, the pond needs to be refilled with clean water. We run the hose an hour at a time so we do not drain the well.

The pond grasses are coming to life now that the days are warmer.

Baby Hyacinth.

New growth on the Norway Spruce.

Tulips hugging.

Many of our flowering trees had difficulty blooming this year.

This Oak is doing just fine. It is 3 years old now.

A one year old Crabapple.

Dennis decided to get come cobble stones when they were on sale at Menards.

Here we picked them up and hauled them home.

Display sample.

Luckily they had more than just this pallet.

Fill her up!

97, 98, 99 or was that 95, 96, 97?

I also had a little rejuvenation. This is low lights in the back of my hair.

I hope you are experiencing spring in your heart and garden, and hair!

WINDOWS THAT REALLY OPEN AND CLOSE

2014-04-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

This Rustynail House was a fixer upper when I bought it.

The windows were very loose, but I had to make other improvements first.

Replacing them has been on my to do list for 8 years.

Now they are on my "done" list.

This glass was missing in the living room.

This screen had been soaped one Halloween.

This is the spirit of Kitty Cat. During a full moon she would appear in the window and yowl.

Anyone could break into this house with their fingernails. Wiggle, shake, pop, open!

My kitty pushed the screen out several times and went for a stroll.

There she is again. Yee-owl owl growl.

Then one day, as I wandered the aisle at Menards, I found them.
An end of the season close out sale plus an 11% rebate. I decided to buy two trying to be frugal.
Then I figured I'll never see them this price again so I got one more. Then my honey said you might as well get one more and the house will be done in front. I love that guy. He brought home #4.

They sat in the living room a month, while it snowed.

I had to dust around them.
Sometimes I set them in front of the window to see how they would look.

One night I ran into my neighbor at the mail box. This is a great place to catch up on news.

I asked if he had time to put in the windows. He agreed.

I took down the pictures and the curtains. Then covered the furniture.

Off came the shutters.

Pulling out the bedroom window. Ouch, those are rose bushes!

Half way there.

The new living room windows. Happy Happy Me.

The view from inside. They are clean! No Halloween soap!

Popping in the bedroom window. Ron had to frame the window smaller and he made a nice sill inside for the cats to perch.

(looks like this one I found on Google)

Tacking the siding on.

Next he put on the shutters. They hid the darker siding.

Ron, can we replace the siding next year?

The tools and garbage.

I have not shut the windows since I got them.

What kind of shades or curtains will be best?

For now, I hung the sheers up again.

ORDERING TREES

2014-03-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

I want to start gardening so badly that I have to do something to kick start the season. I want to feel like I'm getting back into the gardening groove.

Dennis is starting some seeds indoors, under the grow lights, and planning his raised bed garden. My thing is trees. I put together an order of a few seedling trees from the Peoria County Soil & Water Conservation. I have been buying from them for years. Our beautiful Norway Spruce are 6 ft. tall now. The Red Twig Dogwood really took off the first year. I am very happy with everything I have purchased from them.

I want some Red Bud trees to stick along the edge of the timber for color. They sell 10 inch trees for $2.00 each. I can always find room for a couple more, and I need something red. I picked out a 12" Red Maple for $2.00.

The form is complete, the check is made out and ready to mail. On April 11th I can pick up my trees at Exposition Gardens in Peoria.

I feel much better.

MISSING BIRD FEEDER

2014-03-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

The snow is melting, and the past few nights have been rather pleasant. People are not held hostage in their homes any longer because of wicked weather. The car windows are not as frosty as they were. The grass and is visible in some areas of the yard where the wind has blown the snow away.

One more thing. The raccoons are very active at night. About ten o'clock at night I can hear them ravaging the bird feeders outside my window. They squeak and chatter and try to climb the Shepard hooks. Seeds fall to the ground. The dogs bark and we all run to the window and tap the glass to shoo the racoons away. They look at me through the glass, annoyed. Then turn and follow their worn path back to the timber.

Every morning I refill the feeders. Today one was missing. It was not on the hook, or on the ground, or over there, or under that. It was gone. Those blasted raccoons ran off with the entire bird feeder.

If you see a raccoon dragging a wooden box, it could be my bird feeder.

SUZY BOGGUSS

2014-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

I have know Suzy Bogguss since the late 1970's and I recently had the opportunity to attend her latest cd opening party in Nashville. Here are a few pictures from the event.

Is this her body guard?

Sharing stories.

Suzy opened the gift I made for this occasion. Her album is titled Lucky, so I framed a few good luck charms for her.

Why did my eyes close at the exact moment of the flash?

Uh, I don't know if Dennis should be getting lucky tonight............

What is this weird eye trick Mary?

I can't talk with caramels in my mouth.

So I will use hand signals.

This room is the VIP room with leather couches, complimentary wine and beer of all kinds, yummy hot finger foods, and a small stage for intimate affairs. It was good to catch up, tell stores, and hear her beautiful voice. We even got to step into the dressing room where Suzy was still joking with friends, band members, and Suzy's sister was there.

At 8:00 pm Suzy performed for the public at the venue called "3rd and Lindsley" with her band and several female guest singer/songwriters.

Matraca Berg and Gretchen Peters

See you Someday Soon, Suzy.

SNOW PLOWING

2014-02-21T22:42:00.001-08:00

The road ends here. As you can see, the township plowed my road again this week. I commend them on keeping this narrow, dead end road clear this winter.

There is no room to turn the monster plow around, so Terry has to back the truck down the road. Often, at 3:00 am or so, I hear the beep, beep, beep of the snowplow as it backs down the hill. The yellow caution lights flashing through my curtains. Sometimes, if I am awake when Terry comes by, I turn on the porch light to signal a big THANK YOU.

The sun rising in the east.

The long hill Terry backs down.

A glimpse of the back yard, and lots of dog prints.

Th front yard, which is the bird feeding station.

The Tally Ho Tahoe has not moved in a month.

As Johnny Cash said, "the piles got higher" or was it "the ring of fire", or was it hire the elderly, or did he hear the snow plow a comin' round the bend, near the prison. Or all of the above?

Or....

,,,,was it "Lex-us entertain you".

Or maybe it was "Daddy sang base while Momma sang with Ben-Hur"

You know I could do this for hours don't you?

Zip it.

OUR WILD CATS

2014-01-24T20:25:00.001-08:00

When I bought Rustynail Garden, in 2005, there was one wild kitty living here. A female. She had several litters of kittens before I could trap her and have her, and her offspring, altered. Momma and two of her kitties still live here, but two of the three are wild.

Scaredy Cat has become a very friendly fellow. His brother Doobie is quite the opposite. All the cats come home to eat morning and night, but only Scaredy Cat craves attention and a good scratch. The other two keep their distance.....until recently.

I was not going to leave them outside during these recent blizzards. When very hungry, the cats will come up to the spot I set the food. I get one chance to grab, and I better not miss. I managed to grab Momma. At the next meal I grabbed Doobie. I put all three in the heated garage with food, water, litter, and some pillows.

Doobie was frantic. He yowled, dug at the door, and hissed. Momma hid. They had not been confined inside with three dogs before this. Jazz is harmless inside her kennel, but she does bark to greet everyone.

Scaredy did not mind the nice warm garage at all. After a day inside at 60 degrees, with the wind howling outside at zero degrees, they all seemed much happier. I took pictures as I talked to them. Doobie acts like an old farm cat (he is the grey cat). I am shocked at the difference in him.

Here is Doobie first inside, hiding under the work bench in the litter box, wide eyed.

Then I set the food on the work bench and he came out of hiding.

Then he posed for this picture; but those wide eyes are a sign he is on alert.

Full tummy, soft blanket, nice warm shelter. He is beginning to like this!

Animals just seem to know when your are helping them.

Scaredy Cat. Relaxed, purring, happy eyes.

Please turn the light off, we are trying to take a cat nap.

Goodnight.