Yesterday was a great day here in the Pacific Northwest. The weather was in the mid 70’s {just right if you ask me} and Lucy and I spent most of our time working in the backyard on a bunch of mini projects.
My friend The Church Lady even stopped by on her walk around the neighborhood and talked for a bit. I gave her a few zucchini from the garden and as she was leaving she asked if that was kale growing in the front flower bed. YES IT IS! Go ahead and take some, I told her.
After picking another round of patty pan squash I decided to pull up the plants. 
Patty pan squash take up a lot of room. Too much room if they are planted in a garden box if you ask me. Lesson learned. Next summer I will plant the cute little flying saucer looking squash in a big garden bed. 
Beets! Have you started to think about your Thanksgiving menu yet? Well now is the time to get your root crops like beets, turnips and carrots planted if you plan on serving a big platter of roasted veggies at the supper table this fall. 
Guess what I found yesterday waiting for me on the perennial clearance racks at The Home Depot? English lavender!!! Giddy up. I’ve been eyeballing the plants ever since they came in about a month ago. The price tag was $3.98 a piece when they first arrived {more than I wanted to pay} so I waited patiently hoping they’d appear on the clearance racks at a reduced price. I scored 14 for $1.50 apiece. Bring on the bees!
And last but not least, my dishwashing dreams have come true. I snagged a red KitchenAid dishwasher rack for $4.50 at our local thrift store on the way home from running errands yesterday. This puppy runs about $35 on Amazon. I was beyond thrilled.
What’s going on with YOU lately? Have you scored any super deals?
~Mavis
Eva says
Great deal! I scored 8 gallon sized Penstemon “Red Riding Hood” plants for $1.50 each at Home Depot clearance section!! My hummingbirds LOVE these guys!
Mavis Butterfield says
Nice!!!
Teresa says
Eva! Watch out where you plant those penstemon! I put in a cute little start that I bought from the local master gardener’s sale about 3 years ago. It started 3inches square and now covers about 20 square feet! It travels underground and is invasive. I pull some out each year and it thrives in spite of my efforts. The hummers do love it though. I hate to say it’s choking out everything around it. I live outside Portland Oregon (30 miles west). Don’t know if yours is a like climate but it thrives in the Pacific Northwest. Good Luck
Rebecca says
Hi Mavis,
I chuckled about your patty pan squash taking up too much room in a raised bed. The same thing is happening with my pickling cucumber vines and butternut squash. I think I will pull out the pickling cucumbers by the end of the month. I’ve already made a couple of batches of refrigerator pickles and canned some pickle relish. A couple more batches should take us through until next year!
Jennifer Jo says
Your dish drainer has a face. Give it a name.
Holly R says
HA HA! Now, I see it too. So, what are you going to name it Mavis?
Mavis Butterfield says
Bonus points for being hyper aware! Ha.
Annie says
I hit up the Clearance racks at 3 different Lowes Stores around my area of Virginia and came home with well over 40 plants for about a buck a piece, a few were Annual’s like Lantana, but all the rest were Perennials. I love hitting the Clearance racks for plants! I’ve made myself a whole lot of work, but my yard will be amazing next year if everything lives!
Mavis Butterfield says
I love bargain hunting for perennials too Annie, it’s so much fun.
sheila says
Stupid question: you still have a dishwasher even though you don’t use it, right? Why not use it as a drying rack? No precious counter realestate to take up.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. I tried that and I kept forgetting the dishes in there. Ha!
Kim says
It is very rude to tell us your temps are in the 70’s. It makes us very, very grumpy as we suffer here in the high 90’s with 100’s in the near future.
Jeasous in Texas,
Kim
Jeanne says
Can I ask what you are doing with those squash–can you keep them very long- I really like them but don’t know how to preserve them for use later?
Helen in Meridian says
I don’t know how to cook or prepare these. Do you peel the skin, or just take the stem off area out and saute sliced? need ideas.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll post a recipe tomorrow. 🙂
Helen in Meridian says
What do you hate about your dishwasher? Didn’t you get a new one in the remodel? What brand do you have and hate? I think Costco has or recently had those dish drainers. Do you have a Goodwill you hit like back by your old house, or what is your favorite thrift store now?
Mavis Butterfield says
The dishwasher at our old house was a Bosch. We kept the one the previous owners had here {because it works, just not as good as our old one}. I don’t see the value in buying a new one and I don’t mind hand washing, it’s kind of therapeutic actually.
Deborah says
I like washing dishes by hand too. In fact, my dishwasher stores mason jars on the top rack and cookie sheets etc on the bottom. HA!
Helen in meridian says
My brother has one of those Mantis rototillers you have in that ad. He loves it. Do you have one?
Mavis Butterfield says
I don’t. I’ve always wanted to get a tiller though.
Kat says
Jumpin’ Jehoshephat, Lady–you have a green, green thumb!