Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Garden and Company


We had company for a few days and took them on a tour of this beautiful mansion in South Bend, IN.  It is the Oliver mansion.



This is one of the rooms.  Can you imagine living in a house this size?  Or may be some of you do!!  This would make one nice size craft room!



This is one of the gardens!



Another one of the gardens.  We were also able to tour the butler's house right near the mansion also.



We had a storm and when I went out in the morning my tomato plant had toppled over!  A lot of green tomatoes were on the cement!  Not a good thing for a gardener to find first thing in the morning!  The stem was not broke so we propped it back up!



These were the tomatoes I picked up off the cement.  Boo-hoo!  That was my only larger tomato plant besides the Sun Gold and the Patio ones on the front porch.



The leaves on the top of that tomato plant were all eaten off!  Coco can not reach that high!



This picture is from the internet but my friend found one of these ugly things on my tomato plant.  Yuk!!  He is the guilty one that stripped my leaves I believe and ate a little of about three tomatoes.  Why could he not have just ate one and ate it all instead of nibbling on three.  My friend took it off for me.  I am a sissy gardener I guess.  We finally decided to flush it down the guest toilet!  Didn't want it put down mine!  Haha  She left this morning so I hope there are no more!  I kinda doubt that "wonderful gardener" would take it off for me.  Maybe I will become more of just a flower gardener and buy my tomatoes at the Farmer's Market!



This is the one side of the front porch that has the sungold tomato plant.  It has had a lot of little tomatoes that were delicious but I think is about done producing.  Maybe some Mum flowers will go there in the fall.



This is a pole bean in the pail.  It has not produced well and I have mesh around the bottom.  Three guesses why!  Coco found a hole in the mesh (or put one in) and helped herself to what few beans there are that she could.



Our friends that we met when we were both full timing left for the airport this morning to fly back to their home in AZ!  I am on my own now if I find anymore tomato worms!!  Wish me luck!  Thanks for dropping by!  Come again!










22 comments:

NanaDiana said...

Oh- I hate those tomato worms. I have a hard time seeing the beauty in bugs and worms and snakes, etc, that I know some people find beauty in. lol

How about some fried green tomatoes with the ones that were on the concrete? Sounds good to me. xoDiana

Granny Marigold said...

I would love to tour that mansion! When we used to go traveling we'd look for big old houses that we could tour.

Sorry your tomato plant blew over; good thing you could prop it back up.
That naughty Coco!! I hope she enjoyed the beans.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi NanaDiana, Sorry, fried green tomatoes do not sound good or healthy to me! LOL I did not see any beauty in that tomato hornworm! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Granny Marigold, That was a really interesting and nice tour of that mansion and the butler's home. We love to tour mansions and president's homes. Nancy

Cheryl Kimbley said...

That looks like a really neat place to visit. I can't imagine the heating bills for those big old houses.

I don't know if I could pick off a worm either - maybe, but not bare handed! They can sure do some damage.
Looks like maybe fried green tomatoes at your house!
have a good day.

Rain said...

Hi Nancy :)) Oh that would make a great craft room, but who will clean it lol? :) I love the stone walled-garden, it's so beautiful, what a nice tour! I'm glad you had a nice visit!

Oh, your poor tomatoes :(( that bug is awful, but I had to laugh at your sissy-gardener comment! I'm a sissy when it comes to bugs. Last night there was a big spider over the bed and I made Alex get out the vacuum to get rid of it, but he also had to empty the canister...OUTSIDE...before I could sleep lol...I'm glad he laughs it off otherwise I'm sure it would be annoying to some people! OMGosh, Coco is a little bugger eating your beans!!! Our dogs are always leashed on a rope in the yard and I purposely made the garden just out of reach because I'm quite sure I'd find doggie bite marks in everything!

Margaret said...

Oh, that's unfortunate about the tomatoes - at least your plant survived and I'm sure it will produce more before the cold weather hits. I'm wondering if it's possible to move the planter next to the house when you know a storm is coming in - we often do that on our deck so that things don't blow around as much.

Betsy said...

Hello Nancy! That is a beautiful mansion. But you know what I think about when I see places like that? I would sure hate to be the one to clean it! Ha ha! I'm sorry about your tomatoes. I would run far, far away from that bug too. I'm glad your friend was there to help and I sure hope you don't find any more bugs. Coco has good taste. I love green beans fresh off the vine too. Don't be too hard on the little sweetheart. :-). Have a wonderful day my friend.
Blessings, Betsy

Leigh said...

Oh no, your tomato! Hopefully the topple won't cause any more problems and you won't have any more hornworms! I hate seeing those things.

The mansion looks gorgeous and a wonderful place to take visiting friends.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Cheryl Kimbley, If I could afford a mansion like that I guess I could afford the heating bills. But I don't need to worry as there is no way I could have one! I was impressed though that he came here from Poland when 12 and was hard working and frugal. Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Rain, If I could buy that mansion I would hope I would have enough money left to hire someone to clean it! My courtyard is really not large enough for Coco to have a little place to run and garden both but I try! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Margaret, Thanks for the suggestion to move the planter nearer to the house. I could do that because that one is on wheels but I didn't even think we had that bad of a storm. It was trying to fall over before but hubby had wired it back up but guess it was not good enough. Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Betsy, No, I am not too hard on Coco as our courtyard is small and she does need somewhere to go. If I could afford a mansion I would hire someone to clean it! LOL I haven't seen another tomato hornworm yet so hope I don't! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Leigh, Yes, we really enjoyed that mansion. It was one of the better ones that we have toured. Haven't seen anymore tomato hornworms yet and hope I don't! Nancy

Connie said...

Hi Nancy, although your tomato worm looks every exotic I wouldn't want to handle him either. So sorry about your plant blowing over but glad to hear that it didn't break off. We plant them, baby them and enjoy watching there growth, then when something like that happens it is a sad deal. Your planter boxes are beautiful and so nice that you don't have to bend. Thanks for the tour of the Oliver mansion; my favorite photo was of the garden with the stone wall. I have a soft spot in my heart for stone walls . . . I just think that they are gorgeous (any kind of stone and any configuration).
Here's wishing you a lovely day and no more tomato worms.
Connie :)

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Connie, Found another tomato hornworm on my tomato plant this morning! Big, brave Bob took it off for me! I do like my raised beds so it is easier on the back! I am spoiled! Nancy

Julie said...

Hello Nancy, yes we get those worms/bugs here on our tomatoes in our summers too. They are so deflating when they eat everything. That house & garden that you visited with your friends is just amazing .. your photos of it are wonderful. Have a lovely weekend Nancy (its Friday here !!)

Pom Pom said...

Those funny green worms are weird! I think your tomatoes look pretty!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Julie, Friday night here now. The week flew by! Found a 2nd tomato worm and hoping for no more of those yucky things! I think my hubby got the photos of the mansion off the internet. We forgot to take our camera!!!! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Pom Pom, Thanks! I do not like those tomato hornworms. They are very destructive and a 2nd one was found. Hope that is it!! Nancy

Gloria said...

Goodness! That was an ugly bug!! I wouldn't want to pick it up either. Hope all your tomatoes ripen nicely. My daughter had some rashes and just found out she is allergic to wheat as well, so we too are exploring the world of gluten free. Thank goodness there are getting to be more choices every day.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Gloriade, Yes, I hate those tomato hornworms. Haven't had anymore except those two so far. I resisted jumping on the band wagon to go gluten free as it seemed it was a fad but when the biopsy showed I was allergic to wheat I have been trying to eat gluten free. I am also taking a med he gave me as I have to cook for my husband. The chocolate chip cookie gluten free cookie mix and the pancake mix from Aldi's is good and I have gotten some things from Costco that are good. Nancy

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