Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Friday, August 11, 2017

Blackberry Jam


Good Morning Sister Bloggers.
I got up and walked around the garden
this morning while the air was cool.

Remember the blue ladder?
 I put it against the barn
about three weeks ago 
and planted morning glories under it :)


Look at it now :)




Look the morning glories
are traveling over to the 
grape vine wreath.


Here they are growing up the side of 
the potting shed and headed toward
my hippy gate . . . I think that will be so pretty :)

While we are in the garden,
look at my banana peppers.
I've already put a gallon bag 
in the freezer.
Please come over and pick some!

The basil is doing well, too.
I love to snap off a leave
and just hold it under my nose.
Perfume, I'm telling you, LOL.


On to the blackberries . . .
look at the size of these!

Yesterday we put up nine pints
of blackberry jam, Yum :)



I've added heart appliques to 
the quilt that I'm making.


 Also added this embroidered block.


And made this block for the top boarder.


This is the top boarder.
it is sewn on in the same 
"quilt as you go"
method that I showed you in the 
post before this one. 



That's it for this post.
I hope that you enjoyed your visit.

It is always a pleasure having you
stop by . . .
please leave a comment before you leave.
~~~~~***~~~~~
Keep Smiling!
~~~~~***~~~~~
Have a lovely weekend.
 Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

68 comments:

  1. Connie, Your quilt is going to be so pretty. I loved the morning glories climbing over the ladder and wreath. It sure is pretty in your yard. All who wouldn't love some jam. You are a great gardener. Blessings for the weekend, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Hi Susie, thanks for visiting and taking my little garden tour . . . we just love our little farm and feel blessed to be able to call it home. It's a wonderful place to retire. There's plenty to do and I think that keeps me active and healthy. Thank you for your sweet words; I appreciate your blogging friendship :)

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  2. The fruit of your labor. How satisfying to be able to eat from your garden. You'll have a full pantry of delicious jams and canned goods. My you have a way with plants. They grow so big and pretty. Wish I could do that. :)
    xx Beca

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    1. Hi Beca, I'm not doing anything special, just steer manure and water :) I feel so blessed and this winter when there is snow on the ground and we are still eating from the garden I will feel even more blessed:) Thanks for stopping by and for your encouraging words.

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  3. Wow, your garden is amazing. The banana peppers plants are loaded. The morning glory sure has taken off too.
    Loving the quilt.

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    1. Thank you Ann . . . I am a learn as you go gardener, but as any farmer knows it depends on the weather. Some years are just made for growing and others are not. Thanks for being such a sweet blogging sister.

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  4. Your blackberries look delicious and I know you will enjoy them this winter.

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    1. I'm amazed by them, too. I just planted them a year ago this year.

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  5. Good evening Connie. Love the the whole place. Your pickles are pretty too. Our garden was doing pretty good and then the stinken bunnies found it.
    I do the quilt as you go sometimes and they turn out pretty good. Love the yellow fabric you are using, your quilt is just my style. Waiting to see the finish. Good to hear from you. Tell DH hi for me.
    Hugs and Blessing sent your way

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    1. Years ago this area was loaded with jack rabbits, but now you never see them. Must be the coyotes, eagles and hawks. I'm sure that folks had a bunny problem back then, but my biggest problem has been earwigs. When my plants were young the earwigs would eat the plants to the ground. Birds have been a problem, but we solved it with rubber snakes. I'll be sure to add photos to my blog when the quilt is finished, I'm happy that you like it.

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  6. I love stopping by to see what you are up to. That basil sure looks great and I certainly agree, it's like perfume!! Your blackberries look yummy luscious. I am going to make some marinara sauce with my tomatoes...I got a bumper crop, just two bushes and they are producing so much....must be a good growing year.

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    1. Hi Louise, hold on to your hat . . . I planted 39 tomato plants this year . . . I know, it must have been a moment of insanity, LOL. They are just starting to get ripe, but in about two weeks I'm going to be in trouble if I don't find enough people to help us eat them, LOL. Really I don't think it will be a problem. We already have offers :)

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  7. Your barn and garden are looking picture perfect. Morning glories are so old fashion and make you smile as you remember simpler times.

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    1. I love morning glories. On the other hand we have a weed that is called a wild morning glory and they are a problem, they are everywhere and they wrap around plants and chock them. Thank you for the sweet compliment on my barn and garden. I work hard on them and I loved reading "picture perfect" thank you :)

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  8. Your peppers have done amazingly well and the Morning Glory looks like it will cover that wreath if it gets the chance.
    I love all the cute touches you add to the quilts you make. Most of all I love your enthusiasm!!

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    1. Oh, you are so sweet . . . your kind words warm my heart, thank you :)

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  9. I love your morning glories. They look so nice. Love the heart and the little saying. I am starting a quilt as you go quilt and will go check your other post to see if it is the same. Loved your post. Hugs, LJ

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    1. Hi Lady Jane, There are many different ways to do a "quilt as you go". This is the only method that I have tried, yet. I love trying new things, I think it keeps us sharp and my old brain can use all the help it can get, LOL. I'm delighted that you like my quilt and my morning glories, thank you :)

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  10. Your blue ladder looks fantastic! I can grow just about anything EXCEPT morning glories....lol....For some reason I don't have any luck with them. I used to grow them mixed with moonflowers but the last few years it is has been a no-go for both of them.

    Your quilting is always just so lovely and I am so envious of your barn/studio. I love it. Those hearts are a great addition to the quilt.

    Hope you have a great weekend, Connie. xo Diana

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    1. Hi Diana, You know I have never planted moon-flowers. They are just like morning glories, only they open at night, right? I can see them being perfect to plant together. I'll have to try it. That does mean that I'll have to stay up late to see them . . . I'm usually in my pajamas by 8:00. All this gardening wears me out early, LOL.

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  11. Hi Connie, You make your quilts so interesting! And cheery! You will love the blackberry jam. I made blackberry jelly at the other house and gave away at Christmas to the couples in our Bible Study group. I like making home made things for them. Your Morning Glories are really going to town. Too bad they can't live through the winter. I have lots of leaves on mine but it has not had a whole lot of flowers and we will be soon heading into fall. Do you get your steer manure from your neighbor? I am thinking next year I need to buy a bag of something for my raised beds. (I think they would frown on it here if I brought in a load of manure from a farm haha) When we lived in Michigan I did bring back manure from my Dad's farm in the trunk of the car! Hope you have a wonderful week-end! Nancy

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    1. Mostly I have bought manure mix at Walmart, but I have had people offer their manure. One year we got a pick-up load from a dairy farmer. I felt bad because he had to stop his work to load it for us and it was located in another field. He was sweet and had offer it, but all the same I felt bad disturbing his day. We also have a friend with horses that has offered. Do you know anything about horse manure? I know that some manure is stronger than others and that you have to be more sparing with it.

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  12. Your post is absolute eye candy! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. You are very welcome . . . I enjoy company especially when they leave a comment, thank you :)

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  13. Three weeks and the ladder is covered! Wow. It makes such a beautiful setting, as does your blackberry jams in the cabinet. Life is truly full for you this month.

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    1. It is a busy month . . . I love having four season each year. Spring, summer, autumn and quilting season, LOL. Gardening is very enjoyable to me, but it is a lot of work. At least now that we are learning to can and freeze our produce, this garden should feed us all year round instead of just the summer months :)

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  14. That wall with the bike, ladder and greenery is awesome.

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  15. How things grow in your productive garden!

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    1. It has been a good year for the garden indeed! It should feed us all summer and all winter, too :)

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  16. Wow those banana peppers are doing amazing, looks like you will have plenty of those, and yummm, so good to have all that jam over the winter months!
    Loved seeing the added blocks to your quilt, love the shinning light block!

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    1. It's been a great year for gardening. We are hoping to make salsa next week to put up in cans. Our tomatoes are just starting to turn. In a couple of weeks we will have more than we can handle and will be begging for takers. Although; we do want to can several quarts of them, too. I'm typing this while sipping coffee and waiting for my hot curlers to warm up. Seems like the only time I use them anymore is Sunday morning. I'm so excited! It rained late night; this is our first rain in months and the morning air is cool and fresh :) I can even see patches of blue sky between the rain clouds. We have had so much smoke in the air from forest fires up in Canada that our skies have been grey for many weeks. It's going to be a great day! I hope that you have a wonderful day today, too :)

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  17. Connie, you have turned that place into a beautiful little farm and flower garden. Everything you plant does so go, and those peppers are amazing. These pictures are beautiful!!

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    1. Thank you so much, I truly appreciate the compliment. I'm so excited, we got rain last night, the first in months. Sunday can actually be a day of rest . . . no water lines or sprinklers to turn on today :) It's a lot of work keeping this place looking nice, but you have the same thing going on . . . you work very hard keeping up with your place and your animals. Don't you think that having work to do each day, especially work that get you outside, helps to keep us active and young. I certainly do . . . I think that a little hard work is good for us. It's those couch potatoes that I feel sorry for. Happy Sunday.

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  18. Connie, blackberry jam, oh that sounds Yummy. I just had homemade plum and peach jam from Jess' mother-in-law. I think its' wonderful when one makes canned goodies, and you don't see it that often any more. Your yard looks charming with the scarecrow and all the flowers. And I love the "this little light of mine" quilt. Such a sweet post, Connie. Enjoy the rest of these summer days, blog sister.

    love, ~Sheri

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    1. Hi Sheri, I am happy that you like my quilt, it is a birthday present for my ten year old granddaughter :) Thank you, too, for the sweet words about my yard and garden. I love being outside in the warm months and then spend winter inside quilting. This time for the year I have to sneak in a little time to quilt whenever the garden allows, LOL. Happy Sunday :)

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  19. Connie, I have to ask......what kind of soil are you using? Is your property that soil-rich, or are you buying Miracle Gro potting soil. Your morning glory leaves are HUGE and everything looks so LUSH ! I love your use of the bicycle and the ladder ! Darling !

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    1. Hi Dolly, you are so sweet. Thanks for asking about my soil . . . It was not rich, but four years ago when we bought this place, we also started adding steer manure to the soil. Lots of steer manure and lots of it every year. We'll be adding more next year, but I am also working on rotating my crops and reading up on it. Before we had this place we never really did any gardening. Thanks to the internet and you tube, I'm learning all the time . . . and loving it. Happy Gardening!


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  20. Your heart is so cute. That's a huge blackberry! Wow.

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    1. I know my blackberries are amazing. I just planted those bushes last spring (2016). I thought that I would have to wait at least another year before having any berries. I'm happy that you like my heart, thank you :)

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  21. Hi Connie, your garden sure is flourishing. Those peppers are amazing! The blackberries have certainly been prolific this year. My neighbor invited me over to pick some the other day and I had some of them for dessert that night and put the rest into the freezer. yum! Looking forward to seeing your finished quilt. :)

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    1. The blackberries are so good and so good for you, too :) We have been having a wonderful time eating out of the garden. We had carrots and green beans tonight with dinner and they are amazing . . . the carrots are so sweet they remind me of sweet potatoes. We eat better because of freshness from mid July through mid October and it's wonderful.

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  22. so happy to find your beautiful blog! that quilt is going to be so lovely!

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    1. You are so sweet and thanks so much for following me back :)

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  23. That jam is going to be a fabulous reminder of summer when the snow is flying! The wild blackberries are almost ripe here....I'm going to have to put on my rose gloves this weekend and pick some!

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    1. Have fun picking . . . are you making jam, too?

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  24. It's hard to believe this is your first go at gardening, Connie. You're doing great! The outdoor spaces you've created are charming, and so welcoming. Blackberries are one of my favorite fruits, and your berries are huge. I'm lovin' your quilt and have to go back and look at your previous post to see more. I'm so behind on blog visits. Have a splendid day, my friend! Hugs.

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    1. Hi Nancy, I love blackberries too. The second spring that we lived here I bought BlackBerry plants and they died. When I took them back all they had was raspberries, so I planted them. Then last spring I found these BlackBerry plants and I am amazed at how well they have done. I'm truly excited about them and will be enjoying them all winter. If you lived closer I would invite you over to pick enough to make a batch of jam :)

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    2. Those darn miles between us! :( Blackberry cobbler sounds pretty good, too! xo

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  25. Your quilt will be gorgeous! And your barn is awesome, everything around it is gorgeous. I love the Morning Glories on the blue ladder! I could live in there! What's in there anyway?

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    1. Hi Ginny, that barn is my studio. That's where I have my sewing machines, my paints and all my fun stuff. If
      you lived closer I would invite you over to play.

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  26. Wow Connie, you've been very busy. I love the decor at the end of your craft shed, the morning glories grow very fast. I had hoped to plant some this year but it didn't happen after all. The jam looks delicious, my parents always made black raspberry jam and I always loved it. Your quilting is beautiful. Enjoy your week.

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    1. Hi Kelly, it is so sweet to see you here and thank you for the sweet words of encouragement. My days are so busy right now . . . that I'm looking forward to cold weather and less work. Did I say that? Ever since I changed the four seasons from Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter . . . to Spring, Summer, Fall & Quilting . . . I enjpy the cold more, LOL. Then again when you are retired you can stay home when the roads are bad. That's one of the best perks of retirement:) Thank you again for stopping by, it is always a pleasure.

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  27. Hi Connie! Oh, your house is very cute! I love it! You helped me remember that I want to buy a scarecrow for the backyard. I'm going to make it a skirt and gussy it up in other ways so she matches the mish mash back there! Ha ha! It's nice to meet you!

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    1. I think that having a scarecrow in the garden is a must :) Have you seen the one that looks like a lady sitting in a chair stringing beans? It is adorable. I would like to make one like that some day:) Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. I love getting company here:)

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  28. Hello! Thank you for your visit! You are so sweet. Do you know I just got a bike to put in my front yard as a planter too? I have wanted one forever. Yours is lovely! Have a great week. :) Kit

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    1. I used to have a neighbor that had a bike planter in her front yard, she added a stuffed lady in a dress, apron and straw hat that was pedaling it . . . so cute. I could never walk by her house and not smile. A few years ago they moved and had a yard sale; I asked if she was for sell, but they decided to move her along with them :) I can not say that I blame them for wanting to keep her. You are going to love your old bike . . . have fun putting it all together with plants :)

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  29. Wow the plants on the ladder is growing like crazy. nice little cottage and garden. Great looking peppers.

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    1. Thank you, that cottage barn is my work shop, she shed, studio, happy place and guest house all rolled up into one. Thanks for stopping by. I wish that I could offer cookies and lemonade to all of my visitors. We could linger on the front porch and have a real visit :)

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  30. Hi Connie, happy to meet you too! I know I have been by to visit your amazing blog before, and always am amazed at all the projects you have going on... I loved your quilt that you are making, what fun it is to put fun fabrics together like you have. Boy, those morning glories sure have taken off, wow! And those blackberries look amazing, what a joy it is to put them up for the winter! Happy you stopped by to say hello, and will look forward to more visits with you :) Hugs!

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    1. It is nice to see you here and thanks for the visit . . . life is always busy around here this time of the year. This weekend we are canning our first salsa of the season . . . I love seeing my selves getting filled up for winter.

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  31. Oh my girl, you make me ever so happy! I love Morning Glories. Some people hate when they take off and climb in unwanted places, but I actually adore the quirkiness of it. I have some that reseed every year out front by my porch and wrap around my urns. Yup, love it!! I wish I lived close. I'd hop right over there for some banana pepper. :) Love blackberries and your jam looks so delicious, and your quilt!!!! What talent you have dear friend!!
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Hi Jann, thank you . . . I wish you were closer, too. I was just thinking about picking some of those peppers and putting them in my free box. Yesterday I had it piled as high as I could with squash and I had so many that I then layered them on the ground all around the box. By afternoon they were all gone. I saw about five cars stop and carry some away. It is such a blessing having all that you need to eat and put up for winter and then some to spare and share with others. God is Good!

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  32. Hi Connie! It has been a while. I am back to the world of blogging with no more breaks planned anytime soon. I just posted about my absence and why I have been gone last night. There are really no excuses, but just an update from what has been going on in my world. :) I absolutely love your barn and the blue bike and ladder. They both add such a cute touch. As for the Morning Glories, they look lovely! However, when we purchased our home, our back deck and areas around/close by it were completely overgrown with Morning Glories. While I love them and the way you have planted them, they have been a great nuisance around our back yard. Ever since we pulled them up they keep coming back in the most inconvenient places. I would love them if they were in a place like where you have yours at. They are so beautiful to look at first thing in the morning! I hope you have been well!

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    1. Gather up some seed this fall and then sow a place where you would like them to grow. Save some of the seed and sow them again in the same place in the spring (just to be sure that you will have flowers come up. Then you can use weed killer and get rid of the places that they are making themselves a nuisance. We also have a wild variety at are a major nuisance around here, they come up in the vegetable garden and choke out the plants. They have a white flower and the leaves are not heart shaped and pretty. I do hope that is not the kind that you have. It is nice to have you back in blog-land . . . you have been missed.

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