Midwestern Midcentury

Cucumber and Rhubarb Patch

We don't have a HUGE garden, but the small spaces we use include this former flower bed turned cucumber patch.  We also found room in a similar space for a family heirloom rhubarb plant started years ago from a 100-plus-year-old Soldier's Grove, Wisconsin plant.

Rocks Line the Garden

My sister offered me some rocks from her acreage in Wisconsin and I decided to try them out around our small backyard garden.  I like this "natural" look, so I'll pick up more the next time we're in the the Dairy State.  The border looks great now, but my heirloom tomatoes are likely to get out of control in a couple of months.

Run it Up the Flagpole

Now that we've been here for four years, I've decided it's time we put up a flag.  However, it's not as easy as you might think because I also have to replace the petrified rope.  I plan to cut it, attach the new rope, and pull the new up and over.  But, what happens if the old rope lets go of the new rope?  I guess I'll find out. : )

Fried Green Tomatoes - Midwestern Style

I don't know what you do, but the photo above illustrates our favorite option for end-of-the-season green tomatoes.  Fry 'em up!

The key is to get them off the vine before the first frost.  You can prolong the growing season a bit by covering them when frost is likely.

I dip sliced green tomatoes in a beaten egg and cover them in a mixture of corn meal, flour, bread crumbs.  Fry until golden brown on each side and drain on paper towels.

Salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot!  What a treat!

First Fruits - Mission Accomplished

I know it's a small achievement, but this is the first green pepper from our garden...ever.  I tried several times when we lived in Los Angeles to no avail.  I had given up on them.  Even this year when I decided to give it another try, the little pepper plants were overwhelmed by space-hogging tomatoes.

Finally one little plant pushed up through the surrounding vegetation with great force late in the season.  It's now about four feet tall and laden with little peppers.  This was the first that was large enough to pick.

It was proptly sliced into a savery salad.

Mission accomplished.

 

Iris and Columbine Brighten the Backyard

These hand-me-down irises found a new home between the fence and the flagpole.  We always called the pink and red flowers "honey suckle," but I think they are actually columbine!  They pop up here and there around the pool in "wild flower" fashion.

Check out the purple and yellow irises just a few days later!

Heirloom Peonies in Place!

We are well into summer and I'm really behind in my updates!  And, a lot's been going on!

In May we planted a peonie that descends from a plant that belonged to my grandmother in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.  Rabbits had whittled it down prior to transplanting, and survival was far from certain.

We chose to plant it in a large pot near the base of the spiral staircase that leads up to our "deck."  As you can see below, the heirloom peonie was soon thriving.  It hasn't blossomed yet, and may not do so this year, but we hope it will next year.

 

Creeping Charlie Invasion in Illinois

Spring is here, and my old friend Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) has returned with a vengeance.  I hate the thought of using chemicals, but desperation has set in.  I have an herbicide that indicates it will kill the culprit without napalming the lawn or maiming hapless wildlife or pets.

Charlie springs from the mint family and was thought to have medicinal properties in old Europe, but leaves only a bad taste in my mouth.

Oh, the humanity.

Spring has Sprung! New Feeders Grace MCM Yard

Before.

It's not exactly spring...yet.  But warmer temperatures and a series of thunder-bangers are making me believe it could spring any day now.

Since I'm always behind on this blog, I thought I would share something from last June.  You know, to get you in the mood for the upcoming change of seasons, and Daylight Savings Time.

Spring forward tonight!

The previous owners our our mid-century home left us with these large (image above), but not very attractive bird feeders.  We love the avian action they generate, but the acrylic behemoths had to go.

After.

We replaced them with these "off the rack" U.S.A.-made (yes, you read that right!) feeders from our local Farm & Fleet store.

The Asian motif isn't exactly what we had in mind, but a marked improvement nonetheless.  Am I rationalizing.  Our house is partly red.  And they were only $20 bucks each!

Acid test: the birds love 'em.  Cheap.  Cheap.  They were cheap.

Now, I really should paint that stand.

Midwest Spring in Our MidCentury Home

Jeepers.  It's the first day of spring, a final (we hope!) winter storm is about to march through the Midwest, and we recently celebrated our first year in our Midcentury home.

Our media business has kept us very busy and I've been lax about keeping the blog updated!

The previous owners of our 1957 flat-roofed Midcentury Modern warned us not to dig around too much because a host of hostas would appear in the spring.  That was certainly true, and then we planted a few flowers around the yard in existing pots and locations (click on the photos for larger views).

We look forward to putting our own stamp on the vegetation surrounding the house, but we may not get to it this year either.  Sigh.  Still, it was nice (and will be nice this year) to see our brown and gray surroundings transform into green trimmed by a rainbow of brilliant hues.

I pledge to add entries more often!  Afterall, I'm almost a year behind and I have a lot of things to share with readers regarding our new Midcentury lifestyle.  In addition to views and discussions of home improvement projects (including more great finds at antique shops!), I have also been amassing a collection of images of other unique and interesting flat-roofed Midcentury homes in this and other Midwestern communities.

Stay tuned to MidWestern MidCentury!