Saturday, August 28, 2021

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Blogging Tools I Use Daily | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

Here are 3 blogging tools I use every day!

I'm all about making things easier for myself.

When I first started blogging, I did many things the hard way.

For example, I used to use 3 different apps to edit my photos.  It would take me hours to edit pictures for a single blog post!

I didn't want to spend the money on more premium tools because I didn't see the worth in it.

Then I realized my time was worth something too.  If I have to pay a price to get back literal hours of my time, I'm willing to do it.

Over the years, I have perfected my blogging strategy & with that came the blogging tools I utilize daily.

Before I begin, I pay monthly for all 3 of these blogging tools, but there are also free versions available of the same tools.  I started with the free versions & when I outgrew them, I went to the premium options. 

So let me tell you about the blogging tools I love!


Thursday, August 26, 2021

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Roma VF tomato harvest | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
Roma VF tomato harvest!

The garden may have been under water several times this year but the Roma tomatoes still produced a harvest!

Roma VF was the only determinate tomato variety in the garden this year. 

I've seed started Roma VF tomatoes for the past 2 years.  They are quickly becoming my favorite variety because they grow so well in our garden.

Because of the placement of the Roma tomato plants in the garden this year they were the last to get flooded out.  They were also almost done growing for the season so overall they did pretty well for what they had to deal with.

Despite the odds against the garden this year I managed to get 2 buckets of Roma VF tomatoes!

We have so much going on this year so the smaller amount was perfect.





Monday, August 23, 2021

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garden flooding | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
Our 2021 garden story.

As you may have noticed, I didn't do monthly garden updates this year.

The truth is that we struggled a lot with keeping up with the garden this year.

Then when we finally got everything back on track, we had a series of floods which really impacted the garden.

Our yard will sometimes flood after heavy rains in the summer but it never really reaches the garden.

This year we had 2 really big floods in the yard which ended up reaching the garden.  The first flood spared a couple rows of tomatoes but the second flood left everything underwater.  

It also has been a very rainy season overall so the garden could never fully dry out from the rain.  I'm still having a difficult time mowing the lawn because it is just so wet & muddy.

Here are a couple pictures from the floods we had:



Monday, August 16, 2021

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Melanoma Cancer Update | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
An update on my husband's cancer.

It has been only about a month since my last update but things have moved fairly quickly with James' cancer treatment.

This past month has been filled with lots of traveling to get the fastest treatment possible.

After receiving the initial melanoma diagnosis, James had an appointment with an oncologist to discuss options for treatment.

It was determined that the tumor in his arm area would be removed.  Before that could happen, James needed to complete further testing to see if the cancer had spread anywhere else.

With lots of help from his care team, James was able to make all the necessary appointments in a short amount of time & get scheduled for surgery.





Tuesday, August 10, 2021

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Greenhouse Tin Roof | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
A tin roof for the greenhouse!

The greenhouse finally has a roof!  

We decided on a tin roof for the greenhouse & I just love it!

There were a few reasons we went with a tin roof for the greenhouse:

- I wanted a plain silver roof.  Traditional metal roofing comes in a variety of colors but tin only comes in one color.

- Tin roofing was cheaper than metal or shingles.  For this project, the metal cost under $300 for everything, including the screws.









Friday, August 06, 2021

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The difference between determinate & indeterminate tomatoes | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
The difference between determinate & indeterminate tomato varieties.

Choosing the correct type of tomato for your gardening needs is essential.  There are two different types of tomatoes to choose from--determinate & indeterminate.  Knowing the difference can help in your gardening journey.  In this post, I’ll also share what varieties I planted this year.

Determinate

Determinate tomatoes are also called bush tomatoes due to their appearance.  

Determinate tomatoes will grow leaves & branches up to a determined height & then will stop growing.  Once the plant has flowers at the top, it has reached its full size.

From there, the plant will develop fruit at about the same time & then will be done producing altogether.

Determinate tomatoes are perfect for canning because they produce all their tomatoes simultaneously.

Because determinate tomatoes only grow to a specific size (usually 3-4 feet), they work well in smaller gardening spaces.

Determinate tomatoes are a lot of Roma varieties.

The difference between determinate & indeterminate tomatoes | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

Indeterminate

Indeterminate tomatoes are vining tomatoes.

Indeterminate tomatoes do not have a fixed height or spread. Therefore, they will continue to grow until frost kills them.

These tomato plants will produce tomatoes at different times all season long.

Indeterminate tomatoes are good for eating or canning in small batches.

Because indeterminate tomatoes continuously grow throughout the season, they require a larger gardening space & more care to train the vines.  These plants will grow to at least 6-8 feet tall.

Indeterminate tomatoes include the varieties & beefsteak-type varieties.  Surprisingly, San Marzano tomatoes are also indeterminate tomatoes.

The difference between determinate & indeterminate tomatoes | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

My tomatoes

I grew three different tomato varieties this year:  Roma VF, Big Mama & SuperSauce.

Roma VF was my only determinate variety.

Although Big Mama & SuperSauce were indeterminate varieties, they are big enough for my canning needs.

Choosing the right tomatoes for your garden can make a big difference in your gardening experience.

Here are related items! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.


Tuesday, August 03, 2021

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3 Ways to Support Tomato Plants | On The Creek Blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
3 different ways to support tomato plants!

There are many ways to support tomato plants.  In my 5 years of gardening, I've used a few different techniques to help my tomatoes stay off the ground & upright.

As a gardener, I'm always evolving & researching different ways to garden.  Gardening is super interesting to me & I love looking at different ways to do things.

Today I'm sharing 3 ways to support tomato plants.  I have seen all these methods in action & they all provide great support to tomato plants.









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