Monthly Roundup: Transform Your Garden, Optimize Your Kitchen, & Discover New Reads

Welcome to our monthly curation of delightful discoveries and practical tips! This edition brings you insights into creating beautiful, weed-free garden spaces, celebrating small fruit harvests, understanding the surprising impact of an oven thermometer, and diving into a selection of captivating books and an entertaining movie.

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As September arrives, marking the official start of fall, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new season and the festive lead-up to the holidays. Do you embrace this transition with excitement, or do you feel a pang of sadness as the slower, warmer days gracefully recede? The answer often depends on your geographical location, doesn’t it?

For those in the southern United States, autumn signifies a welcome return to outdoor activities after months of seeking refuge in air-conditioned comfort. However, here in the Pacific Northwest, I often lament the departure of our gloriously warm and sunny summer days. While we do experience occasional heatwaves, late summer and early fall are truly prime time for enjoying the outdoors before the persistent rains arrive.

Despite the changing leaves and cooler temperatures, fall remains incredibly beautiful here. It simply means trading tank tops for long-sleeved shirts. The crisp air also brings renewed energy for tackling outdoor projects we’ve been eager to complete before the inevitable onslaught of rain and mud. Adapting to the seasons is a natural rhythm of life, and just like these transitions, discovering “good things” from the past month brings its own kind of joy.

Monthly Discoveries: A Curated List of Good Things

Transforming Your Garden with Weed-Free Gravel Pathways

One of our most satisfying recent accomplishments has been completing the gravel pathway on the other side of our back door. This area now looks significantly better than the patchy, often weedy, grass it replaced after we installed our cement walkway. While some homeowners strive for a pristine lawn, we’ve always found ourselves more drawn to cultivating vibrant gardens, leaving little time for meticulous grass care. My husband, Brian, also isn’t one to obsess over a perfectly manicured lawn.

Despite our general disinterest in lawns, we initially attempted to seed this small area multiple times, hoping for a lush green patch. Unfortunately, our efforts consistently resulted in a muddy, weed-infested eyesore. This contrast was particularly noticeable next to our neat and tidy gravel fire pit area, which gracefully occupies the opposite side of the path. The disparity between the two areas became increasingly stark, making the decision to expand our gravel usage an easy one.

Currently, this newly graveled space serves as our outdoor dining area, providing a charming and functional spot until our kitchen porch renovation is complete. The transformation is remarkable; it has elevated the aesthetic and usability of our backyard considerably.

I frequently receive questions about how to achieve truly weed-free gravel areas. After years of experimentation and learning, I’m thrilled to share my two most effective tips for successful gravel installation:

1. Strategic Underlayment with Black Plastic or Professional Landscape Fabric: The foundation of a weed-free gravel area begins with a robust barrier. I highly recommend laying 6-millimeter (or thicker) black plastic over the entire area you intend to cover. This heavy-duty plastic acts as an impermeable shield, suffocating existing weeds and preventing new ones from sprouting. For an equally effective, albeit slightly more permeable, alternative, a professional-grade landscape fabric can be used. When installing, ensure all edges are either completely covered by the gravel or meticulously buried to prevent any light from reaching potential weed seeds. Crucially, if you use multiple pieces, make sure there is ample overlap between inner edges to eliminate gaps.
   
   PRO TIP: If you’re covering an area currently laden with grass or stubborn weeds, lay the plastic down at least a month in advance. This allows the sun to effectively “cook” and kill all underlying vegetation, making removal easier and preventing future regrowth. Concerns about plastic in the garden are valid, but for a permanent gravel installation like this, the plastic remains undisturbed beneath the surface, offering long-term weed control.
2. Choose the Right Gravel: 3/4 Inch Gravel Without Fines: The type of gravel you select is just as vital as the underlayment. Always opt for 3/4 inch gravel that is explicitly described as “without fines.” Fines refer to the smaller dust, dirt, and tiny rock particles typically found in crushed gravel. These fines create a perfect, nutrient-rich medium for weed seeds to germinate and thrive, essentially defeating the purpose of your weed barrier. You want the cleanest possible gravel; larger aggregates generally come cleaner. While you might consider smaller gravel for a finer aesthetic, be aware that it often retains more fines and is therefore more prone to weed growth. Prioritizing clean, larger gravel is key to sustained weed suppression.

Beyond these two fundamental tips, here are a few additional considerations to ensure your gravel project is a complete success:

• Deterring Pests Like Moles or Gophers: If your garden is frequented by burrowing critters like moles or gophers, a thicker layer of gravel can be an effective deterrent. Aim for a depth of 2-3 inches. The sheer weight of this gravel layer has proven successful in keeping these pests from tunneling up beneath our gravel areas for several years, despite our property being home to a significant population of them.
• Cost-Saving Strategies for Gravel Procurement: Gravel can be surprisingly expensive, especially when factoring in delivery fees. To significantly reduce costs, try to arrange for self-hauling if you have access to a truck or trailer. The price difference can be substantial. For instance, we paid just $39 per yard for this recent project by hauling it ourselves, compared to a staggering $100 per yard (two years ago, likely more now) for a previous project where we had gravel delivered. The savings are truly worth the effort.
• Ensuring Adequate Drainage: Despite laying solid plastic beneath our gravel, our graveled areas have consistently demonstrated excellent drainage. My personal theory is that as the gravel is walked upon and settles, it creates tiny perforations in the plastic. These micro-holes, combined with the natural gaps between the gravel pieces, allow for effective water percolation, mimicking the drainage properties of landscape fabric without compromising the weed-blocking capabilities of the plastic. This ensures your gravel pathways remain functional and puddle-free.

P.S. The image above also showcases our new berry garden, which received the same gravel treatment. We also installed a motion-activated sprinkler deer scarer to protect these vulnerable young plants. Previously, deer would simply push through our string and flag barriers, but this innovative sprinkler has proven incredibly effective, finally allowing our berry bushes to grow undisturbed. It’s been a fantastic addition!

Celebrating Our First Fruit Harvest

After five years of patient cultivation, our Italian plum tree finally yielded a respectable crop this year! This delightful harvest came after a concerted effort of fertilizing twice last year – once in the spring and again in the fall. The anticipation of fresh, homegrown fruit made the wait well worthwhile.

While we were absolutely thrilled to gather any plums at all, we observed that they were smaller and exhibited a pinkish hue, rather than the larger, deep purple plums we expected. This deviation might be attributed to various factors, such as inconsistent watering throughout the growing season or specific weather conditions during their development. Nevertheless, they were perfectly ripe and deliciously tasty, offering a sweet reward for our efforts.

In addition to the plums, our four-year-old apple tree is also bearing a few apples this season, which we are eagerly anticipating. Growing your own fruit trees can be a journey of trial and error, but the satisfaction of harvesting fresh produce from your own backyard is truly unparalleled.

For those interested in nurturing their own fruit trees, this is the highly effective fertilizer I applied in the spring, and this is the nutrient-rich formula I used in the fall.

Why Every Baker Needs an Oven Thermometer

While “everyone” might be an exaggeration, the truth is that far more people than you’d imagine could benefit immensely from owning a simple oven thermometer. My baking journey began way back in 2009 with a robust 20-year-old JennAir range that consistently delivered perfect results. During those years, the thought of checking my oven’s internal temperature never crossed my mind; it simply worked flawlessly.

Fast forward to when I purchased a beautiful new Cafe range for our farmhouse kitchen (you can admire it in the kitchen tour here – it’s truly a sight to behold!). Naturally, I assumed a brand-new appliance would be perfectly calibrated. Surely it would perform as expected, right? Sadly, this assumption led to a couple of years of inconsistent baking. Some dishes turned out just “okay,” while others simply didn’t achieve the consistent perfection I was accustomed to. I found myself repeatedly wondering, “What on earth is going wrong?”

The turning point arrived when I finally invested in a dedicated oven thermometer (I opted for a larger one for better visibility). The revelations were nothing short of eye-opening! Initially, I thought my oven was consistently off by a startling 25 degrees. However, further observation unveiled an even more significant issue: when the oven beeped to signal it had reached the set temperature during preheating, it was often as much as 100 degrees below the target! This crucial difference drastically impacts baking outcomes.

Imagine placing a delicate cake into an oven that’s supposed to be at 350°F but is actually only at 250°F. The oven then works overtime to catch up, blasting intense heat during the initial, formative minutes of baking. This can result in a cake that browns too quickly on the outside while remaining undercooked internally, or one that turns out surprisingly dry despite being removed ‘early’. Consistent, even heat is absolutely paramount for achieving perfectly baked goods, and for several years, my oven had been failing to provide it.

August proved to be a somewhat quieter month on the reading front for me. Reflecting on why, I realized it coincided with a wonderful week-long family vacation. While many avid readers find these times perfect for delving into books, I often prefer to engage in conversations and enjoy the company of my loved ones. Additionally, the warmer weather meant less time spent on long outdoor projects or extensive indoor cooking – two key activities during which I typically listen to audiobooks. Nevertheless, I still managed to immerse myself in some compelling narratives.

Golden Son and Morning Star (Red Rising Series 2 & 3), by Pierce Brown. I embarked on a re-listen of this gripping favorite series from a few years ago, curious to see if it still captivated me as deeply. The answer is a resounding yes! Brown’s writing is exceptionally well-crafted, weaving together profound themes of family, unwavering friendship, devastating loss, and the complex process of grief. Beyond personal struggles, the series masterfully explores broader societal themes of class disparity, the stark divide between the “haves” and “have-nots,” and the harrowing consequences when war becomes the sole perceived path to equality. While the narrative doesn’t shy away from intense violence – a level that might deter me from watching any future screen adaptations if it’s fully retained – similar to “The Hunger Games,” this violence serves a crucial purpose. It unflinchingly illustrates the lengths to which those in power will go to maintain control, and conversely, the extreme measures those who rise up may be forced to take in their fight for liberation. It’s a thought-provoking and emotionally charged journey.

Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5 novel), by Martha Wells. My husband, Brian, and I continued our delightful journey through this incredibly fun series. It centers on a security unit – a fascinating blend of robotics and human components – in a future where various planets have been terraformed and inhabited. This particular unit, affectionately known as Murderbot, has cleverly disabled its governor module, granting it the freedom to pursue its own interests, primarily binge-watching space soap operas. The story is presented as Murderbot’s “diary” in the first person, allowing us access to its hilarious, sarcastic, and deeply introspective inner thoughts. Over the course of the preceding four novellas, we witnessed Murderbot’s gradual evolution, becoming increasingly human-like, forging meaningful friendships, and even acquiring a makeshift “family” as it diligently works to protect those around it. “Network Effect” marks the first novel-length installment in the series, offering a more expansive narrative. It delves into a longer adventure where Murderbot and a small crew are abducted, forcing them to fight for survival and strategize their way back home. This novel further explores and provides answers to some of the overarching storylines introduced earlier in the series, with more revelations undoubtedly awaiting in novella #6. Therefore, reading the series in chronological order is highly recommended to fully appreciate its intricate plot and character development.

Manor For Sale – Baron Included, by Esther Hatch. This book introduced me to a new closed-door historical romance author who boasts an impressive array of positive reviews from readers who adore her stories. The premise of this particular novel revolves around a woman who has come into a significant inheritance and wishes to purchase a home for herself and her ailing younger sister – a remarkably unconventional ambition for the era in which the story is set. Her aspirations lead her into conflict, or perhaps intrigue, with the Baron owner, who is reluctantly forced to sell his estate. He then devises a plan to woo her, hoping to both gain a wife and reclaim his ancestral home simultaneously. While I found the lighthearted storyline enjoyable in its premise, ultimately, the execution left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I often found the writing style disjointed and occasionally challenging to follow, which, based on the overwhelmingly positive Amazon reviews, might simply be a personal preference or a unique experience on my part.

The Gentleman’s Gambit, by Evie Dunmore. This is the fourth installment in Dunmore’s “Extraordinary Women” series. While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, “The Gentleman’s Gambit” unfortunately didn’t quite resonate with me. The narrative focuses on the more reclusive character among the series’ women and a man who approaches her uncle under the guise of assisting with the cataloging of ancient artifacts. However, it is revealed that his true intention is to steal these artifacts and return them to his homeland, from where they were originally taken. Set in Victorian London during the height of Egyptology’s popularity, the ethical dilemma of the stealing aspect, regardless of the perceived justification, made it difficult for me to fully invest in the protagonist’s motives. Furthermore, I didn’t perceive a strong or compelling chemistry between the main characters. Additionally, I’ve noticed a shift in this author’s writing toward a more “open door” style, and in this particular book, the heroine essentially lives with her hero for an entire month without any social repercussions or commentary, which feels historically implausible for the Victorian era and somewhat stretched my suspension of disbelief.

Monthly Entertainment: Our Movie Pick

Twisters, in theaters (also available on Amazon). This movie provided a genuinely fun, thrilling experience reminiscent of classic Michael Crichton narratives. We’ve seen a range of ratings and reviews for “Twisters,” but from our perspective, we found the writing to be surprisingly good, eliciting several genuine laughs throughout. The storyline itself was exciting and kept us engaged from start to finish. My only minor critique would be the casting of the lead actress, who, in my opinion, appeared a bit too young for the role. However, this small detail did not detract significantly from our overall enjoyment. It proved to be an excellent choice for an entertaining date night movie, delivering exactly what it promised: fast-paced action and compelling suspense.

And that concludes another edition of our “Good Things List”!

If you’re interested in discovering more of what I’m currently enjoying, I invite you to explore all previous “Good Things Lists” here. I genuinely value your input – please share your thoughts in the comments below! Have you tried any of these recommendations, or do you have any delightful discoveries of your own to suggest? I’d love to hear from you!

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