Walk Down the Garden Path

Vegetable Garden Update - February 2009

2009-02-20T07:00:00.005-05:00

Well there isn't much happening in the garden this month, other than some deer trampling around in the snow. The only bright spot is that the stores have their seeds in, so it's very easy to get caught up in the thought of spring planting.

We did just that while at Lowe's the other weekend, coming home with the latest home repair necessities AND a bag full of seeds AND a trunk full of whimsical garden decorations. The garden decorations were an early Valentine's gift for me. Too bad they had to go right to storage and I probably won't see them again for another two months, but they can make their debut on the blog then.

Some of the seeds we purchased were:

Tomato - Juliet hybrid
Tomato - Jelly Bean hybrid
Pumpkin - Big Max
Pumpkin - Jack O'Lantern
Sunflower - Apricot Twist
Sunflower - Mammoth
Sunflower - American Giant
Sunflower - Autumn Beauty, mixed colors
Sunflower - Chianti Hybrid
English Daisy - Double Mixed Colors

Juliet tomatoes are a favorite of ours and although you can usually find them as plants at one of the nurseries, why take the chance that they'll be sold out.

The sunflowers that really interested me are the Apricot Twist and Chianti Hybrid. The colors are so very unusual. Hopefully I will win the battle with the deer this year and actually get to see some blooms.

This is the Chianti Sunflower.

And this is the Apricot Twist Sunflower. We'll see if mine end up looking like that.

And so, the garden still sleeps under a blanket of snow. These pictures are from January but it doesn't look much different right now, maybe just a little less snow.

February Flowers

2009-02-18T14:17:00.004-05:00

Hello Blogging World!

I had taken a little vacation from blogging, well, maybe a long vacation from blogging, but I have not abandoned this blog. It's just that January and February are not so very exciting, gardening wise, here in Western Pennsylvania. And so I have been focusing my time away from the computer somewhat. Especially since if Lillian is awake and you are at the computer you will get nothing done as she must be at the computer working with you. So even though I have not been a good commenter as of late, my blogging friends, please know that I do keep you in my thoughts and I will be back into the blogging mania soon.

I thought I would post some pictures of my Valentine flowers and maybe it could bring some cheer to you as they have to me. I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and that Spring is soon around the corner, despite what that Pennsylvanian groundhog indicated a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, I have to post an updated photo of my sweet baby who just keeps on growing and going! She doesn't like being shut up inside on these cold, cold days and can't wait to be outside digging in the dirt come Spring.

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day 12, Planthropology

2008-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Finally we reach the final day of this gift extravaganza. I almost thought I wasn't going to make it. I am sorry I haven't been visiting your blogs recently, but hopefully after Christmas I will have lots of time to catch up. I've had a lot of fun with this series and I hope you have too. Please know that I wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday season. Now, onto the gift selection.

"Planthropology" is the latest book by Ken Druse, and it's one that I'm sure any garden lover will enjoy. Planthropology is a word he made up to describe the study of plants and their particular history. In this book he shares with us scientific facts, myths, controversies, anecdotes, and good old fashioned garden wisdom. And lots of great pictures to boot.

So if you are looking for that last minute gift for someone else or yourself, you can't go wrong this this book. List price is $50. Amazon.com has it for $31.50.

Other posts in this series
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai
Day Five, Hand Lotion
Day Six, Tabletop Tree
Day Seven, Magazines
Day Eight, Garden Gnomes
Day Nine, Stuff for your Vegetable Garden
Day Ten, Whimsy
Day Eleven, 10 Year Gardening Journal

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day 11, 10 Year Journal

2008-12-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Warm Hanukkah Wishes to those celebrating today!

When I choose the 10 year journal as the gift for Day 11 of this gift extravaganza, I was thinking of a regular journal, not specific to gardening, but one that could be adapted to gardening. However, while searching on the internet, I did find a 10 year gardening journal! Exactly what I wanted for this gift.

Lee Valley Tools is where I found this gem of a journal.

Because there description says it perfectly, I have copied it here. The journal costs $39.95 and can be started at any time.

"Because you will want to remember your gardening triumphs (and occasional setbacks), A Gardener's Journal is set up as a ten-year perpetual diary, which you may begin at any time.

In the diary section, one page is given to each day of the year, and each page is divided into 10 sections – more than enough for 10 years of personal jottings. In addition to the diary pages, there is also a section on such gardening techniques as composting, digging garden beds, tree care, soils, and garden tool maintenance, to name but a few. We also provide reference material and numerous charts.

There are several pages to record your inventory of perennials, more to record sketches of your garden, yet more to list plantings and harvestings, etc. In all, you will find 544 pages, most of which you can write upon. (An interactive gardening tool?) This format is designed to help you plan your way through years of gardening. Also, for your enjoyment, we have included intriguing notes on the history of plant lore, culled from arcane and often surprising sources.

Hardcover, Smyth sewn, and protected by a sturdy cloth binding, A Gardener's Journal is both a useful reference and your companion for gardening adventures. Measures 9" x 11". Published by Lee Valley."

Other posts in this series:
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai
Day Five, Hand Lotion
Day Six, Tabletop Tree
Day Seven, Magazines
Day Eight, Garden Gnomes
Day Nine, Stuff for your Vegetable Garden
Day Ten, Whimsy

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Ten, Whimsy

2008-12-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

We're moving right along in this gift giving series. For Day 10 we are headed into the world of whimsy. And Plow and Hearth is just the place to take us there.

Look at this adorable Elfin Door, perfectly decorated for the holidays. Your garden fairies and elves will appreciate a portal for getting between their worlds.

Elfin Christmas Door - $12.95 on sale for $9.99. 7 1/4" x 8" H.

This is not something I would ever see me having a use for but it does qualify under the heading of whimsy. Does anyone use bush covers like this? You'll have to let me know.

Snowman Bush Cover - $19.95. In their words "Bags made of special non-woven Frost Protek™ polyester fleece cinch easily around your bushes when the forecast calls for a freeze. Stick-on facial features let you give the snowman his smile."

Onto something that I actually own, these cute animal ornaments. Although they were among those items which stayed stored away this year, safely out of Lillian's hands.

Animal Ornament Set includes Skunk, Raccoon, and Beaver for $24.95

They also have plenty of garden statues which would also lend a bit of whimsy to your garden or your gift giving. Thus concludes our list of ideas for today.

Other posts in this series
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai
Day Five, Hand Lotion
Day Six, Tabletop Tree
Day Seven, Magazines
Day Eight, Garden Gnomes
Day Nine, Stuff for your Vegetable Garden

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Nine, Stuff for your Vegetable Garden

2008-12-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Being the 20th of the month, which is a day when several garden bloggers often give updates on their vegetable gardens, I thought I would pick today's gift to also center on the vegetable garden. You can go to Tina's blog, In The Garden, to find other vegetable garden updates.

There are many, many websites which sell gardening stuff. For this post, I visited Gardens Alive because I like how they are dedicated to the biological control of garden pests. Even though it may be hard to think about vegetable gardening when there is snow and ice in abundance, it's never to early to start planning for spring. Spring is just three months away, you know.

Jump Start Lighting System - $64.95
Just the thing to get those seedlings started. Especially if your windowsill space is at a premium.

Seedling Heat Mat - $39.95
For faster germination and higher success rate - pamper those little seedlings.

Mason Bee Nest - $39.99
According to the website "Mason bees are up to 90% more efficient at pollinating plants than honeybees. Plus, they don’t sting. You can encourage their presence in your garden by offering a place for the bees to nest. About 2/3 the size of a honeybee, mason bees nest in holes created by woodpeckers and beetles, so this similarly designed nesting habitat will invite these hard-working pollinators to nest and help pollinate your garden. Made of durable, decorative cedar, it is easy to hang. No assembly required; nest includes 10 nesting tubes and 2 replacement tubes. Comes with complete, easy to- read instructions."

And if you can't wait for spring to grow something tasty...

The Portabella Mushroom Kit - $39.95
Everything you need is provided in the kit and it produces in 3-5 weeks. Just add water and place in a cool, dark location, such as a basement.

Other posts in this series
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai
Day Five, Hand Lotion
Day Six, Tabletop Tree
Day Seven, Magazines
Day Eight, Garden Gnomes

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Eight, Garden Gnomes

2008-12-18T07:28:00.005-05:00

On the subject of Garden Gnomes, I know people either run hot or cold. I happen to like these industrious and sometimes mischievous looking imps placed sporadically throughout the garden. Mine inhabit the vegetable and herb garden. Although I have to admit, they did take some getting used to, I am now a fan. But despair not, for if you don't like gnomes for your garden or they don't fit into your gardening gift giving scheme, there will be another gift idea tomorrow.

According to Wikipedia Garden Gnomes were first manufactured in Germany in the mid-1800's and the terracotta gnomes were made for people to enjoy the local myths that gnomes helped garden at night. Garden gnomes were first introduced to the UK in 1847 at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. Only one of the originals survives and is insured for one million pounds. Garden Gnomes have endured many pranks and kidnappings as well as exclusion from some of the more prestigious garden clubs and events.

Thanks to the internet, I was able to locate Kimmel Gnomes. Their gnomes are not mass produced but are handmade and cast from rare 19th century antique gnomes and from original sculptures by Welsh artist Candice Kimmel. They are glazed inside and out for a frost resistant finish. They are made in the U.S.A. and are outdoor safe and UV protected. Although it is past their ordering date for Christmas delivery, I still had to include them in my gift series because they are everything that the mass produced plastic, tacky gnomes are not.

All descriptions and photos are from Kimmel Gnomes.

Forest 12" green gnome with free mushroom. Regular price $89.95, On sale for $59.95
Forest is a classic gnome. He is handmade in Stoneware pottery and is glazed on the outside and inside so may be placed outside all year round with zero maintenance. A fantastic, large, robust gnome full of character.

Harold is a shelf sitter gnome with a grasshopper. 7" x 7" x 4 1/2" - $69.95

Mr. and Mrs. Gnome, set of two 9" gnomes. Regular price $84.95, On sale for $49.00.
Mr & Mrs Gnome have been married for 500 years and they're still smiling! A beautiful gnome couple that will bring a ray of sunshine to any home and garden.

And you can't forget your gnome accessories.
Set of Three Round Cap Mushroom Spikes, 5" to 6" tall - $24.95.
Life-sized clay mushrooms are designed to look like they are growing out of the ground. Use to accent your gnomes. Set of 3.

Other Posts in this Series:
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai
Day Five, Hand Lotion
Day Six, Tabletop Tree
Day Seven, Magazines

12 Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Seven, Magazines

2008-12-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

We all have them, probably piles of them. I know I do and I just pulled one from my stash that's dated 2003. But for Day Seven of this gift giving series, I think Gardening Magazines is just the thing. If you have a favorite that you know the giftee doesn't already receive, maybe you would want to give a subscription. Or if you aren't sure of their taste in magazines, you could pick out a few and give the latest copy of each. A couple of magazines stuffed in a stocking along with the fixings for some hot cocoa would make a delightful gift to be enjoyed by the fireside on a cold winter's night. And winter is the best time for catching up on the latest trends in the gardening world.

Currently I don't subscribe to any magazines, but here are a few that I've subscribed to over the years. Please let me know what your favorites are in the comments. Maybe one or two of them will find their way into my stocking this year.

Horticulture - 6 issues for $19.95. Classic magazine with lots of design and plant info.

Gardening How-To - You receive this magazine when you become a member of the National Home Gardening Club. I believe the magazine is bimonthly and that dues are $1/month, if I'm reading the info on the website correctly. I was a member a few years ago, and if I remember correctly, you could also sign up to test new products. I was sent a type of plant food to test.

Taunton's Fine Gardening - 6 issues for $29.95
This is a bit pricey which is why I don't subscribe all the time but Taunton's Fine Gardening and Taunton's Fine Cooking are two magazines that I LOVE. If you've never read them, you should treat yourself and check them out.

Garden Gate - 6 issues for $20. In Garden Gate you'll find plant info and design info but not one ad. I love that.

Birds & Blooms - 6 issues for $14.98. If you love to garden and watch the birds and butterflies this is the magazine for you. Tons of reader input and ideas. And I don't know if it is still this way but when I subscribed there were no ads.

Backyard Living - 6 issues for $14.98. I think this is published by the same people as Birds & Blooms. It covers gardens, grilling, recipes, and weekend projects. Again, with lots of reader input and ideas and my issues don't have ads.

That's what's in my magazine bin. What's in yours that you would recommend?

Other posts in this series:
Day One: Amaryllis
Day Two: Jasmine
Day Three: Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four: Bonsai
Day Five: Hand Lotion
Day Six: Tabletop Tree

Intermission

2008-12-16T12:57:00.005-05:00

I decided to take a break from the 12 Gift series today and give you a brief intermission. Here are some pictures of our tree and some of my favorite ornaments. Of course, there are just a small number of ornaments on the tree this year as it had to be able to withstand Lillian's grasp. But the Little People Nativity Village under the tree and the trains seem to divert her attention from the tree, so there hasn't been any damage to report so far.

This ornament is made from Christmas Cards. It was one of several my girlfriend and I made one year.

I cross-stitched this Santa.

This is one of 12 that my Mom cross-stitched for me. Each is a different Christmas carol. She made a set of 12 for each of her 8 children. That's a lot of x's.

This is one of my ornaments from Royal Copenhagen that I bought when working in Denmark. The heart is a reoccurring theme in their ornaments.

Lillian's having fun playing with her village.

Here Lillian has gathered up all the train cars for some reason.

Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Six, Tabletop Live Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

Today we reach the halfway point in this gift giving series. Let's head back to one of those catalogs which are endlessly filling my mailbox. The catalog du jour is Jackson & Perkins but it's not roses that we will be selecting today. No, it's the Decorated Tabletop Live Spruce Tree.

Now, I realize this tree is not for everyone. But it is the perfect size for many households who have downsized or travel away from home at Christmas or shortly thereafter and don't want to deal with a big tree and all the decorations. Or what about the shut in or nursing home resident or the youngster starting out who might not put up a tree in an apartment? These trees come fully decorated with lights! Of course, I don't know what you do with the tree once Christmas is over. Over at Poor Richard's Almanac, they wrote about the debate between cut, live, and artificial trees where they did touch on the subject. You can read about it here.

But back to Jackson and Perkin's and their live decorated trees. They currently list three on their website, ranging in price from $69.95 - $89.95. Here are pictures of two of them, as you can see, very prettily decorated.

They also sell Rosemary Trees in different presentation pots ranging in price from $29.95 - $39.95. These are undecorated.

Or you could be like Cameron at Defining Your Home Garden and buy one at the local market for at least half that. All you have to do then is add the decorations. Check out Cameron's post here on her Rosemary Tree. When Christmas is over you'll be able to cook with this tree.

No matter what size tree you have or whether it is cut, live, or artificial, that is not where the Spirit of Christmas lies. The Spirit of Christmas is in each of us, just waiting to be shared with the world.

Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Five, Luscious Hand Creme

2008-12-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today's gift is one which is useful during all seasons. During the outdoor gardening season, my hands are constantly dry due to digging in the dirt. I wear gloves, but not always, and regardless, my hands dry out terribly. And now that it's winter and the furnace is running constantly to protect us from the frigid outdoor temperatures, my hands are in a constant state of dry and cracked. I feel like Scarlett O'Hara, when her hands were so rough from working at Tara, after the war.

What better to protect and rejuvenate that dry skin than a luscious, luxurious lotion. Here are a few which qualify. If you know of others that you wish to sing the praises of, please do so in the comments. I'm always looking for a good hand lotion.

The Body Shop has lots of products that I really like, from their Body Butters to their Hand and Foot Care items to their Makeup products. But since this post is about hand lotion, let's focus on that. My choice is the Spa Wisdom Africa Spa Honey Butter. According to the website, the key ingredients are lanolin, shea butter, honey, and beeswax. I have this product and it does wonders on my dry skin, making my hands feel silky smooth. It works great on dry, cracked feet too. A 4.4 oz jar is $22. I've had mine for a couple of years now and it's almost gone. I don't use it all the time, just when my hands and feet are really bad and a little goes a long way.

Another great thing about The Body Shop is that they participate in Community Trade programs. Community Trade is a targeted purchasing program of accessories and natural ingredients from disadvantaged communities around the world.

Another good hand healer that I've used is Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme. This also works great on my dry hands and I love the smell. It's key ingredients are sweet almond oil, aloe, and vitamin E. A 2 oz. jar is $8, and like the Honey Butter, a little goes a long way.

The last one that I'm going to mention I know I've used before, but I've never owned it. But my memory reminds me that it was very good for my dry skin and I know there are people who swear by this creme. It is of course none other than, Udderly Smooth Udder Cream. Originally invented for use on dairy cows, it is now used for dry and chapped skin. According to their website, Udderly Smooth Udder Cream is "a greaseless, stainless, water-based moisturizer with a light fresh fragrance." It is also available fragrance free and comes in 2 oz. tubes, 4 oz. tubes, 8 oz. jars, 10 oz.with pump, 12 oz. jars, 16 fl. oz. bottles and 32 fl. oz. bottles at your local store. They also sell it online where a 12 oz. jar is $5.75.

So that's my pick for today. Hand lotion would certainly be a gift I would love to receive. Stay tuned for the next gift pick. We're almost to the half-way point!

Other posts in this series
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards
Day Four, Bonsai

Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Four, Bonsai

2008-12-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

Continuing on with the tree theme in our line of gifts, today I offer you a Bonsai. Bonsai literally translated from the Japanese means tray planting. Bonsai can be either indoor or outdoor trees and refers specifically to the training and artistic vision applied to the tree. Bonsai is an art which requires practice, a good aesthetic eye, and patience. Many different species are used for Bonsai, including junipers, pines, maples, and flowering and fruiting trees.

To embark on this new hobby or to set someone up for this pastime requires a little planning and knowledge. I found several websites offering trees of various prices and ages, equipment, how-to books, and info right on their site.

Bonsai Boy of New York has a wide selection of trees, even artificial and preserved ones. Now even the non-gardener can enjoy the beauty of a Bonsai. Here is just a sampling of what they have available.

Medium Juniper Procumbens "nana" Bonsai Tree - $29.95 on sale

According to the site "This dwarf Juniper from Japan is the most popular evergreen in the U.S. When we think of a traditional bonsai and what it should look like, we think of a "Juniper Procumbens Nana." It is very hardy, long-lived, and tolerates many adverse conditions. This is an excellent tree for the beginner."

Artificial Flowering Golden Shower Bonsai Tree - $59.95

According to the site "The flowers and branches of this artificial Golden Shower tree are created from luna clay, making them very flexible and, therefore, can be adjusted to your personal preferences or left as shown in the image. The hand-painted flowers are so life-like that people will want to touch them to see if they are real. This tree will retain its beauty for many, many years to come and can be cleaned with a dampened cloth."

Monteray - Double Trunk Preserved Bonsai Tree - $89.95

According to the site "Neither plastic nor silk, this real live bonsai tree that was carefully crafted and preserved to protect its natural fragrance, color and texture indefinitely. No watering, trimming or maintenance is required."

I wonder how they do that.

Indoor Bonsai Trees also has a wide selection of trees and offer a do it yourself Bonsai starter kit.

American Bonsai Society is a site full of good resources.

Bonsai Gardener is a site with a collection of articles pertaining to everything Bonsai.

Other posts in the series
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Jasmine
Day Three, Give-A-Tree Cards

Twelve Great Gardening Gifts: Day Three, Give-A-Tree Card

2008-12-12T06:00:00.003-05:00

For Day Three of the Twelve Great Gardening Gifts, I go back to the mailbox for inspiration. We received a envelope from The Arbor Day Foundation with the following thank you gifts if you become a member: 2 Give-A-Tree Cards, A Rain Forest Rescue Calendar, and The Tree Book. All for the basic $10 membership. And who can forget the free address labels, I love those.

What intrigued me though, were the Give-A-Tree Cards. So off I went to their website to investigate. Every card plants a tree in one of the National Forests in honor of the card recipient. What a great way to honor someone while helping reforest America. Due to the large numbers of recent fires, there is a great need to replant trees in our National Forests. And I know I don't have to tell you about the many species of wildlife that make the forests their home.

The cards are $5.95 each, quantities of 100 or more are $3.50 each. You can order at their website and get cards for various occasions besides Holiday cards. There are also Birthday cards, Just Because cards, Special Occasion cards, and more. If you normally buy cards at a card store, this is really not that much more. Of course, if you buy cards at the Dollar Store like me, it is quite a bit more. Regardless of the cost, it would certainly be a nice gesture to show your support of a good cause.

Another thought I just had was that this would be a great way for a company to do something green. A lot of businesses spend lots of money at the holidays (maybe not as much this year as most), but if they were going to spend the money anyway, why not have it do something for the Earth as well. The cards can also be custom printed and a logo included.

Be sure to check out the Arbor Day Foundation's website. Besides the Give-A-Tree Cards, they do have other gift ideas. The Earth could always use another tree.

Other posts in this series:
Day One, Amaryllis
Day Two, Scented Jasmine

Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts: Day Two, Jasmine

2008-12-11T06:00:00.003-05:00

For Day Two of my gift giving list, I will stay with White Flower Farm's catalog just a bit longer.

Every time I look through this catalog I stop at the Jasmine page. There is something about these exotic, delicate looking flowers that calls to me. Maybe it's the thought that I know I would love to have that scent lingering throughout the house. I think I may have once sent a jasmine as a gift. Is it wrong to give gifts that appeal so strongly to yourself? I guess not, as long as you believe it would also appeal to the recipient.

In the words of WFF's writer:
"Fragrance Beyond Description in the Dead of Winter"
"Jasminum polyanthum is a handsome, subtropical vine whose dark green leaves provide a perfect backdrop for its January display of elegant and exquisitely fragrant white flowers. This is the perfume of Arabian nights, a rich, sweet scent that will fill a house or lightly carry through a southern garden."

It goes on to say: " Jasmine is easily grown as a houseplant but will not tolerate dry heat or dry soil, and temperatures above 65 degrees F are to be avoided while the buds are developing. If plants are placed in a cool spot and enjoy bright, indirect light, we guarantee bloom."

They offer their jasmine in several different pot presentations ranging in price from $42 - $62.

Check back tomorrow for the next gift in the series Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts.

Other posts in this series:
Day One, Amaryllis

Twelve Days of Gardening Gifts: Day One, Amaryllis

2008-12-10T07:09:00.007-05:00

In amongst the truckloads of catalogs which are overloading my mailbox lately, I have found some inspiration for a garden blog post, actually twelve garden blog posts. These are not the coveted seed catalogs, eagerly awaited and carefully hoarded for later perusal on a winter's night, while dreaming of spring. I am talking about the catalogs from clothing companies, toy companies, tool companies, and over-priced gift companies. We get several every day and most of them go right into the recycling bag. I did keep a few out just to look and see what pretty things were available, not intending to buy, just out of curiosity. These were mostly garden related catalogs, by the way. I saw several nice things that I would love to have but would never buy for myself, which is when I thought of doing a series of posts highlighting twelve great gifts for the gardener in your life. Things that they probably wouldn't buy for themselves, but would love to have.

Today's selection brings us to the White Flower Farm's catalog. The one labeled Distinctive Holiday Gifts. Although not on the cover, the first several pages are filled with the gorgeous blooms of amaryllis. Now, I don't need any more amaryllis. I have a big planter in my basement right now, waiting to be brought out after Christmas to see if I can get my beauties to bloom again. But just because I don't NEED any more, doesn't mean I don't WANT any more. And I think I did buy most of my bulbs from White Flower Farms, so I can vouch for them.

There are several lovely varieties to choose from, I'll just highlight a few.

'Ice Queen': double blossoms of purest white, touched with yellow-green at their throats ($32-$62).

'Sumatra': narrow, orchid-like petals in color blends ranging from deep orange to coral ($30-$72).

'Red Nymph': enormous, scarlet, fully doubled, abundantly petaled blooms ($32-$75).

And my sentimental favorite, 'Sweet Lillian': a small flowered variety of cotton-candy pink marked with a white star ($29-$49).

There is even an option to send freshly cut amaryllis ($69-$99) if you would rather a bouquet over bulbs.

All photos from White Flower Farm.

Stay tuned over the next two weeks for the other 11 gifts that your gardener would love to get (well, at least that I would love to get!)

Zygocactus - A Big Bloomer

2008-12-04T07:50:00.004-05:00

While at this time of year there is not much going on in my outside garden, it is the time for the inside plants to shine and take center stage. So over the next several indoor months, this blog will just have to focus on the inside beauties with the occasional update to the outside.

In that spirit, I bring you pictures of my blooming Zygocactus. I hesitate to call it a Christmas Cactus because it does bloom at Thanksgiving for me, without fail, every year. There is also an Easter Cactus which obviously blooms in the Spring. The tag that came with my "Holiday" Cactus does not indicate a botanical name other than Zygocactus and gives the following information.

Features: Thick, succulent leaves and large flowers.

How to Grow: Indirect light. Moderately moist soil. Cool/moderate home temperature 60-70F (15-21C).

I give it exactly what is called for. It gets bright, indirect light, it is watered about once a week, and we keep the temperature in the mid-60's during the winter. I do turn it every so often so it gets even lighting all around. Every year we get great blooms as you can see for yourself. We keep this plant in an area where Lillian is not too often, which is good. She is very intrigued by the blooms and likes to touch them and pull on them, which will make them fall off.

I did read that it is fairly easy to propagate these from leaf cuttings. And although I have never done so, I may try it. They would make great holiday gifts in a year or two!

This is my entry in my blogging friend Fern's latest contest at Life on the Balcony. You can check out the contest by clicking the link to her site, but to give you the gist of it, you are to post a photo of your favorite, most beautiful indoor plant. Thanks Fern, for always sponsoring such interesting contests.

Veggie Garden Update ~ November 2008

2008-11-20T06:00:00.004-05:00

I am amazed that I actually have something to report about my veggie garden in NOVEMBER! Although, it is admittedly, a short report. For more veggie garden going's on check out Tina's blog, In The Garden where you will find links to other garden bloggers reporting on their veggies.

I finally got around to planting my Egyptian Walking Onions and my garlic on one of the nice days at the beginning of November. While looking for someplace to buy garlic bulbs (other than the grocery store), I came across Egyptian Walking Onions and they sounded so interesting, I had to try them. The description, according to the Burpee site, is as follows:

"Each bulb produces a clump of stalks atop which form bulblets of hardy scallion-size onions. Held high above the plants these “floating” onions offer an early harvest of very sweet scallions in the spring. When left until summer they become much hotter in flavor. You can eat either end, but usually you eat the bulbs from the ground and plant the top bulbs for more onions. If not harvested the top bulbs will fall over and replant themselves, thus beginning their “walk” across the garden. "

So I will let you know in the spring how they turn out and we will see if they walk across my garden.

This year I really branched out when it comes to garlic. In the past I just planted the cloves from whatever garlic I may have had laying around the kitchen, even though this is not what you are supposed to do. And sometimes I wouldn't plant any garlic but bulbs left in the ground from the year before would sprout and that would be my next years crop. But this year I thought I would order some bulbs of the proper type for my area.

I found Gourmet Garlic Gardens on the web and since they offered several different variety packs I chose them as my garlic supplier. They also have a great website with all sorts of garlic history and information about many different varieties. There are two main types of garlic, hardneck and softneck. Softneck varieties are what are most often found in grocery stores. They store a long time, have many smaller cloves, and should be able to grow pretty much anywhere. Hardneck varieties form a stalk (scape) which curls at the top. These generally have fewer but larger cloves and tend not to store as well. But they do grow best in cold/cool winter areas (like Pennsylvania).

I ordered a hardneck garlic sampler which would grow best in my area. You don't know ahead of time what varieties you will receive, it's based on what they have available, etc. I received 4 varieties, with two bulbs of each one except one which had three bulbs. The varieties I received were Carpathian (Rocambole), Purple Italian Rocambole, Slovenian Rocambole, and German Extra Hardy (Porcelain). Rocambole and Porcelain are two of the three distinct families of hardneck garlic. Purple stripe is the third but I did not receive any of those. Rocamboles should store for 5-6 months, while the Porcelains store 8-10 months. I'm really looking forward to trying these different varieties.

I ended up planting one bulb of each of the four I received. That should give me plenty of garlic next year. I plan on using the remaining bulbs now so I can get a taste of what to expect next year. I can't wait.

There's more than frost on these pumpkins!

2008-11-17T09:40:00.004-05:00

There is always something magical about the first snowfall. Everything looks so pure, so clean, so white, it's such a drastic change from the reds, then golds, then browns we have been used to as fall progresses. I think the only thing more magical is the first ice storm, transforming the world into a crystallized ice palace so beautiful it's hard to be annoyed at the inconvenience and danger it presents. But we have not been visited by the ice fairy yet, only the snow queen who is covering our garden with the first mantle of winter. This is hardly any amount of snow to be worried about, a dusting I would call it, but the little flakes continue to drift down making it the perfect day to stay inside and drink hot chocolate. Won't you enjoy a cup with me as I share some photos with you.

The poor Flowering Quince has been confused by the recent warmer weather and is now rethinking her decision to bloom.

The Coneflower seed head catches the snowflakes perfectly.

A miniature forest of Rosemary

My late blooming mums, laden down with snow. This made me think of snow covered swans.

While this is my first snow, garden bloggers around the world have already experienced their first taste of winter. To follow the snow trail check out Nancy at Soliloquy's Garden Blogger's First Snowfall feature.

Remember Our Veterans

2008-11-11T06:37:00.008-05:00

Photo by Ian Britton

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Remember to honor our veterans today.

To all that are reading this who are currently serving or who have served in the military, you have my heartfelt thanks.

In the United States, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th, honoring all military veterans. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice which ended World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. From 1919 - 1954 this day was known as Armistice Day in the United States, however in 1954 Congress passed an act changing Armistice to Veterans, in order to honor all veterans, not just World War I veterans. Information from Wikipedia.

Check out this Contest!

2008-11-08T16:09:00.002-05:00

Fern at Life on the Balcony is having another contest this month. It's super easy to enter, all you have to do is contribute to the conversation by commenting on one of her posts. You can find all the details, rules, etc. on her site by clicking RIGHT HERE!

She has great ideas for container gardening and small space gardening and is always finding cool stuff on the internet to share with us. Go check it out, you might be her next winner.

Busy Bees

2008-11-06T07:41:00.005-05:00

We have been enjoying some fine Indian Summer weather this week and it has allowed us to be busy, busy, busy outside. The leaves are almost all down now, so soon the raking will begin. But first, the deck must be cleaned and then coated with the sealer and it has been the perfect week to do it.

We are not the only busy ones outside. My late blooming mum (now pretty much the only flowers left) have attracted quite a bevy of bees the last few days. I have to keep a close eye on Lillian as she closely examines this plant every time she goes by it. She sees those bees and would like to grab them!

And look, isn't Lillian so helpful. Here she is trying to shake the leaves off the lilac.

And then she is ready to sweep up the leaves.

And finally, she was ready to set these seeds free as only a child can. Or maybe she is going to eat them.

Gourds Galore!

2008-11-03T08:45:00.006-05:00

One of the best fall decorative items can be grown in right in your own garden - gourds! From those big orange orbs we call pumpkins to the little warty, winged gems - they are all wonderful in my book. This year the deer decided that I wasn't going to have any homegrown gourds, well, almost. I did get a few little pumpkins and some white spaceship squashy things. These all went to the fall display, but a trip to the farmer's market would be necessary to "round" it out and to pick the perfect pumpkins for carving. I like going to the farmer's market for gourds and pumpkins anyway, they always have a great selection. Even Lillian was able to pick out the perfect pumpkin for her.

Picking out the perfect pumpkin!

The Fall Display seems to be missing something.

Oh, yes. A child - that's better.

Little White and Big Orange Pumpkins

Carving on Halloween's Eve

Friend or Foe ?!?

The Monster Mash

If you grew gourds in your garden for crafting (like birdhouse gourds), it's probably getting to be time to pick them. Be sure to leave some stem on and use sharp scissors or pruners so you get a nice clean cut. If you are going to dry them, make sure they have lots of good air circulation. It may take several months for them to dry. You will know they are ready when they are light and you can hear the seeds shake inside.

Leaves, Freeze, and Eye Pleasing

2008-10-30T09:08:00.006-04:00

I have been waiting patiently this year for our trees to be at their peak color in order to photograph them to share with you and as part of Dave's Garden Blogger's Fall Color Project.

Of course, you never know when peak is, until it is past. Add to that the fact that I don't think our trees are in top color form this year, I think due to the extremely dry conditions for the past several months, and you have me waiting and waiting for the event that is not coming. I have been taking pictures over a couple of days and have not thought them to be as stunning as in past years (the leaves OR the pictures).

I also took some pictures this morning after a very hard frost and maybe a few snowflakes ?!? The lighting has helped make the leaves seem on fire but they are falling fast now. You could just hear them crinkling against one another as they drift to the ground. The maple closest to the house, which is always last to turn and drop, is still holding tightly to her leaves, but the other maples are shedding them quickly, as if the last couple of cold days have convinced them it is time to call it quits for the year and go into winter mode NOW.

So, here are some photos from around our house taken within this past week. Enjoy!

Finally, this Mum just starting to bloom added a nice surprise to my brisk morning walk.

Meeting at a Crossroad

2008-10-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

As garden bloggers our paths cross every day on the internet superhighway. But it is not very often that our paths can cross on actual highways. I was very fortunate to be able to cross paths with two garden bloggers recently, Tina from In The Garden and TC, The Write Gardener.

This meeting was arranged because Tina was going to be traveling to Maine from Tennessee via Pennsylvania! Since she and her family, yes I got to meet Mr. Fix-it and her son Jimmy too, were going to be passing through Western Pennsylvania around dinner time, we made plans to meet at a Bob Evans not far from the highway. TC drove down and I drove over and wham-o, after fighting a bit of rush hour traffic, there were three garden bloggers face to face.

Here's the best picture I have from our meeting. That's TC, Tina, Me, and Lillian.

I was last to arrive to the party, with Lillian the days of getting out of the house quickly are gone. Then it was like Christmas as we all began to exchange little gifts. Tina made me one of her now famous stone markers and brought two gooseberry plants for me to plant in my garden. I will treasure these gifts and think of her each time I see them. TC brought us each a copy of "Tough Plants for Northern Gardens" by Felder Rushing. He wrote the forward for this book and was kind enough to inscribe it for each of us. This book is excellent and will be a good reference in the years to come. I brought some off shoots of my Century plant for both Tina and TC. Each went home with a tiny baby one and one that was a little larger. My original Century plant was a pass along plant from my great aunt and I am happy to continue it's legacy of giving.

The next order of business was the group photo. There were several taken with various configurations of garden bloggers and family. The parking lot had lovely trees filled with berries which made a great backdrop. Of course it was a feat to get everyone to stop chattering away in order to smile for the camera!

We eventually made our way into the restaurant and sat down for lively conversation on all subjects and a good meal to boot. The time just flew by and to tell you the truth I can just remember snippets of conversation, it all happened so quickly and there were often several conversations going at once. Of course there was plenty of garden talk and blog talk, but there were other topics as well. However, we couldn't keep Tina and her family too long because there were still many miles to be travelled that evening and more the next day. And Lillian was ready to be rambling about the restaurant and that is nothing but trouble.

One observation I would like to make about meeting fellow bloggers in person, is that it gives a voice to their blog that wasn't there before. When I read Tina's and TC's blogs now, it will be more personal, and I will hear their voices as I read the posts. Tina and TC, I am so glad we were able to meet and have even a short time to get to know each other a little better beyond the garden and the blog.

Veggie Garden Update ~ October 2008

2008-10-21T06:41:00.004-04:00

I had all the good intentions in the world to get this posted yesterday, to coincide with other veggie garden updates, such as those posted by Tina at In the Garden and Frances at Faire Garden. However, it was probably the last nice and relatively warm day we are going to have here in Western Pennsylvania for a while and much time was spent outside finishing up some tasks, some of which were necessary for this post, by the way. In fact, the rain has started and it is not to get out of the 50's degree wise here for the next several days. And yes, we have had our first frost and it did a great job at killing almost everything that was left in the garden. Although a few things close to the house did survive and there are still plants in the garage waiting transport to their winter homes in the basement. They won't have to wait long because the low of 27 degrees F tonight will force their journey today, rain or no rain.

So in my day of tidying up, first was to pull all the carrots and beets. Not that there were many and not that they were big. The deer had munched the tops so often this summer I was surprised to find anything grew. But there is a small amount which will be used quickly and enjoyed none the less. Lillian was very helpful with this task, as she loves to dig in the dirt, although she also likes just wandering about in the garden picking up bits of sticks and leaves.

The parsley did survive the frost and I will probably cut some of that today to bring inside. I don't know if it will survive the low we expect tonight and it looks so good right now.

Other things which were harvested a few days ago included the rest of the eggplants (this there were a lot of) and a few little peppers. I see some fried eggplant sandwiches and some eggplant parmesan in my future, yum.

On the inside, there is one lone kumquat ripening nicely. Not that one can do much with one kumquat other than gobble it up and wish there were more :) But wait, what is this growing in the kumquat pot, is that a pepper plant ? with a pepper on it ? The deer didn't find this one! Since you are probably wondering why there is a pepper growing with my citrus, let me explain. The kumquat came to us from my husband's parents when they returned home from Florida in April. Apparently the seed was in the dirt and grew and we just let it. We are going to be transplanting the kumquat soon and will split the pepper off and try to winter it inside and see if we get more peppers during the winter. Unlikely with our lack of good sun, but maybe it will be a good start for next year's crop.

So that is it for the harvest. Time was spent removing tomato cages, stakes, fences and posts meant to deter the deer which didn't work, and rototilling the gardens. Thoughts of next year are already bouncing around through our heads. For one thing, we will win the battle with the deer next year. I am tired of lousy yields after all my efforts. I have already bought Liquid Fence which is supposed to work. I haven't opened it yet but it is said to really stink. After it dries, humans can't smell it but the deer still can and they don't like it. I'll be letting you know how that works out for us.

Woo - Hoo, I Won!

2008-10-17T08:04:00.003-04:00

I was so excited when Fern at Life on the Balcony contacted me earlier this week and told me I had won her October contest for guessing how many cilantro seeds she had collected. You can see the picture of the actual seeds in my post from last Friday which also included my guess of 98. Well, I was only off by 2 - the actual number being 96.

The excitement of winning continued when my wonderful prizes arrived.
First was the book "Big Ideas for Small Gardens" by Emily Young and Dave Egbert.

Second was a $10 gift certificate to Renee's Garden where I can buy all sorts of cool heirloom seeds for next year!

Thanks so much Fern, I really enjoyed your contest!

Fern's going to be running a contest every month for the next several months, so be sure to keep an eye on her site. You might be the next winner. And even if you aren't, she always has great tips for small space / balcony gardening. This is a great site even if you have a large space, for what is a large space but a collection of smaller spaces.

Garden Blogger Bloom Day ~ October 2008

2008-10-15T11:02:00.005-04:00

It seems like the trees are putting on more of a display then the flowers here as I walk down my garden path, but I was able to find a few blooms. Let's start with these Mums with the pretty yellow centers peaking through.

Next we have this pretty plant which I forget the name of and I have lost the tag as well - (I'm sure someone out there knows it!). It has very pretty white flowers right now and has survived the summer's drought.

Here is a wildflower area where I just sprinkled seeds this spring. A few Cosmos and Zinnias have survived the deer. Maybe it's all those weeds that have deterred the deer of late.

One lone Coneflower bravely blooms. He's probably wondering where all his other Coneflower family has gone.

And the Honeysuckle is blooming again, putting out some sweet perfume.

Finally, one of the indoor plants, a cactus, is showing a nice white and prickly bloom.

For more of what's blooming around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Blogger Bloom Day.

Odds and Ends

2008-10-10T09:19:00.005-04:00

There are several bits and pieces I wanted to post about today, so I thought I would just combine it all into one post.

First off, I am so excited my snake catcher actually works!!!! Yesterday, while working in our little garage (a.k.a. The Snake Pit), my husband spotted a little snake along the wall. Wanting to relocate him to elsewhere so we could continue our cleaning up I ran for the snake catcher, yet unproven. It took just a few minutes with my husband helping to 'herd' him and I was able to lasso him and move him outside and away from all buildings. While the snake catcher actually did work, it could use a few improvements. For one, something to keep the rope from going all the way up in the tube in the case of a miss. Also, even when I had the snake gripped fairly tight (I didn't want to pinch him in half!), he was able to slide about in the rope. But for the most part it was a success, for the snake was relocated fairly easily which was the point.

Secondly, I had been getting some of the inside plants which had summered outside, ready to be brought back indoors for the winter. This involved giving some a haircut and general grooming.

And for others, like these Century Plants, a major overhaul and cleaning out of the offshoots was necessary for aesthetic reasons.

Thirdly, I would like to report on the progress of our little garage. The roof work is complete. On the inside we removed the ceiling boards and old insulation, opening the inside up to the rafters. This was necessary because it was in this ceiling space that birds and snakes lived (probably not in harmony) and it was a big mess. It's much nicer now that it's all open and it's not like it's heated anyway, so the loss of the insulation is not a big deal. In fact, before we tore the ceiling down, we weren't even aware that it was there. Next step was removing a wall of tile which had been adhered to the back block wall at one time. It had since separated from the wall and needed to be chiseled apart before it fell down, causing injury. The space between this tiled wall and the block wall was one of the main places the snakes lived. We found several snake skins when we removed these tiles. With the tiles removed, we found several mortar joints in the block wall which needed to be replaced, so that was the next task. Which catches us up to yesterday, when I was painting the previously unpainted block (what was behind the tiles). We plan on painting the entire inside but wanted to get a primer on the unpainted block first. I used up some primer I found in the basement, leftover from another project and I was able to get the back wall and part of one of the side walls covered. There will be more painting this weekend.

These are the tiles removed from the back wall.

Finally, Fern at Life on the Balcony, is having a contest to guess how many cilantro seeds she collected this year (see picture below). My guess is 98. Click on the link to her blog to find out how you can enter. She is giving away some nice prizes and I hope I win!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Arboretum Walk and a Rarity

2008-10-07T20:29:00.008-04:00

For my final post on Hershey Gardens I wanted to share some photos of the magnificent trees and conifers on the grounds. While I do thoroughly enjoy the flowers and perennials, there is something special about the trees. Maybe it's the years and years of growth which have made them the magnificent heralds of the natural world. When I think of my own property and how I would like this tree or that tree, I am thinking of the tree at a mature stage, not the stage it would be planted at, and I am always a little sad thinking of the time which must elapse to reach my vision. But this should not deter me from planting trees, for just as life for us is a wonderful journey, so is life for a tree. And to see that tree grow over the years and be able to look back and remember when it was just planted, or only this big, is as rewarding as enjoying the mature tree itself.

But I digress, and must get on with the short pictorial tour of mature trees on the grounds of Hershey Gardens.

These first two photos are of the Fragrant Snowbell, Stryax obassia. I was intrigued by the yellowish fruits that it had. After reading a little about this tree, I found out that it has beautiful, white, fragrant flowers on 4 to 10 inch long racemes in late spring or early summer. It is not noted for it's fall color or it's insignificant (to some) fruits.

This is a Variegated Juniper. Some may not like the yellow in it, thinking it not looking healthy, but I don't mind and think it adds some brightness in what would otherwise just be green.

I really liked this Weeping Beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'. It was trained and draped over the walkway. I imagine it as a secret hideaway on a hot day.

Grab your tissues, there is more weeping. This time a Weeping Norway Spruce, Picea abies forma pendula 'Inversa'. That is all one tree, with it's branches falling like tears on the ground.

Yet another weeper, but so attractive I think. This is the Weeping White Pine, Pinus strobus 'Pendula'.

I just liked how the composition of this shot turned out. Very geometrical.

Another composition shot which is very inviting to me with the various shades of cool green.

And finally, the rarity you have been waiting for since being teased by the title of this post. This is the "Mother tree" of all Cryptomeria japonica 'Dense Jade', or for those of us who prefer English subtitles, the Hybrid Japanese Cedar v. Dense Jade. All Cryptomeria japonica 'Dense Jade' can have their ancestry traced back to this tree. There can only be one "Mother tree" to a whole new variety. I had never heard this term before, so my trip was a learning experience as well. Now that's a family tree. This tree was transplanted in Hershey Gardens in September 2006. It looks like it is enjoying it's new home.

A Garden Through A Child's Eyes

2008-10-03T22:33:00.009-04:00

Hershey Gardens has a wonderful Children's Garden area which has 32 themed garden areas and a seasonal Butterfly House. We allowed Lillian to explore this area out of her stroller, although I did carry her most of the time in the Butterfly House so she wouldn't grab the butterflies that were covering the flowers.

The gates to the Children's Garden set the tone with these whimsical sculptures. I wouldn't mind these ants at a picnic.

And this has to be one of the happiest bees I've ever seen. Just look at that smile!

Inside the Butterfly House this butterfly asks "Are you my Mother?"

Please note, although they do provide an butterfly identification brochure for use while in the Butterfly House, I was holding Lillian in one arm and snapping pictures with the other. So I will refrain from identifying any of these flying beauties. I'm sure I could take the time to look up the names on the internet, that goldmine of information, but for me, just enjoying the pretty pictures is enough. At least for now, maybe someday I will look them up and identify them all.

Lillian was getting ready to grab this one, I had to race over and scoop her up to prevent butterfly homicide.

While I am just showing the Butterfly stage of these delightful creatures, the whole lifecycle was represented. Several volunteers staffed the Butterfly House, ready to explain anything about the various stages of the lifecycle or help identify the various species.

Outside the Butterfly House was this fountain area with striking cannas and fountain grass.

Here is the fountain. It was great fun watching the ball spin in the ever changing vertical stream of water.

One of the themed garden areas was the River-Banker's Picnic secluded nook. I just loved these "toad stools".

The other themed areas include a pretzel maze made of not too difficult hedgerows to navigate. The path was brown tile with large pieces of quartz - the salt of the pretzel! There was also an Alphabet Boarder, with a plant to represent each of the twenty-six letters. The Spa-Tacular Garden has a claw foot bathtub planted with all sorts of soothing varieties. And one of my favorites was the Botanical Tunes Garden, complete with giant xylophone and floor chimes to jump on.

This Children's Garden is a delight for children of all ages and a must see when visiting Hershey Gardens. They do close the Butterfly House in the fall though. None of the butterflies are harmed, they are allowed to live out there lives in this butterfly utopia and only when none are left, is the structure taken down so it isn't damaged by the Pennsylvanian snows.

Garden Bloggers Muse Day - October 2008

2008-10-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Gathering Leaves
by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.

But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.

I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop?

Unlike Frost, I have a definite use for the seemingly hundreds of thousands of leaves that will start to cover the ground this month. As an aside, have you ever tried to estimate how many leaves are on a tree, I do it every year because there are so many, I want to know how many! Back to my multitudes of leaves. We will rake them up, using a tarp or plastic garbage can to help transport them, and then dump them into the garden to be tilled in and allowed to work their magic on that soil. Sometimes we use the shredder to help them on their decomposing way but not always. I guess it depends on how much time we have to deal with them. I know a lot of people don't enjoy raking leaves, but it doesn't bother me.

Happy Muse Day! Head to Sweet Home and Garden Chicago for more muses.

A Sweet Trip to Hershey PA

2008-09-29T15:53:00.007-04:00

Last week we took a trip to Central PA to visit Hershey and Gettysburg. Our first stop was Hershey and the beautiful Hershey Gardens. The Hershey Gardens are right next to the luxurious Hershey Hotel and right across the street from Hershey Park. If you are in Hershey you shouldn't miss them, they are spectacular.

When you first enter the gardens, you are amidst the huge rose gardens. It's fabulous, with a pond, gazebo, and rose arches. These are rose gardens like I can only imagine having. Remember, when visiting professional gardens to constantly remind yourself that it is impractical to think that you can recreate this at home. Maybe you can recreate 1% at home but don't belittle your own garden for not measuring up to the professionally tended gardens in size, variety, or lack of weeds :)

The Japanese Garden was very peaceful, with a reflecting pond and gurgling brook. It was so peaceful that it was here Lillian dozed off for her nap.

The Herb Garden area was another favorite of mine. It featured a fig tree, laden with figs. The herbs were divided into groups such as culinary, medicinal, and dyeing.

We saw many elements of whimsy throughout, like this bunny peeking out from some grasses in the Ornamental Grass Garden.

These False Autumn Crocus (Colchium speciosum) were a burst of color.

The Seasonal Garden was awash with color galore and mounds of mums for fall. I particularly like the hedge rows dividing the areas.

There is also a wonderful Children's Garden, Arboretum, and Conifer Collection which I will talk about in subsequent posts. I don't want this to get too long and this way I can post more photos :)

After we left the gardens, we stopped at Hershey's Chocolate World (just five minutes away) to take the Chocolate Factory Tour and load up on some sweet Hershey's chocolate. This was a quick stop, but well worth it!

Storm Damage from Ike

2008-09-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures my husband took of the storm damage we sustained when Hurricane Ike raced north. I haven't had a chance to take the tour yet but these pictures speak for themselves. And they are saying we have a lot of work to do to clean up from Ike!

Queen Autumn

2008-09-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

I posted this on my other blog but thought I would share it here as well.

Queen Autumn

Autumn robes the trees
In fiery reds and golds
Signaling her reign

Today is the first day of my favorite season - Autumn. My favorite because the weather (at least where I live) is, in my opinion, the best at this time of year- nice warm days, cool nights, low humidity. It's also the time of year we usually go on vacation and so the memories of those past trips always come rushing back when the days start to get shorter. And since my daughter was born in the fall last year, there is a new reason for me to enjoy it.

Not to mention that the changing of the leaves is one of nature's most beautiful annual events. I could drive around leaf watching for days. Of course instead of driving, hiking is really the preferable mode of transport. To follow where the peak fall colors are, visit Dave at The Home Garden. He is coordinating a tracking of the timing of the peak colors.

Enjoy the fall days and the changing of the leaves. These days are fleeting and it won't be long now when the reds and golds are replaced with white and ice.

Veggie Garden Update ~ September 2008

2008-09-20T22:42:00.005-04:00

Well it looks like I will get this in under the wire for the 20th. At least, if I type fast.

I have to admit that I haven't been paying too much attention to the vegetable garden as of late, only because there has been so much else going on with Ike and the power loss and our roof / garage project. We are also planning a little trip for next week, so that has taken most of my internet time. But I was able to take a tour today and here is what I found.

The beets and carrots are still there, and getting bigger. They deer haven't been bothering them as of late and so they have actually gotten some tops back. I think I will leave them in the ground a while longer and hope they get a bit larger.

Here was the best surprise. Some of the eggplant had gotten quite large. I will be able to pick these once we are back from our trip.

Here's a little pumpkin. We have several this size. All of the larger ones didn't make it. They were eaten by some creature. So we'll be off to the pumpkin patch to buy some in October.

This picture of the asparagus reminded me of Christmas. Surprisingly, I saw Christmas decorations on display already in the stores. That's a bit much I thought. Let's get through Halloween first.

This is not from the vegetable garden, but it is edible so I thought I would include it. Here are two lemons growing quite nicely. Too bad the plant will have to come inside soon which will rob it of the precious sun it so needs.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew

2008-09-18T12:23:00.002-04:00

In conjunction with A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight's continuing food fest, I am posting one of my favorite fall recipes ~ Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew. The topic of the food fest being winter squash and pumpkins of course.

Unfortunately, all my squash were eaten by beasts roaming my garden at night. But there is always a great selection in the store and farmer's markets this time of year. So if you end up with some Butternuts and you want a different way to cook them, try this recipe. It's an easy crock-pot one too! Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like to this stew. I've used sweet potatoes before in place of the squash and it turned out just fine.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew
From "giant book of super nutritious recipes" by Carol Heding Munson, Sandra L. Woodruff, and Bob Schwiers

1 1/2 pound Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 medium potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 slender carrots, sliced diagonally 3/4 inch thick, or 12 baby carrots
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free beef broth
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 pound low-fat turkey sausage or light kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and thickly sliced
4 small onions, halved
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Snipped fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine the squash, potatoes, carrots, beans, broth, vinegar, pepper, and rosemary in an electric slow cooker.

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onions and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage and onions to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, 6 to 8 hours. In a measuring cup, mix the water and cornstarch, and pour the mixture into the stew. Mix well and heat (should be boiling) until the liquid has thickened. Garnish with parsley.

Ooooooooo Went the Wind...

2008-09-16T12:21:00.002-04:00

"Ooooooooo went the wind. And out went the lights. And five little pumpkins, rolled out of sight." These lines are from one of my daughters books. You may wonder why I am quoting children's books. One reason is I am at the library. The other is, that is exactly what happened the other night as Ike raced North.

Although Ike went up through Ohio, we got blasted in Western PA with up to 79 mph winds. It was amazing how the trees were bending in the wind. Luckily we didn't have any damage to the house. Just some branches down right around the house. Up in the back of our property is a different story. There are several trees down and it will take a strong effort to get that cleaned up.

Of course, I have no pictures to show you at this time because we have no power. And it's not expected to be back on until maybe Thursday or Friday morning. I hope I am pleasantly surprised when I get home to find us connected to the power grid again, but I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime, we have our generator to keep the freezer and refrigerator good and cold. And since we have a well, we need it for the pump to work so we have water. These are the main things. With electricity I would be able to connect at home, but we haven't phone or internet either.

It could have been worse. It's just a few days of inconvenience. Once I'm back online, I'll be catching up with everyone and posting some pictures. I hope you are all safe and sound.

If I'd only known how to make it rain...

2008-09-12T10:44:00.005-04:00

Well it seems that the way to get rain to my Western PA garden was not doing a rain dance, no, it was scheduling roof work to be done. Yes, that's right, no rain for two months and the day after my garage roof is ripped off, it's pouring, with days of rain for the forecast. Isn't that the way it always is.

Anyway, having the roof replaced on the two detached garages is just one step of many in some outdoor renovations which are happening this fall. I should say, hopefully happening this fall. Until they are completed, one never knows.

Fall, the time of big projects. The work in the garden is usually slowing down and thoughts of winter are creeping in, as are thoughts that the year will soon be over and what have we accomplished! So, time to hurry up and accomplish something. One year it was having the siding replaced and a new front door installed. Last year, it was the roof on the house and the two bedrooms redone. This involved more work than that statement indicates as it involved wallpaper removal. I'll just leave it at that. Last years frenzy of work was done in the summer/very early fall - to prepare for the BIG fall project of welcoming Baby Lillian to our home. But enough of past projects and onto this years.

Next to our little garage there stands a tree, a very big, dying, I think cottonwood tree. Well, no more. On Labor Day, with the help of John's Dad, we took out most of the tree. All that remains you can see below, and this will come down in the near future. Half of this tree died earlier in the summer, dropping all it's leaves like it was October.

Next step, have the roofs replaced. As you can see, this roof is in very bad shape.

The other side looks much better but it must all be replaced.

On the big garage, the roof also needs to be replaced. I will be so happy to not be picking up shingles from the yard each time there is a storm. Oh, one last step before the roofers can come, that trumpet vine that has started to take over in its quest for world domination, must get a haircut.

After the roofs are replaced, the little garage is going to get an awning attached to it. This will be off to the right, covering the concrete area, making a nice, covered area for all sorts of garden activities. Once the awning is attached, gutters will be added, and they will be set up to empty into rain barrels. You can never stock up enough water. The awning is John's parents old awning which used to cover their deck. We've had it for a while but have just decided how to best utilize it.

On the left side of the little garage, we took out some very overgrown bushes. Right now some of the trunks and the roots are still there. I'm not looking forward to getting those out. But this is to be a new bed! Yeah! I'm still thinking over what will go here, but it will all be perennial.

Well, that's the plan as it stands right now. I am happy for the rain, but it is interrupting our plan and makes for a bit of dampness in the garage as the old shingles are off but the new ones not on yet. So after all that time of praying for rain, now I'm praying for sunshine. Ironic, isn't it?

A Day to Remember

2008-09-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

It doesn't seem like it's been seven years, but it has been. Please take a moment today, Patriot's Day, to remember the victims and heroes of 9/11. They are forever in our hearts.

The Names
September 6, 2002
by poet laureate of the United States Billy Collins

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
Then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
As droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a watery bend.
Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.
In the morning, I walked out barefoot
Among thousands of flowers
Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
And each had a name --
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
And stitched into the cloth of the day.
A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
Monogram on a torn shirt,
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.
I say the syllables as I turn a corner --
Kelly and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.
When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
As in a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,
Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
Or cried out behind a door.
Names blown over the earth and out to sea.
In the evening -- weakening light, the last swallows.
A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
And the names are outlined on the rose clouds --
Vanacore and Wallace,
(let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.
Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in a green field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.

Tomato Salsa!

2008-09-08T08:30:00.005-04:00

Look at these beauties!

Even though my tomatoes did not do so well this year due to the deer and the drought, my husband's parents have been getting quite a few tomatoes - and all at once. So they were so kind as to bring us some. This has been great for us, for what is summer without a BLT sandwich with fresh, home-grown tomato?

So thanks to them, we have had salsa, BLT's, and I was able to freeze several quarts of tomatoes for soups and chili's this winter.

Here are some pictures of the salsa I made. It's just tomatoes, some pepper, onion, garlic, corn, black beans, and a seasoning mix I had. To prepare the tomatoes I did the traditional concasse, that is, core and score, boil to loosen the skins, plunge into ice water, peel, seed, and chop. It's a little bit of work but the only way for good salsa. This is what I did before freezing the tomatoes as well. The seasoning mix I used for the salsa said you could eat it fresh, can it, or freeze it. I really didn't want to do any canning but the freezing intrigued me. I was worried it would be really watery though when thawed. Has anyone ever tried freezing salsa? If so, please share your results, I am so curious.

A pot of boiling tomatoes

Delicious Salsa, where are the chips?

Grapey Goodness!

2008-09-03T21:57:00.005-04:00

One of the pleasant benefits of our property are the grapes which grow wild up in the back. I'm not sure what kind they are exactly, but I think they are a type of concord grape. Of course, since they grow high, high, up in the trees, we need to be giants in order to pick and enjoy them. We were able to find a few low hanging ones, which we quickly picked. These do have seeds, so not so great for just eating. Instead, we put them on the stove with some water, smashed them up, and then strained them, to yield some lovely, grapey juice. This was strong, concentrated grape so we added water to make it a good drinking consistency. My husband can drink it just like this. I find it a little sour, so I add a little Splenda to mine.

One of our plans is to take cuttings from these vines and bring them closer to the ground. Then maybe we will be able to harvest enough to make some wine - yum!

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day ~ September 2008

2008-09-01T18:16:00.007-04:00

Owls intrigue me. Maybe because they are not usually seen. We hear their hoot - hoot up in the woods every so often. For Muse Day this September, I choose three owl nursery rhymes / poems. I wish I had an owl photo to share, but the one in my daughter's bedroom will have to suffice. Thanks to Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago for hosting this monthly poetry circle.

A Wise Old Owl

A wise old owl lived in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard:
Why can't we all be like that bird?

The Owl

The owl is wary, the owl is wise.
He knows all the names of the stars in the skies.
He hoots and he toots and he lives by his wits,
but mostly he sits. . . (and he sits. . . and he sits).

I Talk With the Moon

I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me.

I talk with the sun, said the wren
As soon as he starts to shine
I talk with the sun, said the wren
And the day is mine.

Friend or Foe: Black Rat Snake

2008-08-28T20:41:00.005-04:00

It was just about a month ago that I first wrote of our sighting of the Black Rat Snake in our garage. At that time, I said I would post more later. Well, it's now later. I was hoping that I could post that we had successfully captured the snake to relocate him to the bottom of the yard where he wouldn't bother us, but we have not seen him since that first day.

You see, my husband and father in law had built a special snake catching device and we wanted a chance to try it out and see if it worked better than our method of herding the snake into a large garbage can to transport him to his new home. We have used the herding method several times with great success, but if the snake is not in a good position this is a bit difficult to do. As you can see in the pictures below, this snake catching device is quite simple. It's a pole with a string looped through it. Just get the snake's head inside the loop and pull tight. Now don't strangle him, just transport him to your trash can for relocation. I was hoping to have a picture of the snake caught in the device. Oh well, I guess he was camera shy and decided our garage wasn't the place to be.

I do want to share some information about my friend though, and that is exactly what he is, a friend, not a foe. Many people misunderstand snakes and their fear and lack of knowledge cause snakes to continue to be the victim of human persecution.

The Black Rat Snake may look menacing, but he is generally shy and does not like confrontation. His diet includes primarily rodents, although he may dine on small lizards or the occasional frog. Rodents, meaning rats, mice, voles, chipmunks. It is because of this rodent diet that they are very useful on farms and in your garden. They use constriction to kill their prey (just in case you were wondering).

The Black Rat Snake can be found from New England south through Georgia and west across the northern parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and north through Oklahoma to southern Wisconsin. There is also an isolated population in southern Canada and northern New York.

Rat Snakes are egg layers. The female lays 12 to 20 eggs. The eggs are laid in a hidden area, under hollow logs or leaves, or in abandoned burrows. The eggs hatch 65 to 70 days later.

Take precautions so that snakes don't enter your home. You can do this by sealing cracks and openings around your house. Keep your yard free of debris and if you have a wood pile, keep it away from the house.

I hope that if you encounter a snake, you will not kill it out of fear. If it is not near your home either let it exist naturally or relocate it. The Black Rat Snake is definitely a friend.

Meadow Walk

2008-08-26T07:08:00.007-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, as the baby was napping, John and I took a walk up to the back field/meadow to see what there was to see up there. Everything is dry, dry, dry. You can see one of the paths my husband had cut through the meadow as a walking trail. He did this weeks ago, which was when we last mowed.

Here are some close-ups of the flowers we found on our walk.

A Thistle

This little purple-pink flower. It was the only one like it I could find.

Queen Anne's Lace

This is a picture of our neighbors adjoining field. They have different things blooming, goldenrod and what looks like a deep purple butterfly plant. I don't think they keep their field mowed as much as we do ours. But since we don't have a big tractor, we have to keep up with it or else it is impossible to take care of. Although the meadow look has it's merits, and we may end up keeping it more meadow-like, with some paths cut through for walking.

Just yesterday, Gail put a name to this bug for me. Yes, it's the Milk Weed Bug, on a Milk Weed Seed pod.

The sad, bird's eye view of my garden. It looks more like October than August.

One cosmos of just a few which have bloomed in my new wildflower area I was trying to establish this year. I'll work on it more next year.

Thanks for joining us on our walk. I hope you enjoyed it.

A Virtual Rain Dance

2008-08-24T18:53:00.003-04:00

I don't remember the last time it rained in my garden. It has to be going on four weeks now. Everything is suffering. I don't mind that the grass is brown, I think we've cut it twice since the beginning of July. At least we are saving on gas. I don't even mind that the vegetable garden is pretty much dust right now. The deer ate most everything before we went away for a week, and then they did a pretty good job finishing it off while we were gone. Raccoons or other varmints have been breaking open the pumpkins and winter squash and eating every bit, presumably for the moisture inside. There are just a few things that have survived all this, mainly some herbs, the eggplant, and one tomato plant. Given that we rely on a well for our water, there is no way we could keep a big vegetable garden watered properly in this lack of rain, so having just a few things to water has been a blessing. But all the perennials throughout the property, there is no way I can water them as they need to be. I try to give everything a good drink, twice a week. But even the coneflowers are curling up and dried. I may be starting with more of a clean slate than I anticipated next year. It just makes me want to cry.

This afternoon we watched the radar show rain coming across from Ohio, a nice line of green. But it now appears to be breaking up before it will get to us. We will be denied again. This lack of rain had me thinking about the history of rain dancing in this country. The Cherokee tribe would perform rain dances both to induce precipitation and to cleanse evil spirits from the earth.

Please enjoy this music and perhaps rain will be forthcoming.

Rain Dance Flute Song

Corn Fritters ~ A Summertime Treat

2008-08-21T10:02:00.007-04:00

It's time for a Thursday Food Fest again, sponsored by A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight. Today's star is the sweetest of the sweet corn, that yummy summertime treat.

Growing up on the farm, I never had store bought corn, probably until I went to college. We would feast on corn on the cob when it started coming in late July, and since my Dad and Grandfather stagger planted, (several rows every week or two) and planted a couple of varieties, we had it fresh for over a month. The first variety to come in was always the Butter and Sugar corn and the Silver Queen was always the last one, but was the favorite of many. With all this corn, we would spend several days freezing huge batches. We would freeze enough for us to have corn once a week for the entire year. With ten people to feed, that's a lot of corn.

One of the things my Mom would make with leftover corn on the cob was corn fritters. These were always a special treat and we could have eaten just this for dinner. I'll be making these later today, so I will post some pictures then. I hope you enjoy these. Please let me know how you like them.

CORN FRITTERS
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh cut corn
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 TBS melted bacon fat or melted butter

Mix egg, milk, and corn.
Sift dry ingredients and add to corn mixture.
Add bacon fat (or butter) and beat until well blended.
Coat pan (non-stick or cast iron would work best) with bacon fat or butter.
Drop by tablespoons into pan and cook until golden brown, turning once.
Drain on absorbent paper.

My Mom cooked them in a cast iron skillet and flipped them to cook on both sides.

Culantro

2008-08-20T07:29:00.005-04:00

Culantro is an herb I found this year at one of the big box stores and since I had never heard of it, I thought I would give it a try. The sign on the rack said it had the same flavor as cilantro and since my cilantro leaves only seem to be plentiful in the spring, this could be useful later in the summer. I usually use cilantro in salsas with fresh tomatoes or tomatillos or other salads made with fresh garden veggies. By the time the tomatoes are ready, the cilantro has gone to seed and is not very leafy at all. Culantro could very easily be used in place of cilantro in these instances. It would also be good with black beans. I am specifically thinking of a cooked black bean salsa that is served over cheesy grits. I haven't made it in a while but that may be just the thing to use some of this new herb I have.

Culantro is from the same family as cilantro and it does have the same flavor, although a bit stronger. It is indigenous the Caribbean, Latin America and the West Indies. The leaves are serrated and really quite sharp, so you must be careful. To me, this characteristic does not lend it to be useful for eating, but if they are chopped well enough or pulverized in the food processor it won't make a difference. I did read that it grows naturally in shaded, moist areas. So perhaps mine is so prickly because it is growing in the full sun. One advantage to the prickly leaves is that the deer have not eaten it, and it is one of the few successes from my garden this year. I have read that it is attractive to beneficial insects such as the ladybug. I haven't noticed any around it but I haven't looked for them either.

It looks like it has little flower heads, although they are not much to look at, but you can definitely see the jagged leaves in the close up photo.

I don't think this will over winter here in zone 5 but I would buy it again if I see it. Of course, I may get lucky and it will self-seed. I guess I will find out next spring.

A Visit To Delaware

2008-08-18T11:03:00.007-04:00

Hello Everyone! It's good to be getting back into my normal routine after our trip to Delaware to spend time with my extended family. My parents rented a huge, gorgeous house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where they and all their children and their families gathered to spend time together. At one point there were twenty-three people staying in the six-bedroom house, with seven of those being six years old or younger!

I'll do another post with some beach pictures, but first I wanted to post some of the garden and plant photos I took throughout the week. I really didn't take that many photos at all, mainly because I didn't have my camera handy when I wanted it and keeping track of all the kids precluded leisurely picture taking. But here are a few nice ones from throughout the week.

These were taken in downtown Lewes, Delaware. This is a nice area to walk around with arty shops and pretty B&B's and sidewalk cafes. We really enjoyed the couple of hours we had here just strolling the streets and window shopping.

These next photos were taken at Cape Henlopen State Park. This was a very nice park, especially if you are a biker. They even have a bike shed where you can borrow a bike for a couple of hours, free of charge. They have a nice beach area which, although crowded, had very nice facilities, there were lots of paths and trails throughout the park, a frisbee golf course, and a WWII observation tower which you could climb. They also have lots of programs which you can find out about at the Nature Center which is where these photos were taken. You see, they had a very nice butterfly garden area just outside the center.

These last photos were taken at Nassau Valley Vineyard, the first winery in Delaware. They have a self-guided tour and then provided wine tastings. It was very interesting and they had some pretty landscaping in addition to all the grapes.

Well, that's all for now. I promise a future post with beach and family photos.

Green Beans ~ A Couple of Salads

2008-08-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday and time for the weekly food fest hosted by A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight. On the menu today is Green Beans, so if you are looking for a new recipe to use up those green beans or if you have one to share, check it out.

I have two bean salad recipes I'd like to share. The first one I made last week. I had some green beans that had to be used up and this made a great lunch. The second one is based off a recipe from a Southern Living cookbook (I think, that's where the original was from). I've adapted it to how I make it (much simpler). I haven't made it this yet this year though, so I'm sorry, there is no photo.

The great thing about both of these salads is that you can change them to fit your taste or what ingredients you have on hand. Some tasty additions that I can think of right now are corn kernels, using yellow and/or purple beans in addition to the green (which I've done with the second one many times), and changing up the herbs in the dressings to include dill or cilantro. Just use what you have and what you like, it's your lunch!

Marinated Bean Salad

2 cups green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces, steamed tender crisp, then shocked in cold water
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 Large Tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced

Mix these ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

Dressing

Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons oregano, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste

Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Pour over bean mixture and let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

1 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces, steamed until tender crisp, then shocked in cold water
2 cups red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large red and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl.

Dressing

3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1 Tablespoon snipped chives
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon snipped oregano
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Pour over vegetables. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.

A Mosaic Stepping Stone

2008-08-06T12:07:00.005-04:00

I love making mosaic stepping stones. A couple of years ago, I made a whole bunch of stones. Well, finally I was able to get back to it and make another one. Since the Olympics are imminent, I thought I would make a patriotic, red, white, and blue stone. The flower shaped mold I used came as a kit with the cement, glass, and wooden stick for stirring. I just added the glass that came with the kit to my supply and worked from that. It worked out better for me because the kit came with a little bit of lots of colors and I needed a lot of three colors. As a side note, Lillian's empty baby food jars have come in really handy for sorting all those bits of glass.

First I laid out my design. I knew the actual placement of the pieces would change when I set them in the concrete but this helps me in deciding the design.

Then I mixed the concrete. Be careful not to breathe in the fine dust. When adding water, do so just a little at a time. Of course if it gets too wet you can add more concrete (if you have more). I was using the concrete that came with the kit but for additional stones I had bought some 40 lb bags at the hardware store.

Next step, pour the concrete in your mold and level it off. Now go and clean up your bucket. It only takes a minute and then it's done. Just be sure you mold is in the shade. Before you place any glass in your concrete, jiggle your mold a little to let air bubbles escape.

Now the fun part, placing the glass in the concrete. Just press them in however you like. Don't worry if some watery concrete gets on top of them. You can clean that up later. Once all the pieces are in, just let it sit in the shade for about 24 hours. Then you can go back with a sponge and clean off the pieces that have cement on them. I leave the stone in the mold a couple of days. And once I remove it from the mold, I usually let it sit inside for a couple of more days before putting it outside.

I always bring my stones in for the winter. Otherwise, the freeze and thaws may loosen the glass and it could fall out.

Ruellia - Mexican Petunia

2008-08-04T07:00:00.002-04:00

This plant is one that my husband's Mom brought us from Florida several years ago. It's a Ruellia brittoniana Mexican Petunia. Ours is just starting to bloom this year, and I can see several buds forming. I really like the long, thin foliage, which is attractive without the blooms. The blooms seem to just last a day or so but it looks like there will be a steady stream of them once it starts blooming.

It's tag gives the following information: full sun, hardy to 32 degrees F., medium height, and flowers spring to fall. Care: Dark green foliage with attractive, funnel-shaped, petunia like flowers which bloom from spring to frost. A clump forming perennial to 18"-24" high. Heat tolerant and will tolerate heavy clay soils. Do not over water.

I have found it listed as an invasive plant in Florida. However in my Western PA garden, I keep it in a pot, which I overwinter in a sunny basement window. It is said to be a favorite of butterflies. I have also read that there are dwarf varieties available that may not be as invasive.

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - August 2008

2008-08-01T06:00:00.003-04:00

A Green Cornfield
by Christina Georgina Rossetti

The earth was green, the sky was blue:
I saw and heard one sunny morn
A skylark hang between the two,
A singing speck above the corn;

A stage below, in gay accord,
White butterflies danced on the wing,
And still the singing skylark soared,
And silent sank and soared to sing.

The cornfield stretched a tender green
To right and left beside my walks;
I knew he had a nest unseen
Somewhere among the million stalks.

And as I paused to hear his song
While swift the sunny moments slid,
Perhaps his mate sat listening long,
And listened longer than I did.

I chose this poem as a tribute to my Father who is a farmer and is still working hard growing crops like corn. I'm sure he could tell of many moments like that described in this poem.

The photo is from my parents property. You can just see the house to the right of the barn, hiding behind the trees. I took this photo in 1994 but it all looks pretty much the same today as it did then.

Thanks to Carolyn at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago for hosting Garden Bloggers' Muse Day. Be sure to stop by her site and check out all the other muses.

Zucchini - Mock Crab Cakes

2008-07-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you are overrun with zucchini and are tired of having it fried, grilled, or made into zucchini bread, this is the recipe for you. I got this recipe from my husband's parents and I am not sure where they got it since it's just copied onto a piece of paper. But this is very tasty and worth a try.

Mock Crab Cakes

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, unpeeled (about 1 medium)

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 onion finely chopped (you can grate this if you want to)

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 egg, beaten

Drain grated zucchini and onion in a colander to let some of the liquid drain out.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

The texture can be adjusted. If it's too dry add another egg; if it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Shape mixture into patties, dredge in flour.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot.

Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

When I made this I had to add some more breadcrumbs. I used olive oil to fry, not a whole lot, maybe a couple of Tablespoons. I don't measure things like that, I just do what looks right to me. The patties I made where soft but they did hold together. It was messy to make them, but I didn't want them to be too dry. Here are some photos.

While I was frying these up last night, I was thinking of the corn fritters my Mom used to make us with the night before's corn on the cob (cut off, of course). Those were always so good and a special treat. I'll have to get some extra corn from the farmer's market so I can make them and share the recipe with you, after I get if from my Mom :-)

The Story of a Poor Butterfly Bush

2008-07-28T10:50:00.007-04:00

I have to admit that I am ashamed to have to call this "The Story of a Poor Butterfly Bush", with poor being the operative word. I am so ashamed, I didn't even take a before picture. There is no way I could post it, so why even bother taking it.

My husband planted this bush at least a couple years ago on one of our problem banks. This is where the trouble starts. Our property is riddled with these banks which are covered in vetch which, if you want to keep the hillsides cut down it is a time consuming job better suited to a mountain goat. But since it was a nice sunny spot and he was optimistic about being able to maintain this area, that's where he planted it.

Since it is not really in a nice and tidy bed, it had been forgotten this year. And for various reasons, we haven't been keeping the hillsides as trimmed and the grass cut as short as we have in the past. This is not really a problem because it is very rural where we live, but back to the Butterfly Bush.

I didn't even realize it was still alive. But a couple of weeks ago my husband asked me if I had time during the day, would I clean out around it. So last week, on one of those gorgeous days, I did just that. Part of the reason for waiting is that it had been too darn hot to be wearing boots out in the yard. And now you are asking, why would you have to wear boots. The first reason goes back to the fact that despite all my hill climbing work, I am not a mountain goat and I don't want to twist my ankle working on these hills. The second reason is this guy or some relative of his, whom I was afraid might be lurking about on the hillside.

This guy was in our garage on Saturday, but more on him at a later date.

So with my boots on, I was able to clear out all the vetch and cut out the dead branches. I then put some mulch around the base to try and discourage the vetch from coming back. The result is this. Now, I know this still doesn't look great, but it's a vast improvement from the before.

You can't really tell from the picture but there are several flower heads getting ready to bloom. So soon, this guy will have another choice for his dining pleasure.

Thus ends our tale. It is a hopeful ending. Hopeful that I can keep things nice for our dear Butterfly Bush and it can thrive here at our lovely home and become a feeding ground for many lovely flying friends.

Coffee Bean, Rose, and more Volunteers!

2008-07-26T06:00:00.008-04:00

Look at what I saw while walking around the garden (in between weeding, of course).

Remember the Coffee Blooms ? Here's the first bean I've found. I guess I'll be able to make a baby doll teacup sized coffee.

Here is a pretty pink rose in bloom, with several more buds. This poor rose was once the queen of this bed, but now the Coneflower has taken over and the rose often gets lost and overlooked - not today though!

And look at this brave sunflower. It grew in a pot with a young maple that is waiting to be planted. And it did grow out horizontally like this.

And here is a Cleome a.k.a. Spider flower. We had one last year and it self-seeded, yeah! I found two in the bed where it was last year and one growing in another bed. Here it is early in the day, and then in the evening.

And my last volunteer for today is this Oregano plant. When we first moved into this house, six years ago, I brought an oregano plant in a container from my apartment. Prior to living in a container on the apartment balcony, it lived in the ground at my old house, where I grew it from seed. The second or third year we lived here, I planted the oregano in the back of the vegetable garden where it grows quite nicely. Before it found that home, however, it dropped it's seed, here in the crack of a stairwell and it comes back year after year. How it ever grew to begin with, and how it comes back year after year, amazes me. You see, there is no dirt. Right now there are some dead leaves/grasses covering the base and I have to make sure it's watered almost every day, but somehow it survives and thrives here, just growing out of a crack in the stair.

Squash and all things viney update!

2008-07-25T09:19:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day here in Western PA - blue sky, no humidity. Which meant I had to get out there and take care of some of those weeds, pick some squash, do some watering, and check on the general health of the garden. I still have more work to do, but lucky me, today is a repeat of yesterday, so I should be able to get back out there soon, for another full day in the garden.

Here are some squash I picked last week. The large one is another mystery squash. It seems to be a cross between a zucchini and spaghetti squash. It's leaves look like zucchini but it vines, and well, you see the result. It was a volunteer just like the rest of the squash shown in this picture. Once I decide what to do with it, I'll let you know how it turned out.

And here are the zucchini and yellow squash I picked yesterday. I think we'll be eating zucchini all weekend. But I should have a few new zucchini recipes to share with you next week.

Finally, I can see a baby cantaloupe. Hopefully it will start growing fast.

And here is another baby butternut squash. It's brother was munched by a deer, hopefully he will have a better fate and be munched by me! I just love the curl of the vine tendrils.

This one is a Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin. It's a winter squash, similar to buttercup squash. It's my first year for this one and I'm excited.

This was another volunteer and another mystery. At first I thought it was going to be an acorn squash but now I think it's too rounded. It looks kind of melon like. Any ideas, anyone ?

And here was a nice surprise. This cucumber was a volunteer, growing in the bean patch. So maybe I will have some cucumbers before the end of August - lol!

Lacy Flowers

2008-07-21T14:15:00.005-04:00

I have been thinking about Queen Anne's Lace lately, because it is blooming profusely here right now and it has always been a favorite of mine. When I was a child, it grew along our lane and we would pick it and put it in a glass of water with a couple drops of food coloring and the flower would change colors. This of course, was great fun. Besides that, it is such a pretty, delicate flower and the name is so fancy sounding.

When I was wondering through the garden the other day, I was noticing how lacy the Cilantro / coriander was looking. It's flowers reminded me of Queen Anne's Lace. The first year I tried to grow cilantro in the garden I thought it was a waste. The plant I had bought went to seed almost immediately and never got thick with leaves. Well, was I wrong. Every year since then I have had a whole section of cilantro the comes back from self-seeding. In the spring there are plenty of leaves for picking. And when you just walk by this area and you can smell the fresh cilantro. It's delicious.

And then there is the dill. I've posted this photo before but I like it so much I am going to post it again. It reminds me of fireworks. I can't wait for the dill seeds to form because I like to collect them to use in the kitchen. And if I ever get any green beans, maybe I'll make some dilly beans and use the dill heads in the canning jars.

What lacy flowers are growing in your garden ?

Refrigerator Pickles

2008-07-16T14:47:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite things to make in the summer are Refrigerator Pickles. I guess I could make them year round, but somehow they just taste better in the summer.

Since the deer had munched my cucumber down and my new ones are just little plants still, no flowers even, I had to buy pickling cucumbers at the store. Not really a problem since they are unwaxed and pretty easy to find this time of year. You can also use other veggies in addition to or in place of the cukes. Some of our favorites are cauliflower and carrots. The pickling mix also suggests green peppers and cabbage, though I've never used either of those.

This time we used the Hot Pickle Mix (not really hot at all). The brand I use also offers a Bread and Butter Pickle Mix and a Dill Pickle Mix.

We use a gallon size glass jar (previously containing store bought pickles). First, fill the container with your cut up veggies, whatever you want to use. Then, following the package directions, dissolve sugar in vinegar, then add the pickle spice mix. We always make more of vinegar and sugar mix than the package tells us to. I don't know why, but when made as directed, there never seems to be enough liquid. Pour this over the veggies. Some water can be added if more liquid is needed to cover everything. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. We always mix it up occasionally, and of course you have to try them before 24 hours is up! These will last up to 3 months, however not in our house! As we eat up the veggies, I will add new veggies to the mix. We'll keep doing that until we want to make a different type. I only have so much refrigerator space you see, and I can't keep a whole shelf of pickles.

This really makes a great low-calorie snack and is so flavorful. If you've never made them, you should give them a try.

Garden Blogger Bloom Day - July 2008

2008-07-15T08:11:00.005-04:00

GBBD snuck up on me this month. I can't believe we're at the 15th already. The summer is really zooming by and I'm still waiting for a red tomato.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Blogger Bloom Day. Be sure to stop by her site and visit all the other participants.

There are lots of blooms right now, throughout the flower beds, the garden, and the yard which is quickly turning into a meadow since our mower is broken and we are still waiting on the part which will *hopefully* fix it.

These are Dahlias that I received from my Grandmother at least 10 years ago. I have to bring them in for the winter but I love them because I always think of her when I see them. You can see I still have some pansies blooming. They are still looking ok despite the heat.

I have a couple of Hosta varieties starting to bloom. This was the only one actually blooming. I don't know any of the names though.

Here you can see Balloon Flower next to Santolina.

Here is an overall view of that bed. It is mostly annuals but it is one of my favorite beds because it looks so good and is easy to maintain.

In this bed the Coneflower is raging, there is a little vining black-eyed susan, and a plant I only know as Sunspot in the back. There is also Lavender, Shasta Daisy, and Lantana which you can't see from this view.

The Black-Eyed Susan is also in that bed, on the other side of the Coneflowers. It was just starting to unfurl it's petals.

This one is hiding it's face with it's hands, getting ready to play peek-a-boo. (Can you tell I have a baby LOL!)

Over on the sunny side of the big garage, the trumpet vine is taking over. You can't tell from this picture but it is all over the roof and will be cut back later this year. Also blooming in this bed is more Coneflower, and Lamb's Ear. The Hostas in this bed have been considerably munched by the deer so no blooms yet.

I have many blooms in the herb and vegetable garden, but I'll just post this one of the Dill, since it's July and to me this looks like Fireworks exploding. Also blooming in the herb garden: Golden Thyme, English Thyme, Wooly Thyme, Cilantro/Coriander, Basil, Irish Moss (not for eating, just for looking at), and the Oregano is just about to bloom. Also in the garden blooming are many squash and melons, the beans (despite the lack of many leaves), tomatoes (I may have a good crop this year), eggplants, tomatillos, peppers, onion heads, and the volunteer cucumber.

Throughout the yard/meadow are many wildflowers including Butterfly Weed, little Daisys, and Queen Anne's Lace.

Lastly, I must post my monthly picture of Lillian. She is always happy to go about the garden and likes to examine flowers in very close detail before she shreds them.

Happy Bloom Day! I hope your garden is buzzing with blooms and beauty!

The Kohlrabi and The Mystery Squash

2008-07-14T07:20:00.005-04:00

Many years ago, my sister Michelle gave me this cookbook for my birthday - "Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook" by Janet Ballantyne. Then one time when I was moving, I lost it. I knew it at the time and I searched and searched for it but I never did find it. So I had to buy another copy, because this is the most awesome cookbook if you are a vegetable gardener. It has a section for every vegetable you can imagine, with so many different types of recipes. If I am inundated with any one thing, I just go here and get some new ideas. I use it so much in the summertime.

Which brings me to the kohlrabi. I always plant a few kohlrabies because my husband really likes them. Several were ready to be picked last week, so I now have them in the house. A lot of times we will just eat them raw with salt, but I was looking for something different. So I pulled out my cookbook and found several saute recipes. Below is the one I chose to make and it was delicious.

Kohlrabi Basil Saute
from Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook by Janet Ballantyne

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper
4 cups diced kohlrabies

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add all the ingredients. Saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the kohlrabies are tender. Serve at once.

We also ate the mystery squash. To me it is a cross between a white pumpkin and a patty pan squash, and it was edible. I peeled it because the skin was tough, but not really thick. Then I sliced, marinated, and grilled it. I left the seeds in because they didn't seem too big or too many, but I think next time I would take them out.

I love fresh from the garden meals, don't you ?

A Vile Liquid

2008-07-12T10:52:00.003-04:00

Well despite all of the fences we installed to discourage the deer from romping through our garden, one deer still was visiting the all-night buffet and snacking on melon leaves, beet tops, pumpkins, and zucchini, and yes, I mean the actual pumpkin and zucchini. Basically everything that came within it's path, which we could see from the hoof prints in the dirt. And then it would exit through the garden gate, knocking it over each time.

Enough, I had procrastinated long enough. When my Big Max pumpkin leaves were chomped off (luckily not all of them, I think a recovery can be achieved), I got out the blender. I had a jar of old cayenne peppers from a garden past, dried and stored away for some purpose, at the time not knowing how I would use them. Today I knew. I would make a potion so vile, if that deer took one bite, it would get the surprise of it's life.

Here's my witches brew.
A bunch of dried cayenne peppers
Several heads of old garlic
Tabasco sauce
Water
Just a splash of canola oil (to help adhesion)

I whirled it all up in the blender, strained the liquid into a spray bottle, and went to work.
Warning! If any of these steps can be performed outside, do it. If not, proper ventilation is essential. The oils released by the peppers caused me much sneezing and gasping if I breathed too closely to it. Also, be careful not to touch with your hands or get in your eyes.

I sprayed all the plants in the garden. And this morning I am happy to say nothing was touched. I added more water to the leftover ground bits of pepper to let it steep for a new batch. I'll reapply every couple of days or after rainfall. I hope this finally solves my deer problem.

Help - What is this ?

2008-07-11T07:27:00.004-04:00

I am appealing to you for help with identifying this squash like thing. On my garden diagram I have it listed as Patty Pan Squash but it doesn't look like what I think of patty pan squash to be. Maybe because of the color, this is very white and the patty pans I grew in the past were more pale green. Because the shape looks similar to what I think it could be. I am trying to decide if it's ready to be picked and if it can indeed be eaten. I may have to pick one and experiment. Since I have it labeled on my chart I must have bought it this year because the mystery volunteer plants I transplanted from other parts of the garden are labeled as such and are definitely more vining (probably gourds or pumpkins). This plant is more bushy, like a zucchini. Please comment with your thoughts and ideas. I thank you in advance.

I am also posting this picture of flowering onion heads just because I like it. It makes me think of outer space - each round flowering head being an enclosed orb space station where a whole community of people could live.

And here is a picture of those evil deer creatures. In this photo they are far from the house and the little ones are looking deceptively cute. But beware, they have been known to cause much crying, wailing and cursing!

Hummingbird Takes a Drink!

2008-07-08T15:22:00.003-04:00

I was going to call this Hummingbird Captured on Film! But I couldn't because it was taken with a digital camera and Hummingbird Captured on ? what do you even say, I don't know.

Anyway, my Husband was very patient and he snapped this photo with our little digital camera, not even a digital SLR. I think it turned out pretty darn good and I wanted to post it to share with everyone.

Meanwhile, at the oriole feeder, there hasn't been much activity except for the ants. I think I put the feeders out a little late this year so next year I will start earlier.

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - July 2008

2008-07-01T09:14:00.006-04:00

Gather Ye Roses

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Gather ye roses while ye may,

Old time is still a-flying;

A world where beauty fleets away

Is no world for denying.

Come lads and lasses, fall to play

Lose no more time in sighing.

The very flowers you pluck to-day

To-morrow will be dying;

And all the flowers are crying,

And all the leaves have tongues to say,--

Gather ye roses while ye may.

Many thanks to Carolyn for hosting Garden Bloggers' Muse Day. Be sure to visit her site and check out all the verse posted for this day.

I chose "Gather Ye Roses" because I think it's important to remember to enjoy the garden and life, "stop and smell the roses", so to speak. It's so easy (at least for me) to let all the tasks that need to be taken care of overshadow the beauty in front of us. May your enjoyment of the day and your life be your dominating goal and the necessary tasks that take us from day to day, secondary, but never forgotten. For all too soon it will be fall and then winter and we will pine for the blooms of summer.

Coffee Blooms

2008-06-30T08:47:00.005-04:00

Being that it is too wet to even walk in the swamp I call a vegetable garden, and the flower beds are pretty soaked as well, today I will write about one of our potted plants and our first coffee flowers. It's so very exciting. I didn't even think this plant would ever bloom, but would just be a nice foliage houseplant.

Let me introduce you to our coffee plant, formal name "Coffea arabica". We bought this plant at a local home store several years ago. At that time it was small enough that planted would fit very nicely into a styrofoam coffee cup. But how quickly it's grown. It doesn't like direct sunlight, especially outside. Some years we don't even bring it out in the summer, because even the slightest bit of direct sun causes the leaves to burn (as they are here) - and it's barely in the sun, just the tiniest bit of morning sun which can't be avoided as we don't have an awning over our deck.

The other morning John came to get me to show me something on the deck. Surprise! Flowers on the coffee plant. The flowers only last a couple of days and are lightly scented. I can't wait to see if we will get some beans, although I'm sure not enough for a cup of coffee.

Finished Planting - Finally !

2008-06-26T14:51:00.004-04:00

Finally, I am finished planting. I thought I was finished a couple of days ago, then John reminded me that there was still one plant sitting on the sidewalk, still needing a home. And this morning, I found a spot for it. So now I am done.

I did a lot of planting the other day when I thought I was finishing up. But I actually didn't start out planting. I started out cleaning seashells. Yes, you read correctly, seashells. Almost two years ago now, we had gone on vacation to the North Carolina coast and took a day trip down to South Carolina where we went on a boat tour which included some shelling. Well John collected the mother lode of conch shells - which have been sitting in our basement, seemingly forgotten. But really not forgotten, I just hadn't figured out what to do with them. So I cleaned them up and now I have a little seashell garden area. They are where I can see them every day and remember what a great time we had on that trip.

Since I had cleaned up the flower bed to add the shells, I thought I might as well put those two remaining flowers in this bed as well, since there was room. I was going to just put them in pots to have on the deck but this is just as well. And hopefully they won't dry out as quickly as they would in pots.

Then I thought the only thing I had remaining was a monster of a Bleeding Heart that John's parents had dug out of their garden beds (the bed was overcrowded with it). Of course since I love Bleeding Heart we had to take it. I had actually been wanting to get a Bleeding Heart. Trying to find the right spot for this large specimen was the challenge. We decided to put half of it next to the Hellebore, where an azalea which didn't make it left a empty spot. The other, larger portion of the Bleeding Heart was to go where a Peony just wasn't performing. But that meant moving the Peony first. Which meant enlarging the Peony bed. You see, if it was just a matter of digging a hole, it would have been planted right away.

Well, I managed to get all that done, take pictures as I planned to post I was finished planting. It was then John informed me that there was still one lone plant on the sidewalk. But now, I can say, everything is planted.

Here is the Bleeding Heart, taking over the Peony's space.
And here is the Peony with the others, hopefully it will be happy here.

Deer De-Fences

2008-06-19T10:48:00.005-04:00

So we have fortified our garden area against the deer.

It's not like we didn't have fences before, but deer being the tricky creatures they are, can jump quite high and over any fence we had up. So using a combination of stakes, garden twine, and trellises we have tried to make the garden area too crowded and undesirable for them to want to be there. So far it's been working. We'll see if it lasts.

What do you do to keep the deer and other pests out ? Let me know in the comments.

This reminds me of a fort. Let's hope it helps keep them out (unless they can figure out how to open the gate!)

I haven't seen any rabbits around this year, which is good, because this wouldn't keep them away from my little bean plants.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2008

2008-06-15T10:42:00.009-04:00

Many thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day again.

As I was walking around taking pictures yesterday, I was noticing how much work is to be done in my various beds. Not just in pulling weeds, but in moving plants around to areas which would better suit them and to fill in empty spots where plants didn't make it from years past. It was a bit overwhelming. But as it was pretty rainy yesterday, I didn't really have a chance to do much of anything.

But the big tragedy happened overnight. It was such a travesty, I actually cried for about 10 minutes this morning. Ok, maybe 15 minutes. Long enough that it woke up the sleeping baby and then she was crying too. The bloody deer had wrecked havoc on the vegetable garden. All of the sweet potato plants were eaten down, the rosemary plant was not eaten, but had been crushed, the lettuce was munched on, and the peas, my beautiful peas, which I was going to pick today had been chomped down and at first glance it looked like there were no peas left for us. Once the crying stopped, I was able to salvage some peas that they had missed.

So the majority of the day was spent in trying to make the area unwelcome to the deer. But today is Bloom day so enough of this grousing and onto some beauty.

Here are the Red Hot Pokers. Blooming very nice.

And here is some Blue Salvia (I think). It's been a few years since it's been planted.

Here is a close up of the yarrow.

Here is the clematis area, you can see two different types blooming. You can see lots of Lamb's Ear as well. It seems that once you have Lamb's Ear in one place, you have it everywhere. Which is where I have it.

This is the same bed and you can see the Cone Flower is just starting to bloom. I have some other Cone Flowers not yet blooming. I don't know why this one blooms earlier, I think they are all the same variety. And you can see more Lamb's Ear.
Here in the herb garden, guarded by the Gnomes, is the English Thyme and the Woolly Thyme.
This is a bed in the front. The Mock Orange is blooming very nice, as is a pink rose and some Shasta Daisies. Although the picture doesn't show them very well.

Over to the Shade Garden area, the Spiderwort and Lanium are making a showing. Around to the Annual Bed which is finally all planted. The boxes have pansies and bed has many various favorites My Husband and I can't resist each year at the nurseries. Of special note this year is a Eucalyptus plant.
And here is a view from the other side with the marigolds making their showing.
And the rambling red rose and honeysuckle are just a buzz with bees.
And finally, my most precious bloom - my Lillian.

Of final note about the deer. I hope to post a full report of my battle against them. But I did sprinkle all plants I thought might get munched with cayenne pepper. So they will get a mouthful if they try to defeat me tonight.

Salad Greens and A Salad Recipe

2008-06-13T10:37:00.004-04:00

This is the first year that I have sowed seeds in April and in my raised beds I put in spinach, arugula, bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce, and swiss chard. I have to say, it pays to put your seeds in early. I never had any success with spinach but this year I actually had spinach grow. Now, the whole row did not germinate but I had four of five plants which I had to pick all of since the 90 degree heat last week was sending them to want to bolt ( do you blame them ? )

The lettuces are still looking good. I've had the bibb lettuce a couple of times now. Each time I pick it, I try to thin out the row. I haven't picked any romaine yet, but I probably will this weekend. We had some arugula when I was thinning the rows. Now it has all gone to flower but I will leave it since it brings the bees to the garden.

Here is a picture of the cleaned lettuce and spinach. To prepare it I picked it early in the morning so it would be refreshed from the cooler overnight. I let it soak in a sink of cool water, swished it around and made sure all the dirt and creepy crawlies were out of it, and then I spun it in my wonderful salad spinner. I stored it in the refrigerator, loosely packed in a large plastic bag with paper towels.

Now, with all these wonderful greens I didn't just make a regular salad. I made something new from Pillsbury Potlucks (one of those recipe magazines you find at the grocery checkout). I made the Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad with some modifications. Instead of the pesto dressing which they make I made Green Goddess Dressing with a mix I had from Penzeys Spice. This turned out very good. And it even was good the next day, although the lettuce was getting kind of wilty by the third day. But by then there was just the tiniest bit left so I ate it anyway. Here's my version.

Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad
Prep time: 40 minutes; Start to Finish: 2 hours 40 minutes; 8 Servings

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 cup Frozen Sweet Peas (I used the whole package)
5 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups julienne carrots (I used 3 carrots)
2 cups chopped or strips of grilled chicken (I used 3 chicken breasts I had grilled, chopped up)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves
(In place of the mayo, pesto, and buttermilk, I used 3 Tablespoons of Green Goddess Dressing, the dry mixture, soaked in 6 Tablespoons of Water before mixing with 1 1/2 cups of reduced fat mayo.)

1. Cook tortellini as directed on package, adding peas during last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain; rinse immediately with cold water. Pat with paper towels to remove moisture (I didn't do this because mine wasn't overly wet, but I put it in so you know the original recipe.)

2. In large clear bowl, layer the lettuce, the carrots, chicken, peas and tortellini, and the bell pepper.

3. In small bowl, mix mayo, pesto, and buttermilk. (Or in my case, make Green Goddess Dressing). Spread over peppers; sprinkle with parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir just before serving.

Voila, the finished salad!

Bird Sighting Update

2008-06-11T08:54:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that within 2 days of putting up the hummingbird feeder I saw a hummingbird stop at it for a quick drink. And I have seen at least 2 different hummers stop by every now and then. I love it when you are just sitting outside and all of a sudden you hear the tell tale buzzing, then you can look around and try to spot them.

As for the orioles, I haven't seen any at the feeder but I have seen one on our property, closer to the road. This was on my daily constitutional with Lillian down the driveway and back up (me pushing her in the stroller). When I saw the oriole on the fence I had my camera but the darn digital is too slow.

So no pictures yet. I will keep trying.

Queen Rose

2008-06-10T08:23:00.009-04:00

Roses are blooming. I have to admit that my rose garden is not what it should be. Part of the problem is it is not in the right place. Where it is doesn't get enough sun and tends to be too wet. So the tea roses I have there don't tend to thrive. But I do get some nice blooms, I just know it could be better. And I would like to expand my rose collection but that isn't going to happen until we find a new place for the roses.

Here are two of the tea roses that are now blooming. We just had a nice morning rain and you can still see the raindrops on the blooms.

Here is a beautiful red rose that I can't take credit for planting (it was here when we bought the place), but my husband does keep it pruned so that it blooms so nice each year. In fact, he does the pruning on all the roses, so their beauty is largely due to his work on them. Back to the red rose - it's not with the tea roses but underneath a large honeysuckle plant that is just starting to bloom - it smells really nice over there.

And here is my unexpected rose. I was looking out from our family room and noticed a flower in the treed area between our house and our neighbors. It's not really an area that we cultivate, so when I saw something blooming bright there I had to investigate. It looks like a wild rose, I don't know how it got there and I don't remember it from previous years but I'll enjoy it just the same.

Beautiful Peonies !

2008-06-09T09:14:00.004-04:00

Finally my peonies have bloomed. I don't know if it's because they are in the shade or because we live in Western Pa, but they never seem to bloom until we are into June. But the wait is well worth it. And I am very excited because the one plant which was given to me by my friend Peg, is blooming this year for the first time. She had gotten it from someone who had to dig up their peonies to widen a driveway or something. This was probably three years ago ! But finally this year it is blooming again.

The day that they actually did bloom (last Thursday, the 5th) I was afraid they were going to be ruined because that morning we had huge thunderstorms. But the blooms weathered it well and the scent is divine. As I was walking up the drive last night I could smell them. Oh how I love peonies, I think they are one of my favorite flowers.

Calling all Birds...

2008-06-03T23:44:00.003-04:00

Well, calling all Hummingbirds and Orioles. Yesterday I put out our feeders and now I will see how long it takes to see birds at them. And then how long it takes me to get a good photo of the birds. I will be using my film camera for that since the digital takes too long to get the image.

For the Hummingbirds - which we have seen a Ruby Throated Hummingbird around in the area, I made the food with the following recipe:

4 parts water to 1 part sugar (1 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sugar)
Boil the water, dissolve the sugar in it, let cool before using.
Keep any extra in the refrigerator.

Clean out feeder and refill at least once a week.
Do not use food coloring or artificial sweeteners.

For the Orioles I used a mix I had bought where you just add warm water and dissolve (no boiling required).

So I will keep you up to date on when I see my first specimens and hopefully I will have pictures to share with you.

Butterfly and Blooms

2008-05-30T23:24:00.006-04:00

It has been a while since my last post because we have been working like crazy to get this yard and garden in order. Between the mowing, trimming, weeding, and planting there was no time for posting. Here is the first of many catch up posts.

While outside after a day of working, Lillian and I spotted this butterfly on the alliums. She stayed around long enough for us to get the camera and take several shots. Here are two of them.

Asparagus

2008-05-17T13:05:00.005-04:00

Asparagus - A Haiku
Tender stalks of green
bring a delicate flavor
to Springtime dishes

I haven't written any poetry lately so I thought I would try my hand at it again. I hope you enjoy the results. I like Haiku because of the simplicity.

Our asparagus crop did very well this year. If I remember correctly, we started our patch three years ago. We have about nine plants in the garden and another large clump in a field above our house. This clump was there when we moved in and my husband has to make sure he doesn't mow it down. It is a rather large clump which we should probably try to move down with the rest but it's one of those low priority projects that just hasn't happened yet.

Here is a recipe for an Asparagus Frittata that was very good. I adapted it from a recipe by the California Asparagus Commission.

Asparagus Frittata with Red Bell Peppers

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
8 eggs or 1 carton egg beaters
salt and pepper
1 cup cheese of your choice (feta, cheddar, parmesan)

Saute bell pepper in olive oil until soft, but not browned.
Add onion and asparagus and saute about 2 minutes more.
Whisk salt and pepper into beaten eggs.
Stir in cheese and sauteed vegetables.

Coat the inside of a heavy, non-stick 12-inch frying pan with olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, covered, until eggs are just firm, about 35 minutes. Remove cover, bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Loosen the frittata, then cover pan with a large, warmed serving platter. Flip frying pan over onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

This is how mine turned out. I used egg beaters from a carton. I used my cast iron skillet to saute the vegetables and to cook the frittata. We served it right from the pan, I didn't flip it to a serving platter.

May Blooms 2008

2008-05-15T13:56:00.007-04:00

This morning I walked around and took pictures of all the May Blooms.

My Rhododendrons are in full (Scintillation)

and just starting (not sure of this one's name but it's very common in Western PA). And of course my early rhodo - PJM is quite finished.

And my red azalea is looking good this year. Unfortunately his white counterpart did not survive the winter.

There are a couple of iris blooming right now. The purple bearded are just starting.

And here's a white one that grows on my hillside garden.

Here is a clematis that is blooming.

And almost all of the alliums.

A walk through the vegetable garden shows some lettuces and such doing well.

And the newly weeded chives (finally I can see them!) are blooming very nicely.

I'll end this post with my most beautiful Lily of all, my 6 1/2 month old daughter. She always joins me in my gardening ventures and can't wait to have her own garden.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-05-12T12:45:00.006-04:00

Isn't it a shame that you can't bottle up and store some of the incessant springtime rain and save it for dry, dusty days of July ? Sometimes it seems that all it does is rain in Pittsburgh and it looks like this week is going to be one of those times. I swear, I think you really can sit and watch the grass grow - and just be sitting five minutes.

But I shan't complain too much, for the rain also bring a lush, verdant look to the entire yard and garden. Of course some of that lushness is the weeds but we will overlook them for the moment. Instead, let's focus on how beautiful blossoms can be with the raindrops settling on them like a summer's dew. And how the rain makes the ferns and mosses thrive. And you can't have rainbows without rain. Well, you can't have them without sun either and unfortunately we don't have any sun right now.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if circumstances beyond your control (like the weather) force you to not accomplish what you had planned to do (work outside in the yard/garden) don't sit and sulk about it. Find the beauty in situation - there's always some there. And use the time to do something else that you've been putting off because of all the yard work. Like reading a book, working on a craft project, writing a letter, posting in your blog, maybe even some housework. That's what I am going to do. There's always tomorrow for the weeding. And with the rain, the may be bigger but they may also pull out a little easier.

Garden Gnomes Sighted !

2008-05-09T10:14:00.004-04:00

The Garden Gnomes have returned from their winter home (somewhere in Southern Florida, I believe) and were seen getting busy doing some garden work. One of them was sighted tending to the peas and radishes while another was busy at the newly delivered pile of compost.

Lemon Tree Oh So Pretty...

2008-05-03T23:22:00.004-04:00

This is our biggest Lemon crop yet. Four lemons from our Ponderosa Lemon Tree ! Yes it is possible to grow citrus in Pittsburgh. You just need to bring them in during the winter and give them a sunny location, don't overwater, and once it starts to warm up outside they can go back out. We bring them in when nights are below 50 degrees F, especially if they have flowers or new fruit set on them. I used these lemons as a marinade for Coconut-Crusted Chicken. Here is the recipe. It was very tasty.

Coconut Cashew Crusted Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is ok)

1/2 cup cashews (raw is better)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 limes or 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons of your favorite marinade (i.e. tequila lime, ginger soy)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1. Slice chicken breast into thin flat strips - 3 or 4 per breast

2. Grate the zest from you citrus and set aside. Juice your citrus and add to your marinade mixture. Let the chicken marinate in the for at least 30 minutes.

3. Chop the cashews into small pieces. Combine with the coconut, cilantro and zest in a shallow bowl.

4. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and put this in another shallow bowl.

5. Coat the marinated chicken pieces in flour, then egg, then the coconut mixture.

6. Place in a baking pan. When all pieces are coated, bake at 375 degrees until chicken is cooked.

This is very good served with honey mustard and was also good cold.

Composting

2008-05-01T09:28:00.000-04:00

It's amazing that eggshells and apple cores can turn into black gold. But that's exactly what happens when they are composted. This is such an easy way to get a nutrient rich additive to add to your gardens.

To get started you first need a compost area. Since it can tend to be a bit unsightly, you might want to position it out of the way of the main view of your garden. There are several different compost pile styles to choose from. I have a ventilated plastic shell with a lid that opens at the bottom to pull compost out from. You can just have a pile, which is what I had before a friend gave me the spare shell she had. If you have a pile, you may want to fence it in.

The next step is to add your compost materials. This can be grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, basically anything organic. Just no meats, fats, or dairy products. That is not good for the compost pile. Now the final step and the one that I don't do nearly enough. You must turn your compost pile in order to facilitate the decomposition of the materials. Ideally you should probably do this once a week. Just get in there with a pitchfork and mix up your pile. Since I have a plastic shell, what I need to do is lift up the shell, move it over, and then shovel the pile back in, mixing it up as I go. If you use a fenced in area you can do the same, just have twice the space of your pile and then you can go back and forth each time you turn. The easiest by far is to have a barrel that you can just turn. This is the Cadillac of compost bins and a little expensive to buy, although if you are industrious you can make your own out of an old water barrel. Then it is easy to turn your pile every day, you just spin your barrel and you will have compost in no time.

Once your materials is decomposed you will have a beautiful, black, rich substance. This is perfect for giving a boost of nutrients to your garden soil.

Now I have to get out there and turn my pile. It's been sitting there all winter and I need some compost for my garden !

Happy Growing!

Lilacs in Bloom !

2008-04-28T18:40:00.000-04:00

The lilacs are in bloom now and they are beautiful and fragrant.

There are several lilac bushes on our property. They are all a purple variety.

Because most of them are pretty overgrown, they will require a bit of pruning once the blooms are finished.

Here is a good site with info on pruning. I couldn't say it better myself. http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac/lilac02.htm

Lilacs always remind me of my childhood. There were lilacs at my childhood home and my Grandparents - both in Eastern PA.

Enjoy these photos and please comment and post any of your lilac memories.

When will you plant some berries?

2008-04-28T13:31:00.000-04:00

Any plans to plant berries? I like to grow berries.