Gardening
Spring visitor.
October 19, 2010 08:31
I discovered this sneaky spring visitor while clearing pine needles and weeds out of the garden.
A pretty wee violet! In the middle of October? How do you like that.
She is keeping good company with a lovely orange mum and several Caramel Heuchera that went into the garden this summer. She must have been inspired by all the other blooms that persist even as the weather prophets forecast overnight frost.
Sedum and more cheery orange mums.
Cheery orange Gaillardia Oranges and Lemons daisies, with fall-colored azalea in the background.
Purpley mums entangled with sedum.
Dark red mums entangled with burgundy Gaillardia, which spills in the prettiest cottage garden fashion onto our sidewalk..
Happy Chappy! Seriously, this rose is called "Happy Chappy."
Double Knockout rose. Well, s'posta be double. I believe it's really a single and was mislabeled. But no matter, it's lovely and a prolific bloomer. Neglect it, ignore it, call it names, deprive it of water ... and it blooms like crazy. And looks great in front of the Black Eyed Susans (which are so dead that I've already cut them down to the ground).
The persistent peppers plant, with at least three new peppers dangling from its stem.
The Plumbago is going to seed, but still provides pretty, pure blue amidst the shades of autumn.
I love the color of rose hips. I want to wear this color! I want to be this color.
Of course there are still plenty of weeds to contend with, too. Humph! Won't let weeds get in the way of enjoying all these October blooms.
Feel free to leave a comment!
A pretty wee violet! In the middle of October? How do you like that.She is keeping good company with a lovely orange mum and several Caramel Heuchera that went into the garden this summer. She must have been inspired by all the other blooms that persist even as the weather prophets forecast overnight frost. Sedum and more cheery orange mums.Cheery orange Gaillardia Oranges and Lemons daisies, with fall-colored azalea in the background.Purpley mums entangled with sedum.Dark red mums entangled with burgundy Gaillardia, which spills in the prettiest cottage garden fashion onto our sidewalk..Happy Chappy! Seriously, this rose is called "Happy Chappy." Double Knockout rose. Well, s'posta be double. I believe it's really a single and was mislabeled. But no matter, it's lovely and a prolific bloomer. Neglect it, ignore it, call it names, deprive it of water ... and it blooms like crazy. And looks great in front of the Black Eyed Susans (which are so dead that I've already cut them down to the ground).The persistent peppers plant, with at least three new peppers dangling from its stem.The Plumbago is going to seed, but still provides pretty, pure blue amidst the shades of autumn. I love the color of rose hips. I want to wear this color! I want to be this color. Of course there are still plenty of weeds to contend with, too. Humph! Won't let weeds get in the way of enjoying all these October blooms.Feel free to leave a comment!
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Chocolate lavender vanilla cookies might cause romance.
September 24, 2010 12:28
Magazine Cuisine
Next to roses and holly, lavender is one of the most romantic plants I can think of to have in the garden. I’ve tried several times to bring this romance to my various yards, but sadly the plants always died off. This time around I must have amended the soil with enough sand to recreate the hillsides of Provence, and it is flourishing at last! And another thing? When I’m watering the garden, I pass right over it. I literally ignore this beauty, and it thrives.
This bushy lavender plant reassures me that I'm at least a half-decent gardener.
Known for its calming therapeutic properties (we have a soft lavender-filled wrap that, after a few minutes in the microwave, does wonders for neck tension and headaches), lavender has historically had a place in the kitchen, too. It adds perfume to sweets, earthy depth to savory dishes, and makes a calming tea--Queen Elizabeth I drank it to soothe her migraines. I’ve long wanted to experiment with recipes calling for lavender buds or syrup, and the May/June 2010 issue of Victoria Magazine--plus my bumper crop of home-grown lavender--inspired me to make “Lavender and Vanilla Bean Cookies.” If smelling, sipping and wrapping oneself in the scent of lavender helps heal and relax, then surely eating the stuff is bound to result in total bliss!
In June my plant was thick with gorgeous purpley stems, which I harvested and dried in lovely fragrant bunches. I disbudded a number of them for the recipe, then discovered that our sweet Miss Molly cat liked to make a mess of what was left in order to nibble the dried stems. I finally had to hide the few remaining bunches on top of the highest bookshelf in the house. Bad kitty.
That's my green Escali Primo digital scale
peeking into the picture. I love that scale! It measures food (and yarn, letters, etc.) in grams or ounces, so now I not only can make recipes from British Country Living magazine (in which all ingredients are measured in grams and liters), but I also can estimate how much yarn I have in a partial ball, how much I've used, how much is left in a ball--especially handy if I'm, say, trying to use exactly half a ball for something. It also lets you place a measuring cup, bowl, pan, or other receptacle on the scale and re-set the weight to zero so you can measure things into the receptacle. It was a worthy investment and I highly recommend it.
These are simple, easy-to-make sugar cookies flavored with lavender-vanilla flavored sugar, which you make in advance (but can make and use the same day as you are making the cookies) and a tablespoon of lavender buds.
Just look how pretty that lavender-vanilla sugar mixture is! And it smells heavenly.
I made half the recipe called for (about two cups), used half that in the cookies, and have another cup left ripening in a ball jar.
Stick your nose inside a jar of this sugar and you will swoon! You could also sift out the lavender buds to use the scented sugar in hot tea or other recipes. The flavor is subtle and very appealing.
The sugar cookie dough, which includes two eggs for some added richness, goes together quickly, is chilled until firm, then rolled out.
Those dark blobs are the tiny black vanilla seeds scraped from one of the beans.
Once again the pink Kitchenaid Cook for the Cure handmixer
goes to work!
Lavender buds are so pretty to work with.
After rolling and cutting, some of the cookies came out a trifle malformed. Didn't affect the taste one bit! How about that. Don't the lavender buds look pretty in the dough?
You can see the wee flecks of real vanilla bean. I also sprinkled a few of the cookies with turbinado sugar. It was good, but didn't make or break the recipe so I'd leave it off next time.
Cooked cookies chillin' out and awaiting the taste-test.
So, how does lavender taste when baked into cookies? On my palate it imparts a clean, piney flavor which is foiled nicely by the gently flavored sugar cookie dough. It's a new and fascinating taste--not an unpleasant one, though, and not perfumey as one might expect. Everyone in the house liked them (even the kids!), though they were initially hesitant to try them. (Lavender is for soap and candles and potpourri and Method house cleaning spray, not cookies.)
They were tasty, indeed, but I couldn’t be content to leave them plain and decided they needed a dip in some melted dark chocolate. Out came the Trader Joe’s Belgian chocolate bars!
The result was divine. Chocolate, lavender and vanilla in a sugar cookie is an elegant, even sexy combination--light, rich and fragrant all at once. I think you could seduce someone with one or two of these treats. After all, lavender is known as, well, a mood enhancer especially for men, according to a study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. (So is pumpkin which, lucky me, Kenny likes as much as I do ...). In fact, they are so delicious with the chocolate it’s difficult for me to eat only one (or two) of these cookies. And the crisper, more golden cookies were the absolute best ones--next time I will carefully brown as many as possible.
Not surprisingly, a plate of Chocolate Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies goes perfectly with a pot of hot tea--Republic of Tea Kiwi Pear Green is almost always my choice but any of the typical English/Irish/Scottish black teas would do well.
I also cooked up some Lavender Simple Syrup from the same issue of Victoria Magazine, hoping to make a pitcher of refreshing Lavender Lemonade. Well, notwithstanding my suspicions that the proportions in the recipe were incorrect (or it could be that I'm just no good at making this concoction), the simple syrup was not my cup of tea. It ended up too cloying, perfumey and sweet, even when tempered with water, ice and lemons. I poured it down the drain. Lavender buds in cookies are lovely; lavender buds simmered with sugar and water are not.
Looks nice enough, yes? But I shudder even at the memory of it. Too sickly-perfume-sweet, in my humble opinion.
Ah well, perhaps my culinary adventures with lavender will be limited to scrumptious, seductive Chocolate Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. I can't exactly guarantee they will improve your love life (or mine) ... but it can't hurt to give them a try. Um, is it getting warm in here, or ... ?
Next to roses and holly, lavender is one of the most romantic plants I can think of to have in the garden. I’ve tried several times to bring this romance to my various yards, but sadly the plants always died off. This time around I must have amended the soil with enough sand to recreate the hillsides of Provence, and it is flourishing at last! And another thing? When I’m watering the garden, I pass right over it. I literally ignore this beauty, and it thrives.
This bushy lavender plant reassures me that I'm at least a half-decent gardener.Known for its calming therapeutic properties (we have a soft lavender-filled wrap that, after a few minutes in the microwave, does wonders for neck tension and headaches), lavender has historically had a place in the kitchen, too. It adds perfume to sweets, earthy depth to savory dishes, and makes a calming tea--Queen Elizabeth I drank it to soothe her migraines. I’ve long wanted to experiment with recipes calling for lavender buds or syrup, and the May/June 2010 issue of Victoria Magazine--plus my bumper crop of home-grown lavender--inspired me to make “Lavender and Vanilla Bean Cookies.” If smelling, sipping and wrapping oneself in the scent of lavender helps heal and relax, then surely eating the stuff is bound to result in total bliss!
In June my plant was thick with gorgeous purpley stems, which I harvested and dried in lovely fragrant bunches. I disbudded a number of them for the recipe, then discovered that our sweet Miss Molly cat liked to make a mess of what was left in order to nibble the dried stems. I finally had to hide the few remaining bunches on top of the highest bookshelf in the house. Bad kitty.
That's my green Escali Primo digital scale
peeking into the picture. I love that scale! It measures food (and yarn, letters, etc.) in grams or ounces, so now I not only can make recipes from British Country Living magazine (in which all ingredients are measured in grams and liters), but I also can estimate how much yarn I have in a partial ball, how much I've used, how much is left in a ball--especially handy if I'm, say, trying to use exactly half a ball for something. It also lets you place a measuring cup, bowl, pan, or other receptacle on the scale and re-set the weight to zero so you can measure things into the receptacle. It was a worthy investment and I highly recommend it.These are simple, easy-to-make sugar cookies flavored with lavender-vanilla flavored sugar, which you make in advance (but can make and use the same day as you are making the cookies) and a tablespoon of lavender buds.
Just look how pretty that lavender-vanilla sugar mixture is! And it smells heavenly.
I made half the recipe called for (about two cups), used half that in the cookies, and have another cup left ripening in a ball jar.
Stick your nose inside a jar of this sugar and you will swoon! You could also sift out the lavender buds to use the scented sugar in hot tea or other recipes. The flavor is subtle and very appealing.
The sugar cookie dough, which includes two eggs for some added richness, goes together quickly, is chilled until firm, then rolled out.
Those dark blobs are the tiny black vanilla seeds scraped from one of the beans.
Once again the pink Kitchenaid Cook for the Cure handmixer
goes to work!Lavender buds are so pretty to work with.
After rolling and cutting, some of the cookies came out a trifle malformed. Didn't affect the taste one bit! How about that. Don't the lavender buds look pretty in the dough?
You can see the wee flecks of real vanilla bean. I also sprinkled a few of the cookies with turbinado sugar. It was good, but didn't make or break the recipe so I'd leave it off next time.
Cooked cookies chillin' out and awaiting the taste-test.
So, how does lavender taste when baked into cookies? On my palate it imparts a clean, piney flavor which is foiled nicely by the gently flavored sugar cookie dough. It's a new and fascinating taste--not an unpleasant one, though, and not perfumey as one might expect. Everyone in the house liked them (even the kids!), though they were initially hesitant to try them. (Lavender is for soap and candles and potpourri and Method house cleaning spray, not cookies.)
They were tasty, indeed, but I couldn’t be content to leave them plain and decided they needed a dip in some melted dark chocolate. Out came the Trader Joe’s Belgian chocolate bars!
The result was divine. Chocolate, lavender and vanilla in a sugar cookie is an elegant, even sexy combination--light, rich and fragrant all at once. I think you could seduce someone with one or two of these treats. After all, lavender is known as, well, a mood enhancer especially for men, according to a study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. (So is pumpkin which, lucky me, Kenny likes as much as I do ...). In fact, they are so delicious with the chocolate it’s difficult for me to eat only one (or two) of these cookies. And the crisper, more golden cookies were the absolute best ones--next time I will carefully brown as many as possible.
Not surprisingly, a plate of Chocolate Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies goes perfectly with a pot of hot tea--Republic of Tea Kiwi Pear Green is almost always my choice but any of the typical English/Irish/Scottish black teas would do well.
I also cooked up some Lavender Simple Syrup from the same issue of Victoria Magazine, hoping to make a pitcher of refreshing Lavender Lemonade. Well, notwithstanding my suspicions that the proportions in the recipe were incorrect (or it could be that I'm just no good at making this concoction), the simple syrup was not my cup of tea. It ended up too cloying, perfumey and sweet, even when tempered with water, ice and lemons. I poured it down the drain. Lavender buds in cookies are lovely; lavender buds simmered with sugar and water are not.
Looks nice enough, yes? But I shudder even at the memory of it. Too sickly-perfume-sweet, in my humble opinion. Ah well, perhaps my culinary adventures with lavender will be limited to scrumptious, seductive Chocolate Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. I can't exactly guarantee they will improve your love life (or mine) ... but it can't hurt to give them a try. Um, is it getting warm in here, or ... ?
Autumn approacheth.
September 16, 2010 01:50
Signs of autumn's arrival--in my garden, around the neighborhood, in the kitchen. When chlorophyll recedes and greens blush into pinks, roses, reds. When leaves show off their full, true colors. When yellows, reds and oranges light up the landscape. When the air cools and breezes feel truly refreshing! Autumn is my favorite season, and I love its approach, its absolute colorful presence, and even its bleak departure (which, for me, simply signals time to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas).
My Quickfire hydrangea, planted one year ago in late summer. It started blushing the loveliest rose color in August and is still flushed.
Our Karen azaleas, which came with the house and have heartily endured several replantings around the garden, also start to change in early September. Tucked beneath are more blushing blooms: Autumn Joy sedum.
A closeup of the Autumn Joy. I love that they start out white, turn pink, and end the season on the prettiest bronze-rose note.
Route 66 coreopsis, which I put in about a month ago (they were on sale at Home Depot so I couldn't resist). Although fall is not necessarily their bloom time, they are sparking up the garden with their multitude of lively two-tone yellow and rusty-red blooms.
More blushing: Plumbago, which dies off completely in winter and arises from absolutely empty dirt every year, turns true blue in the midst of summer, and gets all rosy in the fall. I'm planting more of this in my borders in 2011.
The fading of coneflowers surely means summer is on its way out. I leave mine up, all black and prickly, all through winter. They really do attract winter birds!
The first of the holly berries on my China Boy/Girl holly plants! I've tried holly several times at several of my previous addresses, and this is the first time I've seen berries. I plopped a boy and girl plant into the same hole in the front yard, so they'll be entwined forever (and well fertilized). The berries are a bit sparse this year. I'm hopeful that over time the plants will settle in and give up nice fully berried branches each Christmas.
Even though the marigolds bloomed yellow and orange all summer long (and will continue to do so right through Halloween), they look especially at home in the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.
Likewise with the Chinese Lanterns. They've been orange for quite a while now, but I stongly associate their puffy bright orange blooms with autumn. I've cut a few branches for drying and entwining around the grapevine wreath on my front door. They remind me of my mom, who brought the magic of Chinese Lanterns and Silver Dollar plants into our home each year.
These really are quite invasive plants! You can virtually ignore them and they grow like mad.
A streak of red-orange maple leaves hint at the gorgeous blaze of color yet to come.
Acorns are flooding the sidewalks around here. At night, when it's very quiet, you can hear acorns smacking to the ground. It sounds like the squirrels are chucking them overboard.
A pretty dried oak leaf. Oak and maple leaves are my favorite.
My autumn Starbucks cups, posing with the Winter Solitude crow print. Over the years I've collected Starbucks cups for just about every season and holiday. The (somewhat premature) appearance of Pumpkin Spice Lattes is also a sure sign that fall is on its way. And try a shot of that pumpkin spice syrup in a mocha. Pumpkin and chocolate is a scrumptious combination!
As outdoor colors change, I start craving foods made from pumpkin like Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies, Pumpkin Ginger Waffles, Autumn Bisque, and these cakey pumpkin scones:
I seriously never tire of pumpkin and have lots of pumpkin recipes--some old favorites, some yet to be tried (and when I do you will see all the details here on this very blog). Seeing pumpkins (and Halloween candy, for cripes sake!) for sale in grocery store parking lots, even this early, has me excited for Halloween!
I hope you're enjoying signs of fall in your neighborhood. Feel free to share your favorite signs of autumn's arrival, and especially your favorite fall foods.
My Quickfire hydrangea, planted one year ago in late summer. It started blushing the loveliest rose color in August and is still flushed.
Our Karen azaleas, which came with the house and have heartily endured several replantings around the garden, also start to change in early September. Tucked beneath are more blushing blooms: Autumn Joy sedum.
A closeup of the Autumn Joy. I love that they start out white, turn pink, and end the season on the prettiest bronze-rose note.
Route 66 coreopsis, which I put in about a month ago (they were on sale at Home Depot so I couldn't resist). Although fall is not necessarily their bloom time, they are sparking up the garden with their multitude of lively two-tone yellow and rusty-red blooms.
More blushing: Plumbago, which dies off completely in winter and arises from absolutely empty dirt every year, turns true blue in the midst of summer, and gets all rosy in the fall. I'm planting more of this in my borders in 2011.
The fading of coneflowers surely means summer is on its way out. I leave mine up, all black and prickly, all through winter. They really do attract winter birds!
The first of the holly berries on my China Boy/Girl holly plants! I've tried holly several times at several of my previous addresses, and this is the first time I've seen berries. I plopped a boy and girl plant into the same hole in the front yard, so they'll be entwined forever (and well fertilized). The berries are a bit sparse this year. I'm hopeful that over time the plants will settle in and give up nice fully berried branches each Christmas.
Even though the marigolds bloomed yellow and orange all summer long (and will continue to do so right through Halloween), they look especially at home in the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.
Likewise with the Chinese Lanterns. They've been orange for quite a while now, but I stongly associate their puffy bright orange blooms with autumn. I've cut a few branches for drying and entwining around the grapevine wreath on my front door. They remind me of my mom, who brought the magic of Chinese Lanterns and Silver Dollar plants into our home each year.
These really are quite invasive plants! You can virtually ignore them and they grow like mad.A streak of red-orange maple leaves hint at the gorgeous blaze of color yet to come.
Acorns are flooding the sidewalks around here. At night, when it's very quiet, you can hear acorns smacking to the ground. It sounds like the squirrels are chucking them overboard.
A pretty dried oak leaf. Oak and maple leaves are my favorite.
My autumn Starbucks cups, posing with the Winter Solitude crow print. Over the years I've collected Starbucks cups for just about every season and holiday. The (somewhat premature) appearance of Pumpkin Spice Lattes is also a sure sign that fall is on its way. And try a shot of that pumpkin spice syrup in a mocha. Pumpkin and chocolate is a scrumptious combination!
As outdoor colors change, I start craving foods made from pumpkin like Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies, Pumpkin Ginger Waffles, Autumn Bisque, and these cakey pumpkin scones:
I seriously never tire of pumpkin and have lots of pumpkin recipes--some old favorites, some yet to be tried (and when I do you will see all the details here on this very blog). Seeing pumpkins (and Halloween candy, for cripes sake!) for sale in grocery store parking lots, even this early, has me excited for Halloween!
I hope you're enjoying signs of fall in your neighborhood. Feel free to share your favorite signs of autumn's arrival, and especially your favorite fall foods.
The Butterflies Come.
August 11, 2010 01:46
As our garden grows, we're receiving more butterfly visitors. It’s always a thrill to see even the most common wildlife in our yard throughout the year -- rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, robins, cardinals, rolypoly bugs. Because of the plentiful catmint, coneflowers, roses and orange milkweed, we also see plenty of chubby bumblebees, the occasional goldfinch, and butterflies.
Lots of flowers in our front yard for butterflies and bees to love.Recently, as we approached our front sidewalk after a family stroll with the pup, I halted dog and husband as quietly as I could when I saw a beautiful Black Swallowtail butterfly land on a coneflower.
From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Weldon Springs Wildlife Scrapbook. 
A coneflower just like this one in our garden! In fact, it might have been this very blossom.We frequently see monarch butterflies on our flowers (did you know the monarch is the Illinois state insect?) and those fairy-like pale yellow sulphur butterflies that flit and dance in pairs from flower to flower.
Bees and butterflies love our butterfly weed.I feel honored when any butterfly visits the garden, because I have intentionally planted flowers they are known to enjoy. It’s gratifying to see mother nature’s creatures take pleasure from our garden. And this swallowtail was a rare and magical sight! We stood still and observed for the few moments it sipped at the flower’s sweetness, then it moved on. What a thrill! Do I ever have my camera with me when we get such an unusual visitor? Of course not. But I've decided the pleasure of seeing it with naked eye surpasses the privilege of capturing it through camera lens.
This morning, during another outing with The Pup, I spied a striking Tiger Swallowtail butterfly tasting a neighbor’s potted petunias.
From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Weldon Springs Wildlife Scrapbook.I watched for a few minutes, hoping I wouldn’t creep out the homeowners if they happened to see me standing on their sidewalk staring agog in the direction of their front door. When I figured I had stared long enough, we crossed the street to admire some apricot heirloom roses (which smelled absolutely dreamy! I want me some of those) ... and the swallowtail followed! It flitted, it floated, it fleetly fleed and then flew off.
Monarchs always remind me of that dear childhood book, The Butterflies Come, about which I'll share more later. Can you imagine seeing so many gorgeous butterflies in one place? And during October -- my favorite month!
From “In Search of the Monarch Butterfly in Monterey” at InsideBayArea.com.
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere in Michoacan, Mexico from ScienceRay.com.Spectacular! But I’m happy with the few that bring simple enchantment to my garden.
Ah, spring.
June 07, 2010 09:31
I know it's nearly summer, but I'm catching up and want to share some of what's been going on in our yard this spring.
Spring chives. I keep forgetting to eat them! I finally sprinkled some on scrambled eggs. Delish! And those pretty flowers are edible, too.
Spring brunnera ("siberian bugloss"). Their petite blue flowers remind me of sweet little fairies hanging delicately over the big heart shaped leaves. I adore them! And they are super easy to grow.
Spring blanket flower. A few years ago, I thought this was a weed and nearly pulled it up. Now it's blooming like crazy!
Frau Dagmar Hastrup rose -- a "rugosa" (shrub) rose bequeathed to me by a friend-of-a-friend whose yard was too shady.
The Frau is doing well in our front yard and is blooming sweetly. I'm so glad she likes it here.
I'm so very proud of these Joseph's Coat climbing roses -- I planted them only last year and they went wild this spring! The buds are lovely -- orange and apricot. And so prolific!
The fully opened roses turn yellow and pink. It's like having 2 or 3 different colors of roses on the same plant. The leaves have, unfortunately, succumbed to either bugs or disease or both. I'll be fighting that battle for with some organic sprays I'm mixing up with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, baking soda, horticultural oil, and other enemies of bugs and fungus. My dream is that they will someday climb up and over our flower boxes, like these.
How gorgeous is wisteria? Let me count the ways! Alas, this is not in our yard but on a plain old brick wall surrounding a Northwestern University dorm complex that faces the lake (those lucky students). Every year I keep watch for the blooming wisteria.
So beautiful, like jewels spilling off a vine. And the scent is dreamy! Oh how I wish I could grow this against my house.
Spring Goddess, in repose among the wild ginger. The pattern is from Michelle Simkins. She was a ton of fun to knit and I'll be making more.
Spring Pup, in repose on the front steps.
I think my garden has had enough rain and would like to get on with summer. Let the countdown to June 21 begin!
Spring chives. I keep forgetting to eat them! I finally sprinkled some on scrambled eggs. Delish! And those pretty flowers are edible, too.
Spring brunnera ("siberian bugloss"). Their petite blue flowers remind me of sweet little fairies hanging delicately over the big heart shaped leaves. I adore them! And they are super easy to grow. Spring blanket flower. A few years ago, I thought this was a weed and nearly pulled it up. Now it's blooming like crazy!Frau Dagmar Hastrup rose -- a "rugosa" (shrub) rose bequeathed to me by a friend-of-a-friend whose yard was too shady.
The Frau is doing well in our front yard and is blooming sweetly. I'm so glad she likes it here.
I'm so very proud of these Joseph's Coat climbing roses -- I planted them only last year and they went wild this spring! The buds are lovely -- orange and apricot. And so prolific!
The fully opened roses turn yellow and pink. It's like having 2 or 3 different colors of roses on the same plant. The leaves have, unfortunately, succumbed to either bugs or disease or both. I'll be fighting that battle for with some organic sprays I'm mixing up with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, baking soda, horticultural oil, and other enemies of bugs and fungus. My dream is that they will someday climb up and over our flower boxes, like these.
How gorgeous is wisteria? Let me count the ways! Alas, this is not in our yard but on a plain old brick wall surrounding a Northwestern University dorm complex that faces the lake (those lucky students). Every year I keep watch for the blooming wisteria.
So beautiful, like jewels spilling off a vine. And the scent is dreamy! Oh how I wish I could grow this against my house.
Spring Goddess, in repose among the wild ginger. The pattern is from Michelle Simkins. She was a ton of fun to knit and I'll be making more.
Spring Pup, in repose on the front steps.
I think my garden has had enough rain and would like to get on with summer. Let the countdown to June 21 begin!
Springtime in Who-ville.
May 25, 2009 05:18
by Aileen Fisher
Spring up, seedlings,
weedlings, clover!
Spring out, leaves,
now winter's over.
Spring up, green things!
There's a reason
Spring's the name
to fit the season.
Spring has been absolutely beautiful here in our corner of the midwest. Lush and green, with great weather -- a perfect mix of sunshine, decent temps (60s-70s), and necessary rain. Fragrant lilacs and viburnum abound in our neighborhood, along with magnolias, flowering fruit trees, and lots of tulips, grape hyacinth, lily of the valley, daffodils. My bleeding hearts surprised me by surviving some backyard construction work and a flood of woodchips that seeped under the fence from our neighbor’s yard. To me the bleeding heart is the prettiest old fashioned spring flower, even though it has no fragrance. I’m so happy to see them blooming again!
So many flowers around our neighborhood look like they could easily be home to the residents of Who-ville. I can see Horton
gingerly carrying one of them in his trunk, informing his jungle-mates "A person's a person, no matter how small."
Or in this case large, because no one could mistake these enormous allium for a tiny little clover with itty bitty Whos on it.
Chive blossoms make perfect Who-worlds, and they're tasty too.
A whole colony of Who-villes!
Is that whofoo fluff? Or fuzzle fuzz?
These rose buds could be fun, pointy Who-heads. Wait ... is that one ... smiling?
Surely this is inspiration for an unusual Who hairstyle.
Could Whos live inside these fluffly balls of viburnum? If so, they would be drunk on their heavenly fragrance!
I hope you've had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Although we've had cool sunny weather all weekend, today, in typical Memorial Day fashion, it rained.
Spring Cleaning in the Garden.
April 18, 2009 08:25
Sweet little primroses look on as the detritus of last year's growing season
collects on the front sidewalk.
Our big stripey kitty Mr. Sass loves to roll around in the fresh green grass!
He gets covered with dirt and is as happy as a ... well, as a cat in dirt.
