turkey feathers

Born on a Berry Farm

Taking advantage of a cool morning a few days ago, the girls and I grabbed our straw hats and went berry picking again (here).  Besides all the wonderful raspberries, boysenberries and marionberries stretched out before us as far as the eye could see, we came upon this little nest hidden among the thorny branches.  Three new hatchlings, but no parent birds around to determine their type.  From their size and location I am guessing Bluejay as they are not too terribly particular about where they build a nest once they find a good food source.  It was barely five feet off the ground.  When I reached in to pluck a berry they were directly in my line of sight.  Surprise! Fortunately, I had my trusty camera tucked into my apron pocket.   

This sweet discovery didn't slow us down one bit though, because we were on a mission.

We were focused on these!  And It wasn't long before our baskets were bulging and we were back on the dusty road headed for our kitchen.  After lunch and a brief respite, the jam making began.  Out came the boxes of old-fashioned quilted jelly jars and my best marionberry jam recipe, the one made with agar agar.  If you are not familiar with this product, you can read more about it here on my 'Just Jamming' post.  (I will also sometimes make jams using xylitol, a sugar-substitue; a really good recipe for sugarless strawberry jam is here.  This is good if you are on a restricted diet, and is also a healthy alternative if you just want to cut back on sugar in general.)  Freezer jam is easy and convenient for small batches.  For long-term storage of larger quantities, I still do it the old way.  But with a new twist.  Using agar agar is super quick and makes an excellent jam; retaining the flavor and color and without having to rely on pectin.

 Recipe for Marionberry Jam:

8 cups fresh berries, crushed; 3 cups granulated vegan sugar; Juice of one lemon; 4 T. agar agar powder + 1/4 cup sugar.  (Mix the last two ingredients together and prepare to sift it into the pot later.)  Combine the crushed fruit, lemon juice, and sugar in large stainless steel kettle or soup pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, about 10 minutes.  Sift-sprinkle the agar-sugar mixture into the pot, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.  Boil rapidly for about 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat and ladle jam into hot, sterilized 8 oz. jars.  Jam will be loose, but will set up as it cools.  Wipe glass rims with a clean, damp paper towel, place new lids on top, and secure with a screw ring.  Allow the jars to cool on the countertop without disturbance.  When you hear the "pop" you know the lid has sealed. Once completely cooled (I let jars sit overnight), check lids, label and date everything.  Store jam jars in a cool, dry cupboard or pantry, away from sunlight.  Generally, I keep my homemade jams on the shelf  up to 3 years.  They are usually consumed long before this, but in case you were wondering, this is a safe guideline.  (Refridgerate any jars that fail to seal; they'll keep about 2-3 weeks.)  Yeilds 10-11 jars. 

Now back to the business at hand. . . . toast and jam with tea.  

Celebrating my 6th Blogaversary today.  Woot!!

Peaceful Places

Berry picking is always one of the highlights of our summer, along with the jam and pie making that follows.  We have been blessed with a bounty of yummy fruits from the backyards of friends this season.  These Queen Ann cherries were especially wonderful.  We snacked on these right out of the bowl.  No way to improve upon perfection.  They are just as delicious as they are beautiful.  Don't you love the summer blush of colors? 

When last I wrote, we were enjoying some quiet garden time from the pages of old magazine clippings I'd saved in my inspiration notebooks.  Here's another (above) to set your mind dreaming.  Real life, in my own yard has not been quite as serene with all the house projects going on right now.  Including some stump-grinding today, along with a major neighborhood clean-up process that began Monday morning (that is still underway), involving heavy machinery for some massive tree trimming, chipping and brush clearing. Most of which, is taking place directly across the street from my house.  The transformation is amazing though and very much appreciated.  It not only looks a thousand times better, but it is no longer the fire hazard it once posed.  We are thankful for the excellent efforts of the work crews and the grant from the Oregon Department of Forestry for the additional funding needed for such a large project.  It's all good!

I was just out there with my camera, taking a few photos of all the changes, and the roses caught my eye--as they so often do.  Time for an update about them too I reckon.  We had to cage them (from the deer) this year due to all the rain this spring.  Every time I sprayed the magic concoction to discourage the nibblers, the heavy rain kept washing it off.  It happens.  Nothing is fool-proof.  Sometimes you just have to go to Plan B.  Thus the fencing.  If you missed any of my previous posts about the battles with deer in the flower beds, and my natural recipe for success, type  'magic concoction'  in the search box (above in left side-bar) to read them.  The post with the link to the PDF recipe is here. 

On the subject of roses, here's another notebook page from the past.  Isn't this beautiful?  In my imagination, this brick bridge traverses over a small pond.  I'd have to fence in my entire yard to do anything like this.  And I am seriously giving it more thought now too.  The fencing part.  I'm still pouting over the fact that the deer ate the new flower tops off my delicate bridal hydrangea this year.  Which they never touched before.  It's a puzzle.  And a frustrating one sometimes.  I keep inching closer and closer to the tall fence solution.  Photos like this only strengthen that idea and feed my imagination with possibilities. . .

Yes, I can see more fences (with lots of cute little paths and gates like this) in my future.  This coastal garden is lovely. The seashells make an effective border.  Another "Use What You Have" object lesson for us. 

Unrelated news:  The New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns flickr group contest is wrapping up and three winners from three categories have been selected.  Woot!  I was a judge for the Summer Theme category and I must say, it was not easy choosing one!  Everyone did such an incredible job with their stitcheries.  The other two categories were Modified Vintage Pattern, and One Pattern, Many Stitchers.  All amazing!

Check out the winning entries here.  All the efforts behind the scenes for putting the contest together go to bookwormbethie, who did a great job I might add.  It's never easy coordinating all the little details required to cover all the bases.  But it's not over yet!  One GRAND PRIZE winner still needs to be selected.  So make sure to scroll down the winner's page to find the link to the Online Survey to VOTE for your favorite entry.   The Grand Prize winner will be selected by popular vote and announced July 30th, along with 8 door prize winners!!  Good luck everyone! 

Enter into the Garden

Garden Season has arrived and I've been perusing my idea notebooks for inspiration.  These notebooks are just 3-ring binders with magazine clippings I've saved over the years.  Many years it now seems.  Some of these pages date back to the 1980's which somehow does not seem possible, yet here they are still full of timeless appeal.  All these photos are taken from my notebooks.  I thought it would be fun to share some of them and inspire you too!  Therefore, I invite you to stroll along with me down the paths and along the borders of past gardens to discover their secrets.  There's nothing quite like a garden gate to peak one's curiosity about what lies beyond, is there not? 

Bench arbors are the quintessential features of most dream gardens.  They come in all shapes and sizes and offer a little shady respite when needed and can be used to create walls around "garden rooms".  This one adds interest to an ordinary picket fence.  I love it's simplicity.

Our backyard looks quite different this year.  We have less trees.  The last one was taken down a few months ago.  It's never an easy decision to chop down a tree, but sometimes it 's necessary to move forward with other things.  In our case, to replace a dilapidated deck.  Those old boxwood elders were the primary shade givers though and that shade is certainly missed now with the weather warming up.  So I am entertaining the idea of a bench arbor somewhere else in the yard.  The sitting area (above) might work well, doubling as a fence.  The addition of clematis makes a beautiful privacy screen.  Yes, I see potential here.

And then you have the free-standing bench under the arbor idea.  Perhaps made a bit more comfy with the addition of a soft cushion or two.  For we all know gardens require work, and any resting spot is a welcome sight.  Nice to just sit and observe while the bees buzz and the birds sing.

Perennial herb gardens are easy and peaceful.  They can be left to fight their own battles, requiring little effort and fuss depending on the plants you choose.  Generally, cooking herbs such as thyme, sage, chives, and rosemary are safe choices and don't creep too much.  However, most plants (and trees) tend to grow huge where I live due to all the rain, so interventions become necessary sometimes.  As was the case with the santolina (I just blogged about).  Mother Nature it seems, is always lurking waiting for her opportunity to show you what she can really do.

Weeds are a constant problem here too.  I've never been so fond of and grateful for gravel (and stonework) in all my life.  Stonework in the garden provides ever-lasting structure and a backdrop for foliage; gravel paths keep mud to a minimum throughout the year and keep weeds down.  These natural elements just seem to go hand in hand and I try and use them whenever I can.  I'm always thinking, I could use more.    

This is a magical scene.  An arbor gateway leading into what looks like a secret garden. Early morning dawns lightly dusted with dew. Step softly through green stillness.  Listen to the sweet song of summer whispering from the tree tops.  Where the rose vines reach up to the light, and the shifting shadows dance beneath your feet. 

oops..sorry, got lost there for a moment.

This small sitting arbor is one of my favorites.  What a perfect spot to read a book, or take a catnap.  Especially if you happen to be a cat.  

Cats always claim the very best places. 

A few months ago, after the last large tree was removed, the bluejays, who were fond of squawking loudly from the branches outside our bedroom window every morning, just up and flew off.  Apparently, they prefer an environment of tall trees.  I really don't miss them much.  More of a nuisance really.  And what I didn't realize was that they were keeping many little birds away.  So, without the tall trees and their inhabitants, a beautiful array of song birds moved in!  

 

Brilliant yellow canaries, bright western bluebirds, red-headed finches, black-capped chickadees, sparrows, wrens, mourning doves, and green irridescent tree swallows joined the backyard chorus, among others I haven't been able to identify yet.  They make the sweetest sounds; trilling melodius from sunrise to sunset.  We've been watching a darling pair of tree swallows.  They took up residence in one of the bird houses near the vegetable patch.  The chicks have hatched and any day now we expect to see them emerge and swoop in circles over our heads, making us dizzy just to watch them. 

There is a different kind of peace in the garden.  In the garden is a whole universe.  Yet fragile as a dream. 

Lots to think about.  I'm still in the "dreaming" stage.  Leave me some comments if you enjoyed these photos, I have tons more I can post and babble on endless about.  Maybe in shorter posts though.  The typepad editor just does not cooperate at all with these longer ones.  Anyone else having trouble with this? 

Early Annie

Do you see what I see?  Ripe, red tomatoes...in July?  In a backyard garden?  In Oregon?  Impossible you say! 

Well, that's exactly what we thought when we were told that this particular variety was guaranteed  to produce by the fourth of July.  OK, heard that before...never happens.  Not here anyway.  And even though at the time we already had a greenhouse full of tomato seedlings, after hearing such a claim we brought one home from the Thyme Garden Nursery anyway.  Hopeful.  To see such a miracle with our own eyes. You could say we were all just a teensy bit doubtful having never experienced anything so grand.  In fact, last year our tomatoes didn't ripen until October, right before the first frost set in!  Gathered up in the nick of time too.  (Remember all those green tomatoes I had decorating my kitchen window sills last fall?)  

Anyway, we wanted to be really convinced and just planted this right out in the open.  No special treatment whatsoever was given it.  Just put it to the test.  And as you can clearly see, it passed.  I can now therefore say, with certainty, that it did live up to the promise.   I'm a believer.  I'll  never underestimate the potential of a tomato plant again.  Now.  If I could just get the peas and cucumbers and beans to wake up and take notice of the competition over here.  The lettuce seems to be stepping up, but the spinache keeps bolting.   I guess we can't have everything now can we?    But how about some art and a little music to go hand in hand with the whole wonderous process.  Compliments of School House Gardening.  Enjoy!