turkey feathers

September Splendor

It's September and the garden has reached its glory days!  I'd hoped to post more projects and news this summer, but time seems to have slipped away once again.  I'm not quite ready to hang up my sunhat and gardening gloves just yet though, but now that fall is on my heels it won't be long before those forgotten stitching projects will find their way back on my lap.  I still need to finish the She-Shed, and also my Little Animals Mini Quilt and then I plan to get started on some holiday stitching.  Plus a dozen other things.  My list is long!  Busy hands, happy heart.    

August Awe

So much is going on in the backyard garden!  Everything is in bloom and there are ripe tomatoes, zucchini and green beans on the vine; bird nests are empty and the honeybees have returned.  I'm loving this solar-powered water fountain.  It has changeable nozzles, but the spray fluctuates with the amount of sun it gets, so it may be a gentle bubbling or a stream shooting up!  Surprisingly, the birds find it fascinating.  I love watching them dance and dip and flutter about.  (The straws help keep the fountain from drifting and spraying water over the edge.)  

We have been so busy.  Earlier in the summer Ginger and I started two garden projects; a raised rock pond and the remodeling of the girls pink playhouse into a garden-themed She Shed.  Good Lord, both were a lot of work.  For our first experimental "pond" there was a fair amount of digging out hardpan clay, hauling heavy landscaping blocks and later the river rocks by wheelbarrow and wagon.  Next to it, I also planted more lavender in two rows and created a stepping stone path down the middle. 

We set up the wildlife camera to observe visitors.  Of course, our deer friends showed up immediately.  They seemed surprised by this new addition and kept circling back to gawk.  

The solar-fountain attracted a lot of attention here too.

What's this?  Something new . . .

Eventually, the leader of the pack hopped in!  The camera also caught a fox, a dove, a lizard and a snake on the wall above it.

As for the "SHE SHED" there was lots of spackling and painting inside from floor to ceiling.  We're still working on it.  I'll try and show some before and after photos one of these days.  Had to take a break when the weather got warm and my helper Ginger, fell off a horse that got spooked by a crow and she bruised her shoulder.  She's been riding for years without incident; it just took her by surprise as accidents tend to do.  So we haven't made much progress on the shed.

A much more pleasant surprise though was the arrival of "Victor".  Here he is just a day old.  What an adorable handsome little guy!

So that's a little bit of our summer in a nutshell. Hope everyone is having a marvelous happy summer!  I'll be back later . . .  

Walk on the Wildside

Earlier in the month, along backroads bordered by wildflowers, the Mister and I took a day trip to a neighboring town and stopped at Dancing Oaks Nursery on the way.  It's been a few years since we last visited this amazing place, famous for it's curated collection of unusual trees, shrubs and flowers gathered from all over the planet, as well as more common species showcased in mass plantings along pathways and in separate garden areas and took our sweet time meandering through.  The weather was perfect, warm but with a slightly overcast sky, nice for outdoor photography--which I took full advantage of at every turn in the path.  Even so, it is difficult to capture the full scope of this vast landscape.  This wondrous paradise with its unexpected surprises tucked in here and there.  No matter how many times I visit, I see something new and am inspired.  

Making the most of Summer

Summer has arrived right on schedule here in the PNW.  It was like flipping a switch from cloudy and cool to hot and humid--on summer solstice.  I've got multiple fans whirling with AC on standby.  I'm like a delicate little flower that is not heat tolerant.  Never have been really, even though I spent half my adult life in Southern California, in the sun, on the beach, beside the pool, braising.  Eventually I figured out that if you burn, blister and peel, you are essentially cooking yourself and gave up trying to achieve a "sun-kissed healthy glow".  I must confess, my bronze glow comes out of a lovely posh tube now. 

I've been out enjoying the garden again, watching the flowers come alive and take possession of their small patches of earth.  We have an adorable newcomer in the garden (photo above) called: Cupid's Kiss.  Isn't that sweet?  So far, it's living up to it's name, I love it.  I can't remember exactly when I planted this dainty climbing rose.  Maybe last year in the fall?  It was rather slow to start, but really shot up the trellis this month.  I'm quite thrilled with it. 

The Peonies also put on a show.   These were gathered by the armloads and put into vases for almost every room in the house.  I love how they look bunched together in these short, round glass vases.  Like big fluffy balls.

Earlier this month; baked by request, Triple Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes--for Father's Day.  June is such a busy time for us.  We also celebrated a birthday, an anniversary and two graduating granddaughters. (Yay!)  Then, before I could catch my breath . . .

. . . . it was strawberry season, and that means . . .

 . . . JAM of course!  I had two experienced daughter-helpers and we got this done pretty fast.  12 jars on the pantry shelves.  Check another item off the MUST-DO list.

That list of mine is always in flux it seems.  Tasks get added on short notice.  Like discovering this morning that the garden parsley is three feet tall and going to seed and there are peas that need picking before the heat wave hits tomorrow.  Just lots of silly little things like that can really keep me busy.  Yes, indeed, summer has arrived.  

Garden Daze

We have yellow roses!  

Yellow roses galore.

Lots of pretty roses, just steps from the garden shed door.

I still can't believe it.  And they smell SO wonderful.  Can you tell how tickled I am with these?  If you've been reading my blog for awhile you may remember the problem I had with wandering deer grazing through my yard and munching rosebuds, and having to be so vigilant with deer repellant spray (story and recipe here).  Then we fenced the property--and it's been a triumph to have roses again.  To watch them come into bloom without work or worry.    

They grew fast.  We only planted them last fall--after the Mister brought home a couple of pots that the local nursery was giving away at the end of the season.  They were basically sticks, so we only knew from the tags that they were yellow climbers.  Having no available place to plant them, Ginger and I built a bed behind some picket fencing that borders the herb garden with concrete stones  that we found around the yard.  I've been watching the vines weave their way up the pickets, watching from the kitchen window, waiting for the show.  

Down at this end, the perennial herbs are popping up.  The comfrey is enormous again and fell over after the last rain.  Time to chop it up and throw it in a barrel of water--which will make a foul-smelling fermented "tea".  Why?  Because it makes the BEST natural fertilizer and will help seedlings grow fast.  And it's FREE from Mother Nature.  

Summer has arrived!  

 

 

Stepping Softly Into Spring

 

February and March may have been warmer.  I'm waiting for a sprinkle of sunshine.  I'm not sure how much longer my cilantro can last without it.  Or how much longer I can last without my cilantro.  Any fresh greens for that matter.  Oh how I've missed them.  Little pots of seed-starts have been planted, some moved to the greenhouse already with fingers crossed.  Because just when everyone agrees that it's safe to put them outside in the ground, there's a frost warning.  So they get hustled back in.  The weather forecast is all over the map lately. 

Some seedlings are sharing the metal rack in the kitchen with new houseplants and they are all living happily together.  I'm particularly fond of this pairing of colors and containers in my retro red and yellow kitchen. 

A bit of fertilizer woke up my wandering wire vine.  I love this crazy wild thing so much.  If spring won't come outside, we'll have it indoors at least for a little while.

And then there was Mother's Day last Sunday (also my youngest granddaughter's birthday this year), and more flowers and hanging baskets arrived to brighten up the place.

The snowball bush caught my eye while I was out on the porch with the camera.  It's blooming nicely too.  Those fluffy round pom-poms are a marvel and a wonder.  No smell, no thorns, but hardy as can be.  I almost wish we had not planted it here, it's become very woody and tree-like with thick trunks.  A brute to trim back.  In a few months it will be ten feet tall and a force to be reckoned with. 

Back inside, we have some progress on the Little Animal Quilt.  Yay!  Now just have to piece it together.  The pattern for it is HERE.  As soon as I finish this project, I'm going to clear off my worktable and pull out some favorite old patterns for summer tops and long, loose dresses for lounging around the house.  Fun fabric shopping is next!

October Color + Cuteness

Hello Autumn!  

Little Things

So this is what happens when the deer aren't nibbling away at the garden!  We fenced those critters out for good at the beginning of the year and reclaimed our space and it's been a glorious summer of flowery goodness.  

These are ordinary shrub roses that decided to grow back from a small root remnant that was left in the ground after they were dug out and transplanted to another home seven years ago.  I guess we're going to have to find the hedge trimmers now.  Oh the irony.

Back at the workshop, trimming on a much smaller scale.  More fodder for my in progress miniature sewing room.  

I must say, my little sewing room-box is coming together rather nicely. I've made just about everything in it with a few exceptions.  For instance I purchased that little ironing board recently because it would've taken me ages to figure out how to make one that folds up like this.  How cute is that?

MeadowSweet shop update;, I have a few more yarn shop bags with teensy yarn skeins, random fabric bolts, rugs and runners, wall art, wooden fat quarter display boxes, and seasonal decor for 12th scale dollhouse and room box dioramas.  I'll be adding a few cork bulletin boards (like this one above) and new "fabric stash" cupboards very soon. Plus mini shoeboxes of sewing patterns and other odds and ends.   

Now that I've told you, I'd better run along and get it all done.

 

Barrel of Bunnies

We are still trying to figure out just how three adorable baby bunnies got into this flower barrel inside the enclosed garden.  There's not much room in there and a mini sprinkler sprays regularly.  It's also a pretty big hop into this old wooden whiskey barrel from the ground.  These wee bunnies, barely a handful, maybe 4-inches long, were discovered only days ago hunkered down beneath the flowers, silently resting and staying put even with us poking at them to see if they were alive.  How long they've been sleeping in there and how we missed discovering them sooner, no one can tell. We're often watering, weeding--and now, picking beans, tomatoes and an abundance of cucumbers.  In other words, making noise and wandering in and out a lot.  Of all places for rabbits to burrow, the flower barrel is not a likely spot.  But there they were.

Grace was successful where the rest of us failed and got this one picture, as they would sense our presence and move deeper under cover.  See how cute?

To satisfy our curiosity, a yard-cam was set up and before long we caught Mama Bunny making her rounds which assured us that the wee bunnies were not orphans and so we left them alone.  And this morning--they were gone (assuming their Mama moved them due to our interest around the barrel.)  Still don't know how she's getting inside the fence or how she got them out or where she took them.  I tell ya, it's a mystery!

Deceptive Beauty

Today I found this sunny yellow "flower" growing in my backyard garden.  So very pretty!  What a surprise!  I'd never seen anything like it before.  

Upon close inspection the strange looking leaves and wicked thorns were a clue that it might not be friendly.  I kept my distance just in case and did some research.  And it's a good thing I did.

What I discovered surprised me.  Turns out, it's common name is 'prickly nightshade', among others depending on your region, for instance, it's called Buffalo-bur in Texas.  Like all nightshades, it's a poisonous member of the potato family, with this name Solanum rostratum.

The whole plant is toxic and considered an invasive, noxious weed.  Those wicked looking thorns are coated with a caustic substance that produces a long lingering sting if you get poked by them, even just a little.  So beware!  Have no idea where it came from.  These apparently produce lots of clingy seeds that can blow through the air or stick to fur, feathers, shoes and clothing to get around.  So, I guess that would explain it.  

Garden Galore

Our wild rose bush/tree is really putting on a show this year!

The peony buds are popping too and filling the house with their lovely scent.  

Indoors, only one of my African Violets bloomed this time; the cyclamen barely survived the winter.  Poor thing looks pitiful.  Starting more seedlings again to transplant into the outdoor garden soon.

Which is coming along nicely.  Mostly colorful flowers right now with peas, cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries gaining speed.  It's been a warmer than usual spring.  Some things do great, others bolt too soon.  There are always surprises in a garden.  The birds we fed all winter are still hatching chicks and eating most of the bugs.

This is a new addition this year and I love it!  With the yard completely fenced now, we are expanding a bit outside the garden enclosure with no more worries about deer, but still need to be mindful of rabbits.  So we have two of these waist-high garden boxes--planted with a variety of wonderful leafy greens.  A live salad bar!

And alas...roses too!  

Picket Fences

Hello Friends!  Summer is going by fast isn't it?  Still sticking close to home, working on house projects.  This week we say goodbye to the white picket fences around the border of our backyard.  Those pickets have been standing there, I believe, since 1991.  More for show than security.  Our deer visitors have knocked pitiful sections of it down already.  In the spring they jumped in and tipped over and cracked my favorite birdbath to get to the bird feeders.  I was fairly shocked that they even cared for birdseed.  They just lapped it up.  Then one night, under the cover of darkness, one of the big bucks managed to get himself tangled up in our badminton net and dragged it off to places unknown (we've still never found it).  However, parts of it are still dangling from the culprits antlers!  Silly deer.  They do keep us on our toes.  But all that's about to change because the new fence will be deer-proof.  We hope.  

In the meantime, everything we try and grow is pretty much still inside a protective cage.  We also love our new "nature-friendly" freestanding movable badminton net.  It's awesome.  No more strings and stakes.  Instant fun!    

Golden Days Pesto and Pickles

Hello Friends, just popping in for a quick 'howdy-do'.  We are in the middle of summer and for the most part, life is good here at home.  There is a sense of peace that the natural world provides and our garden is alive and vibrant and offering up its goodness.  Some for the senses and some for the soul.

And some for the teapot!  Chamomile is a calming companion.

Currently, we are pulling up the sweet basil.  And that means pesto!  Making many batches and freezing in plastic snack bags.  These bags are easy to store and handy when I need a bit of summer flavor.  I've previously shared my process here and the basic recipe here.  For peeling garlic I still find this very handy. 

When I can find it, I sometimes use elephant garlic.  

Grace's cucumbers are early and quite bountiful this year and that means it's pickle time too.  My Grandma's recipe for Crunchy Garlic Dills is the one I always use.  So I'm off to my "summer kitchen" to find some canning jars. 

Hope you are all doing well and staying safe and enjoying the gifts of nature this season in one form or another.  If you look, you'll see them all around, waiting to be discovered.  

May your summer days be golden!

NEWS FLASH UPDATE:  Grace has been busy at the doll house bakery! Her annual *Christmas in July* sale runs from the 24th through the 29th!  Short but SWEET.

Everything Changes

Hello Friends...I'm still here.  Busy as ever, inside and out.  Hope all is well in your little haven as we step into summer together.  My backyard garden is ever so lovely this morning. The growing season has begun and that's always exciting.  I was browsing through some old photos of my backyard and it's interesting to observe how much the landscape transforms itself.  Seemingly without much notice.  It surprises me to see how tall trees have grown over the years.

This was the scene in 2006. The girls and their Dad were building a playhouse.  We were still in the planning stages of putting in a vegetable garden.  

And always, we had these scoundrels to contend with. 

While the deer wandered through, I sat on the porch and dreamed up all sorts of possibilities for this little bit of earth.

The next year, that dream was a reality.  But not everyone was happy about it!  Poor little deer.

The start of our vegetable and flower garden in 2007.

We planted the perennial herb garden in 2009. 

The stone border was easy to do and keeps it tidy.

A bean tee-pee was a must and the best fun.  Just LOOK how it turned out.

We added our little homemade green house a few years ago, allowing the tomatoes, basil, peppers and strawberry baskets to grow faster in our fickle northwestern zone.

The herb garden today.

So lovely.  I hope you enjoyed stepping into my backyard for a few moments.  We still have big plans for improvements, of course.  A garden is never really finished, it's mostly a work in progress.  REAL fences are next.  As much as I love them, the charming 30 year-old pickets that surround the backyard are coming down and will soon be replaced by tall deer proof walls.  Sad perhaps, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.  There's nothing good about animals running amok and destroying things.  To be honest, just thinking about reclaiming our space and all the possibilities--makes me quite happy.  

Flowers Galore

Hello Friends....Here are my Mother's Day hanging flower baskets I'd been telling you about.  I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to show you just how beautiful these are.  I don't know the names of any of these petunia varieties, but they are looking lovely and filling out nicely.  I always have a hard time trying to choose between all the gorgeous petunia baskets, because there are so many novel varieties and colors and sizes, but I finally made up my mind and chose this burgundy and gold basket. It smells wonderful.  I got two for the front porch and have been enjoying them immensely.

And another bright little spectacle for the back porch!

Out back, just around the corner, the peonies popped! 

I picked a few frothy pink bouquets for the house.  I think this was the first time my African violets bloomed at the same time.  I've had these two for years. 

Like everyone we've had to cancel our travel plans and other events this year.  So instead, we're planning some long-awaited yard improvements.  There is always so much to be done.  Should keep us in fun garden projects all summer long. 

May in Bloom

Hello friends!  Hope you are all well and keeping busy.

I have to show you this gorgeous speckled Iris.  What a wonderful surprise it was today.  I found it hiding in a corner along side the candy-tuft under the crab apple trees.  Just a single stalk.  It's been some time since we've spotted any volunteers in the garden quite as striking as this lovely ruffled beauty.  Some furry little creature must have carried off a rhizome from another yard and buried it here. A small sweet miracle.

It's May and the garden is waking up and putting on her fancy frills.  The peonies are ready to pop.  The lilac is in bloom.  Iris and hyacinth are cropping up here and there.

The girls have been busy planning the summer garden since February.  They've moved the vegetable starts out of the kitchen and into the greenhouse and have replanted all sorts of things this past month.  I've done a bit of weeding, but mostly I like to watch them take charge.  Our home-school roots still run deep.

The early peas are nearly ready to pick.  Peas should be easy to grow, but every year we are lucky to get any.  Sometimes it's a vole that chews the main stem, sometimes it's slugs and sometimes it's worms.  Therefore, we are always armed and ready with traps and pellets and sprays.  However, this year a bird has got in the habit of pulling off the tiny flower buds!  Sometimes you just cannot anticipate the weird turns nature will take no matter how much you prepare. Sometimes it's good, like my surprise Iris, and other times you can only scratch your head in wonder.

Such is life.

These past few months haven't been easy for anyone.  Yesterday marked a year since my brother's passing from what was guessed to be bone cancer.  The diagnosis was vague and perplexing.  It's been hard to accept.  He was younger, and my only sibling.  He was also big and sturdy like an oak tree; full of health and vitality his whole life.  Some things never make sense.  I miss him so much. 

I'm looking for the small rays of sunshine.  A stitch here, a stitch there.  Outside my backdoor, the crab apples just finished another spectacular bloom.  Afterwards the petals floated down light as snowflakes and covered the soft spring grass.  So very pretty and peaceful to watch.  Then a mighty wind came along and swept them away.  It's still coming in blasts this morning, tossing patio chairs into the flower beds.  But, it's also blowing the clouds away and revealing beautiful blue skies. There's always a give and take it seems. 

We are expecting 80 degrees today.  Quite unusual, but I'm not complaining one bit.  In fact, this gift of sunny weather is predicted to last throughout the weekend, so I imagine we will be out in the backyard for most of it, maybe a bit of lounging on the deck.  We also have a woodland hike planned and I'm hoping to get some hanging flower baskets for the porches, a Mother's Day tradition.  This one (above) was from 2013 and was one of my favorites.  We hung it on the "PatternBee Porch Headquarters", that little room at the back of my house.  The sight of it brought sheer happiness and the blooms lasted all through summer.

I love this picture.  From this perspective it looks as though my house is buried up to the rafters in vegetation!  Perspective is important.  Because despite these uncertain times we find ourselves in--and feeling overwhelmed, there is much to be grateful for.  I'm grateful for many things.  Mostly my family and friends.  Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the blogasphere and for your love and support all these years.  It's very much appreciated.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make meaningful memories where ever you are.  Eventually, this too shall pass.  Hopefully sooner than later.  Take care and stay well dear friends.

Back to the Garden

Summer is off to a good start here!  With sunny, warm weather mixed with the occasional light rain that passes through from time to time--the backyard garden is coming alive.  The snap peas are almost ready for picking and an array of flowers are putting on a show.

Grace has been patiently waiting on her hollyhocks to bloom and yesterday they finally did.  It was all very exciting.  She planted them from seeds months ago, and tended them under grow-lights in the kitchen through early spring.  Once they went into the ground, she had to guard them from all sorts of critters and scoundrels,  but it was well worth the effort.

These are called, 'Black Night' and they are spectacular looking. 

The flower petals, once they fall off, will be collected to make a mauve-colored dye for her hand spun wool.  In the meantime, we are just enjoying the dramatic beauty of the flower spires and marveling, as we often do, at the wonder of it all. 

Even the peas are showing off their pretty petal finery.

Anticipating an abundance of tomatoes this year.

Spotting ladybugs.

And other entertaining visitors. 

My heart skipped a beat when I looked up from the kitchen window and saw this wobbly little fawn just standing there curiously looking around. 

And then there were two.  Double delight!

After awhile, their mama came back for them. 

Yep.  Summer has arrived.

Greeting Autumn

Hello October!  The weather here has turned much cooler with gray skies and scattered sprinkles.  The perfect backdrop for the emerging autumnal show--which is just starting in my front yard.  It's all so exciting!

Maybe I have already shared about our redbud tree (Cercis Canadensis), also known as 'Forest Pansy' in past blog posts, but it really bears mentioning again (and again!), because it's such a gorgeous thing of beauty. 

If you are ever looking for a fast-growing landscape tree for zones 5-9, this is it (in my opinion), not only because of its lovely shape and manageable size, but mostly because of the dramatic colors it produces. 

During spring and summer the leaves are dark purple, which creates a nice contrast amongst the green foliage that surrounds it, making it a stand out feature in our front yard.  In the fall it puts on quite a show as the pretty heart-shaped leaves come alive with splashes of green, orange, deep pink, yellow, gold and red. 

Not only is this tree beautiful, it's hardy.  Because, unlike both my beloved Glory Bowers ("peanut butter" trees) that just up and died after the severe frost events three years ago (I know--so sad), this tree not only survived that frost--but much worse early on, which makes me love and appreciate it even more. 

Shortly after planting it, some eight or nine years ago, when it was putting down roots and spreading it's lovely vertical branches, a wild west-wind blew in and literally tore it from limb to limb, splitting it right down the middle!  

It looked pretty pathetic with its one side stripped off, its perfect symmetrical shape ruined.  Being that it was to be the feature and focus of the front yard landscape, we were in a bit of a quandary over what to do about it; replace or repair?  After staring at it for a few days, we decided to take the wait and see approach, did what we could to support the remaining branches and gave it another year to see what it was going to do before making a final decision about it.  

To our amazement and delight, it recovered rather quickly and within a few years had grown into a fine looking tree.

Today I'm looking at this tree, admiring its astounding colors, its cute heart-shaped leaves and its hardy constitution, so happy that we made the right decision to give it another chance.   

September Salutations

 

I'm loving the artwork on this calendar with each turn of the page!  If the months of the year were assigned a color, I would definitely choose red for September.  With baskets of red apples, burnished autumn leaves and brilliant Oriental Poppies, it just seems right somehow. 

My daughters did all the planting and tending the garden again this year.  Grace manages the edibles and Ginger fills the hanging baskets and flower beds.  They make a good team.  The dynamic duo. 

These lovely small Zinnia's tend to bloom in late August/early September (here in Zone 8), signaling that summer is drawing to a close.  And right on schedule, I do sense that familiar fall nip in the air.  Sigh.

Even the bumblebees are slowing down and sleeping on the job.  What a great place for a nap!

I've been visiting the garden a little more frequently, not quite ready to say goodbye to all this yummy goodness. And speaking of yummy goodness...it's about time we harvest this basil.  And make pesto to freeze for the winter.

There's a certain way I like to do this to preserve as much goodness as I can for as long as possible and in 2005, I wrote a little bit about my process on the blog here and here.  That was over ten years ago.  (Ahem).  

However, since then, I've had to make modifications to my diet and to my recipe as I am trying to cut way down on fats and oils.  Anyone who has tried to do this knows the challenge of finding tasty workable substitutions.

How in the world do you make pesto without olive oil? I wondered.   

Well.  I looked around and discovered "elephant garlic".  It (very conveniently) arrives on the scene this time of year, and works rather well for this purpose.  I do like to add a few regular garlic cloves for flavor though, as it is not a true "garlic" and is rather mild, being in the leek family.  But after it's baked, it becomes the consistency of butter and can be used in a variety of ways in place of butter.  Or olive oil in this case.

To prepare, separate the sections leaving the skin on.  Cut off the tip of each clove--this makes the contents easier to remove later.  Put the garlic and leek cloves in a small baking dish lined with parchment paper, add a tablespoon or so of water; cover and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour at 325 degrees.  I use my toaster oven for this and set the timer.  Then, I get ready for my kitchen to smell wonderful! 

Always allow everything to cool completely before handling.  Sometimes I bake the garlic a day or so ahead of time and store it in the fridge until I'm ready for it.  This makes for one less step on pesto-making day.  Use a garlic press or fork to remove the skins.  Add the roasted garlic directly into the food processor bowl with all the other ingredients (basil, lemon juice, pine nuts, sea salt) and blend everything together at the same time, until well combined into a pesto-sauce consistency.  I'm sorry I don't have exact measurements for this, but the oil to (roasted) elephant garlic ratio is about 1T. oil equal to 2T. roasted e.g.  Start there and just add more if needed.  One large head of elephant garlic will yield about 3-4 T. after baking.  More or less depending on its size.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far.  Wishing you all a Happy Labor Day from my kitchen!  

 

Field & Forest

Every summer, mother nature provides us with an ever-changing meadow nearby. It's always a surprise.  Last year it was mostly field daisies.  Before that, teasel and tall grass. This year it's dandelions mingled with Queen Ann's Lace.  To some; only weeds.  But others see wildflowers!  Certainly miracles.  Rain or shine it takes care of itself.  Gentle breezes make it dance.  Bees and butterflies come and go.  Ladybugs lurk.   Nothing more is needed.  It's free for the taking: a little calm within a chaotic world.  A gift.

It's always interesting to see what 'volunteers' arrive each summer.  Mostly from seeds carried on the wind or dropped by birds and other small critters that have made homes in here. 

My lavender and lilies share a stage together, harmonious counterpoints, though their performance is brief. 

At the height of the season, and even beyond it as bright colors fade into muted mossy tones, I take joy in every blossom, seed and leaf.  It's always a little sad when the show is over.  However, I can still preserve a few snippets for remembrance with needle and thread. 

 

 

And, best of all, I can share it with you!  I've made a revised version of a vintage pattern I call, Perennial Garden Quilt #7300.  The original (above) has twenty-four 8" x 8" block motifs connected with lattice strips.  It's a striking quilt on it's own with lots of pattern and variety, and a wonderful companion if you are looking for a big lap-stitching project to while away the hours. 

However, I wanted to make a smaller quilt, like a lap throw, with smaller 5" blocks, so basically I pulled out and resized some of the motifs for this purpose.  Just over forty little snippets in all.  Plenty enough variety for my purposes and plenty to share as a "new" pattern:  Field & Forest  #6589. 

So, that done, I started my project with the dragonfly motif.  These harmless critters come in an array of amazing colors; reds, gold, orange, purple, as well as blues and greens--so anything goes.  Not wanting to get overly technical, colors are just randomly placed.  I'm using a pale silver for the wings which is quite nice.  A plain linen background really makes the colors pop.  I will also be combining blocks with bold background colors too.

 

Yes, I know...my stitching is a bit loose and messy, but that's the effect I'm going for, so no worries.  I'm using the long-and-short stitch and a bit of satin stitching for fills.  A jittery running stitch gives the illusion of movement, or vibration in this case.  Still have a ways to go on this one, and then I'm going to do ladybugs next. 

If you are interested in following along, I'll be posting my progress here on the blog and on my Instagram--when I remember!  

Oh! And PatternBee is back online...happy summer stitching everyone!  

 

African Violets

 

It's been a long wait. So happy to find these have bloomed at long last.

Peony Epiphany

We were having breakfast and relishing the glorious warm morning sunshine, so rare this time of year, and watching the wildlife come and go, when the peonies started waving.  I may have even heard singing.  That one precious pristine corner of the garden put on quite a show.  I hurried over and nearly cried for joy.

I really can't remember lovelier weather in May here in the pacific northwest.  Normally, late spring is a mixed bag with an ever-changing sky from dismal and cloudy, to mildly misty with blinding bursts of sunshine often followed by dramatic drenching downpours--leaving any fresh blooms (the peonies in particular), sprawling all over the ground.  So this was a pleasant surprise.

My cup runneth over. 

FIRST!

The Mister and I were having our breakfast this morning when we noticed that the very first peony and Iris flowers had bloomed!    

Such excitement, I tell ya. 

Even Toby, our friendly neighborhood cat, dropped in for a look-see.  He visits daily, patrolling the yard for any riff-raff.  Nothing escapes his watchful eye.  Those mice better watch out.

But for now, it looks like he's only interested in the mint bed and all its fascinating smells.

I'm still crushing on these.  They look like they are going to POP any moment.

The darker pinks aren't far behind.  I can't wait!  It's a short show, but so worth the wait. 

I'm heading into my "workshop" now to stitch up some fun.  I think I might have all the inspiration I need for my next project. 

Sweet Summertime

Hello Friends!  Summer is in full swing around here and lots of wonderful things are happening in the garden. It is a glorious wonder, this garden of ours. Ever faithful and yet always changing, with a surprise around every corner . . .

A broken sprinkler has turned into an automated birdbath!  Our drip-irrigation system is on a timer, so every morning a tiny fountain of water shoots straight up and splashes down in the middle of the bowl.  How convenient is that?  The birds perch in the tree above it and take turns plunging in.  It's the main view from my kitchen window and highly entertaining! 

July flew by! At the beginning of the month I uploaded four more fun (vintage) patterns on the PatternBee website under New Pattern Additions, and have a few more that are waiting in the wings for August.  Have you ever done "cross-stitch plaid"?  The effect resembles gingham.  This type of stitching may appear complicated at first glance, but it's really quite easy.  You alternate with a light and dark shade of the same color and work the center square in the darker shade like this:

 See?  Not so scary.  Plaid radishes anybody?  This design is from Superior #140, dated around 1940-50's.  It will be one of my August additions, along with another cross-stitch plaid with baby animals (very cute!) and a day-of-the-week set of Charming Mexican Tea Towels with vignettes from south of the border.  And of course, a new BONUS pattern too! 

 

Snowballs in May

Hello everyone!  How does your garden grow?  I grabbed my camera to take you on a garden tour.  Well.  We have been having a most lovely spring time and things are really popping around here.  Front and center we have these gorgeous snowball flowers.  They look like giant popcorn balls don't they?   A downpour brought them down into a pretty cascade along the fence.  Their spindly stems just can't support them.

Oh!  And the fragrance.  Sort of a cross between a carnation and a gardenia and something else. . . I can't quite identify.  All wonderful nonetheless.  Just weeks before, the tiny grape hyacinth was in bloom at their feet.  So pretty!  In case your are wondering, this is one bush.

These don't make the best cut flowers, as the stems are rather short and they are quite top-heavy, but that didn't stop me from gathering up a few bunches for the house.  They will last a few days before the petals start to drop.  So worth it, even if short-lived.  I find myself gasping in awe every time I pass by them.  If you plant this, know that it gets a trunk like a tree and can grow up to 15 feet tall.  Just saying.  Be ready. 

Also in the front flower beds, wonderful bloom on the tree peony this year.  It barely did anything last year, so I was so happy to see these survived the storm.  This bush is about 8-feet tall and reduces down to nothing but dead sticks during the winter.  It is an amazing transformation in just a few months.

Here's another picture of it during the day. 

Before the snowballs, there were lilacs.  Oh my.  It is just impossible for me to pick a favorite flower.   

This was the table-scape in our home library yesterday.  More pretty cuttings from the yard.  The rhododendrons are blooming like mad at the moment.  I had to dodge honeybees and hummingbirds for just a few clippings.  But what inspiration for the budding artist, as Ginger likes to sit here and doodle in her notebooks and journals.  Her favorite subjects to sketch are animals and flowers.  Now that makes perfect sense.

 

Speaking of animals.  We haven't had many deer, but the cottontails are bravely venturing out again.  Can you spot the bunny amongst the shrubbery?

Here he is!  But what is he up to?  

If you want to attract rabbits (and deer) into your yard, plant candytuft.  They can't resist it.  As of this morning, every single flower was gone.  My gift. (smile).

Other backyard news . . . the darling Western bluebirds are back!  They've taken up residence in the birdhouses around the garden and are on bug patrol and abatement duty.  Love them.  One crazy bird has been fluttering at the windows on a regular basis, so we started calling him, Friendly Fred.  It is unknown whether Fred is watching us or his reflection in the glass.  At times he does seem to be watching TV from his perch here.  Silly bird.

Shop News:  The new website has been up and running for a few months now and I am happy to report that everything is working beautifully!  (I am so hugging Grace.)  Much thanks and appreciation to all our customers, old and new, that have stopped by to shop and/or just browse and enjoy the nostalgia.  Now that the website is less time-consuming, I actually have more time to concentrate on collecting. Who knew there were so many adorable patterns out there?  At last count there were about 800 patterns up on the website.  Over ten years worth.  Wow.  It does warm my heart to know that there are still a number of hand-stitchers out there contentedly putting the designs of the past to good use again.  It is part of our cultural American heritage after all and worth preserving.  It's all good! 

That's all the news from my little perch today.  Fare Thee Well, until next time . . . 

Spring Showers May Flowers

Hello dear friends!  Hope you are well and enjoying the first days of spring (or summer), whatever the weather and where ever you may be. It's been mostly sunshine and showers here.  Perfect for pea sprouts and lettuces and other tender things coming up in the garden beds.  Our new greenhouse was put to the test and passed, affording us a huge head start this year.  We're already enjoying beets, broccoli and spinach. 

The Mister surprised us and built potting tables for various locatons, including this one (below) that tucks neatly into a corner of the greenhouse.  LOVE. Very convenient.  And cute.  Cute must always be factored in, right?

Most of the shrubs and trees survived the frost and snow that clung during winter, some did not.  Both my rosemary bushes died.  They were big and woody and well established, wonderfully fragrant and a ready resource for joyful cooking.  However, they proved to be fair-weather friends.  So on to Plan B:  Plant again in large pot outside kitchen door in full sun.  Easy access.  Everybody's happy.  But more importantly, the pot can be moved to safety later in the season when the weather turns cold.

 

So with a fresh hole in the ground, where another rosemary shrub was removed, we had an opportunity to plant something new.  As luck would have it, I was given a bucket full of lily of the valley, from a fellow gardener who was thinning her flower beds and needed to find homes for the upstarts.  This little spot (above) was the perfect place; morning sun, damp ground, and room to spread.  The rock needed some cheering up too. 

See?  Perfect.  The rock is even smiling a little now.

These delicate beauties are a bit tattered, a little worse for the wear, but will recover in time and multiply quickly as they are prone to do.  They look happy in their new home.  Of course, I'm thrilled to pieces to have them.  Best of all...they are deer resistant! 

Backyard Tour

I love the clusters of dark pink buds on our crab apple trees.  They are just about to unfurl into millions of tiny florets at any moment.  Oh, the suspense.  I can hardly wait.

Yesterday I was in the garden admiring the tulip buds and this morning they were in full bloom.  You've got to be quick.  Don't take your eyes off anything for a minute or you might miss the show.  That reminds me, it's garden tour time again.  We have a list of gardens in the surrounding areas we like to visit during spring and summer.  Our list keeps getting longer as we discover new places to explore.     

What a difference a little sunshine makes. 

This 'Candy Tuft' is as sweet as it looks.  Again, moving in quickly with the camera before the deer and rabbits find out it's in bloom.  Shhhh.  It never seems to last long around here once word gets out.

If you are still waiting for spring to arrive in your neck of the woods, you can always feast your eyes on this book.  It was delivered only moments ago, and it has to be one of the most beautifully executed and photographed books I've ever seen.  It's a big hardbound book full of flowery inspiration, all folded and fashioned from paper!  I don't really have time to take up any new hobbies just now, but it is wonderfully fun eye candy just the same.  (I can hear the girls in the other room oohing and aahing with every turn of the page!) 
 

Nature's Palette

The colors are really popping around here.  It's all so pretty and awe inspiring.  Sometimes it's hard to get anything done.  I just want to stand here and stare. The Japanese Maple turns the most gorgeous color of red in the fall.  It catches my eye and takes my breath away each time I pass by the window.  This picture was taken last week, before a storm stripped most of the leaves away.  Bah.

Also, I have to show you what the Harlequin Glory Bower is up to just now.  You know, the "peanut butter" tree I am so fond of?  Well.  In the fall, the leaves don't do much of a color change, but the flowers.  Oh my.  

They are show stoppers.  Just spectacular little gems. 

Can you believe this color?  The berries form after the white flowers fall away.  They look like small cerulean-blue pearls.  It's an amazing transformation. 

Even the garden spiders want to get in on the act.  It's all so pretty.

Sigh.

OK, time to pull myself away from the window and the great outdoors and get back to the project at hand...because we now have two new girls fresh outta the embroidery hoop: 

It seems the girls are out numbering the boys.  But not for long!

More Tomato Talk

I can't believe we are still harvesting tomatoes.  Everything else in the garden is pretty much done except for a few beets, and a bit of celery and parsley.  But the tomatoes are going strong.  It will be fun to see how long we can keep them going inside the greenhouse.

After canning many jars of chopped tomatoes, I have been making "sun-dried" tomatoes in my trusty tried-and-true Ronco dehyrator.  I've had this unit since the Mister and I were married over thirty years ago.  It's awesome for drying and preserving all kinds of things.  Dried tomatoes can be kept in jars for up to a year before they begin to lose nutrients and flavor, but they rarely last that long in our house.  We've already been using these in our pasta dishes.  If you want to learn more about drying tomatoes, this site has lots of good information.   

Crockpot marinara sauce was also in the works, with thyme and rosemary picked fresh from the herb garden outside my kitchen door.  So good.    

There's nothing quite like homemade sauce (or soup) simmering in the kettle to turn a cold, gray day cozy.  My modern-day "kettle" is a crockpot.  It does all the work.  I just toss ingredients in and by days end, we have a nice nourshing meal and usually leftovers to reheat for a hot lunch the next day. 

Of course, cold lunch is good too.

Hot and cold--even better!  (Homemade creamy mushroom soup...yum.)

I'll be back soon with an update on the stitching side of things and will show a little more progress I'm making on the Scottie quilt. Me-oh-My, is it really November already?   

HoneyBee Day

BUZZing sounds are music in my garden. 

But the plight and decline of the honeybee population is a troubling one.  It makes me happy to know that our garden is, in some small measure, providing a safe haven of organic (pesticide free) plant life, that supports the health of bees in our area.  Flowering trees (like the 'glory bower' above) is buzzing with bees this month.  It's a late bloomer and nice for keeping bees around long after the flowers have faded.  And not only bees, but butterflies and hummingbirds also feed from it. 

Then there's the herb garden.  Herbs are wonderful for attracting bees.  They need nothing in the way of pest control or fertilizers and many are perennial (in most climates), and just keep on giving year after year without fuss.  Another benefit of course, is that the wild rabbits and deer have little interest in herbs; I use a lot of them to fill in the landscape around here (in addition to cooking with them).  A couple of years ago, we removed two thirds of the front lawn and replanted a portion of it with herbs along the road.  Once established, herbs require little maintenance and are drought tolerant.

Here's how it looks right now. These varieties of thyme and lavender make lovely ground covers and help keep weeds in check.  But mostly, planting herbs is a nice way to spread a little "bee love" around. 

Some common herbs bees like:

Lavender & Russian Sage--these flowers have staying power, the bees visit them all through the seasons.

Borage & Comfrey--nectar rich; replenishes itself quickly, like every few minutes!

Thyme--I plant a lot of this everywhere, it's aromatic and useful in the kitchen, as well as beautiful and long-flowering. There are many varieties and color variations. 

Mint, Catnip, Oregano, Lemon Balm--bees love the flowers of all varieties; these can spread though so plant in pots, or in a raised beds if you are concerned about a particular plant invading your flower beds.  Or you may be doing this. 

Rosemary & Hyssop--spring flowering; both grow into woody shrubs and stay green all year.

Beekeepers and bee associations across the country are joining together to bring awareness of the bee industry with "National Honeybee Day", August 17, 2013. This event was started in 2009 by a small group of grassroots beekeepers who petitioned for and obtained a formal proclamation by the USDA honoring honey bees and beekeeping.

If you're wondering what all the fuss over bees is about, read the alarming details here, and take a look at the Vanishing of the Bees documentary.  If beekeeping isn't for you, check out all these other ways you can help.  (For the record I am not receiving any monetization to endorse anyone.  Just passing on the info which I think is worth a look.)

I thought this was the bees knees.  It made me SMILE.  Check out the fancy footwork.  Enjoy!

HoneyLove is a non-profit conservation organization on a mission to protect and educate and inspire new urban bee keepers. 

And what would this blog BEE without a sweet  old pattern to share? 

I've uploaded this to Flickr.  Flickr has made lots of changes recently and the image links are imbedded now, so this may be tricky for some.  I'll try and explain.  If someone knows a simple way, please tell us! 

OK.  There are a couple of ways to do it.  Click on the image to open it in flickr and click on that image; choose VIEW ALL SIZES > size MEDIUM 800.  Choose 'Download the Medium 800 size of this photo' and select OPEN in the pop-up box.  This will open a print window that allows you to print out the pattern.  If you are unable to adjust the size you want--choose 'SAVE AS' (instead of OPEN), and save it to a file that you can work with, like photoshop for example. 

If this is all too confusing, just do what I do; click on everything until you find something that works!

BEE back later . . . 

Glory Bee

It's warm, but the sky is rapidly clouding up and turning dark.  Getting ready for a summer shower with "severe thunderstorms", as warnings come in via the emergency alert system.  Time to duck inside and take cover.  Looking out the kitchen window, trying to keep an eye on the sky, I notice our glorious 'Glory Bower' has burst into bloom and thought some of you might like to see it.  The fragrance of the flowers is sweet and drifts in through the windows and open backdoor.  The perfume, I think, is a cross between petunias and gardenias although maybe a bit more subtle.  The leaves however, when crushed, have a strong scent of peanut butter.  Hence the nick-name "peanut butter tree."  Perhaps you've known it by that name.  It's the first thing I introduce people to when they enter the garden for a tour.  Kids seem to especially enjoy this funny quirk of nature.

The flowers are late bloomers, small and dainty and seem to hang on until the very end of the season.  The bees and butterflies are busy fussing over the tiny pink and white petals, fluttering and buzzing everywhere on the breeze around it.  Fortunately, the deer don't bother it at all, except maybe to nap in the shady shelter it provides or to drink from the birdbath it towers over.  Always a funny sight to see. 

This tree has really grown since this post written in 2006 when I still had the cages around everything. (Click on those pictures to enlarge them.) And here it is in 2009.  It seems to have finally reached it's full potential.  I love the shape, it's like a gigantic bridal bouquet.  

Elsewhere in the garden we have more lovliness.

And here's the greenhouse the Mister built.  I love it!  It's the perfect size.  He actually began working on it in the garage over the winter and had most of the frame-work finished by spring.  Then it was all carried out in sections and the girls helped him put it together.  (I just stood around and cheered and clapped and hugged him.)  The greenhouse, and the rest of the garden, lawns and trees are all on auto-drip irrigation (another project he has worked on and added to over the years), so everything pretty much takes care of itself where watering is concerned.  He thinks of everything!    

Here's the Mister's lunch salad he picked fresh from the garden just minutes ago.  Roasted beets are one of his simple pleasures.  Beets are easy to grow, and Grace plants a steady crop especially for her Dad. Once a week, he bakes a few drizzled with olive oil and and then stores them in the fridge to add to his salads.  I never used to think I liked beets until I tried them this way.  They are sweet and delicious and full of healthful benefits.  But you knew that.   

And that is what is happening in my garden right now.  Pickles are next!  Hope everyone is having a good weekend.  I'm going to sit in my cozy chair and storm-watch while I stitch up more hexies and watch Ziegfeld Girl playing on TCM.  

Honeycomb Camera Bag

More lovely pix from the peony and iris farm last month.  So breathtakingly pretty; caught in one short-lived shining moment of time.  All over now.  Fortunately I took lots of pictures to re-visit this pink paradise for inspiration.  I love watching honey bees, they are such industrious little fuzzy buzzy things.  We had a good nest of them rooted deep in the side of our barn when I was growing up.  My dad would remove a plank or two from time to time and Oh, the honey we would raid from it!  Each spring a queen bee would emerge and all havoc would break loose and everyone would be running for cover to avoid the swarms.  But other than that scary bit, it was awesome.  Especially those jars of raw honeycomb on the cellar shelves.  Sweet memories.

Speaking of busy bees.  My youngest daughter has caught the "honeycomb" bug.  It was bound to happen.  She stitched up one patch, and that led to another.  And another.  And before I knew it she'd made herself a snazzy little camera bag.  Woot!

She followed the basic instructions from mama's book, using a 16" x 6" section of machine-quilted patchwork for the foundation that was hand-stitched together with one-inch hexagons. Stitching hexagons is easy and fun--and apparently addicting.  In a good way, of course!  There are various methods and lots of good tutorials on the Internet to guide you.  Search:  'English paper piecing' to find a method that suits you.

Here's the basic foundation ready to be folded and bound.  The bias binding was sewn in two pieces: across one end, and then down the sides and top flap.  This was a slight modification (due to bulk) from the original directions.  An inch of overhang on binding ends allows them to be tucked in and hand-stitched to enclose raw edges.  The original camera tote (shown here) was made from pre-quilted cotton and was bound all the way around.  

Mostly it's pretty much the same bag, this time with a longer strap (for a taller young lady), and with the "battery pocket" placed on the inside so as not to cover up the pretty patchwork.  I think it turned out darling.  So clever that girl of mine.  

Iris on Parade

 

Not far from here, in a lush valley, lies an Iris farm that began as a backyard garden . . .

 . . . and grew.  Dreams can do that.

Summer Garden Tour Begins

"Step into my garden, step in and you'll see, a measure of peace and tranquility.

It's the scent of the blossoms, the buzz of the bees, the sweet song of birds, as they sing in the trees.

The sweet scent of roses, their petals so new; as they glisten and sparkle with the fresh morning dew.

Run your toes through the grass beneath the canopy of trees; hear the rustle of leaves as they blow in the breeze.

Let the beauty of springtime fill your soul with great peace; take it with you and share it with each one you meet."

                                                                                            Author: unknown

Flowering

I've been taking a little time out to smell the flowers, both figuratively and literally.  The weather here, has been alternately rainy and sunny, making for the most amazing garden displays ever, and it's been nice to get out and experience a little flora and fauna in the surrounding woods and farms, not to mention my own backyard, in between my stitching projects these past few weeks.  And, I must say, all that fresh air and awesomeness seems to have lead to a mighty whirl of activity in my sewing studio! 

I can hardly believe this, but since the last blog post, I started and finished a 52 x 70-inch quilt, have another quilt-top nearly done (up on the design wall now), and another quilt in the making on the table.  The Churn Dash is also coming along, lots and lots of hand-quilting on that one, but getting closer to the finish line stitch by stitch. 

In other words, lots of quilts in progress over here! 

What's great is, I'm using up my scraps and odds and ends.  It feels so satisfying somehow to create something new out of something "old".  Well, not all the fabric is old/vintage, but you know what I mean.  Old is relative, and sometimes means, last season's run.  Occasionally, I have to supplement with a newer fabric, but mostly I'm just using what I have and making it work.  I rather enjoy the creative challenge of that because the results are often unexpected surprises.  Mostly in a good way.  Sometimes not.  And then I just add it as a learning experience and move on, so it's all good in the end.

I'll try and get some pictures of all this productivity.  Will slip in a few quilt pix, along with my summer garden odyssey I am about to embark on here.  Which, for me, is where the inspiration ultimately comes from.  Hope you are all taking a little time-out for yourselves too.  If that's not possible, join me here on the blog for FREE mini "garden tours" daily. 

All aboard!

Updated to add:  The rose at the top of the post is called, 'Hot Cocoa' and is a relatively new cultivated floribunda which is cold hardy.  Normally, the color is a bit darker, more dusky--a smoky chocolate brown with hints of purple and russet. The actual color is hard to capture with a camera.   It is sweetly fragrant, and aside from the gorgeous color, I love the scallopped petals.  Some are quite frilly.  Looking like a cross between a rose and a peony.  Lovely!

Blooming Pink

I don't think I can remember an April so lovely, the weather has been amazing.  The tree peonies and azaleas are in full bloom.  Everything is green and the sky is actually blue for a change.

I don't know where those yellow tulips came from.  My garden always seems to be full of surprises. And speaking of flowers.

Honeycomb Quilt #3 in progress.  Flowers are done and in their proper places.  I've already started joining them to the connecting rows since this picture was taken.  I know I promised you pictures of Honeycomb Quilt #2, but at the moment it's being used as a template for this quilt and I don't want to disturb the placement of my flowers in order to move it.     

Silly me.  But here's a little peek underneath. 

Here's another quilt in progress.  A group effort.  We're using the design wall to see where we're at with this.  Sometimes it helps to just stand back and look at the overall design.  We don't have equal numbers of anything; the squares were all cut from scraps, so this will be a randomly pieced quilt, pretty much how it looks here.  But those letter blocks aren't working for me.  I'm thinking 'less is more'.  Maybe plain white would be better.  Sometimes a little white works wonders to calm more saturated colors and busy patterns. 

An example in nature, from the tulip farm.  Yep.  I think white is right.  

Spring Break

 

November Fall Out

Have you put your garden "to bed" yet?  We are still waiting patiently for that opportunity.  It's a bit damp and cold at the moment.  Still need to cover the beds with a blanket of leaves to minimize all those pesky weeds come spring.  Speaking of leaves, with this cold snap they are falling like crazy. I went out and gathered a few from my yard to play around with.  I was thinking it would be fun to trace around all the different shapes and make embroidery designs with them, and then I remembered this little dish towel I made.  Which is always perfect for the season.  If you like, you can make one too!  The pattern (along with a bunch more) can be printed out from the PatternBee website here. 

It's amazing how many leaves can fall from a single tree.

We literally have a carpet of leaves underfoot.  Oh, how it makes me happy!

October Awe

The sun is shining, but the frost is on the pumpkin.  Got down to 32 degrees last night.  A week ago I picked and dried the last of the pole beans to plant again next spring.  Grace rounded up the rest of the tomatoes, blanched off the skins and packed them all away neatly into the freezer.  We reserved a few jars in the fridge to keep on hand for soups and sauces. 

Will now miss the regular visits to our temporary 'experimental' greenhouse.  It's the second season we've used it and have come to the conclusion that a permanent greenhouse is definitely worth doing.  Growing tomatoes was the ultimate "test" and it passed.  Yay! 

Colors of the Season

Late Bloomers

September's Splendor

It seems a few warm days of  'Indian Summer' has made all the difference in our veg garden.  We've been picking and canning up a storm the last few days, mostly green beans, but much to our amazement, the cucumbers and tomatoes have suddenly perked up and are actually ripening on the vine.  And just when we were about to give up on them.  Never Say Never!   

Even so, there are times when you simply cannot fight nature.  Or weather.  Or any number of things that contribute to the success of growing things.  Anyone who gardens has probably had such frustrating moments.  I know I have.  

I'm still learning and finding inspiration watching Gardener's World.  (Follow the link to see the episodes.) 

Seeing RED

 

Sometimes the best days are the days when nothing much happens, allowing us time to just notice, what is.

There's been a nip in the air this past week, but nothing too dramatic, so I was caught by surprise when I saw this little hint of fall foliage today.  And just the one red leaf. Hanging there, quivering in the wind and waving as I passed by. Catching my eye. A small harbinger of autumn, which apparently may be arriving sooner than we think.  It's hard to know. 

The weather just keeps us guessing.  It was mostly misty and mild with a warm day thrown in once in awhile to remind us it was summer.  Which is good for the gardener, but not the garden.  I can only hope my tomatoes follow suit and turn this same bright shade of RED.

I won't hold my breath though.  I know better.  Alas, no ripe-red harvest to crow about here in Zone 8--but basil we do have.  Hurrah!  And that means it's time to make PESTO.

Here's the recipe I always use:

BASIL PESTO

Makes about 1-1/2 cups; enough to freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.   Do all the prep work before you place the following ingredients into a food processor:

1 whole garlic;  crush cloves, peel and coarsely chop 

1 cup of pine nuts; lightly pan roasted with 1 T. olive oil and the garlic.  Set aside to cool.

2 big bunches fresh basil; rinse, pat dry, remove stems and flowers.  You should have about 8 cups of fresh leaves.

3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*Add 1 cup grated Parmesan; if you plan to use pesto fresh.  Leave out the cheese if you freeze it and add it to the thawed pesto later.

To prepare:  Put the basil leaves into the food processor bowl and coarse chop.  Add the pine nuts and garlic.  With the processor running, drizzle the olive oil slowly into the feed shoot until you have the consistency desired.  That's it!

To store:  Keep in fridge and use within a week.  For longer storage, I like to make little individual packets.  Spoon  the mixture into Ziploc snack bags (about 2 T. in each one).  Then gently squeeze out the air, close the seal and smooth the pesto out evenly and flat so it fills all the corners.  Place the bags on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Then store them all in a plastic freezer container or a large freezer bag.   It will keep for a year or longer.

To use:  Remove pesto from the bag while it is still frozen so it all comes out in one nice clean piece.  No mess, no waste.  You can  also just break off a piece if you only need a small amount for flavoring vegetables; say mashed potatoes, for instance.  (You will not believe how good that is! )

*Combine the thawed pesto with pasta and any hard fresh grated cheeses, like Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano.

Try this too:  Add a teaspoon of pesto to a basic oil and vinegar salad dressing to give it extra zing.  Mixed with cream cheese or goat cheese it makes a wonderful spread on crackers and bread; easy to throw together when company calls unexpectedly.  

Harlequin Glory Bower

The tiny green swallows inhabiting our birdhouses have flown off to destinations unknown.  They've been gone for a few weeks now.  I do miss waking up to their early morning song.  The garden is at it's peak now.  And wonder of wonders, the tomatoes are actually turning red.  In August!  It's a miracle, I tell ya.  Yesterday, Ginger and I pulled down all the dead pea vines for the next rotation of seedlings to climb.  We're hoping they make it as a fall crop.  We still have peas-a-plenty that were frozen. The wild lettuce garden has bolted despite the shade cover, but we've enjoyed picking our lunch salads all summer. We pulled up beats and roasted a few for cold salads later in the week.  Picked a basket full of green beans, which landed on the dinner table last night.  They were fantastic just steamed and tossed with olive oil infused with fresh rosemary and garlic. 

Way over here, on this side of the yard, the old weather-worn pickets and gate have been replaced.  Looking very tidy now thanks to the Mister's masterful craftsmanship.  We do so appreciate his woodworking skills!  But the silver artemisia is a frolicking froth of foam just spilling out over its boundaries.  It's been trimmed back twice already.  Time to send it packing to another location, me thinks.

Late summer is when the 'Harlequin Glory Bower' blooms, and I am happy to say, it's right on schedule. So pretty.  It's what I gaze upon from the kitchen sink morning, noon, and night.  Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies love it and I love watching them come and go.   

The flowers have a scent, sweet like orange blossoms, but the leaves smell exactly like peanut butter!  My little granddaughters think this is hysterical.  The deer avoid it entirely, which is a blessing, as so few plants escape their nibbling.  This tree is going on its 6th year now and according to the handy tree guide has reached its full height.  But we shall see.  Things tend to grow to unexpected proportions around here.  You never know.  Planting a tree is always a crap-shoot.  Anything can happen.  We've had to cut so many of them down, for different reasons, so just keeping my fingers crossed that this one doesn't do anything unexpected or crazy.  (I planted this grouping in 2006 cages and all, and by 2009 it looked like this.)  You can see it's all coming along nicely. 

I actually like this Glory Bower SO much, that I cultivated one of its shoots (it does send up shoots from time to time), and planted it out front near the driveway.  It didn't do much the first year. This one is about 4 years old now though and is really starting to take off.  I need to trim it up to expose some branches.  A job best done after the flowers (and bees) are gone.        

Going Underground

 

 

Another clever idea from the Oregon Gardens.   

It's HOT today. Everyone's gone up to the pool.  I'm hiding out in the house with the shades drawn where it's nice and cool.  We spent the day in Portland yesterday, cruising up and down the Willamette River, so I'm trying to stay out of the sun today.  I took a bunch of pictures, will try and post a few when I can.  Things are happening around here.  The twenty-year-old deck out back is getting a make-over.  The work began on Thursday.  They still have a long way to go.  I am relishing the peace and quiet of this Sunday afternoon very much right now!

 

Reflections & Water Gardens

Under the August heat, my mind harkens back to this cool scene at the Oregon Gardens.  A colorful display of water lilies were in early bloom that day, opening to pale blue skies with whip-cream clouds floating overhead.

 Bullfrogs hung suspended just beneath the surface while a soothing trickle of water poured down over the rock wall from above.  After sitting by a pond (any pond will do), I am marvelously restored. 

This man-made relection pond is one of two identical ones, that sit on opposite sides of a promenade.  In the evenings, the light strings wrapped around the tree trunks make the water sparkle and dance and come to life.  On such a night, we can linger longer than usual to take it all in.

An underground spring bubbles up along a hidden path, then cascades down rocks nourishing a spillway at the bottom of the hill. 

One can find peace in a splashing brook.  Sometimes we need to dip a toe in shallow sparkling water.  Just because.  Now and then the well of our spirit requires a refill so that we can draw from it again.  One of the joys of summer. 

 

 

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!

Gathering No Moss

Robins in the treetop, blossoms in the grass,

Green things a-growing,  everywhere you pass.

---Thomas Bailey Aldrich

 
Following a recent visit to the Oregon Garden, I've fallen into a rhythm of industrious contentment as the skies clear and the green things begin to grow once again. 

Time slows in the garden.  My mind quiets and my thoughts wander.  I move earth around with gloved hands; planting and pruning.  Pulling up weeds and putting in flowers.  A straw hat shading my eyes from the sun.

Rethinking the santolina, which has taken over an entire section of the herb garden.  To prune or to plunder...that is the question with it now.  Or shall I give it a new home somewhere else in the yard where it can wander without constraint.  Or complaint. Sometimes you bring a little something home in a 4" pot with vision and confidence, only to have it morph into something else entirely.  It was not the same variety I had planted before.  Of that I am certain.  Apparently it grew throughout the winter without any problem at all.  A reminder that winter was mild here.  Lovely though it is, it's tendency to swallow up everything around it prevails.  The bee balm is a paltry specimen now.  Sad and droopy from lack of nourishment and light.  I'm hoping a little effort will revive it.  

A bedding of bulbs is also in danger.  Finding new "homes" and places to plant them is foremost on my mind before construction on the new deck begins.  A rescue mission of sorts.   

 

A bouquet of colorful songbirds, swooping in and out of birdhouses and trees, add background music to the long peaceful hours spent puttering in the garden.  Don't ya just love this "high density" bird condo?  (Compliments of Oregon Garden).  Before you chop that tree to the ground, consider this garden feature as an alternative.  I wish I would've seen this idea before we had so many of our trees removed. 

On another acre of land, in another part of the woods, we find this.  Best to keep moving!  A rolling stone gathers no moss, as they say.  I'll be back with more garden wonders to share again soon.  Yay! Summer is here!

Flowering

Took some pictures around the yard yesterday.  This 'golden chain' is so pretty right now.  I worry about this tree getting too big though, each year it seems to grow by leaps and bounds.  A good trimming is definitely in order. 

A promising blue sky above is a beautiful backdrop.

Here's a shrub I planted two years ago, is getting big too.  I forget the name, but it has clusters of pink fragrant flowers.  So much is in bloom right now.  All lovely of course, but I've been sneezing like mad!