Designing in Life

A Little Bit of Spring

I have a hard time not picking little flowers that I find.  I have the smallest little vintage glass that sits on
my windowsill in back of the kitchen sink, that I love to put flowers in.  Sometimes it sits empty for weeks on end during the winter, until I make myself buy something to put into it.  Starting in the spring, however, it is filled with something all the time.

Little violets are blooming everywhere outside.  I wanted to pick a few white ones, but they were just too teeny-tiny.  Two clumps of grape hyacinths were certainly calling my name, although they are almost on their way out.  Not to worry though, I see all kinds of things starting to poke their sleepy heads up out of the ground these days.

Rose of Sharon

I know it is a relative of hibiscus.  I remember there was one just outside of our back door when I was growing up.  My mother used to throw coffee grounds around it, and it would blossom and thrive in the summer and fall.  The hummingbirds loved it, and so did I.

This is the first year of blooming for my hibiscus.  It came from my daughter's back yard in Jersey City.  I've had it a few years, and think maybe it needed time to readjust to the cooler temps up here in Vermont.

And also on the garden front, things are still growing up here.  Possibly because of the summer weather that decided to sneak in again.  My alpine strawberries are blossoming and bearing fruit again.  We've had cereal for breakfast with fresh strawberries on it.  They are tiny, so it takes quite a few to make a difference, but they seem to be going to town right now. 

I'll eat them until the frost hits.  But there are no signs of frost in the air – which is why I've been in my pool the past 2 days.  Sept. 26 in the pool seems pretty late up here, but when the water is still 80 degrees and the air temp is in the 80's, it's hard to resist.

Long live warm weather!!

What's Going On??

With the weather, that is.  One day it's 90 and the next it's 58.  It has been just plain whacky.  Tornado warnings, hail the size of golf balls and rain, rain, rain. 

This is what my garden looked like last week.

I got out there on one of the days it didn't rain, and worked on putting more soil into rows of hills.  I had to dig everything by hand, because it's just too wet to rototill.

There are some things growing, though.  A little lettuce.

The strawberries have blossoms.

The blueberries have tiny berrries on the branches.

Hmmm, but maybe not for long.  I spotted this lady eyeing them.

I have plants just waiting to go in.  I'm not sure how much longer I can hold them – not because of time, but they're getting too big for their tiny containers.

Let's hope the next post I do is filled with pictures of vegetables planted in my garden.  As far as planting any annuals...nope, haven't even started.  And that's what's going on here!

For Every Season

The snow is just about gone, although there are still lingering traces of it on north facing hills that I pass on my way home from work.  My world is still mud-season brown but I know there is a whole lotta' green that will be going on soon.  And so I was pleasantly surprised when I got home to find some purple and yellow crocuses had popped their sleepy heads out of the ground.

I watched that little honey bee bathe in crocus pollen, flitting from one flower to the next in what seemed like drunken excitement.  Ahh, spring must finally be here.  And so, this is what I'll be getting ready for this weekend as the temperatures climb into the 60s.

I guess I'm experiencing my own drunken-like excitement with the realization that the cold weather season will finally turn, turn, turn.

Of Halloween and Harvest

Happy Halloween out there.  I want to post this great door decoration from MegaSpooky for all of you to put into your file for next year.

I happened to have bought a "Bag of Bones" from Oriental Trading for a photo shoot.  If I had seen this wreath before turning over all the bones to our call center for decorations, I would have made this for them.

We are awaiting trick-or-treaters as I write this.  Usually we get about 6-10, since we live off the beaten path.  I always pack paper lunch bags full of treats to make sure they return next year.  Yes, I've been referred to as "that's the lady that gives us a whole bag of Halloween candy!"

As the season of growing closes for good, I've started to compile my list of what worked and what didn't for next year.   More carrots, more black beans, more strawberries (thanks Dave!), plant more cilantro and basil in July and maybe 2 less tomato plants...maybe.  Anyway, it is almost November 1st, and I still have a little pile of ripe tomatoes, that won't last long. 

 
I grew herbs close to the house, so they've been spared from the frost we've had.  I've been picking and washing them.  When dry, I take the leaves off the stalks and wrap them in paper towels, which help wick away the moisture and dry them. 

After they're dry, I just put them in glass jars and keep them out of the light.  This helps them keep their green color.   There are a lot more herbs out there, and I'll just keep cutting some daily until they're gone.

That's it at our house, gotta run, I hear little voices at the door!!!

Why I Love Zinnias

1. They're so colorful.
2. They're easy to grow.
3. They make a beautiful arrangement for your table.
4. They're just a happy flower.

I've been growing zinnias for years.  There are so many varieties.  My favorites are "State Fair" and "Cut and Come Again."  The State Fair can grow as big as a salad plate, and the Cut and Come Again, as their name implies, just keep on producing as long as you keep on cutting them.

They just make me happy because they're so colorful.  I love sunflowers, they're a very happy flower too, but I really like all the color that zinnias offer.

And then there is the occasional sunflower that decides to join in with the crowd.

 

I missed getting a photo of one of the red zinnias, they're pretty spectacular. 

This year, Beth and I had gone flower shopping after she had her knee operated on.  She bought 2 flats of zinnias and gave some of them to me.  I had already planted seeds, but I put the plants here and there knowing that they would bloom before the seeds.  Now that cooler weather is here, probably to stay, a bouquet of these in the house is a warm reminder of how much I love getting out into the garden in the spring, and how wonderful the pay off is at the end of the season.

Gardening Continues

Here is yesterday's pick.  There is so much more out there I have to harvest.  Beets, peppers, leeks, pumpkins, squash, radishes, swiss chard...and more.  There is only so much time in the day when I get home from work.  The daylight hours are starting to shorten, so it's important I get out there every day to pick what is ready.

This year's carrots are the best I've ever grown.  My garden soil is heavy with clay, even though I've been working at making the soil soft and stone-free for 10 years.  This year, I planted in long hilled rows, and made sure there were no stones in it.  Seems it paid off.

There are a few people at work who also garden, so we trade our weed war stories, and compare notes.  Joan came in with the biggest tomato I've ever seen.  I can't remember the variety, but it was gigantic.  I planted Early Girls, which are always small, but very tasty and prolific.  We decided we needed a photo of our tomatoes together, and something to put them in perspective.  Hmmm, puts my lowly tomato to shame.  But I have to say, I like the variety I plant, because as the name implies, they are early in coming.  I usually have tomatoes before most of my gardening friends.

Hope your garden, big or small, is doing as well as mine is!

My Garden DOES Grow!

I am excited and happy to report that my garden is growing beautifully (as are the weeds) in this New Jersey weather we're having.  It seems to be thriving in the hot and humid conditions, save for the powdery mildew that has appeared on my squash.  I am about to spray it with 3 parts skim milk and 9 parts water.  This is the "cure" for powdery mildew.  Better to use skim to avoid other pest problems with the high fat in 2% and full strength.  Anyway, back to garden bragging.  Here are some photos of a few things going great guns out there.

So, if you've been wondering what I've been doing in my spare time, it seems weeding is absolutely on the top of my list these days.  Hope you're gardens look great too!

How's Your Garden Growing???

Well, after being gone for three days, my garden has exploded.  Sadly, not just in vegetables but weeds too.  I frantically weeded late in the evening yesterday.  It will take me a few evenings to catch up, but I think I can do it.  Best of all though, everything is growing wonderfully.  After last year's garden disaster because of too much rain, this is a welcome relief.

I picked radishes, beet greens, snow peas, lettuce and spinach. There are blossoms on eggplant, tomatoes, tomatillas, peppers, cantaloupe and zucchini.  The leeks and fennel are coming along nicely too. It is a beautiful garden in spite of the weeds.

So, in honor of my upcoming vegetable onslaught, I thought I'd share this recipe from Vegetarian Times.  Although it calls for grilling or broiling, I have also oven-roasted vegetables, and they're delicious.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 serrano chile (optional), seeded and chopped (2 tsp.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise (3/4 lb.)
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise (1/2 lb.)
• 3 medium portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (1/2 lb.)
• 1/4  cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbs. lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler or grill. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, if broiling. Combine oil, serrano chile, garlic, and ginger in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add onion, bell pepper, eggplant, squash, and mushroom caps; toss to coat.
2. Place vegetables on prepared baking sheet or grill, and broil or grill 8 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once. Transfer to platter or bowl.
3. Sprinkle vegetables with parsley and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Yup, I love this time of year and all the fresh produce that's available – right out my own back door.

Herb Markers

Hey, check these out.  These are great herb markers, and I think they're pretty unique.  You can buy them on Etsy from Hammermann!