The August Garden

August 21, 2014 by Summer

The August garden is finally providing. We have tomatoes galore! (Ellie ate about 12 that she had picked herself today). The kale just keeps growing and growing. It seems we’ve finished our corn. Now I’m looking into what to do with those dried husks. We have a little bit of swiss chard for those morning omelets and lots of herbs still growing strong and keeping the honey bees happy. The Jack-be-little pumpkins are almost ready to be picked and the hops! Those glorious hops! I caught a glimpse of them in the afternoon sun the other day and had to run out and photograph them. Lush and green (even in this brownish land of California) and reaching all the way up to the top floor windows of the house. It’s a fun, full of life month in the garden. And as you can see, Ellie’s library sunflower finally bloomed. She’s one happy gardener.

An Anniversary Garden

October 23, 2013 by Summer

For our anniversary this year, we thought we would stick with the “traditional” fourth year gift of flowers and plants. We both wanted to do something special and so we decided to pull out what was left in the planter boxes and plant an herb garden for the winter. This past weekend we finally got to the garden center and the weather was perfect for some anniversary garden planting.

This is our first time growing herbs in a larger space. Usually we stick them in smaller containers but now that Jeff is cooking with them more often, we thought devoting a whole box to many different types would be fun. Our own winter kitchen garden! It was also one of the best anniversary presents. Our whole family got to pick out the plants together, be outside together while planting them and we will all get to enjoy them when they are roasted on the chicken, stirred in with the soup or even mixed in with the homemade bread.

Out In the Winter Garden

February 13, 2013 by Summer

The winter garden is growing ever so slowly. Maybe too slow. We are keeping the snails at bay with freshly crushed and baked eggshells throughout the garden but with the random hot weather and very cold weather that keeps cycling through, I think the plants are confused. We have herbs growing inside and some spring time seedlings as well. I’m excited to get them planted outside but the weather has been so hot. Our lemons are waning but the orange tree seems to be continuously producing. We have so many oranges we have run out of ideas on what to do with them. Do you have any orange recipes? What’s happening in your garden?