And one regular old toadstool!
I am a bit leery of eating them, but they're supposed to be good...
- See Wild About Mushrooms
- I mean, they're on the Cornell Mushroom Blog--what could go wrong?
- And Wildman Steve!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Return of the Alien Puff Balls
Giant mushrooms are back. Same area as last year, but I think there are more of them. They'll probably get mowed over and splattered tomorrow.
I am a bit leery of eating them, but they're supposed to be good...
I am a bit leery of eating them, but they're supposed to be good...
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Basil Jelly
Why basil jelly? There is only so much pesto one can make. Besides, it sounded interesting and tasty.
There was a LOT of basil, so I made some pesto, too. (Note that 2 cups of basil went into each recipe - yielding a little over 3 pints of jelly but just about 1 cup of pesto.)
Anyway, basil jelly. Here's the recipe I used: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/73253931412369989/
I had seen some other recipes using less basil, but including some lemon. I think the lemon would make the jelly even better, so I think I will include some next time. I skipped the food coloring, so the color is much less green. I think I'm okay with that--might look too much like mint jelly otherwise. I also did not go crazy straining out the chopped basil leaves.
I have tried it as the recipe suggests, with cream cheese on crackers. It is pretty mild, but nice. I do think the lemon would perk it up and complement the basil nicely.
Is it Spring or is it Fall?
It's Cincinnati!
Weather and nature are always somewhat unpredictable. Last winter was warmer than normal, summer was cooler. A stretch of cool and rainy early in the growing season threw off half the veggies in my garden. (Again, glad I don't have to depend on the produce from my garden to survive.)
So, I'm walking through the front yard and see something on my little flowering almond which I suspect is litter (an all-too-common sight in my yard). But no, upon closer inspection, the plant is flowering again! This is a spring-flowering shrub. Most of the leaves are gone for the year, thanks to a late drought period and the approach of fall, but there they are, several flowers. A much more pleasant surprise than another piece of fast food napkin (or worse, much worse).
Weather and nature are always somewhat unpredictable. Last winter was warmer than normal, summer was cooler. A stretch of cool and rainy early in the growing season threw off half the veggies in my garden. (Again, glad I don't have to depend on the produce from my garden to survive.)
So, I'm walking through the front yard and see something on my little flowering almond which I suspect is litter (an all-too-common sight in my yard). But no, upon closer inspection, the plant is flowering again! This is a spring-flowering shrub. Most of the leaves are gone for the year, thanks to a late drought period and the approach of fall, but there they are, several flowers. A much more pleasant surprise than another piece of fast food napkin (or worse, much worse).
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Summer into Fall
As summer blends into fall, nights get cooler (sometimes), daylight hours fewer, and the garden takes a last blast to ensure its survival through the winter. That is, everything goes to seed, even as a few late bloomers brighten up the fall color. Here are a few bits of late summer color, seed, and bugs from my yard and gardens.
The asters are starting to pop. I prefer asters to garden mums because they actually do come back every year. In spring and summer they have nice foliage, then, in fall, these bloom purple.
Cotoneaster has pretty little flowers in the spring and early summer, then these bright red berries through the fall and winter. A very hardy plant in the poor, poor soil between the house and driveway.
Asters, cotoneaster, euonymus, heather, and angelina sedum, filling in nicely in the same poor soil.
I love fountain grass. I think something climbed into it to make it hang over...
I have a few different fountain grass varieties planted in a swale.
I don't remember planting the black-eyed susans there, but that is not too surprising, windblown and critter-carried seed get wild flowers into the oddest places.
Check out these cool fountain grass tops. What's not to love?
The knock out roses just keep flowering. They'll go into December here in Zone 6. Not much scent, but they look pretty and grow fast and strong. Because they have no scent, the deer don't eat them. All the more reason to choose them for the garden in the Certified Backyard Habitat.
Autumn Joy sedum. This is their time, hence the name. I am not a big fan of sedum, but they came with the yard and they are hardy and extremely drought-tolerant. I do like their rich pink color this time of year. And the bees LOVE them. I want to support the bees, so that's one more excuse to leave these all over the yard. In the spring, the dried flower stalks rake out pretty easily as the leaves start to pop out.
See, how pretty is that color? If you were a bee, you'd want to visit it, too. I took these pictures at dusk, after the bees had gone for the day, but really, they cover these flowers in the sun.
Thyme grows most anywhere and makes great, fragrant ground cover. This one is in a little piece of old pipe, so it got tall and bushy. It comes back every year, too. And yes, you can cook with it. Win, win, win. (Yes, those are mums in the back. I had bought them for a table decoration. Maybe they'll come back next year, maybe not.)
A few zinnias and cosmos still full of color.
Speaking of going to seed, check out the cow peas! They can be eaten fresh or dried (just ask the deer who ate the first fruits this summer). I like to let them dry on the vine.
Note the additional fencing added to discourage further deer browsing on the second round of cow pea pods. It is a low fence, but deer don't like to get between two fences, so it is enough. I sprinkled some deer scram around the area for added protection. So far, so good.
The patty pan squash just keep coming. Way more productive than the zucchini this year. And there were NO yellow squash at all. The odd cool rainy period early in the summer disrupted pollination, but this plant must have flowered at the right time. And continues to flower and fruit. Several more little squashes forming... I am going to try it in my chocolate zucchini cake recipe. There is only so much steamed and sauteed patty pan a girl can eat.
I had some old, dried ornamental peppers in the shed, so I thought I'd see if they'd sprout. They did! Planted along with some curly and flat leaf parsley. I think it will make a great fall display!
I read somewhere that sage doesn't grow well from seed. I already had the seeds. I'm glad. Worked just fine for me.
The asters are starting to pop. I prefer asters to garden mums because they actually do come back every year. In spring and summer they have nice foliage, then, in fall, these bloom purple.
These cleomes were "volunteers," thanks to windblown seed, I suppose, in the middle of the veggie garden. They are one of my favorite flowers, so I left them to coexist. They are now taller than me! Have to collect some of the seeds for planting elsewhere next spring...
Cotoneaster has pretty little flowers in the spring and early summer, then these bright red berries through the fall and winter. A very hardy plant in the poor, poor soil between the house and driveway.
 |
| cotoneaster berries |
I love fountain grass. I think something climbed into it to make it hang over...
I have a few different fountain grass varieties planted in a swale.
I don't remember planting the black-eyed susans there, but that is not too surprising, windblown and critter-carried seed get wild flowers into the oddest places.
Check out these cool fountain grass tops. What's not to love?
The knock out roses just keep flowering. They'll go into December here in Zone 6. Not much scent, but they look pretty and grow fast and strong. Because they have no scent, the deer don't eat them. All the more reason to choose them for the garden in the Certified Backyard Habitat.
Autumn Joy sedum. This is their time, hence the name. I am not a big fan of sedum, but they came with the yard and they are hardy and extremely drought-tolerant. I do like their rich pink color this time of year. And the bees LOVE them. I want to support the bees, so that's one more excuse to leave these all over the yard. In the spring, the dried flower stalks rake out pretty easily as the leaves start to pop out.
See, how pretty is that color? If you were a bee, you'd want to visit it, too. I took these pictures at dusk, after the bees had gone for the day, but really, they cover these flowers in the sun.
Thyme grows most anywhere and makes great, fragrant ground cover. This one is in a little piece of old pipe, so it got tall and bushy. It comes back every year, too. And yes, you can cook with it. Win, win, win. (Yes, those are mums in the back. I had bought them for a table decoration. Maybe they'll come back next year, maybe not.)
A few zinnias and cosmos still full of color.
Speaking of going to seed, check out the cow peas! They can be eaten fresh or dried (just ask the deer who ate the first fruits this summer). I like to let them dry on the vine.
Note the additional fencing added to discourage further deer browsing on the second round of cow pea pods. It is a low fence, but deer don't like to get between two fences, so it is enough. I sprinkled some deer scram around the area for added protection. So far, so good.
Happened upon this guy checking out the ferns. I think it is a Virginian Tiger Moth caterpillar. How about that fur coat?
The patty pan squash just keep coming. Way more productive than the zucchini this year. And there were NO yellow squash at all. The odd cool rainy period early in the summer disrupted pollination, but this plant must have flowered at the right time. And continues to flower and fruit. Several more little squashes forming... I am going to try it in my chocolate zucchini cake recipe. There is only so much steamed and sauteed patty pan a girl can eat.
I had some old, dried ornamental peppers in the shed, so I thought I'd see if they'd sprout. They did! Planted along with some curly and flat leaf parsley. I think it will make a great fall display!
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| ornamental pepper flowering |
 |
| ornamental pepper |
 |
| sage |
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Patty Pan Saute
Patty pans are a very mild summer squash. They should be picked when they turn creamy white and reach about 4 inches across. If you let them get much bigger the skin becomes a hard shell and the flavor suffers somewhat. In the case of patty pans, bigger is not better!
 |
| patty pan on the vine (note dried blossom still attached on bottom) |
 |
| fresh-picked patty pan |
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 onion, diced medium
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 patty pan squash, cut in quarters top to bottom, then sliced about 1/4 inch thick
8 oz mushrooms (I like baby bellas), chopped (a bit smaller than you've cut the onion)
salt & pepper to taste
fresh herbs* - your choice - thyme, parsley, or basil (sliced into thin ribbons)
cheese - optional - bleu or parmesan
Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute briefly before adding garlic. Saute a few minutes until onions begin to soften. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. Add mushrooms. Reduce heat slightly. Try to resist the temptation to add more oil. You may need to add just a little to keep the mushrooms from sticking, but they will soon start to release juices and do just fine without a lot of oil.
When the mushrooms begin to soften and release liquid, about 8 minutes, add the sliced squash. Sprinkle in a bit more salt and pepper, and thyme or parsley, if using. Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the squash becomes slightly golden and translucent, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in basil, if using, and cook another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Plate mixture, then top with cheese to taste, if desired.
Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as side.
* You can use dried herbs, if fresh are not available. For dried herbs, use about 1/3 the amount and rub between your fingers to release the flavor oils as you add the herbs to the skillet.
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Mystery, Indeed
I have been meaning to plant some mystery lilies (a.k.a. naked ladies) in my yard, but the only way seems to be getting some from someone else's yard (with their permission, of course!) or buying the bulbs online, and I just hadn't gotten to it. But, suddenly, after nine years in this house, I have two of them in my yard. I don't know how they got there. I've never seen them before. As this blog attests, I am pretty on top of what is happening in my yard, so I don't know how I could have missed them! Either they've been dormant all this time, they were mixed into something else I planted, or a squirrel did it--they are all over the neighborhood (squirrels and mystery lilies). Whatever, I am a happy camper!
Why are they called "mystery lilies," you may well ask. Because they put up just foliage in the spring, then the foliage dies off, then in August, they put up a stalk with the flowers on top and no leaves. So they have the nickname "naked ladies." Get it?
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Watering
It has been raining about one-quarter inch a day for the last few days. This works out quite well for me :) Some of the containers need a bit more water, but the main beds are doing just fine with the water from the Lord.
The zucchini are coming in at a rate I can almost keep up with. (I did give one away to my Mom.) Zucchini bread is on the way. And the old family recipe "zucchini mess," probably with some frozen for the winter. A few patty pan squashes, mild and delicious steamed or sauteed with a little butter or Parmesan. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen. I know all of the sudden there will be a lot (never too many), but for now I am savoring them one at a time.
I have learned that tassels and silk are two different things...
Meanwhile, the cosmos, cleomes, and zinnias are really starting to bloom en masse, nicely encouraging the bees to stop by and pollinate and the hummingbirds to feed and entertain.
The zucchini are coming in at a rate I can almost keep up with. (I did give one away to my Mom.) Zucchini bread is on the way. And the old family recipe "zucchini mess," probably with some frozen for the winter. A few patty pan squashes, mild and delicious steamed or sauteed with a little butter or Parmesan. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen. I know all of the sudden there will be a lot (never too many), but for now I am savoring them one at a time.
Corn is coming along. Here it is amid a few pots of tomatoes and herbs.
I have learned that tassels and silk are two different things...
The squashes still have lots of flowers. There is a bee in this one, although I'm not sure if he was gathering pollen/nectar or taking a nap. No yellow summer squash have set fruit yet. They were supposed to be the first to be ready to harvest, so perhaps they missed their pollination window during the heavier rainy weather of a couple weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the cosmos, cleomes, and zinnias are really starting to bloom en masse, nicely encouraging the bees to stop by and pollinate and the hummingbirds to feed and entertain.
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