Autumn Jubilee in the Garden

Cool October nights are bringing the garden season to a close. While I still have some tomatoes on the vine, and more still green, they are mostly done. I harvested these, and I'll pull up the plants when the first frost occurs. There is still one squash left on the vine, and it finally appears …

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Gardening and Cooking

I am happy it is September, and I know fall is coming because my toad lily is preparing to bloom. These buds are growing larger, and cascade down the leaf fronds. I have three pots of toad lilies in a three tiered stand. There are going to be a lot of blooms this year. The …

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June in the Garden, On the Veranda

Planting pots and my veggie garden the past two weeks was a lot of work. On a cool morning, I got out early to do the heavy work while it was still nice outside. It warmed up fast, though. First up was to pull the weeds in the front flowerbed. Luckily, there weren't too many, …

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Using Flavored and Specialty Oils

Have you ever wondered about all the different oils available now?  Using flavored and specialty oils are a way to add depth and dimension to your cooking without a lot of fuss.  Some of flavored oils on the market are infused olive oils, so these can be used in place of plain olive oil.  The …

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Early June In the Garden

The garden continues to grow and evolve, watching for the first tomatoes and hoping for a good crop of basil.  The garden is busy and blooming so get ready for a picture heavy post!  Out in the forest, the honeysuckle is going like crazy. The sweet fragrance wafts across the air, and the pollinators are …

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Last of the Garden

The days are not quite so hot, and the nights are definitely getting cooler, so the garden is winding down.  The torenias will continue to bloom well into October, but they are starting to look a little leggy.  The silver pot on the porch below is the amaryllis that rebloomed last winter.  Click on Reblooming …

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July in the Garden

The garden continues to do well for flowers, even though the temperatures are getting a bit warm for our part of the country. Mountain summers rarely reach 90 degrees, but we have had a few days that hot. Most are around 88 in the hottest part of summer, which is now to the end of …

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Working in the Garden in June

Last week I finally got to the garden center to pick up the rest of the veggie plants I wanted.   I got three more tomato plants, one a purple heirloom, a couple of peppers, several herbs and a few more flowers.  The trunk was full. Nothing beats a homegrown tomato topped with fresh picked basil, …

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