Tomato Happening!

If you're like me, one of the best things about summer is looking forward to juicy tomatoes plucked fresh from the vine. Tomato salad with basil, tomato sandwiches, tomato pie...um, my mouth is watering.

Well, tomato lovers, on Saturday, August 21st, head on down to Terrain at Styers in Glen Mills (for a little taste of heaven) for their 3rd Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival.

There's live music, crafts, drinks, food tasting and of course, luscious mouth-watering heirloom tomato samples of Black Krim and more. And, if that doesn't satisfy your tomato-loving craving, the six tomato-based salsas should be to die for.

Happy nibbling!!

For more info check at http://www.terrainathome.com/

Enjoy! ~ Lynne

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France Is More Than Champagne

France is famous for many things: wine, cheese, the Eiffel Tower . . . and gardens.

My husband Fred & I spent our summer vacation touring this gorgeous country. He’s a great travel planner and always finds the most interesting places to visit and stay.

In his planning he discovered the renowned landscape architects of the 19th century Denis and Eugene Buhler. According to our guide books, the brothers are credited with creating the “open landscape” – a radical departure from the traditional formal French style of straight lines and clipped boxwoods.

So we had to see an example and visited the Parc du Thabor in Rennes. Built in 1865 on 10 acres right in the heart of the town, it is one of France's oldest municipal parks. The day we visited - a weekday – we were surprised to see it packed with families and hundreds of students enjoying the sunshine.

We live and work 5 minutes from Longwood Gardens, so I must admit, I’m a bit spoiled, so I can understand why Thabor still is considered one of the most beautiful gardens and parks in France. It's well worth a visit.

Suzi

Garden Media Group

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Happy Birthday Smithsonian!

Today is the Smithsonian's 164th birthday! It's hard to believe that the world's largest museum complex has been around for so long. With over 19 free museums to enjoy, you'll never get tired of visiting this must-see DC attraction.

In honor of the Smithsonian's birthday, I put together a few fun facts that you may or may not know about this popular destination:

*The Smithsonian's first building, commonly known as the Castle, was designed by architect James Renwick Jr, whose other works include St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.

*The founding father, James Smithson, was a British Scientist who left his entire estate to the United States to establish the Smithsonian Institution. For an interesting article on Smithson, click here.

*The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 137 million, including more than 126 million specimens and artifacts at the National Museum of Natural History.

*There were more than 30 million visitors to the museums and the National Zoo in 2009.

I highly recommend visiting this wonderful institution next time you're in Washington, D.C.

-Stacey

GMG

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Going to the Market!

Fridays in Kennett Square means a quick jog to the Kennett Square Farmers Market that's packed with exotic sights and smells.

Last Friday, after a brisk walk, I was ready to sample the yummy cheeses and sip teas and coffee blends that would cause the fussiest of foodies to pause and linger.

I also indulged in a very cool mix of Chai tea- and scarfed up some mango goat cheese. (alas, all gone now.) Along with bags of just plucked veggies and fruit, I meandered around tables sporting an array of hard-to-find jams and honey as well as cool crafts.

(Check out the recipe for eggplant on the ksqfarmersmarket blog.)

Adding to the joy- joy of Kennett's open-air market, there's music, crafts and demonstrations from 2-6 PM.

So if you're in the area visiting Longwood Gardens or Wintertur or any of the lovely parks in the area, definitely stop at the Kennett Square Farmers Market! You'll be glad you did! (And by the way... thanks Mairi for these great pictures! )

~Lynne

GMG

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Friday the 13th...hmmmmm....

Today is the infamous Friday the 13th! Made famous by many movies (which I have never seen), loads of urban legends (which I am a sucker for) and also the day prior to my birthday (OK, so maybe that last one is not so famous!)

One of my best friends children was born on August 13th...We were both hoping she could hold out just one more day to rid herself (and him) of the dreaded occurrence of his birthday falling on that specific date! (But you can't stop Mother Nature.)

But is being born on the 13th such a bad thing? He gets LOTS of attention due to the fact that he is a 'Friday the 13th' birthday. He sees it in the positive light...more attention to him and his special day.

On the way to work this morning I spoke to my mom about her fears that I might have been born on the 13th...her response, "I just wanted you to be healthy...the date had nothing to do with it...it is only a number!" Plus, being that I was a week early probably put her mind greatly at ease!

My Grandmother used to rise every morning and sing "Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!" Whether it was raining, sunny or foggy had nothing to do with how she was going to experience that day. Maybe we can all take a lesson from mom-mom and believe that '13' is just a number and Friday the 13th is just another day...or is it? So have some fun with it, wait it out and soon it will be the 14th...and now you all know what special day THAT IS!!! Thanks Mom!

-Karen
GMG

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Dog Days of Summer

Ever wonder where the term 'dog days of summer' originated? Well, since most of the country has been withering under punishing, steamy heat these past few months, it's not just our furry companions- dogs- that have been seeking refuge from relentless heat and humidity.

Wikipedia references 'dog days' from the ancient Roman belief that the star Sirius, (Dog Star) was considered the brightest star in the heavens (next to our sun) and positioned in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Since Sirius was in close proximity to our sun, voila! - the "Dog Star" had to be the sultry weather culprit.

The Romans believed the 'Dog Days' commenced around July 24th through August 24th, but this summer is feeling like their oracles sure got it wrong.

Well, one of our our doggie mascots, Nigel, (Karen's handsome Cavalier King Charles and brother to Godiva, a gorgeous Chocolate Lab) is sniffing out the problem and taking charge of weather prognostications. When his ears rise in unison, the weather is gonna be just fine (but oh- that also happens when I feed him cereal with berries!) Hmm.

Hey! Nigel is defending all dogs that have taken a bad rap for thousands of years. The gauntlet (or tail, in his case) is down... no more "dog days of summer." Let's call these scorching days, the "scorpion days of summer!" Works for Nigel! ~ Lynne

GMG

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Inspired by James Doyle Design Associates

My garden is a work in progress (isn't this true for a lot of us!) But over the years, I have been able to focus what I like and what I don't like. I now know that I like more structure in a garden, and less rambling. The work of James Doyle really strikes a chord with me. Kathleen

Photo Credit:Neil Landino

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Going Local

Summer's winding down but there's still harvesting fun to be had at your local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's) - if you know where to look.

Voila! Check out a very cool local food website directory local harvest of small farms and farmers markets and other sustainable grown food. The organization promotes organic agriculture and provides a national listing of CSA's (with an interactive map) for your neck of the woods.

I was particularly drawn to the 'Arc of Taste' Project on the site that's partnering with Slow Foods USA. They're documenting rare breeds of produce in danger of disappearing!

What I truly appreciate is the ease of locating CSA's not far from me. Definitely need to join!

~Lynne

GMG

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Another lazy August day at the DragonFly

August in my opinion is the worst month of the year for Floridians. The weather is so hot and humid that working outside is wishful thinking, even in the early morning hours. We have been stock in this weather pattern for months with no relief in sight, and to make things worst August is the start of peak hurricane season.
I have several projects in the works for my garden, but for now it will have to wait for cooler months. For now my gardening is limited to light maintenance, plenty of watering and lots of pictures.

Update on my banana trees

Today I cut the hart from the three-banana bunch; a local farmer told me that this would redirect all the energy the plant has left to the bananas.

The hart is made up of many leyers of petals containing many rows of flowers that are expose when it pills back. The female flowers are on top of the stock and develop into fruits, these are male flowers (no fruits)

I started cuting the top hands in the stock and hopefuly the bananas will be ripen soon.

Pictures from around the garden this morning

This female Julia butterfly was looking for a male partner (like the one pictured in my last posting) You can tell the differece the orange in the males is more vivid.

Breakfast time for a moth at a buttercup flower

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Flower of the week

My Brassavola Nodosa or Lady of the night orchid is in full bloom.

Today I performed tree surgery on my powderpuff tree. The main branch split in half early this week during a rainstorm.

Invaders.

It has become a weekly routine to cut this invasive vine coming over the fence from my neighbors yard.

Why would anyone let this monster get this way? Does anyone know the name of this vine? What is it’s purpose in the plant world?

Bromeliad meets plumeria.

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Preparing the fall vegetable garden

Flower of the week - The Yellow Ground Orchid.

This morning I started the long process of preparing my vegetable garden for fall planting.
First step pulling out all the weeds and moving the milkweed to another location.

Future Monarch Butterfly cafeteria. (Milkweed is their favorite food)

Next week I will be adding more soil and home made compost.

My black gold home made compost.

This is my future herb garden, not much survived the summer heat.

I harvested bananas today and cut down the stock, not an easy task in 95 degree weather.

Picture of the week – This Fritillary butterfly been hunted by a couple of lizards.
(they did not succeed)

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Since 1992 when hurricane Andrew devastated the tree cover in our southern end of the county, our county government has designate several days a year as adopt-a-tree day. Today was one of those days, and it was my first time attending the event.

Each homeowner is permitted two free trees per year; the trees are usually native or fruit trees that have adapted well to our soil and climate. The choices today were Lychee, Jackfruit, Inkwood, Orange Geiger and Logan trees.

My first choice was an Avocado tree but I was told that they would be available on the next adopt-a-tree day in September. I walked away with a Orange Geiger tree for my front yard and I pencil in Sep 25 in my calendar for the next adopt-a-tree day.

The Orange Geiger tree (Cordia Sebestena) is native of the West Indies, and was introduced to Key West by a local see captain named Geiger. The tree was featured in one of Audubon famous paintings, when he was asked what was the name of the tree, he would answer the Geiger tree, referring to the house where the tree was planted. The tree is moderate growing (15-20ft height) with beautiful orange flowers that appear throughout the year.

There were many people attending the event, but the process was fast and efficient. Is nice to see our tax dollars at work for such a worthy cause.

This is the spot where the tree will be planted. My original plan for succulents in this corner of the garden didn’t worked. This area gets flooded when we get too much rain; I am transplanting the surviving plants to containers.

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Chamomile Tea: How to make your own

Do you enjoy a nice cup of Chamomile tea of an evening?  Or are you growing this wonderfully scented herb in your garden and don’t really know what to do with it?  Either way, you should consider making your very own Chamomile tea.  It’s easy, it’s free and best of all it's good for you.





This aromatic tea is easily made when you have fresh flowers of German (Matricaria recutita) or Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) to hand but as with everything in horticulture seasonality comes in to effect and it’s not always possible to have a fresh supply of flowers.  By harvesting and drying the fresh flowers you can enjoy this somniferous delight, with its many other health benefits, throughout the darker months when fresh Chamomile flowers aren’t available.  





I always have a steady supply of Chamomile growing in my garden and it has become a plant I wouldn’t go without.  I initially grew Chamomile from seed to make a small lawn but after falling in love with the plant I then went on to make an informal path with stone leading up to the back gate. Now that the path has established itself and has been allowed to run riot (My fault completely) I now have more of a chamomile hedge than a path.  Luckily, I always have a use for Chamomile in the bath as part of a Bath Bouquet and it is excellent for easing aching muscles, soothing cuts, and keeping skin healthy, amongst other things. 





Anyway, back to the making of tea.  The method of oven drying is very simple and by following a few simple steps you are sure to have home grown tea to hand throughout the Winter.



1) Pick your flowers first thing in the morning as early as possible.  Anytime between 6:00am and 12 noon should suffice.  Discard any damaged or diseased material. 





2) Fill a bowl with cool water and add the fresh flowers.  Gently clean the flowers, removing any insects and sieve off any debris that floats to the surface.  Allow flowers to soak for a few minutes after cleaning.  





3) Remove flowers and strain with a colander or salad spinner ensuring that as much moisture as possible is removed.  Paper towels may also be used as long as they do not disintegrate.  

4) Heat an oven to 200 degrees and whilst the oven is warming up place the individual flowers on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Once the oven heats up fully turn the oven off and place the baking tray on the lowest rack of the oven.  Ensure that the oven door remains slightly open and allow the flowers to dry.  Check for dryness at regular intervals and if flowers are not dry after a few hours you can reheat the oven and begin the process again.





5) Once the Chamomile is dry, place it in an airtight jar and store for up to 4-6 months in a cool dry place.  





6) When you want to make your tea either crush
the dried chamomile or leave it whole and allow a tbsp per cup to steep in a pot of boiling water for around 10-15 minutes.   Strain with a sieve and add honey, a slice of lemon or other lemon herbs as desired, and enjoy!

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Get Out and Forage: An Allotment Story

There are very few things in life that are better than free food and if you know where to look you will find that it’s right on your doorstep! 





I’m lucky enough to have been granted an allotment plot this year, which allows me to grow a lot of produce and expand my gardening horizons, but what makes this acquisition even better is that it’s surrounded by a productive but rather boggy woodland, which has a lot to offer.   I’m planning to take full advantage of this great resource as much as I can and I’m sure the autumn months will allow me to cook up some great treats and several alcoholic delights.  





After feeding the chickens, oh did I forget to mention that I now have three beautiful girls?  They’re yet to be named but I can tell you that I chose a beautiful Cotswold Legbar, which escaped on day one; not to worry she’s back now after spending the night in a tree, a Copper Marans cross (the boss) and a very friendly Speckledy hen.  They are all point of lay (P.O.L) hens and I’m hopeful that they are coming in to their egg-laying phase. I will update on progress and post when the first egg arrives.  They seem to be settling in really well and have brought me that step closer to having my own small holding.  Okay, so I’m a fair distance off but I will get there eventually.  





Anyway, back to the foraging thing.  I fed the chooks and on the way out I collected some wonderful free food.  In the pouring rain and in true allotment style (I’m slowly getting used to that!) I used my ingenuity and recycling skill to conjure up some sort of receptacle.  The result, you may see, is in the image above.  Yes, that’s right it’s a dog poo bag.  I find that they pop up in the strangest places and they have so many uses.  Anyway, I collected what I thought was rather exciting and headed home.  The following dialogue ensued:





Me: I’m back!





(I run upstairs and present the bag)





OH: What is it? (Half asleep)





Me: Guess! (At this point I’m rather excited)





OH: Well don’t open it on the bed.





Me: Okay.  What do you think it is?





OH: A hedgehog?





Me: What?!





Okay, I have no idea what goes on in that head and it didn’t go exactly as I wished; I’m also not entirely sure what it says about me?  But one thing I do know, however, is that we can safely say that guess was wrong.  It wouldn’t have been too far away from the correct guess in my younger years when I would regularly come home with pots of leeches, stray dogs, cans of spiders and pets that horrified my mother, including several snakes, stick insects that later inhabited our airing cupboard and numerous pet frogs.  But no, it was not a hedge pig.  It was in fact a lovely, full bag of glistening plump Blackberries.

A bit of an anticlimax really compared to the anticipated hedgehog but in my experience they don’t really fit well in to a crumble.  





Does anyone have any great Blackberry recipes?  What other fruits and foods do you forage for?

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