The Evolution of a Flower Bed

There was a little space up near the garage that was a tumbled pile of rocks and weeds. I've been eyeing it for a couple of years with the plan to make it a flower bed. Finally last fall I cleared out weeds, sorted the rocks, dug out the dirt, and built a little two tiered rock wall.

I mixed the earth I had dug with compost and filled the beds inside the rocks with the mixture. The I planted spring bulbs. Crocuses to bloom early...

Daffodils and tulips to bloom later...

When the daffodils and tulips were finished blooming this spring I filled the beds with impatients in white and shades of pink...

Whole wheat pasta with blanched baby zucchini and fresh pesto

Start with a couple of handfuls of fresh basil, a bulb of garlic pulled only a moment ago from the garden, and several baby zucchini squash.

For the pesto:
1/4 cup parmesian cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic (adjust for your taste--I like things garlicky!)
A couple of handfuls of chopped basil

Blend all ingredients for a minute in a food processor. Set aside.

Pasta and Zucchini:
Cook one cup of whole wheat pasta following directions on package and drain.

Cut zucchini into inch long (or so) chunks. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When water is boiling, throw in the zucchini and blanch for one minute. The zucchini should be tender but crisp. Drain zucchini.

Combine zucchini, pasta, and pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and enjoy!
This was dinner tonight and much enjoyed by all.

Summer in the garden

It is that time of year when my garden starts looking like a jungle, with plants crowding each other and spilling into the pathways. I have this compulsion to cram as many plants as I possible can into my garden. I plant things much closer than recommended and my paths are narrow. Then of course, I've got to cram lettuce, herbs, beets, and other greens in between the bigger plants that are already too close together. I have basil, kale, and collards in between the tomatoes, buttercrunch lettuce and dill between the cucumbers, chiogia beets, spinach, and and a oriental greens mix between the broccoli. The good thing about cramming everything in close is that the weeds don't have any space to grow.

This has been the best growing season we've had here since I've lived in Michigan. Lots of rain, not too hot, and very few bugs. The flea beetles that normally destroy my early crop of kale and mustard were no where to be found. I haven't seen a cucumber beetle or squash bug. And there are only a few Japanese beetles. The only thing I quite quite figure out is why half the cucumbers are wilting and my yellow nugget wax beans have some kind of disease that is causing most of the leaves to turn brown and fall off. I'm debating whether or not I should pull these out and replant with with something else, or leave them and see if I get a crop.

Yesterday I pulled out the snap peas and spent this morning digging up the beds and working in several buckets of rabbit manure. This weekend I will plant lettuce, spinach, and green beans for the fall.

I let my chickens out to play in the garden while I am working in it. They are such great gardening companions. This morning I unearthed an ant hill and they went crazy pecking up the ants. They stay withing the confines of the garden, even though it isn't fenced in. Most likely it is because the larger plants offer shelter and make them feel protected. They will follow me around the yard, though when I leave the garden. They are still staying in their little wire cage and I bring them into the house at night. However, they are starting to wear out their welcome. Every morning I start my day by sweeping up all the chicken feed and dropping that somehow managed to get out of the cage. For all their cuteness, chickens are very messy birds! Then off course, there are all the tiny down feathers that they are shedding and filling the house with. This weekend my main project will be building them a coop.

Photo of the day...

Grasshopper on an oriental poppy seed head.

Dear God,

Thank you...for making flowers.


Amen.

First raspberries!

I picked raspberries for the first time yesterday. They are ever bearing raspberries, Fall Gold and Fall Red (very uncreative names!). Ever bearing raspberries bear a small crop in the summer on last years canes, them later in the season, bear a larger crop on the new growth made this year. The Fall Golds are the sweetness raspberries I have ever had...pure sweetness. In the past two years the flowers were demolished by Japanese beetles, so I never really got a crop. I haven't seen a Japanese beetle yet this year--that's a good thing! The Fall Reds aren't quite so sweet, but have loads of flavor. The two combined are heavenly on vanilla ice cream which I bought special just for the raspberries.

One of my favorite things.....

Yellow foxgloves. These began blooming in early June and are still going strong. The plants are very healthy in spite of being so near to my black walnut tree whose roots secrete a poison that kills many plants.