new in the garden

Due to the untimely death of one of my tomato plants, a petunia and some violas the garden has been looking a little spare. So, after much consideration and no small amount of garden store window-shopping I finally made the plunge.

At a local nursery (which rocked) I picked up another geranium - possibly my favorite summertime flower - and a begonia.  Begonias may just be my new passion.  Apparently there are a zillion different types and the leaves are all different and pretty.  As my little potted garden transitions slowly between seasons, I think some more begonias are in order.  They seem like they are not only pretty in their own right, but good backgrounds to flowering plants as well.  Win-win!

just throw it all together

Being that it is still just too hot to want to cook much of anything, much less eat anything too terribly warming... I'm still on the cold dinner kick.  However, I have graduated to homemade tabbouleh and avocado.  Here's my slap-dash tabbouleh "recipe," in the style of Grandma who just kind of throws things together until they look/taste right!


1.  Cook some couscous.  I made about a cup (dry) which became something like 2 cups cooked.

2.  Chop up some parsley and mint, tomatoes and cucumbers.

3.  Stir together the couscous, herbs, tomatoes and cucumber and drizzle olive oil and lemon juice to taste.  Also put in as much black pepper and salt as you like.

4.  Wala!  You have tabbouleh!  I top it with some avocado and maybe a little more lemon juice and eat it for several days, warm at first and cold from the fridge later!

I'm particularly proud of this concoction because it allows me to use the tomatoes, mint and parsley I have growing on the patio.  It feels good to know you've had a hand in part of the meal!

hot tamale! (or jalapeno baby..)

Garden Update:


The peppers are starting to ripen!! This summer's pot gardening experiment is turning out to be pretty successful.


I kind of didn't know what to expect from these peppers, but hey! they're doing what they said they would! Now I just have to figure out what to do with them. Hot pepper recipes will be on the google lineup today...

a good start

Despite the damp air that wrapped its arms around me when I stepped outdoors this morning, the day started off on the right foot.

Banana bread (one of my renewed attempts at reducing food waste) and coffee in the garden:


Where I noticed three ripe tomatoes!!


Aren't they beautiful?? Now, we know how I feel about tomatoes ~ I only really like them made into something ~ but, I may have to break my own personal rule with these babies and might just attempt fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, home grown basil, salt and pepper for dinner this evening. Doesn't that sound good?

Summer living at its best!

tinkering around

Lately I've been spending a bit of time tinkering around my little garden of pots. It's so exciting to see all the little plant hopefuls begin to flourish and grow.

There have been some failures, like the original pot of petunias. Note to self, don't even think about using a pot with no drainage. It never works. Never. I've replaced the first batch with these lovelies:


My tomatoes, you ask? They are humming right along. As the summer gears up I am seeing little fruits pop up almost every week. Now, I have no idea when any of them will actually be ready to harvest (I like that term, harvest. Just saying it makes me feel like a "real gardener.") I'm keeping a close eye on them, though and the moment they are ready ~ they will be chopped up with some olive oil and basil before those tomatoes know what happened!


With basil from my herb garden, of course. The basil, rosemary, parsley and mint (not pictured here) are thriving in their multi-colored pots. The cilantro was another fail. The first plant grew, no problem, but when I cut it to use some I must have cut it wrong. Cilantro plant, the elder, was exchanged for a younger model. Which I shall be more careful with the next time I need some in a recipe.


My first experiment with actually growing something from seed is turning out well! I'm pleased to introduce you to my fair nasturniums-in-training. This is the only patch of dirt inside my little patio space and has been enhanced with some potting soil as topsoil. I did exactly what the package said to do; soaked the seeds for 24 hours, planted them into the soil so they had enough darkness... and here they are! Hopefully they will continue to grow and will produce pretty (and edible) flowers.


I find myself sitting outside of an evening, Beulah chewing on a bone at my feet, enjoying the growth around me and dreaming up idea for the rest of the season. What comes next? Any ideas?


The plan is to continue to grow something or another outside my door throughout the year. As the seasons pass I want to swap out the plants that die for seasonal ones. Mums in the fall, maybe evergreens in the winter, bulbs for the spring. An ever-changing garden to watch and enjoy.

the anticipation is killing me

Do you see it? Can you believe it? Behold, the bounty of my garden, ripening on the stem.... Lets just say, my patio garden is doing nicely. The two tomato plants I have out there are actually forming tomatoes, which I have to admit I wasn't sure would actually happen.

On the other hand I "harvested" my first "crop" of cilantro all wrong apparently and so have purchased another starter plant to replace the old one. And my petunias... well, I've learned my lesson once and for all. Make sure the dang pot has a drainage option already! I think I drowned the suckers. They are still there, but looking a little peaked.

But the tomatoes, the basil, the rosemary.... beautiful! Maybe I'll look around for some kale and give it a go too.

pickle paradise

This weekend, the long-awaited, much-anticipated pickle party happened. One of Esther's (thankfully diminishing) list of DIY projects for her upcoming wedding was to pickle a bunch of stuff for folks to nosh on through the day leading up to the wedding.

Neither of us had ever pickled before, but thankfully there were two other helpers who showed early in the process and the internet is a wonderful thing. It was much easier than either of us had expected. Ok, well easier than I had expected anyhow. The hard part is going to be letting them sit for the next two(ish) weeks and allowing that pickling process to take full effect.

I'm actually thinking I might have to do some pickling myself this summer...

making plans

I've decided this year I'm going to plant a garden. Regardless of the fact that I have only a patio at my disposal, I'm going to do it. I'll just load up on pots and soil and make my merry way!

The thing is, I really have very little experience when it comes to the practical sort of gardening I want to do. But really, how hard can it be?? For the last few weeks I've been mulling over what I want to (attempt) to grow. Here's the list so far.... keeping things as reasonable as possible.

• Tomatoes
• Kale (lovelovelove kale)
• Garlic (you can never have enough garlic)
• Morning glories (or some other sort of climbing, flowering plant for the fence)
• Geraniums
• Herbs including, but not limited to: basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, rosemary
  
• Maybe broccoli??
• Hot peppers
  

Any suggestions? I can use all the advice I can get. I'm thinking some of this I'll try from seed and some I'll get the plants already started for me. Maybe I'll start the herbs this weekend, and pick up a farmer's almanac....

herb garden

Introducing..... my little herb garden in the making! These little pots sit on the kitchen windowsill and should eventually produce rosemary, lavender and basil. I started them last weekend and they are already sprouting.

I've been reading a series of blogs about minimalism lately and one guy's post caught my eye. He talked about how he always wanted to plant a garden, but wherever he was living he never had the opportunity. He said he never had a yard or lived anywhere long enough to establish a garden. Then, one day he realized that he might never have the "perfect spot" for a garden. So, he went to the store and purchased tomato seeds. He planted the seeds and ended up with one tomato plant that he kept in his small living space.

I guess I got two things out of what he said. First, don't put off what you want to do just because the timing isn't perfect. What is "perfect timing" anyhow? I'm not sure it really exists. I think maybe we make our own experiences what they are. Second, you don't have to do the full she-bang all at once. It's ok to start with one tomato plant instead of a full vegetable garden. It doesn't diminish the pleasure and practicality of that one plant.

So there you have it. Sunday morning musings on my kitchen window herb seedlings.