Golldilocks Takes Pictures

  Shot 1
  Shot 2
      Shot 3
Something as simple as taking a picture of the wildflower bouquet I picked today evolved into an artistic experiment.  What would the best picture I could take without moving the vase, any accuturements, or, without photoshopping anything out of the frame?  My initial impulse was to have the funky bird lawn sculpture in the [...]

Bambi, You’ve Lost Your Charm

The July apple tree has taken a rest this year.  Usually drooping with yellow orbs that fall to the ground, covering a circle about as wide as the canopy of branches, this year, there are less than 20 apples on the whole tree.  The deer who come down out of the woods to eat the fallen [...]

Hens and Chickens

My Grandmother called them Hens and Chicks, or, Cats and Kittens.  In this climate, the two larger plants in the lower section of the pot will grow just a little more, sending out runners that will produce more chicks or kittens.  Three other succulents–sedum, wall pepper and glabra–fill the rest of the pot. 
This is a fun and easy [...]

Go Blue and White

Although a dedicated Penn State fan, I am currently most impressed by my blue and white garden box.  The blue morning glories are starting to grow at an astonishing rate.  Planted two weeks before the white moonflowers, the blues have a slight edge, but the rest are feeling the heat–literally.   When the night is warmer [...]

Fresh Cherries

The cherry tree has produced its newest drop of juicy, delectable fruit.  After years of “fruitless” anticipation, the past few years have produced enough cherries to have a few each morning for breakfast or as a snack while walking past to water the flowers.  Not sure what changed.  Several years ago, I pruned it sharply, [...]

Garden Humor

Reality is that one has to be a gardener with a slightly warped sense of humor to truly appreciate the joke, but we all know someone who would do this in a heartbeat.  Belongs in the same category as a Christmas or Birthday gift that has a cord attached.  
PS:  Editing the cartoon to a readable size was a tad [...]

Baby Rabbits vs New Landscaping

Every morning, Barbie LaMew sits in front of the French door, peeking out the lowest glass pane into the front yard.  Her tail is twitching furiously, a sure sign that something of interest (to her) is out there, out of reach.
Curious to see what was on “Cat TV” every morning, I joined her, peeking out my [...]

Ode to a Toad

 
Unlike its ceramic namesake sitting by the front stoop, a real toad has taken up residence in the herb garden.  Picking a few chives and some mint the other evening, a small movement caught the corner of my eye.  Another quick hop proved that what I was seeing was indeed alive, busily chasing a few bugs for dinner. 
A [...]

Volunteers in the Garden

Working the herb beds and vegetable beds have turned up a few pleasant surprises.  A few hardy souls that are determined to part of this year’s garden have turned up in some unusual locations.  The herb bed has a few dill plants interspersed in spots that were not planned for, as well as some cardamon.  I am particularly [...]

Quick Zucchini with Mint

The combination sounds unusual, the results are delicious.  Keep this in mind later in the season, when zucchini and mint over run your ideas of how to reap the benefits of their bountiful growth.  Bare bone directions can be adjusted to the volume you want to cook. 
Saute garlic in olive oil.  Add sliced, raw unpeeled zucchini, turning [...]