Friday, July 31, 2015

Garden Chatter

I planted marigold seeds near the clothesline, along the stone stairs and LOOK at them!  Wow!  They are the fire-colored type.  
 Some people say that it isn't a good idea to plant Shasta daisies because they take over, and they DO!  It's okay.  I'm happy to pull out all the other invasive weedage so they can shine.  Daisies are so friendly (remember that from the movie You've Got Mail?)
 Cone flowers just one year old and looking fine this summer along with the sage.  I don't really know what to do with herbs. I read you can place some sage on your meat while it's grilling or throw a few leaves in the soup pot.  Something in me doesn't want to pick herbs and do useful things with them.  I just like having them grow in the garden.  It seems foresty to me.
 I will cut basil and give it to our Christie so she can make pesto.  She makes a great pasta with pesto. 
 Aw, pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns in the making.  When I was a little girl I enjoyed a few glorious artsy times, drawing Halloween scenes as I sat in our playhouse.  The floor was gritty (I guess my sister and I were not efficient sweepers) and the door was small and creaky with a very unique little brass twisty knob.  I remember thinking, "I LOVE drawing Halloween pictures VERY much!" I drew ghosts and witches, a full moon and bats.  I tried drawing haunted houses.  Halloween was so simple and fun back then.  Often my mother dressed us up as gypsies for trick or treating.  I remember a calico skirt.  Maybe I will be a gypsy this year.  I used to sew costumes for our kids.  One year Brad was a cheetah (flannel) and Kelli was a princess (flouncy cotton, white printed with pink hearts) and they looked so sweet.  I made capes and hoods (dragons and bats) for Jeff and Jenny.  One year Jeff stormed into a friend's house and instead of taking the candy offerings, he stole a gourd from an arrangement on their coffee table!  So funny! I must remember to take a nap on Halloween so that I don't run out of steam like I seem to every year.  Ha! 
 The pansies are waning and the random pumpkin plant that is apart from the others is barging in on the petunias and marigolds.  I like the toadstool there.  It was taking up too much room in the Wendy house. James and Lizzy like to fiddle with the dishes, the stove and the sink and needed more space.
 I hate it when the soil gets so hard.  I like lush loamy soil. Who doesn't?  Lavender petunias are pretty, don't you think?
 The tangled sweet peas look like weeds from a distance.  They'll bloom in few weeks because I planted them late. 
 My friend the garden angel, GK, told me that nasturtiums are like weeds in New Zealand, but I was in New Zealand in the winter, so I couldn't witness this myself.
 Tomorrow is August and all of the seasonal things are on sale at the grocery store.  I bought swim rafts/boats and garden tools.  One dollar for the green green gloves and a bit more for a weed scoop.  Yay!
 Two dollars for the table cloth!  House plant #1 and house plant #2 needed sun.  I am going to take my ironing sprayer downstairs soon and give them a misting. 
 Lunchbox fruits.  Kelli's girls came over last night while their parents went on a dinner date.  They colored, they ate apples, they chewed on popcorn while watching The Rescuers Down Under.  Funny!  Tired little summer bumpkins.  Birdie has been at day camp in Colorado Springs all this week.  She's weary.  Miss Bug and Millie Rose went swimming at a friend's house and had the sun on their cheeks to prove it.  
James and his parents were here for dinner.  James played in the pool and smiled and laughed. He is such a sprite.
 These roses reminded me of Christie in her elegant wedding dress.  White roses are so holy, aren't they?
 Sam and Lizzy are spending the weekend with us. Their parents are going camping.  Sam said, "I can't wait to come for a sleepover and do all the things you have planned."  Hmmmm.  I had better make a list.
 One last New Zealand photo.  Here is a little restaurant nook. I really loved the chair seats, so sturdy and woodsy.  Does it remind you that fall will come soon?  In the midst of summer it feels like she will warm our bones forever, but in a month or so, we'll very likely be layering up and feeling autumn's promise.
My stomach is growling.  I think I'll make some porridge.  Our friend Matt in New Zealand stirred up porridge for us one morning.  He served it with some of his very rich bread.  It was a fine hobbit breakfast (first!) and I think it bears repeating here in Denver. 
Have a good day, fellow hobbit.

19 comments:

Happy@Home said...

Your garden is looking lovely.
I didn't realize that I had missed so much here on your blog. Have just read your previous posts on your wonderful trip down under. How fun and pretty too.
Have a fun weekend with your littles.

Julia said...

Your garden fared very well in your absence. The Marigold really add some interest.I love to look at the garden when I return from a weekend away. Since my mother died, I very seldom get to go away for a weekend anymore. You can really see the difference of new growth.

I love to make poultry dressing with sage. It taste so good.

I also make pesto and pick fresh leaves, wash and spin dry them and make a pesto base and freeze small batches it until I need to make pesto.

I mix Extra Virgin Oil and basil leaves and process them in the food processor and put it in small plastic containers. When I need to make pesto, I thaw the pesto base and add the rest of the ingredients and use the food processor to mix. Chicken Pesto pizza is the best.
Hugs,
JB

Tessa~ Here there be musing said...


sorry to be complaining yet again. but your background is scrolling down, when I try to look at your post. and I can't. because it makes me dizzzzzzy.

Tessa

TexWisGirl said...

all your blooms are pretty. i wouldn't mind if daisies took over my yard either. :)

cards4ubylouise and other treasures said...

Lovely garden flower pictures. I will trade ya for the pesto, I have lots of lemon mint in front of my house....guess I better make some mint tea. I love daisy's...they can take over my backyard...not problem.
Louise

Attic Clutter said...

Hi POM..
oh cheery and always fun to come by to see you (:)
love it..

hugs,Patty

M.K. said...

My tummy is growling right now too! I think I'll go get some granola, and later I'll make popcorn. Crocheting and knitting. You are quite busy, grandma!

GretchenJoanna said...

I love it when the garden is growing so enthusiastically that one plant will invade the space of another and they get all mixed up like a jungle. As long as the flowers peek out at the top I let them do their thing. Those marigolds are very sunny!

Anonymous said...

Well...what a full and lush garden you have. So many good things growing. Sounds like everyone is making up for lost time with grammy!

Amy at love made my home said...

Your garden is doing really well even though it is midsummer and you have been away! xx

happyone said...

A lovely walk through your garden. : )
We had fresh basil from my windowsill plant on our homemade pizza yesterday.
I have lots of daisies in my yard!!

Marcie said...

Lovely garden tour, my colorful friend! I'm sipping my morning coffee and feel as if we've had a nice chat over our mugs. :)

magsmcc said...

Oh I think you'd like our soil, PP, utterly soaked with heavy Irish rain! I am very jealous of your pumpkins. They never get beyond tiny buttons here with me. I think I am looking forward to Autumn this year- enough pretending that this is summer in the Frozen North!!

Sarah said...

Love your flowers, I really like marigolds...but so do the slugs, it's a constant battle up here in the drizzly Pennines with slugs!

If you make some fun jack-o'lanterns I hope you share them on your blog. xx

Gumbo Lily said...

Your gardens are doing well. Are there tomatoes this year? I think Jeff had some in your garden last year, right?

I loved your top banner photo with your birkies and those art goodies. A good combo!

Wishing you happy August with your grandkids.

(the chair by the fire is great. I like the style of it)

Elderberry-Rob said...

Lovely to make fresh pesto sauce, when we grow basil it never lasts long as the slugs go mad for it so I have given up trying! Your garden is looking wonderful and has survived really well during your absence. I liked your childhood memories of halloween. Betty

Granny Marigold said...

Shasta Daisies are so faithful and I love your Marigolds ( well, I would, wouldn't I?) I know what you mean about herbs. I have a tiny area on the South side where I have mint, parsley, basil, winter savory and Rosemary. Do I use them? Not much. I will use Basil on my tomatoes or even on my pizza ( but never on my DH's because he is not a fan). Happy August!

Aida said...

Your herb garden is so ,lush and green, and the colour of the sage looks a little different than what I had in the garden. Yeah Nasturtiums can be invasive. Sounds like you had fun in NZ PomPom. And your grandkids are loving the summer, sounds like it. Does it get really hot in Denver? Enjoy the rest of your summer Pompom.

Happy week ahead

Hugs,
Aida

Tessa~ Here there be musing said...

wheeeee.... no scrolling background! no dizziness from scrolling down to read your post! :-))))

and such a colorful one it is. I love all those old fashioned flowers. at least, they are old fashioned to me.

tessa

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