Happy Valentine's Day

 

Celebrate, Celebrate and Celebrate some more. 

Wishing you a most special day,

Gina

Soon

 

Soon it will be Mother's Day

Maybe a dozen (or more) roses will be your gift.

                          

Why not enjoy them for years to come 

by making an old fashioned Moist Potpourri.

Loved by Gertrude Jekyll: 

"The dry is much the easier and quicker to make, 

but is neither so sweet nor so enduring".



So, don't waste those lovely petals.  

Making moist Potpourri is very easy, 

it is the oldest way of making Potpourri. 

You will need partially dried rose petals and coarse, non-iodized salt.

Layer rose petals and salt in a non-porous container.

Ratio of 3 to1, petals to salt.

Keep adding rose petals as they are available. 

Keep in dark place, tightly closed.  

As you add more petals and salt over time, 

stir with a wooden spoon. 

 This is my moist potpourri, more than 30 years old.

Still has the most divine and mysterious perfume. 

I know, it's not very pretty.

It is meant to be hidden in a special, perforated container.

You may want to add the following: Lavender Flowers, 

Rose Geranium Leaves, Essential Oils, Lemon Peel, Orange Peel. 

Your moist potpourri is ready to use in about 6 months.

Have a lovely week my dear Friends.

Gina

If only I knew

The name of this beautiful rose.

Can you help?

Do you recognize it? 

Growing roses, especially tea roses is not easy in this climate.  

Nonetheless,  I have found the perfect rose for my garden.   

This rose has very long stems.  It is disease resistant.  It is winter hardy (Zone 3) is long lasting in water and has grown in the same spot for almost 10 years.  Several roses, growing along the same wall, did not survive our harsh winters.  

Dear friends,  maybe one of you will recognize this rose. 

I would love to know its name.  

I thank you in advance, 

Gina 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

 Wishing all of you a happy day. 

Gina

My garden is growing...all by itself.

My garden

Nasturtiums for salads

Onions are almost fully grown.

Our favorite squash, Lakota, is doing well in the new patch.

Foxglove and State Fair Zinnias provide lots of color.

The Italians only grow one kale.

Lacinato Nero de Toscana.

There is a reason.  It is delicious, nutritious and easy to grow and handle.  

These peppers where planted by mistake.  They are quite large.  

Do you know what they are? And do you have a recipe?  Could one stuff them? 

My tuberous begonias never disappoint.  I can't remember how old they are.  

They go into a dark corner in my greenhouse and I don't see them until April of the following year.  

Everything is maturing all at once...there is not enough time in the day to get it all harvested. 

There will be lots of vegetables and fruits to share with friends and neighbors 

There will be lots of apples this year for the pig farmer.

This turned out to be the best mixed lettuce seed packet. 

I'm heading for Italy soon.  Will look for another.

This is one of the last hollyhocks, a reminder to gather their seeds. 

My old rose bushes surprise me with a few blooms now and then.  

Wishing you a great week ahead.

Gina 

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Mein Sonntag strauss am Samstag

So few roses survive our harsh winters. 

I treasure every one of them.

Happy weekend to you and yours. 

Gina 

It's Sunday

I HOPE THAT YOU ARE WELL

Live each day to the fullest.

You deserve it.

Gina

Finally

The garden is growing

and here is proof

Swiss Chard Bright Lights showing off. 

 Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Basil, Collards, Tomato and Onions Quiche.

Beat eggs with cream and pour over steamed vegetables. Add tomato slices, crisp bacon pieces.  Add a little cheese on top and bake @ 325 until lightly browned on edges (about an hour) 

No recipe necessary, just add ingredients in the order in which you like them and in the amounts you like. 

Our geese have been on midnight raids.  Had to cover the Italian Parsley with chicken wire. 

Makes me wonder why they like only the Italian Parsley. 
A couple of weeks ago they went after the newly planted sage.

My neighbor, "Kissin Kate" would like to have a stomp through my garden.  
She is the one who abandoned her newborn.  
I'm still bottle feeding her calf Liesel who is doing splendidly.  

Did you know that female cows also have horns? 

These Tuberous Begonias are amazing. They are more than 10 years old.  

Just before a severe frost they go under a bench in the greenhouse where they go completely dormant. 

They have never been out of their clay pots and they have never been fertilized. 
Go figure.  

The flower pots are doing well. 

My rose bushes are a most pitiful sight. 

But I have been able to coax a few bouquets out of them...no one else can grow roses in this high desert climate.  

What we do have, are the bluest of skies. 

Have a great remainder of the week dear friends,

Gina 

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

The first roses and an update

It's a struggle

to grow roses at this high desert location.  

And it's a struggle for little calves who are abandoned by their mothers.  
April has tried to adopt the little orphan but she only has enough milk for her own calf, a little bull calf. 

In the meantime April provides security.
 My little charge comes running when she sees me
 (or the big milk bottle I'm carrying).  

She lives not far from my house.
  

And she has a brother who was born a day later.  

So, all is well.  

A few of my roses made it through the winter and my little calf is thriving.  


Have a great week ahead dear friends.  

Gina 

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mon Bouquet du jour

A lovely group of people, from the Museum of Fine Arts Department, Salt Lake City

stopped by to see the house and gardens

and my hand painted ceramics displayed in a handsome wooden plate rack carved by my very own Mr G.

 Pasha elected to stay in the Library.

Our chickens never made an appearance.

Clyde, Hansel and Lola came out of the pond for a little while.

No one saw the juvenile owl.

The ducks took cover in the tall grasses. 

Lucy loves everyone and she was everywhere amongst the visitors.  

Pears

Apples

grapes and 

Plums were ready for the picking.

The sun was shining, the last roses brightened the day.  


Have a great week ahead.  
Thank you for stopping by.
Your visits are always so appreciated. 

Gina