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/

Enjoy your flowers in the cold of winter

You have asked. 

Dried in sand Hollyhocks and Roses.

Place 2 to 3  inches of dry builder's sand 

(from the hardware store) into container.  

Carefully push fresh flowers into sand.

Keep pouring sand slowly over fresh flowers until they are completely covered. 

Be sure to "support" hollyhocks from underneath by carefully pouring sand from the side and again, cover with sand completely. 

Place in dry area and cover with light cloth.

After 3 to 4 days pour sand slowly from container.  

Flowers will emerge.  

This is an old wreath I made from many different flowers which I dried in sand.   

I'm always asked why my dried flowers have such bright colors.  

Here is the secret: your sand and your flower heads must be very dry.

(leave the sand in the sun for a few hours before placing flowers into it if you think it has taken up moisture) 

Pick your flowers in the middle of the day when they have used up most of their moisture. 

These were growing in my garden only 3 days ago.  

They will be placed on top of a bowl of dried lavender.

You might like to try drying other flowers.  

Have fun, 

Gina 

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

The making of a kitchen

The Beginning

An idea is born.

Many choices are considered.

New ideas are added.

More decisions.

My client was happy to participate. 

More ideas.

This design was our starting point.

Even more ideas considered.

Hundreds of tiles later...a new kitchen. 

In the meantime a friend needed a new banner designed.

The same feature tile ends up with a totally different idea.  

Already working on the next project.  

The weeks are flying by.  I picked a few hollyhock blossoms and covered them with sand. 
Will see what they look like in a few days.  

This time of year they will dry in about 3 days. 

And they will look like this.  
(I will show you).

Wishing you have a wonderful weekend, 

Gina 

https://normandylife.blogspot.com/

We have our Pond back

After more than two months of occupation by wild Canada Geese

We have our pond back.

Between eight and nine families would cruise the pond.

Looking like they are getting ready for  Machiavellian maneuvers.

Every few days a new family would appear.
And, they would stay.

When small, they look like little monsters.

It didn't take them very long to find Clyde and 
Lola's (our resident geese) feeding trough. 

Something their parents have never done. 

They didn't used to come to our pond. 
Every now and then a family would land on their maiden flight and almost immediately fly away again.

Back at the house.

Poppies are blooming and

Salpiglossis.

Salpiglossis in many colors.

More poppies.

the lowly Petunia

I'm glad the geese are gone.  They thought nothing of  marauding my flower beds during the night.  

Hollyhocks finding their own places.

All is quiet on the Pond.

Just the way I like it.  

Have a great week dear friends. 

Gina 

Cherries are on.

Where are the Robins?

My tree is laden with sour cherries.

Where are the Blackbirds?

There will be plenty of cherries for 
Kirschwasser Likör.

And for winter pies.

For now I will bake a few little treats.
Just one bite and they are gone.  

Cherries make great preserves. 

Will I be lucky this year?  
Will the birds leave the chokecherries for me? 
They do make the best pancake syrup.  

Have a great week, dear Friends, 

Gina 

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/