Morning Glories have a lot of talent.

Plant a few seeds

water now and then.

They have a way of finding a way to shine.

They cover awkward spaces beautifully.

They only bloom in the morning

and fade away. 

Where did this one come from?  
They call them Sports.

This one escaped to the hollyhocks.

They look especially nice when cascading from an urn.

Morning Glories self seed and show up in the most unexpected places.  
That is what makes them so special.  

And all the while you have not lifted a finger.  

Have a happy and lazy weekend dear friends. 

Gina 

Will 200 pounds of onions be enough?

I harvested them yesterday.

While Mr G was having coffee with the boys. 

When their leaves fall over on their own, they are ready to harvest.

They are larger this year than they were last year. 

(I wonder if 200 pounds is enough to get us through the winter).   

Every available surface is being utilized.

Onions need to dry for 6 to 7 days.  

If left green they will not last.  

After they have dried they will be gathered into bundles and hung in our cellar to continue aging.  

They will keep till Spring. 

What I would really like to know is 

do you use a secret ingredient which makes your 

French Onion Soup extra special? 

I would love to know.  

Thank you dear friends.  

Have a great remainder of the week.

Gina 

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Tomorrow is the Day

For the Artist Studio Tour and Plein Air Competition

Our town is celebrating.  More than a hundred artists have come from near and far to participate in the Plein Air Competition.  

They have been painting for 3 days.  
Winners and prizes will be announced this evening. 


My Studio will be open

  
There will be familiar faces and, as always, there will be new faces. 

Wish you could drop by.

Gina 

My Salsa recipe

                    

My Salsa gathered from my garden.

I never know how hot they are.  Two jalapenos was all I needed to make this Salsa very hot. 

A major ingredient in Salsa,  soon to become coriander, will be saved for next year. 

As I was pulling an onion for my Salsa I remembered an evening in France.

Driving along a country road, we decided that it was time to find a place to spend the night.  It was late and we were tired.  We stopped at the first available spot.

It looked a little rough but we knew that it would do.  We were very tired. We decided to have dinner and Mr G, after having driven for most of the afternoon, wanted a martini.

A martini of sorts.  A Gibson to be exact.  He explained to the waiter that it was similar to a martini but instead of an olive he wanted a small cocktail onion. 

Our waiter indicated that he understood. 

The Gibson arrived and so did a large garden onion on a plate, with garden soil still attached to the roots. 

We used every ounce of willpower not to burst out laughing.  Our rough looking waiter wore a very large and a very ugly red scar on the right side of his face.  In his limited English he had mentioned something about the French Foreign Legion.

My Salsa recipe is very simple.  It has only a few ingredients:

Tomatoes, Jalapenos, onions, cilantro and small amounts of olive oil, sugar, salt and balsamic vinegar. 

I can't give you the exact amounts because it depends on how many tomatoes I use and how hot the peppers are. 

Cilantro in bloom from my garden. The small leaves are still strong enough to give the salsa that particular flavor that gives it the South- of - the - Border character.  

While I was in the garden I picked a Zinnia bouquet.  

Did you know that Zinnias are native to Mexico?  

Wishing you a wonderful remainder of the week.  

Gina

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

The Humble and the Splendid

When interviewed for a thirteen page spread in 
Utah Homes and Garden Magazine, I was asked what my design philosophy was in building our new Country House.

That's easy,  The Humble with the Splendid.

Utah Homes and  Garden

Utah Homes and Garden

Utah Homes and  Garden

Utah Homes and Garden

Some People like Silver, I LOVE Gold

I also Love my French and Italian Chandeliers

This is the other gold mirror, this time without the base.  I can't believe that we transported both mirrors in our old truck.  They arrived without a scratch.

Wishing you nothing but the splendid

Gina

All Utah Homes and Garden photography by Mikel Covey
Partial repost
https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

The Guest cottage revisited

What was not allowed into the house went across the courtyard...to our Guest Cottage

Old and new, repaired or left as is

From the Thrift Store,  a King Louis the XVI bed or is it King Louis the XIV?

Guests must have a full length mirror, we dress for cocktails

Flowers, Stripes, Plaids, just the way I like them

Gene built and carved this fine bench

And Gene carved this fine  table

There should be lots of books

It's nice if there is a small kitchen so guests can fix their morning coffee (and the host can sleep in)

You can hide things from your guests, such as the refridgerator behind curtains

A bathroom is a swell idea

It's all right to practice new color combinations on walls

Guest may not want to stay too long

And always Do remember the flowers

Gina