Saturday Sanpshots: up close and personal

August 18, 2012December 12, 201239 Comments

Yesterday about 6 PM I was out with the geese in the front yard

Honestly, you’d think they hadn’t seen grass before!

**~*~**

When we moved here I never gave Lantana a thought in my gardening plans. My reasoning was that in this environment if it would not be perennial, it was not worth my time or my interest.

I was wrong…

I had forgotten how quickly it grows, how happy it makes the hummingbirds and butterflies, or how colorful it can be. It blooms all summer and just looks nice! So, for 99 cents a plant, this color combination was worth it as a temporary color fix! These colors remind me of rainbow sorbet on a hot day.

Not remembering if it had a *scent or not I went in for a quick sniff…
and immediately jerked back! It seems that the quarter sized bloom clusters are a nice place to hang out if you are a miniature crab spider!

Consider this, if the compound flower is only quarter sized, and you are small enough to grace the surface of only one of the individual flowers, well then, you are very tiny indeed! Don’t see the spider? Click the photo for a closer view!

**~*~**

*The flowers do not have a scent, however the bush itself is highly aromatic, having a pungent, spicy aroma when brushed against.

Saturday Snapshot – Hummingbird? (abookwormshaven.com)

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood

July 16, 201231 Comments

The air is fresh, and the sun has come out giving the world that special glow that only comes with a good scrubbing of a prolonged and gentle rain. Even the grasses have revived and are rising to the occasion!

Don’t you love days like these?

Well, maybe the neighbors dogwood will take a bit longer… 😦

But don’t you just love that brand new tree house! I makes me wish to be a child again, how about you? 😉

~ Herbs in the garden ~

Umbels of Bronze Fennel

The cooling blue of Borage

~ Vegetables ~

Asparagus refreshed by the rain arises to catch the sun and store it away deep down underground, keeping it there in its roots for next spring.

This morning I see that the runner beans, having been stunted and scorched in the drought, now race to catch up.

~ Flowers ~

We approach the new gate leading into the goose yard, and beyond are the herb and vegetable gardens. There stands Miss Becky, a weather tough form of Rudbeckia, who grew to a mammoth six feet tall! (I suspect her roots grew equally deep into the earth to sustain her.)

Miss Becky!

Turning to go another direction I pass the blackberry vines and discover…

a surprise pair of naked ladies where there were none before! I suspect they were kicked closer to the surface when Bob rototilled this section of the garden in early spring. I await their grand opening.

~ The Geese ~

My little gaggle will be the first to tell you, that the newest grass shoots are the most tender and fine. 😉 Foreground L to R: Little Dorrit, Miss Hissster, Polly, Background: Georgie and Frellnick.

My how those boys have grown!

~ Till next time then! ~

Behind the barn with Lil’ Bit.

~ * ~

Lynda’s Summer Garden Pasta Salad

July 6, 201221 Comments

Been enjoying my tomatoes this week! Here’s a fun summer garden recipe for you! Sorry, I have no pictures…

WE ATE IT ALL UP!

However, I’m sure you can imagine how beautiful it looks!

LYNDA’S SUMMER GARDEN PASTA SALAD (all amounts are approximate)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups pasta* (dry measure)
1 small zucchini grated
1/4 cup red or green pepper – diced
1/4 cup sweet Vidalia or red onion – diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic – minced
1 cup sweet one hundred cherry tomatoes – cut in half (or any small, sweet, salad tomatoes)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Your favorite vinegar and oil salad dressing. Add enough to moisten, and if needed, add more before serving. (I used Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette)

METHOD

While salted pasta water is coming to a boil, grate zucchini, mince onions and garlic, and halve tomatoes.

Prepare the pasta according to bag directions and cook until al dente. Remove to colander rinse and drain. Place in bowl and mix in the tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking.

Add remaining ingredients and mix gently to incorporate. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to allow flavors to meld.

ENJOY!

NOTES:

* For pasta choices you might like ziti, fusilli, spiral or bow tie as these hold onto the juices and dressing nicely!

This salad is easy, forgiving, and open to many variations in fresh vegetable choices. Other vegetables I have tried are peas, corn, celery, carrot, etc.

You might like to grate some hard cheese, into the salad before serving. Romano? Parmesan? ???

~~*~~

DISCLAIMER: This is my recipe, and I am sure that variations abound. If you think it is yours, then all I can say is, “Great minds think alike.”

~~*~~

Do you have a favorite summer salad recipe? Feel free to share with us!