New Trials in the Garden

I like to trial a few new seeds for the gardens every year.
A new vegetable or a different variety are chosen and grown and evaluated with the goal of vigor
without any need to fuzz over. Time is valuable and no need to waste any when there is hoeing
that always seems to be needed.

1st to trial are: Purple podded pole beans.
The name alone grabbed me and said "try me this year".

so far, lots of green
and a few
purple podded beans,
(a few weeks after this photo, the plants produced a bushel of a crop with many brown beans)

2nd trial:  Fennel.

It is a perennial herb and an annual Italian vegetable.

These were chosen because I love that sweet anise flavor and smell. The fennel fills the air in the garden with that wonderful aroma. Also the fennel seeds are great in bread and Italian dishes and sausage.

Both the annual Italian veggie and the perennial herb were trialed with great success.
Fennel is drought and heat tolerate.

The annual Italian vegetable Fennel
stays small



The Perennial Herb Fennel
grows over 6 foot
placed in the back of the garden



3rd Trial was a seed packet of mixed cabbage seeds.

The variety of different cabbages was appealing.  Again, more success, as cabbage is hardy and

an easy vegetable to grow.

                                              Purple

Green

Savoy

This fall we'll trial a few varieties of Garlic.

Great Performers

Here are some Great Performers during the record setting drought and heat this summer,
and weekends spent away from the garden.
Wow, aren't we asking alot from these pretty flowers, to bloom either during or after the triple digit heat
and lack of rain. I didn't ask them, and with no extra care at all, they bloomed and thrived.

The performers listed here are flowers only. No veggies, trees, shrubs or herbs, as they are naturally tough.

Lily Scheherazade
a hybrid miracle
hardy, healthy,
tall and pretty.



Lily Black Beauty
a super garden plant





Canna
love all the foliage



Rudbeckia, also called Black-eyed Susan

Not so great performers where the roses and hosta's. The roses put out a few blooms

and the hosta leaves turned brown. Hopefully, next summer, they will get another

chance to perform.

Zinnia's love the heat and drought!

Real Tomato Sauce

We all know about the decline of the poor store tomato.
How it is picked not ripe, gassed, transported many miles and sits on the grocery bin, priced high
for a lousy taste or no taste at all. The "vine-ripened" tomato being sold, isn't any better, its just
priced higher.
This unfresh taste-less flavor is also true for the store bought tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and/or
marinara sauce.
Real tomato sauce is a competely different "animal" than what is sold in stores.
Trust me, you'll never serve that store stuff to your best friends ever again.

Everyone should experience making a good tomato sauce using fresh just-picked
sun-ripened tomatoes.

Tomato Sauce

Olive oil
onion, diced
garlic, diced
cucumber (peeled and deseeded) and/or carrot, diced or grated
6 tomatoes, peeled
fresh herbs, oregano and basil, chopped fine



Wash and peel tomatoes and slice into sauce pan. (I use a crock pot) (no sauce sticking and you don't have to pay any attention to the sauce while it cooks)     Add all ingredients to pot.
Simmer for about an hour or until the sauce begins to thicken and the vegetables are soft.
The sauce can be pureed with a food mill, if a smooth texture is preferred.
Taste and correct seasoning with salt or pepper or a pinch of sugar.

This sauce taste nothing like the store bought variety, just as the home-grown tomato,
honestly ripened on the vine by the heat of the summer sun, will probably never be
like the variety sold in stores.


Fresh Tomato Sauce
on ravioli

Brandywine tomatoes
are the best

  

Live Life Outside

Bringing the right ingredients to the table.

Growing food outside.
Shopping for food at markets outside.
Grilling food outside.
Eating food outside.


Doesn't food taste better outside?



Walking down paradise lane.






A walk does a body wonders.

Like I don't spend enough time outside,
I am going to put up a rope swing
on the oak tree
in the front yard.

Four days in One

In the morning the air is cool
and the ground in full of dew

During the day the sun is high
bright and maybe hot

The evening light is long
the days colors fill the clouds

Stars are out tonight
shining their formations
and falling

What I heard in the Garden

Gardens will tell stories. Good stories. Stories good enough for the NY Times bestseller list.
Stories that are inspirational and full of meaningful wisdom.

One story I heard this Spring from my garden is of perseverance. No doubt there are setbacks
and gardening is not as simple as "sow and reap".  Just try and try again. If the crows eat all
the corn seed planted, well, just replant and put up a scarecrow.

The First Lady Michelle Obama is listening to her White House Garden and retelling those stories to the nation. She has published three books about her adventure in gardening and she is helping to change our nations eating habits.

If your lucky enough to spend time in a garden, the plants will call you to notice them, to slowdown,
to get in touch with the rhythm of Life (there is no such thing as a fast-food garden)

                                                        Rise up O' plants of God                                                         
                                                        Ye creations of the Lord
                                                        Bring forth your royal fruit
                                                        and we'll give praise and thanks


Don't pay no attention to people who say tending gardens is "too much work".
Gardening is not drudgery and good gardening is not hard work. It is called respect.
I am truly thank-ful for the ability to garden and am blessed with her abundance.