Muum's Musings

Another Flicker sighting

2012-02-07T15:20:00.007-07:00

I saw the flicker again!

This time it looks like he/she is wondering where the tree went -

we lost the tree in a bad windstorm in December.

Here's a great shot of its wings. I wish I remembered if the bird was taking off or landing.

Fall Flicker ?

2011-10-22T09:37:00.003-06:00

From my kitchen window, I've been enjoying the color of the Virginia creeper.

Then I heard some rustling, and saw a bird eating the berries....

I'm guessing it's a flicker of some type. But I don't know a lot about birds!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T11:49:00.003-06:00

Wordless Wednesday -check it out!

Iris Week wrap up - 'Dear Dorothy' blooms

2011-06-18T16:02:00.005-06:00

"Dear Dorothy" was a bonus iris from Blue J Iris.

I've ordered irises from them more than once, and always been pleased.

It's one of those 'too many colors' for my taste, but not bad, for a freebie.

Anytime an iris has brown, tan or copper listed as colors, I am a bit wary.

I have some yellow/brown irises that I love some days and hate on others (don't tell them).

Blue J describes Dear Dorothy as a bi-color with yellow-orange selfs (upper petals) and light powder purple (or almost brown!) falls with yellow orange edges and hafts

This closeup shows the light purple falls and yellow beard. Nice. Almost rainbow-colored in the range of colors. And, of course, 'free' is always nice.

Iris Week - Mystery Theatre, featuring 'Copper Lustre'

2011-06-17T12:23:00.001-06:00

One of my new irises is "Copper Lustre."

It is a Dykes medal winner (1938),

with delicate coppery-pink standards and darker falls with veining and a yellow-orange beard.

Here is what Copper Lustre is supposed to look like.

Then we come to what I have in my garden, bought with the understanding that this is supposed to be a copper /pink combo:

You can see we are talking about something that is definitely NOT copper-y. Wine? yes. Purple-red? yes. but copper? no. So now I wonder what this lovely iris is called? Maybe I should just save some time and rename it myself.

Any suggestions?

Iris Week- lovin' the blues

2011-06-16T10:33:00.000-06:00

Irises make me happy, so lovin' the blues is more accurate than singing the blues today.

This is a closeup of Chico Maid, a tall bearded iris.

You can see the beautiful blue beard with a bit of bronze.

Chico maid again. It is such a beautiful color and the blue beard just adds to the thrill for me.

unnamed pale blue

This iris is a lovely deep, periwinkle blue that's blooming in several spots in the yard today.

Iris Week - Yellow beauty, big and small

2011-06-15T02:03:00.003-06:00

Looks like Mama iris and babies, doesn't it?

The tall yellow ones are named "New Moon," and are a rich lemony color.

The 'babies' are a smaller variety, and I don't have the name for them. My yellow bed is getting crowded, I'll have to do some thinning when my iris get done blooming.

GBB Day for June 2011

2011-06-14T22:16:00.003-06:00

One of the highlights of spring is the dogwood blooming. Here in hot , dry Utah, I don't remember when the dogwood has bloomed this late before. We've had a very cool and wet spring.

The yellow splotches on the leaves are the pine pollen from our Austrian pines.

Also blooming: mullein, IRIS!!!!!, allium, the last of the tulips, perennial geranium, thyme, vinca, IRIS!!!, and

did I mention, IRIS?

This is a 'space ager,' which I featured a few years ago.

Be sure to head over to May Dreams Gardens to see everyone's blooms today!

Iris Week - too many to count

2011-06-14T06:30:00.004-06:00

Too many to count -

This bed is from some beauties I got from a wonderful friend. She had to clear them out of her yard, and so now I have them.

Lucky me.

Would love to see your irises??? give me a link in comments!

Yep, It's time for Iris Week! - one more reason to love irises

2011-06-13T18:23:00.002-06:00

DH brought these irises home in a plastic shopping bag,

and they sat there for about a month. Then I noticed they were budding, then blooming.

Gotta love a tough plant that won't give up.

More irises tomorrow!

GBB day for March 2011 !

2011-03-15T16:58:00.002-06:00

Back! I saw these little croci out the kitchen window today, and thought I'd add my part for Garden Blogger's Bloom day.

Happy Spring to all!

Zucchini- the endlessly versatile veggie!

2010-09-27T14:57:00.006-06:00

I missed National Sneak a Zucchini on your Neighbor's Porch

day - which was August 8th.

(We won't talk about the last several months I've 'missed' on this blog, either.

The excuses are lame and the reality

....Farmville addiction ??!! is too embarrassing for words.)

But I digress. I enjoyed a recent story about a brave woman from Montana who defended her home, and saved her dog, with the most humble of vegetables, yes,

you guessed it, an overgrown zucchini !

yes, this is THE zucchini used to fight off a bear!

Here's an excerpt from the AP story,by Matt Volz, posted on Yahoo:

"She kicked the bear with her left leg as hard as she could, and she said she felt like she caught it pretty solidly under the chin," Maricelli said.

But as she kicked, the bruin swiped at her leg with its paw and ripped her jeans.

The bear then turned its full attention to the woman in the doorway. She retreated into the house and tried to close the door, but the bear stuck its head and part of a shoulder through the doorway.

The woman held onto the door with her right hand. With her left, she reached behind and grabbed a 14-inch zucchini that she had picked from her garden earlier and was sitting on the kitchen counter, Maricelli said.

She threw the vegetable. It bopped the bruin on the top of its head and the animal fled, Maricelli said.

~~~~~~~

Now that is one brave woman, to be sure.

But one shudders to think what would have happened if she hadn't grown zucchini that year. :)

Finishing up Iris week (month?)

2010-06-19T16:13:00.005-06:00

I may have mentioned Beverly Sills before. Here is how this iris is described on the Shreiner's webpage:

Exciting coral pink all over,

Beverly Sills is one of the most talked about and sought-after pink Iris of all time.

She is THE BEST Pink iris, according to almost everybody. I have several pinks, but have wanted this famous and supposedly fabulous iris.

So I bought one, and it was NOT Beverly Sills.

Somebody made a mistake somewhere.

The iris I bought labeled Beverly Sills was NOT even PINK.

Oh well. Sometimes that happens, and so, last year, I tried again,

and bought another "Beverly Sills"... imposter!

Although I will have to say, this light lavender with tangerine beard (name???) is very attractive.

Maybe I'll try again in a few years, and buy another iris labeled 'Beverly Sills.'

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day- June 2010

2010-06-15T00:07:00.000-06:00

What's blooming at my place? Irises, of course..

This little fledgling robin snuck in here somehow. Hope he finds a safe spot for the night!

My blue perennial geranium.

The thyme is blooming! Not so many bees, yet, though.

This is a 'sun rose' called 'Dazzler' -a pretty red Helianthemum.

Last, but never least, another iris - this is a closeup of Oriental Design.

Happy blooms! Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who hosts Bloom Day every month!

Joyous Morn - no rain!

2010-06-14T13:10:00.002-06:00

"Joyous Morn" is a new iris in my garden this year.

As it unfolded, I remember thinking, ' why did I put this in the pink bed?'

It is described as rose-apricot falls with dusty rose self, and tangerine colored beard. My plant seems to have more brown tones to it than I had anticipated. It is not bad, just not as pink, rosy, or apricot as I had thought it would be from the picture and description. heh. I guess I am feeling a bit luke warm about this one. But at least it is not raining today!! That is joyous news.

Ready for my closeup!

2010-06-10T17:34:00.001-06:00

Irises, and more irises

2010-06-09T20:58:00.002-06:00

The Siberian irises are in their glory now. Most of the year, the plants just look like grass on steroids, taller, but not much to look at.

If you pay attention in May, you can see the buds bulging on the side of the stem/blades.

I messed around with the purple-blue ratio in the picture, and am satisfied that this is truer to life than what I get from my digital camera. If I can replicate this adjustment, I'll post some of my purple bearded iris another day.

Here's iris-a-palooza in our walking garden.

I love walking through and seeing what has bloomed each day.

Iris week - how many shades of yellow are there?

2010-06-08T17:02:00.009-06:00

When you start loving irises, and growing irises, and BUYING irises, it doesn't take long to notice that there are a LOT of colors, sizes, and varieties.

This is an iris that migrated past our fence into the field next door. Don't you love this bright, clear yellow?

Seeing this always makes me smile.

This iris (below) may not technically be yellow. We'll be charitable and call it 'gold,'

really , it's more of a brown.

Here's another salvage iris, yellow with white and brown tones. Not a fave of mine, really.

Here's a nice buttery-yellow.

It's a keeper.

Another yummy yellow beauty. Sorry I don't know the names of any of these.

Here's a space ager, name of course, unknown.

Odd, really, with blue spears extending from the edge of the beard. Odd colors too.

Here's our final yellow iris of the day. Intense, almost mustard-

yellow falls, delicate white standards and white veining.

Iris week - Spiced Custard

2010-06-07T10:25:00.005-06:00

More pumpkin colors today - and I found that recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake,

I'll try and link it in, if I can find it

The falls (bottom three petals) look browner in this picture than they do 'in person.'

This iris is rich in color, and a bit different than most. The description from Blue J Iris describes the iris as a tall bearded iris with creamy yellow blend selfs (the upper three petals) and the lower three petals are cinnamon brown in color. The beard is a maraschino red. Pretty nice, eh?

Iris week continues, and yes, I missed Tuesday... mrk

2010-06-03T09:31:00.010-06:00

This bi-color is called Pumpkin Cheesecake. It is blooming for the first time in my yellow/orange iris bed, and I am loving it!

It is looking good with these ruffled orange beauties as a backdrop.

Not surprisingly, I can't find the name for them. Maybe Summit Satin. sigh.

more Iris failure . I'll add that name if I EVER find it. bigger sigh.

IRIS week is here!!! yes, it is...

2010-06-01T07:47:00.006-06:00

White. Bland? not at all. I have two white irises in my yard. One was salvaged from the dump by my DH. The salvage irises are larger and taller, (on the right in the photo below),

and you can see the iris on the left are slightly smaller, with a bluish cast.

Same with the buds, in this picture (below).

Here is a closeup of the 'bluish' iris' fall. Don't you love the

blue veining? (One place where that is considered attractive, lol!)

This picture features the yellow-to-white beard on the larger iris.

Yep, I really do love iris. Here is a parting shot of the smaller iris opening. Gotta love it!

Little Mermaid

2010-05-26T18:06:00.004-06:00

Cue the music!

A new 'mini' iris bloomed in my garden today - the Little Mermaid. She even has her own song, and movie!

It IS cute and petite, but I have to say, I was expecting more vibrant color. :(

After some fast research, it is an intermediate sized iris, not a true mini. Good to remember. Blue J Iris describes it as pale ivory pink in color. huh.

But , still, new and fun to see.

Where is Iris week? Next week? maybe

2010-05-24T12:51:00.003-06:00

This has been a very cool, wet spring here in Utah. I feel like I am back in the mid-West for an Ohio spring. I thought I'd have irises blooming this week to show here, but the 'mini's are still straggling along, and all that is open are the whites and purple irises.

So, maybe next week, or the week after that, my irises will be in their full glory. Right now I have a mini that is blooming for the first time. The wine/maroon color of the falls is pretty true to reality in this photo. I'm not so fond of the blue/purple beard, though. A bit too much craziness for me. :)

I do believe the weather will warm up. Or maybe we'll just skip 'spring' , and head right for summer, with sudden heat. (In June?)

Spring time anticipation

2010-05-19T21:09:00.004-06:00

Another spring, another time of

anticipation.....

(and fuzzy photography)

here's a better shot -

won't be long now....

yes-sirree-bob! Iris week starts next Monday!

meme

2010-03-19T08:38:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to post more often. I know, memes are lames, but here we go:

This one is a one word challenge – which WILL be a challenge. Let's see if I can do it!

Cell phone? flip
Hair? 'auburn'
Mother? 80!
Father? Recovering
Favorite Food? Chocolate
Dream last night? no
Drink? lemonade
Dream/Goal? Family
Room you are in? Dining Room
Hobby? sewing
Fear? snakes
Where do you see yourself in 6 years? older
Something you are not? Athletic
Favorite Muffins? chocolate
Wish list item? time
Where did you grow up? Ohio
What is the last thing you did? breakfast
What are you wearing? scruffy
Favorite TV Show? loser
Pets? Cats
Friends? many
Your life? Blessed
Your mood? Tired
Facebook? Yes
Favorite place to eat? Any
Missing Someone? yes
Your vehicle? Cruiser
What you aren’t wearing? hat
Favorite Store? JoAnn's
Favorite Color? Rose
Last time you laughed? morning
Last time you cried? Wednesday
Place you go to over and over? allergy

Thanks, Sassylime, for the meme!

I'm still alive! and answering questions about African violets

2010-03-13T14:12:00.004-07:00

I've been around, checking other people's blogs, busy on Face book, and with real life, too :)
I've even had a few ideas to post about, but just didn't.

So, here I am today, inspired by Lynn/Lynnita's recent question about African violets.

A little back ground, I used to kill these babies with regularity. And I thought of them as 'old lady' flowers (and now I AM an old lady!). Then I received a great tutorial from an African violet master (plus some starts from her beauties), and mine have done great since then.

So, Lynn says:
Your violets are beautiful. How much and what kind of light will they grow under?
Recently, I bought one and would like to try to grow them.
I have a 10' porch that wraps around my house, therefore, there's no window sill with enough light for them.If I grow them under uv (ultraviolet) lights, how long do I leave them there?
In late spring and summer, I can put them on the porch.
What direction should I face them?
Blessings,Lynnita

Here's my best answers, feel free to chime in on comments if you have some more ideas for Lynn.
African violets do need a fair amount of light. I agree that some supplemental light would probably be necessary for plants growing that far away from windows. I don't have UV lights for mine, so let's hope someone out in blog-land has some experience and advice to offer.

They don't do well with drafty areas, though, so I wouldn't put them on a porch unless it was enclosed with glass, not just window screens.

The violets that bloom best for me are in my south facing (traditionally the best light) window. (argh! why do I only have one south facing window??)
Over time, violets tend to bend and fall over the lip of their pots as they grow and extend along on their stem. I find that turning them a quarter turn every time I water them helps them grow more evenly. Pick a direction; I turn all my houseplants clockwise.

A few more tips:
WATERING:
African violets don't do well in water-logged soil. I water mine every ten days. They only look delicate, so even if they get dry enough to wilt, they will recover.
I let the water sit for at least a day in a pitcher, to let the chlorine evaporate from the tap water, before I water my violets. The water needs to be at room temperature, obviously. And as far as remembering when I watered last, after I water my houseplants, I go to my calendar, count ten days, and write 'water houseplants' on that day. simple.
FERTILIZING:
I use Peter's African Violet plant food. It's fab. 12-36-14, with micronutrients.
SOIL:
It's worth it to buy the African Violet potting soil.

So, thanks, Lynn, for those questions, and for motivating me to get back to my blog.

Congrats !

2009-10-02T21:07:00.003-06:00

Well, I didn't win the 'Best Utah Blog' at Blotanical this year,

but I did find some great blogs I didn't know about, especially

Gardening with Miss Daisy, which I hadn't seen before.

I'd already been over to High Altitude Gardening, and will have to check out

some of the other Utah gardening blogs, too, when I have a bit more time.

Garden Blogger's DEATH Day for September -beet fail

2009-09-30T00:05:00.002-06:00

The end of the month is here, already, with the change in the weather upon us. I have been harvesting the veggies, and as I scrubbed my ENTIRE beet crop, I decided it would be the appropriate thing to share for Death Day.

Garden Blogger's Death Day was instituted by Kate and Crew at Gardening without Skills.

Don't miss the fun, head on over and see what's up (or not up).

You can see, not much there. Not total death, but the next puny thing to it.

And why, oh why, did the beets do so poorly?
Perhaps because they had to grow in the shadow of these volunteer cosmos?
Nah.. that couldn't be it.
Must be some other problem.
Every year I vow to be merciless to the volunteers (sunflowers, cosmos, dill weed) in my vegetable garden. Every year I fail.

Blotanical Nominations - for me?

2009-09-25T15:33:00.004-06:00

Hey, I am a nominee for the 2009 blotanical awards!

New this year is an award for each state.

For example, Utah's is called 'Best Utah Blog'

To be honest, I don't think there are that many Utah gardening blogs registered with Blotanical.

But as I scrolled thru the nominees,

it was a pleasant surprise to see that I had been nominated!

So help me out, and head over to Blotanical

(where there are bloggers from all over the world listed)

and check it out (and hey, vote for me!)

There are 4 days left to vote.

I am messing with my 'look', and haven't crashed yet. Let me know what you think.

Talk like a Pirate Day- Ahoy, me hearties!

2009-09-18T02:14:00.001-06:00

And let's be clear about this, we aren't talking Somalian pirates here,
just the fun, Pirates o' the Caribbean type pirates
(and did you hear about a Pirates 4 movie? Yipee!)

So tomorrow (Saturday, September 19th) is National Talk Like a Pirate day.

Shiver me timbers, these holidays can sneak up on you, can't they?

Frank and Ernest always know just what to say.

So grab your eyepatches and see if you can contract scurvy before tomorrow.

Practice your colorful 'aarrrrghs' and 'avasts'.

Maybe even walk a plank or two, just to be ready.

If you want to go the extra mile, there is a song for Talk Like a Pirate day, by Tom Smith.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for September 2009

2009-09-14T22:02:00.003-06:00

Mid month already, hard to believe. Be sure to head on over to Carol's May Dreams Gardens to see what else is blooming!

The last of the roses are finishing up. No frost here, yet, but they are dwindling down after a nice show the end of August/Labor day.

These asters are a new fave of mine! Don't you love the rich red color? I have some lavender ones, and these nice blue ones, too.

Another rose, I ended up with three 'Angel Face' plants somehow.
Hard not to like the color and ruffled edges, though.
Also blooming:
volunteer sunflowers,
hollyhocks,
and cosmos,
the last of the George Davidson crocosima (yellow!),
a few remaining mock orange blooms,
and a scraggly maroon - colored mum that was too sad to post.

These fall anemones are always a welcome sight, this time of the year.
Happy Bloom Day!

There's something about me

2009-09-12T15:29:00.011-06:00

Kylee at Our Little Acre tagged me for a meme, and since I had fun answering her quiz, I've done my 7 things about me meme as a quiz. See how you do, and how much you know about me.

1-Where does the name 'Muum' come from?
A- My English heritage, of course!
B- I'm English, but I can't spell 'mum'.
C-A nickname given to me by a daughter who didn't like her nickname.
D-Muum IS my name, gosh!

answer- C, 'Muum' originated as revenge! Now it is the norm in our family.

2-What kind of plant do I have the most of in my garden (excluding weeds, of course)?

A-hollyhocks

B-sunflowers (eee! they are taking over the vegetable garden!)

C- weeds (tricky,no?)

D-irises

answer- D, I love irises!!

3-When I'm not gardening, what else do I like to do?

A- cook

B-sew

C-eat chocolate

D- all of the above!

answer- D

4-What makes ga

rdening in Utah SO challenging?

A- The soil is too fertile, and there are NO rocks.

B- It rains so much that the plants all drown.

C- The clouds are so thick that the plants don't get enough sunshine.

D- none of the above.

anwer- D, I should be so lucky to have # A as a problem.

5-As a child, what organization did I belong to?

A- 4-H

B- FFA

C- SDA (snappy dressers anonymous)

D- none of the above.

answer- A, I was in 4-H for ten years, with my grandmother and aunts as leaders. Good times.

6- What kind of chocolate is best?

A- milk chocolate

B- semi sweet chocolate chips

C- anything you can lay your hands on!

D- dark chocolate

answer- D- really, is there any other rational choice?

7- What is my BEST quality?

A- My great gardening skills.

B- My bow-staff skills

C- My humility

D- My statuesque beauty

answer- C, SOOOOOO obvious!

How did you do? Let me know in the comments.

Now, here are the meme rules:

-Link back to the person who gave you the meme (that would be me).
-Reveal seven things about yourself.
-Choose seven other blogs to nominate, and post a link to them.
-Let each of your choices know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.
-And finally, let the tagger know when your post is up.

Now, I'm tagging these folks:

Lynne at Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life,

Lindalou at Our Mush Push,

the Sass at The Sassy Lime, who I know will get question # 1right :),

SJ at Sarah, Student Midwife,

Gretchie-lou at Richard and Gretchen,

Either of the two 'peas' at Two Peas in a Pod,

Donna at Mamma Mia Days,

and

the Damsel at Old School (if you haven't attended 'class' with the damsel, you should check this out!)

AND...... anybody else who stops by and wants to. Have fun!

happy meme-ing.......... and don't feel compelled to do this if you HATE memes.

fail, fail, fail -Garden Blogger's Death Day

2009-09-05T15:09:00.006-06:00

I know I'm late for Death day, but took these pics earlier to share.

In the spring, I cut up and planted some red potatoes I had grown last year.

I knew that we really are not supposed to do that, but thought I'd try it. I've only grown potatoes two or three times before, and don't consider myself an expert with them.

(neither will you, when you see my results!)

The first tuber was mushy.

ahem. 'maybe the others will be better', I thought.

No such luck. Everything was a rotten, mushy mess.

Maybe it was the re-used potatoes. Maybe there is verticillium wilt, etc built up in the soil. I try to rotate the tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, but the garden is not that big. Several of my tomatoes are showing evidence of some kind of blight/wilt problems.

yep, you can see the dwindly plant stalks and evidence of disease. I thought they were just done. I guess I'll try something different next year. I do have more potatoes to harvest. I'll let you know how they turn out.
ring out your dead. oh yeah.

Be sure to check out more death at Gardening without Skills!

Happy Mother's Day? or Isn't it ALL about ME?

2009-09-02T06:57:00.003-06:00

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday, and thus, the anniversary of my becoming a Mom.

She let me reminisce about her birth

(doesn't everyone have a 'war story' for your children's births?) on her blog.

I know there are those who are still waiting for the opportunity to have children, as well as those who feel they are drowning in an ocean of parenthood, and I fervently wish

for those women on either side of motherhood that 'their wildest dreams may come true.' (sentiment via the wisdom of Napoleon Dynamite)

I won't hold forth on all the things I've learned as a mom,

except that I WILL say that I thought I was a patient person until those kids showed up!
Needless to say, being a parent is a challenging job. Sometimes just getting them here is tough.

Happy Birthday to my dear child!

Oh, the pic is my mother's ring, which my family gave me a few years ago. Lucky me.

sweet corn harvest - a mixed bag

2009-08-22T21:55:00.012-06:00

Sometimes you think everyone knows what you know, y'know?
When I said something to a friend about hand pollinating my sweet corn, she was surprised.

I explained that, unless you had a block of sweet corn (not just one or two long rows),

the corn kernels might not all get pollinated, and you would have a spotty ear of corn.

Definitely NOT good eating.You can see there are some pollination issues with the top ear of corn,

but the bottom ear definitely missed some pollination.

Each kernel of corn has a silk attached to it, and needs to be pollinated,

or it won't develop.

The pollen comes from the tassels at the top of the corn stalk.
According to the University of Florida's extension article about hand-pollinating garden vegetable crops:
"Two methods of pollen transfer may be used with corn.
Cut an entire tassel, and use it as a wand, shaking pollen grains (dust) onto the silks. Alternatively, strip the tassel and deposit the pollen from the anthers directly onto the silks. Either way, the pollen is transferred.
Be thorough when dusting the pollen onto the silks,
so chances for a bountiful harvest are increased."

I usually collect pollen by running my hand up the tassels, then sprinkle it on the silks protruding from the corn that is developing.

Here is some of the sweet corn that did get fully pollinated.
And it was delicious, too!

A few other sweet corn growing tips:

Corn needs lots of nitrogen, so don't skimp on fertilizing. Don’t plant your seeds too close together, and hand pollinate.
Corn plants tend to have shallow roots, so putting some soil at the base for support can help .
Use the stalks afterwards for fall/Halloween decorations!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for August 2009

2009-08-14T21:02:00.018-06:00

Mid month already, and time for that record keeping bonanza,

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

I didn't post in August 2008, but my 2007 post shows virtually

the same flowers blooming then as now.

Thanks as always to Carol of May Dreams Gardens

for hosting Bloom Day.

Be sure to check out the contributions from all over at her blog today.

As part of cataloging what is in every bed in the yard, I photgraphed the roses in the rose bed, and this one is my fave. Don't know the name, just never get tired of that delicious honey-tangerine color.

As usual, I've been too kind to the volunteers in the veggie garden, and have too many hollyhocks and sunflowers. This deep pink/almost burgundy hollyhock is another fave for me.

Balloon flowers are struggling along, the only thing blooming in the spring bed.

This is a 'weed' tree in Utah, the Tamarisk. I was advised to get rid of it before it took over,

but I had already lived with it for several years, and it behaves itself nicely where it is planted. Tamarisk trees take over river banks here, and so are not well thought of. I do enjoy the fluffy foliage and flowers.

Asters are blooming, and

the burgundy scabiosa, which I planted near the asters. Still trying to decide if the colors are complementary or clashing.

Coneflower,

Irish eyes

Red valerian,

a few daylilies,

the mock orange is just starting to bloom, we chopped it way back in the spring.

The speedwell is still straggling along.

My first year for cannas, and I love the peachy rich color!

Disco belles are chugging along -

and finally, a lovely pink larkspur.

I'll plant more of these, they are easy to grow, and elegant.

Happy Bloom Day!

A zucchini cake that is NOT chocolate

2009-08-07T00:03:00.003-06:00

This is the last of my Zucchini Week recipes.

My daughter recommended this recipe from the inimitable Pioneer Woman's blog.

I was going to make it, so I could share a picture and some firsthand testimonials, but I am tired, so all you get today is a recipe.

However, it looks delish! Let me know if you try it out before I do.

(lame! I know! but I gotta run, Women's Weekend is this weekend)

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (can Use All White Flour If You Don't Have This)
1-¼ cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste (1/4 To 1/2 Tsp?), Optional
1 Pinch Ginger (about 1/16 Tsp Or So), Optional
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 whole Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini (*see Note)
1 (20 Oz.) Can Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained (reserve In Case You Need It For The Cake Batter Or The Frosting)

FROSTING
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
8 Ounces Low-fat Cream Cheese, Softened (can Use Full-fat Cream Cheese)
2 Cups Powdered Sugar, Approx.
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Splash Of Milk Or Pineapple Juice, If Necessary
Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into flour mixture. Batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. If it still seems too dry, just add a little splash of the pineapple juice.
Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 33-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of milk or pineapple juice if necessary. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
NOTES : If your zucchini are huge, scrape the seeds out of the center before you shred it so it’s not too watery. Also, I spread it all out on layers of paper towel to drain it and dry it off a bit. Then I measure out 2 cups. Not sure if this is critical though. Nuts can also be added to the cake batter if desired. This recipe makes a very generous amount of frosting.
And this recipe can be turned into a Carrot Cake just by substituting shredded carrots for the zucchini.

'Mooommm... why are my hash browns green?'

2009-08-06T00:03:00.001-06:00

So, as 'Zucchini Week' continues, it occurred to me that as a rather bland-flavored veggie,
I could add it to potatoes and make hash browns.

I grated the zucchini and stirred it together with my grated potatoes, and, voila!
How did it taste? My assistant here at ZRI (Zucchini Research Institute), says it tasted 'kinda gross.' I found it to be merely tolerable, myself.
However, I am excited about the possibility of St. Patrick's day hash browns,
which would be a lovely visual accompaniment to the traditional green orange juice.

I've spent some time looking around in the blogosphere for zucchini recipes and ideas, and this has to be the funniest idea I've come across-

I have an unusual use for excess zucchini and it requires no preparation, no cooking, and there is never a leftover.
I live on a narrow country road that should be quiet,
but since a recent influx of newcomers who have turned corn fields into acres of grass with ill-conceived houses plunked in the center,
my quiet road has become a race track. Oversize zucchini make ideal speed bumps!
Simply place a few in the road.
Cars roar over the
hill crest, encounter the unexpected greenery in the roadway and instantly hit the brakes.
True, they are only good for a few hits, but as fast as zucchini grow, this isn’t a problem, is it?

Now, don't try this at home!
But thanks for the chuckles, Karen, who commented on the Urban Garden Casual blog.

Zucchini is better than Eggplant, y'know

2009-08-05T00:03:00.002-06:00

This recipe is a variation of the Moosewood Cookbook's Ratatouille recipe.

I know, I know, eggplant is THE ingredient in Ratatouille,

but I don't care for it, and decided a long time ago that when I make Ratatouille,

I would throw tradition to the winds and just leave it out.

Gourmet I'm not, and we are not even going to talk about that cute Ratatouille movie.

I love this flavorful stew with some grated parmesan cheese and brown rice:

Ratatouille sans Eggplant

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium bell peppers, chopped
2 small or medium zucchini, cubed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-4 tomatoes, crushed
1 t each basil and marjoram
1 t oregano
Dash of ground rosemary
½ c. tomato juice
(2 T. tomato paste)
2 t. salt, approx
black pepper to taste
¼ c olive oil
freshly –chopped parsley

grated cheese / rice/ black olives

Heat olive oil in large pot. Crush the garlic; add garlic and onion to pot. Sauté just until onion begins to turn transparent. Stir in tomato juice and herbs, then cover and simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. Add zucchini and peppers, cover and simmer about 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper, tomatoes (and tomato paste if you think it will be too thin), and stir together. Cook briefly until all vegetables are tender, but not limp!
Just before serving, mix in fresh parsley.

Serve over a bed of rice, or in a bowl with French bread.
Top with grated cheese and chopped black olives.

In other zucchini related news, I found this article that alerts you to the fact that you MAY have too much zucchini if...

Let me credit Robin Wedewer, who wrote this article last year for the Los Angeles Examiner.

My fave is you may have too much zucchini if "you have a zucchini bread for breakfast, a zucchini omelet for lunch, zucchini casserole for dinner and chocolate zucchini cake for dessert."

In today's Relish, a food insert in my local newspaper, there was another article and recipes about zucchini. One thing did crack me up, though - the recommendation that a family of four should plant ' four to six plants for a family of four.'

Yea, that's the kind of advice that ends up with people plotting to stuff giant

green vegetables in people's cars , and on their doorsteps!

Don't forget, Saturday is National Leave a Zucchini on your Neighbor's Porch day, so bag up those zucchinis, print out a recipe or two,

and figure out which neighbor you are going to 'Zucchini Ditch'

Zucchini days continue

2009-08-04T00:02:00.002-06:00

They keep coming, and now they've brought a cousin along !

My DH likes the yellow summer squashes much better than the traditional green zucchini, but I don't notice much difference, myself.

There is an old joke comparing zucchini to the manna the Israelites relied on, but came to despise for its blandness. I've googled, but can't find who originated that particular joke.

Zucchini certainly could've been manna, really. It multiplies rapidly, is bland in taste, and people do get tired of it.

I found one reference, along with a joke about locking your car doors in the church parking lot, at Feminist Mormon Housewives.

There is a tasty looking recipe in comments called 'Parmy Zuke Strips' that definitely looks worth making.

At any rate, here is today's recipe - a long time fave of mine. When I first got this 'recipe', I made it so many times that my DH said, 'please, no more!' I don't hear that from him much, really.

Summer Zucchini and Tomatoes with Cheese

(this one is not written down, but I think most everyone has made this at some time or another)

butter,

zucchini, sliced in abt 1/8-1/4" circles

tomatoes, sliced

garlic, diced

onions,

oregano,

thyme,

salt and pepper to taste

bread crumbs

mozzarella cheese, grated or parmesan cheese

In a skillet, saute zucchini in butter, briefly.

Add tomatoes and onions; let them cook a bit to cook off some of the tomato juice.

Add garlic and cook to soften garlic.

Sprinkle crushed oregano and thyme over the top, add salt and pepper.

Put bread crumbs on top, then

sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover briefly to let cheese melt, then serve.

Let me know in comments if you know the origin of that zucchini/manna joke, and I'm always looking for a few good zucchini recipes!

Zucchini mania continues....join with others to spread the joy (and zucchini)

2009-08-03T00:02:00.000-06:00

BloggersUnite.org is a place I've just found,

and there are a few folks over there who are banding together to promote zucchini.

Take a look at:
http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/sneak-some-zucchini-onto-your-neighbors-porch-day
Such lovely, positive bloggers,

who want to educate everyone about the happiness that can result from

sharing zucchini with others.
Their objective:
Teach people there is no such thing as too much zucchini !

Today's recipe is just a homey casserole.

Impossible Zucchini Pie

Remember those old ‘Bisquick’ impossible pies that you just stirred together?

– well, this is another one.

2 c. grated zucchini (or you could grate other summer squash, in, too, for more color)
¼ c. chopped onion
a few slices of tomatoes, if you like

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or swiss would be nice, too)
1 ½ c. milk
¾ c. Bisquick
3 large eggs
1 t. salt
1/3 t. pepper
1-2 T. whole wheat flour (just to make it seem more nutritious)
½ c chopped ham, if desired

Heat oven to 400°. Lightly grease deep dish pie plate, or an 8x8 square pan works, too.
Place tomato slices on the bottom of your pan, if you are using them.
Combine milk, Bisquick, eggs, salt, pepper and flour in a blender for about a minute, or until smooth. Pour into bowl, and add zucchini, onion and cheese and ham.
Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake 25 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6

Zucchini week continues... Angel hair pasta w/ pesto, zucchini and chicken

2009-08-02T00:03:00.001-06:00

Hey, back for more?
Glutton for (zucchini) punishment?
Or maybe just looking for a zucchini - loving glutton???

I can't help you with that, but here is another delish zucchini recipe:

Angel hair w/ pesto, zucchini and chicken

Chicken breast in bite size pieces

Julienned zucchini

Garlic, chopped

Angel hair pasta

Fresh basil, lightly chopped

Pkg pesto mix

Oil

Parmesan cheese if desired

Mix the pesto mix with a little oil and water.

Marinate chicken in some of the pesto mixture.

Drain pesto marinade from chicken, (discard marinade)

then cook chicken in small amount of oil until lightly browned.

Remove from skillet, then add more oil and cook garlic and zucchini briefly.

Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta (hey, they have whole wheat angel hair pasta! Who knew?)

Add remaining pesto mixture to skillet,

along with cooked chicken and fresh basil.

Drain cooked pasta, and serve chicken/ zucchini over angel hair.

Voila! pretty tasty, I'll say!

Oh, and Rachael Ray has a very similar recipe -Zucchini Fettucine.

Remember to let me know in comments if you have a zucchini recipe to share!

ZUCCHINI - week begins and Garden Blogger's Muse Day

2009-08-01T00:02:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up, National Leave a Zucchini on your Neighbor's Porch day is coming!

Mark next Saturday, August 8th, and be sure to celebrate,

especially if you, like me, are being inundated by your zucchini plants.

Just to 'sweeten the pot' so to speak .. or maybe just so your neighbors won't hate you,
I'll be posting a new , tasty zucchini-using recipe every day.
You could make a copy and tie it to the zucchini-bats you so generously share with your neighbors. :)

As it is also August 1st, I even found a poem that rhapsodizes about the unique properties of zucchini:

It was an an itsy-bitsy,

teeny-weenysilver striped green zucchini.

While we slumbered, what went wrong?

Overnight it's two feet long!

from http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1146421, which has quite a few poems about zucchini.

I am hoping that you will be inspired to share your own zucchini recipes. Let me know in the comments!!!!

Here's my first recipe, and it is a winner - everybody has a recipe for chocolate/zucchini cake-brownies, etc. I've tried a lot of them over the years, and this one is THE best.

Self – Frosting Chocolate Zucchini Cake

½ c. margarine
½ c. oil
1 ¾ c sugar (1 ½)
2 eggs
2 c finely grated zucchini
1 t soda
2 ½ c flour
1 t vanilla
1/2 c sour cream or buttermilk
4-6 T cocoa
½ t cinnamon (optional)
1 t salt
1 t b powder

Mix oil, margarine and sugar. Add eggs.
Sift the dry ingredients together, including the cocoa. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk to sugar mixture.
Add the remaining ingredients except zucchini blend well.
Stir in the zucchini by hand and pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan

Mix the following and crumble on top of the cake:

¾ c chocolate chips
¾ c chopped nuts
¾ c brown sugar

Bake @ 350º for 35-45 minutes or until done. Serves 12

(Omit cinnamon to bring out better chocolate taste)

This is a great recipe, folks! Help me out this week, and let me know about your tastiest zucchini recipes.

A new recipe tomorrow. Yum, yum, yum.

Garden Blogger's DEATH Day?!

2009-07-30T21:34:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago I found a blog that tickled my funnybone.

Katie, of Gardening Without Skills, has begun a timely tradition that can help

all of us as bloggers AND gardeners

face our failures with a smile on our lips.

(photo courtesy of USDA plant files)

As you may have guessed, it's called blogger's death day, and gives us a chance to admit ("I'm gardener Muum, and I've killed ten plants this week." 'Hello, Muum')

our failures and mistrakes.

So, here's mine. I started out with some cute buttercups, and moved a few to my 'spring' garden bed, thinking they would add color and interest after the spring bulbs, etc, had faded. This worked great for ONE year, and then the buttercups, 'dear, little buttercups' ruthlessly took over half of the bed.

My response was to try and dig them out, but they have clumpy, nasty roots, and root off of the stem, etc. So, I reluctantly broke out the roundup, because I've learned that it is better to head off an invasion earlier than later. In this pic above, you can see the results of my roundup attack.

Here (below)you can see the roots, as well as the lovely and attractive (said with a bitter and sarcastic tone) foliage.
A month has passed by, and I still have a few more to dig out. And a few that have come back after my offensive and are hoping I won't come back and get them. But I will. :]

Let me know in comments if you have a failure, disaster, etc that you are willing to post, and go see Kate's deadly blog.

Daylilies - the final count ( I think)

2009-07-24T11:21:00.014-06:00

Ok, the count was 19.

Here is the last of the stella d'oros(20):

Here are some labels I found of day lilies I've planted in the yard:

L to R the labels read "Rajah" , "Catherine Woodbury", and "Wine Delight"
hmm. I s'pose I could match those up with some in my yard. The orange 'Rajah' could be any of 3 of them, though.

I did go back and compare two of the dark reds in the yard, which are identical, as you can see, so that brings the count to 19 again.

This one, of course, has no name, but is # 20.

Bad pic here -

but I do know the name: 'Raspberry Pixie' , which counts as #21!

This one is smaller than the other strong yellow. This one is almost green in color, and counts as # 22.

hmm. Could be 'Rajah' . Or not. But # 23, for sure.

I do believe I've inventoried the yard, and twenty three different types of daylilies may seem like a lot to some, but I know there are gardeners out there with many more than this!

Daylilies , how many do we really have?

2009-07-22T16:50:00.021-06:00

'Tis daylily season, and thank heavens for them, because they are blooming during a lull in my garden. I do have to say, though, that I like irises more than daylilies, but I do appreciate the variety, beauty, and hardiness of daylilies.

We do have a LOT of different daylilies. I took pics, and there were a few that weren't blooming today, so I'll add another entry in a few days, to try and figure out how many varieties I have.

As usual, I don't know the names of most of them, so if you have any ideas/suggestions/guesses, let me know!

This daylily (above) was here when we moved in. We don't have the traditional orange 'ditch' daylily, but I love this double variation. I saw something similar for sale called 'Kwanzi', so maybe that is what this one is.

These are a buttery yellow, with large blooms. I never get tired of looking at them.

An unknown pk/yellow pastel.

This deep red is another favorite of mine, the picture really doesn't do it justice.

mrp. yellow/pk, unknown.

Hey, this one is called 'Pandora's box!' relatively new in my garden.

This is a lovely intense pink with yellow center, name, as usual, unknown.

Name unknown, intense red. The blooms are thicker than a lot of daylily blooms.

This is a mini bloom, Grapette.

This may be the same red daylily as above. ? don't know.

this is a purple-colored daylily, don't know the name.

A sweet pink/yellow beauty.

hmm. close to the last one, but not the same color. Name unknown.

unknown pastel yellow/peach.

'Naomi Ruth'

similar to naomi ruth, smaller in size, but a double.

large pk and yellow beauty, name unknown.

one of the 'candy' daylilies, I think.

I showed this dark red/yellow spider -type daylily before.

So, how many does this make so far? 19. I'll get the rest in a few days,when I can get some nice pics.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for July 2009

2009-07-14T21:31:00.015-06:00

I have been looking forward to this bloom day. I am so glad Carol at May Dreams Garden came up with this great idea. Do be sure to go there and check out what is blooming around the world!

This first pic is of one of (the many) volunteer hollyhocks in the yard and veggie garden. I enjoyed watching this bumblebee hit every blossom before he left for more nectar elsewhere.

The crocosima is blooming, can't wait for the yellow variety to bloom!

Ack! what is the name of this Shasta daisy? We have the regular kind, but this one is kind of fun with its' feathery petals.

The daylilies are the star in my garden right now. I don't have the name for this one, but I love the strong scarlet red.

This is part of the silver 'collection'- and it's even blooming! Here's a closeup:

The Helichrysum, or licorice plant, is blooming. It smells like curry to me, though.

Just finishing up with a few of my potted plants.

I tried to put some color combinations together. The yellow-green sweet potato vine with the yellow petunias and a canna. Not looking all that great.

I like this red/dark red combo better:

-red petunias, and some dark red cannas, with some of the dark sweet potato vine (hard to see, but on the left in this pic).

Other things blooming- the roses, of course, sunflowers, cosmos, sedum, santolina, daisies and coreopsis, and too many to enumerate!

Happy blogger-bloom day!

blooms and pollinators

2009-07-09T22:27:00.005-06:00

Came home from a trip, and the borage had grown AND bloomed!

(still not as lush and lovely as my daughter's, but that is ok)

I know I just showed pics of a borage bloom, but it is such an odd bloom that I can't resist showing it again.

Other stuff is blooming, too and attracting those bees/pollinators:
The cilantro/coriander is blooming (guess that makes it coriander now, huh?)

This dill volunteered in the middle of the veggie garden this year (along w/ about a dozen of its'
closest buddies) and I just let them grow, knowing they would attract bees to the garden, too.

Borage

2009-06-27T12:22:00.012-06:00

When we first moved to our current home (almost 8 years ago, and we chose it for the yard!),
I was surprised to see these bright blue blooms. I hadn't seen borage before, and was glad to figure out what it was, eventually.

It came back for a few years, and then I didn't see any more borage plants. It is an annual, and somehow must not have successfully reseeded.

So, this spring I bought some seeds and planted some, thinking I'd like to have these pretty blue blooms - and they attract bees.
My 2nd child has a veggie garden this year, too, and so I gave her some borage for her garden. The pic above is from HER garden, my plants look like this:

Love those chewed up leaves, eh?
hard to tell if that is a result of snail snacking or hail damage, probably both.
Her borage plants are about a foot high, and lush looking, with buds and blooms.
Mine are still struggling along, as you can see.
This last pic is the other borage plant that I have.
It is looking a bit better, and even about to bloom!

Guess I shouldn't complain.
According to my Sunset Western Garden book (love this reference book!), borage leaves, although bristly, are edible, 'with a cucumberlike flavor.'
It also mentions that borage tolerates poor soil, as do many herbs.
The flowers are also edible, I remember seeing something about candying t
he flowers in another book, I think.

Nature and Photography

2009-06-18T06:27:00.002-06:00

One of the blessings of my life is my family,

and today I want to let you know about two new blogs -

one is by my 10 year old grand daughter, who is learning about nature,

and the other is one of my sons-in-law, who has a great talent as a photographer.

So... take a minute and check out these new blogs:

Nature's Daughter

aaaand

My Corner

Go see nature from the perspective of the young,

and some awesome (and award winning!) photos.

You'll be glad you did :)

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - June 15, 2009

2009-06-14T22:01:00.001-06:00

It is hard to believe it is June 15th, already.

Here in Utah we've had very cool weather, 60's, mostly, which is forecast to end this week. My irises are almost done blooming, and the roses are just beginning to bloom, along with a coreopsis I'd forgotten I'd planted -

This is a new spiderwort, I have a nice pink and the 'fuchsia-pink' colors, too.
This bed is a battleground. you can't see the (white) yarrow that is marching in from the north, or the ajuga coming from the west. They will have a tough fight with this red valerian. It has spread into the gravel walk way , and I am going to try and exterminate that white yarrow. There is a yellow siberian iris I'd forgotten that I'd planted there, too, and you can see an iris in the upper left.
Some penstemon in a bed that has been overtaken by grass.
Lupine

Columbine

Foxglove

California poppies, just about to 'pop' their little hats off.

Nigella, or love-in-a-mist . This stuff spreads everywhere, but I like it anyway.

Sage - love the purple/blue combo

Caribbean crush verbascum! a new addition to my spring bed.

Those are my highlights for June.

Head over to Carol's May Dreams Gardens to enjoy everyone else's garden.

Thanks to Carol for hosting this fun event in the blogosphere!

Iris week, last day- Royal Ballet

2009-06-10T00:02:00.000-06:00

The last day of iris week corresponds with my last 'new' iris in the yard to open -

Royal Ballet,

a Dykes Medal award winner (the Oscars for Irises).

(waiting, waiting, waiting for it to open!!!)

It is very much like another iris I have, a bicolor that is blue and white called 'Dover Beach' - it is very similar to Royal Ballet, except the latter is much rufflier.
The roses have begun to bloom, now, which almost makes up for the fact that 'iris season' is winding down. It is fair to say that roses are the queens of the plant kingdom, but I would say that iris are the grand duchesses, with their stately elegance.
Thanks for checking in for iris week!

Iris week - Periwinkle Iris

2009-06-09T00:02:00.000-06:00

Today's iris was a find by my DH (and Craigslist!).

The lady he got the iris tubers from said they were 'periwinkle.'

I wasn't sure if periwinkle meant light blue (eh) or what, exactly.

This year they bloomed, and I have enjoyed the deep, rich periwinkle color immensely.

A keeper for sure!
Love the white w/ slight yellow tinged beard.

Even the middle is exquisite, don't you think?

Monday of Iris week - Space Ager ?

2009-06-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

This iris is not a fave of mine, the light yellow and odd blue beard don't do much for me, but I'm sure there are those who do like this.

I am not sure where I got this particular iris from, or what it's name is :(

Probably the most notable thing about it is that it is a 'space-ager.'

Space agers " have horns that extend from the end of the beard. The horn is a spear like appendage that emerges from the fall at the end of the beard." (this description from Prevost gardens in San Jose, CA)

You can see it better on the first picture than on the closeup -

the end of the beard sticks out some. Odd.

It's not all bad. Pretty with a fresh coat of rain on it!

Happy Iris week!

IRIS WEEK - Saturday and Sunday - Titan's Glory?

2009-06-05T17:18:00.007-06:00

I got a 'new' Iris at my county's annual master gardener sale- a Dykes medal winnner - Titan's Glory !

This pic is off of the internet. It is described as an intensely deep blue iris.

And mine even bloomed!!!! Here it is ....
uh. wait, that looks purpl-y.
Not intense blue (not that purple isn't desirable, just not what I was expecting) at all.

Here is my comparison -the 'Titan's Glory' is on the right, and on the left (I am holding the stem!)

is my deep purple unnamed beauty from the yard.

They are not identical, but my new purchase is definitely more purple than blue.

hmm. Time to move that iris... to the purple bed!

Have a great weekend, will post again on Monday.

Iris week continues - Role Model

2009-06-05T00:04:00.001-06:00

Do you love irises? I surely do.

I have been accumulating them faster than I can throw them in the ground.

I love them because they are a 'low maintenance' perennial, with little fertilizer, trimming or other needs. Ignore them all year, and they will still reward you with beautiful blooms.

The color range for irises is enormous!

This one is called 'Role Model' - it is kind of a peach-rose-melon combo that is wonderful.

Here is a closeup of the beard.

cute, huh?
I keep thinking, 'this iris is my favorite'.. but then I think of another. I love red-purples, blue purples, blues, raspberries, whites, ruffles... there aren't too many that I don't care for.
Let me know in comments if you have a favorite variety or color of iris!

IRIS WEEK (finally) begins

2009-06-04T18:04:00.004-06:00

So, I have been busy.. every morning there are new (to me) irises blooming in the yard,

and I have weeds that are out of control .

But I do want to share my love'o iris, so here goes....

This was a 'first time ever ' bloomer in my garden. It is labeled 'Beverly Sills'

(the most perfect pink iris ever, according to the hype)

huh.

doesn't look pink, does it?

Nice, though.

I like it.

Still need a Beverly Sills, though.

Will move this surprise to the purple leaning towards blue bed when I get a chance.

any guesses as to what iris it really is? let me know.

see you tomorrow!

Anticipation!

2009-05-18T12:16:00.002-06:00

My mini-irises are still blooming, and I am

anticipating with great happiness my 'regular' irises,

which are preparing to bloom - soon!!!

I am anxious to see several new varieties, as well as the old favorites.

Next week will be Iris week, I think. I plan to post a new iris pic every day,

just 'cause they are sooo lovely. Please join me if you like, let me know in comments if you have some irises to show.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for May 2009

2009-05-14T22:04:00.001-06:00

Well, I went back and looked at last year's May bloom day, and it looks like the yard is a bit ahead of last year's blooming times. For example, my lilacs are blooming now! Last year they had just begun to bud out. And the weeping cherry is all done, now.

Other bloomers include a few tulips (that the deer/bunnies missed), phlox, rock cress, and the wisteria. The alliums are just starting to pop, I've spread them to a lot of new places.

These burgundy/pink pansies have been a fave of mine, still looking spectacular from last fall.

The red bud tree is doing its thing -
And this year I have 4 (no, 5!) lilacs instead of just three. Yipin-etly! One of my favorite smells is lilacs in the springtime.
These star of Bethlehem are new to us this year, one of my DH's finds.. I think they are supposed to bloom earlier??

The regular vinca is blooming, this one jumped ship from a container to our rock wall, and this is the first year I've seen it bloom. The flower is more purpl-y than this photo indicates.

These mini irises were blooming last year at this time. I didn't remember that this is my second year for them. :)

Many thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for coming up with bloom day! Go see what else is blooming around the world!

Spring!

2009-05-05T07:25:00.002-06:00

I am at that point in my spring gardening chores where I run from one thing to another, a bit overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. (plus this has been a VERY rainy spring, for Utah).. I feel 'behinder' than usual.

I did see something new, in all my hurry -

don't know why I've never seen the Japanese threadleaf maple leafing out before.

Incredible!

Happy spring to all!

Cake Wrecks

2009-04-23T16:36:00.005-06:00

So, if you've already seen 'CakeWrecks', this won't be new to you. One of my daughters told me about it, and it really is funny. (or just another thing to waste time looking up on the 'net, depending on your POV)

But worth checking out. This is one of many cool/funny/hilarious cakes:

yee ha!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - April 2009

2009-04-14T21:33:00.008-06:00

I haven't participated in GBBD for a while, but it is fun to be back in the groove.

Spring is slow to arrive at our zone 5 , 5,000 ft altitude garden in Utah, but we have daffodils blooming, crocuses, the ornamental cherry is almost ready to wow us.

Today I just want to show two new plants - a pink and a white violet that I got starts of from a kind neighbor .

I had no idea violets came in pink. And, yes, thanks for asking; I AM tickled pink

to have this little beauty in my garden!

Next is the white violet, just one bloom to show today.

Still, a special thrill. I've loved these white violets for a long time, and am so happy to have some!

These are the good old reliables, an impossible shade of blue/purple that I really never get tired of.

(Did you know it was also Irritate People w/ Prepositions Day????)

A church yard nearby has a hill with lots of the bluey-purpley ones.

Just a closeup here.

Happy Spring!

Happy GBBD!

Be sure to go to May Dreams Gardens, the home of GBBD.

April Rain

2009-03-31T22:26:00.003-06:00

The wild sweet rain of April spills
On golden - throated daffodils,
On garden wall and new green bough,
On earth fresh - turned before the plough.
It scrubs the pansy's small shy face
And shines each blade of grass in place
To leave the springtime world aglow,
And lift my heart to walk tiptoe.

by VINEY WILDER

Okey-dokey! American Idol

2009-03-12T13:02:00.003-06:00

American Idol is my 13 yr old's show to watch, not mine.
Being an endless fan of corny jokes, puns, etc... , I do have a fave this season:

DANNY GOKEY..............

If you've been watching, you may like this young man, too.

Let me tell you a few interesting details about him:

Do you know Danny's favorite dance?

-The HOKEY-POKEY, of course!

Did you know he has a twin sister?

-She is an agreeable sort, her name is ' Okey-dokey Gokey'.

Danny has another famous relative -

-His name is 'Smokey Dokey' , not 'Smokey the Bear' as you may have heard so many times.

So, stop groaning,

and let me know if you know any more 'facts' (or bad puns) to contribute. :).

Keep 'em clean, though.

Twilight

2008-11-22T08:27:00.003-07:00

I read the Twilight series of books, and enjoyed them. I can understand the hype about the movie,

but grew increasingly irritated with the hype about **EDWARD**

Is there such a thing as 'too handsome'?

I think the hair, the lips (the guy is wearing some goofy shade of lipstick!),

plus the white skin/fakey face powder look, were just too much.

As if the director is saying 'see, he is SOOO handsome, don'cha know?'

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Although I saw the movie on Friday, and both my 13 yr old and I agree, we thought he was a lot cooler by the end of the movie! (thanks for the tickets, DH!!!)

Sorry these pics are so stinkin' small, my technical abilities are small, too.

One of the fun parts of the movie is that Bella, the heroine, looks

strikingly like a friend of ours!!!! I won't post her pic, but the resemblance is amazing. And she wore a boot on her leg on her wedding day, just like Bella at the prom. Coincidence??? hmmm....

Anyway, two thumbs up for the Twilight movie from our household!

Kreativ Blogger Award....... thanks to the Sass!

2008-11-21T19:22:00.011-07:00

So, I've won an award! Those daughters of mine are so good to me!
(you don't s'pose this is a pity award, do you?)

As a winner, I will name 6 things I am grateful for:

1. my health

2. my thoughtful husband

3. my kids, g'kids, and kids in laws

4. friends

5. flowers and gardening

6. chocolate!

This is our thankful tree----

Each leaf is something we are thankful for. We add our leaves at dinner time.

So, now I'll name six other blogs that I enjoy reading to pass this award on to :

Lynne at Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life,

Kylee at Our Little Acre,

Carolyn at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago,

Carol at May Dreams Gardens,

TAMN at Seriously, so Blessed!,

and Barbara at Motherof 8.

Vote!

2008-11-04T10:43:00.002-07:00

Here's a meme: vote, and then let us all know what your experience was - wait time, etc. Political ranting optional.

I voted at 8:30 a.m., no wait at

my polling station, although they said there had been a line earlier.

I was planning to go about 9, 9:30 a.m., because I calculated that voters on the way to work, and parents dropping kids off at school would be done by then, and it would be slow. (I have been hearing about hour long waits at early voting.)

Then I saw that the snow that wasn't supposed to come until tonight or this afternoon, was coming down, and I would rather not get stuck somewhere, so I ran out the door and voted.

So, come on, let me know what your experience was!

tagged by the Sass

2008-11-03T15:03:00.004-07:00

My daughter tagged me---

So here is the meme:

Post your 4th picture from your 4th file. Say a little about it, then tag 4 other people.

Here is my pic......

It is one of about a million I took last winter when we had so much snow and winter seemed endless (winter seems endless to me every year, though).

This pic features my hill billy homemade bird feeder (yeah, it IS an old shoe box w/ aluminum foil on it, Holy Homemade Craziness, Batman!)

Don't you love the aesthetically pleasing evergreen branches on the side?

OK, it will be easy to top this dorky pic, so I am tagging:

PJ at Sleeping Late on Saturday

Barbara at Motherof8

Lynne at her Somewhat Invented Life

and anybody else who wants to do something random.

Aloha!

2008-10-30T20:51:00.004-06:00

I don't want to make anybody jealous, but I get to go to HAWAII the end of January w/ my DH! lucky me. We went several years (and pounds!) ago, and had such a great time. I remember how lovely it was, and the beautiful fragrances in the air. The sunsets. the giant fish..

anyway, my sassy daughter put my count down counter on my sidebar (training wheels on this blogger's bike!) for me, and I have something wonderful to look forward to during the cold days of winter!

Which TWILIGHT character are you?

2008-10-27T18:24:00.001-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

ok, so this was cheesy. And who would've thought I'd be 'the mom'???

May be?

2008-10-13T18:16:00.003-06:00

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.
Quentin Crisp

there is a funny post over at Mother of 8

about her frustrations with a handmade gift she is working on.

I can relate, because I have messed up enough cross-stitches, and failed at crocheting ... have you seen scalloped crocheted leper bandages?

I won't even talk about the time I 'learned to knit' - I was trying to make a simple scarf, and had to tear it apart (ok, my daughter did that for me)and start over. 'Now concentrate on what you are doing' advised my lightning fast knitting teacher. hmmph.

EWWwww......

2008-10-10T07:39:00.004-06:00

Found this grisly thing yesterday while I was clearing the veggie garden and getting the yard ready for winter:

It is a 'blow' snake, not a rattle snake, thank goodness, and not a very big one at that. Don't know who or what got it's head, maybe one of those big ol' magpies that bully around the neighborhood.

So, where have YOU lived and visited?

2008-09-25T13:25:00.002-06:00

I was surprised to find how many places I've been.

visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or determine the next president

Back to School

2008-08-25T16:31:00.004-06:00

Tuesday my grandson (and my daughter's youngest!) heads to kindergarten - so this poem is for his Mom.

Back to School

Somehow the sunlit world is gray
A small boy went to school today.
So often in these last few years
Of healing hurts
And drying tears…
Of picking playthings off the floor…
Of running often to the door,
One thought has been a placid pool.. .
He’ll soon be old enough for school.

He was old enough today,
Yet all the sunlit world is gray.
So soon my rooms grow orderly,
With no small boy to bother me.
But quiet rooms are lonely things
When in their walls no small boy sings.
A quiet yard’s a lonely place,
When it has known a small boy’s face.

Today he joined the world of men.. .
He’ll not be wholly mine again.
Today he braved life’s rise and fall..
Dear Lord, he seems so very small!

Somehow the sunlit world is gray…
My baby went to school today.
-author unknown

My 'baby boy' left for his first day of school almost twenty years ago. This month was another big milestone for him, because he married a lovely young lady on August 22nd! I'll add a picture here, later, if I get a minute.

too busy to post

2008-08-12T11:22:00.001-06:00

Wedding madness has descended around here, and I'll have to catch up with posting later!

It's Wednesday --You found WHAT? at W-mart??

2008-08-06T00:37:00.000-06:00

I always like to check out the gardening section in the summer - you never know what you will find.

Today, I found a deal - play sand for $2.23, how much? I don't know, but very heavy, 30 lbs or so? That is not a bad deal, but they had seriously marked down a novelty item that I had seen earlier, priced at $13 per bag -

hold onto your hats........

COLORed SAND!!!

Put out by Crayola, it is just the kind of fun you want your grandkids to have, right?

(or maybe you would be tempted, yourself, to play with blue or pink or green or yellow sand)

The first time I saw this stuff, I wanted it. Now, it is less than half price. Tempting..
Have you found any deals, lately? I love a good deal. Let me know in comments if you are playing along this week.. what have you seen when you have been out and about, using your $4 gasoline to pick up your milk?

Munumanu, another meme. . .

2008-08-05T21:07:00.003-06:00

This is for my dear G gal ...

3 Joys - children, grandchildren, the gospel of Jesus Christ!

3 Goals- exercise regularly, improve health, think before I speak

3 Current Obsessions- yard work, weddings, yard work

3 Random Surprising Facts- if I know, I'm not really surprised, am I? (unless I forget and then remember, that really would be random, wouldn't it?)

it is a hot summer day, I tag you if you want to play, too. Let me know in comments.

Two-fer - Show and Tell Friday and Garden Bloggers Muse Day

2008-07-31T22:46:00.008-06:00

Well, I am trying to put everything together into one blog entry.

I am showing a poem I wrote about a favorite childhood memory - going to the county fair.

Some years I spent most of the week there, with my brother and sis and grandmother.

Head to Kelli's blog for show and tell Friday,

and don't miss Sweet Home and Garden Chicago, home of Garden Bloggers Muse Day !

Did I mention it is the best and largest county fair in the U.S.A.?? Or so I was told...

The Great Darke County Fair by Joyce V.

I learned in school that our school was the best.

Our town the best. Our county, without question, was the best.

Here was The Best farmland, glacier-scrubbed and rich for the plow.

Our fair was not just any fair, it was GREAT.

And as a child, I agreed.

I loved the fair food,

the fried scones dripping with butter and honey,

cotton candy, fudge of every color and flavor.

I loved the parade (always held on Thursday),

with 4-H floats and horses and

bands trooping around the track.

I loved the rides, the noise, the games,

the mysterious mustachioed fat lady.

When my money was spent,

I toured the free exhibits in the Coliseum.

I visited my uncle’s cows,

and my cousin’s pigs in the fair barns.

I studied the quilts, the needlework,

the jars of jam with blue ribbons.

Yes, it’s true; our fair is the Best fair of all.
The biggest, the most fun of all
In my memory, the GREAT Darke County Fair
Lives on forever, superlatives intact.

It's Wednesday --You found WHAT? at W---mart

2008-07-29T21:31:00.004-06:00

It's Wednesday, and time to share the odd, the bizarre, quirky, or just plain weird things you may have seen when you were at the store. Whether it is that (in-)famous big box or your local Mom-'n-Pop store, share with us what tickled your funny bone this week!

Inspired by Karla at Ramblin' Roads (who showed us a crazy bus), I want to show you a vehicle I saw at good ol' W -- mart some time ago when it came to my town.

Here I am with our 12 year old. The Oscar Mayer mobile actually is driven from place to place.
Here are the drivers, with a handy sandwich board of facts about their hot-doggin' vehicle.

Pretty cool, wouldn't you say?

So, join in the fun, and show us what you've seen. Let me know in comments, and I'll be sure to come over and take a look!

Green Thumb Sunday

2008-07-26T21:43:00.005-06:00

GTS - Let me walk you around and hit the high points!

Yellow Pixie Lily

I love this new plant, but feel a bit like I am cheating by showing it as mine, the buds were on the plant when I plunked it in my spring bed two weeks ago!

Buzzin' away on the veronica

D' oh! My coneflower has it's second bloom, which is just like the first, before the petals unfurled. I posted last week with a bit of worry that I had some problem with this plant. We can all see that the problem is not with the plant, but with the gardener. sigh.

Happy GTS! Happy Sabbath!

Show and Tell Friday more flower pots in the making

2008-07-24T21:52:00.010-06:00

Show 'n Tell time again - I am still potting up plants here.
Be sure to head over to Kelli's blog to see what everyone else has to show today.

This is another 'yellow' pot, w/ yellow dahlia in the back, yellow celosia and
some white zinnias, and some variegated sweet potato vine in the front. Lowe's is clearing out a lot of their plants, and so I got most of these plants for pennies on the dollar.

This is lLimelights rtemesia, if I have the name right. It is invasive and quite a pest, from what I read on the internet, but I did manage to kill some last year in my garden. I found another plant of it this spring, and it is working well in another of my pots.

I still have some profusion zinnias, some geraniums, and a few other odds and ends to arrange in pots. Then water and fertilize and hope the fill out and look good!

Happy Friday!

Pioneer Day

2008-07-24T12:14:00.005-06:00

This is spoken from the point of view of a convert, so don't be hatin' on me here-

I am just thinking Pioneer Day would be a lot more fun if there was more 'pie' involved.
Just sayin' ---

oh, really, it is great to honor the Pioneers.

For those of us who are LDS, there was a great poem in the July Ensign,

Lynne over at Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life has a copy of the poem, and some great comments about it. I loved this poem when I read it, too. Remembers the hardships the pioneers faced and overcame, and reminds us that we, today, need to overcome, too.

It's Wednesday --You found WHAT? at W---mart

2008-07-23T16:38:00.004-06:00

I was not feeling very inspired about my new Wednesday topic, until,of course, I made my weekly trip to 'that big box store that shall remain nameless.'
At any rate, here's what I found as I passed the tacky souvenir section (y'know, I could do them a favor and make a sign : Tacky Souvenirs):

I mean, how old is that Jackalope joke? This jackalope at least knows that he is an embarrassment to his ilk, look at that eye rolling expression on his little acrylic face!

Overall, things were pretty quiet at Wal.... oh, you know.. today -
as I was leaving, I saw this bit of nonsense in the parking lot. Yosemite Sam, you are a true day brightener in the quest for kitchsy krapola. (I can only hope he doesn't get bugs stuck in his teeth).

Let me know if you've seen anything fun, odd, weird, or otherwise note-worthy on your trips to the store, or on vacation, or ? you tell me! I'd love to hear/see all about it.

Finish These 5 meme

2008-07-21T15:49:00.005-06:00

Finish These Five

Rules:
Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers.

The Five-
Ten years ago… I was a lot busier! I had a daughter in college, 3 school aged kids, and a three year old (for a total of 5 kids, y'know).

Five things on today’s “to do” list… plant some of my bargains! (I got a 'Little Kim' lilac in a 5 gallon container for ... you guessed it... $5!!!! yahoo!!! oh,, make dinner (popeye noodles and mashed potatoes, total comfort food), help the 12 year old paint her walls, fold laundry, and... did I mention I have plants to plant???

Five Snacks I enjoy… dark chocolate, pie, turtle ice cream, umm... did I say Dove dark chocolate?? those are so good, they are worth 3, I think.
Five Things I would do if I was a millionaire…build a new house, get a maid and a gardener, pay tithing, give some to my kids and set up college funds for g'kids, get a spa!

Five Places I have lived… Ohio (Arcanum!, Columbus, Bryan), Kentucky (Morehead), Florida (Orlando), Utah (Provo, Orem, Ogden), Washington state (Bremerton).

I’m tagging…
Jean at Sleeping Late on Saturday

Barbara at Motherof8

Kathy at Mimi's Garden

Lynne at Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life

Needled Mom at Needled Mom

Green Thumb Sunday

2008-07-19T21:33:00.004-06:00

Sunday again, and time for GTS.
Here is a coneflower. I must admit that coneflowers are not my fave flower, but they are growing on me! This one is an odd duck, I don't know if this is the way it is s'posed to look, or if mine is just not blooming right.

Here is one of my 'new' (planted last fall) daylilies. I have the name written down somewhere. Unfortunately this flower is not the best example of the beauty, color and form of this plant,but it is the only one blooming today. The colors are richer than my camera shows.

Happy GTS! Happy Sabbath!

Show and Tell Friday - potting up plants for September

2008-07-17T21:54:00.009-06:00

Friday is here again, and I thought I'd show what I am spending most of
my summer on- plants !
Be sure to head to Kelli's to see who else is participating in Show 'n Tell today.

This is a new rose for our yard this year, I love the peachy color, couldn't find the name tag at the base of the plant. The fragrance is light and lovely.

This is one of my pots I am getting ready for our wedding reception in the yard in September. Yeah, I know, May would be a much better time for this than July, but I am slow!

This pot has yellow/white colors, with an over-large daisy in the back, yellow leaved tansy on the left, a calendula in front of that, with yellow celosia and some white profusion zinnias on the right. I may put some golden oregano in the front.
I guess it is not the best photo.

Next is my effort at some dramatic color -

this pot will look better after the plants (esp the purple ruffled basil) adjusts to the move and fills in the pot. I am so happy with this combo that I wanted to show it today, it is not really for the reception. In the front is Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea) 'Blackie', in the middle is an ivy geranium called 'Picasso', with intense dark red colored blooms, and the mess in the back is the wilted basil and annual Scabiosa 'Black Knight'.

Here's a closeup of the geranium flower -

- and of the scabiosa. I messed w/ the color a bit in Photo Shop to try and recapture

the maroony loveliness of this flower. Maybe I'll show my pots again when they are more filled in.

It's Wednesday - - You found WHAT !? ! at W .. -mart

2008-07-15T22:10:00.008-06:00

It is Wednesday again,

and I am inviting y'all to join in and let me know what's caused you to do a double take when out shopping. Doesn't have to be a big box store, anyplace will do. Let me know in comments that you've posted it on your blog. I'd love to come and see!

So, in Utah, LDS (Mormon) folks like to be prepared (like the boy scouts) -

and one area of preparation is to store food and water for emergencies-

physical /weather related disasters, financial difficulties, etc.

So I wasn't too surprised to see large containers for water storage at my local 'big box' store. Next to the blue water containers (abt 50-55 gallon size),

there are smaller buckets to hold food, grains, what have you.

But... I was surprised to see
end caps of wheat bags! hmm, 25 lbs for 14.86, I've seen it for $11 at the Provo W.. -mart store..

a sign of the times, for sure!

Let me know if you have something that made you laugh (or cry) when you were out and about.

GARDEN BLOGGER'S BLOOM DAY - July 2008

2008-07-15T09:44:00.013-06:00

Mid month already! Time for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day,
sponsored by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.
Be sure to head over and see what is blooming in gardens all over the world!

purple California poppy
This is the first bloom of seeds I planted in the spring. I found this color of poppy at Wal-mart, of all places, and had no idea this color existed. Success!

Irish Eyes

I lost this plant last year, I planted it in too dry of a spot. Apparently it self seeds well, I have these growing in three new spots in the garden.

Daylily
The daylilies are the stars in the garden now, the roses have hit their peak and are on the downswing, but the daylilies are glorious!
Love-in-a-mist
This is everywhere in our walking garden, one of the few blue ones, we have mostly white ones. They are almost scarily prolific.

Johnson's Blue Geranium

This is a new addition to my garden, most of my cranesbill is the purply- pink variety. I am lovin' this blue!

"Native plant"
I don't know the name of this plant. I took it to the Extension's troubleshooting clinic and they didn't know, either. It is something I see in the foothills, growing wild, though.

'nother daylily
This pale yellow/cream is a fave of mine.

roses
The roses have been extra beautiful this year.

Tamarisk tree
This is listed on the invasive plants list for Utah. It clogs up and hogs up the streams here. This one in our yard is well behaved, though, and we love the pink fluffy blooms, esp. for bouquets.

Also blooming:

shasta daisies,

salvia,

red valerian (always, always blooming!),

spiderwort,

yucca, and

drumstick allium.

Happy bloom day, all!

Green Thumb Sunday -Lavendar and dragonfly

2008-07-12T22:26:00.004-06:00

Time keeps flyin' by - it is Sunday again!

Lavendar is one of those old reliables in our yard.

It does just fine without any extra attention,
spreads about a bit, but not aggressively so, and the bees love this stuff.

I love the smell, too.

At any rate, I was out taking a few pics of my flowers when I caught this dragonfly enjoying the lavendar, too.

Show and Tell Friday - jewelry from high school

2008-07-10T22:29:00.004-06:00

Show and Tell Friday is here again. If you'd like to be a part of it, go to Kelli's blog!

Today I want to show you some of my old treasures from my jewelry box. In high school I belonged to the Future Teachers of America, and I believe that is where I got the small gavel pin, (bottom piece) when I was the President of FTA (I know, you are soo impressed!).

The Bulova watch was a special graduation present from my Dad. It doesn't work anymore and isn't worth fixing, but I love it so much that I can't get rid of it.

The last piece is my 'senior key' - I am guessing that the significance of this item was explained at one point or another, but I don't remember what it was. My initials are on the back JRR, and the manufacturer's name - Jostens. The front shows our school colors, orange and black (not my fave!) I hated wearing orange on color days, I think I decided it looked bad with my 'dishwater blond' hair (really light brunette). I loved the school, my sisters, my brother, mycousins, my parents and many aunts and uncles graduated from good old Arcanum High. Now I hear they are tearing down the old building and putting up a new building. Probably a good thing, but it does make me sad.

What school memories do you have?

Oh, and stop in next Wednesday, I'm starting

It's Wednesday - You found WHAT? at W**mart!

so think of those odd experiences you have had shopping, those odd things on the shelves. who would buy it? why would theymake it? We need to see it all! So come ready to share

It's Wednesday - - You found WHAT !? ! at W-mart

2008-07-09T18:32:00.002-06:00

I've been toying with this idea for a while - this will be an occasional blog theme and it will be on Wednesday. Here's the deal - for a long time I never shopped at Wal-mart. Now, I go once a week (and try to keep it to ONLY once a week). They do have almost everything, y'know.

It's a great place to people-watch.

And, every so often, I see the oddest things while I am at shopping. Not always at W**-mart, as it shall hereafter be referred to, but usually. So, if you see something funny/bizarre/strange/weird/etc./etc. while you are out shopping, comment here, and I would love to see it! And I'll be here on Wednesday, letting you in on the odd-ball things I find when I am getting my weekly W**-mart fix in.

So- there's the souvenir section at good old W** , just made for a tourist who is in a hurry and needs a tacky wooden saying, state thimble, or other cheap souvenir.

This is, of course, a shot glass. Moderately funny that there is a shot glass for Utah, but not everyone is LDS (Mormon) and a non-drinker here. You can see a wagon, commemorating the pioneers who crossed the plains to settle Utah.

A seagull, looking a lot like an eagle, which commemorates the Miracle of the Seagulls here in Utah. Tacky, but, nothing too unusual - until you turn your little $2.57 souvenir a bit more and see-

the Salt Lake Temple???!!??
Now that is just not right! Funny, yes, ironic, chintzy, and just too odd for words. Maybe this is what you are s'posed to buy on your way home from attending the temple so you can have a drink to relax???
Wrapping up - let me know what you've seen on your last shopping trip. The world is a funny place.

GTS angel face and spuds

2008-07-06T11:35:00.003-06:00

Sunday again, our roses are blooming like crazy. This lavendar bloom is called
'Angel Face.' It is one of my favorites. It is also a small plant that is struggling, next to some giant rose bushes. I have been nursing it along, and need to come up with a better place for it, perhaps.
I also wanted to show off a bit - my potatoes are growing 'great guns' as they say.

I'll bet you are jealous of my classy cinderblock look, eh? They are functional if not beautiful. I have them around the potatoes, and plan to add more compost and straw (free straw! somebody dumped two bales at the back of our property!) as the plants continue to grow, and use the cinder blocks to help keep everything in place. The corn is doing ok, it is about 3 feet tall. You can see it behind the potatoes.

Happy GTS!

The Declaration of Independence

2008-07-02T12:40:00.003-06:00

KOSY 106.5 radio in Utah has Sabbath music on Sunday, and short inspirational messages from Glen Rawson. You can find it at: http://www.soundsofsunday.com/

Here is an example of a recent message, reminding us of the sacrifices the signers of the Declaration of Independence made for this country to come into being:

“…And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Those words were not rhetoric for a speech for the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Of those 56 men who signed it, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died; twelve had their homes sacked, looted, and occupied by the enemy.
For example, Thomas Nelson Jr. at the Battle of Yorktown had his home taken over by the British General Cornwallis. Nelson quietly urged General Washington to open fire on the home anyway. It was destroyed. Nelson died a pauper.
Nine of the signers died in that war, and two lost their sons to it.
Carter Braxton, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas. He died in rags.
Thomas KcKeen was forced to move his family five times in five months to hide from his enemies. While his family hid from the British in abject poverty, McKeen served in Congress without pay – oh, for men like that today!
Francis Lewis’ home and possessions were seized, and his wife imprisoned where she died a short time later.
And perhaps the most touching story of all is of the signer John Hart, who was driven from his wife’s bedside as she lay dying. Their thirteen children had to flee for their lives as well. For over a year Hart lived in caves and in the forest. After the surrender, he returned to find his wife dead, his children gone – thirteen children, and every one of them vanished! John Hart died a few weeks later of a broken heart.” (Lund, The Freedom Factor, Deseret Book, 1987, p. 101)
And there were more – more stories of sacrifice and pain than I have time to tell.
I believe, my dear friends, that if the opportunity was given to us to face each of them and ask them if the price they paid was worth it, I believe there would be a unanimous and a resounding “Yes.”
It has been said that the single most important word in the English language is “Remember.” Oh, may God grant that every citizen in America will never forget the price that has been paid for our freedom.

Garden Bloggers Muse Day July 1st

2008-07-01T10:02:00.006-06:00

BY THE RUDE BRIDGE

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;

like the conqueror silent sleeps;

And Time the ruined bridge has swept

Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,

We set today a votive stone;

That memory may their deed redeem,

When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit that made those heroes dare

To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare

The shaft we raise to them and thee.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Happy July 1st! Happy 4th of July!

Be sure to go to Carolyn's blog Sweet Home and Garden Chicago, the home of Garden Blogger's Muse day!

Green Thumb Sunday thorns amid the roses, or dandelions amid the thyme?

2008-06-28T22:03:00.005-06:00

My GTS is just a little dose of reality, which I am constantly getting from my garden:
We have some lovely thyme as a groundcover. Then I see (and today you can see it too!) the weeds amidst the beauty. I haven't even gotten to this end of the garden to weed out the grass, etc. that tries to sneak into the thyme.

Show and Tell Friday -cake plate and apricot nectar cake recipe

2008-06-26T22:11:00.001-06:00

It's Friday, and time for Show and Tell - be sure to go to Kelli's blog to see what everyone else has to offer today!
This old cake plate is from one of my great grandmothers, I am not sure which one. I received it from my grandmother, who kept it in her china cabinet.
It is not a fancy one, or an expensive one.
But it is cherished because it is a piece of the past I can enjoy.
And those green candles are pine scented, just Christmas leftovers that smell great when I open the hutch doors!
If I'm showing a cake plate, I think I should add a recipe.

This recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor by Ann Byrn.

Favorite Apricot Nectar Cake

Cake:

1 pkg (18.25 oz) plain white or yellow cake mix

1 pkg (3 oz) lemon gelatn (but we have used peach in a pinch)

3/4 c canned apricot nectar

3/4 c. vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, or soybean oil

grated zest of 1 lemon (1 t.)

4 large eggs

Glaze:

3/4 c. confectioners' sugar

2 T fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

4 T. canned apricot nectar ,or more as needed

Lightly mist Bundt (or angel food cake) pan, then dust with flour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix all of the 'Cake' ingredients together with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then mix at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes more. The batter should look thick and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. PLace the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until is is light brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger 35-42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

Prepare the glaze by combining the 'glaze' ingredients in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring, untilthe sugar has dissolved, about 3 - 5 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a serving platter (or beautiful cake plate!)

While the cake is still warm, poke holes in the top with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Spoon the glaze onto thecake so that it seeps down into the holes . Let the cake cool before slicing.

This is a flavorful, moist, not too sweet cake! Try it if you are having trouble keeping your weight up (j/k :) !

Iris failure

2008-06-26T09:08:00.003-06:00

I goofed, the iris in the last post is called 'Full Tide' , not Blue Tide.
Maybe I should post it on that "FAIL" website. Maybe not. It is a funny website, but some of it is inappropriate, as my daughter warns me. (what does it mean when your kids are protecting you from racy stuff?lol)
All my new irises are done blooming, so no surprises left. Actually, there are hardly any iris blooms left at all. Sad.

Good thing the daylilies are starting to bloom!

Green Thumb Sunday - iris and Japanese maple seed heads

2008-06-21T22:33:00.004-06:00

Green Thumb Sunday is here once again - irises are winding down around our place -

this lovely blue one is called Blue Tide.

I have been weeding grass out from under a 3 foot tall Japanese threadleaf maple for what seems like forever. One positive in this endless chore was that I noticed these tiny 'helicopters.' I love the beautiful colors.

Show and Tell Friday - 'the good stuff'

2008-06-19T21:51:00.009-06:00

I do look forward to show and tell every Friday! Thanks to Kelli at There is No Place Like Home for hosting this event. Be sure to head over to see what's going on.

When DH and I got married, we didn't 'register' anywhere. We had an extremely small and simple wedding. Needless to say, we didn't receive/have a set of china, i.e., 'the good stuff'.

One day we were browsing
thru a catalog sale and saw this set of stone ware.
It had a lot of qualities that helped us decide we should buy it -
1.) It was on sale! One of the cups or saucers was missing, I think.
2.) We both liked it. We had looked at some other sets and didn't seem to like the same patterns at all.
3.) Did I mention it was on sale?
Here is a closeup of the pattern, I like the blue, and the faded effect with some of the flowers.
For those of you 'in the know' about china and dishware, on the bottom it reads
'Kensington Staffordshire Ironstone England Balmoral 1801'.
Now I am sure this wasn't made in 1801, because, again; we bought it in a catalog store,
not an antique shop.
We have used it for special dinners with our children all these years, and I still treasure my lovely 'china'.

GARDEN BLOGGERS BLOOM DAY, June 2008

2008-06-14T23:39:00.001-06:00

I am noting with a good deal of satisfaction that last year at this time, all the irises had been done blooming for two weeks. This spring has been a good deal cooler and longer than last year's. I still have another week or two to enjoy the irises. This is Malaguena, and is one of my new irises!

I saw this shiny blue beetle today on another iris. Hope it is not an iris-sucking crum-snucker, or something else sinister.

I know that gardening is not ALL about irises, but they have occupied my mind a lot lately. Here is some spiderwort that I got last year, and seems to be happy so far in the spots I have put it. Also blooming -

snow in summer,

red valerian,

roses are just starting to bloom,

phlox is still finishing up,

coreopsis,

silene (I think!),

California poppies,

cranesbill geranium,

the azalea,

white bleeding heart,

snowball viburnum, and the

love-in-a-mist is just starting to bloom.

The oriental poppies are blooming. I have a few new colors that don't look like they are going to bloom today. I like the orange, but am looking forward to red, and pink as well.

This is a new color of siberian iris for me, the dark purple ones are also blooming like mad.

The lupine is blooming.

Oh, and did I mention that my IRIS are blooming??? This is one that wandered out of our yard into the field next door. I plan to retrieve it. I love the velvety purple of the falls, don't you?

Don't miss out- go to the home of Garden Blogger's Bloom day, May Dream Gardens, and see what Carol and the other bloggers have in their gardens.