Little Mermaid

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

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

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

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

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 !

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?'

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

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

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)

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