The best pergola detail

You don't have a pond...

You have another birdfeeder! He sits on top of the greenhouse promotory, then dives and swoops up with a flash of orange in his beak. My goldfish. It's not even a big pond. You hear that Kingfisher clacking, and know he is out there. It is a neat thing to see, gotta admit. I've had an egret twice, and a blue heron once. But the Kingfisher is a repeat customer, and comes back every year.

Secret Shade Garden

Tucked in the back corner, white hydrangeas and rhodies, azaleas, etc... (well, right now that area is covered in Blackberry vines. But this is the plan...)

Just right

I want, I want...

Pottery Barn's current outdoor catalog is an amazing visual treat. Everything is cool, the colors are cool, the hanging bed and benches, the umbrellas...every single page, awesome!



OK, so I don't live in Oahu, and the tropical colors may not exactly work here, but the concepts, the blocks of color - get the look. And don't be afraid of color. This is as much fun as a bulb catalog. Lots of things circled.

PS: I'm liking this digital clipping. The colors won't fade like the magazine photos, and I can link to the source, or anything related.

The color scheme

Mostly purples and oranges and white. Less yellow and as little pink as possible.

Exceptions are daffodils and flowering almond, and well, a few other things, more as time goes on.

and the bulb order

The coolest thing

Stenciled umbrellas. Absolutely gorgeous at night! They're lit inside (and were long before all the new umbrella light you can buy at Ace and elsewhere now. They also have an interior cloth piece, it looks like that softens the light underneath... I first saw these YEARS ago, they're in one of the early journals...a quick look online shows they are still in business (a good sign). It reminds me of a story that illustrates why advertising is important. Yes, it can generate immediate sales, but there's a story of an ad for a piano in National Geographic. A man had cut it out and kept it for 10 years, planning to buy it, and one day he did. Sometimes it pays off later.

Related post
Hedgerow Studio Stenciled Umbrellas, on pinterest

The Equinox Rose

I call it the Equinox Rose.
Photo source

But it's real name is Souvenir de Madame Leonie Viennot. And it blooms like crazy in late May every year. I took cuttings and it roots like crazy, too, and covers a fence in no time. Absolutely one of the best of all time.Maybe the scent varies by region, I would define it as delicately TEA scented.

It's an Heirloom Tea Rose...Loose tea rose-shaped fragrant flowers are pale yellow shaded with coppery pink. Honey scented flowers cover the entire plant in wild profusion... a vigorous hardy grower...12'-20'...immense flowers of grapefruit pink and gold, such a spectacle in bloom I have heard people say they would give anything to possess it...essentially a once bloomer, occasional rebloom, outstanding fragrance...

Mme Leonie Viennot was the wife of a small breeder, with only one rose credited to his name, a Hybrid Perpetual, Maréchal Vaillant, which he produced in collaboration with Jamain in 1861. Alexandre Bernaix, acknowledged M. Viennot by naming a rose after his wife, a common compliment.

Mme Leonie, is the supreme climbing Tea rose. She is very long lived, vigorous and healthy. Her blooms are sublime, a lovely rich pink with undertones of primrose yellow and copper. She has large loosely shaped blooms, with many petals and is sweetly fragrant. She is one of the first to flower in spring, and repeats sporadically until autumn. Her foliage is often large, plentiful, mid-dark green, long and pointed, very much that of a Tea.

Released in 1898, the parentage is reported as Gloire de Dijon x unknown seedling

Rose cuttings

1. Take pencil sized cuttings from healthy plants at a point where the cane breaks with a snap. If the cane bends, the wood is too tough, or it crushes, it is too green. A point below the sixth set of leaves on a shoot that has just finished blooming (some say, some say the opposite) Remove the two bottom sets of leaves, or most of the leaves, score the base and cut an X with a razor blade to make more area contact with the Rootone, set cuttings in the ground, cover with a cloche, the jar keeps it moist, new shoots should appear in 3-4 weeks. I have had good luck with the ones stuck in the ground, rather than pots, maybe it has something to do with soil micro-organisms.

Solemn vow.

June 3, my life starts over. Promise.
Promise not kept.
Gonna try again, June 9, 2010.
And again, summer of 2013, sorta making a go of it.
And again, summer of 2014, the political life comes to an end.
Time to get back to what is real.

What's blooming?

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Joseph's Coat Rose, Golden Gate Rhododenron (they go well together)

Apple Trees blooming, Lilacs still blooming but fading, the Taurus Rhodie is done, Watsonias are starting to bloom.

Goldfinches all over the place, burning through the Niger Thistle. Baby birds in the birdhouses clamoring for food...

Constructing privacy

Trying something new - 3 long narrow (plastic) planter boxes on the fence rail as a privacy mechanism - planted with begonias, fuschias, purple petunias and lobelia...

In theory, they grow and provide a buffer/visual barrier between the deck and the house next door. Keeping it watered will be the challenge this summer.

I have to find, scan and include the almost identical photo of him on the Merry Go Round when he was little. This one's somewhere in Europe. The other one is at the local County fair.

Dressup day

The Filthy Beast

The Siberian's temperament is outgoing, friendly and gentle. HOWEVER - puppies can be a handful until they learn who is boss in the family.

They can also be destructive, particularly if they don't have enough to keep their minds occupied. A Siberian left alone for long periods may EAT THE SOFA or dig a hole through a door to get to the other side.

Yep. Right so far.

The Siberian makes a fine family pet as long as the buyer is patient, has the time to devote to training and EXERCISE, and can deal with a dog that has a mind of its own.

Yep.

Although they don't bark much, Siberians are vocal - they'll sing along with sirens (or musical instruments) and SCREAM as if being killed if forced to do something they don't want to do. All-breed obedience classes can be a real treat if a Siberian is present: a simple "down" command can bring howls of protest even under the most gentle guidance, and a mild correction for nipping can elicit tortuous shrieks. this is not the breed for the first-time dog owner or someone who is shy or easily embarrassed in public.

Yep. Right again

Few are successful in obedience competition because they are easily bored with repetition and lack precision in their work. They are happy to obey, but only on their own terms.

Funny. Right again.

Along with destructiveness, the Siberian's bad habits include a penchant for wandering, often preceeded by digging of a hole under the fence, and food-stealing.

Digging is a natural with this dog; his forbears dug holes in the snow as nests, and the instinct remains strong. His innate need for exercise and his inherent curiosity often lead him astray. So a STRONG FENCE is necessary to keep him home. PREFERABLY a fence that has been sunk two feet or more in the ground. An electronic or radio frequency fence will probably NOT do the trick.

Nope. Be warned!

To pre-empt food stealing, the Siberian should not be left UNSUPERVISED in the kitchen! Bread and bagels, his favorites.

More playmate than guardian, he is not a watchdog.

Yep.

Oh brother! I had to laugh hysterically when I read this off the net. They have the Filthy Beast down to a "T"...but more than that, he is a dog that fits right in with this family...he is JUST like the kids. Smart, off on his own track. mellow...BUT...

(From the movie, Father Goose...
Stebbings: SIR! Mother Goose is requesting a chaplain!
Frank Houghton: A chaplain? Good heavens, he's killed her!
Stebbings: No sir, they want to get married!
Frank Houghton: MARRIED? GOODY TWO-SHOES AND THE FILTHY BEAST?!

***
20080715 - We first took him in to the vet in 1999 for his well-puppy shots. Now he is diagnosed with diabetes and has to get two shots of insulin a day.

He was once a powerhouse - an amazing bundle of energy and a powerful runner. A thing of beauty, every move a sculpture.

He's mellowed with age. Settled down and in. Still escapes every now and then, but less fears of his killing livestock and pets.

The next coolest thing

Flagstone Mats... perfect for laying around the pond, on the sidewalk or driveway... Saw this on HGTV a (long) while back, just got a call from a rep... see all their products at Peninsula Rox Pro Delivered price for the Autum Horizon patio mats....5.4 sq ft per mat is $4.45/sq.ft

This is Autumn Horizon.

Priorities

5 years of neglect have taken their toll on the backyard, virtually eliminating any progress I had made. Blackberries send up forty foot canes, our version of kudzu. Mustard takes over, grass invades the flowerbeds. Ivy got out of control and now just flat out has to be eliminated itself.

So I am in a rebuilding phase that is going to take alot of work. Hard work. Every year for the last five years I have taken a stab at it, only to be overwhelmed by the scope and distracted by the political scene that has taken over my life.

Every year I have sworn that this would be the last time I would do this. That I would cement in the area around the pond, lay the fieldstone permanently so that I am not pulling weeds from between the stones where the pretty moss was supposed to be. That I would put in the concrete mowing strip to prevent the grass from encroaching on the planted areas and vice versa.

But I didn't.

This year I will. This year, I will hire a crew to come in and put in the hardscape and the sprinkler system and sod the lawn area.

Then I will work on the planted areas and restore them. And happily plant new things.

Because the good side is that there are now established trees, and rhodies, and lilacs and the like. The plans I had set in motion have borne fruit. The bones and the structure of the garden are there.

And the stage is set to ensure that we will be able, finally, to enjoy the backyard.

The deck, the barbeque, the chairs, the table, the firepit, the playset and the greenhouse turned playhouse...

wish me luck.

UPDATE: Good intentions. Did not come to pass. That was 2008. A few more stabs at it since then, and now it is 2016. I've shed my other obligations entirely. Spent the summer digging out from under the blackberries yet again. Hauled truckloads of green waste to the dump. Got rid of piles of old garden furniture that had rusted.

The good news is, it's cleared, at least an area. Plantings are returning to life. New plants are in. We're clearing the area for sod - long-awaited sod.

And the good news is, there's still the established trees, and rhodies, and lilacs... it can be done.

Progress...

click image to enlarge

Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing Recipe

(Great. Expensive.) You will LOVE it!

1 C Diced Dried Apricots
1 C Grand Marnier
1 C Butter (2 cubes) (split in half)
2 C Chopped Celery
1 Lg. Chopped Yellow Onion
1# Herb Stuffing Mix (1 box?)
2 C Chicken Stock (bullion)
1/2 t Dried Thyme (optional,herb stuffing mix has it)
1# Pork Sausage
Salt & Pepper
A cup or so Chopped Mushrooms.
◼ Heat 1/2 C Grand Marnier and 1 Cup Apricots to boiling, then set aside.
◼ Melt 1/2 C of Butter (1 cube) in large skillet
◼ Saute celery, onion and mushrooms, 5-10 minutes.
◼ Transfer to mixing bowl.
◼ Cook sausage til no longer pink,
◼ Add sausage, Apricots and liquid, herb mix and stuffing to the mixing bowl,
◼ Stir to combine.

◼ Heat remaining 1/2 C of butter and stock in small sauce pan til butter melts.
◼ Pour over the stuffing mix, and add the remaining 1/2 Cup Grand Marnier
◼ Stir again. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste. (shouldn't need it)

Cook 30 minutes at 375 degrees

Enough for a 21-24# Turkey, but I always make it as a dressing as opposed to stuffing.
Makes 1 big rectangle size or 2 full quiche/pie size pans. Don’t need to grease pans.
Don’t need to cover while cooking...in fact you want the top to crisp a bit.
Reheats easily.
(If you can't find Grand Marnier, use Cointreau® or any other orange-flavored liqueur as a substitute. No alcohol? Use Orange Juice concentrate.)
Other Grand Marnier recipes
Find this recipe and all its variations online - Quick google search
At our house we call this C&D's Apricot Grand Marnier Stuffing, and it has become a permanent part of our holiday menu. This Christmas (08) D tells me that she first found it in the Silver Palate Cookbook. We've both now made vegetarian versions... either by leaving out the sausage or by substituting a vegetarian 'meat.'

The greenhouse

The greenhouse...slash bedroom slash playhouse... salvaged windows... one of my favorite things. click image to enlarge

Inspiration

More greenhouse clippings

Recipes and Magazines

Maybe it's because food isn't my thing, or if I wanted to look at recipes I would've subscribed to a food magazine, but it always irritated me that a goodly section of my gardening and home design magazines were devoted to food. It's like, can't you leave that off for awhile? It's not what I am here for.

But I find now, as I am putting together my own sort of blog version of those two lifestyle things, gardening and home, the food part is creeping in - what we serve for the holidays - a collection of recipes with contributions from friends and family members, the recipes the kids now call and ask for, the ones you pass along to friends...Maybe it is because I am now, finally, at 50, finding myself with time to pay attention to the food and entertaining aspect of life, the gourmet cooking, and all... maybe it is because the kids have developed a bent for just that, and it is fun to join them.

Is it part of the package? Or is it just too cumbersome to set up another blog just for that? Either way, I'll be adding them here. Katie's Fig Recipe, Logan's Vodka Rustica, Chris and Deb's Apricot Grand Marnier Stuffing...and more. If they were sourced, I'll include the sources. Some sources may lave been long obscured by time.

Solar lights

Costco has outdoor solar light posts, stainless steel, very nice. $53. Got one today, will see if it works, and how I like it, may want to get a couple more rather than deal with wiring and extension cords in the back yard. Not to mention the cost of electricity. Report: ok. lit up fine two nights in a row, but not the third, the on switch seems to be a bit faulty, it ended up coming on late in the night with no rhyme or reason, but that isn't reliable enough to allow for being out there in the early evening. (Took it in and exchanged it for another one. Costco's return policy is as good as I had heard. Fast and courteous.) Frontgate has the exact same thing (looks like), they charge about $150 + shipping.

I'm giving it one more night and if it doesn't light up, it is going back. This second one lit up perfectly the first two nights. Nothing since and we have had the sunniest of weather. NOT RECOMMENDED.

Funny story. I took it apart and put it in the car to take it back to Costco. Left it in there, took the kids to the school play, when we came back to the car it was dark, and there was the light, upside down on the seat, shining for all it was worth. The batteries definitely charge, and the light definitely works, but not when it is set up properly, maybe it needs to be pressed upward to make some connection happen, a connection that happened when it was turned upside down. Regardless, it is still going to have to be returned.

Katie's FIG recipe

Here's Katie's recipe (her own original recipe - it is REALLY good!)

Let's see - INGREDIENTS:
12-15 Black Mission Figs
1# of Turkey Bacon (or regular bacon if you prefer)
Gorgonzola Cheese
about 2 C Pecans
Butter
Brown Sugar

◼ Cut the Figs in 1/2 or 1/3 depending on how big/thick they are.
◼ Lay them in a deep dish, pack them tight, side by side, like sardines (you don't want the topping falling through the cracks)
◼ Cook the turkey bacon, crispy but not black, crumble or dice, sprinkle on top of the figs.
◼ Crumble the Gorgonzola and sprinkle on top of the figs.
◼ Quickly saute the Pecans in a cube of butter and 1/2 C to 1C C..brown sugar...you want 'em carmelized but not goo-ey...put this in the freezer til it hardens, then chop up and sprinkle over the figs.
◼ Drizzle heavily with olive oil, and then heavily with balsamic vinegar.

Best to make it in the morning, let it sit so the figs absorb all the flavors, serve at room temperature.

She says all quantities are approximate, there is no wrong way to do this. And it is to die for.