Things don’t always turn out the way you plan. That’s definitely been true this year. And sometimes that happens in the garden too. Do you remember those bulbs I planted last fall? I talked about them in the Autumn Garden Chores post. The blooms are all finished now, but I can reflect back on what I learned and how I can do things differently next time. Blushing Beauty Tulips Fall Flat Here’s what the Blushing Beauty tulips were supposed to look like–a beautiful delicate pink with a little apricot mixed in and delicate elongated tips… And here’s what they ended up looking like… Boring. Plain yellow. Not at all what…
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Drying Herbs From the Garden
There is something immensely satisfying about drying your own herbs. Over the last few years, I have focused more on herbs in my garden rather than vegetables because for me, the rewards are so much greater. I have limited space in my raised bed so I’m very choosy about what gets to come back year after year in that space. The beauty of growing herbs is that they can also be planted right alongside my flowers and shrubs and be perfectly happy. Rosemary and lavender thrive in my borders and make up the hedge between the sidewalk and my property. Chives have pretty purple blooms in the spring, golden creeping…
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September Roses
I am working on my last round of Jane Austen Readalikes, but it was such a nice day today that I had to take a minute and appreciate the roses in my garden. There is something very special about roses in September in Southern Oregon. They will keep blooming on into November, but September is their last big show where they pull out all the stops. The bushes are so laden with blooms that they have a hard time staying upright. Bursting with Blooms Spring always brings such joy and and is pregnant with possibilities. But early fall in Southern Oregon always feels a little sad to me. The days…
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In the Garden
I love gardening. And plants. And growing things. The amazing moment when seeds sprout or when I can harvest a fresh tomato or appreciate the delicate beauty of a flower – all of these things give me a thrill. But I don’t love all the bugs and dirt. I feel inadequate and hopelessly disorganized when I think of all the things you are supposed to remember to do like fertilizing and pruning at the right times, weeding, amending the soil and getting rid of all the icky bugs (aphids make my skin crawl!) But there are some plants that are worth the effort. The pleasures I get from them make…
