Sunday, June 29, 2014

Summer Garden: Dahlia, Lilies, and Hydrangea

Although it did rain quite a bit just a few days ago, the long rainy season in Western Oregon is finally over, and the days will now become sunny and hot.  I was out in my garden this weekend, taking note of all the blooming excitement while I did some weeding.  Are you familiar with dahlias?  They come in what seems like an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.  I picked this one for both its shape and color, neither of which I know the name of.

dahlia, garden, orange
 

These lilies started out with just six bulbs about three years ago and have more than doubled since then.  I'm thinking I'm going to be moving some of them out of this bed and start a new one somewhere else.

lilies, lily, red lily, red lilies, yellow lily, yellow lilies, garden


Below is the first of the hydrangea blooms - I love the contrast of these newly sprouting colors!  Funny thing is, when I first planted this hydrangea the flowers were a deep rich blue, and they have since turned purple!
  
hydrangea, hydrangea blooming
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Sunday, June 22, 2014

From Garden to Table: Nasturtiums

It's the beginning of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and today I am excited to share with you one of my first garden harvests of the season - nasturtium flowers.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Empress of India, edible flowers, spinach salad, fiestaware, vintage salad tongs, woven placemat

Nasturtium flowers have a crunchy texture and at first taste sweet, followed by a peppery taste similar to a radish.  Both the petals and the leaves contain vitamin C and iron, and the leaves are also said to have antibiotic properties.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Empress of India, nasturtium, edible flowers, herb bed, garden

When I first planted these Empress of India seeds back in March, I noticed on the package that it said 'great in salads' and was immediately intrigued by the idea.  If you have nasturtiums growing in your garden, and you haven't tasted them, I would encourage you to give them a try!



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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Remembering Dad

It's Father's Day today and many of us here in the United States are thinking about and maybe even spending time with our fathers, grandfathers, or step-fathers.  My dad Paul passed away about 20 years ago, but my memories of him are still fresh in my mind. I have this photograph of him I keep on display as a reminder of who he was before I came along.

Paul, dad, world war II, GI, army, chicago, lake front, the rocks
   
My dad served in the United States Army during World War II. He was stationed in Iwo Jima and stayed there until the war was over.  I love how awesome he looks in this photograph, even though these were hard times.  He never talked about his war days; only jokingly said he peeled a lot of potatoes.  I miss you dad - Happy Father's Day! 


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