Quotes – Corrie Ten Boom
Place & Pond – Longwood Gardens and Canna Plants
On a fine June day this year, my husband and I visited Longwood Gardens.
We enjoyed walking around the outdoor water gardens. The water lilies grown at Longwood are spectacular.
The large platter-like water lily pads are called Giant Victoria Water Lilies. The lily pads in the photograph are only beginning their growth. By the end of the growing season they will be six feet across.
While we admired the water gardens I noticed that the pond had cannas plants growing in the water. (The cannas are in the distance, the yellow plants in the background) Up to that point I didn’t know cannas would grow in water. I immediately envisioned them in my pond, and happily, found one on sale at a local fruit stand.
I took the canna home, weighed it down with rocks, and was delighted that all seemed well. My smile of success soon disappeared when I checked later in the day and found that the plant had overturned, fouling the water with dirt and perlite. I scooped out what I could and took the canna out of the water. I found all the dirt had floated away. I decided to give the canna a try anyway and completely filled the pot with small and medium rocks. My canna has thrived. The yellow flowers have been blooming non-stop for about two weeks now. If you have a water feature in your yard, consider planting a canna plant.
That’s me sitting on the Longwood Gardens Queen Bee Throne. Seriously, I did not plan my outfit and sunglasses to match the throne so perfectly. Funny! I must be a bee at heart…if not a queen.
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Phlowers – Flowers on Friday/Zinnia
When I see my zinnia buds beginning to look like this…
I get very excited, because…I know they will burst into full bloom within days.
I will finally know what color they will be and if they are single-petaled…
Or very full, resembling a pom-pom.
No matter the color…
The shape or the size…
I LOVE zinnias!
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Plants – Garden Update/Straw Bale Tomato Garden
I posted in the Spring on “Planting Straw Bales” with tomato plants. The technique has been more successful that I had even hoped. The tomato plants are soaring above my head and loaded with tomatoes of all types. Thus far, I have harvested many grape tomatoes, but so has the neighborhood chipmunk. Growl….
These little guys are adorable until they are ravaging your garden beds or digging dens under your concrete foundations and porches. One of the chipmunk gang in our yard has learned how to raid my suet cage and bird feeders. Double Growl…
I sprinkled chile powder in the chipmunks favorite dining area, but he just brushed it away and kept on feasting. Triple Growl…
One mistake I made with the Straw Bale Garden was placing the bales onto palettes instead of on newspaper. The palettes did keep the area neat at the start, but as the bales have decomposed they have sunk to low levels. I am hoping that somehow the roots of the tomatoes will find their way into the gaps of the palette and reach the ground underneath. I will update again further along in the season.
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Photograph – Beach Drift in July
A bit of beach drift, natural and the not-so-naturals: Cayman Islands Dollar Bill, Trouble Bracelet, Sunglasses & An Army Man.
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Quirky, Quick Tip – The Dragonfly Pick
On a recent hot day I found a dragonfly, lifeless on my front sidewalk. I took it inside and laid it on a piece of paper, waiting to see if it might still be alive, but it was not. What beautiful wings and perfect body, I marveled at the intricacy of the insect. I left it where it lay for a few days knowing it would dry out. Preserving the dragonfly as a plant pick was my way of paying homage to its magical beauty.
A small dab of hot glue and a cloth covered floral wire was all it took to attach the dragonfly to the wire.
I wrapped the opposite end of the wire around a small toothpick and inserted it into a fern. Beautiful. If you are squeamish about bugs perhaps you don’t see the beauty of my craft, but I am filled with awe when I gaze at the perfection of the dragonfly. This technique will also worked on other beautiful winged creatures. I have found quite a few large butterflies and moths perfectly preserved on forest floors and fields. Keep your eyes open for a winged creature who has succumbed to old age and find a way to extend its beauty for a bit longer.
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Philm & Painting – Woman In Gold
I had high hopes for this film and it did not disappoint. If you savor stories of victory over the establishment, if you feel we should all be reminded of the Holocaust to prevent the atrocities from happening again, and if you cheer for people who persevere even when all the odds are against them, you will LOVE this motion picture. “Woman in Gold” is widely available for home viewing at this time. I LOVED it.
A great article was written by the New York Times: The Woman in Gold.
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Perspective – The Gospel
Impartation: the ability to give unto others that which God has given to us … either sovereignly, or through other anointed vessels (messengers) of God.
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Photograph – Sabbath Day Snapdragons
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Photo Challenge – Summer Sky Symbolism
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Symbol.”
“This week, share a symbol with us, and tell us what it means to you.”
In my area of the world most of us who live within a hundred miles or closer to the coastline visit the local beaches at least once a season. My family is able to go quite frequently “down the shore.” Very symbolic of the season, and our summer skies, are the banner planes advertising anything and everything. Several flew by today, in fact at least a dozen or more, but one caught my eye…advertising for the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Discovering the Impressionists. Hmmm….that might be a banner plane that reels me in.
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Prompt – The Daily Prompt/Memory on the Menu
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Memory on the Menu.”
“Which good memories are better — the recent and vivid ones, or those that time has covered in a sweet haze?”
A Sweet Memory: In the 1960’s, my sister and I were blessed to spend several weeks each summer in Hampton, Virginia, with my grandparents. One year, my amazing grandmother allowed us to have ice cream sundaes and watermelon every day for lunch. It sounds outrageous, but was really very nutritious, and it forged a love in me for watermelon and ice cream sundaes that will never wane. My grandmother told me when I reached adulthood that she gained ten pounds during the weeks we stayed with her that summer. Recently I’ve relived those moments and indulged in ice cream sundaes and watermelon for lunch. Oh my sweet Granny Davis…how I miss you!
This memory is forty-five years old, but it has not dimmed, nor needed to be covered in a sweet haze…it is as precious as those moments were so long ago, when I sat in my grandmother’s kitchen.
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Person & Quote – Peter Marshall
“Peter Marshall (May 27, 1902 – January 26, 1949[1]) was a Scots-American preacher, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC and twice appointed as Chaplain of the United States Senate.”
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Pots & Pans – Soup in Summertime/Italian Pasta & Bean
Even though it’s summertime, when the air conditioner cools the house to Autumn-like temperatures, I will get a hankering for soup. This was the case last night. I found a recipe for ‘Italian Pasta & Bean Soup’ tucked away in a stash of recipes. I have dozens upon dozens of these clipped out recipes in various places in my home. Every now and then I will pull one out and give it a try. I changed the recipe up a bit when the jar of chicken stock I was planning to use lost it’s bottom. (Don’t ask…a bit of broth leaked out, but it could’ve been much worse.) I had to choose between running to the store or making a broth of my own without any chicken thawed out. I decided to use some scraps of onion I had in the freezer, and a few stalks of fresh celery and carrots. I threw in a bouillon cube and ‘Voila,” I had a broth.
You can find the Woman’s Day recipe here: Woman’s Day Italian Pasta & Bean Soup
Here’s a photograph of mine and the changes I made to the recipe.
6 Cups of cold water
Onion, Celery and Carrot Scraps
1 -2 Beef or Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 1/2 Cups Bowtie Pasta
1 15 oz can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes (I used Hunt’s Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
Several leaves of fresh parsley chopped/you can use a bit of dried if you don’t have fresh
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bring water and vegetable scraps to a boil. Simmer for about a 1/2 – 1 hour. Strain away all solids and discard. Add a bouillon cube/cubes to broth.
Bring broth to a boil once more, add bowtie pasta and simmer at medium until cooked al dente, about 8 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and parsley. Heat through for about two minutes and serve. I sprinkled my soup with packaged grated 4 cheese pizza cheese. It was so delicious, I added a bit more cheese halfway through my meal.
QUICK TIP – The Woman’s Day recipe calls for cooking onion and garlic to add to the soup. I was able to skip that step by adding tomatoes flavored with herbs. This soup was light and had a bright flavor. Next time I might add a squeeze of lemon for an even brighter tasting broth.
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Quote – Matthew 24:42
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Pleasures – Silent Saturday/Enjoy Your Day
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Plants – Spearmint
My spearmint patch has spread around the borders of my Square Foot Gardens. I love the fragrance the plants release as I work in the raised beds. It’s impossible to dislike weeding when a cloud of spearmint-scented air wells up around me as I pull out crabgrass and other persistent weeds.
I’ve posted in the past on making delicious teas with fresh spearmint leaves. Place a few sprigs in a teacup, add boiling water and a bit of honey, and you have an invigorating cup of tea. Seriously though, I have to be aware of the time of day when I drink Spearmint tea. The herb is a stimulant and can keep me awake if I drink it too late in the day.
My spearmint reached the flowering stage this week. To enable the plants to branch out I harvested the tops of the tallest stems. I decided it was the perfect time to try a new idea I recently stumbled across: making my own herbal extracts.
The first step is to buy a good vodka. I was thrilled to find an organic variety.
After a gentle rinse and drying time, chop the spearmint leaves (or whatever herb you are using) into small pieces, place in a glass jar, and cover with the vodka. I found a great tip that advised on putting a plastic bag between the lid and jar. If rust forms on the lid it can contaminate the extract. The plastic keeps this from happening. Let the jar sit in a dark place, shake it every now and then, for four to six weeks. Strain off the herbs and place the finished spearmint extract into dark bottles. The extract will keep for three to five years.
Terrific directions and information can be found at this site: Mountain Rose Herbs: How to make your own liquid herbal extract.
I had quite a few sprigs of the spearmint left over. I removed the leaves from the stems and placed them on a parchment-covered drying rack in my turkey roaster. I set the temperature on the warm and let the herbs sit for twenty-four hours. This is a quick way to start the drying process. You can read about other techniques for drying fresh herbs at: Mother Earth News – Six Ways to Dry Fresh Herbs.
The leaves dried nicely, most retaining an appealing green color.
I put the leaves in a brown paper bag. A good place to continue the drying process is in a dark closet. When completely dry, I can store the spearmint in glass jars until I am ready to use it.
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Pride – You’re a Grand Old Flag
You’re a grand old flag,
You’re a high-flying flag,
And forever in peace may you wave.
You’re the emblem of the land I love,
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev’ry heart beats true’Neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there’s never a boast or brag.
But should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
~ George M. Cohan
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Place – Delaware Bay Part II/Bivalve, New Jersey
“New Jersey and oysters. It’s not widely known now, but in the first half of the 20th century, Delaware Bay was home to an abundant oyster population and a significant fishing industry to capitalize on it. A vibrant business community settled in Shellpile and Bivalve to harvest and process oysters, shipping them in long freight trains to markets in New York and Philadelphia.” ~ Hidden New Jersey Blog – Find more on the blogspot: Hidden New Jersey
We recently revisited the town of Bivalve, just a mile or two from the center of Port Norris, New Jersey. The museum surprised us, we had no idea Bivalve had a museum dedicated to the history of the Oyster Industry.
We enjoyed the displays. My two favorites were the old gallon-sized oyster cans and a natural weaving on the dock walls.
I fell in love with the swallows swooping among the rafters of the docks.
I just happened to take a lucky shot of one swallow at the same moment a Coast Guard boat passed by the docks.
If you are in Southern New Jersey, along the Delaware Bay, visit the town of Bivalve.
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Place – Delaware Bay Part I/Fortescue, New Jersey & The Landing Cafe
Fortescue, New Jersey is one of our favorite local destinations to visit in warmer weather. The beaches are a terrific place to fish. While we were there the couple we were watching caught a Croaker.
Croakers are a good fish for eating. My husband and I have a goal this year to go fishing a few times along the Delaware Bay.
Lunch at the nearby Landing Cafe at Sundog Marina in Newport, NJ was our next stop. We love their delicious crab bisque soup.
We enjoy our weekend outings alongside the beautiful Delaware Bay.
