Now you know why I chose the name commonweeder. I love common weeds. Otherwise known as wild flowers. In some circles. I call this wildflower garden my flowery mead. Others may call it my lawn. Lawns have become controversial because they can take a toll on the environment. Herbicides and pesticides can runoff into streams and other waterways causing pollution and killing wildlife. Many people water their lawns when the weather is hot and dry, using that precious…
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I've ordered Therese Bugnet again. She is a rugosa that Heirloom Roses lists with their Damask roses because of it double form. It is not only very hardy, it is very fragrant. Unfortunately, the first time I ordered it, the rose that was delivered looked nothing like this. I confess I didn't notice at first. I forgot what the catalog photo looked like, but I have learned over the years that mis-labelling does happen, even in neighborhood garden…
I haven’t always liked hydrangeas. As a child living in the Bronx, I saw a number of houses on our street wirh tiny yards that held a blue hydrangea or two. In spite of the interesting color and flower heads that everyone called ‘snowballs’ I did not like them. Who can explain dislikes? And the things a child takes against are even more mysterious. Though I rarely saw hydrangeas in gardens as a new gardener, over the past…
Sastrugi is the name for the ripples, waves and caves that the wind forms of snow. Our Sunken Garden is the foundation of an old barn that was struck by lightning in 1990 and burned down. The wind comes sweeping across the open fields all winter dumping snow into the Sunken Garden, caught on the edge by a row of white rugosa roses which help to sculpt the snow into ever changing works of art. The snowy shapes…
Why is it that dawn skies are always so beautiful. I was nearly blown off the Welcoming Platform while taking these photos. For more skies click on Skywatch Friday.
There is very little color out in the snowy garden. These last scarlet berries on the highbush cranberry (a native plant) are a dramatic exclamation. I guess I didn't do all the necessary dead heading last summer. This seedcase was left on a tree peony, a remnant of the last season. But look . . . could these be buds on that same tree peony? A promise of the new season? The lilac buds are beginning to swell…
The Chinese Year of the Tiger has been rung in with drums and dancing, and jiaozi, the delicious stuffed dumplings that are said to be shaped like silver money and symbolize a year stuffed with good things – and riches. We have celebrated many Chinese New Years since our first trip to live and work in Beijing in 1989. While there we learned that while there are 12 animals in the 12 year Chinese zodiac, the full cycle…
I won a box of hamentaschen from Kosher.com. I made a comment on one of my favorite blogs, Our Grandmother's Kitchens, and this is my reward. Hamentaschen are a treat served at the feast of Purim when the beautiful Queen Esther saved her Jewish people from the machinations of the wicken Hamen. I am ready to celebrate all holidays that are commemorated with sweet treats like this.
It seemed only appropriate to serve Beauty Heart radish at our Valentine’s dinner. We were introduced to the beautiful pinky red radishes when we were living in Beijing where it is very popular. Members of my Women of China work unit brought some pickled Xin Li Mei radish to a picnic outing. They called it Beauty Heart which I much prefer to Red Meat, as it is sometimes called in seed catalogs. It is also called Watermelon radish…