Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th Of July!

Can you believe it's already Independence Day? This summer seems to be flying by and every day is packed with activities. Here are a few recent ones...

The cherries are ripe...so Mark picked them yesterday while I was working on the flower beds.

Mark picking cherries. I think thoughts of cherry goodies was motivation!
This is all we got this year --- not a very big crop but they will make
luscious jam and pies.
As the flower beds around the house develop this summer, I decided that hostas would be a perfect addition in the north and east facing beds since they love shade. I put word out to my Master Gardener colleagues that I was looking for hostas and ferns and voila, my MG friend, JoAnn L. emailed me that she wanted to clean out a couple hosta beds so I was welcome to them. Woo Hoo!

So, Mark and I drove to Kearney one morning last week and JoAnn and I dug out the hostas. I asked her what kind they were and she didn't know the official name and told me they started from one plant given to her by her mother-in-law, Mary. So our hostas are Mary hostas. They look fabulous and seem to have settled in nicely.
JoAnn and me digging hostas --- aren't they beautiful?
Here they are at our cottage, settling in their new bed
These 'Mary' hostas grace the front of our cottage
The garden is exploding with delicious veggies; check it out...
sweet potatoes and leeks
carrots and swiss chard
lettuce and arugula
the potatos are exploding
and, the tomatoes are thriving but no tomatoes yet
And this was my view from the kitchen window today - so lovely
The fireflies are out in force tonight and they are magical! I hope everyone had a safe and fun Independence Day.

Delores

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Cherry jelly is great! It is hard to find around here. We can get it in the mountains, but here in the Piedmont, it is elusive. Bonnie has been keeping us set with the best batch of peach yet, and her blueberry is a welcome contrast. Peach jelly in place of apple is great when I simmer down a batch of tomatoes with herbs and chili flakes, making a wonderful bruchetta for sourdough crustini. Has made a delightful topping for grilled fish as well.-Matt