Hidden Garden

2008-06-02T21:52:00.001-04:00

DSC08889, originally uploaded by mossnbeads.

Springs plantings

2008-06-02T21:44:00.001-04:00

DSC09050, originally uploaded by mossnbeads.

This was last month, I will get the now lettuce and onion pics up sometime this week.
I am loving my garden this Spring.
Seedlings are getting ready for planting from lavender and sunflowers to basil and cilantro.
~enjoy

nasturtiums in my Autumn garden

2007-10-15T08:29:00.001-04:00

Gardens, Screen Porch and pets 10.07.0739, originally uploaded by mossnbeads.

My Love of Sunflowers

2006-08-31T13:59:00.000-04:00

I love sunflowers! Not is it only the colors but, also the repetition of the seeds in a wonderful interlocking pattern.
Wouldn't it be fun to try and capture that placement with beads ;)

I really like this angle and lighting..it almost looks human

Spring in the Garden...........

2006-06-05T08:19:00.000-04:00

Easter was a lovely start to Spring with my girls. I had friends and family in for a beautiful day that we could spend outside on my newly cleaned/arranged screen porch. We live here for most of the summer which, by the by, seems to have started sooner than our norm this year.

The little women looking for their baskets. You can also see the garden newly dug and the unfinished side addition of the garden studio. If you look farther down you will see the finished addtion. We were able to have a fire that evening, it was such a great Easter!

A class was taught also for the St. Marys Girl Scouts on 'Wirework Basics' with a project making wire wrapped keyrings.

Nibbles served for the talented artisans

Blossoms formed after an agressive trim earlier

Garden Kitty, pretty paws...I can let her out for hours and the little lovely Marta just stays in the garden rolling about looking for catnip sprouts.

Cleaning up and planting red onion sets

Spring showers and the Bee

Sweet Woodruff

Garden Studio addition

enjoy~

Daffodils and a touch of Winter

2006-04-08T11:51:00.000-04:00

Yes......I am early

Daffodils for Spring have to be a gift from God.
He is telling us.... be patient the sun is on its merry way...
The snow covered up their little yellow faces last night

lingering bit of summer

2005-11-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

My youngest plucked this for me almost 3 weeks back on one of our walks through the neighborhood.

With this little bit of summer and the in house lady bugs it makes the upcoming Winter a tad more doable.

Bird's nest move

2005-11-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

I wondered where my porch robin moved to this year. She went only a few feet away in the Hydrangea Tree.

She was here for quite a few years:

Fall in the GaRdEn

2005-10-12T22:26:00.000-04:00

Exploring

I will miss my gardens

2005-10-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

Dancing Oak Leaves

2005-09-30T08:13:00.000-04:00

A good friend makes botanicals out of paper and then prepares them for shadow box presentation. What better place to put, the realistic dancing oak leaves, than in my garden blog.

Eglantine Problem

2005-09-30T08:08:00.000-04:00

I have NO idea what these are on my Eglantine. Big tribble looking mossy masses on the branches. It is definately not doing as well as past years with performance for the foliage is sparce and lots of dead wood. It is such a beast and never fails to require 3 or more butchering in a growing season. I am going to say its age is 10 years. Does anyone have any idea what these are?

2005-09-22T08:41:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my Mother's gardens. She has a wonderful cottage type feel to her little plot of ground in Elk County, Pa. I hope you enjoy....

2005-09-22T08:39:00.000-04:00

Plantings off of the front entry

2005-09-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

The Mother...during her obsessive watering of the containers.

2005-09-12T10:43:00.001-04:00

Her containers were stunning this season!

2005-09-12T10:43:00.000-04:00

Saint Fiacre, patron saint of gardners hangs near her stove. I bought her this quite awhile back for her garden. With all the hanging bits, I guess it works.

2005-09-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

A close up of the pastry rack with her crafted clay pastries. She does an excellent job with the faux work. I wish her body would find something to occupy her mind, she needs to start creating again.

2005-09-12T10:37:00.000-04:00

Her kitchen with a drying/dried batch of herbs above this island. The woman does love *stuff* more than I, lol...

2005-09-12T10:34:00.000-04:00

Mom has a jungle at the moment but, it is still good stuff. She hate that grass, it is just swallowing up the rest of this garden. A close up of the Datura is below....

2005-09-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

Datura or Jimson Weed growing near the archway

2005-09-11T16:53:00.000-04:00

Future studio behind the ivy and hollyhocks. Next year I will be able to lampwork and build my pieces in the gardens. My goal is to get a small porch off of this small 10x10 haven. Such a small detail will push my space over the top, in my mind, to enable a sit and a cuppa.

2005-09-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

I have been experimenting with my new camera. Here is a shot of an eglentine rose, next to the seating area, under the Macintosh tree. I took these hanging out of the kitchen window.

2005-09-11T16:42:00.000-04:00

Borage is such a beautiful herb with its cucumber like taste and vivid blue star shaped flower. Mine self sows each year and I never know where it will be.

Lazy Gardening

2005-09-02T09:37:00.000-04:00

Look at this! I have been such a lazy gardener lately. They need to be harvested for salsa, which other than eating them fresh is the only reason I plant them lately...

2005-09-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

This weedy Goldenrod and a Nigra hollyhock combine for great contrast.

2005-09-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hydrangeas and Butterfly Bushs, are just wonderful together.

2005-09-02T09:34:00.000-04:00

Salmon Geranium on my front porch

2005-09-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

This blush pink Hollyhock was just beautiful with the morning rain.

2005-09-02T09:32:00.000-04:00

My lovely Trumpet Vine climbing up my chimney. The blotches are so fun.

2005-09-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

Sunflower w/center bee, ;)

A Cottage Story

2005-09-01T07:17:00.000-04:00

Above is showing the first home built, the Blesh's-
Mr. Blesh, the owner of the Hudson dealership and a business man in Lock Haven, had Cousin's house, Ironwood and Roses, built in 1934. Since his cottage across the creek was broken into and robbed seven times during the first year after it was built, he decided to have the place that he calls home built so that someone would live there full time and keep an eye on his place. Russell (cousin's uncle) and Mary were the first people to live in the house, but they were residents for less than two years. His Father, Roy, a bachelor, moved into the house sometime in 1935. He met his mother and they spent their entire married lives here. His siblings and him were born in this house. His Father died in 1970 and Mom moved out in 1971. His parents never owned the house but were caretakers of the Blesh place in return for rent. In 1981, Mrs. Blesh, on whose heart God had moved, offered to give the house and the six acres that she owned on this side of the stream to his family. They moved in August of 1981 and he has lived here ever since.

The building of the second cottage

2005-09-01T07:07:00.000-04:00

Above showing the second home, 'Ironwood and Roses'-
Ironwood and Roses towards the river.

I am a tree

2005-08-29T16:09:00.000-04:00

I was checking out the self-portrait Tuesday group on Flicker and came across this in
http://www.navylane.com/musings/index.php owned by Melanie of Pa. I am not sure where in Pa. too, too fun for I live there also.

You Are A Poplar Tree

People tend to look up to you, and it's a bit lonely at the top.
Inside, you are not always self confident, but you show great courage.
Mature and organized, you are reliable in any situation.
You tend to have an artistic or philosophical outlook on life.
You are very choosy in love and take partnership seriously.

What is Your Celtic Horoscope?

2005-08-22T12:49:00.000-04:00

I was standing on the bridge to get this of house and river. You can see down in the trees the picnic tables where we would eat later that day.

2005-08-22T12:47:00.000-04:00

The section of tree from back yard swing saved...

2005-08-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

Don't you love this porch. He went to Monticello and measured Thomas Jefferson's railing as a model angle by angle.

2005-08-22T12:42:00.000-04:00

Great porch shot with view of river.

2005-08-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

Friends from totally different sides of the globe posing. My eldest and Kazakh friend, Nelufar.

2005-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

Great shutters and stone work. I really enjoy ferns, they add so much to that cottage appeal.

2005-08-22T12:36:00.000-04:00

This is a different angle of the below view back side of wrap around porch.

2005-08-22T12:35:00.000-04:00

A view opposite the driveway entrance. The small planting in the rocks would be found over on the right of the home. The stump is a remnant of one of the trees which held a swing. The branch that grew around the swing pipe can be found in one of the above shots.

2005-08-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

All over the grounds were these little nooks of plantings.

2005-08-22T12:29:00.000-04:00

He had some trivets made of his home. Aren't they just too fun!

2005-08-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

Look how grown up my Rose is! Such a beautiful day!

2005-08-22T12:23:00.000-04:00

This is a shot from the house to the bridge. Nelufar is being led this time. She really wanted to ride independantly, but Lou decided the opposite.

2005-08-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

We all enjoyed the two horse inhabitants. The poor boys endured taking guests for rides the entire day. My youngest really was excited about the chance, LOL... Look at that face, I wonder if there was any drool there ;)

2005-08-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

We are getting ready to have dessert. They were so delicious, a sample of each had to be plated.

Swedish Nut Cake

2005-08-22T09:51:00.000-04:00

This is one of 3 desserts that was prepared by our host! Dean's Lemon Stuff and Icebox Peanut Butter Pie from his daughter Angela were the other 2.

1-20 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 cups sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts
------
1. Grease and flour 9x13" pan
2. Combine pineapple with juice, sugar, and eggs.
3. Add flour, soda, nuts, and vanilla.
4. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degree F for 30-35 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz cream cheese softened
1 stick butter softened
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

-Beat and spread on cake while it's warm

recipe from: Teresa Ellis

2005-08-22T09:13:00.000-04:00

My DH, with the two youngest of our's, tubing in Fishing Creek. The Rose is all about it but, the tiny Distler cannot seem to wrap herself around the ice cold spring water.

2005-08-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

We had such a wonderful time at the 'Cousin's' , thank you so very much!

2005-08-16T18:17:00.000-04:00

the pic and recipe comes from 'The Book of Country Herbal Crafts' by Dawn Cusick
It was one of my favorite herb books when I first started out in 1992 with my shoppe.

Lemon Balm Bread

2005-08-16T17:59:00.000-04:00

I have not made this recipe since my Herb and Art Festivals. My dd wanted to bake some lemon muffins and I suggested these. She did a fantastic job, they turned out totally lemon! I forgot how good they are, unbelievably tangy.

Lemon Balm Bread

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely chopped lemon balm leaves

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

pinch of salt

1-1/2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking powder

ground zest of one lemon

1/4 chopped nuts(optional)

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup finely chopped lemon balm leaves

1. Cream butter with lemon balm leaves. Add sugar and beat well. Then add remaining ingredients and mix well.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into greased loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending upon pan size or until batter tests done with a toothpick. Batter will be thick

3. Mix all glaze ingredients together. After the bread is removed from the oven, pour the glaze over it and allow to sit in the loaf pan for four to six hours.

4. Wrap the bread in foil and allow to ripen overnight before serving or freeze immediately

2005-08-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

Garden nook children.....I am looking from my kitchen window and what do I see but, two urchins taking an afternoon rest under the apple tree.

Cottage journaling

2005-08-13T20:00:00.000-04:00

I promise to start putting up my cousin's 'Ironwood and Roses' cottage with in the next couple days. His riverside home is just beautiful in thought and execution and I know it would be a lovely addition to my garden blog.

July Work in the Garden

2005-07-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Ripping and tearing in the garden with trimming. I just took out half of my privot, roses and McIntosh tree.

2005-07-11T11:39:00.000-04:00

Almost a full view. I am in the process of putting an arching border of roses on the far side to fence it in and make it a room. Inbetween the house and this garden is placed a social area with conversation nooks among the plantings and under the apple tree.

2005-07-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

Just a matter of two months. I have peppers already and unruly tomatoes that need staked. You see my herb bed here also.

July garden path

2005-07-11T11:31:00.000-04:00

A view from the gate to the apple tree. Centaurea macrocephalis, daylillies, motherwort, rugosas and queen of the meadow flank the way.

2005-07-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

This is what contains my over grown paradise. The top lattice work has to be revamped into a smaller style for DH wants it tighter. A rather ornate gate will be erected along with an arbor over with seats inside that structure. Hemlock is being used I like the aged patina rather than bright newly finished. This was pre sidewalk sweeping later that day.

Lovely little garden babies at the Distler's

2005-07-07T15:10:00.000-04:00

You see my youngest on the right and the neighbors son on the left. They are such little buddies and have gotten more use out of the garden cart than the gardeners this season.

May Garden

2005-07-07T15:07:00.000-04:00

You can see some of the fence flanking the lot and the newly dug vegetable garden here. I am planning on transplanting my roses to the right side facing the house of the garden for a rose fence/arching effect. I have a couple Englentines and a Rugosa for the purpose.

Tomatoes and Peppers

2005-07-07T15:03:00.000-04:00

Here is finally a picture of what we did to the 4 square garden for the summer. It is Memorial day here with the canopy to hinder the rain effects on picnic attendees, :0). The Egyptian Walking Onions are a wonder in any garden.

2005-05-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

Let's make baskets today and not pick a Herbie.. He needed to move off the top of my posts and down just a tad so, we are going to be apart of Ruth Emberg's basket making class. Ruth is a very talented basket weaver who would set up in the corner of my garden to sell her wares during fests.

Pickin' Herb

2005-05-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

My husband's name is Herbert Henry, so, here we have Herbamalia henriafolia. Everyone needs one of these splendid specimens in their garden.
Culture: feed frequently on pizza, hamburgers & wings and water diligently with Pepsi.
He tolerates my more experimental approach to cooking but, does pout quite often. ;0) He just cannot wrap himself around pasta ala garden whatever or soup gathered from leftovers and herbal snippits. If it was up to me fresh vegetables would take over and I would graze on tabouli all summer. Don't get me wrong a medium rare off the grill is a beautiful site but, I do love my carbs and vegies.

2005-05-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

garden sketch and plans

garden layouts

2005-05-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

My four square garden is under going a *repositioning* this week and *extraction*, lol.. I feel terrible to make these changes with what was, at one time, my pride and joy. Ten years back I wanted a formal space along with all the freeform garden areas and this nook was born. Now the entire layout is going to change with one long rectangular garden that connects the tea corner, goes through the center circle and then flows into the opposite medicinal corner to form the rectangular shape. You can see what will be with the dotted lines. This is a quick sketch of that side of my corner plot including a portion of my house that is the kitchen, screened in porch and where the wrap around front porch will be. The entire 4-square will be gone with a utilitarian heirloom vegetable and salad garden and the other side of it towards the house contains some wonderful Eglentine roses that will have to be moved for I want a small bit of lawn off then of the brick patio before you get to the front porch.
I don't have that many shows in July and want to be able to enjoy my children and gardens.

2005-05-04T07:48:00.000-04:00

Today is the Mother's Day Tea for Tameryn's preschool. This is a glimpse of what it could be like with my fig leaved hollyhocks and birdhouses. Of course, this was last year around mid July and her preparing to attend a flower tea party over at the church. A good friend invited all the neighborhood children for an afternoon with all things flowers. I decorated a wonderful little butter cake with some of my garden flower treasures.

Flakes

2005-05-04T07:10:00.000-04:00

Why does there have to be snow on the ground in May? Mother's Day is upcoming and that would be a grand present, WARMTH... Here is another warm weather recipe:

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

1-8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1-8-oz. carton sour cream
1-bunch onion chives
cracked black pepper, sea salt and cucumbers

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, chives and slice cucumbers 1/4 inch thick. Spread cream cheese mixture on bread and place cucumbers. Season if desired

seeding and beading

2005-04-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

Look at my pots wanting to be filled with soil and planted with the most gorgeous thought out container candidates. I am wanting to have some container gardening on my patio this summer including gourds, herbs and tomatoes perhaps.
I would love to get my hands dirty planting seeds, weeding, cultivating and dividing. I can see that it is not going to happen. I am too absorbed in my art and getting set for shows. I had a little mini moment last evening while I was finding lodging for some upcoming shows. The Pittsburgh one is for 6 days and the hotels are not necessarily expensive(with the show rate) but, are for 6 DAYS.

2005-04-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

Where is Spring? Today it is a chilly 45 F with the possibility of snow this evening and tomorrow. I needed to see some catchfly and lavender about to burst into bloom to get me motivated.

2005-04-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

These lovely rambling roses reside on my back fence. They were originally my G. Grandmother's and are called Seven Sister's Roses. They make a spectacular mid-summer display with different shades of pink dripping all over the fence, yard and alley. I have to keep it in check all summer for, it loves to attack passersby.

Medieval Themed Year

2005-04-17T09:59:00.000-04:00

Classes were a nice feature of my shows. This is a pic of a Pittsburgh Herb Guild enjoying Professor Ziegler's talk on Medieval gardens.

Chaotic Waters and Edible Flowers

2005-04-17T09:56:00.000-04:00

Julie of Chaotic Waters is a very talented jewelry designer and botanical product supplier. Her cremes, shampoos, potpourris, oils and bath salts are just wonderful. next......
Lois owned a local B&B and had a beautiful display and talk on edible flowers.
Here is one of my favorite lavender cookie recipes:

Lavender Cookies

2 eggs
1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lavender leaves
1-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
confectioner's sugar
rosewater
---
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put eggs, butter, sugar and lavender (in that order) into blender, and run on low until well mixed. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and stir until well blended. Drop dough, a teaspoonful at a time, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake until lightly browned.
Place cookies on racks to cool.
Blend enough rosewater into the confectioner's sugar to make a smooth frosting. Ice the cookies and let them set until the frosting is firm.

I made these for a pre-school class one time and this one little boy ate about 10. Little ones are so receptive at trying new things. They loved the thoughts of eating flowers. It is a very tasty cookie.

2005-04-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

I was comtemplating the lazy gardner role that I have been playing for the past 6 years and the why. I need to be under a time constraint in order to produce and this is where my creative flow actually flourishes. This was very true with my gardens and keeping them well maintained. I do not have the deadlines that I did with my yearly June Herb and Art Festival or the need to keep things harvested for product production. Well.... I dug up some old photos from these times with the hope of getting my brain in the gardening mode. This is a bit about one of my shows from '97.

2005-04-15T13:25:00.000-04:00

Praise God that Spring is here and we are on our 7 days without rain! In celebration of this wonderous occassion, my 2 elder daughters and I are going to clean and rearrange the back screen porch. It is a simple outdoor room, slightly rough around the edges, but, it is our gathering/entertaining space all season. I love to work on my art and watch the life rattle about. My girls bring all their friends in for many a gathering. Here you see our Border Collie, Sevin and the cat Marta taking up space together.

2005-04-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

This is the outside of her sunny studio and the herb and perennial gardens are behind. I will have to get her to send on some garden pics.

2005-04-09T10:13:00.000-04:00

Front of Louiseee's home and the Bradford Pear trees just about in full bloom. Spring has sprung in Kentucky!

2005-04-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

This is her bead cupboard in the studio, which is off the well kept herb gardens. Too fun, she has a clippy lamp on her creating space too.

2005-04-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

WOW!!!! Can you see the fireplace hiding among all the Santas, baskets and beautiful furnishings?

2005-04-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

stairs and primitives....she loves the Victorian style also

2005-04-08T16:48:00.000-04:00

We are so very much alike with all the herb/spices hiding in the cabinets awaiting to become something.

2005-04-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

You can see all her wonderful fresh eucalyptus hanging about from South Carolina along with a fantastically gorgeous bench. A flower press is peaking on the left that I gave her one year for Christmas that my Father made.

Louise in My Life

2005-04-01T03:03:00.000-05:00

My afternoons spent with Louise, more than not, turned into 11-12 hours filled with creating, interesting lunch combinations and pot after pot of fennel tea. On mornings she got there abit early I would be awoke by her under my bedroom window calling up to get my body up, ;)
Herbal mustards were prepared using my herb/spice infused vinegars for added punch, brown sugar, dried herbs, wheat flour and mustard flour in the recipes. We spent many a day experimenting or just sitting on my screen porch going through my latest book finds or magazines. On days we felt like traveling we went to all the local Goodwills, afar antique shoppes and town wide yardsales. I miss our jaunts...
Fennel tea:
thyme for courage, chamomile to calm, sage for wisdom, spearmint to refresh, rosemary for remembrance and fennel seed for strength.
This tea is still one of my favorites and when brewed takes me back to my friend and our adventures in my gardens and kitchen or her antique shop and kitchen. She is now in Kentucky with her husband and 3 poodles having a longer growing season and has recently started up another antique shoppe.
I will hunt up some pictures of her homes, filled with antiques and treasures, tomorrow.

2005-03-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday Dear Louise....Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!

2005-03-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

Digitalis x mertonensis. A cross between Digitalis grandiflora and D. purpurea

Gardens are a Changin'

2005-03-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

The snow has melted, birds are nesting and the Spring bulbs are poking their cheery heads.
My husband has almost completed the run of hemlock fencing around all my erratic plot plantings. I say erratic for my herbary deceased 6 years ago, more utilitarian style of planting was needed, takeover of my culinary square in the 4-square with the enlargement of the brick patio and a swing set on my enmasse' vegetable garden has totally changed the flow of gardens and style tremendously. Not only that but, I have desperately wanted a wrap around front porch where it originally was when the house was built in 1869. A large porch will be wonderful with all the traditional rocking chairs, porch swing and container plantings. There was also a door where the green house window is now that would have been the front door. A connection will be made from my kitchen to the outside garden world via the cutting in of this door and more house space in the summer months with the addition of the porch. But...........

This means my side garden will be gone.
My side garden was such a show stopper at one time with the waves of blooms all season and the smells wafting about.
Things do change...
I do not have the time or energy with my art business to physically and mentally keep up with all the plantings. I will keep my assortments of themes going such as, culinary, historical, decorative, aroma, everlasting and medicinal, just on a smaller scale.
My teachings with my business will take place in these gardens and the entertaining from everyone to clients to my favorite peoples, my children. I love the idea of having a secret lush paradise awaiting behind a garden gate so, that is where I will start.
Do not all great gardens start with one thought or perhaps one dream?

2005-03-28T09:58:00.000-05:00

Sweet baby Bee loving an Easter Lily at my Father's home.

2005-03-28T09:56:00.000-05:00

Pennyroyal is sprawled out on my stepping stones basking in the afternoon sun. A Lunaria seedling, Jean Simpson lavender, thymus vulgaris, rue and perennial sweet pea gather round.

2005-03-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! I pray that your Easter is filled with family, friends and happiness.

2005-03-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

This colorful illustration is from 'The Golden Egg Book', first published in 1947. Illustrators were so botanically accurate, even in a child's book. The Bergamot is just gorgeous.

Summers in Rolfe

2005-03-23T08:13:00.000-05:00

My summers, as a youth, were spent at my Grandparent's home, on my Father's side. Me and my younger Brother, Stephan, would walk from the westend part of town to what is called 'Rolfe'. To enjoy eating Count Chocula and Wheaties, morning game shows and watching my Grandfather putter about in his garden. He was set in his planting ways with using only his true tried and tested 'Blackseed Simpson' lettuce, 'Kentucky Wonder' pole beans, 'Lady Bell' Bell peppers, 'Hungarian Hots' banana peppers, 'Early Girl' tomatoes and his crooked neck yellow summer squash/green zucchini .
My Grandmother tended the herb and posie patch with just the same as last year attitude. Her herbs weren't as diversified as they were in later years but, she did have those gotta have, curly parsley and chives along with her sweet peas and red geraniums. All the wonderful shrubbery was in place also including a mock orange bush, Japonica, peonies, lilac, forsythia and my favorite 'Dutchman's Pipe' vine traveling on the side of the front porch trellis. This vine would flower mid-summer with the most wonderful pipe looking yellow and brown flowers and the leaves were bigger than dinner plates. The mock orange, with its fragrant blooms, was my favorite place to play under when it was let to have its arching branches down to the ground, for it would turn into a play house.
They lived off the back porch which faced the backyard gardens and my Brother and I lived under it in a fabulous fenced in sand box with a little gate to keep the neighborhood kitties out. Long hours were enjoyed in this out of the sun hideaway making cities, castles and just keeping our bodies cool on the hottest of midsummer days.

My Grandparent's Gardens

2005-03-21T12:49:00.000-05:00

Younger Brother hiding in the jungle that was my Grandparents vegetable garden. My Grandpa Hoyt loved his Kentucky Runner pole beans and summer squash.

Spring Planting in Rolfe

2005-03-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

A Spring morning at my Grandmother's home, when I was five, watering in Blackseeded Simpson leaf lettuce I would imagine. Old Blue is in the background looking on at my stylish piggy tails and swanky pants.

2005-03-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I miss summer!!!! Here is a pic last year from my collected shasta daisies, lysomachia purpurea, plume poppies, etc. We live on this screened in back porch all summer.

Luncheons at the Herbary back in the day..;)

2005-03-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

LOVAGE CHICKEN SALAD

2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. yogurt
3 T. lemon juice
3 T. Balsmic Vinegar
1 c. cashews
1/2 c. torn lovage leaves
1/4 c. diced chives
cracked black pepper
salad greens
---------------------------------

mix chicken, lovage and chives
mix mayo, yogurt, lemon, balsalmic vinegar and cashews
toss 1&2 together, spread on a good bread and add greens, sprouts, pepper, etc.

~very good in pitas also

~ you can replace the chicken with tofu

2005-03-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

I also began having Herb and Art Festivals. They included herbal lunches, workshoppes, tours and artists with their wares. The dates were the 3rd weekend of June and the weather was always beautiful. That is my Father under the Maple tree with his shaving horse making treenware. You can also see one artist and a lady in front of the herb shop preparing for an edible flower presentation. My daughters miss all the hub bub of these fests, they were always tremendous help.

2005-03-17T08:08:00.000-05:00

With all my interests in herbs and gardening, I decided to start an Herbary in 1995. This sign was planned out by me using the shape of my English 4-square garden. The garden themes were also incorporated in the design. My artist friend Pat, of Pennwood Gallery, helped in the painting. I was very pleased with the finished product.

Pre Side Garden '90

2005-03-12T09:29:00.000-05:00

A view of the corner before anything was done for the hodge podge side garden. Do you see the meter? We hated the shrubs for they were all around most of the home collecting mosquitos and just being ugly. I could not wait for them to go. We were quite brutal with the extraction, we used dh's truck and a rope....;)

'91 and underway

2005-03-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Dh is preparing my side garden for a mix of everything that pops the eye and nose. I could not make my mind up on that types so, I just chose it all , cooking, everlastings, aromatics and medicinals. This bed was begun prior to the borders and English 4-square gardens.
Look at my little Larissa Lou, so tiny.