GBBD: September's Changing Colors

Tomorrow is that ever-important day of the month for garden bloggers--Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by the indefatigable Carol of May Dreams Gardens. I'm posting a little early because I had planned to combine my Bloom Day post with my ABC Wednesday post, since they're closely related, until I realized how long this post would be. Instead, I've turned them into two different posts; I hope you'll come back on Wednesday for some "Bugs and Blooms."





I'm sure the question that has been on everyone's mind for the past month is, "Where are Rose's zinnas???"

Well, here they are! The zinnias got a late start; though a few were just beginning to bloom for the August GBBD, only now are the flowers really making a show. However, I don't have nearly as many as last year, so their "statement" is not quite as dramatic. In looking at the roadside garden, I realized that when I transplanted some lilies in the spring, I took up some valuable zinnia territory. Something to think about for next year . . . I must have more zinnias than this!

Besides the zinnias, there aren't a lot of new blooms. Another point to consider over the winter--adding more fall color to the garden. Yes, there are a few asters providing a fresh focal point . . .

. . . and some fresh nectar for the butterflies. It's hard to see the yellow sulphur in this photo, but I've saved a better one for my next post.


And the sedum has begun to put on its fall fashion show. The "Autumn Joy" here in the roadside garden is doing well, much fuller than last year. But the "Autumn Joy" in my main garden is not as healthy. I've lost at least one plant--the leaves dried up and the stems just broke off in my hand. Tina suggested that I might have voles, and indeed the soil underneath the dead plant feels suspiciously light. Hmmm, perhaps I should let Sophie loose in this garden and see what she digs up.

Another plant that has been blooming for the past month is the goldenrod. This is not your polite and refined hybrid---this is the real thing! In other words, Mr. Procrastinator hasn't been able to keep up with all the weeds around the farm this summer:) While some of the goldenrod has already turned to a burnished brown, other plants are still in full bloom. Of all the "weeds" that grow around the outbuildings, this has to be one of my favorites.

I know I included the Black-eyed Susans on my last post, but they have really come into their own the last two weeks. I couldn't tell you from these photos which are which, but I have a couple of Rudbeckia "Goldsturm" and a couple of Rudbeckia hirta.

Can you believe these are the first Black-eyed Susans here at the "Prairie"? I don't know how I lived without them before. One look at these, coupled with the "Bachelor's Buttons," is sure to make you smile:)

Add some orange and red nasturtiums with some orange--and pink--cosmos hiding behind, and I think you have what Gail refers to as "clown pants." I've mentioned before that, unlike other beds, the Butterfly and Friends garden has no planned color scheme, which is pretty obvious. This is a garden of diversity, where everyone is welcome, regardless of color, size, or aggressive tendencies!

While it was intended to attract creatures with wings, four-legged creatures are welcome, too, as long as they don't dig too much:) This, by the way, is Marmalade, the only cat at our home who has never gotten her photo on this blog; she's very shy. In case you're wondering, those ratty-looking leaves belong to some volunteer hollyhocks which need to be removed to make more room for the nasturtiums. This was the first year for planting both cosmos and nasturtiums--they will definitely be planted again next year.

Four-legged creatures aside, there are some other surprises in the Butterfly garden. The pineapple sage, which has grown fuller and fuller, has finally put out one stalk of blooms. I'm hoping for more before the cold sets in.

But my biggest surprise on Sunday was finding all of these blooms not far from the sage! This must be an aster, but I don't even remember planting one. I did find the tag still in the ground after some digging around, but unfortunately the elements obliterated all the writing. Judging by the type of plant tag, it must be one I purchased from the local Prairie Plant Society last spring. Note to self: write down your purchases as well as tagging the plants.

There are other plants still blooming--the nepeta, the coreopsis, the salvia and Stellas putting out a second flush of blooms, just to name a few. And there are the annuals, most of which are still in full bloom, although some of my containers are looking a bit tired and run-down, due to neglect from the gardener. But there is definitely a change in the air, as other perennials are turning brown and giving up for the season. Nowhere is the change more obvious than in the hollyhocks pictured above--most have long since dried up and formed seed pods ready for collecting, while a few stalks show promise of sticking around a little longer.

Some of the lantana is putting more energy into producing berries than blooms.

And other plants have gone into end-of-season mode completely. Aren't these seed pods cool? They're nigella, or "love-in-the-mist," seeds given to me by Cheryl. I'm hoping to collect some seeds from these for next year. Yes, fall is definitely in the air and the garden is winding down, except . . .

. . . my crabapple trees are blooming! The trees have lost almost all their leaves, but they've been full of these blooms since the middle of August. Monica and Beckie can attest to the fact that this is not a staged photo, since they both saw them on their visit in late August. If anyone can explain this strange phenomenon, I'd love to find out why this has happened. If not, I think I might be in line for an award for one of the strangest September blooms ever.

Happy Bloom Day to all! And do take the time to check out all the other wonderful Bloom Day posts from around the world, listed on May Dreams Gardens.

Preserving the Harvest

I'm sad to say that my tomato plants are not looking too good right now. After a promising start this summer, they are slowly succumbing to leaf blight. While they probably won't last until frost, in the meantime I have been harvesting a bounty of ripe, red fruit; so much, in fact, that even though we have been eating BLT's frequently and having fresh sliced tomatoes with nearly every meal, I still have more than enough to preserve for the winter.



After someone asked me how I froze tomatoes, it occurred to me while preparing a batch of juice for the freezer that with so many people planting vegetable gardens for the first time there might be some people out there who have no idea how to preserve tomatoes. This post is for you! Veteran vegetable gardeners who have been canning or freezing tomatoes for years may want to skip this post . . . or you might have a tip or two to add to my method.

Most people can tomatoes, either diced, as juice, or as sauce. But after an unfortunate canning experience many years ago that resulted in a bandaged arm with second-degree burns, I swore I'd never use a pressure cooker to can again. (Don't let me discourage anyone else from canning, but let that be a reminder to always check your canning jars beforehand for possible cracks.) Tomatoes, though, can be safely canned using a water-bath process or even simply ladled into hot, sterilized jars. However, I have plenty of freezer space, and the freezing process is so much simpler; besides, you don't have to worry about a jar that doesn't seal properly and losing some of your hard work.




Follow these easy steps to preserve some of those extras from your garden this year:


1. Wash and stem the ripe tomatoes.

If you are making sauce or juice, as I do, there's no need to peel. Cut out any bad or "mushy" spots. This is one advantage to freezing over canning: generally, you should use unblemished fruit for canning to avoid spoilage. Ensuring the tomatoes are completely ripe is also necessary so that they have a high enough acidic content for preserving without using a pressure cooker. This isn't that important with freezing. You can use tomatoes that aren't quite as ripe as you'd like, and you can simply cut away bad spots and use the rest. I use the "sniff" test to ensure I've cut away enough--your nose knows if a tomato is spoiled or not:) "Waste not, want not," as my mother always taught me.





2. Cut the cleaned tomatoes into halves or quarter sections and place into a saucepan or stockpot.

The most time-consuming part of the whole process is now complete!



3. Mash the tomatoes down somewhat--I use a wooden spoon--so that some juice accumulates on the bottom. Place on very low heat to avoid scorching.

Once the tomatoes have begun to cook and enough juice has formed, you can turn up the heat somewhat to a simmer. Occasionally, stir and mash the tomatoes to ensure even cooking. At this point, you can walk away for awhile and read some blogs, or do as I did last Saturday--watch the first half of the Illinois-Missouri football game . . . As it turned out, my time would have been better spent reading blogs:)

4. Simmer tomatoes until the tomatoes are the consistency of "mush."

Cooking time varies, but I usually allow 1-2 hours.

4. Puree and strain the cooked tomatoes into a large bowl or pan.

You can use a blender, food processor, or colander to puree the mixture. However, last year when I was making so much applesauce, I purchased a stainless steel food mill. It's well worth the investment if you are going to be preserving tomatoes, applesauce or jam. A few quick turns of the handle, and the contents were easily pureed and strained. In fact, steps 4-6 were all accomplished during halftime of the football game!

At this point, if you prefer to make any kind of sauce with the juice, return it to the same pan and cook until it reaches the desired consistency and add any spices you wish. If you are making juice, continue with step 5 . . .

5. Pour the juice into suitable freezer containers, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space at the top for expansion. Allow the juice to cool for a short while before sealing the tops to avoid the formation of ice crystals later.

6. Label the containers, including the date, and place in your freezer, making sure containers are level until completely frozen.

That's all there is to making your own homemade tomato juice!

This particular batch made approximately 10 pints of juice. While it may seem a little more work than picking up a can off the supermarket shelf, you can be sure this is 100% juice with no additives or preservatives. I do not add salt to mine, and last year my husband and I agreed the homegrown juice was sweeter than the commercially canned and made the best-tasting chili and vegetable soup ever. Besides, the tomatoes are free, and they would surely go to waste if I didn't preserve them in some way. I was raised by a very thrifty mother who did not believe in wasting food--or anything for that matter. She, as well as my grandmother, spent many hours each summer canning or freezing the bounty of their gardens so that their family could eat healthy meals throughout the winter.

I'm not only preserving produce, I'm preserving a family tradition.

ABC Wednesday: A HOST of Plants

This week's ABC Wednesday is brought to you by the letter H, an easy letter to illustrate for any gardener.

Starting with that stalwart of any shade garden . . . the Hosta. There are thousands of cultivars of hostas with new hybrids added each year. I've tried to remember the names of all the new ones I've purchased in the last few years, but I'm afraid the tag for this one is hidden underneath all that lamium creeping up--time to do a little tidying up in the garden, I'm afraid!

While hostas are grown for their foliage, the tall blooms that appear once during the summer are an added bonus, I think. With no planning on my part, I have enough different varieties of hosta to provide a series of blooms all summer long. The photo above is a variety that is blooming this week while the photo below was blooming back in July.

Not only are hostas easy to grow, they are also easy to divide. Several of my older hostas, whose names are long forgotten, were dug up this spring and divided into two or three plants each.

But the giant "Sum and Substance" will not be divided in the hopes of seeing it get even larger next year. Tarzan the cat tried to help in giving some perspective on the size of this hosta--its leaves are easily 12" across.

Another shade plant I've become infatuated with lately is the Heuchera. The old-fashioned coral bells to many of the newer varieties shoot up airy spires with tiny blooms that defy my photographic capabilities.

Every year I add a few more cultivars of heucheras to the shade garden. I seem to be partial to those with luscious-sounding names--"Plum Pudding," "Creme Brulee," "Key Lime," or "Tiramisu," for example. Apparently, my sweet tooth carries over to the garden:)

For show-stopping beauty in the garden, though, you can't top a Hydrangea. One of the perennials I purchased for my first garden was the "Endless Summer," falling in love with its huge blue blooms. Unfortunately, in my non-acidic garden, the blooms are pink, but that's okay, too. Pictured above is a new acquisition last fall that I like even better than "Endless Summer"--"Let's Dance in the Moonlight."

Although there are still a few new blooms on the "Endless Summer," most are fading. But this is one flower whose faded blooms are almost as attractive as the new ones. I hate to pick them, but I may attempt to dry a few of these and bring them indoors this fall.

Hydrangeas aren't just for shady spots, however. My latest infatuation is with the Hydrangea paniculatas, like this "Limelight" above. This species grows best in full sun and can grow as tall as 8-10 feet. A good pruning this winter should help it develop more of the upright growth that I want.

Considering this is only the first year in my garden, this plant has produced a multitude of blooms, starting out with green florets gradually turning to pure white and now fading back to green with the beginning of autumn.

The shade garden isn't the only place for flowers beginning with H, however. Flowers that enjoy full sun include the Heliopsis, or false sunflower, like this passalong from my friend Beckie. I was surprised to see the number of nurseries that offer this plant for sale, all without warning the unsuspecting gardener that this plant can take over the garden! A native plant, it needs lots of space.

I also can't quit without showing my first ever Helianthus, or the common sunflower. Grown from seeds I got from Monica's seed exchange last winter, this is a shorter variety--only 3 feet tall compared to the better-known 10 foot variety.

And, of course, no cottage garden would be complete without an old-fashioned Hollyhock. While most of my hollyhocks have dried up and gone to seed, a few brave blooms still hang on.

I'm sure there are some other flowers beginning with H I've forgotten, like Helenium, which I don't have in my garden . . . yet. And in the spring there will be Hyacinths and Hellebores. But what I had really hoped to end this post with was a photo of a Hummingbird. Alas, while they have been regular visitors to my garden this summer, they seem to have a sixth sense about when I have a camera poised on them. Maybe I'll have a Hummer for Round 6 of . . .

. . . ABC Wednesday, brought to you by Mrs. Nesbitt.

In Case You're Interested . . .

I've been tagged by Racquel at Perennial Garden Lover and Carol at May Dreams Gardens to participate in a meme that many of you have joined in on. The rules, very briefly, are:



1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Write 7 interesting, little-known facts about you.

3. Tag 7 other people to participate.


I participated in a similar tag over a year ago when I may have had 10 commenters on a good day, which you can find here. A long time ago, Joyce also tagged me with this meme, so it's about time I finish it. Besides, it gives me a chance to include a few unused photos from the archives.

"Self-portrait"

1. I am not a morning person, which won't come as much of a surprise to Spring Flingers like Carol. It's not that I can't get up early in the morning; it's just that I am not one of those people who hit the bedroom floor running. It takes me a couple of hours just to get moving. Ironically, as I get older, I'm not much of a night person either. No wonder it takes me so long to get things done.



2. I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I played alto sax in high school, played the piano as an accompanist for Sunday School and the school chorus, and occasionally played the pipe organ for church services and weddings. But all that was long ago--before children--and I'm very rusty. My children gave me a guitar, one of my best birthday presents ever, for my 50th birthday. I took a few lessons a few years later, but then stopped practicing. I am determined to learn how to play this instrument before I die! I've signed up for a class at our local community college in October called "Instant Guitar." I doubt it will turn me into Eric Clapton any time soon, but maybe it will give me the motivation to finally take more lessons.

3. I think I'm in the minority among gardeners, but I like expansive lawns. Good thing, because we have a very large lawn that takes Hubby most of every Saturday to mow. It's not fertilized or sprayed with any kind of chemicals, so it won't get any awards for lushness, but it's a great place for Sophie to run and for the grandkids to play a game of soccer or tag.

4. I've never liked housework. Oh, I would love to have my house neat and tidy . . . but I wish someone else could do it for me. I learned long ago that you just can't do it all, and a spotless house doesn't necessarily make a happy family. The sign hanging above my kitchen sink warns any visitors what to expect. My belief that "housework, properly done, can kill you" was further validated when I cut a deep gash in my leg cleaning the bedroom last week.

5. Despite being completely athletically-challenged, I am a big sports fan. I'm a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and a fan of all Illini sports. I'm glad college football season has started, because the Cubs' season might as well be over.

6. I am an incurable clock-watcher. I thought this would change when I retired, and it did to a degree. But I find myself still watching the clock, thinking "I really need to get off the computer this morning and start getting some work done."

One of my eager garden helpers, all prepared with her own garden tools and accessories given to her by her great-grandmother (my Mom).

7. I think I am a good driver. In 40+ years of driving I've never gotten a ticket--those 3 warnings I received for speeding don't count, and none of the fender benders I was in were my fault. I include this last bit of trivia for the benefit of Lisa and Frances who may think otherwise after sharing a late-night trip into the heart of Chicago with me at the wheel during Spring Fling. I get very nervous driving in the Big City, though, and I admit I do have a little night blindness . . .

Toby, my garden supervisor

I am generally a rule follower, too, and I had every intention of tagging 7 people to participate in this meme. But I see that quite a few of you have already joined in, and others I know prefer not to participate in memes at all. So this once I'm going to break the rules and extend an open invitation to anyone reading this to participate if you'd like.

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend!

Garden Muse Day and ABC Wednesday

Happy September to everyone! Although the calendar doesn't say so, the first of September always means fall to me, and the cool nights we've had this past week certainly suggest that autumn has arrived. The first of the month is always Garden Muse Day, and since tomorrow is ABC Wednesday, I thought I would combine the two memes into a two-for one today.

This week's letter G is for Green and Growing.

I'm not a farmer myself, so I don't keep track of these things, but it does seem as if the corn surrounding our house this year is as tall as I have ever seen it. In fact, it might even be taller "than an elephant's eye." According to Wikipedia, the average African Bush elephant is usually 9.8 to 11.5 feet tall, while an Asian elephant averages around 9 feet tall. Considering an elephant's eye is placed lower than his shoulder, I think we might just have to change the lyrics of this great song just a bit . . .



There's a bright golden haze on the meadow
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow.
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky.

Oh, what a beautiful Mornin'
Oh, what a beautiful day.
And I got a beautiful feelin'
Everything's goin' my way . . .

from "Oklahoma," music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein


If you would like to hear the rest of the song, click on the video below . . . a little eye candy for the ladies as well:)

For other musings on this first of September, visit the hostess of Garden Muse Day, Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.

And for other ABC posts, check out Mrs. Nesbitt or the ABC blog.

I Need a Vacation!

After being away from home for nine days, I need a vacation! While going to Oregon was an adventure and full of lots of quality time with Youngest Daughter, it wasn't exactly a time of rest and relaxation. To explain, let me give you a brief synopsis of my trip . . .



Day 1: Several hours after leaving home, we crossed the Mississippi River--good thing YD was asleep so she didn't panic at seeing me taking photos while driving across the bridge:)--into . . .

. . . Iowa. Traveling with Coconut meant only necessary stops for food and gas and, of course, rest areas. Fortunately for him, "Grandma" needs frequent pit stops, so he got a chance for lots of interesting walks. Continuing on into the night into Nebraska (too dark for photos) . . .

Day 2: Traveling I-80 across Nebraska, there were lots of interesting places to see, including some historic stops along the Oregon Trail, like this one at Fort Kearney. But we had a schedule to stick to, so no sightseeing this trip. (Which accounts for most of the lousy pictures here--most taken from the car window while driving.)

Still Day 2: Into Wyoming. About the only wildlife we saw in this part of the state were cows!

Day 3: Still in Wyoming. No offense to any Wyoming residents, but the southern part of Wyoming along I-80 is quite frankly. . . desolate. Towns were so few and far between that I wasn't sure anyone even lived here other than the cattle. Of course, it didn't help that we had been on the road for hours.

Still Day 3: Finally we made it into Utah and hooked up with I-84. A few hours of some beautiful mountain scenery and a glimpse of the Great Salt Lake made this part of the journey go more quickly.

Still more of Day 3: Into Idaho, which . . . um, looks a lot like Wyoming:) Again, apologies to Idaho readers . . . I know other parts of Idaho are much more scenic. And, to be honest, eventually the landscape turned into farmland.

Day 4: Leaving Boise, Idaho and entering . . .

. . . Oregon! Daughter and both cheered when we saw this sign!

The last few hours of our trip took us along the Columbia River in northern Oregon, with so much beautiful scenery that we almost forgot to think how long we had until reaching Portland. A faint image of Mount Hood can--perhaps--be seen in the background in the photo above; it was much more visible to us as we drove along the highway.

Huge fir trees along the slopes of hills to our left and the blue waters of the river to our right gave us a taste of the beauty of the Northwest. Too bad I didn't roll down the window to take this picture to avoid the reflection of the map on my lap:)

Over two thousand miles and four days later, we finally arrived in Portland and found Daughter's new apartment complex. After touring her apartment and finding it just what she had hoped, we decided to save hotel expenses and "rough it" for one night, even though her furniture was not due to arrive until the next day.

Day 5--8: After a night's sleep on the floor--and I use the term "sleep" very loosely here--I had to get up at the crack of dawn to loosen up the kinks in my joints before the hard work began. The movers came, and the unpacking process began. Somehow I envisioned my role on this trip as being the alternate driver and as setting up the kitchen and making the beds, all pleasurable tasks for me. What I didn't think about was the other part: this mechanically-challenged mom found herself wielding hammers, screwdrivers, and even wrenches to help re-assemble the bed, the kitchen table, and a futon. Then Daughter decided she needed to buy a new TV stand and a computer desk.

The TV stand was fairly easy, but the computer desk was another story. It took three salesmen from the office supply store to load this in the back of her car, and one of them--bless his heart--looked at us in concern and asked, "Are you sure you ladies are going to be okay?" Daughter, ever-confident, assured him we would be, and we rode off into the night--two women cruising the streets of Portland's suburbs in a classy convertible with the top down. As you picture this scene and think how cool I must have looked, add this to the image--it was freezing cold by this time, and I had to keep my arm back, holding onto the box so it didn't topple over and crush us to death. Then the hardest part . . . how did we get this 100-pound+ box up to her second story apartment?? While I panicked and suggested knocking on apartment doors looking for burly men, Daughter, the analytical math whiz, suggested we take apart the box and carry it up, piece by piece. And that is what we did . . .

Voila! The finished project. I was so impressed with Daughter's capability, especially since she never understood how to work a laundry hamper at home. She followed instructions carefully--all 40 steps!--and other than a little help from me in balancing boards while she nailed, she did it all herself.

I, on the other hand, was chosen, as the taller of us, to hang a mirror on the wall. You can see my efforts above--would you believe I even used a level?:) Not to worry, I did manage to improve upon this before I left, although I did warn Daughter not to do any aerobics in the living room, lest the mirror come crashing down.

Having spent most of our time working or shopping for necessities, Daughter agreed when I said I wanted to see something of the area before I had to leave for home. Did you know that Portland is often called "the City of Roses"? We traveled by train to downtown Portland, visiting Washington Park, the site of several interesting places. Although we saw only the outside area of the International Rose Test Garden, we did spend some time in a fantastic Japanese garden--more on that in a later post.

After humoring me by walking past waterfalls, koi-filled ponds, and an amazing Zen garden, Daughter wanted to go further into the city to find where she would be attending classes. At the next train stop we found ourselves at Pioneer Square, which was alive with activity and the sounds of a swing band. Nordstrom's and other shops are nearby; this will be on my must-see list next time.

Portland is a beautiful city, with gorgeous scenery surrounding it. I've already informed my daughter the next time I come to visit, I plan to relax and enjoy the sights!


Day 9: Time to fly home. I must say that the four-day drive out to Oregon really made me appreciate the four-hour flight home. I can only imagine after seeing the terrain on the drive in an air-conditioned car going 75 mph what such a trip must have been like for the original pioneers of the Oregon Trail. It's amazing how many of them survived such an arduous trip.

A big thank you to dear friend Beckie. I had planned to take a shuttle bus home after my late-night flight. But Beckie volunteered to make the 2 1/2 hour drive to Midway to pick me up. It gave us a chance to catch up on the latest, even though our chatting almost took us north to Wisconsin instead of south to home:)

Thank you, too, to all of you for your kind comments and concern on my last post. I really didn't mean to sound sad, but I think I was suffering a little empty-nest blues my first day back. Not to worry, though, I have plenty of plans to fill up my time. I'm already scoping out Daughter's bedroom and making plans to redecorate for a guest bedroom. Tai Chi starts next week, there are grandchildren's activities to attend, and still more blog reading to catch up on. And, of course, the garden . . .

While I didn't get to taste a ripe tomato before leaving for Oregon, a bounty awaited me. Tomatoes are simmering on the stove as I write, waiting to be pureed into juice and put into the freezer.

Oh yes, I'll find plenty to do . . . Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!