Watermelon Drink for Summer

A SIMPLE SUMMER DRINK TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST:

BLENDER-WATERMELON WITH FRESH LIME JUICE- add water to thin if needed

  GARNISHES: MINT & WATERMELON SPEARS

Good Luck in the Garden

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner it's a good time to find ways to add luck to your garden! 

Gnomes, Lucky Horseshoe, Shamrocks and Rabbits are my charms.

Signs of Spring This Week

Lavender Cuttings

Farmers Market Sighting

My First 3 Sweet Peas of the Season

The Very First Bloom- Heirloom Sweet Peas

Progression of an Apple

Saturday Photo: Anna Apple Tree Blossoms

Beautiful flowers and wonderful fruit.

Anna Apple trees are the perfect apple tree for Southern California

The Bud

The Flower

The Fruit

November Planting Guide

Vegetables

BEETS, BROCCOLI, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CABBAGE, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, CELERY COLLARDS 
ENDIVE, KALE, KOHL RABI, LETTUCE, LEEKS  ONIONS PARSLEY, PARSNIP PEAS, RADISH,  RUTABAGA, SPINACH SWISS CHARD, TURNIPS
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Flowers
Alyssum, Bachelor Button, Butterfly Flower, Pot Marigold, California Poppy, Carnation, Candytuft, Columbine, Flax, Petunia,  Phlox, Poppy, Primrose, Stock, Sweet Pea, Verbena, Viola, Wallflower

MINT

PEA TRELLIS

Companion Planting Ideas for your fall garden:

Broccoli and Rosemary planted in a sunny area.

Cabbage and Dill planted in fertile soil in cooler weather.

Celery with anything that enjoys being watered well!

Peas and Turnip are a great pair to grow together.

Brussels Sprouts and Thyme

Beet and Mint

FABULOUS FIGS and the many ways to enjoy them!

 I grow figs and share them with people every day that have never "tried" a fresh fig. 

Go try one- You may just love them!

Fresh Panache Figs with Goat Cheese

Desert King and Panache Figs with green skin and a pink flesh.

MIXED INTO A MORNING SMOOTHIE

BAKED INTO A PIZZA- even if it is a Trader Joe's frozen type

ADDED TO A SALAD

GROWING ON THE TREE

A FIG TART DESSERT
Fig and Almond Tart- Giada De Laurentiis

MISSION FIG TREE IN A RAISED CONTAINER

Heirloom Radishes: Watermelon

This is a great all year round fun garnish/vegetable to grow in your garden. Very fast turn around time from sowing the seeds to eating at your table. These watermelon radishes are truly beautiful when sliced and tasty too. I grow these often and love the results.

Radishes are a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. A great dietary fiber and also high in Vitamin C. Ideal planting time in Southern California is July- August. I plant these through October in my raised beds.

DIY Succulent Vertical Garden

My project this week: Creating a vertical succulent garden using a Wine Riddling Rack.

This added a lot of warmth and beauty to my stucco wall just outside my kitchen.

Find these wooden racks on Amazon and ebay.

Vertical Wall Hanging Succulent Garden

 This is a Wine Riddling Rack- or use a wood pallet

DIY: SEASONED SEA SALT

DIY: ORGANIC HERB SEA SALT

Use the herbs that are in your garden for this seasoned sea salt. Every time I make my seasoned salt it is a little different, but always amazing. Mixing in some dried flowers works well too- try lavender, rose, nasturtium. Creating different batches and blends is fun.

RECIPE:

1 Cup chopped mixed herbs: use your favorites- Chives, Parsley, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Oregano.

1/2 Cup Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/8 Cup of extra herbs to save on the side.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend Sea Salt in the Blender a few seconds until it is the same size as Kosher Salt.

2. Transfer both Salts to a food processor and add chopped herbs- pulse until well mixed and the size of the salt is to your liking.

3. The salt will turn a nice green color- I like to keep my seasoned salt on the coarse side.

4. Turn mixture into a pan and add the last 1/8 Cup of chopped herbs, mix well.

5. Cook at 200 degrees for 1 Hour or until all herbs are dried out. Mix after 30 minutes and break up all the chunks.

6. Cool completely, Return to the food processor for a few QUICK pulses to blend evenly.

7.  Store in air tight jars. Shelf life lasts months at room temperature.

DAHLIA CLOSE UP

MACRO PHOTO: DAHLIA
I find that miracles happen in my garden every day.
It is always a blessing and moment in gratitude when I discover a new bloom!

AUGUST PLANTING GUIDE

AUGUST PLANTING GUIDE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Beans: Bush and Pole

Beets

Carrots

Celery

Corn

Cucumber

Lima Beans

Radish

Summer Squash

Swiss Chard

Flower planting guide: 

Nasturtium

Baby's Breath- Bachelor Button- Cosmos- Flax- Foxglove- Hollyhock- Marigold- Nasturtium- Petunia- Phlox- Poppy- Primrose- Snapdragon- Stock- Sweet Pea- Wallflower

The August planting guide is a bit more sparse than other months of the year so planting carrots in several varieties can help with the Need to Seed addiction!

The Round Baby Romeo carrots look great in soups and salads. Try using the carrot planting strips for very simple planting and success. GREAT TIP: Pouring very hot to boiling water over the carrot seeds just before topping them with soil in their little trenches will help them to germinate faster.

The Language of Flowers: PLUMERIAS

Plumerias: frangipani

 The meaning and symbolism of a plumeria flower is perfection and protection. 

Blooming in the summer months with a sweet and strongly aromatic scent, these flowers come in an abundance of colors and sizes. Below are some new blooms in my garden this week. 

Pinterest Link

http://pinterest.com/pin/344032859005424426/

Madagascar Palm: Pachypodium lamerei

MADAGASCAR PALMS 

THE SEED POD OPENED TODAY!

HOLDING SEVERAL SEED PODS

The Madagascar Palm is really a succulent and not a palm tree. It has 2 inch spikes all around the trunk and has a moppy hair do- palm type look at the top. In the summer it will bloom very exotic looking white flowers that stay opened for weeks. In the winter most or all of the leaves will shed. Plant in full sun, water lightly and allow to dry between watering. This is a drought tolerant and easy to grow plant. Beautiful in the landscape or in a pot. The typical height is 10 feet, but can grow up to 20 feet. The Madagascar is a slow grower and needs to be planted in well draining soil. This is one of my landscaping favorites!

Zen Fable and Beautiful Dahlia

I heard this Zen fable years ago and came across it again this Sunday morning.
It's a wise fable about judgement. Photographing this Dahlia in my garden today created a symbolic reminder to judge less and enjoy more, judge less and love more. Gardening quiets the mind and nourishes the soul.
 Zen Fable:
There was once a wise old farmer who owned a prize horse. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came over to offer their condolences. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "Maybe," was all the farmer replied. A few days later the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "Maybe," replied the old man again. The following day, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg. Once again, the neighbors offered their sympathy, saying "How awful." "Maybe," answered the farmer one more time. The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son of the farmer had a broken leg, they passed him by. The neighbors once again congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “What good fortune,” they said. The farmer replied yet again, “Maybe.”

San Diego County Fair 2013

The San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA goes  until July 4th. This is the first sign of summer for locals as the Ferris Wheel and Sky Swings decorate the Del Mar Race Track. This was a great week for taking photos. Happy Summer!

when was the last time you shared a banana split? Heaven!

Anything with bacon at the fair

Win a prize and play a game

Traditional Corn on the Cob

Battered artichoke heart with garlic- so yummy

http://pinterest.com/pin/344032859005216432/