Lily of the Valley - Delightful

I just love the fragrance of lily of the valley...we have so much around and never planted a single piece of it. It "floats" into places and takes up residence and just thrives. I suppose a bird or animal is actually the delivery system that has left pieces behind in their travels and for that I am truly grateful. We have many large areas that it thrives in and the scented air in the spring is absolutely heady. It takes a bit of time to gather a bouquet because it is has such a slender stalk but it is so worth it. A simple tug on the stem is how I like to pick it...

I love to put my little bouquet in this antique quilted green glass vase. It has a brass swing handle and I find it darling and the perfect vessel to hold my lily of the valley...

What a lovely bouquet to look at...tiny little white bells surrounded by broad green leaves...

Simply delightful!!!!!

Elizabeth

Macaroni Salad for a Hot Day

Once the weather gets hot...it seems like meals turn toward summer favorites. Burgers with potato salad, hot dogs and toasted rolls, cold soups, green salads and lots of sorbets and sherbets. So tonight a quick supper it is...decided to have turkey franks in toasted rolls with plenty of mustard, minced vidalia onion and celery salt, sliced tomatoes and cukes and of course a perennial favorite of ours...macaroni salad. So easy to make and soooo good!!!!!

Just boil up your favorite pasta shape and cook till al dente in salted water. Drain and chill down with cold water. Add diced hard cooked eggs, green sweet relish, finely diced onions and mayonnaise. I would be hard pressed to make my own mayo because Hellmann's is just so good. With summer salads that no fat mayo is really disgusting...a mix of low fat and regular is fine but if having guests go full fat....

Got a little surprise when I sliced this egg open...

A double yoked egg...how cool is that...I love when I find one of these...they are just such a novelty...

So the macaroni salad is chilling in the fridge, the turkey franks are waiting to be grilled and this double yoker never made it to the salad...the husband ate it...as is.

Elizabeth

The Farmer's Daughter - A Destination Garden Center

The Farmer's Daughter Garden Center in South Kingstown, RI on Route 138 is what one would call a destination garden and nursery center. To visit their website click here The photos I took today just scratch the surface of what they have to offer. All the buildings are post and beam and from what I was told they were built by Amish builders from Pennsylvania. Each greenhouse is wood faced and painted to blend with the outbuildings. Each building and greenhouse has a designated purpose be it a shade house, gift building, succulent house, and the beat goes on. There are plantings and theme oriented groupings of pottery, outdoor furniture, trough planters, lighting, herbs, shade plants, perennials, annuals, roses, vegetables and so forth. The main building is where you check out and has wooden gutters and rain barrels. All the walkways are paved or landscaped so it is hard and even. The whole center is well thought out and each time you visit there is something new. It is a true pleasure to shop and meander about dreaming about a plant or a pot one may want to fill.

This is a little shed with a crescent moon cutout in the door. Look closer at the roof!
The roof is alive...with living plants...how wonderful!

A closer look...

One of the buildings...wonderful form

Each area is designated with a certain theme...signage is clear, plain and simple

A lovely filled planter

The perennial area is easy to shop...the ground is even when pulling your wagon and is organized alphabetically....there is plenty of help to answer questions...

A lovely view...

The shade area...it is surrounded on two sides by privet hedging...

Small cutouts in the hedge allow for breezes to pass through as well as a window to the cutting gardens and display gardens as well...

I love this area...

It is very interesting and the eye appeal is gorgeous...the shapes and colors are so cool...

A nice planting around a specimen birch...

One of my favorite areas way in the back...

Shade shrubbery is displayed amongst tall pruned pines in rows like tall soldiers...it is a spot I could stay in for a very long time...the other areas were getting hot today but this area was cool and breezy...I feel trees always attract wind and breeze and this area did not prove me wrong! It is an incredible place to experience...worth the walk to the far end of the public property...

A new herb garden planted this year...as they say about perennials...first year sleep, second year creep and third year leap...I am looking forward to see this herb garden mature over the next couple of years...knowing the folks at the Farmer's Daughter...it will be delightful!!!!!

Elizabeth

Garden Record Keeping

I have always kept a record of my gardens. I find it soothing to come into the house after working outside to write just a little something about what I planted, where I put it, what is currently starting to pop up, show color and what did not return after a cold winter. I like to know how certain varieties respond in my garden and what varieties simply do not thrive. Why waste space with something that just won't grow...I have tried to plant Oriental Poppies several times but they just won't come back nor grow once in the ground. So phooey on them...they shall live in someone else's garden without me. I like to mark rows in the garden and then repeat the information in my diary...I love to read back my entries during the winter...it refreshes my memory and peaks my desire for winter to end soon...so I can try something new and relish the return of my beloved peonies, iris and lilies. Record keeping needn't be lengthy...just a few notes to remind oneself of things to come or what has already happened in the garden...


I use a photograph album to save all my perennial tags...this way I know what varieties I have...

I also write in a diary what I planted and how things are going...the weather and other info I feel is necessary for me to keep my gardens in shape...My diary is cloth covered with embroidered flowers, bugs and butterflies...picked it up at Barnes and Nobles and wished now I had picked up a couple more as this current one is almost full.

This is a page in the album that holds the tags from some of our peonies...If I have a photo or catalog info I try to include that also...

Another page in the album...all our peonies are from White Flower Farm in Connecticut.

More tags....

A page in my diary....

A diagram of my garlic bed in 2008...I rotate my beds and try different varieties every year. I plan to leave my diaries and albums with our house when we leave here someday...I hope the new owners will continue the tradition....

Tags for the album as well as seed packets from zinnias and radishes I planted...I will record the varieties and where they are. I also planted some more herbs today so that info will be noted. I will certainly take a minute to note that my first Siberian Iris has bloomed, the ground phlox is fading, some of the peonies and iris are showing color and the dahlias that I planted about a month ago are sprouting...the blueberries are loaded with flowers, the clematis has covered the arbors, the hosta is huge this year...and the beat goes on...

For me the above quote says it all ....

Elizabeth