Hush Little Mama, Don't You Cry...

Sometimes you can't ignore symbolic occurrences. Sometimes they are so blatant it is eerie. Using some input from readers, I learned that my birds were Mockingbirds. The thought of Mockingbirds in my garden was so sweet and fitting as I used to sing, Hush Little Baby to Jeffrey and Carly to help them fall asleep.  I paid close attention to my bird babies for days marking their growth in my mind and always curious as to when I'd find them missing while busily preparing for my son's graduation and noticing his growth and signs of strength. I beamed with pride when my baby soared across the stage preening his feathers clutching his diploma with pride dripping from his exaggerated smile.

Hush Little Mama, Don't you Cry...

The day of Jeffrey's graduation party, I was excited to share the Mockingbirds with anyone who cared or perhaps had been reading this blog. Nature's gift struck again when I discovered the babies left their nest sometime that morning. The nest was empty. Empty nest. Need I say more? The abrupt symbolism hit me over the head like a brick. You can't avoid that. Mother Nature was surely sending me an astounding message. Mother Mockingbird was okay with her babies taking off and I was to be okay with mine. Okay. I get it. Loud and clear.

It's amazing what happens if you are paying attention. Its not always easy to pay attention while traveling at the speed we all do. I am grateful that I did catch those precious moments in my garden this Spring.


Moving along...
Last night we got back from Santa Monica, the end of three weeks of non-stop adventure with family and friends which began around Jeffrey's High School graduation. I spent two hours watering the garden. It was like visiting an old friend and finding out how they've grown and what challenges they've had to face. I watered plants dead-heading where necessary, admired flowers or the beginning of fruit,  harvested my first zuchinnis, trimmed back leaves filled with aphids or eaten by snails and admired the tremendous growth that occurred all over the place. That's why I love gardening. Things are continually changing. Its always a feast for the eyes.

Gardening Notes:

- My tomatoes are large. The Yellow Pear is towering over the cage already and I am pruning it back generously this year. 

- Aphids took over a few of my Chard plants so I trimmed them way back and gave them a power wash hoping that new growth will be unaffected. 

- The grapes look fantastic. They are nearing marble size and plentiful. I am fantasizing an amazing photo opportunity this Fall. 

- My strawberries weren't watered well enough during my absences and the whole pot is dried out. It's okay. I can't expect that there won't be some death during the last three weeks. 

- The hydrangeas are out of control beautiful. They're getting close to the ones I marvel at on Long Island. 

- My mint barrel was taken over by Lemon Verbena, which obviously seeded itself from last years plants I have since pulled out. I learned this the hard way when I announced to a large party that we were going to make Mojitos with my Mint, only to find that the pot was filled with something that resembled mint, but didn't taste like it. Oops...

-The worms seem to be doing well. They are still moving around in there and that's all I can really report. So far, I don't see anything even close to a material I'd put in my garden. 

- I carefully placed the Mockingbird nest in the corner of one bed as a Memorial to my experience this Spring. The three peppers that are close to the nest were covered in bird poop. Do you suppose? 

I had to bathe them carefully to remove all the white spots on the leaves. 

Beautiful Cookbook: 

My mother-in-law bought me a gift while she was here. We were at Chateau St. Jean  (our favorite winery together) and I was admiring a cookbook. She said, "Let me buy this for you". Typically, I would never say, "Okay" as that feels like it exceeds the limits of what is appropriate. However, this time, I heard myself enthusiastically say "Okay" and I grabbed the cookbook. Its beautiful, informative and very, very fun to read. It's called,  ad hoc at home, by Thomas Keller. 

A Few Recipes:

Lots of people have favorite Pesto Recipes. This is mine. It was given to me by Tish, the woman I mentioned in an earlier blog who grew a very large garden on our property when I was growing up.
The e-mailed recipe is dated 9/27/2000.  I've used it ever since.

Pesto Dressing A La Tish

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp each salt and sugar

2 T Pine Nuts

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

Put Basil and Parsley in cuisinart and mince well. Add minced garlic, salt, sugar, pine nuts - pulse to combine. Add vinegar and cheese - pulse to combine. Add the olive oil very slowly as the cuisinart is running so the dressing thickens. You can double this recipe easily. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a long time. I also freeze it in ice cube trays to use after basil season. Tish says, "Use it on everything!"

First off, Red Chard is such a beautiful leaf. I just harvested a bunch of it with some lemons and the first of the zucchini. I can't help but step back and admire the basket for a bit before I take everything in to wash and eat. It's the Martha Stewart in me.

The following recipe is from a gal I knew when I lived in Mill Valley. She has recently published a cookbook called, Get Naked Fast!  I've been making Diana's Favorite Green Juice Cleanse since I bought the book and I love it. So far, I haven't convinced anyone to love it as much as me, perhaps because they are afraid of drinking vegetables.  If you have a juicer and you're into experimenting, try this recipe. To me, it tastes like V-8 without the sodium. I could almost add vodka, but then I couldn't take the wrath that would follow. Not to mention, it would defeat the purpose of the drink. Diana's message is: "No Dairy, No Wheat, No Sugar, No Meat, No Caffeine and No Alcohol". I can adhere to most of that, most of the time. Okay, some of the time...

Diana's Favorite Green Juice Cleanse

3 cucumbers

2 bunches of celery

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch rainbow chard (I use my Red Chard)

3 green apples

3 lemons ( I don't put a lemon in my juicer, so I just squeeze the juice of one lemon)

2 fennel bulbs 

Do not remove any parts of the vegetable or fruit. Push all the ingredients through the juicer. This fresh juice will last 2 days in the refrigerator. (I've kept mine for three).

Makes 4 quarts

It's officially summer. Things are supposed to slow down. So far, my summer has been anything but slow. I am hoping for a change in energy soon. Until then, I will enjoy the clear blue sky that blankets everything. I love that color. Another nod to Mother Nature.
I hope she follows my baby to Colorado.

Reflections from a Garden Ninja

I have a few favorite photos and this is one of them. I took it at Butchart Gardens in Greater Victoria on Vancouver Island. If you haven't been, it's really a lovely place to see the potentials of a garden. This picture is a reflection off of a pond in the Sunken Garden. It's the kind of place you'd love to stop and hang out for awhile, if there weren't dozens of people milling around.

I am sharing this picture because of the reflection. I've been doing a lot of reflecting this week as my son turned eighteen. It turned out to be a bigger deal for me than I anticipated. I found myself reviewing years past in my head while making breakfast, playing tennis, grocery shopping, feeding the dogs, showering... you get it. As is typically the case for me, reflecting is satisfying.  It churns things up and renews my thoughts. It allows me to review my life so far and absorb it's wonders. As an Aquarian, I  can't help to think about the future and I then have a complete "circle of reflection" starting from the past and ending in the future. It's all good. My boy is eighteen now. Life is moving along.

I like tools. I love tools in the kitchen, but I am a stickler for only housing those that I'll use frequently. If the tool's use is to complete a specialized task such as an egg poacher or a melon baller, it usually doesn't get to stay in my kitchen. I am the same way about garden tools. I don't see the need to collect many tools with specialized uses so I tend to fall in love with a few that can do it all. During my trip to the Mt. Feed and Farm Supply in Ben Lomand last week, I acquired a new tool that is fitting my criteria.

It's called a Soil Scoop and it can cut a stem, puncture the soil to dig further, cradle a seedling and more. And it has a comfortable handle that makes me love it. 

My new tool will compete with the Hori Hori Knife, which is a Japanese tool. Could you tell by the name? I've actually been gifted two of them and intend to pay it forward to one of my Garden Guppies. This tool can dig and serrate. It's light and knife-like, which makes me feel quick and powerful in the garden, like a Ninja. It's a killer tool. 

Lastly, I purchased a Moisture Meter. I just got it and I am obsessed. Given my new philosophy of not "over-watering", this tool is providing me a lot of guidance (and entertainment). You simply drive the needle into the soil as deep as you'd imagine the roots would be, and it will give you a reading of dry, moist or wet. I wish I would have had one years ago. I've spent time going around my yard poking it in the soil and am amazed by it's reading sometimes. My kids think I'm off my rocker, but they can just add it to the list of the many things I do that bewilder them. 

Did you remember? Pam Peirce is coming? See previous postings regarding my admiration for this author. And she is going to be in San Jose?  I can't believe it. 

May 22^nd, 10;30-12;30 am

Guadalupe River Park and Gardens: Year-round Food Gardening: Getting the most out of your food gardening space.

Visitor & Education Center

438 Coleman Avenue

San Jose, CA 9510

Fee class (fee amount to come)

For more information: linda@grpg.org, 408-298-7657

Dirty Story: A few of you mentioned that you went to The Wild Bird Center looking for the Superbac Nature Birdbath Scrub that I recommended and they didn't have it. How embarrassing! I inquired and they ARE planning on a shipment in June. (See April Blog: Best Laid Plants... I mean, Plans...). 

LOVE A LEMON LOVE A LEMON LOVE A LEMON LOVE A LEMON 

Ever wonder what to do with all the lemons on your lemon tree? If you're like me, you can't keep up. A mature lemon tree can generate a whole-heck-of-a-lot of lemons! My friend, Suzanne (and future featured rose guru) turned me onto the idea of making Limoncello. We made a batch last year and we doubled our output this year. It's one of those recipes that seems Martha Stuart-y, but really isn't. The hardest part is finding the cute bottles to put it in. I found mine at Pier One Imports last year. You can see it on the far right. 

Homeade Limoncello - From epicurious

15 lemons- choose thick skinned lemons

2 bottles (750ml) 100 proof Vodka - 100 proof has less flavor that a lower proof one and will take on the lemon flavor better.  Also, the higher alcohol level will ensure that the Limoncello will not turn to ice in the freezer.

4 cups sugar

5 cups water

1. Wash the lemons and pat dry

2. Zest the lemons with a vegetable peeler so there is NO WHITE pith on the peel. 

3. In a large glass one gallon jar (see above in the picture) add one bottle of vodka and the lemon zest. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 40 days. As it sits, the vodka takes on the flavor and begins to turn a rich yellow color. 

AFTER the 40 days...

4. Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan and cook until thickened (5 minutes) . Let the mixture cool and then, add to the Limoncello mixture. 

5. Add the remaining bottle of vodka to the Limoncello/sugar mix and let stand for another 10 to 40 days. 

6. Strain and bottle. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve. (I keep mine in the fridge and it's fine).

LOVE A GUPPY LOVE A GUPPY LOVE A GUPPY LOVE A GUPPY 

Garden Gossip: Word has it that Garden Guppy, Tricia has her vegetable garden planted. Earlier in the week, I received a distraught e-mail that she was going "belly-up". Today, I received an exciting, proud e-mail that she is "swimming"! What a great guppy lesson. Take your time, do not stress, plant when you can, and in the end, you will be rewarded. Huge claps of congratulations to my first Garden Guppy for starting her project.  I am as excited as she is. 

Heads-up: Stay tuned for some funny garden stories. Tricia is one of the funniest story tellers I know, next to Barb, my BF in NYC. If I could get them together at a party, you would NOT want to miss it. The stories could start a gardening sit-com. Barb had a NYC garden for years that was growing between four huge buildings in the most toxic soil in the city, she would claim. But her Hydrangea was bigger than anything I've ever been able to grow. I love a good laugh and these two can provide it, let me tell you! 

This blog has been more fun that I imagined at the start. I have made some wonderful new connections with people, paid more attention to my own garden actions and felt honest excitement for fellow gardeners' achievements. I've been humbled by peoples' reactions and enjoyed thinking about my blog entries during the week. Please continue to provide feedback, suggest topics or ask questions. You can simply hit the comment button below and click on "anonymous" at the pull-down or continue to comment via Facebook. 

When I wake up, walk outside and see this colorful Ice Plant blooming alongside my pool deck, it starts the day out right! You would struggle to create this color from an oil color palette, but Mother Nature nails it with ease. I am in awe of that woman!