New Site, New Stuff to Share

Hey. 
Please visit www.marylouisehagler.com until all my info is transferred from 
this old site. Oh, and please share with your Facebook and Email friends...
ML

Temporary Web Address for New Site...

Here is the link to the new Web Page. Please sign up for the web post updates & the MLCHgarden
monthly newsletter. There are many garden ideas & recipes even if you don't live in my area!
see you
ML

http://www.marylouisehagler.com/

Summer House Rules

I am not sure how it happens, but we become a bit lazy at my house during summer months.

For example, yogurt cups are left unopened on the countertop, clothes are strewn on bedroom floors, and dirty dishes pile up in the kitchen sink.

After reading a chapter or two in Simple Abundance last week,

I found this which will be discussed at dinner then posted on the family bulletin board!

If you take it out, put it back.

If you open it, close it.

If you throw it down, pick it up.

If you take it off, hang it up.

Blessings.

ML

Lightening Bugs

Rob Pavey refers to them as fireflies, but I call them lightening bugs.

A couple of years ago, we were worried that these illuminating insects

were dwindling, but it seems they are here to stay!

Summer fireflies make comeback in Georgia The Augusta Chronicle

Don't you remember catching them at night & keeping them in a jar near

the bed to watch them glow?

Blessings.

ML

Simple Abundance

Do you have the book Simple Abundance?
 It was published in 1995, and I've stored it under my bed only to pull it out and read it over and over. It has a thought for each day of the year- all related to child rearing, housekeeping, daily living, etc. giving you "comfort"  in what may be a crazy world.

June is filled with home & garden ideas in the book.
 I'll take a few days this month to expound & refresh some of the main concepts in the book. Follow along if you have the book, if not, no worries.

Today is June 14th: Decorating with the Seasons: Summer Houses


Here is my take on "summer houses"...

Porch sitting

Hammock napping.

Garden dreaming

Summer is much more relaxed than any season. Cut an handful of whatever is growing in your yard/garden today & put the vase on your kitchen table. Buy some ivy and shady coleus to put on your porch. We have a round "foot fan" on our porch that is perfect for hot summer evenings. 

Enjoy your summer house & let me know what you do to make it summer-y!

Blessings. 

ML

Sunday Farm Update

Late Night?

Today began with a drive to the Farm by our 15yo new driver. Safe and sound.


Some of us were a bit fatigued upon arrival mainly due to staying up til 3am with friends. So, we finally mustered up the energy to hill the pumpkin patch in preparation for seed planting today...


Guess what? 


Someone forgot the seeds! Well, we didn't drive my Yukon Storage Container to the farm, so it didn't happen.

Blisters.Even Gizmo!

Meanwhile, Sam, Marianna & myself completed the hills despite the fact we had no seeds. Here are our blisters to prove it- even Baby Gizmo(Sam calling him Giz-mutt) was in on the goodness. 

Sam working in the rain

We were tricked again with about 3 minutes of hard rain thus sprinklers running most of the evening. 


Robert must be having a contest with someone else growing corn. He has fertilized, watered-  really babied this crop. Says he wants to have a corn party...


Any thoughts?


The flowers have  progressed tremendously this week. There is so much pink, salmon, white, burgundy this year! Planned those colors for upcoming weddings. The broomcorn is about 3 feet high, last year it bolted up to about 10 feet. Lovely in fall arrangements. 


The return home was a white knuckler for me...Our 15 yo drove the truck back and onto Bobby Jones Expressway in the dark. Safely home, I am so proud. 


Blessings 
ML

PS. If you've read this, will you hit the 1+ button at the bottom of this post? Not sure, but I think it's supposed to up my optimization a bit. Thanks.

Summer Reads...

Admittedly, I am not much of a book reader.  Maybe when I am at the beach with no garden or family distractions, I'll read a book...

BUT.

I read lots of magazines, must be my attention span! Whatever. I left Borders last night with an armload of garden mags and a bit less flower money! 

This month's Urban Farm : Sustainable City Living is EXCELLENT! 

If you are a backyard hobby gardener/beekeeper/chick with chicks 

or wanna be

 this mag is for you.

 So far, every page is filled with info I know you'll love...

• Daylilly Ice Cream recipe
• "Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn" a quote from Garrison  Keillor
• Rain gardening
• Beekeeping/Chicken Keeping
• Fruit Spreads

Go to Borders, get the mag...better yet, subscribe for $15/year...

www.urbanfarmonline.com/lowprice

Blessings 

ML

June is a busy month for gardeners in the CSRA.

The heat is on, humidity up and growth boundless.

Here are a few things to do in June, oh, & keep July

in the back of your mind...fall planning/planting!

* Plant more peas, beans, corn, and okra from seed.

* Garden stores still have transplants ready to put

in the ground. Find more squash, peppers, eggplant

and tomatoes!

* Tie up tomatoes, peppers, cukes, and beans to keep an upward

growth habit! Use tall wood posts, stakes, bamboo.

* Fertilize your veggies. Have you tried Llama beans?

* Plant pumpkin seeds! Remember they need lots of

room & be sure to look at maturity days for length of time you'll

need before they are ready!

* Last chance to plant sweet potatoes.

* Start rooting your hydrangeas.

* Plant zinnias, celosia, sunflowers, and cosmos all from seed...

* Buy some dahlia bulbs and get them in the ground!

* Not too late to plant some annual transplants...marigolds(lots of

pretty varieties now!), impatiens, caladiums, coleus, ornamental

sweet potato vine, and periwinkle(vinca)..

Blessings from the Summer Garden.

ML

Mimosa Anyone?

You were probably thinking this-

What I meant was this-

The Mimosa trees are in full bloom in Augusta GA right now. 

The tropical look of the deciduous Mimosa and the peachy/pink puffy blooms may make you think about snatching a seed pod and growing one for your back yard. Mimosa is drought tolerant and grows best in zones 6 through 10. 

Drop that seed pod if you have allergies. Mimosa flowers produce lots of pollen which can cause a sinus allergy or an eye allergy. So, if you are sneezy or have itchy, runny eyes when around the Mimosa, you might just want to break out the OJ  & Veuve...forget the tree!

Blessings 

ML

National Garden Week

National Garden Week Proclamation

Today marks the beginning 
of
 National Garden Week

June 5-11

Byrd Garden-Sacred Heart Garden Tour 2011

Here are some ideas to help you celebrate:

• evening walk through a friend's garden, glass of wine
• plant something you'll consume...okra, southern peas, tomato plant, pepper plants
• read a great garden resource---Southern Living books, Mrs. Whaley Entertains, The $64 Tomato

Stay Cool. 

ML

Farm

I am off to the Farm today to check on the flowers and corn! 
We were told there was a heavy rain yesterday, so I am hoping everything is ok. 

Here is the detail for today:

• cut all zinnias, sunflowers, celosia & cosmos that have bloomed
• fertilize everything 
• weed, weed, weed
• practice shooting 38
• weed, weed, weed
• wine

Sound good? 

Need help next week planting pumps...will fix you some lunch

and promise you a pumpkin. No wimps.

Blessings. 

ML

Smart summer brides

Southern summers are hot! 

I knew that when I said "I do" on August 22 almost 20 years ago!

Yet brides continue to choose summer months to get married.

Here are a few tips 

Decorate with the bouquets after the wedding. Take to the reception and place in vases.
Ice, ice baby! Drop a couple of cubes in  vase water to keep bouquets cool, 
works for arrangements too.
Vases. Always have vases for bouquets to rest while not being carried.
Appoint someone to transport the vases from wedding spot to reception venue for added decoration!


Blessings.
ML

You've enjoyed the first flush of spring blooms, and noticed the blossoms beginning to fade. 
It's time for a haircut! 
Yes, pansies are famous for requiring dead heading, but they are not alone! 
My experience with most plants has been- the more you cut, the more you get!

So, grab your clippers, a trash bucket, and get to work.

Here are just a few plants that need a trim:

Knockout roses

Hydrangeas

Gardenias

Any herbs beginning to flower

Zinnias

Marigolds

Snapdragons

Ornamental sage/Salvia

Nasturtiums- cut the flowers & enjoy at your bedside

Parsley

Sweet William



See you.

ML

Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit shared 26 tips in their Cooking Manifesto. Here is one tip along with a dry rub we used this weekend on a large flat beef brisket. You can also cook the brisket in a low heat oven with same dry rub prep.  Blessings. ML 

Rule No. 4

Go ahead, rub it in

There is almost no piece of meat—except for a big, fat, expensive rib eye or porterhouse—that cannot be improved by a good dry rub. 

It's quick to assemble yet will pay you back in smoky dividends all summer long.

Beef Brisket
Submitted by Nature Boy
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coarse kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup black pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup ground mild chilies such as ancho or chimayo
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
Optional: Wood Chips 

• Most butcher shops can get whole "packer trimmed" briskets for you, though it often requires ordering in advance. In certain parts of the country all you can find are the small "flat" cuts, often in the 4 to 6-pound range, and while these will suffice, a whole brisket cooks up much better. A 4 to 6-pound "flat" cut will cook for approximately 8 to 10 hours; an 8 to 14-pound whole "packer trimmed" brisket will cook for approximately 14 to 18 hours
• Trim the brisket of any fat that is thicker than one eighth-inch. It is very important to always slice brisket against the grain when serving. Identify which way the grain in the brisket runs and cut a notch in the end so you will know where to initiate the first cross-grain cut.
• Place all of the seasonings in food processor or blender and pulse until thoroughly blended. Spread the rub generously over the brisket, wrap in foil or plactic wrap and let rest for one to two hours.
• Set the EGG® up for indirect cooking with a plate setter at 250°F. Add in soaked wood chips (oak, hickory, apple or cherry) if you choose.
• Cook until the internal temperature of the meat is 150°F, and then reduce the EGG temperature to 225°F. When the meat temperature approaches 185°F, begin checking for tenderness (insert a fork into the brisket and give a slight twist; if the meat gives easily without much resistance, then the meat is done). Wrap tightly in foil with a half-cup of beef broth and place in a warm ice chest for 1 to 3 hours. Slice brisket against the grain, reserving the juice to brush on or use as a dip.

Memorable Mother's Day

My sole request this Mother's Day was to have a family picnic at the 
Hagler Memorial Garden 
which is located in downtown Augusta
 at the corner of Telfair Street and Courthouse Lane. 

The Hagler Garden was established by John C. Hagler III 

honoring his late father, and 2 uncles.

We discovered the garden 9 years ago when my neice, Amelia, 
was working on a 2nd Grade Social Studies project.

When it was our turn for the project, 

we took pictures of the garden and enjoyed 

spending time talking about family history 

and playing in the fountain pool. 

Today we found the fountain has been removed, the pool dirty, 

yet the bones of a lovely garden. 

A few heavy benches, camellias and boxwoods would restore the garden 

back to "picture" perfect condition leaving a legacy for future generations.

There will be many more "Social" dances, family reunions 

and the Hagler Garden would be a memorable stop. 

Home Garden Update May 2011

David Austin Rose

Home Garden Update

May 2011

A few blooms on the David Austin roses (above). Since I don't spray, 

I will use the Bayer 2:1 around the base for fertilizer and systemic fungicide. 

Elephant Garlic

My Elephant Garlic is about 4 feet tall and about
to produce a brilliant purple sphere,  will have to shed its hat!

Coral Honeysuckle

This one of my favorite vines because the hummers love to hang out here!

Hydrangea & My Collection of Blue & Green Bottles

I finally figured out after studying the location of my neighbor's hydrangeas, 

that they LOVE the morning sun!

This Burgandy Okra is perfect for boiling & Gumbo!

My tomatoes need staking, bush beans need fertilizing & there are 

plenty of impulse buys just waiting to be planted-if they survive! 

I'd love to post an update on your Home Garden. 

email me at mlchgarden.comcast.net

see you

ML

Overwhelmed.

Kids are out of school, taking on new responsibilities, flowers for upcoming wedding

 and house not perfect...Sound familiar?

 Well, maybe not the details, but you get the picture...

The  remedy for "overload" is outside. Just a few steps away. 

The garden brings peace with no distractions and pure sweat (it's 90 outside today).

So, all the indoor tasks I'll work on after dark, but for today, I'll be outside. 

see you 

ML

Garden Blogs: ML's Top 10/20

 The Blogging Barista, Laura Christianson, is giving my website a powerful facelift...skipping right over the Botox and right to the knife. Last week, Laura sent me a list of questions about my website- from the font style to the main purpose of the site. She's also designing a logo which you'll see on all marketing materials. 


This is an important step in my small business. I want the website to reflect not only gardening and floral design components, but also the health component- all with a Southern twist! I've done a bit of research to give her web-design team a head start. 


I started by reviewing P. Allen Smith's Top 20 Garden Blogs (Garden2Blog). P. Allen invited the top 20 garden bloggers in the nation to his home and gardens in Arkansas earlier this month. What better way to find ideas than to benchmark the best?! 

Here are 3 sites and my review- in no particular order! 


1.Southern Living's Grumpy Gardener
   Most likely you've read Steve Bender's cheeky articles in Southern Living magazine. I perused his blog, and       found him like-able(more so than in SL) based on his unrestrained writing. Although his brand is grumpy, his blog is not. Excellent articles that could be followed with a Facebook and/or Twitter share. Surely a potential for viral-ity!


2.Oakleaf Green's Garden Smackdown
  Completely new to me. Interesting banner- appears almost magical. LARGE print for my aging eyes. What is usually sidebar info is on the bottom of the blog...writing, blogs followed, etc..Dig deeper to find this guy to be a well traveled landscape designer...Too cute to have to hunt for his mug...


3.Evolved Mommy
  Hmmm. Interesting that Mommy has stepped out for a bit...Did she decide to move the kids to P.Allen's  place?




Ok. I remind myself that this is research for my new website not a cynical analysis with sarcastic jabs...Maybe you could help me determine the top 10?


17 more to go!
see you
ML

Garden to Grill & Somewhere in Between: Healthy Strawberry Shortcake

About this time of year, Robert's mother, Mary(a.k.a. Maw Maw), 

made the best Strawberry Shortcake. 

Strawberries are still in season and have been delightfully plump and sweet. 

Enjoy

ML

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

• YIELD: 6 servings
• COURSE: Desserts

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups halved strawberries, divided
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
• Whole strawberries (optional)

Preparation

• Combine 1 cup strawberry halves, 1/3 cup sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in 2 1/2 cups strawberry halves. Cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 squares. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife; place each bottom half on a dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each bottom half. Top with shortcake tops; spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped topping; garnish with whole strawberries, if desired.

Cooking Light
JUNE 1998

FlowerCamp 2011

FlowerCamp is about experiencing flowers, fun, and fellowship.

Surrounded by 180 acres of Southern Pines, Campers will experiment

with fresh flowers, greens and grasses to create their own unique fall designs.

FlowerCamp stimulates the artistic spirit for beginning and experienced designers. Campers are guided by good natured designers and Master Gardeners.

Not only is FlowerCamp for your enjoyment, but it is a method of cultivating your creative perspective.

Camp begins at 11am & ends at 2pm. 

September Saturdays:

 9th ,16th, 23th & 30th

11am to 2pm

 Thursday September 15th & 22nd

 10:30am to 1:30pm 

Here are some details about your morning at FlowerCamp:

• Directions will be mailed to you. It takes one hour from Augusta to get to Camp.

• Dress comfortably. Tennis shoes, long pants, layers with sweat jacket or sweater depending on weather. May want to wear a hat.

• You will have access to a cabin with a full kitchen, restrooms and plenty of rocking chairs and places to take a break!

• There are no phones at FlowerCamp. Please bring a cell phone if you need to.

Registration is $65 per Camper and includes all materials, sumptuous catered lunch and refreshments.  Register via email, contact Mary Louise  mlchgarden@comcast.net. Check, cash or credit card accepted & will reserve your space.