Surprise!

Surprise!

Last year, I had a ridiculously delightful trip to Dallas, TX for my first Garden Writers Symposium. Vendors brought thier products for garden writers to experiment with and report on...

I challenged the rep from David Austin roses in Austin TX to recommend a couple of those wondrous "cabbage roses" that could survive the Georgia heat and humidity. Well, not only did he circle the names in the catalogue, but sent me 2 plants to try! YEAH!

What a treat. No electricity for 2 days and I get an awesome box of roses. I am prepared to report. You decide.

Blessings

ML

Carding Mill

Strawberry Hill

The Beginning

I love our growing season.In the beginning there are herbs, radishes, chard & broccoli.




Growing Herbs for Beginners on Facebook asked me to post tonite's supper recipe.
However, most of our suppers are so simple, they don't require a recipe...












Here it is:

Salad
Lettuce of choice...tonite it was Iceberg, my garden lettuce is wilting & I admittedly love the crunch of Iceberg
Pitted Kalamata olives, chopped tomato, carrot, drizzled with WHITE Balsamic vinegar...much more pleasing to the eye!

Shrimp
Large pink Publix shrimp, smothered in EVOO, and freshly chopped garlic, roast in oven at 500 til all pink

Ground Beef Patties...
Put in large zippy bag, add seasonings, garlic powder, onion, teriaki sauce tonite.
Place on stovetop or grill and let em cook til done...
I add large slices of onion & the swiss chard when burgers almost done



Potatoes(my favorite, but don't eat too many!)
Gourmet(small) new potatoes...from garden. Cut into 1/4's, drizzle with EVOO,
add freshly cut thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, and flat leaf parsley...
Watch the carb cravers come!!!

Thyme co-habitating with perennial sage

A few goodies from the Home Garden

Cross Vine

Working on a list of natives for the Farm Landscape Project, 
 I am reminded of one of our native vines - 



     Cross Vine, Bignonia capreolata. Looks a bit like the more invasive Trumpet Vine, but a bit easier to control.  Hummers and bees LOVE it.  If you need a quick cover for a trellis or arbor, this is a great choice. You'll enjoy bloom in early spring and fall. 
     Cross vine has a mixture of orange, pink, yellow and red, shaped much like a trumpet.  So, if you're looking for a vine that's mostly evergreen, can stand the heat, and has fiery color, consider Cross Vine. 






Blessings from the Garden. 
ML

April Garden To-Do's

Get Busy!

April is really the beginning of gardening season here in Augusta. Masters guests are arriving & "The Garden City" looks like a fairyland. We could still have some cool weather, but warm temps are around the corner. Check posts here daily for garden updates.

Garden To-Do's for April

Veggie Time

okra (seeds are easy)

southern peas- blackeye, pinkeye, cream, crowder, zipper

bell peppers (transplants best)

hot peppers/hot sweet peppers(transplants)

sweet potatoes (mid April) (slips in garden stores now)

tomatoes (heirloom & hybrid transplants in garden stores now)

watermelon (seeds)

canteloupe (seeds)

corn (seeds)

pole, bush & lima beans (seeds)

cucumber (seeds)

eggplant (transplants best & in garden stores now)

Culinary Herbs

basil

rosemary

parsley

chives

mint

fennel 

dill

Tips

keep tall & vertical growing plants toward back of your garden space

buy zinnia seeds & plant...zinnia is National Garden Bureau's flower for 2011

be creative! plant some veggies among your front yard landscape plants

use containers!

Refer to UGA's Vegetable Planting Chart for varieties specific to our area!

Blessings from the Garden. 

ML