Queens of the Summer Garden

Early spring, as I tuck 15 different tiny seeds into little pots, I start dreaming of the ripe, sweet goodness of these Queens of the Summer Garden!

This summer heat, regular pruning, and water has produced some of the best ever. Here's some of my favorites.

Tomato Cour di Bue

a favorite Italian Heirloom, and now my favorite for heart shaped romantic slices

Seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Beaverlodge Plum

Seed from Territorial Seed Company

Northern Delight
seed from Territorial Seed Company

Sun Gold Hybrid

absolute sweet gems!

Seed from Territorial Seed Company

Striped Roman

a long funny fruit with a silly nose at each end

Seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Black Cherry

sweet and wonderful color

Seed from Abundant Life Seeds

Green Zebra

tart and zesty

Seed from Renee's Garden

Apron Adventures - Plum Galette

fresh from the orchard and ready for a delicious Plum Galette

pate brisee

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces chilled unsalted butter (2 sticks; frozen then cut into cubes)
1/2 cup water

In the bowl of processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour and salt.

Add the butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal; about 15 seconds.

With machine running add water in a slow steady stream; process until dough just holds together.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; roll in rectangle shape 1/8 inch thick.


Fold and transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Plum Galette filling

1/2 cup nuts

2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chop in bowl of processor until nuts fine bits.

Pour over dough leaving a 1 inch edge.

Slice plums and arrange over nut mixture.

Fold over edges and lightly brush dough with egg wash (1 egg, lightly beaten).

Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees; bake 30 minutes more or when plums are soft.

Cool to room temperature.

Heat plum, red-currant, apricot, or grape jam until melted and drizzle over the plum slices.

ENJOY!

Stop and smell the roses...

I have a new tradition. Every Monday I take a small bouquet from my gardens with me to work. I find I miss the gardens. This is the first summer in 8 years that I've had to leave them everyday for an office! I just have to take a bit of them with me.

The arrangement from last week included some of my favorite red roses, lady's mantel, willow branches and euphorbia sprigs.

Co-workers have asked... "Is it your birthday?" "Who are the flowers from?" "What's the occasion?"

A bit of home brings peace and fragrance to a tiny, modern, high rise office space. There is nothing like pulling your eyes and focus away from the computer screen to stop and smell the roses.

Favorite Flowers of June

Today was a day in the gardens. Our giant Paul's Himalayan Mist rose is in full bloom over the garden fence. The fragrance of this rose is truely intoxicating. The wash of light pink blossoms with large clematis flower laden vines makes a stunning backdrop to our garden room.

One of the last drooping peonies.

Betty Boop rose always brings a smile to my face, as her colors start vibrant then fade to a muted pink and white.

I love to watch as this Impressionist Rose turns more golden as the summer days lengthen.

One of my favorite and most hardy roses, Hot Cocoa is just starting to open it's dark burgundy blossoms.

I adore cabbages, how they reach outward with such force, then curl tightly inside themselves.

These Euringeum Sea Holly blossoms are a stunning spiky mass.

T-pees of purple pea blossoms will soon turn into purple pod peas. Can't wait for this yummy snack!

I just love the spiked texture of these golden clematis seed pods.

Even the spinach is blooming. So, I harvested a bushel basket of spinach leaves and feed the stems to the chickens. Time to make a pan of spanekopeta greek spinach pie for dinner!

our garden sink

Mimicharmante inspired me to write about my garden sink.

Thanks to her for this lovely photograph of our new addition to our garden room.

For a couple years now, I have dreamed of a sink in the garden. Our garden is a room, an extension of the house. The gate opens in March and we can't wait for the first tasty little snacks. We spend hours out there, puttering, planting, and snacking.

We needed a place to wash earth off freshly harvested veggies.

A place to wash little helper hands.

A place to wash off handfuls of radishes and carrots to snack on.

I was really hoping one day to find an old concrete sink with metal stand. But they are unbelievably heavy and harder to find. Last summer my search began. I found a couple concrete contenders, but nothing compared to this lovely 1940's enamel sink I found a few months ago on Craig's list.

All it took was a fresh white wash of paint.

And a trip to the hardware store. Then a helpful husband to help with plumbing a french drain.

Moss Mobile

I stopped to get gas the other day and couldn't resist taking a picture of this rig!

The owner proudly told me that she works with kids and they just love Moss Mobile of course. The kids are also excited to see what else is growing besides succulents... as she pointed to a small mustard weed plant.

This proves succulents really can grow just about anywhere!

Not sure I'll be planting up the grill of my minivan with succulents anytime soon. I think I'll stick to keeping them in my strawberry pots ;-) But it certainly brought a smile to my face.

April Images I Love

April has been a busy month so far. The days have been full of celebrating birthdays in our family, a spring break adventure to Eureka Farm and Villa Tina in Palouse, preparing the gardens for spring planting and playful moments enjoying the small amount of sunshine days.

Through all the moments, my little Sony camera has been along for the ride. Out of the hundreds of images taken, here's some of my favorites.

An adventure with friends, flowers, and frolicking...destination -Startup, WA

There is nothing like roaming down a country road, in a van full of girl friends who share a passion discovering new plants, launghing at funky garden art, enjoying humor, hard work and healthy dirt.

Whether we are working on each other's gardens, or touring inspiring garden paths, a day with the Duvall Garden Gals is a time I cherish.

This weekend we sported flowers in our hair, and kicked off the gardening season with a field trip to an antique and funky garden art shop in Sultan.

Next stop, a water garden nursery where we saw sleeping giant gunneras and met a new plant: the water hawthorn. One greenhouse was full of Hawthorns in full bloom with an amazingly fragrance. Deep breaths were taken by all.

We came home with a variety of odd but memorable treasures: from jars of marbles, jars of buttons, a dinner bell triangle, a cow skull, a pencil sharpener, a book about cooking with spirits, and boxes of doughnuts for our Sunday family breakfasts.

What's left in the garden soup

Today we woke up to an inch of snow! Enough already! It didn't take long to melt off or prevent us from heading outside to enjoy some sunshine and do some gardening. Boots on, we tromped out into the fresh spring air, to plant a cherry tree, a gooseberry bush, two tree roses and some Merion Blackberries.

Molly and Avril also helped clean up the veggie garden. It was fun to find some colorful, edible treasures left over amongst the winter tattered veggie beds.

Freshly washed beets, carrots, scallions and leeks ready for the soup pot.

Avril singing and stir'n the veggies in the pot.

Saute chopped leeks, scallions in 2 Tablespoons butter and two large circles of Olive Oil.

Add chopped rainbow carrots and four Yukon Gold potatoes.

Some shakes of Salt and Pepper.

Cook until wilted.

Add two boxes chicken broth.

Boil until veggies are tender.

Use stick blender to puree and further cream the soup or leave chunky, your choice.

Delish!