Spring Has Sprung!

Yeah! It's here! Although a few weeks after the "official" first day of spring, the true warmer days have arrived.

Those bulbs I planted back in October have burst forth with floppy green leaves and now we have an actual tulip! Patience has paid off. Now if we could only get the other ones to bloom...

Luckily there are flowers to tide me over until the heart of the summer - the pansies I planted a few weeks ago are flourishing. They look great and are keeping me busy until the summer planting begins in May. So cheerful and very resilient.

I am thinking hard about what to put in my new self-watering hanging basket and self-watering flower boxes that I just ordered. Lots of overflowing bright colors will work great.

Next project - tomatoes!

It'll Be Awhile...

It's early February and according to Punxatawney Phil we've got six more weeks of winter. We haven't really had winter but who knows - it's been known to snow in April.

Many of the herbs moved inside without much trouble. We are lucky to be eating fresh basil but alas, the rosemary didn't make it.


The shamrocks are still going strong and the geranium is doing quite well too.

Even with all this greenery inside I still long for spring...

Fireworks for Fall

With some lower temperatures FINALLY arriving to our area I'm thinking about the fall garden. My beautiful summer plants are still doing pretty well, although showing signs of brown leaves and smaller blooms. The petunias should last until the first frost (at the rate we're going that's probably December 1st!) but the others will bow out sooner.

With that in mind I thought I would begin replacing the verbena, etc with hardy mums - "Fall's Fireworks" of many colors. Better yet, they're on sale these days - Whole Foods is selling them for something around $2.50 per pot! Pretty and cheap!

As for the herbs - I will move them inside for the winter and also dry some of them. The oregano is abundant as well as the sage and basil. The rosemary will do well in the kitchen window sill. The mint continues to rage out of control and is threatening to take over my neighbor's satellite dish - wonder what that will do for her reception? Perhaps she'll get the Food Network...

Speaking of Accessories

My previous post on accessorizing the garden got me thinking about garden-themed accessories. I have a number of handbags with floral designs - the cat LOVES the red flower beaded bag from Cambodia - as well as jewelry, scarves, and the like. Maybe I chose these accessories because of a previously latent green thumb.

Recently, I received a WONDERFUL gift from my sister (and sometime fellow gardener) - a handbag in the shape of a watering can! Oh the joy!

These garden accessories will bloom all year round :)

Peaceful Coexistence

For a few months now the cat and the plants have not had to co-exist and both have been flourishing. Now that they'll be living under the same roof, what can I do to keep them both happy?

Cats have a natural curiosity about plants and a natural inclination for mischief. The sad state of the shamrocks, and the accompanying yak (this a scientific term) are testament to the challenging relationship.

I will probably put the shamrocks out of harm's reach - on a high window sill or perhaps hanging. But I'd also like the cat to enjoy living here so I'm looking for plants that she'll enjoy without destroying or being destroyed.

No poisonous plants like philodendron or poinsettia. For tasty treats I'd like to grow some grass and catnip. Let the excitment begin!

Accessories Make the Outfit

Along with flowers and herbs, a good container garden has good accessories. First things first, a good container box is essential - something sturdy with drainage holes in the bottom. The world of container box holders - the metal or other type of fixture which attaches your box to the house - is enormous and at times quite elegant. Alas, we went with very simple fixtures for our home - the choices for deck railings are not quite as varied as for the walls of homes. The fixtures appear to be supporting the enormous weight of our lovely blooms - through many near-hurricanes this summer.

And don't forget good tools- a nice variety of very stylish tools are available from Oxo - the people that make easily grippable kitchen tools. And a fabulous blue bag to boot!


After you tend to the flowers, you need to tend to yourself. What about a great pair of gardening gloves? Perhaps something bionic? Wouldn't I love to be one of my childhood idols - if only a styling pair of gloves were required to achieve Jaime Sommers' powers...

Geranium, Geraniae?

The Geranium is a very common plant - seen indoors and outdoors. It looks pretty hardy so I figured I had a chance with this one. Most of the summer it's been a bit leggy and not very full of flowers. The leaves at one point had all turned yellow - lack of nutrients, I think. Lately, it's come to life. I don't know why since I haven't given it any plant food and the weather continues to be brutally hot. Oh well, chalk it up to dumb luck.

It's a fairly attractive plant and one that I think I can bring into the house during winter. Yeah! Something to get me through the cold months!


My mother's pink geranium is GORGEOUS! But then wouldn't we all be a bit more gorgeous if we lived in a farmhouse in France...

How About the Shamrocks?

For avid followers of this blog, the fate of the shamrocks remains a mystery. Last anyone heard, they were alive...

And they still are! Flourishing in a cool window sill with part sun - facing south and east. They still require minimal water, something I find very odd given their Irish nature. According to legend, the the three leaves of the shamrock were used by St. Patrick to describe the holy trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I like to promote my own trinity - food, wine, and coffee!


The cat's fate also remains a mystery... she's still alive! Not cohabitating with the shamrocks at the moment. This may explain why both are flourishing.

The Critters that Visit My Garden

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised by a visit from a beautiful Monarch butterfly. It floated around the verbena like a paper airplane. Just gorgeous!

Alas, I've had visits from other critters I find less friendly. There was that vicious thing that attacked my sunflower and left the carcass for me to find - heartless. I suspect it was a mad squirrel.

I also get visits from big bouncy bumblebees - pollinating the flowers (aka "spreading love"). I appreciate the bees for their hard work. Just a bit nervous since I'm allergic. We've learned to live with one another.

I Can't Contain Myself!

Container gardening, I've learned, is a whole different obsession from your regular backyard endeavor. Maybe it's the constant watering it requires - did you know overconsumption of water can kill you?


With no yard, and a nice deck, container gardening was the way to go for me. The city offers plots of land for community gardens but getting a plot is a challenge. Besides, isn't it more fun to be a mere 5 feet away from your babies? You can check on them every morning when you wake up (be sure to be adequately clothed lest your neighbors spy you outside at 7am) and throughout the day. And later in the evening you can enjoy dinner surrounded by your hard work. An urban oasis...aaaahhhh......

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Leaving your plants for a week can be either a welcome relief from daily watering (5 gallons/day!) or a cause of separation anxiety - wondering how the little ones are faring in the 90+ heat. I experienced a little of both last week while traveling for work (and fun).

Luckily, I had to two able-bodied caretakers. Everyone survived (phew). I even had some other flowers to comfort me.

A Mint of Mint

Herbs (or, as Martha would say, "Herbs") are surprisingly easy to grow. Granted, some have proven a little more difficult - dill and rosemary in my case - but the majority of my herb garden is growing like weeds. Tasty weeds.

Dill apparently has a tough time being replanted and mine is no exception. I've basically given up and let it flower since there isn't enough dill on there for cooking. The mint on the other hand is out of control. It keeps growing and growing, invading the rest of the container. Alas, I have more recipes for dill than mint. Aside from any number of drinks: mint julep, mojitos, mint lemonade..., I haven't come up with mint recipes.

Rosemary is heartier and so fragrant. I think its biggest challenge this year is fighting for room with the basil - I swear as quickly as I pick basil leaves they grow back. Luckily, I like basil a lot and have countless ways to use it (however, none alcholic).

In addition to mint, rosemary, dill, and basil I'm also growing oregano, lavender, parsley, sage, and thyme (I feel a Simon & Garfunkel song coming on...)

Next year I'm going to try and grow Artemisia - good for fighting malaria.

Are these flowers on crack?

It was a bit tough in the beginning, I thought I'd lose a few at first (and we did, but it's too difficult to talk about) but once I understood the concept of "watering" we've been doing really well.

Container flowers need a lot more water than regular garden plants and in this heat (Summer School "Snow Day") I'm pouring about a gallon a day on each container box.

Seems to be paying off! Check out these before and after photos:

Verbena and Petunia - you can't see from this angle but they're growing over the other side of the box.











Geranium, flame thing (I forgot the name), and Sunflower which was later brutally mutilated by some sort of animal (very tragic) - replaced by Black-Eyed Susan.










Zinnias and this white flower (kinda reminds of sweet peas). Cutting the dead heads off the zinnias really does promote more blooms.

Lucky Shamrocks

My first foray into NOT killing a plant was shamrocks. Surprisingly my uncanny ability to neglect them for weeks on end paid off. They seemed to thrive on a lack of water - odd, considering that Ireland is a pretty wet place.

Alas, I never found a four-leaf clover, perhaps the cat ate them....

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Roast Tomato Tart

adapted from The French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde

Preparation: 40 minutes plus chilling
Cooking: 40 minutes

Serves 6

For the pastry:
1 cup flour
4 tbs butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten

For the filling:
3 tbs creme fraiche (or sour cream)
3 tbs Dijon mustard
10-12 medium tomatoes, cored, peeled, and sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme

To make the pastry, put the flour in the bowl of a food processor, add the butter, and pulse about 10 times until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Using the pulse button, combine the egg with the mix until a pastry ball forms (about 10 pulses). Turn out on a lightly floured surface and quickly knead until even and smooth, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the pastry and line a 9-inch push-up-bottom tart pan. Mix together the cream and Dijon mustard and spread over the pastry base. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in the pan, season with salt and pepper, and scatter thyme leaves over the top. Bake 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Onion and Cheese Tart
Adapted from Foods of the World, Time Life Series

Pastry Shell:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 pound imported Swiss Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
1/4 pound imported Swiss Emmentaler cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
2 eggs
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

Make the pastry shell: In a large chilled bowl combine the flour, salt, chilled butter, and the lard or vegetable shortening. Blend together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Toss together lightly and gather the dough into a ball. Add more water until dough holds together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan. Gently press it into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim off the excess dough by rolling the pin over the rim of the pan.

Line the inside of the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with beans or pie weights. Blind bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil, prick the dough all over with a fork and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the shell begins to brown.
Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy 6 to 8-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until haze forms above it. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Stir in the paprika and set aside off the heat.

In a bowl toss together the Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese until thoroughly combined. Spread half the cheese evenly in the baked pastry shell and scatter the onions over it. Cover with the remaining cheese.

Beat the eggs cream, milk, salt, and nutmeg together with a wire whisk and pour the mixture slowly and evenly over the cheese.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 425 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling has puffed and browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and remove the tart from the pan.

Serve hot or at room temperature as a first or main course.