I have to face the truth…how about you? I am a procrastinator. I’m not really sure why, but I know that it’s a habit that I want to break. I have been procrastinating at hanging pictures back on the wall after our paint job. I have been procrastinating at going through my paper piles and I have definitely been procrastinating on dealing with all the zucchini we are growing. WhatRead More →
Every summer I grow sunflowers in my garden. I don’t grow them to eat the seeds but instead I love to use the flowers in my bouquets. One benefit of all of the sunflower plants are the little birds that it brings to the garden. Little finches, wrens and sparrows love to feast on the seeds as they dry. So I decided to make a Dried Sunflower Wreath for myRead More →
So it’s time for the August Soup of the Month and of course it has to be Summer Garden Vegetable Soup. This is an everything-but-the-kitchen sink kind of soup. If you are a gardener then your produce is growing and ripening in your garden…ALL at the same time. I love that about August. Well except for the zucchini. You want to go out and pick a nice zucchini for dinner. Read More →
Although I’ve alluded to my recreational property in some of my posts, I’ve never shared about it directly. So I thought it was time to talk about my cabin. Because Secret Springs is a big part of my life. It’s a place that we retreat to most weekends during the summer. When we first bought our property, we pulled a trailer up to it and that worked for a fewRead More →
When summer hits, and flowers are blooming, I like to make bouquets to give away. And that means I’ll need vases to put those flowers in. Throughout the year, I save glass food jars to use for my flowers. But just giving a bouquet in a pickle jar is not very attractive. So over the years, I’ve found ways to make these simple containers special. Here are some of myRead More →
If you’ve been growing flowers in your garden, now is the time to start making flower bouquets. I grow a cutting garden every year specifically to have flowers for myself and to give away. I want to share some simple tips for arranging flowers. If you don’t grow them yourself, you can pick up bouquets at your local farmer’s market and the grocery store. Simple Tips for Arranging Flowers…Read More →
Summer is the perfect time to explore new vegetables. Whether you are growing them in your garden or selecting them at the farmer’s market there is such a wide variety of options available. Marinated vegetables is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the garden abundance. You can use any type of vegetable for this side dish. So try your favorites or add in something new. You can make itRead More →
One thing that I love about gardening is the ebb and flow of the produce. Spring in the garden brings you peas, asparagus and rhubarb. When we move into early summer we begin to see apricots, beans and lots of leafy greens. As the summer progresses it’s time to harvest raspberries, tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers. Did I mention zucchini? Lots and lots of zucchini. That’s for another day. Today isRead More →
You’ve been waiting and waiting for that garden to grow. You planted and fertilized and watered and now you are finally seeing the results of your hard work. Slowly the produce starts to ripen and you are enjoying the “fruits of your labor” But then something happens. The fruits and vegetables start to ripen more rapidly and all at once you have a massive amount of produce to handle. HowRead More →
Do you have a potting bench in your garden? A place where you can plant seeds and pot your flowers? This is something that I have been thinking about for some time. While I do have a potting bench in Pinecone Cottage, I don’t really want to be dragging in potting soil and water. So I decided to create an outdoor potting bench. I’m using an area behind my gardenRead More →