Slim Pickings!

Isn't that a country singer?  No, it's definition of my grape crop this year!  This is just one recipe of grape jelly.  I got to make three this year!  Far below the 150 glasses I made one year!  It was a bumper crop back then!  Now that I have the magic steamer, I didn't have a lot of grapes this year!  It was just the crazy warm instead of hot weather.  I just love the color of the finished product!

I Love This Time of Year!

The plant in this post is probably the green fig.  We have several.  One that has green figs, one that has no figs because it is a young plant and one that has brown figs.  I really love the brown fig.  I didn't really like figs until we started growing them.  I loved Fig Newton cookies as a child, but fresh figs are even better!  We have great success with figs in containers.  We tried burying the one that is in the ground, but it always comes back from the roots!  It is just too much work!  This fig was just delicious and sweet.   A great combination!  Off to make raspberry jam!  Talk to you later.

They Smell So Good At Night!

These three nicotianas are really smelling good.  The Herbal Husband and I were out putting the figs inside last evening.  The smell was really lovely.  The Herbal Husband just mentioned it's 1:00 o'clock in the morning here!  Who's going to wake you up?  It may be difficult!  I have grape jelly to make LATER TODAY!  The juice is waiting in the refrigerator!  My steamer makes the process so much easier.  The house was filled with the smell of grapes.  Delicious!  Talk to you later.

Brother Cadfael in the House!

 

Just had to say it!  This rose has made a slight comeback in the garden.  It smells wonderful and as you can see it a glorious flower!  Just love, love, love it!  See you later off to make grape juice for jelly.

Harvest Stew!

The Herbal Husband cooked a wonderful meat stew the other night with fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and beans from our garden and a little curry.  It was yummy!

Yikes! What Is This?

It may be a little hard to see, but The Herbal Husband found this insect shell attached to a raspberry leaf the other day.  He always likes to scare/surprise me with these little gems!  The more scared I am, the better!  He thinks it's a bee molt, but I'm not sure. I'm thinking it's a cicada.  Click on the picture to enlarge it.  I'm going to a Master Gardener recognition ceremony in a little while and I'm going to take it there.  See what my fellow master gardeners think!  You can take a guess if you want and I'll let you know later.  P.S.  Tufa Girl is correct.  It is a cicada skeleton!

Poor Confused Tree!

This poor 'Liberty' apple tree was the one that we needed to prune to get the esplaier back!  Well, guess what it thought that it should bloom again!!!!  Big mistake!  When I'm at Gardenline I tell callers not to prune any tree or shrub later than July 15th.  Then it doesn't get the idea to grow new growth!  YIKES!  Now there isn't enough time for the fruit to mature!  Oh, well, pray it makes it through the winter and then we can prune it correctly in early March!

Never Forget!

This was Ground Zero in New York City.  The construction has begun on the World Trade Center Memorial & Museum and the buildings that are to be rebuilt.  It was a very moving experience to be there.  The Herbal Husband and I went the New York City in 1999 with friends from Uruguay and were up on the observation deck of the World Trade Center.  So ten years after that visit, the renewal begins!  I hope we always remember those people who lost their lives in New York City, also the Pentagon and at Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001, but we also need to rise above those who would try to harm us.

Sunflower and Fairy Garden!

 

Going to take a break from Travel Thursday!  It will make a comeback soon with great herbal trips I have taken in the past years, maybe the great bus trips I have taken with The Rosemary House.

I have been lamenting the fact that I have no big sunflowers in my garden this year!  Well, this one has a large flower, but is about two feet tall.  Another bird planted seed!  Can't get these to grow if we tried!  The Herbal Husband moves the mini birdbath and fairy around my herb garden.  I think it looks good with some shade from the sunflower!  Speaking of fairies, if you are in the Mechanicsburg, PA vicinity this weekend, check out The Rosemary House's fairy festival!  Lots of fun for the whole family!  Wish we were closer!