Hosta and ferns are standards for the perennial shade garden. They have similar growing condition requirements and the contrast of fine-textured fronds and broad Hosta leaves does bring dimension and quiet contrast. All well and good for a supremely serene retreat, but what if you’d like to energize your shadowy shade realm a bit?
Directions: Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add cabbage, sauté until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add sugar, toss to coat cabbage evenly. Add vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer until cabbage is tender, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ingredients: 1 2lb red cabbage, […]
Directions: Cut the top off the squash and remove seeds. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Stuff into squash and replace top. Fold the stuffing that won’t fit into the squash in a piece of foil. Place stuffed squash into a baking dish and bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Put the leftover […]
Recycling in the garden can be a trash-to-treasure happy ending for your storage space, the environment and your garden! Here is a sampling of creative ways in which potential discards can be used for containers, edging or fencing, labeling, supports and just plain fun in the garden.
Directions: Mix cream cheese, yogurt, honey and almond extract at low speed until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Arrange dip and fruit on a chilled platter to serve. Excellent with chocolate, pineapple and peaches too. Ingredients: 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 c plain yogurt 2 Tbsp honey 1/4 tsp almond extract […]
Directions: Heat oil in a wok or large heavy skillet. Add chicken, garlic and oyster sauce, and stir-fry for 10 minutes. Add veggies and stir-fry for 6 to 8 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together water, soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir into vegetables, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until sauce is […]
What is it? Hardscape is not a catchy term for overly difficult gardening sites. It simply means the hard, durable parts of the landscape…the non-plant elements. Hardscaping elements are often chosen for function and directly or indirectly add beauty as well. Hardscape can be used to: provide definition of different areas within a landscape, direct […]
Directions: In a large bowl pour lemon juice. Whisk in olive oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated. Whisk in honey, salt, pepper, poppy seed, if desired, and pepper. Add melon, cucumber, onion, and dill weed. Toss to combine. Cover; chill up to 8 hours. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. Just before serving, […]
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, cinnamon and salt; stir in raisins; add to egg mixture. Then stir in zucchini and oatmeal. (mixture will be stiff and difficult to stir, but cookies will be […]
Directions: Whisk eggs, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add bread cubes and; soak 30 minutes. Butter a sheet of nonstick foil and add the bread mixture; form a packet. Grill over indirect heat, turning a few times, 35 minutes. Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 4 cups bread cubes […]
Choose Well To ensure attractive healthy annuals all season, choose full, well branched plants with good foliage color and – on flowering annuals – an abundance of buds. Don’t go for the biggest plants or most open blooms, these are more likely to be leggy and burned out too soon. If the latter is all […]
Late winter into early spring is when we crave fresh growth, a bit of color…some sign that spring is really returning!! Swelling buds on Pussy Willow and dainty Snowdrop blooms – which might be overlooked or scoffed at if amongst the lushness of summer plant life – bring excitement, praise and hope! These are soon followed […]
Take a break from the garden and turn on your reading lamp or e-reader to enjoy some truly entertaining titles that give insight into obscure and fascinating plant facts.
Air Plants are funky, fun and trending right now! Air Plants (Tillandsia genus) live on air in the sense that they pull moisture and nutrients from the air through their leaves, rather than from soil. They do not possess true roots, but root-like structures that help them anchor to trees and rocks. Many have colored foliage […]
Terrariums seem to cycle in and out of style every few decades, but are always enchanting. The current day terrarium trend fits perfectly with our desires to connect with nature and the “be green” joy of reusing and repurposing a variety of objects. They are also wonderful outlets for creativity and self-expression. While the basic […]