Lillies

I just cannot get over how unbelievable these lilies are! The were the last of my lilies to bloom and well worth the wait! Unfortunately, most of my other lilies are already fading.

The honestly don't look real. The have a reaching, cone like shape with big showy blooms. They look like the flowers Dorothy encounters when she enters Munchkin Land. They have an unbelievably beautiful fragrance that fills the air in our entire backyard. LOVE THEM and thought I'd gloat about them.

Ground Cover

We moved into out beautiful home in October. Our house has a hill in front of it that isn't ideal for growing grass. It is a pain to mow (which hubby has to do as I am allergic to grass) and John was noticing that were were getting run-off on the sidewalk after it rained.

Hubby talked to one of the master gardeners at the farmer's market and came up with a plan. We would replace the grass on the hill with ground cover. This started a slow experiment for us that has yet to be even half way completed. Ground cover plants aren't cheap and they need time to establish themselves and spread. However, after seeing how difficult it was to build a rough retaining wall in the back of our house, I have given up on dreams of a 2-set retaining wall in the front of the house (with a rose garden on the first plateau) and am starting to embrase the grownd cover. This year we even decided to spead it out a bit after I took the pictures. Keeping my fingers crossed that in the next 5 years we can transform the whole front hill of our house into hearty, drought resistant ground cover. Who knows if we will ever get there? I just know that this project has grown on me.

Front of our house. Grass on one half; ground cover on the other. Which side do you like best?

Here is what came up naturally this spring. It looks pretty space. However, the plants have spread out and we have expanded it and filled in a lot of the spaces since then:
Some close-ups of the different plants. I really think it is pretty to get a wide variety of plants and textures:

Upside Down Tomatoes?

Everyone has been talking about growing tomatoes upside down. I've heard claims of higher yields and disease free tomatoes. We didn't decide to give it a try for any of those reasons. We decided to give it a try because we had so many extra tomato plants from all the seeds we planted indoors early this Spring.

Here's what we did:
1. Collect containers. For us, they were pop containers and milk cartons that we would have otherwise put out with our recycling. I also tried using one growing bag pouch that had been used for flowers several years ago.

2. Cut the top off the container. This will be the top of the container. Poke holes into the side of the containers and string wire, string and/or ribbon through the holes so that you can hang the container.

3. Place tomato seedling in the bottom small hole of the container (usually the pouring spout).

4. You will need a material to place around the stem of the plant. This can be newspaper of a plastic bag. Pack the material around the stem so that the plant is anchored and will not slip through the hole until the root system has developed and it can hold it's own.

5. Hang in sunny spot, water often and watch it grow!

I do like the idea of these planters because it allows you to make effective use of garden space. Why should all plants be placed on the same two-dimensional plane? Will update to let you know how the tomato growing goes.

Admiring Blossoms

Showy sexual organs decorate my sanctuary,
they are unlike the mothers providing nourishment for their child,
which leads to awkward stares and averted eyes.

No, these sexual figments,
are encouraged and cultivated,
made to display their delicate and swollen labia for all to see.
Nature demands the attraction of pollinators and admirers alike.

How adored is this garden of ill-repute.
It contains lights, not just of red, but lavender, yellow, orange,
and, oh, what lushess green.
It is the symbol of renewal and new life.

Flowers in Bloom

Scarlet lilies
in front of plumes of periwinkle.
Fuchsia roses,
petals delicate.
Bells the color of margarine,
or fresh turned butter,
creamy and smooth.

Morning and moon glories,
have begun their climb,
grabbing, pulling and wrapping themselves,
up anything and everything
integrating themselves into
arbor, tomato, even grass.


Each unique,
Makes me wonder,
How I survived winter without this,
natures artistry?

Meat CSA

I got John the best Valentine's present ever: MEAT!

That's right, meat. The perfect gift for the man who has everything or nothing.

In the dead of winter, I realized there wasn't much for local produce to be had. We do live in Minnesota. However, I could go local with the meat I was consuming.

In an effort to use meat that was raised more humanly and locally, I purchased a 3 month half share in a meat CSA. The animals all graze freely in fields (grass fed beef). They are raised chemical and antibiotic free at a farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Our meat CSA is Sunshine Harvest Farm.

More importantly, however, the meat tastes really, really good! It is such a difference from the bargain priced meat I buy at the grocery store that I end out slathering in ketchup. This meat is very tasty.

Each month we have gotten a bag of premium cuts of beef, ground beef, a chicken and one dozen farm fresh brown eggs.

Yes, it does cost a bit more per pound, but with all that flavor we have found we don't need as much meat. Trust me, this meat tastes really good. We would rather eat less, but better quality. With a farm that we can visit, we also can feel a lot better about the treatment and lives the animals have lived before they end up on our plate and we know our money is going directly to support a local family owned farm. It is win-win!

After ordering, we showed up at a pick-up sight. As soon as we got out of the car, the farmer greeted us by name and gave us a personalized bag of meat. We personally opted out of port and were alright with processed meets. They make if very easy to customize your order to your preferences.

Here is our bag of delicious meat:


And here are the main attractions:
We were very impressed with the cuts of meat we got. The unbelievable steaks, brisket and spare ribs are definitely some of our favorites!

Spring is in the Air!

This is Minnesota, so it won't be time to start growing for a bit, but the snow is melting and I am discovering some of the plants I planted last year green and growing already! There is a feeling of hope emerging after a long and gloomy winter.

My hubby and I just spent a small fortune on seeds from Johnny's Select Seeds (our new favorite catalog). We are hoping we can get a lot of plants started early on our sunny porch. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

To help us through to the growing season where we will be able to enjoy delicious garden and locally grown produce I got John a 3 month subscription to a meat CSA for Valentine's Day. Nothing says I love you like meat! The meat will come from a local farm that raises 100% Grass fed beef & lamb and pasture raised chicken and eggs. The farm believes in sustainable and chemical free agriculture. When our first batch of meat and eggs arrive from Sun Shine Harvest Farm we will be able to actually get a blog in or two using local ingredient once again.