Kew Gardens Waterlily House

This unassuming-on-the-outside greenhouse holds some amazing plants. From someone who lives with near (or like today below) freezing temperatures, this was a gem. The water lilies were blooming!

It's difficult to capture with a camera the way that these flowers glow in the light. Just a visit to this greenhouse was worth the trip, but I still had more to explore. I'll add more about my June 2015 travels soon.

Kew Gardens

We Minnesotans have survived the latest cold snap, and the East Coast is about to be blizzarded (I made up that verb). I thought I'd add a little green to cheer us up. We visited Kew Gardens in June 2015. The photo above is  Gentle Hermione rose from the Rose Garden. The photos below are of the Palm House. The outdoor shot gives you a sense of how huge it is, but it's surprisingly cozy inside.  It was a little too cozy on our visit in June, which just meant that I had excellent weather to explore the outdoors instead. The trip was a highlight for me, and I have a couple hundred photos to prove it. Stay warm and safe...and dream of spring! 

Happy New Year!

This is the view from the front porch of our house. You can see the square outlines of the garden beds and the dark blob of the compost bin. Obviously, I won't be doing much gardening in the next few months (ah, Minnesota winters), but I'll try to add some winter cheer on this blog with some reminders of summer. Remember, fellow northern hemisphere residents, now that we've passed the solstice, the daylight lasts longer each day. Happy New Year!

November Harvest

This fall is unusually warm.  People have told me they're still harvesting greens, such as chard. In my garden, I have bok choi, which I'll harvest today or tomorrow.  We're up for a few nights of freezes ahead, and while I could cover them, I've got a recipe I want to make. We've since eaten the chard and the lettuces. This year's main struggle in my garden was a slimy creature that I think I finally have under control.  I never understood why people complained about slugs so much until they ravenously consumed too many delicious items in my garden. Another struggle was the late start since we had been traveling at the beginning of the summer.  In some ways, it was great because the soil was warm and seeds sprung to life quickly and the tomatoes grew vigorously.  Yet my sweet peppers didn't turn red, partly because the only choice at the garden center was California Wonder, great for hot and sunny spots, not so great for my shady woods. Every growing season has its strengths and weaknesses, though overall this was a pretty glorious summer and fall.  After washing thoroughly (and rinsing again and maybe again--I hate slugs!), I'll enjoy these delicious homegrown greens...in November!

The Color of Oak Leaves

Oaks don't have the reputation that maples do for fall leaf color, but the wild oaks in our area are gorgeous, too. The leaves can be brown, but they're also rust, gold, orange-brown...

and a spectacular scarlet.

Thank goodness the oaks are here since the maple leaves have fallen. (This photo is from last week.)

Other colors in my woods include the rainbow leaves of raspberries and blackberries and a burst of yellow from grapes.  What a beautiful time of year!

 

Falling for Autumn

This time of year may be my favorite. (Wait. Do I say that when the daffodils bloom? Or when I pick the first tomatoes?) This is the view from my front porch this morning. There are no mosquitoes!

But there are plenty of slugs.  I should be eating this bok choy instead of the slithery critters. That is the Fork of Death. I use it to pick out the slugs because it's just too gross to touch them.

Even the revered maple leaves are holey (or holy?). I wonder if the slugs did this. This is the worst they've been as long as I've lived here. Next year one goal is to cut back on the slug population in my garden, but the weather conditions will probably be better for a different kind of pest. No worries--I'm a prepared gardener with my arsenal of organic remedies. Whatever winter doesn't kill, I'll be ready.

Fun with Fruit

 I love clearance shopping, and I found this Red Banana in July, which doubled in size with the tropical hot and humid weather we had recently in Minnesota. Last night I had to bring the plant indoors so it wouldn't be too stressed in our 40ish degree temps. Our house feels cool, but I refuse to turn on the heat.  (I'll turn on the oven and make some zucchini cake instead.)

The wild plums have been picked over by the animals, so I won't have enough for cooking, but I'll get a taste.

I know this is bragging, but one of my favorite things to do is to pick an apple off a tree and then eat it for lunch. This is my McIntosh tree.  People love their Zestar and Honeycrisp varieties (I do, too), but this classic sweet-tart apple is one of my favorites.

P. S.  Thanks to the Minnesota company Fra-Dor Inc. for featuring my blog recently.