Gaura also goes by bee blossom, wand flower, and whirling butterflies, and if you see it growing you totally understand where these fanciful names come from. Dainty pink flowers dance on long sprays of thin stems that shoot up from the ground. The flowers start in early spring and continue on until winter comes.
Continue reading Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri)
As the name implies, Cinnamon Basil has a slight cinnamon-y taste to it. I wouldn’t start making cinnamon rolls with it, but there are certain savory dishes that it is a perfect compliment to. Many Greek and Middle Eastern meat-based recipes actually use cinnamon for flavor, and so Cinnamon Basil would also be an excellent addition. Give your pesto a bit of a twist by using this basil along with your Sweet Basil. I’ve even used it in my Basil Jelly recipe. Throw it in salads, or season vegetables with it.
Continue reading Cinnamon Basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Cinnamon’)
Salvias (sages) are a wide-ranging group of plants native to a variety of habitats around the world. What they seem to have in common are brightly colored, tubular shaped flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies just love. This particular Sage is no exception, and has the added bonus of sweet smelling leaves that give off a pineapple scent (hence the name). The leaves and flowers are both edible, and are usually used fresh.
Continue reading Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)
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The majority of plants can handle soil that is near a neutral pH, but some are really picky and they will let you know before long if you don’t give them the soil environment that they need. Stunted growth and yellowing leaves are some of the more common signs that your soil pH is not where it should be.
Continue reading Home-Made Soil Acidifier
We inherited these trees when we moved into this house roughly a decade ago. We actually had nine, but a desire to completely change the landscaping on the entire property has whittled that number down to two. No regrets.
Continue reading Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Most definitely friend!! Though this bizarre looking creature may give you the heebie-jeebies just looking at it, you will want to welcome them with open arms. You are looking at the juvenile stage of everyone’s favorite aphid-eater: the ladybug!
Continue reading Friend or Foe? Ladybug (Coccinellidae)
It was by pure accident that I discovered California fuchsias. The Old Man and I were in the process of transforming our dull, and rather dead (thank you drought), yard into a more water-wise and heat tolerant landscape. An internet search for drought tolerant plants to use led us to the discovery of a nursery, not too terribly far away in the neighboring foothills, that specializes in California native plants, which by their nature are rather used to not getting much rain.
Continue reading California Fuchsia “Silver Select” (Epilobium canum ssp.)
There are a few herbs that are routinely featured in Greek cuisine, and rosemary is one of them. Often paired with garlic (of course!), it adds a distinct flavor to stews and meats. I prefer to use it fresh, but if you have home-dried rosemary it works just as well. I have not been as impressed with commercial dried rosemary, so if you have the space to grow your own it is well worth the effort.
Continue reading Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
If you have ever harvested produce from your own garden, or brought in cut flowers from the yard, you and I have very likely had a shared experience. You’re washing off your prize when out crawls something unwanted. Maybe it has six legs, maybe eight (the WORST!), or, ewwww, no legs at all and is slimy. Whatever it is, it is now inside. Exactly where you probably don’t want it to be.
Continue reading The Garden Sink
We live not too far away from a stretch of river. As a result, we tend to get a variety of visitors to our neighborhood that make the trek from the river bottom, and on up into the suburbs. Some even decide they like it well enough and make our yards their homes. Some are welcome, some not so much.
Continue reading Just Passing Through
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