Spring Garden

Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, radishes, peppers, strawberries and herbs (lavender, oregano, chives, cilantro, basil and rosemary).

~~Spring~~

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

~~Spring~~

Spring 2011 has brought a plethora of blessings. And what a ride it is...

First, take a look at spring in Scottsdale, Arizona.  It really does snow here!

And because I spent much of my time and energy caring for my Mother-in-law, her sons encouraged me to take a break with friends and head north to one of the few vortexes of the world, Sedona, Arizona.

Just a few days after I got home, Mother died.  It was time to take her home to her sunflowers in Kansas.

Look at the stately stone building (with antique gas pumps) we passed.  (Yes, it was snowing in Kansas, also.)

On our way back from Kansas, we traveled through the lovely High Country of Arizona and came across tranquil, beautiful snow made mountain lakes. The breeze was crisp and blew pine scents through the air.

When we returned, it was time to start another growing season in the garden, a real place of therapy and peace for me.

And I love guests in the garden....

~~Winder Garden 2010~~

Well, I no longer suffer from Fall Fever, because Autumn has officially arrived. I don't watch the calendar for seasons here; I watch the thermometer.  It is finally in the 60's at night.  Woot!  Woot!

Today, I finished planting the garden.


Drum roll.......here it is!

I have no clue why or how theses pictures got phucked up.  So there.

We have eggplant, four kinds of peppers, four kinds of tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, radishes.  And for herbs, we have rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, cilantro and chives.

Let it grow.... Let it grow... Let it grow!  

~~Fall Fever~~

Okay...I have "fall fever."  Most people get spring fever, but here in Arizona, the summer is like winter everywhere else.  The heat keeps me in...and makes me cranky and fat!

We have two gardening seasons; one is about to start!  Today, it was time to get the garden box's soil prepared. I put a layer of nitrogen rich fertilizer down and then topped it with 9 cubic square feet of soil.

 The tall plants in the back are jalapenos, which have not bloomed yet...late bloomers.  The medium plants in the middle bell peppers, which are determinant.  Determinant plants have a pre-determined amount of vegetables they will bear.

The herbs in the front are basil and rosemary. Can't believe the basil made it through the scorching summer!

This evening, I will top off the soil with a layer of compost...or poop.

Then I have to wait to plant.


This year: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, artichokes, spinach and radishes. Herbs to plant will be rosemary, chives, basil, cilantro and oregano.



Hummingbirds keep my company while I garden.  They get drunk (literally) on the nectar I provide and get VERY noisy when it runs low!  Little bastards.

~~April Garden in Arizona~~

My April garden is so happy here in Arizona.  When I first started my garden, I had only hopes at the daily joy it would bring...to my dog that pees in it.

See the squash, beans, chives, jalapenos, red peppers, rosemary, tomatoes, oregano, cilantro, and thyme.

 
We even have a couple of garden guards!  (See them both?)

~~The January Garden~~

The garden thrives...in JANUARY!  

Last night I made the most healthful, satisfying meal... from the garden.

Here's how:

--Pick a peck of un-pickled peppers  (bell peppers)

--Snag a few jalapenos to chop finely (I like it hot)

--Yank a couple of tomatoes (big ones, little ones...red ones, yellow ones)

--Open and rinse a can of corn....(unless you grow your own)

--Open and rinse a can of beans...(your favorite...I like the little black ones)

If you like meat, fry up some super lean chuck; otherwise, don't.

In large pan put together everything except the bell peppers.  Slice the peppers lengthwise, seed them and put them in a baking bowl.  

Heat the other ingredients and season to taste.  I like rosemary (garden), thyme (garden) onions, Italian seasoning, coarse salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven at 350.  Pour all the ingredients over the peppers, throw the bowl in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

If you want to be decadent...(and who doesn't?)...put a couple of slices or shredded cheese over the top about 45 minutes into baking.

Serve this with some piping hot garlic bread.  (I didn't because I forgot.)

Enjoy!

P.s. A perfect wine pairing is Seven Deadly Zins~~now you can enjoy even more!

~~December Garden~~

Counting the fabulous reasons for living in the west is fruitless...NOT!  

One of my favorite reasons is that I can virtually garden all year long.  (Don't talk to me about this from June-August....HOWEVER, I can garden in the high country then!)

What a gift I have in the backyard garden box.

This is a six-pound grapefruit...no kidding....six pounds!

 And lemons drip off the dwarf tree like icicles in the north right about now.

Tomatoes populate the garden, along with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and peppers.

 

Yellow roses serve as a constant reminder of friendship all around us......

(oh...and that is a bobcat trap...)