It will be another month or two before our local blueberries are ready. But while we wait for our local berries, here is a recipe that uses fresh blueberries (or you can use frozen berries) that is good as a dessert or as a coffee bread. Blueberry Coffee Cake 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk…
Category: Growing Things
Gardening in the Woods
One of the challenges of living in the woods is that it is difficult to find a spot that has enough sun for growing vegetables. This year we decided to try raised beds in a clearing up the hill from the house. My husband and son built two beds and we have planted tomatoes, peppers,…
Wild Azalea
One of the signs of spring in this area, in addition to the many blooming trees and wildflowers, is the wild azalea, Rhododendron canescens. It comes in varying shades of pink ranging from a very light pink to a rosy pink. The blooms only last for a short time but add a wonderful touch to…
Philadelphia Flower Show
This year I served as a volunteer Horticulture Barrier Aide at the Philadelphia Flower Show – that means I stood behind the judges holding one end of a plastic rope to keep people away from the judges as they were judging the flowers. We followed our group of judges through may different classes including container…
Yearly Bloom
This is the flower of an amaryllis from my grandmother. She passed away over 30 years ago so I am not sure how old the plant is but each winter, it sends up the orange/pink blossoms and reminds me of my grandmother’s love of flowers and gardening.
Snow Topper
The pumpkins on the patio received caps of snow during the first snowfall of the season this past week.
The View from My Window
If you spend much time with four or five-year-old little girls, you are certain to hear the phrase, “That is my favorite.” It may refer to food, colors, clothes, toys, animals or anything. As I was buying groceries last week, a dad asked his young daughter what type of peppers did she want. The little…
Well, Hello There…
As I was cutting flowers, I ran across this big fellow. A quick internet search revealed it is a common garden spider called the Black and Yellow Argiope ( Argiope aurantia). They catch large insects such as grasshoppers and butterflies in their web. I decided I could pass on this flower and leave Mr. Spider…
Peaches
This is what you get from this… Yum…. sweet, juicy peaches!
Question Mark
Another butterfly taking advantage of the butterfly bush — the Question Mark butterfly seen earlier this summer.
Tobacco Growing
The Amish farmers use tobacco as a cash crop and most dairy farms have several rows of tobacco growing in front of the corn.The corn, which is plentiful in this area, is used to feed the dairy cows. While it has been a very dry summer, the corn is still green and our conditions do…
Sweet Cherries
The sweet cherries are ready at the local orchard. Soon it will be cherry pie time as the sour cherries become available, then the blueberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears and apples. The fresh local fruit is always good fresh or baked between two crusts. Yum!
Shades of Hydrangea
I came to a new appreciation of hydrangeas when my daughter-in-law used them for her wedding. When we did some landscaping several years ago, we planted several hydrangeas and now we enjoy the beautiful shades of the blooms throughout the summer season. Until I looked at the photos on the computer, I did not realize…
Mountain Laurel Time
The state flower for Pennsylvania is in bloom now. More information on the selection of the mountain laurel for the state flower, which is a blooming shrub rather than a typical flower, can be found here. I just enjoy the brief season with the pale pink blooms showing up along the country roads.
In Praise of Greenhouses
My favorite place to visit from now until late fall is Black Creek Greenhouse. It is owned and operated operated by a Mennonite family and was started in 1980. It has a wonderful selection of all types of plants, plus you can also pick up some locally grown produce and farm fresh eggs. Customers use a…
Closer Look
This is a close-up of a bearded iris blooming in the yard (Germanica Hemstitched). The nice thing about a macro lens is that you see things you never noticed before such as the fluffy “hairs” and the inner part of the bloom. It is a reminder to be a closer and more thoughtful observer of the wonderfully diverse…
Hidden in the Woods
The pink ladyslippers are making their annual appearance in the woods. Due to all of the downed limbs and trees from the October snowstorm, we do not have as many this year. But if you look closely and are careful of where you step you can still find groupings of the delicate pale pink member…
A New Perspective
I invested (“invest” sounds so much more responsible than I spent money on something I wanted but did not really need) in a macro lens for the camera today–40mm 2.8. Came home and, without reading any of the directions, put the lens on the camera and headed outside. Since we have an early spring, I have both…
The Promise of Peaches to Come
The peach trees are blooming at the local orchard with the promise of sweet, juicy peaches for the summer. The strange weather this year does not seem to have damaged the apples nor the peaches. While peaches are usually associated with Georgia or South Carolina, there are many peach orchards in southeastern and central Pennsylvania. We are…
Shark Teeth and Wild Onions
Once again it is spring and I am digging up the wild onions in the flower beds and yard. I know wild onions have their beneficial uses but they always grow where you don’t want them to grow and they grow in such profuse numbers. It seems that as soon as I pull one up, another rises in its…
Nature and Life Notes 