Fun, Fun, Fun

This has been the best summer here at the Stillman Inn so far! 

Creativity is flowing everywhere you look!

I bought this at the local Wild Bird Feed Store downtown.  It is filled with nesting material and you can see the birds love it.  You can also fill it with peanuts for the squirrels.  It's a great place to stuff my extra wool after spinning!



Here is the lovely "Fairy Garden" I splurged on this  year.  Purchased at Valley Perennials in Galena.  You can just sit and dream all day long looking at this beautiful mix.








 


And what can beat watching my sweet Grandbaby out in the cement mixing tray?  Yes, a turtle swimming pool is on the list to buy but she really loves playing around in our small ponds.  So for now, it works.









Currently working on "romantisizing" our little well in the back yard.  We have a turtle spitter in it, some plastic "chandeleir" mini lights with rose garland around the roof and we're growing a potatoe vine plant and parsley in front of the little pond.  There were marigolds too but my baby squirrels ate them up.  There are also morning glories sprouting.  That should be terrific.





Ahhh, the square foot gardens.  Love, love, love talking to the guests about them.  Many of the guests know right away the type of garden it is!  What fun to hear their gardening stories!

I've had my struggles with it, baby squirrels, hot weather, but mostly it is going just great.  Glad to be gardening again!  Already had sandwiches with homegrown lettuce.  Toooooo coooool!  Hope you are also enjoying this summer!

Syrup Sap Saga Continues

It turns out all three of the taps are working - yippee! At first, only two buckets had sap in them but yesterday, the third started running so that is lots more sap. It tastes like slightly sweetened water with a mineral twang. I have evaporated about 14 gallons and the syrup is starting to taste pretty yummy! There is a fine grainy, sand-like by-product that has to be sieved off before the syrup gets too thick so I have strained it a couple times now. A poor little honey bee flew into the kitchen the other day - I think he was a little confused - but the whole kitchen must smell like sweet, gooey sap that any honey bee would like!
I also made the Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet recipe - without the red food coloring - and it was oh so delicious! It did actually have a slight dark red tinge to it - maybe because it did not have as much chocolate in it as the second recipe - and the beets' color was more prominent. I actually halved the recipe (it then fit into an 8" square pan) and used cake flower to make sure it was light and fluffy. Oh boy,could I eat Red Velvet all day long!!!
To tag on to what Bernadine has already said about gardening - I started seeds as well. Had to thin out some cabbage sprouts because I over-seeded but I just washed them off and put them is salad - a nice zip! I'll probably buy some tomato plants so I have some early fruit but I started my Romas in the house. I just used up the last of my harvest from last year in some awesome Red Italian Gravy - recipe from my MIL - the key is to use pork neck bones!
PS I tried to add pics but it would not download. Anyone have any ideas on how best to do that?

Gardening 2011

 Come on, just warm up!  That's all I'm thinkin these days when I'm walking around the gardens.  Just itching to get started, even if it's just clean up! 

This year I took a look at Mel Barthomolmew's book 'All New Square Foot Gardening'.  I remember my uncle, some twenty years ago, must have used this system because he had a garden that looked just like this.  And he lived in Chicago.  He had the best tomatoes I have ever seen.  Love the suggestions in this book, less is more, close to the kitchen door, great idea for a growing mix...I'm so psyched about it.

So...I've started some seeds inside.  This usually doesn't work for me.  Last year was the best yet but I set them on the floor by the atrium door for more sunlight.  Next morning I discovered my tortoise, Nelson, who was allowed to roam the house freely, made a delightful dinner out of my efforts.  You couldn't keep him off the top of the seedlings.  Oh well.

One of Mel's suggestion was "don't go full out the first year".  Good advice as I usually have to go full out.

I'm going to start with 2 or 3 4x4' boxes.  I will call it my Kitchen Garden and take our guests on tours of it!  Sharing the harvest of course. But if I do it right, there won't be bushels full of extras.

Is there anything as lovely as a rain sprinkled Iris?  I mean next to my granddaughter of course!

I think I better start exercising so I can keep up with my dreams this summer!

Due to economic conditions last year I had to limit the number of containers I planted, but the ones I had were so beautiful.  I used containers by our private quarters for herbs and such.  I planted mint once and learned the consequences of that.  it went everywhere! 

And forget-we-not about planting for Fall! 

Milwaukee has a great Botanical Garden.  Perfect size, beautiful architecture and of course plants.  Last year it was perfect because inside they had a quilt display!!!!!

Let's see, we'll need sunflowers, Canna Lilies, check on the blueberry bush I planted last year, find a way to remember what I put where.....oh yes, and sit back and enjoy them with a nice refreshing cup of iced tea (note to self, plant mint for tea)! 

Parsley Success

YES! It is true. I, Bernadine, former indoor house plant killer have had great success with my parsley plant since bringing it indoors in October! It is still alive and despite a few small wilting incidences when I forgot to water it, things have been going just great although it is getting a little leggy!

I love having this plant inside for cooking and who would have ever thought there would be enough light.

I learned by trial and error not to put a parsley plant in full sun. Amazing. I could have probably learned that on You Tube.

In any case I strongly urge everyone who is intereseted to grow a parsley plant outside in a pot, keep it in part shade/part sun and bring it in over winter. You can have fresh parsley all the time! Now I know to you farm girls like my friend Sherryl, who is a contributing blogger on this blog, is probably thinking, uhhh yah, but for me and other citygirl/farm girl wannabes this is a BIG deal!

And what a cute planter! Can't wait to plant cherry tomatoes in Spring. I have had great success with those for two years in a row!