High Altitude Gardening

Time to Enjoy The Best of This and That

2009-11-24T09:05:00.032-07:00

The 1st of the Christmas Amaryllis bulbs makes an early showing.

My new found friend, Healthy Gardener, gifted me with the 'Best Blog Award' and invited me to pass this along to 15 favorite blogs I've recently discovered.

I met Gloria through Blotanical, purely by searching for South Dakota bloggers ~ because that's where I was born and raised. And, while I wholeheartedly agree we can bloom wherever we are planted, there's also a deep connection with people who's roots are wiggling around in the same familiar mud as you.

The 2nd of the Christmas Cactus gals joins in the fun.

It got me thinking about Thanksgiving ~ I always give thanks for the usual important stuff. This year I'm also giving thanks for one strange thing that needs a bit of clarification: TIME!

The whole concept of having 'enough time' is foreign to me. I work full time, I have a demanding volunteer second job, an all-consuming 'full time' passion toward gardening... then there's the horses... squeeze family into that mess and, well, you get the picture.

This 3 year old unpredictable Poinsettia has taken her usual stance toward the holidays: Undecided. Sporting half red leaves, half green leaves ~ she has 1 month to get with the program.

I've never had a moment to spare. Until now.

This year, life is suddenly manageable. For the first time since I became addicted to blogging way back in 2006, I can take leisurely strolls around the blogosphere, meeting new people and learning all sorts of new things. Because, this year, thankfully, I have some free time!

* This list is in no particular order ~ except for the first one because it's pretty dang cool to have a concert pianist as a friend...

To the Minnesota Gardener who took a deep breath and a leap of faith and put it out there... filming herself performing a Schumann Sonata.
To the savvy silly sisters, Just-a-Mere and Iron Needles, who get me laughing on the best and worst of days.
To the Empress of Dirt for her neat perspective on pretty much everything.
To A Corner Garden who's cozy posts and cute dog, Heidi, always entertain.
To The Village Voice who's yummy recipes have bailed me out of more than one sticky wicket.
To the Totally Inept Balcony Gardener who is anything but.
To the Sunflower Ranch who's Writer Challenges keep me on my toes.
To Gardening with Grace who just so happens to live in Oregon, my favorite spot in the universe. Bonus! We both love Clematis flowering vines.
To the Backyard Farm who not only has cute chickens, she grows as much of her own food as possible.
To Flower Hill Farm for lovely photography and interesting stories, whenever I need an escape.
To the Shady Gardener because I have no shade so she teaches me a thing or two.
To Flowers and Weeds for her fun tutorials and highly entertaining new garden project.
To the Witless Wanderer who hasn't lifted a finger on her blog in oh so long but I know why... she's writing a novel!
And, last but definitely not least, to the Darling of the Dahlia Society, Karen, who's fine eye for flowers and fur is a joy to behold.

THE FINE PRINT:
If you want to participate, please grab this award and then pay it forward to 15 of your favorite recent blog discoveries. If you don't want to participate, please don't feel any pressure to do so.

Please note ~ this award asks that I highlight 15 blogs. There are many more I wanted to list. Some I didn't list because you already have the award. Some I didn't list because I know how popular you are and you'll no doubt get the award from someone else! Some of you don't want the awards! And so it goes...

While I Was Napping...

2009-11-23T10:55:00.021-07:00

I hope you're not weary of my indoor roses.
It's all I've got growing right now!

I suppose this was bound to happen at some point. Not so much an 'if' as a 'when.' As in... when will I get socked with that nasty flu?

The happy 'clutter' in my kitchen window.

Not the ever popular H1N1. I'm referring to the [alleged] minor flu that's been making the rounds in my neck of the woods.

My dear friend, Karen, was down with this flu and has been too ill to hike for over a month.

But, I never get sick! So, I wasn't worried.

Though I did feel a little tired on Friday afternoon. So, I put on my cowgirl jammies... curled up on the couch...

... and, didn't get out of those jammies until Monday morning!

When I crawled into bed it was autumn; when I woke it was winter.

Ripe for the pickings! Miniature Pomegranate Tree
Pay no attention to the filth in my sunny window. Recent studies have shown that all this dust helps my plants grow bigger and stronger!
(That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

A Deal with Myself

2009-11-18T20:00:00.018-07:00

Early Birds: Edna, my Christmas Cactus, is jumping the gun.

Chaotic weather patterns continue. First bitter cold and heaps of snow. I busied myself baking bread and grumbling about the weather.

Now comes unusually warm days. Bright sunshine melts away the snow offering a last horse back ride of the season. In a t-shirt, no less!

Cyclamen flowers decorate my office on these long, dark nights.

This heat wave is simply postponing the inevitable, I suppose. Even so, I was glad to see a summer-like day. This time of year is always a little hard on me.

The nights are too long and the days too short.

My goofy Plum Bonsai tree offers only 1 flower at a time.

I find myself pacing restlessly wondering what to do... What should I do?

Seems my passions run high in the summer months and are running on empty now that gardening and horsies are done for the season.

Kalanchoe radiates happiness on dreary days.

It was nice, though, playing hooky from work. Trotting along a quiet trail. Soaking in the last little bits of a lingering autumn.

While I was out there I decided to strike a deal with myself:

Right here, right now, stop whining about the weather, stop mourning the end of this sweet, sweet summer.

And, be on the prowl for a new winter hobby...

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day ~ November

2009-11-15T06:00:00.003-07:00

"Any flower counts!" So sayeth, Carol from May Dreams Gardens, inventor of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Indoor Micro Mini Roses

I wanted to participate in the monthly Bloom Day but winter is upon us and I didn't think I'd have anything to show. So, I was quite delighted to discover that indoor flowers count. This is a snapshot of my beloved micro mini roses, biggest blooms are about the size of a 50-cent piece.

After I photographed these wimpy indoor roses I thought to myself:

Hmmm... Do you suppose there is anything worth shooting out in that frozen garden of mine?

Scabiosa Pincushion Flowers still blooming ~ it was 13 degrees last night.

Well whaddyaknow! Every gardener probably has that flower. That one perennial who, no matter what, will never let you down. Mine are Pincushion Flowers. What's yours?

I grow black, pale pink, and fuchsia Pincushions (these 3 are kind of fussy.) But, there is just no stopping the purple girls. These feisty little ladies don't care about wind, drought, cold, snow. It's almost as if they knew I needed a helping hand for this November Bloom Day and decided to give it their all.

Not to be outdone... the outdoor roses are attempting a comeback:

And, Helianthus perennial sunflower blossoms, in my humble opinion, look just as pretty in winter time:

* There is a giant boulder in this garden ~ about the size of a Jeep Wrangler. Intense mountain sunshine heats it up during the day and it radiates heat at night. I 'think' this is what keeps the Pincushion Girls alive and kicking.

Cowgirl Up!

2009-11-14T11:52:00.014-07:00

My friend, Janet, competing with her appaloosa, Phantom.
Yup - she's pointing a pistol at that innocent little balloon. It's called mounted shooting. I don't really get it but then I'm not from around here...

Two weeks ago I made a wild and crazy promise to blog every day this month about the training sessions with my adopted horse, Bella.

Bella's full time job, now, is to fatten herself up for the winter.

That blogging energy lasted all of 5 minutes but I did manage to squeeze in 8 good sessions with Crazy Horse before the weather turned foul and our snowy winter finally arrived.

Megan's little hissy fit.
During my training sessions with Bella, Meg felt sorely neglected.

Why two horses? ~ people ask ~ Isn't one plenty?

Well, if you want to get practical about it I suppose zero is a good round number. Horses are expensive, hard work and... highly addictive. But, there's just something marvelous about these big, gorgeous animals.

Flame is Meg and Bella's BFF.

I tried for 3 years to buy Little Meg but her owner wouldn't sell her. I finally gave up and adopted Bell instead. Two days after I brought Bella home, Meg's owner showed up, handed me the reins and said I don't want Meg anymore.

So, what are you gonna do? I always wanted to be a cowgirl. Now I'm a cowgirl times two.

Tuna Haters To Die For Tuna Marinade

2009-11-11T09:22:00.023-07:00

Hazel's Zinnias

On Tuesdays, we round up the usual suspects and cook a special dinner. It's not easy. There's the 2 teenagers who prefer every meal be mac 'n cheese. There's a happy little carnivore who thinks bacon in mac 'n cheese might be dee-lish.

And, then there's the pescatarians. Fish lovers.

I hate fish. Truly, madly, deeply hate fish. Now I know what you're thinking... certainly not salmon. Everybody loves salmon.

Indeed they do! I can't begin to count the number of times people have invited me to dinner naturally assuming I would eat salmon.

More of Hazel's Zinnias

'Twas salmon that inspired me to manifest my hatred of fish into a life threatening allergy. You see, if I tell people I don't like fish then they'll still expect me to eat it. "Oh, give it a try," they exclaim. "You'll love MY fish."

But, if I tell them I have an allergy...

I will surely die if I eat your fish...

Then they're lots nicer about the whole situation and typically cook up something truly palatable. Like a steak!

This charade worked out well for many years. Right up until my daughter decided to become a [cringe, shudder] pescatarian. Because she knows the truth about me and my fish allergies. She knows I'm a big, fat liar.

Happy Little Butterflies on Hazel's Zinnias

Last night, just to be nice to Lauren, I grilled tuna. I also made a big vat of potatoes and a (from scratch!) chocolate cake so normal people, like me, wouldn't starve. But then something strange happened. It smelled so delicious that I took a little bite. And, it's killing me to admit this but it wasn't half bad...

Tuna Haters To Die For Tuna Marinade:

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1/4 cup minced roasted garlic
4 tbs. crushed rosemary

Marinate 6 oz. tuna fillets for a couple of hours in this mixture. Grill fillets on very high heat, basting with the marinade. Then feed them to Bad Dog and go buy yourself a cheeseburger.

* Joking about the dog. This is a truly tasty recipe. If I like it, I imagine anyone would. I feel the same way about Hazel's Zinnias.

XXL Micro Minis!

2009-11-09T16:48:00.021-07:00

These great, big photos celebrate the tiniest flowers blooming in my sunny window:

That sweet little bud I discovered on Saturday has blossomed into a perfect micro-mini rose. Shown here, much bigger than life, she's about the size of a quarter.

I was so very excited about my baby pinks that I didn't notice the micro-mini yellow roses are also back in bloom. And, this one's a biggie. Over an inch in diameter!

Cramped quarters. I've also got some white roses (just for you, Wunx!) living in the same pot as a very productive African Violet. It's not, exactly, a match made in heaven but as soon as I get paid they're both getting new homes...

Update on reprogramming the Belligerent Bella:
A 2-step backwards day. I did my homework. I watched the training dvds over the weekend and I even tried out a few techniques on Bad Dog . (All he did was howl.)

Bell wasted her weekend lolly gagging around the stables! She forgot everything. We accomplished nothing.

In fact, I'm so mad at her I thought I'd show you her worst photo instead another pretty one...

Radiating Happiness

2009-11-07T09:13:00.008-07:00

New bud on my indoor micro-mini roses. When fully opened, her flowers are about the size of a quarter.

I'm blessed (and a little bit cursed) with a very sunny house. So sunny the furniture fades and it's hard to watch t.v. until the sun goes down.

Kalanchoes in desperate need of deadheading.

So super sunny I can grow small batches of pretty much anything indoors ~ including spinach and tomatoes.

But, I don't. After the first experiment, determining that I could be practical and grow veggies...

One over-achieving Amaryllis bulb in my herd of future holiday gifts.

I went straight back to the thing that matters most: Bright, happy indoor flowers who keep me somewhat sane throughout the long, cold winter.

Update on reprogramming the beautiful Bella:
I have grudgingly accepted the rule that 'you can begin gently, but you cannot stay gentle forever.' Just so I'm crystal clear ~ that doesn't mean harming, or frightening, B in any way, shape or form. More on the order of sticking up for myself so she doesn't run over me anymore. I thought for sure she'd hate me because of this new authority, our relationship is so very fragile. Interesting, though, she seems to like me more than ever... I'm astonished at the progress we've made in one wonderful week.

Bell's 1 Up On Me

2009-11-05T19:12:00.022-07:00

If you wonder why I only show parts of Bella it's because she's gigantic and I don't quite know how to photograph her ~ much less find her good side...

I committed to NaBloPoMo (blogging every day during the month of November.) I thought this was as simple as blogging on MY BLOG every day...

No, no, couldn't be that easy... I actually have to write daily posts on the NaBloPoMo site. Argh. So, I'm already out of the running for most annoying blogger of the month award. And, I don't know what to do with the two kind women who joined my NaBloPoMo Horse Lovers group. This is such a tangled web...

Anyhoo! My 30-day blogging commitment was on the beautiful Bella and how she and I are going to become great friends. Hopefully soon.

I was all excited about our training session today. Right up until I got there and Janet turned the spotlight onto me. Me? What's this all about? She's the bad horse! I didn't kick anybody. Why, pray tell, are you picking on me?

It sort of went like this...
Now, Kate, in the horse/owner relationship who is in charge?
"Well she is naturally. She's a helluva lot bigger than I am."

No, Kate, you need to be in charge. You need to be firm. You need to manage her...

And, so it went. Enough already. Bell's had 4 lessons and she's got an A. I've had one lesson and I'm hovering at a D-.

I SWEAR I heard that horse chuckle as we were marching back to the barn...

* The horse lovers picture is a sign that hangs on our front door.

Blue Skies and Good Lessons

2009-11-04T15:53:00.006-07:00

I love the brilliant blue of our Wasatch Mountain skies.

The pesky snow I whined about last week has all but melted away. Trees have donned their party dresses and we find ourselves lazily basking in the warmth of a second summer.

Did you know that the Golden Delicious apple tree variety
is a pollinator for all apple trees?
I didn't either!

In my garden grows Gala, Fireside and Honey Crisp ~ simply because these were the beauties I knew from my old life in Minnesota. Apparently, if I plant one Golden Delicious as a pollinator I'll have apples coming out my ears. Rather the horse's ears. They are terrible at sharing this bounty.

Day Two of Reprogramming Bella:
Infinitely better than day one! We're doing groundwork in an arena, where I stand in the center and guide her with my hand to walk, trot and canter. She runs free ~ no saddle, bridle or anything to freak her out. I say 'we' because I realized after Day One that I'm in over my head and solicited the help of my friend, Janet (horse woman extraordinaire.)

As silly as it may sound, I love this horse because she reminds me of me. Overly-sensitive, easily scared, unwilling to admit to either weakness. There's just something in her, something broken I desperately want to fix. I don't know that I can. But I do need to give it a try.

* For NaBloPoMo I committed to blog every day during November about my adopted horse, Bella. It's doubtful I'll make it through a full month o' bloggin' but I'll wrestle with Bella for an eternity.

NaBloPoMo and the Project Horse

2009-11-03T09:55:00.010-07:00

If I knew what she was feeling, this would take no time at all.

Took a quick jaunt over to visit OmegaMom yesterday. She's heading into the long dark of an Alaskan winter and I wondered how she was coping with that.

In good spirits, despite the lack of sunshine, she introduced me to NaBloPoMo ~ while vacillating on whether to give it a go or call it a day.

I tossed my cowgirl hat into the proverbial ring.

When you're a blogger your life is an open book. Right? Wrong. This summer I adopted 2 horses and I never said a word. (What???) Details of such stupidity will no doubt be exposed during this NaBloPoMo of far too frequent blogging.

So, how about this? Since gardening season is over the subject of my daily blogging will be the slow and steady gentling of Belladonna. (A nickname that came about after some hellishly erratic behavior.)

High maintenance barely scratches the surface.

Day 1 of Bella's reprogramming went precisely as expected.
Bell loves me. She whinnies hello as soon as she sees my car. She runs toward me, eagerly shoving her nose into her halter, happy to go anywhere with me and then... a rapid evolution toward bonkers.

When we get near the barn and she sees a saddle, she starts breathing heavier. Sweating. Nervously looking around. Suddenly I'm on the fence between friend and foe. So, we worked a little bit. About 45 minutes. Before she reared up and made a half-hearted attempt to strike me. At that point I suppose a lot of people would have punished her severely. But, I kind of think that's what made her this way in the first place. I just stood there and stared at her. A minute later she came toward me, acting like a big, sad puppy.

* National Blog Posting Month is simply a challenge to post every day during the month of November. That's it. That's plenty!

Post Office Presents

2009-11-02T16:33:00.006-07:00

I don't often visit the post office because there's never anything good in that P.O. box of mine. Just bills and an astonishing amount of junk mail. However! On this particular visit I found all sorts of goodies!

A Toast!
Live.
Laugh.
And, Loaf.

First off, I had a birthday a couple weeks ago. This is kind of a big deal because unlike the rest of you I only celebrate birthdays every two or three years. Try it! You might like it. Makes growing older much easier to handle.

This GORGEOUS wine goblet was waiting for me at the post office today ~ gift from an old friend. Thanks T!

Now Hear This:
I am a Winner!

Yes, me! Who never wins anything! I entered the Stitch It Kit contest and whaddyaknow... I won the grand prize. Actually I think it was the only prize but I so rarely win anything I'm taking latitude with my victory. Thank you, Jan! I hope you won't mind me calling you all hours of the night and day while I master my new craft.

I have really enjoyed following your Blogtoberfest. Makes me wish I had a sister.

Lavender Scones
Lavender Soap
Lavender Everything!

Plus! A fragrant little package also arrived from my favorite Bookworm. Enough Lavender flowers to keep me smiling through a long and dreary winter. Thank you, Jeannie! We are madly baking up Lavender Scones with this booty. May have to send you a goodie basket.

Kindred Spirits

2009-11-01T08:27:00.005-07:00

And the costume winner is... Kelly's horse!
Bond.
James Bond.

A couple of tricks... a few too many treats... and Halloween's fun festivities are over for another year.

Wish 10/31 could always land on a Saturday. That had everyone in the mood for a devilish good time.

So, that's it? The party's over? Not just yet...

If you have an ounce of energy left after this very fun weekend, here's a yummy way to make use of those pumpkins...

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Separately, combine pumpkin purée, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup water, and spices. Stir all ingredients together. Last but not least, stir in those yummy walnuts. Bake in a bread pan at 350 for about an hour.
* This recipe makes a tasty mini-muffin, too.

Have a Hideous Halloween

2009-10-29T12:49:00.007-06:00

* Edward Gorey was a brilliantly talented American artist-illustrator who might appreciate me using the term: RIP (1925-2000).

Buyer Beware

2009-10-29T12:17:00.006-06:00

They all look the same, lounging in the field. But, they were bred for different purposes, so buyer beware...

Jack O’Lanterns were hybridized to ward off evil spirits and provide a riotous good time when you steal them from the neighbor's porch and smash 'em in the street.

Heirloom Variety Pie Pumpkins are prized for their firm texture and sweet flavor. (Jacks are bland and watery.) The best pie varieties are Small Sugar, Winter Luxury and Rouge Vif d'Etampes.

If you're going to all the trouble* of making a pumpkin pie from scratch, you're obviously a romantic. So, purchase a Rouge Vif d'Etampes. It was the prototype for Cinderella's carriage and is sometimes sold as the Cinderella Pumpkin.

But, that means the time to make your pie just went from 4 hours to 4 months because you might have to grow this pumpkin yourself. I’ve never seen a supermarket sell anything but Small Sugars, though these are quite tasty, too.

Pie Pumpkins are good for more than just pie. Click here for a fabulous Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe with gingersnap cookie and pecan crust!

* Canned pumpkin purée is one of the few items where canned product quality is about equal to fresh - though I've found NO documented cases where a can of pumpkin purée warded off evil spirits with any success.

* Rouge Vif d'Etampes means Deep, Red Pumpkin - which is a little misleading, since it's red/orange. Oh, how the French love to toy with anyone who can't speak the language...
* Buy seeds from Burpee - they invented this pumpkin, back in 1883.

Hell's Half Acre

2009-10-28T10:23:00.009-06:00

Yes, it's snowing.
Yes, that's early.
Yes, I'm none too thrilled.

Was trying to be kind to a California Gardener this a.m. asking about high altitude gardening. Perhaps I should have just sent him this photo.

Some days I'm not sure what I enjoy more ~ gardening? Or, complaining about my garden.

Question: What's your growing zone?
A: Zones? What zones?
We don't need no freakin' zones!
(Not indoors anyway.)

Such troubles are bound to happen when you evolve into a gardener vs. being one of those rare individuals who had a lifelong plan and followed a logical path to achieve it.

You know the type... they search high and low for perfection before making a commitment. They scan the horizon, authoritatively place hands on hips, and finally proclaim: Now this spot... Right here... this would be ideal for a garden.

As opposed to me. Who spotted a house with lots of sun and a pretty view, saw that my horses could live right down the road and happily announced: Works for me!

Q: Soil conditions?
A:
√ Slow to drain
√ Slow to warm
√ Like concrete in the summertime!
(If that's music to your ears, you're stuck with clay soil, too.)

Which leaves me to wonder... If I lived in a hospitable area where I had nothing to complain about... Whatever would I do to pass the time?

PS: I wanted to to paint you a happier picture, Steve, so, this last photo is for you. During the five, blissful months that we do have summer, it is a glorious summer, indeed.

Pink Tuesday

2009-10-27T11:44:00.005-06:00

Doubtful I could endure winter without the happy blooms of Alstroemeria.

Or, pink Cyclamen gracing my indoor garden.

Yeah, yeah. I know it's still October but the weather never lies.
In the midst of a winter snowstorm here, today.

Windowsill African Violets don't seem to mind...

Look closely.
Ms. African Violet's kid sister is hiding somewhere in this photo.

iCameras and My Discomfort Zone

2009-10-26T10:01:00.007-06:00

If I'd had my wits about me, we would have hiked in lower elevations to enjoy the last of the lovely weather.

Enough with the music already. Isn't it about time Apple invented the iCamera? As in a tiny contact lens I wear in my eye? All I gotta do is blink... to capture the world around me. [Simply plug the digital camera cable into your ear to retrieve the data.]

Now that's a convenient piece of technology I could get my head around.

What we discovered while hiking Guardsman Pass was enough to make a grown gardener cry.

Doubtful even a fancy gadget like the iCamera would have lit my fire on last week's Friday Afternoon (hiking) Club when I took 2 - as opposed to my usual 200 - photos.

That's because we encountered snow.

Snow.

This, of course, had Bad Dog delighted. And, I'll admit I was thrilled to finally have a witness to his insanity. He likes to lay on his back and slide, head first, down snowy hills. (Just like this cute pup!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer, it seems, went by in a blink. The shoes are off the horses. The blooms are off the rose.

With this being possibly, probably the last of the gorgeous late Autumn days I'm worried...

With winter a comin'
and, the weather a drizzlin'
Whatever shall I do?

I need a hobby. A goal. A plan! A purpose! Or, at the very least, a ticket to New Zealand.

The Hobgoblin of Little Budgets

2009-10-23T08:12:00.005-06:00

Seems a tad ridiculous that I'd be planning (planting?) for the holidays when I haven't even figured out my scary Halloween costume...

But I couldn't resist when I spotted Amaryllis bulbs on sale for 5 bucks.

I s'pose I could just give everyone on my Christmas list a bulb. They come in cute little boxes. Except that giving just the bulb is a clear indicator I'm a 5 buck cheapskate.

So, I planted these bulbs today, in high hopes I'd be dazzling folks with bright, red flowers when I gift them to friends two months from now. In full bloom they should look like they're worth way more than 5 dollars.

Maybe even 10.

* Ralph Waldo Emerson's: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" was a jab at uncreative people.

I realize my Amaryllis bulbs aren't all that creative. But, they're affordable. And, they're gorgeous. Therefore I think they'll do the trick.

PS: If I were growing them for myself, I'd simply sprout them in water. Amaryllis bulbs forced in a vase vs. soil tend to bloom in half the time. (About 4 weeks vs. 8.)

Leaf Peeping in City Creek Canyon

2009-10-21T09:25:00.009-06:00

Last week's Friday Afternoon [Hiking] Club took us along a civilized route, down in the Salt Lake City valley.

Few trees have shed their leaves in my neck of the woods. But, that's mostly because Park City doesn't have any 'woods.'

I sometimes miss the majestic deciduous trees we find in the valley.

Those big old trees who carpet our trail with crunchy sound effects, providing a colorful canopy for autumn adventures.

Which is why I'm glad this trail is only a hop, skip and a jump from my door.

Now if only we could figure out how to hike City Creek from bottom to top, without screwing up.

Everybody else seems perfectly capable of doing this. Not sure why it's beyond our level of comprehension.

Though I did have to laugh when we hit the same dead end to our trail as we did last year. That's when it all started coming back to me.

So, we waded across the creek to a different trail ~ just like we did last year...

New Do!
In honor of leaf peeping, it being my birthday, and... perhaps the beginning of [yet another] midlife crisis... I dyed my blonde locks to match the fall foliage.

Death of the Garden

2009-10-20T09:30:00.002-06:00

The last of the Pincushion Flowers, blooming late October

Cushion Spurge: Not sure what I love more about this gal ~ pretty spring blossoms or colorful fall foliage.

A for Effort: Primrose is budding!

Cerise Yarrow gets a late start, blooms well into November (unless, of course, the weather ruins her plans.)

Ghosts of Coneflowers Past

Daycation to Antelope Island

2009-10-16T08:00:00.004-06:00

Barren and beautiful, Antelope is a large island surrounded by the Great Salt Lake.

An important GLOBAL resource for migratory and nesting birds.

Home to year 'round residents, too.

Chances are, you eat Great Salt Lake salt every day.

One of the Morton Salt company's largest facilities is located in Salt Lake City.

* Guest photographer while Kate wastes her weekend horseback riding.

Blog Action Day: What's Cookin' in Your Garden?

2009-10-15T08:00:00.011-06:00

Blog Action Day (10/15/09) invited anyone, and that means everyone, to talk about:

What Climate Change means to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's taken the USDA 16 years (?!) to publish a new growing zone map. Perhaps they didn't want to stir up trouble. This new one confirms what savvy gardeners have known for quite some time. Our gardens have warmed up, most by a full growing zone:

I'm a 2!
What are you?

The bright red spots over Utah are the reason I gamble with gardening zones. I used to be a USDA zone 5. These days, I have good luck growing USDA zone 7 flowers.

My Utah mountains have leapfrogged from zone 5 to zone 7. I can plant prettier flowers than ever before!

Which are subsequently destroyed by armies of grasshoppers, pine beetles, and bugs that never visited this high altitude garden before.

One step to reversing this trend is easier than you might think. Do you know the environmentally friendly move that's more helpful than...?

Changing your light bulbs
Driving a Prius
Conserving on water
Recycling most anything

What could it be?

Planting a tree!

"The net cooling effect of one healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day." - U.S. Department of Agriculture

There are tons of valid, complex reasons for climate change but here's something that's fairly easy to fix: Brick, mortar, asphalt... the concrete jungles of our cities warm the earth. Trees cool it down. Trees, and other greenery, would happily grow on the rooftops of any structure we build.

"One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people." - U.S. Department of Agriculture

Now if someone could please invent house shingles that are tiny solar panels I think we'd be A-OK.

283 Bulbs + 5 Blisters = High Hopes 4 Springtime

2009-10-14T09:07:00.007-06:00

Up Close & Personal with a Tulip

Final tally: 283 flower bulbs.

Those 3 extra Tulip bulbs traveled from Amsterdam to Park City, Utah ~ stowaways in Sandy's suitcase. And, I was ever so grateful.

I planted those special 3 in the center of a HUGE circle of Daffies and Allium bulbs. In the high hopes that this bad-smelling bulb strategy might outsmart the infernal critters snooping around for tasty tulips.

Jonquils and Hyacinth

I went a little hog wild this year. Ordered most of them from the same company. Imagine how delighted that company must be, assuming all sorts of future profits from this big spender bulb-aholic!

Alas, they will be sorely disappointed. This was a one time deal simply because I was lonely. I traveled the entire month of September. Realized I was missing my gardens when I found myself pulling weeds at our cabin on the Oregon shore.

That inspired me to busy myself on the airplane, writing a great big bulb order.

Now, I assume you know the do's and don'ts of great big bulb orders, right? Send it off immediately! Before you have the good sense to think about the cost and all that hard work. :)

This one's for you, Jan!

Perhaps this is the needlepoint pattern I should try my luck at this winter?

That could take me 'til April and beyond... :D

Fondue and a Fancy Cup of Tea

2009-10-13T12:13:00.020-06:00

Clementine Clove, Genmaicha, and Lavender loose teas.

It's my birthday on Friday. And, it just so happens I'm friends with two of the luckiest people in the world. Oh, not 'cause I'm their friend - Good Lord, No! - that could be a con, not a pro.

They're lucky because they enter contests and they win! Quite often! Very foreign territory for me. Back in high school, I won a pair of false eyelashes at Louie's Lift a Gift ~ our nickname for the local drug store. [Mom wouldn't even let me wear them.] And, that's it. My less than 15 minutes of fame.

In spite of entering writing contests, pure luck sweepstakes, lottos, horse races, blogging battles and photo essays... I come up short each and every time.

Fortunately for me, they don't. They recently won dinner for 8 at a fondue restaurant ~ which prompted them to throw a birthday party for moi!

Steeping loose leaves in your own special mug makes for a truly civilized spot of tea.

If that wasn't marvelous enough I was gifted with a little somethin' I'd wanted for quite some time: a top o' the cup tea infuser and 3 oh so fragrant blends of loose tea.

Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue

Start with:
6 oz. shredded Gouda Cheese
6 oz. shredded Fontina Cheese
3 Tbsp flour
* Toss shredded cheese and flour together for better fondue texture.

Stir in:
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tsp chopped shallots
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp chopped scallions

We finished off the night with chocolate fondue. I won't provide that recipe because it's so tasty it might make you weep.

Grow A Tea Garden:

Camellia sinensis: The 'Real' Deal

Plenty of herbs blossom happily in your garden, from which you can make herbal tea. 'Real Tea' comes from a pretty flowering shrub called Camellia sinensis. Ms. Camellia's leaves and leaf buds make black, green and oolong teas. Great for container gardening. USDA zone 7.

Oh! And, by the way...
I've been swilling tea for decades because it's loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. Chances are you do, too.

I recently learned... drinking tea matters not unless you steep it with lemons. Yep, lemons. Apparently without the lemon juice your body can't absorb those ultra-amazing antioxidants. Let's file this one under "Now ya tell me."