Sweet Blondie, I loved this ost...you made me laugh at times. I like that you have a diagram of your flower bed layout. Your husband is like my Teddy, he'll eat practically any thing, so he would not be a good one to asked ,"How did that taste ?" LOL I like the hint about salmon on the grill. Blessings for a fun weekend. I do pray for all our young people to one day,know carrying guns, does not make you tough, walking away does. xoxo,Susie
I have the gray and white version of that bathroom rug, Jane! Also gotten at Target. My husband set up some kind of hose system for us here at the condo and he says, "so you can water all your plants". Very nice of him, I'm sure, except he hasn't shown me how and what to hook up where. So I have no idea how to utilize it. I'll have to ask him to show me this weekend. We were having just enough rain that I didn't have to water anything but the urn by our front door {it's under the overhang}.
August 2, 2014 at 7:36 AM
Anonymous said...
oh you always give us such a fun post to read, love every word, I hope you have the very best weekend away and I will try the grilling tips,
Hi Jane, fun to catch up with you today. Your gardens look so good! I think you may have a Limelight hydrangea variety - they're supposed to be one of the best in terms of withstanding heat, etc., and they just turn a pinkish in fall. So smart of you to keep your diagrams and tags.
Your salmon looks great, and I love those tips you shared in the party post (the chips, smaller canned drinks). I'll have to remember those.
Looks like your summer is turning out great - enjoy your time at the lake. Rita
Janie girl, your hydrangeas are a paniculata variety (possibly lime lights) and always going to be white and have conical blooms. Check out this link to see how to prune and take care of them. http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/paniculata.html You may want to buy the Annabelle, Blue Daddy, or Nikko Blue if you want color. They are the macrophyla variety. Hope you're enjoying summer - I am busy busy and rarely read any blogs . I have become a Facebook junkie! LOL. Hugs, Sue
Isn't it nice to grill out and be surrounded by beautiful plants:) Love all of your blooms and I always appreciate your tips! Bathroom face-lift looks awesome! Have a blessed and beautiful weekend dear friend, HUGS!
Tickseed....not familiar with it but it is so pretty! :0
Jane I don't think that Lantana will come back in our parts with cold weather. I buy some every year because it flourishes in heat and drought and it's a nice plant for late summer but it never returns on its own ( Western PA / similar climate to you : )
Hi....I really enjoyed this post. I do love the way you go from one topic to another and not dwell too long on any one topic. Maybe I can learn a lesson from you here. The salmon looks delicious. Love the addition of apricot preserves. It looks like Sue answered about your hydrangeas. Lastly...Thalassa Cruso was one of my favorites. I used to love it when she appeared on Johnny Carson's show. He got such a kick out of her. She knew everything about gardening... Have a nice weekend, Balisha
Jane, I always enjoy hearing what's happening at your house. I think the hydrangea is paniculata And, for the Lantana..it comes back for us, but maybe if you put the pots in a warm garage or basement to over winter them? I need to look at the bath aisle at HD. Thanks for the tip.
We have that same type of violence here. Drug gangs. Getting worse all the time. Wish they could figure out a way to keep those automatic weapons from even being sold. Brenda
Retreating to a flower garden and nature is a wonderful respite from reality sometimes. Phlox, although lots of varieties, spreads LIKE CRAZY! In VA, I was always tearing & ripping it out!...:)JP
Great post Jane - sounds like you got a lot accomplished. My hydrangeas have not done well this year - to hot and no rain, even thought I water them. This is one of the hottest summers I can remember - no winter at all. I am so looking forward to fall and hopefully RAIN. Mary
I have to enjoy the gardens of yours and others since I fail in that dept. So pretty. I love TJ Max for bathrooms and bedding. Our Target never has much of either . Like your new touches. We live about 45 minutes from downtown Columbus. So many shootings every day. It's sad how gun violence is so high right now. Have a good next week.
I have been a real slack, a slacking sloth! I am glad I popped in for a visit. I like the idea of apricot jam on the salmon. I have a love/hate relationship with it! Your flowers look so purty, and I love the rug and curtain in the bath. There is so much violence everywhere, I pray every day.
Your flowers are so pretty! I had to smile when I saw the Phlox...just a word of warning from someone who is overrun with Phlox right now: it spreads like crazy! Brian just dug up two "stray" Phlox plants growing in the middle of other plants in our butterfly garden. I replanted them in front of the house...in front of those iron trellises that I didn't know what to do with. Have a great weekend!
Morning Jane! I thought my husband's aunt was the only one that had multiple shower curtains and accessories for her bathroom ~ lol! I LOVE it...but fear my husband just wouldn't understand....maybe another 10 years? hahaha!! Gosh...it's been a long time...but I went to Lallapalooza *gulp* 20+ years ago...can that be? YIKES! It was a blast...love to go again someday (my kids will probably make it before me!) Enjoy your Sunday...the house and garden look great :)
Your flowers look beautiful! I can't grow anything but mostly because I don't have time. It takes so much nurturing and love to have a beautiful garden! Thanks for the grilling tips! :)
I like all your gardening tips! We have Lantana down here too and it's a great perennial. It loves the heat, so it does very well here. Love your bathroom updates too! I recently replaced my floral bathroom rug with a more modern looking one and I'm loving it! Those little things can make such a big impact. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Those potatoes sound yummy - I must try that. Do you grill them on an an aluminum tray or right on the grill? Up here we don't water grass at all in the summer. Our summers are dry, dry, dry and our winters are wet, wet, wet - so we enjoy green grass all winter long. Just going with the flow!
Hi, Jane! You were not sounding like you thought you were an expert at all, so don't worry about that for a moment. I get a kick out of bloggers who do proclaim to be experts on something. I often wonder if this was really there second or third time doing this or that! Thanks for the tip on the potatoes. I have never just laid mine on the grill, but I will try that for lunch today. we have our big meal at noon if possible since Brad burns about a million calories a day and needs some FOOD at noon. Thanks! Have a great day!
Hey Jane, I just got through both of your last posts! And I love all your gardening and tips. I have let mine kind of fend for themselves that last few weeks...other than watering. I like the update to your bathroom too, very cheery and crisp! I am really looking forward to our get away...not too far off now either. It's been a hectic few weeks here and sometimes I just wonder where the heck does summer go anyway! Hugs friend, Cindy
Enjoyed this post very much. Your flowers are so pretty. I like just about anything cooked on the grill...except fish. I love TO fish but not eat them. :) xo
Your flowers are so pretty! Those white ones you bought that are "conical" in shape look like they're supposed to be that way. It's another type of hydrangea. Now don't laugh when I tell you this, but I know this because I have some fake ones that look just like those! LOL! So, I think they're going to stay like that. I think they're pretty. I like how your bathroom turned out. It looks pretty. I love cooking out, but fortunately, my husband does all the grilling out. So, I just leave it to him.
What a difference a curtain, and a rug can make in a room, huh?! For me, potatoes make the meal..the ones you shared look great to me!! I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your gardens so much, Jane. I am, too. Except for the Japanese Beetle situation...they are reeking havoc with the roses!! Great post! Big hugs to you dear friend. Debbie xo
Hi there Jane.... Very enjoyable read... Fish looks great... One tip from Mrs Potato Head... I do mine in the microwave first... That way, they are always cooked... I have even done the sliced version... Then I do like you...oil,S&P...onto the top shelf! Just sayin'...nothing worse than crunchy potatoes! Hahaha! Enjoy the rest of your week... Cheers! Linda :o)
I've missed you and so enjoyed reading this...as usual! We have such a short window of time here to sit outside. By the time October rolls around, everyone is anxious. I have to say though that our summer has not been horrific this year. We're heading back toward the triple digits but we usually have them constantly beginning in June.
Your gardens are lovely! I learned everything I know about houseplants from Thalassa Cruso...she had a public tv show in the mid 70's, and I took a tv college course of hers!
You and I have a lot in common with our thoughts on gardening.I think most plants in the flower bed are happier if the sprinkler doesn't wet the leaves much. We are ground soakers too. Oh it is so dry here with our drought but we are hanging in there. Honest to goodness I was jokingly doing a rain dance in the yard the other day. :)
If Phlox grows like crazy, then I need some. My husband built shelter for my plants since it is so hot here and they are doing great. Little trees I had that were stunted are now growing like crazy. Have a great rest of the week. Tammy
You've given me many ideas in this post. I need to get my grill back out and see if it is still working! If not--it will be a trip to Home depot to get one. I really love fall grilling, because it is so hot here in VA in the summer. I wish I loved to work outside--but our land here is so sandy, (and the heat just is too much for me),there's not much that will grow,still my neighbor has some lovely hibiscus and my brother--who is also my neighbor--has a wonderful garden every year. That salmon look so very good.
August 16, 2014 at 2:37 PM
[Image]Well, here I am again! I think I posted just a few days ago and I'm really thrilled that not only did I manage my time well to fit this in, I actually have some things to write about. It really felt like a rather slow week and I suppose it was, especially to those of you that work outside of the home. I consider it a "productive week" if I've kept busy, kept moving. If I sat at my computer blogging or surfing, or sat on my butt and read half of a book, that's not good. I feel good about myself when I MOVE! Then again, I've never hid it from you that I can be quite a sloth, so you can see how I get and strive toward my definition of productive. :)
I love to putter around my garden. This is "putter" season. I pull some weeds, I water the pots with my little old watering can, I add some organic food to the lawn and most of all, I sit in the early evening (okay...this is the 'slothiness" part, (I made up that word.), and just watch as the sprinkler moves back and forth, catching beads of sun, and hearing the faint splatter as it showers my plants. Mesmerizing! It's a shame we can't hear what falling snow sounds like when it hits the ground in the winter. What do you imagine it to be like? Maybe that's the beauty of it...that it's a silent wonder, For someone like me who only has about 20% hearing left, that's a relief! I don't want to miss anything else in this life of mine!
Oh, by the way. This is Tickseed, the feathery kind that gets lots of tiny flowers. I had some extra from the lakehouse and I planted it here in the city. Isn't it pretty?
[Image]My hydrangea hasn't really turned any color yet and the blossoms look a little conical. I bought this as a four year old plant at the farmer's market at the end of last summer. Sort of curious about what's going on. Any ideas?
[Image]In my area, pansies (not above) do well in the spring and fall. They are not great hot summer players. I pull them out of their pots once they say "goodbye", and fill the pots with something different. It's such a great excuse to go to the nursery! Hee! But I actually got a little wiser this year. Instead of falling for those half priced leftover annuals, I found these perennials that fit perfectly in these pots. Thus, I can plant them in one of my garden beds later and they will come up every year! They are called Lantana. I think I'm on to something here! Finally. :)
[Image]I saw these coming up and wondered what the heck they were. I've been known to pull up what I think are weeds only to find they are flowers. Gulp. I looked at my graph which has a bird's eye sketch of my yard and all of the things I've planted since 200 B.C. and I didn't see anything in that spot. Then it bloomed and I declared, "Phlox!" But nothing on my diagram. The other day I found a big envelope in my shed in which I keep all the 'sticks" that come with my plants...you know, the ones with the name and info, etc. And I found one for Phlox. It never made the diagram. I'm slacking off, but what a nice surprise. I thought maybe it was a present from the birds! I get a lot of those.
[Image]As I wrote in my last post wherein I discussed entertaining, I'm not one to give tips because Lord knows...it's always trial and error for me. And I'm not going to give gardening advice, I'm no expert. I've been an avid gardener for 25 years and I have a library of related books that's quite extensive. I just want to tell you, as I did with my party giving exploits, some of the things that work for me may work for you... just some friendly words. I thought about sharing this last evening as I was in the process of taking care of my plants... we were leaving again for the lake today and staying three days (plans fell through, going tomorrow morning...hence this timely post).
I love me sprinkler!! But I only use it on my lawn. I use it about 2-3 times a week if there is no rain and I let it soak the grass down about an inch and 1/2, or as far as half my index finger can do down and feel moisture. Again, I'm not an expert, but this works for me. When we have had a good bit of rain, I am much more stingy with watering. And I read some advice by the late great Thalassa Cruso, if you plan to be away, like on a vacation and don't have a way to have your lawn watered, wean it off slowly in the weeks before. Grass can get spoiled! Oh, how I loved this woman...truly the Julia Child of gardening. Look up her books, I discovered them over 25 years ago. They are a pretty penny now...collectors items. She wrote essay style. A woman after my own heart.
And the last thing...as you can see from my picture above, I like to soak my plants, with just a regular hose at a medium type of flow. This is just for my flower beds. Leaves don't need or want water and the roots need it. Why waste water? Of course it takes time to move that hose around. I have it going while I'm working in the yard and move it periodically. Try to position the hose so the water puddles around the plant and ideally flows down to another plant. Double the money. I really love when I'm sitting out in the evening, the dogs languishing in the cool grass, getting up to move the hose around a bit, knowing it's making those tender roots plump up and say, "ahhhh!" As you can see, I love my mulch. It's work to buy, haul in and spread, but it's totally worth it and not expensive. I use shredded bark and put it down every spring. I love that it smothers a lot of weeds, keeps the plants cool and holds that moisture in. It looks good, too. I have some beds that are free flowing and natural...and I have some that are very neat and tidy. The mulch enhances all of them. Try the soaking method. You can almost hear that "slurp!" :)
[Image]Enough on plants and please forgive me if I am trying to come off like an expert. No!! Just passing along what works for me and may work for you. Ask those pro's at your nursery, Google your questions, read books!
I am switching to my never ending quest to learn how to grill food! I won't bore you as I think probably 9 out of 10 of you know tons more than me. But I am a creative cook so this is more of me passing along a few things I tried that worked on the grill. Pictured above is a salmon filet that serves four. I just cooked it skin side down with a little blend of olive oil, apricot preserves, green onions and some garlic salt. Delish. Close the cover and let it smoke just a short while...fish dries out fast.
Something that takes longer and I put it on ahead of everything else, are sliced potatoes. I cut one potato per person in 1/2 inch rounds, just nice and thick so they don't fall apart. In a bowl I toss the slices with some veggie oil (it just does better at high heat and browns everything better, but by all means, use the oil you prefer), some S & P, garlic and onion powder and maybe some dried herbs that you like. Grill about 7-10 minutes per side and stick a sharp knife in the middle to test for doneness. Oh heaven! A little sour cream or a few drips of melted butter makes this out of sight when you serve. As for the rest of my grilling experimentation, slow going. I only test things on The Husband and he has a penchant for liking most everything. Ha!
[Image]These are how the potatoes look right before I pop them on the grill. See how those trays come in handy (as I wrote about in my last post)?
[Image]Last but not least, I gave our main bath a face lift. I was at Home Depot trying to find a solution for my grub problem (involving the lawn, should you be wondering). Do you love the smell of Home Depot like I do? It smells like fresh cut lumber. This one is hiring. I could work there just to have that wonderful smell around me all day! Anyway, I needed a few groceries and Target is right there. Even though I was saying to myself, "No, no, no...don't go there", I did. And I looked in the bath aisle. Seriously, I'm not a spendthrift nor frivoulous, I put away more each month than I spend (that saving for a rainy day is something that was instilled in me long ago by The Husband). I just love to change out the bathroom once in awhile. I have about five shower curtains and I switch them out about every three months when the plastic liner starts to get a little 'not so pleasant'. I saw this and thought what a departure it would be for me. I'm loving blue and patterns, especially patterns that don't involve flowers. Very different for me and I'm loving this sort of metamorphosis! Just the rug and curtain...didn't set me back much but I'll be darned, no one noticed it!! And I take the rug up every night because it's white and I don't want anyone's dirty feet on it in the morning when they shower. Oh, I'm so Type A!
Lastly...Chicago is hosting the Lollapalooza Festival for the ninth year in a row. 3 days long in Grant Park, it's a fantastic time and draws huge crowds. Lots of great live music acts and fantastic food. I haven't been but would love to go one year, I know many who have gone and just loved it! I'm bringing it up because you may have heard of it. And we have just been down for the count as a city if you follow the news. I want to give a shout out for some of the things we are good at, proud of. Say a prayer that the gun violence, here and everywhere will end...it's very close to home. I put my faith in our mayor and police department. I'm not going political on anyone. Just please say a prayer for all of the innocent people in our city who are facing this violence and the aftermath in these past few month. Chicago Pride!
Thanks.
Jane
Joining in at Thoughts From Alice for Sundays At HomeAndCindy from Dwellings Of The Heart for Amaze Me Monday
posted by Blondie's Journal at 11:01 PM on Aug 1, 2014
"GARDEN & GRILLING TIPS FROM A TOTAL BLONDE"
45 Comments -
Enjoyed every word! Happy weekend, Jane!
August 1, 2014 at 11:18 PM
Sweet Blondie, I loved this ost...you made me laugh at times. I like that you have a diagram of your flower bed layout. Your husband is like my Teddy, he'll eat practically any thing, so he would not be a good one to asked ,"How did that taste ?" LOL I like the hint about salmon on the grill. Blessings for a fun weekend. I do pray for all our young people to one day,know carrying guns, does not make you tough, walking away does. xoxo,Susie
August 2, 2014 at 7:27 AM
I have the gray and white version of that bathroom rug, Jane! Also gotten at Target. My husband set up some kind of hose system for us here at the condo and he says, "so you can water all your plants". Very nice of him, I'm sure, except he hasn't shown me how and what to hook up where. So I have no idea how to utilize it. I'll have to ask him to show me this weekend. We were having just enough rain that I didn't have to water anything but the urn by our front door {it's under the overhang}.
August 2, 2014 at 7:36 AM
oh you always give us such a fun post to read, love every word, I hope you have the very best weekend away and I will try the grilling tips,
August 2, 2014 at 8:08 AM
Morning Jane, loved reading your blog this morning. Your flowers are beautiful, from one blond to another, Hugs Francine.
August 2, 2014 at 8:12 AM
Hi Jane, fun to catch up with you today. Your gardens look so good! I think you may have a Limelight hydrangea variety - they're supposed to be one of the best in terms of withstanding heat, etc., and they just turn a pinkish in fall. So smart of you to keep your diagrams and tags.
Your salmon looks great, and I love those tips you shared in the party post (the chips, smaller canned drinks). I'll have to remember those.
Looks like your summer is turning out great - enjoy your time at the lake.
Rita
August 2, 2014 at 9:01 AM
Janie girl, your hydrangeas are a paniculata variety (possibly lime lights) and always going to be white and have conical blooms. Check out this link to see how to prune and take care of them. http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/paniculata.html
You may want to buy the Annabelle, Blue Daddy, or Nikko Blue if you want color. They are the macrophyla variety.
Hope you're enjoying summer - I am busy busy and rarely read any blogs . I have become a Facebook junkie! LOL. Hugs, Sue
August 2, 2014 at 10:24 AM
Isn't it nice to grill out and be surrounded by beautiful plants:) Love all of your blooms and I always appreciate your tips! Bathroom face-lift looks awesome! Have a blessed and beautiful weekend dear friend, HUGS!
August 2, 2014 at 11:34 AM
Jane, wish I were there to enjoy those delicious offerings off the grill. Love the new shower curtain and mat. '-)
August 2, 2014 at 11:38 AM
I enjoyed the post as usual!
Tickseed....not familiar with it but it is so pretty! :0
Jane I don't think that Lantana will come back in our parts with cold weather. I buy some every year because it flourishes in heat and drought and it's a nice plant for late summer but it never returns on its own ( Western PA / similar climate to you : )
August 2, 2014 at 11:41 AM
Hi....I really enjoyed this post. I do love the way you go from one topic to another and not dwell too long on any one topic. Maybe I can learn a lesson from you here.
The salmon looks delicious. Love the addition of apricot preserves.
It looks like Sue answered about your hydrangeas.
Lastly...Thalassa Cruso was one of my favorites. I used to love it when she appeared on Johnny Carson's show. He got such a kick out of her. She knew everything about gardening...
Have a nice weekend,
Balisha
August 2, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Hey everyone! Deb is correct on the Lantana. It is a perennial in zones 8 and higher. I am zone 5. :(
Jane xx
August 2, 2014 at 12:02 PM
Jane, I always enjoy hearing what's happening at your house. I think the hydrangea is paniculata And, for the Lantana..it comes back for us, but maybe if you put the pots in a warm garage or basement to over winter them? I need to look at the bath aisle at HD. Thanks for the tip.
August 2, 2014 at 1:40 PM
We have that same type of violence here. Drug gangs. Getting worse all the time. Wish they could figure out a way to keep those automatic weapons from even being sold.
Brenda
August 2, 2014 at 1:45 PM
Retreating to a flower garden and nature is a wonderful respite from reality sometimes. Phlox, although lots of varieties, spreads LIKE CRAZY! In VA, I was always tearing & ripping it out!...:)JP
August 2, 2014 at 4:28 PM
Great post Jane - sounds like you got a lot accomplished. My hydrangeas have not done well this year - to hot and no rain, even thought I water them. This is one of the hottest summers I can remember - no winter at all. I am so looking forward to fall and hopefully RAIN.
Mary
August 2, 2014 at 4:38 PM
I have to enjoy the gardens of yours and others since I fail in that dept. So pretty. I love TJ Max for bathrooms and bedding. Our Target never has much of either . Like your new touches.
We live about 45 minutes from downtown Columbus. So many shootings every day. It's sad how gun violence is so high right now.
Have a good next week.
August 2, 2014 at 7:23 PM
I have been a real slack, a slacking sloth! I am glad I popped in for a visit. I like the idea of apricot jam on the salmon. I have a love/hate relationship with it! Your flowers look so purty, and I love the rug and curtain in the bath. There is so much violence everywhere, I pray every day.
August 2, 2014 at 8:09 PM
Your flowers are so pretty! I had to smile when I saw the Phlox...just a word of warning from someone who is overrun with Phlox right now: it spreads like crazy! Brian just dug up two "stray" Phlox plants growing in the middle of other plants in our butterfly garden. I replanted them in front of the house...in front of those iron trellises that I didn't know what to do with. Have a great weekend!
August 2, 2014 at 10:25 PM
i enjoyed your post.
things to do with kids in houston
August 3, 2014 at 6:10 AM
Good Morning friend,
Loved reading your post this morning. Your flowers are looking so great. Have a wonderful start to the new week ahead.
Kris
August 3, 2014 at 8:39 AM
You're so funny. And your garden looks beautiful. Yummy dinner, too!
August 3, 2014 at 10:14 AM
Morning Jane! I thought my husband's aunt was the only one that had multiple shower curtains and accessories for her bathroom ~ lol! I LOVE it...but fear my husband just wouldn't understand....maybe another 10 years? hahaha!! Gosh...it's been a long time...but I went to Lallapalooza *gulp* 20+ years ago...can that be? YIKES! It was a blast...love to go again someday (my kids will probably make it before me!) Enjoy your Sunday...the house and garden look great :)
August 3, 2014 at 10:53 AM
Your flowers look beautiful! I can't grow anything but mostly because I don't have time. It takes so much nurturing and love to have a beautiful garden! Thanks for the grilling tips! :)
August 3, 2014 at 11:12 AM
I like all your gardening tips! We have Lantana down here too and it's a great perennial. It loves the heat, so it does very well here. Love your bathroom updates too! I recently replaced my floral bathroom rug with a more modern looking one and I'm loving it! Those little things can make such a big impact. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
August 3, 2014 at 11:39 AM
Your flowers are so pretty! And that salmon looks delish!! :)
Susan
August 3, 2014 at 12:26 PM
Those potatoes sound yummy - I must try that. Do you grill them on an an aluminum tray or right on the grill?
Up here we don't water grass at all in the summer. Our summers are dry, dry, dry and our winters are wet, wet, wet - so we enjoy green grass all winter long. Just going with the flow!
August 3, 2014 at 1:44 PM
I'm with you on that Home Depot smell!!! Wish they could bottle it up!
We have lantana and it DOES come back down here!!
August 3, 2014 at 10:46 PM
Hi, Jane! You were not sounding like you thought you were an expert at all, so don't worry about that for a moment. I get a kick out of bloggers who do proclaim to be experts on something. I often wonder if this was really there second or third time doing this or that! Thanks for the tip on the potatoes. I have never just laid mine on the grill, but I will try that for lunch today. we have our big meal at noon if possible since Brad burns about a million calories a day and needs some FOOD at noon. Thanks! Have a great day!
August 4, 2014 at 7:55 AM
Hey Jane,
I just got through both of your last posts! And I love all your gardening and tips. I have let mine kind of fend for themselves that last few weeks...other than watering. I like the update to your bathroom too, very cheery and crisp!
I am really looking forward to our get away...not too far off now either. It's been a hectic few weeks here and sometimes I just wonder where the heck does summer go anyway!
Hugs friend,
Cindy
August 4, 2014 at 1:21 PM
The flowers are so pretty! There is just too much violence everywhere. It makes me sad.
August 4, 2014 at 3:43 PM
Enjoyed this post very much. Your flowers are so pretty.
I like just about anything cooked on the grill...except fish. I love TO fish but not eat them. :)
xo
August 4, 2014 at 8:16 PM
It sounds like you are enjoying the summer in the tranquility of your yard. Love doing salmon on the grill, yours sounds like it ways great.
August 4, 2014 at 8:42 PM
Jane, always fun to read about your life, yes it's way more exciting then you think it is.
Truly...grubs, ugh...
But you made me laugh...like always.
Jen
August 4, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Your flowers are so pretty! Those white ones you bought that are "conical" in shape look like they're supposed to be that way. It's another type of hydrangea. Now don't laugh when I tell you this, but I know this because I have some fake ones that look just like those! LOL! So, I think they're going to stay like that. I think they're pretty. I like how your bathroom turned out. It looks pretty. I love cooking out, but fortunately, my husband does all the grilling out. So, I just leave it to him.
August 4, 2014 at 10:31 PM
Jane I love your new shower curtain and rug...Target has such a great selection!! Those potatoes look soooooo good!!
August 5, 2014 at 9:21 AM
What a difference a curtain, and a rug can make in a room, huh?!
For me, potatoes make the meal..the ones you shared look great to me!!
I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your gardens so much, Jane. I am, too. Except for the Japanese Beetle situation...they are reeking havoc with the roses!!
Great post!
Big hugs to you dear friend.
Debbie
xo
August 5, 2014 at 5:13 PM
Hi there Jane....
Very enjoyable read...
Fish looks great...
One tip from Mrs Potato Head...
I do mine in the microwave first...
That way, they are always cooked...
I have even done the sliced version...
Then I do like you...oil,S&P...onto the top shelf!
Just sayin'...nothing worse than crunchy potatoes! Hahaha!
Enjoy the rest of your week...
Cheers!
Linda :o)
August 5, 2014 at 7:06 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 5, 2014 at 7:07 PM
I've missed you and so enjoyed reading this...as usual! We have such a short window of time here to sit outside. By the time October rolls around, everyone is anxious. I have to say though that our summer has not been horrific this year. We're heading back toward the triple digits but we usually have them constantly beginning in June.
Hope you enjoyed your time at the lake!
xo
Pat
August 5, 2014 at 8:01 PM
Your gardens are lovely! I learned everything I know about houseplants from Thalassa Cruso...she had a public tv show in the mid 70's, and I took a tv college course of hers!
August 5, 2014 at 8:45 PM
You and I have a lot in common with our thoughts on gardening.I think most plants in the flower bed are happier if the sprinkler doesn't wet the leaves much. We are ground soakers too. Oh it is so dry here with our drought but we are hanging in there. Honest to goodness I was jokingly doing a rain dance in the yard the other day. :)
August 5, 2014 at 9:01 PM
If Phlox grows like crazy, then I need some. My husband built shelter for my plants since it is so hot here and they are doing great. Little trees I had that were stunted are now growing like crazy. Have a great rest of the week. Tammy
August 6, 2014 at 7:44 AM
You crack me up :).
I'm making salmon tonight. Don't think I have apricot preserves, but I'm filing that one away.
Your garden looks lovely. I'm jealous. Mine is terrible this year :(. My fault. Lazy I guess.
August 11, 2014 at 4:42 PM
You've given me many ideas in this post. I need to get my grill back out and see if it is still working! If not--it will be a trip to Home depot to get one. I really love fall grilling, because it is so hot here in VA in the summer. I wish I loved to work outside--but our land here is so sandy, (and the heat just is too much for me),there's not much that will grow,still my neighbor has some lovely hibiscus and my brother--who is also my neighbor--has a wonderful garden every year. That salmon look so very good.
August 16, 2014 at 2:37 PM