Hanging Flower Baskets

This year, I have 32 hanging flower baskets on the property, divided between the various 'rooms' we've created.  The front yard has 8 baskets, the backyard has 11, and the pasture has 13.  They are all very different, and I have begonias, daisies, geraniums, impatiens, mixed flowers, and ivy baskets.  My two favorites are the sweet potato vine and petunia baskets on the back deck.  Aren't they huge?

Black Prince Tomatoes

This Black Prince tomato garnished a wild greens salad with our Coho Salmon dinner last night.  An heirloom from Irkutsk, Siberia, the 5-oz. tomatoes are round and very uniform; the color is a wonderful deep blackish-chocolate brown. The flavor is as deep, sweet and rich as the color. A unique salad tomato, the plants produce a large crop and early ripening.

The salmon was marinated in pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled over a medium flame for 20 minutes, and served with almond rice pilaf and the green salad, topped with creamy poppyseed dressing.  Cornbread muffins were served on the side. This made for a wonderful summer dinner.

A Summer Day in the Park

I had a lovely walk with Nala the Dog at a Woodinville park this last week, and it was a true summer day.  Here we are, taking a quick break before resuming our walk along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Coffee Tasting

When I'm not living the Slow Life in Maltby, I work at Starbucks in Seattle, Washington.  Coffee is our passion, and every Thursday, we meet in our common area to taste and explore our latest coffee or tea offering.  I led a 'mystery' coffee tasting a few weeks ago, and let the group of 45 people decide what it was we were tasting, and which coffee regions the coffee originated from.

It was a fun exercise, and the group was able to figure out what the coffee of the day was!  We are truly experts!

Dahlias from the Yakima Fruit Market in Bothell

The Yakima Market in Bothell was founded in 1938, and still provides Western Washington with fresh organic produce after all these years.  I supplement my organic vegetable items with fruit such as pears and apples from the Yakima Market.  Also, their selection of flowers is wonderful, and they keep me supplied with tulips from March-July.  In August, there are flowers such as daisies and dahlias.

I especially loved these white and orange varieties, and they looked great on my new pine dining room table this last week in my vase I've had since 1970, a gift from my dear piano teacher Ruth Nelson, who taught me piano from ages 10-16.  She remained my wonderful friend for many years after I went on to college to study with the music professors at Seattle Pacific University, and this lovely vase reminds me of her beautiful personality and all that she left me in the form of my musical legacy.

Summer Organic Salads

Here is an example of some of our summer salads made with organic greens (multiple types of lettuces), pea pods from our garden, tomatoes from the tomato patch next to the solar woodshed, and organic carrots, blueberries and whatever else we happen to have in the house.  We use fat-free dressings we find at the Maltby Market, and we always have a large bowl of salad waiting in the refrigerator, ready to include in a lunch or dinner menu.

William Shakespeare Roses

Last month, I trimmed back this lovely rosebush in my vegetable garden, put new soil and compost at the base of the bush, and added some additional water and vitamins.  Within a few weeks, the rose had re-hydrated, formed new buds, and had a profusion of lovely dark red flowers on long stems.  I picked a lovely bouquet over the weekend to enjoy on the coffee table in the living room.  Since this rose is an old variety, it has retained the rich and deep smell that only the older roses seem to retain these days.  It's truly a spectacular rose to grow and enjoy!  And, of course, every time I see these flowers, I think of The Bard!

Ah, Summertime!

You can tell that summer is slowly waning, but for the next four weeks, it's still summer, and I intend to make the most of it!!  We've had almost two solid months of perfect weather, more than I ever remember!  We've had two wonderful beach vacations, my high school reunion, lots of garden club tours, and a lovely yard and garden to spend time in. 

Today we walked in the park with Nala, worked in the garden and yard, and are always busy watering the 32 flower baskets, perennials, fruit trees, and vegetable garden!

Snohomish Garden Club Members Tour--Garden of Dan and Darlene Huntington

This property was my favorite on the tour!  It featured a two-acre country garden with literally hundreds of perennials, roses, shrubs and trees.  Ornamental grasses adorn the borders, and there is a greenhouse, gazebo, playhouse, trellises and ponds.  It also has the most beautiful territorial view of the Snohomish Valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Snohomish Garden Club Tour--July 28, 2013

The official annual Snohomish Garden Club Tour was Sunday, July 28 from noon-5:00 p.m.  It featured eight gardens in Snohomish, and they were all truly spectacular.  This event, open to the public, is the main fundraiser for our club each year.  Some of the proceeds go to create the hanging baskets that you see on the main street (First Avenue) in old historic downtown Snohomish.

"Gardens are not made by singing, 'Oh, how beautiful', and sitting in the shade."  --Rudyard Kipling

The following posts feature some of the homes and gardens we toured.

Here is the garden of Karen Guzak and Warner Blake, artists.  They live in a 100-year-old Victorian church, filled with modern and industrial art.  The gardens around the home are embellished with abstract angles and flowers, and a xerotropic garden of blue foliage plants has recently been added.

More "Friendship Tours" with the Snohomish Garden Club

There are still several more tours of garden club members during the last few Sundays in August.  Today we toured four lovely properties in Snohomish.  Our favorite was this property right on the Snohomish River in the middle of downtown on Cedar Street. This garden sat next to the first home built in Snohomish in 1850.  The two Adirondack chairs had a perfect view of the river.

More Garden Tours in August

The Garden Tours continue with the Snohomish Garden Club members opening up their yards in August.  On August 4th, we continued to visit the homes and gardens open to us.  It's fun to see the gardens out in the countryside as well as the ones in the middle of the historic downtown Snohomish area.

Here are a few pictures of a yard just a few blocks north of downtown.  The property was entered through a very heavy, old wooden gate with beautifully weathered hardware.  Flowers were everywhere, as well as great touches such as the old pipe organ pipes made into yard art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Garland of Driftwood from the Sea

While staying at Seabrook a few weeks ago in July, I came across this six-foot garland of driftwood at the new home goods store on Main Street. I've draped it over the railing on the deck off the dining room, and every time I see it, I am reminded of the lovely Washington Coast with its miles of sandy beach stretching into the horizon.

Tomato Plants from Heirloom Seeds

My heirloom seeds for my several varieties of black tomatoes this year were slow to germinate, but I managed to get 10 little pots to make it to the three-inch high stage.  I put them on the deck for a few weeks to 'harden' them, and they are now ready to be planted in the tomato patch.  I hope there is enough good weather for at least a couple of them to get to the blossom stage and create a little tomato before first frost.

A New Pie--Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

I had an excess of raspberries and rhubarb recently, so I went in search of a recipe that would incorporate the two fruits. The Raspberry-Rhubarb pie had a richer flavor than the Strawberry-Rhubarb pie, and we really enjoyed the new combination.  It will be a favorite for our summer pie baking line-up!

 

Raspberry Glace Pie

This year, we had a bumper crop of raspberries, and we shared them with the neighbors and family. We made a lot of pies and galettes and viniagrettes. Here's our newest creation--a Raspberry Glace Pie. It has cream cheese on the bottom of the lower crust, and it's a beautiful thing to see on a plate!

The Garden--End of July 2013

The garden is lush and beautiful in mid-summer, and here is a shot from late July.  The peas and beans are tall and thick, and the squash, pumpkins and zucchini are coming along nicely.  My five tomato plants have fruit that is ripening, and the petunia baskets add a little color to the 'green' heirloom vegetables that will provide summer sustenance until fall arrives.

My Master Gardener certification is finally paying off, and this is my third year after my training.  My yard and garden are starting to show the corrections I've made since I have the knowledge now to understand how to do things right!

The Deck in Summer

The deck off the dining room is the most wonderful place to sit back after a long day, cool drink in hand, and enjoy the summer sun and view of the front, back and side yards.  The clematis creates a wonderful privacy screen of lush greenery, and the thick cushions on the Adirondack chairs invite long, luxurious periods of leisure.  It's our favorite place to retire to after a summer dinner.