Best & Worst of the 2011 Garden

We share the best & worst  parts of our day at the supper table...which the Tornado usually misphrases, 

"What was the part of YOUR day, Mommy?"

I was similarly inspired by Bumble Lush's Kitchen Garden to share the best & worst parts of my 2011 garden, so here goes!

The best:

After three years of struggle, I overcame one of my Nemesis Plants - the green pepper. The final harvest came in somewhere around 10 pounds...which I was thrilled with! 

We also grew our first watermelon. And it was deeee-licious!

I finally learned how to can this year, too. I'm loving that my garden keeps on giving and giving even when it's cold outside.. The sweet beans especially love the Peach Peel Jelly!

The Worst:

Remember to bring your freshly picked produce INSIDE after you pick it.
Can you guess what this sunburnt vegetable is?

The Battle of the Deer raged on this season. I've asked so many local gardeners how they keep deer away, and apparently ours is the only garden within a 15 mile range that is deer-tasty. :) My options next year are limited to: 1) a live wire, 2) caging in the entire garden, or 3) sharing. (grrrr.)

Welcome to one of the many Ugly Places in my garden. Everybody has a few ugly places hidden away, but these don't normally get trotted out to share. :) I found that identifying (and sharing!) the worst parts of the garden gave me a big push to improve those areas. (So...I'll be looking for your ugly places too, right?)


What were the best & worst parts of YOUR 2011 garden?

Winter Interest in the Garden

So I very nearly titled this post Winterest, which makes perfect sense to me. I hope to be rambling about winter interest in the garden, so it's like a triple whammy combo of  Winter, Interest and lots of ideas like Pinterest!

In my next garden, I am going to plan for winter first. Then autumn, spring, and tuck in summer last. I made the classical mistake of falling for the summer blooms in this garden, which has left me scrambling to find room for anything to enjoy for the rest of the seasons!

Here in zone 5, winter interest means texture, color and form. Nothing nice and southern like pansies! Pansies won't show up here until April, so we have a nice long 4 months for garden-dreaming.

I stood by this shrub and debated for a good 15 minutes last autumn, and I'm SO glad I bought it. It's the brightest green in the garden by far. I know it's something common, but my mind is spacing and I can't remember. Cypress?

The boxwoods that edge one end of my garden have partially turned orange. I thought they were supposed to be evergreen, but the orange is very pretty!

My favorite maidengrass keeps a lovely texture throughout the winter. I like that is also provides some height and movement (although the movement has scared me a time or two out of the corner of my eye!)

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I'd love to add some winterberry in the next garden. The birds would love this, too!

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 American beautyberry is probably pushing some zone boundaries up here, but I recently saw several at a local park. Their purple color is incredibly unique for this time of year. I will probably have to do some sleuthing to be able to find it, but I'd love to incorporate this someday too.

What are your favorite winter interest plants?

Merry Christmas

What a wretched man (or woman) I am! 

Who will rescue me from this body of death?  (Romans 7:24)

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

 he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

Smiling to myself today because I was thinking about telling the Christmas story to the Tornado a couple of years ago. We were putting up baby Jesus in her advent calendar and I was explaining that he was born in a manger, and didn't have a crib to sleep in, etc. She pondered that intensely for a few minutes, then asked me her burning question:

"Baby Jesus have a paci???"

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

Takealong Plants

If you've been a gardener for any length of time, 

you know the term passalong plants-

those plants in your garden that have come to you with a story. A family plant passed down through the generations, a cutting here and there from a garden friend...I love passalongs! They give each garden a unique history and story to tell.

A cutting from my great- grandmother's hoya

But how about takealong plants?

Since we put our house up for sale I have been thinking much about the loss of my garden. I've already mentioned to our realtor that part of the contract will include taking some of the sentimental plants along. (She whispered in my ear that she did the exact same thing when her house sold!) 

The last time we moved, we sold our house to a family member - who doesn't garden - so I had the freedom to take along anything I wanted...and the freedom to come back anytime to get more! But not this time.

1. Bearded Iris. I know you can pick these up a dime a dozen. But all my varieties were either picked up free at the side of the road, given by a friend-of-a-friend, or gotten at the thrift store. (My cheap side is winning out here...I can't stomach the thought of purchasing three for seven bucks!) 

2. Shooting stars. I call these triple lilies, but I'm not sure why. I *think* they are triteleia. They appeared in my last garden (I must have planted them!), blooming in early summer, and are always a big surprise. The green pushes up in spring, then flops down to nothing, and suddenly! -there are buds. Since I'm not even sure what they are, they have to come with. :) I may never find them again!

3. Garden Phlox (David). This is the Tornado's plant - I went with her to the nursery when she was a month old and planted this in her honor. So this one has to come, along with...

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4. Heartleaf Brunnera. My parents gave me this beautiful baby boy blue plant after the Professor was born! It's currently in the one tiny area of shade that I have at this house. 

5. Mystery Rose. Actually, I can't believe I don't have a photo of this rose, so I had to substitute one of my other roses. My mom had this rose climbing all over our deck when I was growing up. It's a bright red rose with small blooms in clusters. This past season it just stopped thriving in her garden, so I have a piece that is taking off in my garden instead.

I know from experience that these may not make the transplant, but I'm willing it give it a shot anyway.
What would your takealong plants be? 

DIY Chic: Orange Pomander Balls

 Since I'm terrified of candles, and didn't have the ingredients on hand to make stovetop potpourri, 

we made orange pomander balls this year to make our home smell Christmas-y.

(Although I'm sure the smell Mary, Joseph and Jesus had in the stable was more similar to the stench of rotting diapers that are sitting in our trash can outside...!)

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They are pretty, easy to create, and best of all, I already had everything to make them on hand.

All you need is an orange and some whole cloves.  Just push the cloves into the orange in whatever pattern you like! My fingers are calloused from bare-handed weed battles, but you may want to pre-prick some holes with a thimble to save your fingers some pain. 

Push the clove in as gently as you can so the pretty star shape doesn't break!

You can cover the orange completely, create patterns, or just use a few cloves. Traditionally, pomander balls are rolled in a blend of cinnamon and orris root, then left to cure in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks.  I didn't do all that, since I just wanted it for a few weeks here at Christmas. Plus, I have a sinking feeling I can't buy orris root at my local grocery store!

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Display your pomander ball in a bowl with additional oranges and pinecones, or tie a ribbon around it to hang from your tree. Mine is perched in a pale blue eggcup on my kitchen windowsill. Wherever you put it though, you will enjoy the beautiful spicy fragrance!

Black Friday Shopping Prank Video

Disclaimer: This has absolutely nothing to do with gardening. 

But it is so funny it made me forget I have three months of snow and ice to endure before I can get back in the garden! Enjoy!