Botanical Print Bunting

I'm so charmed by this botanical print bunting from Peony and Thistle. The illustrations are taken from the book 'Familiar Wild Flowers' by F. Edward Hulme. I've been wanting to have an  iced tea party one of these Summers and this would be a perfect decoration, maybe used as a swag across a serving table.

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Come Inside, It's Getting Chilly Out There

Terrain Low Profile Hypertufa Planter, No. 2, $78.00

It will soon be time to bring in my houseplants and other tender things I've purchased over the season like my beloved polka dot begonia. I don't have a very good track record with houseplants. In fact for years I thought I had a black thumb because I had once underwatered an indoor cactus. Because of this, I assumed I would be a terrible gardener, but what I discovered was that I do pretty well with plants when they are outside, and mostly because I care about them more.

So I'm trying to care about indoor plants more, having realized that it really is nice to have some lovely green things inside during our long Portland Winters.

Here's my strategy...

 

1. Edit my plant collection. I know I only take good care of those plants that I really adore. Plants aren't forever. Just because you CAN overwinter a plant inside doesn't mean you have to. I'm trying to give myself permission to do away with things that just don't do well for me inside or that don't provide much pleasure. Kind of a cost benefit analysis. I threw a pathetic rubber plant into the compost earlier this Summer that had been on the brink of death for several years. It felt so good. Why we stayed in that abusive relationship for so long, I'll never know.

2. Once I have a collection of just those very prized plants that I know I love, make sure they have a spot to live that suits their personality AND that they are in a planter that I love equally. Time to upgrade from the chipped Ikea planters. I want to invest in a few new planters that really jive with my personal taste and decor. I know I love urn shaped planters, so I'm in the market for one of those. My chain of hearts plant could really benefit from a hanging planter. And some of my plants need a dedicated spot in the sunniest window, so I'm looking for a plant stand rather than the hodge podge of little tables I use now. I'm also looking at making a terrarium--I went terrarium crazy several years back when the trend took off and after a while I got sick to death of them and dismantled them but I'm craving another one now--just one extraordinary terrarium that can act as the star of the room.

3. Make caring for them easy and pleasurable with useful and beautiful tools. I think I want one of those plant misters. I love the idea of making a routine--maybe playing some loud Bach, tea in one hand and mister in the other, as I make my rounds around the house spritzing. Routines are good. And I'd like to have a row of small pots in the kitchen with parsley, basil, and maybe oregano. I think a copper tray lined with stones would be a great way to catch the drips when watering. I really hate having a bunch of little pots draining in my kitchen sink forever. And I want a drop-dead gorgeous watering can from Haws. Look how pretty that minty green and brass is--how could I NOT want to pick that thing up constantly? I'd also love a cold frame for outside where some of the plants that didn't make the final cut on Bria's Most Loved Plants list can still spend the Winter.

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My Favorite Thing To Do With All Those Tomatoes

I'm still waiting on some varieties like the plum tomatoes that are destined for canning and the Indigo Rose tomato. I'm dying to taste one of those. It looks stunning in the garden like a little round black eggplant, but I'm hearing the flavor is kinda meh. However, I have been enjoying a steady stream of what might be my very favorite tomato, Paul Robeson. It's luscious and juicy and just a little smoky. I've grown about 40 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes over the years and this remains a favorite along with Sungold, Green Zebra, and Pineapple.

The other day I asked myself "What's the absolute best way to enjoy an heirloom tomato?" and after some consideration the answer came to me: BLT. So we've been having some of those lately with some sweet onion. I love how the mayo and tomato juices soak into some delicious soft fresh bread like Grand Central Bakery's Como.

I have a TON of little tomatoes though and here's my favorite way to eat those little guys. I grew Principe Borghese this year specifically for this--it's the variety commonly used in Italy for sun dried tomatoes.

Although I'm using Principe Borghese tomatoes this method works wonders on any tomato, even those bland, sad things we get from the grocery store in the middle of Winter. You don't need cherry or small tomatoes either--they work very well but if you have larger ones you can just cut them into smaller chunks.

I cut my tomatoes in half and lay them flat side up on a lined baking sheet but I've heard this step is unnecessary for cherry tomatoes which will burst open on their own.

Sprinkle with some herbs de provence or fresh thyme sprigs or rosemary--whatever you're in the mood for.

Douse the babies with olive oil. Don't be stingy but you don't need a bath either. Maybe a sprinkling of salt (go easy as the flavor get's really concentrated) and some pepper.

Oh yeah, and throw some unpeeled garlic cloves aboard. These will impart some subtle flavor and at the end you can toss them out or squeeze the garlic out of their skins and include with your tomatoes.

Stick them in to the oven at 250˚ and then check them after an hour and then every half hour--they will take around 2-3 hours total depending on the size of the tomatoes and how much pulp they have.  They are done when most of the pulp has started to caramelize and you start seeing some browning.

You can freeze these for long storage or store in the fridge if you think you will eat them within a couple weeks--none of mine have ever actually made it to the freezer. I love eating these in omelets, in quinoa or lentil salads, on bruschetta with goat cheese, on pizza. Or just right out of the jar.

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Bloom Day September 2012

I  missed the flower party the last couple of months but I thought I had enough to share at the moment to warrant a post.  That's Mugsy walking down the lamium 'aureum' lined path which is showing off her purple flowers as she's been doing for some time now. The purple aster in the background is looking really cheery this time of year, making me want to divide it up this Fall to see if I can't get a couple more plants going for next year.

At my community garden plot today my Buddha's Hand Cosmos were still going strong and I'm excited to see how many seeds I will be able to collect. This has been such a fun plant this year and the bees are really appreciating it. I noticed some of the flowers are pure orange and some have darker striations as in the photo above.

The crocosmia I bought from Cistus last year. This one is almost orchid like and so much more showy than my other common ones. I think I'm going to try to replace them all with this one over time though I hate to think how hard it's going to be to dig up all those tiny little bulbs.

Here's my dahlia "lambada" from Old House Dahlias that I planted amidst the dinosaur Kale. I'm really enjoying having more flowers in the veggie patches this year.

Golden hops have such a cool form and I keep thinking I need to cut some to include in a bouquet. I bet they'd look really romantic spilling out the sides of a vase.

My newest love, my polka dot begonia is blooming. As if metallic silver polka dots weren't fun enough!

Rosa "Dijon" is such a strange beauty. Every year I threaten to dig her up and then every year I am enchanted by her rare beauty. I just love that dusty pinky yellowy combo.

If you're in the market for a purple rose I highly recommend the dark purple climber Rosa "Night Owl" and for a lighter version, Rosa "Moon Shadow" above has the most yummy light grape color.

The salmon zinnias in my community garden plot are giving me so much pleasure--they last for EONS in a bouquet and the color combines wonderfully with oranges and purples.

These nasturtiums popped up at the edge of one of my veggie patches and have been adding a lot of cheer. In the front is a fading orange poppy.

Thanks for stopping by--now head over to May Dreams Gardens, the host of the garden blogger's Bloom Day to see what's blooming in other gardener's gardens!

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Window Shopping at Cornell Farm

Yesterday I made a stop at Cornell Farm to check out their current selection of plants. Here are a handful of things that caught my eye. I loved the above Mahonia "Soft Caress" with its delicate, bamboo-like leaves. It is evergreen and has yellow Winter flowers. Sounds pretty amazing. Does anyone have this--should it be on my wishlist?

A succulent designed by Dr. Seuss, color palette by Bonnard. Love it!

They have one of the most impressive selections of succulents at Cornell Farms--I always feel like a kid in a candy store. No other group of plants gives me quite the same wow--nature-is-a-real-hoot feeling.

The plant I most wanted to go home with was this black-leaf daphne (Daphne x Houtteana) which is semi-evergreen and has purple pink flowers in the early Spring. I would have snapped it up if it had been less than $39.99 but it's definitely going on my wishlist.

Another exceptionally cool succulent--I love the architecture of this one and could stare at it every day.

This was a brilliant idea--an espaliered Japanese maple! Kind of like a pleached hornbeam hedge but more delicate and perfect as a divider in a small garden. I have a little maple that I'm thinking of trying this out on.

The little dunce's cap succulent that I've admired in the Annie's Annuals catalog but never seen in person. The growth was a little rangy on some of these (maybe it wasn't getting the hot sun it wanted) but it really is a cutie!

And finally the Tasmanian Tree Fern that I've been lusting over for a while. They had several small ones earlier this Summer and this is the last one. Someday, my pretty!

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Garden Tour: JJ Trips The Light Fantastic

The HPSO garden tour fun continues! This one was so good that my Mom visited three times in a 24 hour period--the first time on her own, and then the next day when she had to bring me twice so we could see if before and after dusk. You will see why the after dusk visit was important in just a moment.

I think every garden should have a greeter and nobody gets the job done quite like a gurgling Easter Island statue.

This is the Mt Tabor garden of JJ who owns the wonderful garden store Digs on Alberta. You will likely accumulate a wishlist of cool things for your garden as you see the photos, and much of them can be found at her store.

Take note of the GIANT red containers holding a pair of windmill palms. As if they weren't already exciting enough, they have another surprise up their sleeves...

It's easy to spend ages wandering through JJ's garden because there are SO many details to admire. Bright crushed orange glass turns out to be the perfect foil for some cool blue-green succulents.

You can see right away that this is the home of a gardener with a sense of humor and an outsize sense of fun. JJ was also the most gracious host--when we arrived she was holding court at a table under an enormous umbrella but managed to holler out a warm welcome to everyone who entered and make sure they were invited to a glass of vodka-spiked lemonade. You really wanted to hang out all day. And night.

As a lover of orange, this place was heaven for me. JJ really has a knack for creating fun little vignettes around the garden--so many good ideas at play. 

For some people a giant pair of malachite green foo dogs would be the centerpiece of their garden, but this was just one of many jaw-dropping tableaux. Aren't they incredible?

It's a totally cross-cultural environment here where the Chinese foo dogs, Easter Island dude, and Virgin of Guadalupe all party amongst the succulents.

This should really have been the first photo of the post because this is the entry in the front of the garden. A bright orange carrot gate really signifies that this way fun lies.

Bold and striking color combinations were present in the accessories but also in the plantings. I love this dark begonia mixed with coleus and creeping jenny.

When we returned after dinner, the garden had transformed into a magical light show.  There were lights drawing you towards the back garden gate.

You can nap, read, eat, and party here--there is seating for 60 people. JJ's use of light was to me the most extraordinary thing about her garden. There were all sorts of lights, from small fairy string lights, to lanterns, to...see below.

Remember those planters from before? BAM SHAZAM!  Turns out only the upper portion of the pot held dirt (giving you a sense of their size) and the body was hollow creating a stunning illumination after sunset.

Holy agave! Just too much gorgeousness. I'm getting a lot of ideas for plantings that will match my orange house.

And finally, my personal favorite, these punched lanterns are on my wishlist now. I'm told they come from Digs. They remind me of Indonesian batiks and the light they put out is really magical.

Three things I learned from JJ's garden:

1. I'm an orangaholic, through and through.
2. More is more fun.
3. You need a lot of different wattages of light in your garden so it doesn't look like an airport runway.

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Wow

I really don't know how this happened. The other day I was notified that Bell and Star is a finalist for Country Living's Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards, chosen from 2,830 submissions. To say I am surprised is an understatement but I'm trying not to get all Wayne's World about it (I'm not worthy!! I'm not worthy!!). It really is exciting.

The winners in each category will be chosen by a panel of judges but there is also a Readers' Choice award--I would be so grateful for your votes! If I win, I'll be flown to NY for an awards luncheon and be featured in an upcoming issue of Country Living Magazine. Pretty amazing.

Click here to vote

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Sue Skelly--Woven Cedarworks

 Moss-filled pillows with covers woven from Western Red Cedar bark strips from Sue Skelly

My heart jumped when I saw a photo of a hand-woven cedar pillow from Sue Skelly posted on the wonderful blog Seed Collector. Check out the tassels and fringe, also made of cedar. Incredible! Her work really appeals to my Pacific Northwest Tropics ethos. Sue lives on the Kitsap peninsula in Washington and makes all sorts of beautiful things from cedar recovered from cleared land as well as her own property. She's been doing this for many years, devising and perfecting her techniques as she goes. She also makes wattle fences inspired by those she saw in Cornwall but using the native cedar rather than the willow or hazel traditionally used there.

 Nest

''I'm still in on the fringes of the horticultural world and it is in fact how I came in through the back door with my cedar creations so many years ago. I had a landscape company in Seattle in the 80's.''

 Beaver Ball

 Woven Wall Hanging

 Blueshell Necklace

Sue's work has appeared in many galleries in Washington as well as publications like Martha Stewart and Sunset Magazine and she's done private and public commissions including a cedar fence at the Belleview Botanical Garden which I'm dying to see.

In addition to the practical and decorative items Sue makes of cedar such as baskets and fences, she's also a hard-core button collector and turns her finds into wonderful wearable art such as the shell necklace above. Dreamy.

I often visit my husband's family in Sue's neck of the woods and am hoping I might visit her some time too and see her at work.

All photos by Kathryn Keve and courtesy of Sue Skelly--thanks Sue!

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