Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

Many folks are related to presidents in some way or another. Some may have famous atheletes or artists in their family. We have this guy, albeit distantly, named Sir Harry Lauder. He was my husband’s great great grandfather’s cousin – whatever that makes him.

Harry Lauder was a popular Scottish singer, comedian, and movie star. (No doubt where my husband gets his talent – the family talent runs deep.) Here’s one of his albums.

He was a spiffy chap whose trademark was a crooked cane, or walking stick.

I wish I still had a turntable ’cause I bet “A Wee Deoch-an-Doris” is a rockin’ tune.

And “Breakfast in Bed on Sunday”… Harry you sound like my kind of man.

He was definitely “the man” back in the day. Now he’s perhaps best known here in the U.S. for being the namesake of this shrub, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick.

The botanist who named this species was apparently into early 20th century pop or a Sir Harry Lauder fan.

This shrub (or dwarf tree) is a baby that we planted a little over a year ago and only a few feet tall. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is a hardy, but slow growing shrub but can grow to be 8-10′ tall and wide. I can’t wait – I bet it’ll be a show stealer. And while the foilage is pretty, it’s best features are enjoyed in the winter garden when the curly, wild branches are stage front.

The shrub is perfect for zones 4-8 and is fairly easy to grow. Other than well drained soil and full sun to part shade, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick tolerates many conditions and pests. Check with your local garden center or Ag extension for specific (and more accurate) information.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, and if you run across one, do a little jig in memoriam.

So, what famous lineage do you hail from? Any Kings or queens? Presidents? Movie stars? Nascar drivers?

I can’t wait to hear your stories – do tell!

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Back at the first of December, when making some herb butter, I took a stroll through our garden in hopes of finding enough herbs still around to avoid a run to the grocery store. I was happy to find anything worth harvesting as the garden has been a little neglected since late July because I was working on getting this blog up and running.

The basil that was once green and vibrant, and a hip local hangout for bees, is now dead and dry. For you photography geeks out there, I call this dead basil bokeh.

Used all summer and into early fall for many a dish, including one of my favorites, basil pesto for use in creamy pesto pasta. Basil is a must for a cooks garden. In addition to the regular sweet basil variety we grew lemon basil for a second year and lime basil for the first time. Both variations go great with chicken or tossed in a salad. It’s amazing how these basil seeds dead and brown smell just like lime – like a crisp, fresh, just-opened can of Sprite. It truly is surprising that something so dead could smell so alive. I’ll be saving some of these seeds to plant in the spring.

Snuggled right up next to the basil I was excited to find that the cilantro had reseeded and was looking better than ever. Early to mid summer was the last I saw of the cilantro. It can’t take the heat. It was good to now be able to use my own fresh cilantro in the well-liked white bean chili – good stuff.

Thyme. Thyme is loverly for sure and one of the ingredients I was hoping to find for use in the butter. Fresh thyme is a treat to have on hand. I especially like it with potatoes and corn.

These red blossoms first caught my eye from the kitchen window and the reason I brought my camera along. It’s sage. Pineapple sage to be exact. It was added alongside the regular sage which we’ve been growing for a couple of years and is very different in appearance from the purply, leather leaves of the typical sage variety. Love these red fluttery little blossoms.

Of course oregano was to be found. Still vibrant and green.

Here’s a pain in my neck, mint. I have pulled and pulled this stuff up. I wish I would have known better. It grows insanely like a weed, sending out runners, flourishing when all else may falter. Here you see it trailing across the garden path. Damn you mint. I’ll get you my pretty and your little mint friends too.

After I gathered the herbs I continued to check out the remains of the much forsaken space.

Leeks! I’ve been keeping an eye on these hoping that there would be something to salvage. They’re small but sure were tasty in this scalloped potato recipe with some of the fresh thyme. Yummy yum yum. Nothing quite like leeks and butter.

And look at this. Carrots where none were planted.

Yep. Carrots indeed. How strange that they would pop up about 4 feet from where they were first planted as seed. The only thing I can gather is that they were displaced by an early spring gulley washer.

I’m happy to see these purple coneflowers.

As a perennial we’ll welcome them back next year and with the many seeds they’re sporting plenty more purple friends will be joining them too.

I’m looking forward to start planing the garden space for spring. Maybe I’ll try something new, as well as stick to what has been true. It’s been fun to cook using fresh ingredients from the garden – especially the herbs.

Do you garden? What are you thinking about adding to your crop this year? Or what has been a favorite in years past?

I’m married to a man that likes to plant things. He’s a farmer’s son. Go figure. Instead of a new tool or “man toy” he wants to buy a tree or a new plant he’s just learned about. He’s also conservative with the money, so with very little monetary investment he’s managed to comprise a wide assortment of plantings on our property.

When we moved about 2 years ago to a new home plopped in the middle of the woods we had a bunch of landscaping to do. Initially we treked to the local nurseries snagging any deals we could find, as well as the local sale at Clemson every fall. After that we spent a little here and there, but a large majority of our landscaping has been free.

There are the trees that he’s transplanted from our own woods…birch, poplar, maple and even a dogwood – about a dozen in all. All free. And all have survived so far except one. That was a sad day.

Then there’s Miss Beth and Miss Ineke from church. Both possess green thumbs. I can’t tell you everything they’ve given us over the past couple years when things have needed dividing or for them to make room for something else. What a treat.

And of course there’s both sets of our parents who we’ve amassed quite the collection of wax myrtles, red buds, bulbs, money plant, lambs ear and other varieties from. Needless to say we never turn down free plants and have a veritable plethora of specimens to try to keep alive. Can’t imagine what it will all look like in 10 years.

This year we’ve hit a road block. The Ginkgo tree. My husband bought one at deep, deep discount at our former abode but it didn’t make it. Considering the going rate for a 5′ Ginkgo around here is $100-150.00, $7.00 was wishful thinking to begin with. Anyway, this year he’d like to plant one. For that price, it may have to be a Christmas present.

We first became aware of Gingko trees when our former neighbor, JB, planted one. JB was like that guy, Wilson from Home Improvement that talked to Tim through the fence and was really smart. JB knew everything about everything but he wasn’t a smarty-pants. Any question we could ask that had anything to do with science, history or human relations JB could answer.

Once a stray cat climbed a tree in our yard and wouldn’t come down so we called JB. JB walked up in our yard with ropes and spikes for his boots and in a few seconds he was 40 feet up the tall, straight chestnut oak. JB was a nice guy. And that was one happy cat.

JB could explain northern lights, gross domestic product, the Electoral College and he was fluent in 12 languages. He also played the guitar and was even once Captain Von Trapp in a production of The Sound of Music, singing and strolling, guitar and all. A man of many talents.

Anytime there was an international incident, hostage crisis, or a child in a well, JB would suddenly have to leave town on “business.”

Coincidence? I think not.

His story was that he was some kind of inspector at an underwear plant in South America.

Rumor has it JB was a scientist on the Manhattan project, he actually did invent the internet, negotiated the Bosnian cease fire and developed Tang. JB, I don’t know where you are now, but man, you rock. You rock.

So when my husband saw JB plant a Gingko, he knew it must be the thing to do.

A beautiful tree, the Ginkgo dons fanlike leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall. It’s quite striking – almost glowing in the sunlight. Did you know that scientists believe there are no wild Gingko’s still in existence? Ginkgo’s have been cultivated for centuries in Asia and the Ginkgo varieties we have now are thought to be related to species that once grew wild in Asia.

Archeologist have findings that show that the Ginkgo’s covered a large part of North American and Asia long ago before the ice age. That must have been a sight to see in the fall.

Ginkgo’s are hearty. They can tolerate a wide variety of conditions so they are ideally suited for the urban landscape. Some of the prettiest ones we’ve seen were in Washington, DC and Savannah, GA. Huge trees lining parks. And of course Ginkgo is well known for it’s medicinal and herbal benefits but that’s another post altogether.

I guess I’ll be on the lookout for a good and healthy Ginkgo in the next few weeks. Unless of course JB shows up in the middle of the night dressed as one particular white bearded, red coated, jolly man and plants one for us.

What are you planning on planting this year? Is there an interesting specimen that you can tell us all about? Or is this going to be the first year you plant an herb garden?