Surprised By My New Kitchen Garden

 

 Sunshine and plenty of rain,

has given me a basket of greens.

 

 

The surprise comes from the fact that....

 this small kitchen garden

 was only planted at the end of July,

 when I first moved to the bungalow.

 

 

One of the wonderful things about buying an older home,

can be the surprises that pop up in the garden beds.

 

See the lily shoots that have sprung-up,

 under the newly transplanted rose bush?

 

Apparently the owner before me,

 planted a few bulbs behind the studio.

 

I love surprises like that......

especially on a Monday.

Meggie Mac

Sharing Some Thoughts With You....

 

Can you believe it?

A red rose blooming in November.

 

And the most amazing thing is....

shortly after buying the bungalow in August,

the old, established rose bush

 was cut back and transplanted.

 

There is a new post on

Bungalow Living with Meggie

You may either click HERE or,

 the tiny blue bungalow icon on the upper right side of this page.

 

I simply cannot post without a few words about yesterdays' unspeakable events.

"I am so saddened by the shocking news from Paris.  

My prayers are for the families,

and

for Peace for all of us."

Meggie Mac

 

The Joy of a Seed Catalog....in January

 

With January quickly coming to an end, it's time to start planning this years' vegetable and flower garden.

 

I know it must sound silly, but I actually get giddy thinking about the new seed catalog. Do you get excited thumbing through the pages?

 

 

Yesterday, the much anticipated catalog arrived !

 

 

I started ordering my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds when I still owned the farm. Click HERE, if you would like to order their free catalog, or just browse the online catalog.

 

 

So tonight, after dinner, I will begin my 2015 Garden Plans. I know my eyes will be bigger than my budget.

 

 

What fun it is to grow something new from a faraway land, like the Kajari Melon. It is believed to originate in the Punjab region of India.

 

 

In the meantime, I still have a few herbs growing.

 

 

 

Even with the temperatures dipping in the 20's, I have managed to keep parsley, cilantro, chives, and sage growing. I simply cover them with a large clay pot, protecting them during the night.

 

 

The Iceland Poppy (Papaver) offers some cool weather blooms.

 

 

Also, the ornamental cabbage thrives through the cool nights.

 

 

And best of all, I will soon have a pot of blooming narcissus

to cheer me on....

 

Meggie Mac

The Dance of Autumn in Texas

 

November has arrived bringing some cooler weather. But in my part of Texas, Autumn still does the occasional dance with the lingering warm days of summer.

 

Once the calendar indicates Autumn has arrived, Texas usually has a few days where the temperatures take a dip.

 

Today it truly feels like Autumn is here.

 

 I have adorned all the outside doorways with the happy color of  pumpkins.

 

The sign, barely visible, says, "Every Garden Tells a Story".

My dear readers,

do you agree with this saying?

When looking at my garden, you know which colors I favor. My style is casual, with flowers spilling over the walkways.

 

 

The older cottage, I recently purchased, had no walkways, flowers or shrubs. Even with more stones to be set, the winding pathway to the front entrance is beginning to take shape.

 

 

My very own stone wall, waiting for shrubs to be planted.

 

 

As I had hoped, the flowers of the back garden are now draping over the retaining wall. You can read the story of the retaining wall ...HERE.

 

 

It pleases me to know the few flowers, I managed to plant in this "first year garden",

are thriving.....

 

 

And the rushing water, off the hill, has now been tamed....

Meggie Mac

An Early Morning Walk Through the Garden

Many mornings I start my day by having tea on the side porch. It is a place to watch the sunrise and plan out my day.

When I moved to Das Kleine Haus last August, there was virtually nothing but grass and weeds, with a dividing wire fence.

Working with the two spaces since early January, a new garden began to take shape.

The existing wire fence is now being used as a trellis for my cucumbers....

                       It won't be long before I can add them to a salad or make Icebox Pickles.

Have you ever grown fennel? This is my first year to give it a try. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be sautéed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw.

The fennel top reminds me of a delicate fern. Eventually it will flower and make seeds.

The dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice used in cooking and sweet desserts.

I've also planted a fig tree that is producing a few figs. 

With the help of my handyman, Benjamin, and my pick-up truck, I have toted all the landscape rocks, pavers, new soil, and decomposed granite to the house.

 

                         Some of the daylilies I brought from the farm, have begun to bloom.

Most of the plants were purchased this spring.

The lean-to greenhouse is almost complete. The decorative trim, in the photo, is re-purposed from a previous project at the farm.

Projects are slow going because the carpenter is available only on Saturday. Here is where I will plant the seeds for next year's garden.

As you can see, he is a bit of a perfectionist. I asked for a place to set my seedlings on....this is what he came up with for the tiny space.

He said he angled the corner so I wouldn't bump into it. I'm so impressed!

Would you not agree....gardening is a great way to work out the daily stress of life?

Meggie Mac

 

 

 

Thursday and a Garden Show and Tell

When I moved from the farm, I brought very little of the flower gardens. I just couldn't part with my adorable cherub.

 Many years ago, a friend was re-designing his garden. I was only too happy to take away the discarded statue. I have lugged the 3 foot cherub from several homes, as I have moved.

Looking around at other cherubs, I've yet to see this particular one. If you click on the photo, you can see the exquisite details, like the hollow in the throat. (Suprasternal Notch)

Click on Photo

I also brought one of my water lilies, in a small black container. The sun was just right to get the beautiful reflection of the cherub.

You can see the hibernating water lily under the surface of the water. The wood rail is also a reflection of the deck above.

For the most part, the new flower gardens are just an idea on paper.

 I've planted a few blue delphiniums for spring flowering.

The lilac colored flowers, of the Society Garlic, will continue to bloom through-out the warmer summer.

It looks like I might have several pears on the recently planted fruit trees...that is, if we don't have a late freeze.

Meggie Mac

Please check out Gerda @ Number 11....She has written a lovely post for Thursday's Show and Tell.

Starting Over with a New Garden

Does this remind you of a tulip? Look a little closer...it is a bud on a compact size magnolia tree.

I couldn't resist buying the "Jane Magnolia" for my new garden at Das Kleine Haus.








For many years, I worked on the gardens at the Farm. Most of you followed me all last year as I recorded everything from the spring planting of seeds, in the greenhouse, to the hot days in summer with all the daylilies and roses in bloom.

Now, I have a chance to start over with new garden plans and a blank slate.  It is hard work, removing grass and digging new beds.

Benjamin preparing a hole for the Palm Tree

I still have my trusty handyman, Benjamin, who has worked for me over 15 years or so. He arrives every Friday morning to work 3 hours with the very heavy chores, like moving a palm tree.

Daylilies, I brought from the farm, are already peeking through the mulch.

Sugar snap peas, trailing along the fence,  are blooming...



Click on Photo

and small pea pods are beginning to form.

You may find it difficult to believe, but these are tiny early tomatoes. They are growing in my cold frame. With my night-time temperatures dropping in the high 30's this week, I will simply close the top of the cold frame to protect them.

For cool weather blooms, you can always count on Dianthus. You may know them as Sweet Williams or Pinks.

Meggie Mac