Sunny Summer Flowers

Recycling Mood

I'm in a big recycling mood these days. It's just amazing how much "stuff" we have. And then if we decide we don't want our "stuff" anymore, we just throw it away! And many times it's good "stuff" that others can use or we can reprocess.

Some of the things I am recycling are: all the bathroom fixtures that did not break in the demolition, two bicycles from cleaning out the backyard, furniture we don't use, and of course our paper, plastic and glass trash. And there are still closets and drawers that need cleaning out, too. So I expect my list to grow.

If I have something that I think is of value, I put it on Craigslist or take to a consignment shop to sell. Success is varied, but it's kind of fun to see what happens and get a little cash in hand. If the item is not right for selling, then I try to donate to a local group. The bathroom fixtures will go to Habitat Re-Store, and the bikes will go to a group that refurbishes for kids and adults in need.

John is good about recycling with his compost pits. We put most of our plant material in the pits throughout the year. We are even known to stop on streets and load up the trunk with bags of leaves in the fall to help "heat up" the pit and help the decay. This is hard work, but it pays off that we are able to manufacture most of the rich soil that we need for the garden.

And the new gardens we are planting is recycling, too. We do hate to throw out any plant if we can save it or relocate it. (Mom, we are as bad a Daddy was about moving plants around in the yard!)

Another opportunity for recycling is cork. And for the wine drinkers out there, I know you can help with this effort, too. I'm contacting Harris Teeter to see if they have a local program similar to the one at Whole Foods. There are several national groups that are advertising efforts for recycling cork. Take a look at the websites for Yemm and Hart, Korks 4 Kids and ReCork America. Your local restaurants may also be involved, so ask around and see how you can make a difference today!


http://www.yemmhart.com/index.html

http://www.recorkamerica.com/index.html

http://www.korks4kids.org/Home_Page.html

http://www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/27315-Cuvaison-Estate-Wines-Kicks-Off-National-Cork-Recycling-Program-at-the-Food-Wine-Classic-in-Aspen

"Crop Circles"

No, the aliens have not been visiting at Hallmark Drive. It's just another project!

Since the plumber did not show this past week and is on vacation this week, the bathroom remodel has stalled -- no pun intended. We are at the point where we need the plumber to come in and remove the cast iron bathtub (300 lbs) and to set new piping for the shower, sink and toilet. Of course, we are moving it all in the new configuration.

So, John decided to take advantage of the weekend to begin to lay out one of the new garden beds that we are planning. This one is in the back yard and will hold our roses and boxwoods that are on the side of the house.

We are relocating that garden to revamp the side space for daylily beds. We are beginning to lose our sunshine and need to put our new seedlings and prize plants in the best sun. We've talked with Joey next door, and we will most likely work with her and move some of our roses to her portion of the garden and reset that entire area to make a coherent design.

The third component to the garden re-do is one in the front yard. We are planning a large oval inside the oval of the lawn. This garden will have late blooming azaleas, some daylilies, and our peonies from the back garden. Again, the peonies are struggling with the shade from the neighboring holly trees.

The last part of the project is to refocus on the "kidney garden" in the back yard. Once we remove the peonies, we will have a lot of space to fill in. Since that garden is almost entirely in shade, we are going to make it our hosta and fern bed. We have collected some new ferns from friends and family, and we are also having to relocate some of the Japanese painted ferns due to Prince's new "trails" in the yard.

We think this will be a nice way to optimize the sun for the lilies and peonies, and to allow us to enjoy the roses while sitting on the patios. Also, we will get a good environmental benefit by reducing our lawn space thereby reducing water consumption.

Prince and John "working" together.

Prince checking out the orange landscape spraypaint.

Prince "supervising" from the shade.

Morgan and Prince - Summertime Fun

Morgan blows bubbles on the patio.

Prince keeps his distance. Something about the bubbles (i.e. water) popping on the nose makes Prince nervous.

Morgan catches a big bubble with the wand.

On to catching leaves with Prince as the summer winds blow.

"And now, Prince, let me cover your paws with the red rocks. Good boy!"

Prince checks out Morgan's outdoor kitchen where the soup is on!

The cook samples the soup......

and so does the "help!"

Cleome Stars and the Datura Moonflower

This time of the year, the daylilies have gone and our garden color is primarily dependent on the phlox and the cleome. We let the cleome grow wild in the daylily beds and along the garden paths. It makes the backyard a bit of a fanciful fairyland, especially since some of the blooms are nearly as tall as I am.

The datura is an interesting night blooming plant that is very easy to grow. The flower begins to unfurl around 8 o'clock at night and reaches full bloom near midnight, lasting until noon the next day. The mature plant grows to 3 feet in height and width, and it often has 5 or more blooms at a time.

Both plants are self seeding and we enjoy the volunteers that come every year. Part of the joy of gardening is when some things arrive on their own and require very little maintenance.

If you are interested in either plant, let us know and we will be glad to send some seeds your way!

Delicious Summer Recipe

Pan-Seared Scallops with Summer Succotash

I saw this recipe in the July/August edition of Health magazine and tried it last night. Very light and enjoyable for the summer. Easy to cut in half or use as an appetizer for a larger group, too. Only adjustment that I would make is to lighten up on the cider vinegar a bit. Also, I did not have garlic and substituted fresh chives. Enjoy!

1 1/2 pounds sea scallops

Black pepper to taste

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 yellow/orange bell pepper, chopped

1 finely chopped shallot

1 large garlic clove, minced

4 cups fresh corn kernels (7 ears)

or 2 (10 oz) packages frozen whole-kernel

corn, thawed

1 8 oz bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed

2 tbs cider vinegar

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tbs fresh chopped tarragon or basil

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Rinse scallops, and pat dry. Pull muscle from side of scallops and discard. Season with pepper to taste. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a medium nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat. Cook scallops, turning once, 4 minutes (depending on size) or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate, cover and keep warm.

Lower hear to medium. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Cook bell pepper, shallot, and garlic, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in the corn and edamame, an cook, stirring occasionally, and additional 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add cider vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, until completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Pour in the buttermilk. Cook, stirring, until reduced in half. Stir in chopped tarragon.

Spoon vegetables into bowls. Top with scallops and serve immediately.

Calories 408; Fat 8 g; Cholesterol 57 mg; Protein 40g; Carbohydrate 46g; Sugars 7g; Fiber 7g; Iron 3 mg; Sodium 316mg; Calcium 110 mg

Mark Has a Job in DC!!!

Mark called yesterday evening to let us know that he received a job offer from the firm he interviewed with last week, Chatelain. They are a small firm in the DC area that works on a variety of projects. They are located in the Cleveland Park area of DC, an older residential neighborhood north of Georgetown, and only a 5 minute drive from the apartment. Mark will start with Chatelain on Monday, August 3rd. We wish him good luck on this next stage of his life and career!

http://www.chatelainarchitects.com

Heaven: Part 2

Just as we cut up Prince's old branch, a new one appeared from the sky Thursday morning! Honestly, does this dog have a direct line "upstairs?"

Branches from Heaven

Prince woke up Sunday morning to a great surprise! A huge branch had fallen overnight in the garden. It's like the mother stick of all sticks had been sent from Heaven! A veritable smorgasbord of bark and wood for our little stick-eating pupster.

Enjoy the photos of Prince enjoying himself and his big stick!

Bathroom Remodel is Officially Underway!

No turning back now. We are hoping to be through by Labor Day. With demo complete in 3 weeks, that will give us a good 4-5 weeks for laying tile, painting, plumbing, electrical and glass work. A little bit everyday, and we will have some great "after" shots for you to see. We will keep you posted on the progress.

Anne, remember, whatever doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger! :-)

Family Weekend Visits

Mom came up for the weekend. My cousin, Laura, was getting married on Saturday in Salisbury so it was a good reason for her to head in our direction. And with a stop on the way in Clinton, Marion was on her way to a weekend visit with Adeline in Davidson. Good opportunity for several family get-togethers.

Addie came down on Friday afternoon to pick up Marion. Unfortunately, traffic was heavy coming down and a missed turn lead to a small delay getting here. But, that gave us some time to visit and to share photos of Mark's graduation with Marion.

Saturday was a busy day. John and I were up at 5:30 a.m. hauling our plants to the Matthews Farmers Market. We left Mom in bed and Prince outside on the lead. Everybody was happy with that arrangement!

The market was busy for such a hot day, and we were ready to unload some of our stock. So after an hour, we cut out prices and sold a fair bit of plant material. We also needed to get out of the market and back home to a shower and lunch before hitting the road for the wedding.

The wedding was quite beautiful, just what you would imagine for Laura's wedding -- pink, roses, lace. Dott was a pretty mother of the bride, and Laura's family was all there. Mom sat with Dott and Ruby as honoree "aunts." The groom's mother was not able to attend, so aunts were representing his family as well. A nice touch to the ceremony.

Mom treated us to dinner Saturday night, and we all fell into bed sound asleep in about two minutes. Sunday was looking more like a day of leisure and no schedule to meet.

John was up early and he started on potting the mums for fall. He got halfway through the plants -- about 100 pots -- before he called it quits. Mom and I putzed around in the garden, read the paper and worked the crossword puzzle. We even got to celebrate Mom's birthday a little early.

We planned to relax with a movie after dinner and watch a DVD, "Taken." Well, it was an intense thriller with Liam Neeson as an ex-CIA agent who rescues his daughter in Paris from Albanian slave traders. Anything but relaxing! John was outside doing his yoga breathing to get his heart rate down before bed.

Monday morning John was off to work, and soon Addie and Marion came to the house. With Marion in Mom's car, they were headed down the road back to Clinton. Addie took some time to walk the garden with me. The daylilies are about spent, and the Japanese beetles are devouring the roses. But, there are plenty of pretty coneflowers, hydrangea, hosta and phlox to enjoy.

Through all of this, I completely spaced out and forgot to use my camera or take it to the wedding. I guess that I was too relaxed? Not bad. But, I did get one photo of Mom with Addie and Marion on Monday. Hope that you enjoy it!