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This is the last weekend in the month of August and it feels like the change in season is approaching just a little faster now. The official start of fall is not for a few more weeks, but for now I want to enjoy these bright and colorful zinnias I have growing in my garden for a while longer. They are a favorite flowering plant by gardeners for many reasons; they are easy to grow, yield multiple blooms, and they attract butterflies and bees to the garden.
The joy of gardening…
from nurturing tiny seedlings at spring time, to caring for them throughout the summer, then finally reaping the harvest of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes. They are juicy, sweet, delicious, and full of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.
I’ve been buying and using strawberries from the local market while waiting for the ones in my garden to ripen.
There are many delicious ways to enjoy strawberries. This season, I’ve been incorporating strawberries into drinks, salads, deserts {Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp}, and as a simple snack dipped in chocolate/caramel/whipped cream. I will be sharing a few of these ideas and recipes with you in the coming blog post and into July.
With a few weeks of Spring left and before the start of Summer, I always look forward to seeing peonies blooming in my garden. Their long sturdy stems are great for cutting and easy to arrange in vases for displaying. Peonies are beautiful flowers, you can’t go wrong no matter how they are displayed.
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Simple, sweet and no fuss flower arrangement.
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Mix and match a collection of glass vases and bottles . . .
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. . . filled with peony buds and small bunches of flowers for an instant grouping of flowers. By adding a tray for the vases will create cohesiveness.
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In about two days these peony buds will be in full bloom.
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A beautiful contrast of Rustic old bucket against white peonies gave the flower arrangement a little “shabby chic” look.
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This is one of my favorite little spots near our back door where we enter and leave the house. So nice to be greeted with flowers every time I entered the house.
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One large pink peony was all that was needed to fill this white bowl.
Beautiful!
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posted by: Kay
This is Ms. Ellie, one of our 7 chickens.
Ms. Ellie has been living in our house for the past few months. Still not sure what is wrong with her, but she is doing better. I have been trying to get her back with the flock, but not quite there yet. I am very hopeful, just one of the chickens still likes to peck her {any advice will be greatly appreciated on this subject}. She does go out and mingle with the other chickens during the daytime and at night, her home is in the our house. The first time I forgot to bring her back in, the search began with a flashlight and calling for her {I don’t think that helped} just to comfort my anxiety. She was nowhere to be found. Finally, my daughter Hannah called me to look out the back door to see Ms. Ellie waiting patiently to come inside. I haven’t had any problems finding her now.
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Although it’s late in the season, I finally started to clean the garden. These little green pumpkins are just some that I’ve collected, not sure what to do with them yet. I will keep you posted on that. 
It’s time to pick the last remnant of apples for my applesauce and put away my favorite old rickety ladder.
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Already made four batches of applesauce, one more to go and I will be done. I put a little twist on the recipe the last time I made it and substituted 1/2 pound of cranberries and added a little more sugar. It turned out great. {find the recipe Here}
It’s moss season, actually it’s moss season year round… just more now and into spring time. These branches are simply beautiful to look at, the variety, colors and textures in one area. I think a wreath may be a d.i.y. project in the near future. I love using them in decorations, but not so much when they completely take over the yard like unwanted weeds.
A drive around town to see the fall colors.
A view of farm lands and mountains in the distance.
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Ideas are stirring in my head while putting this post together. Can’t wait to try them and if successful, I’ll be sharing with other things this November!
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posted by: Kay
