Category Archives: General Gardening

June 4, 2015 · 10:55 PM

Bunnies and more bunnies and strawberry jam.

This year has been a prolific year for the rabbits in the garden. I will be pulling weeds for hours than SWOOSH! One will jump right in front of me!

And they come out during daylight with no fears!

And eat

And hop

But it is Strawberry Season! Crates and crates of them at the Raleigh Farmer’s Market.

So I make jam!

Cook them down and mash them with sugar, lemon juice, and pectin.

And I didn’t core them but used a potato masher to crush them and make a lovely jam

And it was easy!

I used the “Homemade Strawberry Jam” recipe from the Ball jar website: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/strawberry-jam

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Filed under cooking, Food, General Gardening

Tagged as Bunnies, jam, rabbits, Strawberries

May 13, 2015 · 2:52 AM

A few of my favorite things so far this Spring.

Some of my favorite things so far this Spring:

Chives: the chives have seemed to really enjoyed the cold Winter. They are blooming like crazy and I really need to use them in the kitchen before the heat slows them down!

Asparagus of Spring!

Spring means asparagus! Roasted for about 20 minutes at 400f, squeeze a little lemon over them and your fed! Nothing better! Season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and sometimes dill.

Taking Gus for a car ride. In this picture he had spent the day at North Carolina State University veterinarian teaching hospital to donate blood for their emergency clinic.

And hidden Raleigh: The Pullen Park carousel dates from about 1900, making it one the earliest Dentzels still in operation. Its paramount feature is a menagerie of 52 hand-carved wooden animals,

And more hidden Raleigh: JC Park trail- a secret little park which I like to think that I only know about!

Did I mention Gus?

And more Gus

And my daily Iced mocha latte

And now out to the garden… See you around dinner time!

xxx

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Filed under General Gardening

May 9, 2015 · 12:30 PM

Let the season begin!

Every morning I begin my day with a iced mocha latte, of course.

I have made several trips to nurseries on my days off this week! I have decided that 2015 with be the Summer of the Begonia! I purchased a large flat of pink begonias and several other plants, including a Snowdrop or Silverbell Tree (Halesia).

The City of Raleigh and the State of North Carolina have finally agreed to a purchase agreement for the Dorothea Dix Hospital property creating a future park almost in the heart of the city. This street on the back of the 300 acres of the future park is my favorite because of the large oaks and Sycamores. I take this way to the Farmer’s Market on the back side of the State owned property and North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus.

It must have been too early at 8am on a Friday because it was quiet at the Farmer’s Market?

Later Friday afternoon we enjoyed the great weather and walked about Downtown Raleigh. The Union Square is where the State Capitol building is located and has several specimens of the North Carolina native trees planted through out the square. The State Capitol Building was spared from destruction during the US Civil War and is a beautiful building.

Even Tobaccolandia (as I call her) holding up a tobacco leaf at the war memorial is beautiful with the SECU building as a backdrop in the afternoon light.