Rose Cottage

 Rose cottage garden is growing beautifully, and (with good watering!) revelling in the heat.  Day Lilies I've been enjoying our book group conversations on the the daily reflections offered in local author Randy Woodley's book, Becoming Rooted . Each of the 100 brief chapters includes a story and inquiry or suggestion for implementation.  Today, whilst talking of chapter 40, Turning Tornados, I was reminded of an experience related by flower essence maker and practioner Molly Sheehan.  ( Green Hope Farm Essences  ).  During her visit to Ireland in 2005, she had a chat with the  elementals * shortly before she left, asking why they had been so supportive of her work. They replied , "We steady this planet. We steady our emerald island. Most often, we steady against the imprecations of humans, but we find in this project, humans working to steady the planet with us.   We thank you one and all for working with the Flower Essences and working to both ...

 Several years ago, my friend Nikki invited me over for a  tea party , both teaching me how to process the leaves, and sharing cups of her beautiful tea and simple snacks.  After tea, went out to pick another flush from her 9 shrubs, and she sent me home with a basket of fresh leaves, which I augmented with leaves from my own tea camellia, making a batch at home the following day.  Camellia sinensis Sochi Nikki and I both grow the variety from Sochi Russia, which is on the Black Sea, and the "most Northern tea," which is very aromatic and frost Hardy. Sochi is especially suited to  our PNW zone 8b gardens.   While the flowers are small (about the size of a strawberry flower!) Sochi's leaves are about the size of those on our common ornamental Camellias.  The flowers can also be used for a light and fragrant tea, which i first tasted at the Dao of Tea in Portland.  Tea camellia in center of the Tea Garden High in antioxidants, especially catec...

 Our Edible landscape festival mid May was a lovely, well attended event, and we gave away most of the 3000+ starts we brought! It was Hot - I was so glad we had an event tent Edible Landscaping booth   A few weeks before, we weeded our beds along Alpine, and covered each with compost from EL founder, Ramsey McPhillips. He also had a booth at the festival, and was giving out coffee sacks with some of his black gold - I was tickled to take one home for my own poteger.  Garden gold - compost We volunteers took home our own curated caches of starts, and I planted some of mine in a galvanized trough I'd picked up from the feed store. I also got a Rosemary and several raspberry starts, which were donated by a local nursery.  We intend to set up a new raspberry patch in the back garden, so this gives us a start.  Salad garden and herbs in pots This week I headed back to the Tea Garden I'm tending on Alpine with a couple of watering cans - and it's growing beautifully...

 And - the new induction cooktop is set into the countertop and hooked up, cabinet and drawerpulls are on! Thank you, builder Jorge and our electrician, Duane - it's looking much more complete!   Kitchen corner I love the clean lines and ease of function.  Drawers are on order for the space to the left of the sink, and I can restock the art cart! Using the induction hob is a learning curve - one of my first efforts was Rhubarb sauce with one stem of rhubarb, a handful of dried apples, some frozen blueberries,  a teaspoon of honey, some cinnamon, mint and a dash of sea salt!  Rhubarb sauce Enjoyed it with coconut milk yogurt on the back porch! This quick and easy recipe came from a gal cooking in the shed on her allotment. With the induction cooker, it's good to prep ingredients before turning the element on! (I did step outside for the mint sprig)  Both the wok and my cast iron frying pans have very soothe surfaces, and I just got some burner mats (saf...

 As I'm in process of moving in, we're beginning to bring boxes from storage.  Whilst at my daughter's, I used her stove and pans, with just a few of my own things.  I've been making my coconut milk yogurt in her oven, and this week tried the first batch in my small simmer crock pot.   The stove is too large for the space (it blocks one cupboard and drawer!) so we intend to replace it with an induction cooktop - my favorite pans, cast iron and a small wok, have enough iron to work on it!  I'm not a fan of microwaves, so though there is one, I haven't used it! (My friend Donna will be tickled, as she likes to heat her lunch in them.) * Yay! My son-in law just sold the stove! And my cabinet and butcher block are on order! One of the kitchen loads included my large crock pot, and I made a batch of black beans and rice that will be good for several meals (I'll freeze some too pull out later) Crook pot and Granola fixings Today's project is  Granola  w...

 I'm so grateful to love in this beautiful blue green planet! The first Earth Day celebration was a year after Neil Armstrong saw the earth from the moon - and watched it disappear behind his thumb, when he extended his arm! At that moment,  he realized everything and everyone who was important to him was on that marble!  This year, I was invited to do ASL sign for the songs of the McMinnville Women's Choir at an Earth Day event.  The celebration was sponsored by Zero Waste, and held at the Presbyterian church - which is one of a coalition of local churches with Climate Action groups. Edible Landscapes is an offshoot of Zero Waste, providing food and education to the wider community.  Earth Day Banners - Earth from the Moon The event is a reminder that we make choices that have an impact Every Day, and encourages us to make Greener choices.  Speakers included City Council member Sal Peralta, who reminded us that Zero Waste Oregon started with our McMinnvill...

 Rose cottage is finished (mostly!) And Percy and I are moved in! It's a process! The storage unit is still full, and I'm working on bringing over the bits and bobs I had at my daughter's the last 6 months! Kitchen corner We plan on replacing the stove (too large for the space!) with a cooktop and air fryer.  We already ordered an electric teakettle - loving this cheery teal!  Electric teakettle and Red Hat 🍵  The Concrete countertops are so attractive and easy to clean! Jorge wanted to add these to his crew skill set, and we were happy to give them a try!  My Feng Shui consultant Gwynne recommended bringing in warmer colors - orange and yellow towels and fruit to help offset the grey. I found some peach and yellow pots for plants on the windowsill,  and took Amanda Gibby Peters' suggestion of frequent bringing in of fresh flowers - i added daffodils to this bouquet from Incahoots .  The Oxford all wood bed is all set up - with linen sheets and comfor...