Look at my Hydrangeas!!

Do I not grow the most awesome hydrangeas? Boy, you wouldn't believe how hard I've worked on these!

OK, these are actually my neighbor Linda's hydrangeas. Linda has the green thumb. Click on the image to see just how beautiful the blooms are.

These are my hydrangeas...sadly...


But look at my Russian Sage!!! Do I not grow the most awesome Russian Sage?


Yes, of course it's my Russian Sage!

Russian Sage has the most incredible smell, and the prettiest light purple flowers. It's great to grow at the base of something taller. I used it at the bottom of a climbing rose to kind of hide the bare stalks at the bottom...ok, no picture of the rose, it died. OK, not so good at climbing roses maybe, but DON'T I GROW THE MOST AWESOME RUSSIAN SAGE?

Now That's What I Call a Zucchini!

Our first harvest.

Summer Time is Salad Time

Summer time is salad time to me. There's nothing better on a hot summer day than a cold refreshing salad. I love new and interesting recipes, and as it seems we are always so busy and on the run, they have to be easy to make. I have a couple of old stand-bys and one great new interesting one that I just love, and would like to share.

My new interesting one is absolutely delicious, providing you are fond of the 3 (yes, only 3) ingredients it contains. Weird as it may sound, trust me and give it try, I made it a few weeks ago for a group of 10, and only 1 person didn't devour it.

Pay close attention to these complicated instructions...

Watermelon-Feta Salad
Ingredients - Watermelon, Red Onion and Feta Cheese

Cut the watermelon into bite-sized chunks and place into a bowl.
Slice the red onion very, very thin...then cut into bite-sized pieces and place on top of the watermelon.

Sprinkle Feta cheese on the top, then spread a few more onions on top (I know what you are thinking about now...just trust me).

That's it! ENJOY. Trust me.

Another of my trusty favorites is Strawberry and Balsamic Vinegar Salad, and goes like this:

1 pint of fresh strawberries


1 TSBP Sugar (I use a little less, do it to taste)
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Wash and slice strawberries and place in a bowl.

Sprinkle the sugar on strawberries, and add vinegar. Toss, and let stand for 20 minutes.


ENJOY.

Come on Already!

I am so ready to build this house. It looks like we might be only a few weeks away from breaking ground. Daniel the Builder is already doing a lot of the upfront legwork, getting all the pieces in place. I never knew there was so much involved...temporary utilities, water, surveyor for the house location, insurance, accounts with businesses that will supply materials, engineers...and on, and on and ...

Meanwhile, we are trying to do a little biking, working at the property (yes that grass does grow fast), and doing a little gardening in our wee little plot.

The tomatoes are still small and green.


I do believe Ozzie the Terror likes the tomatoes too...we find a lot of half-eaten ones.

The zucchini squash is beautiful, and luckily I don't think he's found that yet.

(He does eat chives occasionally, and let me tell you, you do not want him in the same room with you when he's done that. Just trust me.)

So far he's left the basil alone, and we've really enjoyed it, it's delicious this year.

I really hope to become a daily blogger soon, with much really exciting (to me and Mike :-)) house stuff going on. Stay tuned.