chlorophyll thrill

I realized this week that we've been in our new house for about a year.  Phew!  Our final house and porch renovations are on hold until after the current coronavirus crisis is over, but I'm really pleased with what we've completed so far.  I'm most pleased, I think, with the garden. 

It's no secret that I love flowers.  I dug up nearly the entire back yard of our old place in Indianapolis and filled it with them.  I didn't do too much in South Carolina, though.  The combination of clay/rocky soil, fire ants, and hot, dry climate with lots of shade presented some unique challenges.  It was landscaped beautifully when we bought it - I maintained it, but didn't plant very much there. 

Cue our first year back in Indiana. 

When we moved here a year ago, a wide bed had been dug along the front walkway and porch. There were a few established features (2 juniper bushes, a mystery bush, some daffodils, 2 hostas, and a bleeding heart), but it was mostly overgrown and weedy.

I dug out the weeds and went to work.  Through the generosity of a few local gardeners, the Lowe's clearance section, and some nice greenhouses, I've got hundreds of new plants coming up.  Here this same space is a year later:

I can hardly believe the difference!  Here is the old front part of the bed (those green things coming up?  Weeds.):

And after:

Another before:

And now:

The old garden bed stopped several yards short of the porch edge, for some reason.  I extended it all the way to the end.  The old front:

And now:

There are many plants that are only an inch high right now.  This garden is going to be stuffed and lush in about a month!  I'm so pleased.  I also added this side garden last year:

You can't tell from this angle, but it's quite large.  I've only got about six things there now, but it will be full soon enough.  A wind storm destroyed several of my little growing greenhouses (argh!), but I managed to save several things.  I transplanted 48 - yes, 48! - deluxe tall snapdragons this week.

I also managed to save some hollyhocks.

Our apple tree will be blossoming in about a week, and the lilac is about ready to pop:

Late spring flowers are opening, too, like this Jacob's Ladder:

It's a daily delight to me, going out early in the morning before anyone is stirring and poking around in the garden.  It is a happy family link (and one of the few that I have): my great-grandma, who was a prolific gardener, could frequently be found amongst her flowers with her cats and little dog. 

I've got the cat part down!

I've got some interesting things happening there, for sure.  One thing I'm monitoring is this:

They're coming up all across the front bed - hundreds of them.  It reminds me of obedient plant...and I *do* have obedient plant (but just two) in that area.  If I'm right, then I'll have a glorious display like this: 

(photo credit:  The Spruce)

Or, I'm going to have a ton of weeds to pull up.  I guess I'll just have to be patient!

For Easter this year, I dropped the ball a bit.  No big meal, no special flowers, no Easter basket.  I've been distracted, and I'm also severely limiting my trips to town - so no greenhouses, no spontaneous grocery store run.  I decided to make miniature carrot cakes (carrots, spring, rabbits eat carrots, Easter Bunny = rabbit...get it?).  I found a great recipe at Desserts for Two and used my Easter egg sprinkles and special (Easter) bunny plates.

So delicious and it added just the right festive touch.  Bosewichte was impressed, for sure!

Have a great week!

A Fall Ball

Despite the cool temperatures, my tomatoes are continuing to ripen. Twenty-five tomato plants can produce a lot of tomatoes.

I've been making soup, soup, soup, especially my favorite: homemade chicken noodle soup with wheat garlic breadsticks.

And, happily, I've started putting up my fall decor. I set up a pretty display of branches on my window seat in the living room. Unfortunately, the bright light makes it difficult to photograph!

I put the ends of the branches in a mason jar weighed down with rocks, and put the whole thing in a little wooden candle holder that I may have gotten at IKEA years ago.

Moss is my favorite, and I love to scatter it around. I've got a sheet of it under the candle holder, and have put a few pumpkins and gourds around it.

Out come the plaids!

It will take me weeks until I'm finally satisfied, but until then I'll keep dragging in tree branches, leaves, and seeds!

I recently had a little get-together for my mother's birthday. I set up a fall-themed display on our table, with chrysanthemums...

...pumpkins and gourds...

...these fir tree seeds that look like miniature pine cones...

...and some fall flowers from my garden.

Using some of my scrapbooking supplies, I cut out squirrel shapes and made place cards for each setting.

I tied up some pretty leaves and placed the name tag on top.

I think it made for a very pretty table!

My mother always requests carrot cake. I tried out a unique recipe for her a few months ago and she said it was the best carrot cake she'd ever had. I didn't like it as much, but she sent the recipe to some relatives in California and they raved about it, too. I made some minor modifications when I made it this time and was more satisfied with the result.

Taking the idea from my sister- and brother-in-law's wedding, I peeled some carrot strips for the top. I like the way it turned out!

Zingy Ginger Carrot Cake
Adapted from Sweetapolita
Makes one layer cake

Ingredients
5 cups of grated carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup milk

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a bowl and set aside. Cream your butter and then beat in sugar. Beat for at least 3 minutes, until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Don't worry about its curdled appearance! Fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour. Stir in carrots and crystallized ginger. Do not overmix!

Divide batter evenly between your two cake pans and tap them lightly to ensure that you don't have any air holes. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until centers are set. Cool and then ice with your favorite cream cheese icing.

This cake did not last too long around our house!

I finishes a knitting project for a special friend recently. I wanted to make something light and pretty, so I matched up two complementary purple wools that I had in my yarn stash. The dark purple that makes up the body of the shawl came from Germany, and the lacy edge is Malabrigo Lace in Pearl Ten.

I really like how it turned out. I still don't know how to wear over-the-shoulder shawls, but this is the perfect size to wrap around your neck a few times to keep out the wind.

The pattern is Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur, but I modified it a bit. Instead of the large, loopy picot edge, I made it smaller and daintier. I like it so much that I think I might make another, even though the bind-off of 300+ stitches was pretty painful!

Have a great week!