One of my favorite things about this time of year is all of the activity that takes place in the garden.
When in bloom, Garlic Chives (above) and “Autumn Joy” Sedum (below) are always sure to attract butterflies and moths.
Wishing you a lovely end of summer day!
It looks like it is going to be another lovely day in Manhattan, Kansas! Wishing you a wonderful day wherever you may be!
Getting summer off to a beautiful start, our front border garden is filled with echinacea blooms.
Wishing you a very lovely weekend!
A few years ago, a friend gave me a few grape vines from his vineyard. I had just put an arbor in the front garden as a backdrop for wedding ceremonies that we host. I was undecided about what to plant on it, but Joe gave me a Malbec vine and a Cabernet Franc vine. The Malbec vine made it through the first summer but not the winter. Apparently, larger-leaved varietals can struggle in Kansas. The Cabernet Franc vine, however, has been growing strong; and this year, for the first time, it has produced grapes. I don’t have any plans to try wine-making, but it is awfully fun to see the fruit coming along. A good addition to the garden!
Wishing you a lovely first day of summer!
Wishing you a lovely day and happy shared memories!
A single yellow lily poking its head up into the early morning light …
Wishing you a lovely day!
Cousin Kate asked me for my Chive Blossom Omelette recipe and so I decided to share it here. Unfortunately, our chives are done blooming for the season – and I don’t have any other herbs flowering today, so I can’t make this recipe to photograph it right now. I am borrowing a chive photo from one of my very early blog posts and giving the recipe anyhow.  I hope that this post inspires you to use some herbs from your garden.
Thank you for the prompt, Kate!
2 large eggs, beaten until frothy
about 1 1/2 teaspoons of unsalted butter
optional: a little bit of Vidalia (sweet) onion sautéed in butter
sliced Havarti cheese, torn into several pieces
pinch of garlic powder
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
about 1 tablespoon of snipped chives and parsley
about 3 chive blossoms, gently torn apart
3 Â whole chive blossoms for garnish
Directions
Clean the herbs and pat dry with a clean towel before starting.
Preheat a 9″-skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of unsalted butter to the skillet and swirl it around until the butter just barely begins to sizzle. Immediately pour the eggs in and swirl them around the bottom of the pan. Try not to let the butter or the eggs brown. Turn the heat down, if necessary, while cooking the omelette.
Spoon the onion – if using – over half of the eggs. Top with enough cheese to mostly cover half of the egg mixture. Lightly  sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and fresh ground pepper. When eggs are very nearly set, top with the fresh herbs. Slide the omelette, filled half first, out of the pan and onto a warmed plate, folding the egg side over the filled side as you remove the pan.
Garnish with little creme fraiche (crema), a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and a few whole chive blossoms. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Growing and Cooking with Herbs
We’ve had a bit of stormy weather here in Kansas over the last few days – with more in store over the next few.
Some of our flowers, especially some of the roses, have gotten bedraggled. Others have really pulled through, thankfully, and they are some of my fragrant varieties; so that is quite nice.
The “Kiss Me Kate” Asiatic Lilies just started opening and are especially saturated with color – I think due to the cooler spring temperatures than we have most years. The coreopsis have also just started to put on their show for the summer.
As you can see from the photos, at this time of year, the color scheme for the garden is one of contrasts predominantly strong pinks and golden yellows. In a few weeks, that shall change. With its long bloom season and variety of perennials, the garden is always changing.
“Kiss Me Kate” mixed in with “Memorial Day” Rose. Spireas in the background and Golden Oregano as ground cover.
Coreopsis …
Above, “Secret” Rose.
Here in the U.S. it is a holiday weekend – Memorial Day Weekend. Wishing you the best …
We have had quite a bit of rain this spring. In fact, for the first time in six years, Kansas is not in drought conditions.
At least one big storm passed through the area overnight and when I awoke this morning, the sky was full of ominous-looking clouds. So I wasn’t expecting to a few minutes of glorious sunshine for photographing the garden. By the time that I was done taking and uploading pictures onto my camera, rain clouds had moved back in. Our weather can change almost minute by minute.
Here are a few photos that I got in between bought of rain …
As always, wishing you a lovely day whatever the weather might bring!
Working in the garden this morning, I was so pleased with all of the lovely fragrance lofting through the air.
“Memorial Day” rose, is just on of my fragrant roses. Can’t you almost see it dripping with perfume-scent?
Have a lovely evening!
A Taste of Morning 