Swallowtail

I saw a gorgeous yellow swallowtail butterfly this evening; she was liting on my red imaptiens. It was an amazing site. More photos and ideas, soon. Follow me on Twitter. Anyone out there? I'd love to read some comments!

Mantis

Saw a praying mantis last week;majestic. About 7 in. long. She looked like a hex bug! Could only think if Annie Dillard. Want to read all her work again.

Autumn in the air and Back Blogs

Like most of us these days, I've been bogged down in the mundane, and my mind is swimming with blog topics, but I dont' seem to get there. So, finally, since I'm blocked out of one site I need, I'll blog for awhile.

Fall is in the air, and so is hay fever, big time for me. But, it is cool, and brisk, and the house is not hot and stuffy. The flowers glow with their last color, but the mums are just starting out. I had a gift of a wonderful yellow cucumber that was tender and fresh with great seeds. I put it in a Greek peasant salad with homegrown tomatoes, feta, oregano, sale, peppr, and olive oil mixed with canola oil. This was a givt fit for the gods of Olympus. I scoooped out the other half, and again, also used a homegrown tomato, and made stuffed vegetables. I used bay shrimp, thawed, about 1/c bread crumbs, about one tsp. butter, oregano, rosemary, 1/2 c Mexican shredded cheese blend, salt, pepper to taste. I bound it togehter with one egg and stirred very well. I stuffed the vegetables, and put them on a greased Corning well baking dish, about 9 x 9. I baked them for 45 mins at 450 degrees, and they were excellent.

I planted the cucumber seeds in peat pots; will see what happens.

Sauces and other trivia: We had a lot of tomatoes this year, but the late planted kohlrabi and my early pumpkins fell far from their first promise. Basil is fantastic, and dried mint is very good. I choppsed up the extras, about 4, and used a small bag of grape tomatoes, as well. I added a 12 ox can of tomato sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, dried mint, fresh basil, and cilantro, and let it all simmer on low about an hour. It made a great sauce for pizza, pasta, and cooking as is. I used it with pene and homemade spiral pasta, and then froze the rest.

I finally go an orchid, too. It is an 8 in phalanapsus, forgive my spelling, and sits on the kitchen window sill. So far, it is doing well and I am very thrilled. I like to think of it there waiting for me, and it is one of my ways of getting through days that are more and more hectic.

I have been gathering flowers from my flower beds, trying to weed, cut down dried stalks, and taking the good flowers to work, or to my mom's grave. I mix holly stalks, my favorites, with lilies, marigolds echinachea daisies, red petunias and geraniums, a few day lilies here and there. I love to mix ferns with them, and even hosta flowers. I get compliments when I put them in front of one of my oil paintings that sits in my office. It's little things that help a person get through the day.

The blog is now on Facebook, and Twitter. Anyone who reads, please feel free to comment. Welcome, and a peaceful autumn to all.

Late Planting Tips and More

My seedlings came up and were ready to transplant - kohlrabi, pumkins, assorted wild flowers. I used Miracle Gro potting mix and my own recyled potting soil. It seems to work. I broke up the soggy peat pots and mixed them in as mulch. We'll see what happens. One pot was a gift for my neighbor. She has the gorgeous Creole hibiscus that is so lovely. On interesting thing I noticed; as the pumpkins and kohlrabi pushed up, they had pumpkin seeds stuck to their top leaves. I've never seen this happen before. Any ideas anyone? I used sturdy sticks and twigs from my yard and saved tie wraps to gently tie the vines and plants upright.

Another tip; I'm going to plow under my annuals as they die out. I've had volunteer viola plants, and geraniums that last for a long time and are gorgeous. Maybe I will have surprises this spring.

Also, bulb season is coming. Start looking now. I love gladioli and parrot tulips. Logees is a great sight for getting ideas and gaining information about bulb planting.

I also saw small orchids on sale, about six inches high. I love orchid shows, but I'm afraid to grow them!

Tomatoes are ripening despite threats from Japanese beetles. We had our own basil and tomatoew with mozzarella and olive oil last night. There is tremendous satisfaction in knowing that you can grow at least something of your own.

Terrarium tips: Micahels has the miniature Halloween houses and accesories out. The bone chair is on my list! Also, the Toob series has great miniature figures and even trees and plants. All are made of durable plastic and come in a tube about 1 foot long. They cost about 7.00. About.com miniatures and some of my vintage mini magazines also had good suggestions for growing miniature plants and creating terrariums. About.com had a newsletter last week.

Xmas tips: I saved some snapdragon heads; Kimport dolls used to advertise tiny dolls made of dried snap dragon heads. In Greek, they were called "Skilakia," or "puppies" in English. I am going to try my hand at making a couple ornaments.

Anyone one who has mint, I recommnend you dry it. It is great in all kinds of dishes and adds a wonderful flavor to all kinds of ground meet and casseroles.

Will take and pass on any green garden and household tips. Don't forget to check out office stores for Green school supplies, especially erasers made from recycled rubber. Also check out Terracycle.com.

A green day to all.

Rooftop Gardens in Brooklyn on Martha Stewart

Our Martha was featuring Brooklyn today. Google the Title of this post for some amazing farms built, yes, on rooftops in Brooklyn! As the pun goes, more than a tree grows in Brooklyn! [I recommend the wonderful novel by Betty Smith as well; it was a great film with Diana Muldaur]. Also featured were local restaurants and markets that use the locally grown food and meat. I didnt' get to see the segment on Brooklyn's flea market, the Brookyn Flea, but what a fun web fieldtrip that would be. Her website has information on it I'm sure. Tip: organic hair clippings from organic beauty salons for compst heaps and peppermint soap to drive off small garden pests. Hope this works on the Japanese beetles making lace out of my hibiscus!