More Petunias

Here are more petunia pics from my flower bed.

Balsam

Balsam are pretty little flowers that are very fragrant. They make beautiful summer blooms.

Squash

Our squash is coming in and as usual there will be a ton of it. It freezes well and it's easy to cook. My husband loves country fried squash so i'll share my recipe.

Country Fried Squash

2 to 3 squashes sliced in rounds
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup canola oil
1 pinch garlic salt

Mix egg and milk in bowl. Mix flour, corn meal and spices in another. Soak squash slices in milk mix and dip in flour mix. Add to pan with heated oil, fry until golden brown.

Minty Freshness

I have a spearmint plant. I've never grown mint before but bought it on a whim. I'm glad I did because i'm finding great uses for it. One thing to know is mint plants can really overtake a garden so it's best to contain them in pots. Use a good amount of mulch around it to keep in moisture.

As for those uses, mint leaves can be added to lamb or chicken dishes and salads. They can also spruce up iced tean and lemonade. You can even make your own mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Of course, there are other uses too. The leaves can be dried and crushed into a sachet for a pleasant scent. I left a bunch of leaves on the kitchen counter overnight and in the morning the whole room smelled wonderful.  If you have a boatload of leaves they can be kept frozen in airtight bags.

Let us not forget the mojito. I made my first one last night and loved it. Here's the recipe:

1oz lime juice
2tsps sugar
5 spearming leaves
2oz rum
1oz club soda

Add mints, lime & sugar in a glass. Muddle the mints into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Add rum, stir and add club soda. Garnish with mint leaves or a lime wedge. Enjoy!

Salvia

I decided to plant some red salvia in the garden bed. I haven't grown it before but my husband brought it home because he thought i'd like it. I do. It's a perennial for warmer zones but here in Kansas the winter will be too hard . Nevertheless, it will be a nice summer addition, possibly growing up to 5 feet.

Petunia Love

I love petunias because they're not only pretty but easy to grow and care for. They're very hardy and grow in all zones.This year's batch in the garden bed is spreading nicely. My pots are starting to bloom and will be good showpieces for the patio and porch. Plant petunias in your summer garden and you'll never be sorry.

Thoughts on Container Gardening

I started growing flowers in pots a couple years ago, and although I made a lot of mistakes i've learned a lot. I'm doing a lot more this year and they're coming along nicely. I'm designing an area in the front yard to display them all and of course i'll put pictures up when it's ready.

If you want to start your own container garden there are many good tips at This site from the University of Illinois. Another site from HGTV has some ideas for patio or yard display. Here's a slideshow of my pots from last summer.

First Handful of Strawberries

The strawberry patch is producing like crazy and I just picked some ripe ones. They're very juicy and sweet and i'm putting together recipes for them. Jam will probably be first. I also have a blackberry bush but no berries on it yet. It's looking healthy though so I hope we'll get some soon.

My Chili Recipe

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes. It's easy to make and it's delicious. We like to have it with cornbread.

1lb. gr. beef
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 can(16 0z) peeled tomatoes
1 can(8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
3 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 cloves garlic minced
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, if you like

Fry up ground beef, onions, and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, sauce and rest of seasonings. Stir in beans, bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Put shredded cheese on top.


The result

Sharing Some Tips

A very informative article from Mother Earth News.
Best Tips For Starting Seeds Indoors

Strawberries!

Strawberries are blooming this year so we should have plenty this summer.Can't wait to make some preserves. I'll have to send my mom some, she just loves them.

Planted the corn today so all that's left is tomatoes and potatoes. I hope this awful heat gets better. 102 degrees today. All my flowers are in the ground or in pots. Anxious for my summer blooms.

Welcome!

I decided to start a blog about my two favorite things, gardening and food. It's mostly for me keep a record of things but maybe I can share things I know with others and vice versa.  Been wanting to do it for a while but kept chickening out. I'm doing it now for better or worse.

So far in the veggie garden we have kale, Swiss chard and green beans. Still have a bit of tilling to do before the rest. The flower planting is more or less complete. I went heavy on the petunias this year because I have good luck with them and they're very hardy. Marigolds and cosmos are also very easy to grow. We lost two rosebushes and had to replace them and we're trying peonies again even though last year's died.