Lets Grow

Friday, April 27, 2012

Garden

Things are starting to bloom, the perennial garden at the greenhouse is slowly being filled with color!

Mainly petunias so far since they can handle some cool weather. In a few weeks they will start to fill in and bloom more!

The grasses and other perennials are starting to come up, too.

Peonies are up and starting to bud.

Hopefully the weather will warm up soon and we won't have to worry about frost!

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Apothecary Jar Terrariums

We made terrariums in some apothecary jars at the greenhouse the other day. They were really easy!

First we put in a layer of the pea gravel, then a layer of charcoal and finally some soil to plant in. We used mainly Pincushion Moss and a Lemon Button Ferns.

We added a few fun accessories, frogs, mushrooms, snails...

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Honey Basil Sorbet

I have another delicious recipe using fresh basil! This Honey Basil Sorbet is also from Deb Terrill and it is so good! Easy to make too, but it does require an ice cream maker.

First gather your supplies:

4 cups water

4 T lemon juice

1 cup sugar

3-4 cups fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup mild honey

2 T corn syrup

Bring water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil.

Turn off heat and add basil, honey and corn syrup. Let steep for 10 minutes, stirring and pressing occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Pour through fine wire mesh sieve and press to get all the liquid out. Discard pulp and chill liquid overnight.

Freeze in ice cream freezer.

Top with some fresh basil leaves and a few blackberries...enjoy!

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Cut Flowers

Fresh cut flowers are always nice to have around the house and there are some perennials that work really well for that. I picked a few that I like to share.

Columbine (Aquilegia) It is a very distinct and pretty flower that comes in many different colors.

Dianthus

Echinacea-This one is called "Daydream" but these come in so many colors! Deep oranges, green, yellow, white...lots!

This is another Echinacea called "Secret Passion" such a pretty flower!

Gaura-One of my favorites-I love the delicate hot pink flowers.

Leucanthemum- pretty cheerful flowers!

Foxglove (Digitalis) This one also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds!

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Monday, April 16, 2012

I got some fresh basil from the greenhouse today, yumm...fresh basil smells so good! I decided to make some pesto with it. I used Deb Terrill's recipe that she shared at her seminar at the greenhouse's opening day.

First measure out the basil

Next put the basil, walnuts/pinenuts, Parmesan cheese, and minced garlic to the blender, add oil and pulse until ground.

Add oil as needed until pesto is soft but not pour-able. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I had leftover grilled chicken that i heated up and added the pesto to the top...delicious! There are so many things to do with the pesto; I like it just with bread or crackers, but this link from Food Network has 50 things to do with pesto.

Here is the recipe:

3-4 cups fresh basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Loosely pack leaves in food processor or blender and add garlic, nuts and cheese. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse until ground. Keep adding olive oil and quickly pulsing until pesto is the right consistency. It should be very soft but not pour-able. Season to taste.

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