Mr. Prickles is still thriving! I can’t believe how well he’s done. I had no idea what would happen when I planted him, but he’s impressed me over and over again.
You can still see his scars from the hail storm, but he has a ton of new growth this year. I think he’s tripled in size since I first planted him.
I love a cheap project!
I transplanted some hostas and nandinas, and my mom pulled up a ton of vinca for me to use as ground cover. The only thing I bought was pine straw.
I can’t wait to watch this fill in. It’s going to look so much better!
The azaleas bloomed and fizzled out weeks ago, but I guess this bush had one more bloom it wanted to push out!
When the hydrangeas start to bloom it means that summer is almost here. It actually feels like summer is already here because it’s been in the 80s since the beginning of May. But the hydrangea blooms mean it’s official.
It’s hard not to feel happy when I see these blooms.
There is this spot in the back of my yard that is too shady for grass to grow, but perfect for the wild violets and clovers and other weeds to thrive. Of course.
It’s far enough back that nobody really sees it… except me when I’m playing with the dogs.
It gets almost no sun until around 5pm.
It will have to survive on rainwater alone since none of my hoses will reach the area.
It may have to withstand some dog trampling.
It’s been tilled out and primed for some planting, but I haven’t gotten started yet.
There are a few Rose of Sharon, some type of lillies that got brought over from a friend’s house, and a nandina already planted. My idea is to plant some hostas (that I’ll transplant from other beds), maybe another nandina (that I’ll also borrow from another bed), and possibly some type of ground cover… maybe vinca? I’ll finish with some pine straw.
I can’t believe I haven’t posted in almost a year. Where did the time go?
The winter blues really hit me hard this year, but I’m feeling great and back in the swing of things now. Spring came, as it always does, and lifted my spirits right back to where they needed to be. Nothing like sunshine and green plants to cheer you up.
I have big plans for the garden this year – a couple new flower beds and a new garden path! I also just built a deck and need to add a bench for seating. I’m really excited about those projects!
The vegetable gardens are planted and looking pretty good so far. Though, there is a neighborhood cat who keeps mistaking my raised bed for a litter box… but I think I’m going to fence it off soon. Sorry, kitty.
Anyway, here are some sights that have been making me smile lately:
Lamb’s Ear and Mexican Primrose
Baby Roma tomatoes
Ice Plant, Mexican Primrose, and Purple Salvia
Little baby blackberries
I gave Nicely’s Tavern veggie burger a 14/20.
Texture – 4/5 — very crispy on the edges, moist and soft on the inside
Flavor – 3/5 — savory, beany flavor with a slight spice, nicely salted
Appearance – 3/5 — looked tasty, but the cheese wasn’t melted and it was a little messy
Overall enjoyment – 4/5 — the burger was good, but I probably won’t be back to Nicely’s any time soon
This burger is made mostly of black beans, but you can see other vegetables, like peppers and onions, in the patty too. The flavor was good, but the texture is what was so great about this burger. I sort of think they deep-fried it – it was so crispy on the outside, but nice and moist and soft on the inside. I got mine with smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Unfortunately they don’t offer sliced pickles, which is essential for a good burger. The bun was a chewy french roll. I liked it, but it did make the fillings squeeze out the sides a bit.
My burger came with sweet potato chips that were pretty tasty, but they didn’t give me enough of them. There was a curry dipping sauce that came with them too, and it was just okay. It tasted like they took mayo and added curry powder to it. No big whoop.
Overall, the trip to Nicely’s was less than stellar. The service was just okay, and the food was good, but not the best I’ve had. I commend them for making their own veggie burgers and for serving local grass-fed beef. They need a little menu makeover though. Nicely’s, call me – I’ll give you all the advice you need!
I’m on a veggie chorizo kick. What can I say? It’s good stuff.
I’ve had lots of random vegetables lying around the house lately. My friend gave me a bunch of kale. I’ve got a few tomatoes that have somehow survived the hail storm, the bunny, the weird beetles, and the drought. You can’t kill a pepper plant, so I’ve got a ton of green bell peppers and banana peppers. And the potato plants did really well too. (Probably because they’re safe underground… ) Anyway, when you have random things and need to use them up, dinners like this tend to happen.
Throw everything in one pot, season, and eat it up.
Kale and veggie chorizo with potatoes (Serves 2)
Chop up 1 veggie chorizo (I like Lightlife brand), 1 bunch of kale, 1 green bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 small tomatoes, a banana pepper, 3 green onions, and a few stems of fresh parsley and/or thyme.
In olive oil, saute the chorizo, peppers, green onions, and garlic until they’re soft. Then add the rest of the stuff and pour in about a cup of beer and 1/2 cup of jarred salsa. Add half of the parsley and all of the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and let this simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve this on top roasted potatoes and sprinkle with the extra green onions and parsley.
Saute onion, veggie chorizo, Swiss chard (chopped, including stems), and tomatoes until they’re tender. Salt and pepper it and spill it over a piece of bread that has been toasted and topped with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
I planted this knockout rose in May 2010. It has quadrupled in size… at least. I’ve trimmed it back twice and it’s still going nuts! There is one more in front of it that is equal in size. My mom told me to fertilize them, but I’m scared that if I do they’ll take over the entire yard. Pretty problem to have…
