Dirt Therapy

One of my favorite meals that my mother makes is salmon patties (I don't think the term "croquette" was even known in my household), creamed potatoes, biscuits and gravy. A few years ago, she showed me how she made them, I wrote the recipe down, gave it to Michael, he made them for me one time and asked me to never request it again. He said they were gross to make (she uses the salmon that comes in the can with the bones and they have to be carefully removed) plus he has a major aversion to anything that lives in the water. I think at some point in his childhood, his family was tortured with fish or some other type of disaster, because all of them hate it. I eat fish practically every time I eat out and I've learned that if I want it at home, I've got to make it myself. I'm not that crazy about pasta and Michael loves it so occasionally he will have his pasta and I'll have fish. This recipe caught my eye when I watched Alton Brown make it and I decided to...

The big storm that has been in the news just barely grazed us. We got a steady sleet and just a little snow starting this morning around 9am. For a while, things looked ominous and the university closed at noon. Temperatures have crept up a little and it is now raining. If the temperatures do slip below freezing, we could be in trouble. Fortunately, that is not forecast to happen. Pansies popping through the sleet The cast iron plants on the patio still look good The Whale's Tongue agave is a plant that I wanted after seeing it on Pam Pennick's Digging blog. I've read that it is super hardy. It has had its ups and downs since I planted it and I moved it earlier from the ground to a pot. Hmmm, it looks like someone forgot to bring the pots in this year - Camellia "C M Wilson" has blooms - The whitest area I could find was behind the garage - Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

I had the day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and it turned out to be really nice. We had a wet weekend, 2 1/2 inches according to the rain gauge, so everything was still very damp. The sun was out today and temperatures were in the mid 50s. Tulips are best planted earlier than this (November or December are the best months) but I never got around to it and it was too cold to get out during the winter break. So, better late than never. I think they will probably be okay. Actually, it has been years since I've planted tulips. I planted them often in my early garden days but I learned quickly that they usually don't come back and have to be treated like annuals. There is one variety, the beautiful solid white "Maureen", that has survived many years in our garden. I saw this bag of tulips at Sam's a few months ago and the price wasn't bad ($14 for a bag of 100). They are described as "Mixed Colors" - don't you love those generic descriptions? I s...

I'd like to introduce a new blog to you. My friend Jennifer lives just over the Tennessee state line which is about 20 miles from me. We met a few years ago when she visited my garden. She has a talent for rooting plants and I guess you could call her a rose rustler. Her blog is titled "Confessions of a Serial Tiller" (I love it!) and I'm looking forward to it. Blog away Jennifer! Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

The recent cold snap is finally breaking and with it a sense of relief. I always worry about certain plants during the winter. Actually, when looking at the recent temperatures, they don't look too bad. After all, the lowest temperature we had was in the low teens. It was the span of the cold that makes me wonder. We had a ten day (more or less) period of temperatures below freezing. Maybe this is not as bad on plants as a sudden freeze that comes out of the blue. One plant that was on my mind was the Armandii clematis and I suppose the reason I thought about it a lot is because I can see it easily outside the window. That and the fact that this is my second attempt to grow it. One website says that it is hardy to -5. I don't know about that but perhaps it is hardier than I imagined. I mulched it heavily with pine straw and can only hope for the best. Looking at it today, it looks fresh and revived. Last night was another frigid one with temperatures around 20. The forecast for...

This is a great comfort food for those frigid days and we've had a lot of them lately. I don't recall where I found this recipe but I do know that I embellished it somewhat. It is very rich and filling and I like it with cornbread! Most recipes call for celery which I don't like. I've listed it in the recipe but it is optional. Here are the ingredients I use: * 2 cups water * 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli * 1 cup chopped celery (optional) * 1 cup chopped or shredded carrots * 1/2 cup chopped onion * 6 tablespoons butter * 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour * 3 cups chicken broth * 2 cups milk * 1 tablespoon parsley * 1 teaspoon onion salt * 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Directions 1. In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add broccoli, (celery) and carrots; boil 2-3 minutes. Drain and set vegetables aside. In the same pot, saute the onion in butter until it is tender...

We have really been enjoying the birds outside our breakfast room window. I got a new feeder for Christmas and something that I should have bought a long time ago - a de-icer for the bird bath. We have had some frigid temperatures this past week and this coming week temperatures are suppose to stay below freezing all week long. Lows will get down in the single digits at night. I dread seeing the next electric bill but looking on the bright side, maybe the cold will kill the mosquitoes. The de-icer is great. Since most of the water is frozen everywhere, the birds flock to it in the mornings. I see more robins at the bird bath than any other bird. They must stay thirsty. Today was sunny and cold and the bird feeders were very active. Some of the visitors were: Carolina Chickadee - I love these little birds. I really adore the little Goldfinches. The yellow coloring gets more vibrant as spring approaches. I'm always amused at how they love to eat hanging upside down. Another little c...