Skip to main content

Featured

Homemade Pretzels

I haven't made homemade pretzels since we were in Alabama and I had forgotten how easy they are if not a little time consuming. I made these last week for Oscar night. They keep a long time in an airtight container. 1   (.25 ounce) package   active dry yeast 1 tablespoons   brown sugar 1  teaspoons   salt 1 ½   cups   warm water (110 degrees) 3   cups   all-purpose flour 1   cup   bread flour 2   cups   warm water (110 degrees) 2   tablespoons   baking soda 1-2   tablespoons   butter, melted 2   tablespoons  kosher salt Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1.5 cups of warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in the flour. Knead for about 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise for an hour (I place mine in the oven with the light on). Combine the two cups of warm water with the baking soda in a square shallow pan. After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 equal pieces.  Roll each section into a
2 comments
Read more
Labels

Climbing Cecile Brunner - the view from above

Climbing Cecile Brunner is glorious at the moment. Unfortunately, the best way to see it is from the roof of our house. Planted at the back entrance, it quickly overcome the little roof-top over the back door, so we built a big 10-feet tall arbor to grow it on. It is so high up that, unless you look up, you'll miss the blooms. This evening I decided to get up on the roof and photograph it from above.

First, the view from below, the way we normally see it:




 The view from standing on the roof:





Now, there are two windows upstairs that overlook this rose but they are small and we are rarely upstairs. Maybe this view will lure me upstairs more during the next several weeks. Quite a difference!


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. CarolineApril 18, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    Wow! You're brave! Great shots. Now get down from there before you hurt yourself! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary AnnApril 18, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    So beautiful! I just placed an order for six new antique roses at a local nursery....and I'm really KICKING myself I didn't check the availability of Cecile Brunner. Ahhhhh!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. sherryocalaApril 18, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    She's magnificent, that's for sure. Is she very thorny? Do you prune her or just let her be? I've loved your website in the past, and now I'm one of your blog followers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MashaApril 18, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    Gorgeous! Mine is just beginning to bloom. This is such a lovely rose with wonderful fragrance that I will always grow it even if it takes up half of my entire back yard!

    ReplyDelete
  5. JessApril 18, 2011 at 8:15 PM

    Wow. This is magnificent. Do you have any issues with BS?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tallulah's Antique ClosetApril 18, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Beautiful blooms! I have this rose also but not as big. That is a real show stopper.....Julian

    ReplyDelete
  7. Phillip OliverApril 18, 2011 at 9:02 PM

    M.A., you can always place another order!

    Sherryocala, it is a thorny rose. I don't do much pruning on it because it is so hard to reach (even with a ladder).

    Jess, I've not noticed BS on this one but, as you can see, it is hard to monitor it. I do have many other roses that are fairly resistant to BS.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LolaApril 18, 2011 at 9:07 PM

    Your rose looks like the one I had except mine had 7 or 8 blooms together like a bouquet. It sure was thorny. It was very pretty. It got so big I gave it away but they have come out from the roots. It could take over.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Catherine@AGardenerinProgressApril 18, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    That is beautiful! I had one of those roses years ago and it quickly outgrew it's spot no matter how much I pruned it. It now lives at my friend's where it has more space to grow, but I don't think it has ever had that many blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LarryApril 18, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    I revel in your photos as I prepare for 6-10" of snow flattening our gardens tomorrow... L

    ReplyDelete
  11. FawneApril 18, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    That view from above is stunning and you are quite the brave sole to clime on the roof for those pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fishtail CottageApril 18, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    Stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Gardener on Sherlock StreetApril 19, 2011 at 4:54 AM

    That is beautiful. It is really performing. What a great view from upstairs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. DarlaApril 19, 2011 at 5:07 AM

    So, so beautiful....you be careful!

    ReplyDelete
  15. AmandaApril 19, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    Thanks for risking your neck to show us. They are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lisa BlairApril 19, 2011 at 7:07 AM

    Holy moly, Phillip! That's one plant? Amazing! Thanks for risking your life on the roof so that we could catch a glimpse :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. SheilaApril 19, 2011 at 10:06 AM

    Be still my heart!

    ReplyDelete
  18. ConnorApril 19, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    absolutely stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anne BoykinApril 19, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    Lovely - all that bloom & fragrance too? Doesn't get any better than that.

    ReplyDelete
  20. sweetbayApril 19, 2011 at 7:08 PM

    Magnificent! That rose is amazing. Such a profusion of blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The Redneck RosarianApril 20, 2011 at 5:12 AM

    An ariel perspective is something to see indeed. What a gorgeous rose. You have captured her in all her glory.... Great photos

    ReplyDelete
  22. scottweberpdxApril 20, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    hahaha...you're so right, it really is amazing from above...then again, the view from below is pretty good too ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. CommonweederApril 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM

    what an amazing rose. We cannot get quite the lush growth on our hill, but some of the roses certainly do their best. In June, not April.

    ReplyDelete
  24. serial tillerApril 20, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    This is the stuff of gardener's dreams! Great aerial shot! You have great pergolas and trellises to hold those monsters/beauties!

    ReplyDelete
  25. GailApril 20, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    That is one happy rose! Phillip, it's gorgeous! gail

    ReplyDelete
  26. compost in my shoeApril 21, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    Mine has just finished. A windy day this past weekend ended what has been one of the most beautiful flowering times for roses in our location.

    Looks like yours has been beautiful as well!

    ReplyDelete
  27. F CameronApril 21, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Amazing and beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  28. EveApril 22, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    OH my goodness Phillip! How wonderful! Yes get upstairs and enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  29. rebeccaApril 22, 2011 at 7:58 AM

    Hey Phillip,

    Beautiful roses!

    Why is UNA closed today?

    We went the other day and Z had a great time using the microfilm machines. I enjoyed reading from the Thoreau Quarterly, I think it's called.

    ReplyDelete
  30. UnknownApril 22, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    Hello. I followed your post from the Redneck Rosarian. I am having a nice 12' by 16' pergola built over part of the deck behind my house and am trying to decide what sort of climbing plant to put on it. My question was if a climbing rose would work and from the pictures of your Cecile Brunner it appears that a climbing rose would work just fine. I have a climbing New Dawn that has swallowed half my garage and your rose looks even bigger. I have 2 questions. How old is your Cecile Brunner, and does it just bloom once in the spring or does it repeat? I like your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Chandramouli SApril 22, 2011 at 10:59 PM

    Wonderful shots, Phillip. I, for sure, would be motivated to live on the roof for weeks for that view. :D

    ReplyDelete
  32. debsgardenApril 23, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    Wow! Thank you for climbing on the roof so we can fully appreciate your rose! It is gorgeous. I have heard rave reviews of this rose, and I can see why. I also enjoyed the previous post on your garden in April. it is a glorious month for flowers!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Digital Flower PicturesApril 24, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    It still looks good from the lower view but the top is amazing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts