Dirt Therapy

Blue Star ( Amsonia hubrechtii ) and Geranium 'Rozanne' Salvia 'Amistad' and Mugo Pine 'Aurea' Crape Myrtle ( Lagerstoemia 'Catawba') Snakeroot ( Eupatorium rugosum ) Dogwood ( Cornus florida ) Aster 'Monte Cassino' Cuphea 'Strying Sunset' Panicum 'Shenandoah'  Candy Lily ( Iris norrisii )  Joe Pye Weed ( Eutrochium purpureum)  Lettuce 'Multi-leaf Salanova'  Sourwood ( Oxydendrum ) Salvia 'Hot Lips'  Snowbell ( Styrax japonicus ) Pineapple Sage ( Salvia elegans ) Sunflower Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

After a long hiatus, I think I am ready to get back in the kitchen and back to some Maida Heatter recipes! The weather here is rainy and cooler which spurs me on. I had bookmarked this recipe a long time ago - it is a very light cake (similar to an Angel Food cake) with a wonderfully subtle hint of coffee flavor. Overall, it turned out wonderfully well. One thing I would do differently next time is to chop the chocolate much finer. As she explained in her recipe, the chocolate chips will sink to the bottom if they are too heavy. I decided to use ready-made chocolate chips and they are too heavy. I did chop them a bit but next time I will use a chocolate baking bar instead. That minor flub did not affect the taste of the cake though. 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 TBS. instant coffee or espresso ( I use Medaglia D Oro Coffee Inst Expresso ) 1 TBS. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 7 eggs, separated...

I just returned home this week after a ten day visit to Alabama. The fall color there had not started yet but it is really beginning to show out here in the Pacific Northwest.  Greeting me at the driveway entrance is Kelsey's Dwarf Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi'). This small shrub was already here when we moved in. It is located in the most inhospitable site - a dry bed, next to the driveway and road, and in full blazing sun. When I finally identified the shrub, I was told that it is a lover of moist and wet soils. Well, I beg to differ!   More dogwoods - Our beloved 'Wolf Eyes' which we also grew in Alabama. I never noticed such pink coloring in our previous garden but it is definitely pink here. It has suffered from sun scorch but it appears to be growing and it bloomed spectacularly this spring. Dogwood 'Celestial Shadow' is another tree suffering from too much sun in our shade-deprived garden. The existing dogwood in ...

Loree at Danger Garden has a monthly meme called "End of the Month Favorites" and while I am two days late, I am joining in. Plus, it has been ages since I've completed a blog post. :o Fall is my favorite time of year and I have been doing lots of happy dances lately because it has started raining again. There are lots of plants perking up to the moisture and here are some of my faves for September. Cosmos 'Redcrest' - one of the few annuals I grow successfully from seed. I get this one from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and I just love it. Cuphea 'Strybing Sunset' - overwintered last year in our garage. I am debating whether or not I should leave it in the ground this year.   Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge) - doing great in a dry, raised bed in full sun. Fuchsia 'Cardinal' - I read that this one can get about six feet tall! It has not grown much but the blooms are spectacular. It is always rewarding when a plant doe...