Dirt Therapy

In addition to the trees blazing with fall color, there is more beauty to behold. It is really a colorful season this year. Hydrangea 'Annabelle' and Euonymous albomarginatus Barberry 'Orange Rocket' and Spirea 'Ogon' 'Fine Line' Buckthorn ( Rhamnus frangula ) Pheasant's Tail Grass ( Anemanthele lessoniana ) Miscanthus 'Gold Bar' Jasmine 'Fiona Sunrise' Acer palmatum 'Bihou' Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus ) Cistus 'Mickey' Aster 'Monch' and Pennisetum 'Hameln' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' St. John's Wort ( Hypericum inodorum 'Pumpkin') Milkweed Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Sedum thunbergii 'Ogon' Asian Jasmine ( Trachelospermum 'Ogon Nishiki') And last, this beautiful plant that I bought at Gossler Nursery a fe...

I didn't think there was much left to see in the garden but there is. The morning started out with a bit of fog and this beautiful sunrise - And there are quite a number of colorful trees still going strong and some just beginning to change colors. Some of the first trees I planted were two Japanese maples that are next to the deck. These were unnamed varieties but are nice but quite different in fall color. They both change color very late in the season compared to the other maples in the garden. The one on the right side is redder in color...  while the one on the left is more orange and gold - The "Lion's Head" Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira') was already planted here when we arrived. I ended up moving it and put it in a large pot. It looks a bit ragged last year but improved this year with more watering. And the color this year is dramatically improved - Lion's Head Japanese Maple ( Acer palmatum 'Shishiga...

Pecan Pie will always remind me of my childhood and family holidays. At every family gathering, it was inconceivable that there not be a pecan pie. Of course, my mother, aunts and grandmothers made other great desserts as well but there would always be pecan pie. In the past, I've made Pecan Tassies which I think is similar if not the same as this recipe. This is like a pecan pie in miniature, much easier to eat in bite-size pieces. It is a bit different though in that the filling is more firm and there are no ground nuts in the filling. These are easy to make and I just used a hand mixer. I would follow the directions on cutting the bars carefully to avoid disappointment. The only problem I encountered was that the filling seeped underneath the foil lining in the pan. There was probably a tear and Maida Heatter advises you to press the foil into place with a folded towel or pot holder. It did not affect the outcome of the bars but I had to use a spatula to get the corner un...

I have to confess that I am a book hoarder. It takes an act of Congress for me to let go of a precious volume although I did diminish my library quite substantially when we moved to Washington. That said, I still find myself with around 200 gardening related books. In addition, there are my cookbooks, Hollywood biographies, and fiction. And, oh yes, I also have a collection of nothing but the children's classic "The Secret Garden" of which there are about 50 different editions. When I do decide to give up a book, I can guarantee you that I will find myself needing to consult that book a few weeks later. It never fails.  Recently, I was conducting yet another futile attempt to weed out some books. Glancing through them, I noticed that I have many old books, titles that I picked up at library book sales and used bookstores many moons ago. I used to believe that old books might bring money some day. Ha! Never ask me for financial advice. But that isn't the only reaso...

Aster 'Kickin Purple'  For fall perennials, asters are hard to beat and I've just recently went a bit crazy over them. I've always admired the half-hardy types that appear in garden centers alongside the chrysanthemums for seasonal color in pots. I don't remember having any of the hardier varieties in the old garden but I've added several in the garden here. According to my spread sheet, I have at least five varieties. The latest is pictured above (Aster 'Kickin Purple'). The "Kickin' series offers a more compact plant that hopefully stays neat and tidy. Advertised as growing only 2' x 2', it appears to adhere to that size so far. There are about six or seven different colors in the series. The first aster I planted was the old standby Aster frikartii 'Monch'. I have several along the fence border that runs alongside the street. It is the earliest blooming aster and I've seen flowers as early as late July. Normally, ...

I think molasses cookies are one of those things that you either love or hate. Michael doesn't like them and our neighbor's husband doesn't either. I find that they would not be my first choice if I had several types to choose from but once I eat one, I want another and another... I think they are a great cookie for this time of year when it starts to get colder.  I have been on such a Maida Heatter kick for the past decade that I have neglected many of my other cookbooks. I pulled Dorie Greenspan's baking book from the shelf and was browsing through it when I came across this recipe. I haven't made many recipes from her book and I really should remedy that. It is a large, beautiful book and the recipes that I have tried in the past have been wonderful. This one is no exception. Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies (from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin, 2006) 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp...

After a few weeks in Alabama, I returned home earlier this week to find that autumn was in full swing. Temperatures are in the 50s and 60s during the day and it has been damp. I've got a lot of chores to catch up on, mostly getting the pots inside and some pruning. A quick look around the garden -  Persian Ironwood ( Parrotia ), much more colorful this year than last.  Black Tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ), planted last fall.  Mountain Gordlinia, just planted about a month ago, showing vibrant red leaves.  Ginkgo 'Princetown Sentry', planted last fall in the front garden, just gets better and better.  Another view of the gingko, with the Sourwood ( Oxydendrum ) in the foreground.  Acer 'Sango Kaku' (Japanese Maple) Japanese Stewartia Burning Bush ( Euonymous 'Rudy Haag') under the Sourwood tree One of the potted Japanese Maples - 'Dancing Peacock'  Bluestar ( Amsonia hubrichtii ) Dwa...