tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69910569095318448272025-06-10T00:24:45.658-07:00Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-59795145351950584952011-05-29T20:07:00.001-07:002011-05-29T20:07:45.275-07:00

Late last summer I planted some sorrel seeds (rumex acetosa). The lemony (some say green apple) flavor of the leaves would make a nice addition to our salads. I put the seeds in a planter box because somebody told me sorrel has a habit of taking over. Then I proceeded to forget all about this little planter and its contents. I hadn’t really paid attention to the fact that sorrel is a perennial.

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-31203724220886923112011-01-21T12:55:00.001-08:002011-01-21T12:55:31.748-08:00

And the prize goes to… Hellebore (details unknown) It started out as a cutting from one of the SAGBUTT (Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United To Talk) gardeners, Karen of Gardenwalks if memory serves. During a 2009 gathering I received a cutting from her garden. Last year the plant showed marked growth but it gave no blooms. I first noticed it blooming about a week ago. But it wasn’t until

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-68850852868909504142010-09-03T21:52:00.001-07:002010-09-03T21:52:14.881-07:00

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N!   The Wenches have been anxiously awaiting the moment when we’ll be able to pick our first fig. We’ve been waiting almost TWO years for this! Last summer we had a few figs but we lost our meager crop to the birds because we weren’t smart enough to net our little tree. This year we made sure to put the net on early! That’s Mugsy keeping an eye on the ONE mature fig

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-72161537633186249942010-08-10T22:15:00.001-07:002010-08-10T22:18:23.881-07:00

We realized last summer that we hardly ever sat on the patio because it was too hot and sunny. Also, our patio is right in line with our neighbor’s deck so we don’t have much privacy. So we moved the table and chairs to a relatively flat section of the lawn under the shade of the cherry tree. Then we filled the patio with pots of berries, herbs, vegetables and flowers. Now we have a mixture

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-13343650752856702472010-04-17T21:04:00.001-07:002010-04-17T21:04:26.107-07:00

With the crazy fluctuating weather this spring, and the many diversions provided by Facebook, we have not spent very much time in the gardens so far this year. Fortunately, the shade garden is filled with perennials. So we have blooms and foliage -– all with little or no effort on our part! The centerpiece of the shade garden is the old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis). 

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-77833846610777016922010-02-20T20:47:00.001-08:002010-02-20T20:47:16.733-08:00

It is possible to have sunny days in Seattle, even in the winter!  You may be skeptical, but here’s the proof!  Ta Da! This was the view of Seattle and Lake Union from Gas Works Park this afternoon.  People were out and about, enjoying the great weather. This hill is a favorite spot for kite flying.   For our friends who visited recently and missed ‘The Mountain’ –-

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-67883033264890437732010-02-14T17:57:00.001-08:002010-02-14T17:57:01.332-08:00

Wing Nut, will you be my Valentine?

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-61265199983980746362009-12-28T10:05:00.001-08:002009-12-28T13:54:28.254-08:00

Hey Diva Dog, what’s that you’re eating?  It smells good. Can I try some?   Hey, this stuff is good! You don’t mind if I have some, do you? There’s enough in that bowl to share, right?   Do you mind? I’m trying to eat here. Could you step back and give me some space?   Let me help you finish that off. I wouldn’t want you to get indigestion from eating all that

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-40441386694931050552009-12-25T21:01:00.001-08:002009-12-25T21:01:46.816-08:00

Mugsy Charlie Sierra Dakota & her groupies

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-71683321483154962122009-12-19T17:25:00.001-08:002009-12-19T17:25:42.380-08:00

Two little 4 month old kittens joined our family last weekend. They are from different litters, but were raised by the same foster mom, and so they bonded like siblings.  Meet Charlie and Mugsy. Charlie is a little orange & white  “creamsicle” female. Our vet said that only 10% of orange tabbies are females, so she’s pretty special. She’s also fearless –– she approached and

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-49276514350964065512009-11-25T16:26:00.001-08:002009-11-25T16:26:49.413-08:00

“Feed me NOW! I want my salmon NOW!” 1992-2009

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-32398823277357946182009-10-25T19:43:00.001-07:002009-10-26T12:57:13.905-07:00

A huge thanks to Gardener's Roost for organizing this outing. The October gathering of Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United To Talk, or SAGBUTT for short, was all about shapes, textures, and colors. Shapes    Textures Colors     For more about the October SAGBUTT outing to Lake Wilderness Arboretum visit Gardener's Roost Petunia's Garden Daniel

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-8087780416597557262009-10-24T14:52:00.001-07:002009-10-25T08:53:04.195-07:00

...while we were taking a break from blogging. 1. Our pineapple sage started blooming. 2. We saw a rainbow of color in our garden!  Well, actually it was all on one plant - the 'Bolivian Rainbow' pepper. 3. We grew a wall of tomatoes.  They liked the warm brick wall so well that they climbed higher than the support stake. So then we tied them to the lamp post and the cable

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-10928786691159622582009-10-23T14:35:00.001-07:002009-10-23T14:35:33.259-07:00

1.  Our pineapple lily bloomed. This is Eucomis 'Oakhurst'.   2. We learned that the pepper seeds that Curmudgeon successfully sprouted belong to capsicum pubescens--rocoto or manzano peppers. The seeds came from a pepper bought at the grocery store. Curmudgeon saved them because they were quite unusual--they were black. This variety can grow to 5 feet and can tolerate sub-freezing

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-20452302740595131922009-09-01T19:54:00.001-07:002009-09-01T19:54:07.886-07:00

The aubergine libertine in his green limousine A libertine's green limousine was lately seen in Saint Vereen. The libertine wore aubergine. In Saint Vereen they're not so keen on aubergine. The party scene in Saint Vereen is all crepe-de-chine and gabardine, beauty queens and Charlie Sheen. The libertine in aubergine moves between these beauty queens: his feet careen from scene to scene,

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-73632399241373143292009-08-31T13:40:00.001-07:002009-08-31T15:49:18.477-07:00

Sand animator Kseniya Simonova won "Ukraine's Got Talent" 2009. Her winning performance portrays life during Ukraine's Great Patriotic War against the Germans in World War II. For other sand animation performance artists check out Joe Castillo, Ferenc Cakó, David Myriam, and Ilana Yahav. Thanks to RantWoman who clued me in to the work of Simonova.

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-3895490874894277382009-08-30T15:54:00.001-07:002009-08-30T15:54:00.348-07:00

For the August SAGBUTT gathering the Wenches  contributed lemon basil scones, made with basil picked fresh from our garden. Lemon Basil Scones 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt zest of 1 large lemon 5 Tbsp butter, cold and cut into small cubes OR 5 Tbsp vegetable oil (I

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-13125870021436585152009-08-17T09:14:00.001-07:002009-08-17T09:48:56.553-07:00

I'm only going to share one flower. But it's a real stunner. I consider it by far the most gorgeous flower in the garden right now. Here is the plant that produced this flower. And finally, here is the fruit--considered a berry--produced by this flower. For more GBBD posts visit Carol over at May Dreams Garden.

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-14573738454509509152009-08-16T13:54:00.001-07:002009-08-16T15:16:18.978-07:00

Blissfully tranquil. That's how I describe yesterday afternoon's SAGBUTT get-together. The August gathering of the Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk was hosted by Molly of Life on Tiger Mountain. We started off with a tour of the gardens. Along the way we got to meet the chickens and ducks. This made me stop in my tracks--pumpkin envy hit hard.   Keeping the pumpkins

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-20661014814834778182009-07-06T15:51:00.001-07:002009-07-06T15:51:21.823-07:00

We head into July with temps just over the 80 degree mark. No rain in sight.  We're not complaining, mind you. It actually feels like summer. But there are a few problems in the garden. First up, the potatoes.   It starts with a leaf slowly turning yellow. Then it spreads and several leaves are yellow. Death eventually takes the whole plant. I assumed it was blight. At

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-76376973839922361502009-07-01T22:39:00.001-07:002009-07-01T22:39:15.095-07:00

We head into July with temps just over the 80 degree mark. No rain in sight.  We're not complaining, mind you. It actually feels like summer. But there are a few problems in the garden. First up, the potatoes.   It starts with a leaf slowly turning yellow. Then it spreads and several leaves are yellow. Death eventually takes the whole plant. I assumed it was blight. At

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-31494021713712883882009-06-15T22:59:00.001-07:002009-06-15T23:20:18.076-07:00

It's been HOT, HOT, HOT around here lately. Okay, maybe WARM, WARM, WARM is more accurate. This is Seattle after all. We did reach 90 degrees--one day only. Mostly we've been in the 70s and even crossing over into the 80s. This is the warmest, sunniest, driest June since we moved here.  Last year at this time Wing Nut was frantically trying to keep our tomatoes warm. This year our tomatoes

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-70942316111384532862009-06-12T10:24:00.001-07:002009-06-12T10:25:44.746-07:00

Saturday, June 13th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm local gardening legend, Ciscoe Morris, photo courtesy of www.ciscoe.com will be taping his radio show Gardening With Ciscoe live from Sky Nursery. photo courtesy of www.skynursery.com Check out Sky's awesome new greenhouse! Dogs (on leash) welcome!!!

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-61554885341248968582009-06-08T09:34:00.001-07:002009-06-08T10:56:39.790-07:00

Let's start with the really ugly. Radiant radishes ruthlessly ravaged. Did slugs do this? How can anything so soft and squishy bore holes in something as crisp and crunchy, not to mention zippy and zesty, as a radish? Or do we have other garden thugs eating away at our crops? Next up is the scary. The pea patch that ate the Wench.  It was close, but she did make it out alive

Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864042359805755661noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991056909531844827.post-62936569673468283462009-06-05T16:12:00.001-07:002009-06-05T16:46:42.280-07:00

Or not. I like to sleep in on Friday mornings. It's the one day of the week when neither of us has to get up and go off to work. This was my first full week back at work after breaking my foot. It was also a record breaking heat wave week. I really, really wanted to sleep in this morning. 5:45 AM  Diva Dog noses me and whines a little. I reach out a hand and try to pat her head. "

Wing Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16923012521841797022noreply@blogger.com6