Monday Morning on the Farm

Another misty morning here. Put on my sandals to go out to take pictures and my toes froze! Fall is here. Another sign? See photos.



This is the time for my American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) to shine. This native shrub is a big leafy mound
for most of the growing season, but it produces teeny tiny pink flowers in the summer and then makes these incredibly
gorgeous fruits. The color is unlike anything else I've seen in nature- a super vibrant deep magenta- and this photo
doesn't do it justice. The birds love them, so I need to be quick if I want to enjoy them.



This is a Tea Oil Camellia (Camellia oleifera). Its seeds are used in China to
make an oil used for cooking. I can only imagine how beautiful those farms
must be!  The bark, which is smooth and cinnamon colored, is my favorite
part of the plant. The flowers are white and fragrant, and are borne over a
long period in late fall.  When in full bloom, this shrub is gorgeous. 




Closeup of Camellia oleifera buds. It starts blooming around the first of November.





This is Camellia sinensis 'Rosea', the tea plant. The straight species,
Camellia sinensis, has white flowers. It and its variants are used to produce
commercial tea. The pink one is mostly ornamental, although you can make
tea from it.  I have never made tea from my plant, but I have friends who
know how. Maybe someday. It's a slow grower and I really love the flowers,
so maybe I'll just enjoy mine as is and leave the tea making to the experts.

 

Here is a rogue Camellia sinensis 'Rosea' flower that decided to face up. It
happens every once in a while.



This is Cyclamen hederifolium, which basically translates to "Cyclamen with leaves that look like a Hedera's."
Hedera is the genus for Ivy. It just finished blooming for the year. To see what the flowers look like, click here.



This is Edgeworthia chrysantha. Some people call it paperbush, since it is used to make fancy paper in China,
but I just call it Edgeworthia. The leaves fall in December, and it blooms in the coldest part of winter- sometime
in January or February, depending on the weather. The flowers last a long time, and they have the most
beautiful fragrance. A real treat!



Fall color on my Forsythia × intermedia.

Mud follows me around whenever I'm outside. She's a great companion.

Here she is again. I love the way she adds to this composition. Thanks, Mud.

Fall color on my Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). The kids found
a small oak tree growing in this shrub recently and it helped them to understand
the name.  I love it when mother nature helps out with my plant teachings.

I love having the Redbud's branch arch over the path.

Fall color on my Redbud (Cercis canadensis) and a view of my long-neglected but still beautiful shade garden



See that tall evergreen? That's a Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
we moved from a rock cliff overlooking our waterfall about ten years ago.
It was growing in a small crack and wouldn't have had room to grow
very large.  It has become one of my favorite trees and gets more beautiful
every year.  We're in the very southern end of its native range.




A close-up of the path, showing yellow fall color (just getting started) on the Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'). This is a great three season plant that requires very little maintenance, provided you have a slightly moist, shady spot. The new shoots emerge pink in early spring, followed by bright green leaves edged in white. White flowers dangle from the arching stems in late spring, then you get the beautiful foliage all summer and into fall, when it turns a beautiful golden yellow. It is dormant in the winter.



"Mom, why do my words thound thilly?"

Claire just lost her third tooth, but the first one on top. The other front tooth is loose, too!

Frederic William Slater, Jr. 1929- 2011



Aunt Diane, Grandpa and me at Coquina Beach, Florida, 1994

My beloved grandfather passed away on October 15th. He had spent a month in the hospital after a fall that broke three ribs and punctured a lung. Complications arose throughout his stay, and he was never able to recover. He was 81.

Most of the family travelled to Florida for his funeral this past weekend. It was a sad occasion, but it was nice to see so many relatives. I hadn't seen most of them in at least a dozen years.  My dad's siblings were just as I remembered them, but my cousins had changed, of course.  I am the oldest of the grandchildren.  My youngest cousin is 10, almost a contemporary of my daughter.

My brother came from Canada, and that was a big comfort to me. I don't see him as much as I would like, and it was wonderful to have time to catch up.

It was also wonderful to see my dad and my step mom, two other people I don't see as much as I would like.  My kids loved having them around and it made the sad occasion easier for them.  My step mom arranged the hotel for us and helped with other travel arrangements. She made everything easier for us, which I very much appreciate. 

Grandpa was a warm and loving person who always looked on the bright side of life. He loved to tinker and to fix things. I loved to hear the stories of his yard sale or thrift shop finds that became useful again after he fixed them. He was very proud of his family, and always praised us for a job well done. He was known for his sense of humor and for his funny expressions, which often involved spoonerisms. I remember my little sister (she must have been 4 or 5) once asking him why he talked so funny. He then explained what a spoonerism was and taught us how to use them in funny ways. He was a fart smella, and the world was a better place with him in it. RIP, Grandpa Fred.

Lima Beans

I'm one of those odd people who loves lima beans. They were one of my favorite foods when I was a kid. This year I decided to try growing them. I chose two varieties; a bush one named Fordhook that I picked up at my local farm supply, Griff's, and a vining one called Violet's Multicolored Butterbean that I procured from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. 

I harvested the remnants in my garden this past weekend: limas, peanuts, a few stray tomatoes and peppers, and lots of basil. As I set about shelling the limas, I decided to look for a new recipe. I found several that looked delicious here, and decided to try this one- Baked Large Limas with Spinach and Feta- until I discovered I didn't have enough spinach. Oh well, maybe next time. So I went with the old standby- salt and a little butter. Your really can't beat them that way- especially when they're fresh!  If the pods are still green, you can cook the beans as fresh (much faster cook time, fresher taste). Or you can leave the pods on the plant to dry naturally. Then you have ready to store dried beans. The bush limas weren't as productive as the climbing ones. The green ones are the bush variety, the remainder are the climbing variety. Aren't they beautiful?

The bowl of shelled limas

This took me an hour

closeup of the beautiful beans

 

The dried pods. Those that were solid tan had good beans. They were the
climbing variety. The black spotted ones were rotten- the bush variety.
Lesson here? Grow climbing limas.

My finished jar of dried beans. Aren't they pretty?

Mud on the kitchen table

This was the scene when I walked into my kitchen the other day.

I had left the back door open to enjoy the breeze,
and look who sneaked in. But why is she on the
kitchen table?

Well, she is looking very perturbed about something.



And this is the something.



I put Taco outside and came back in to find Mud asleep.
And then I put Mud outside. I love my cat, but I don't
want her to sleep on the kitchen table!

Max's final soccer practice

Max had his final soccer practice last Friday. It was a gorgeous evening- mid 70s and sunny, with a breeze. And I actually remembered my camera this time!

We arrived early, and Max had the field to himself for a few minutes



warming up



Max practicing his high kick (he taught himself to do this)



Playing with coach Elliot before the other kids arrive



Coach Elliot does lots of cool tricks. Max adores him.

Stretching before practice

A train lumbers by. The kids all wave.



Everyone dribble your ball!



Everyone sit on your ball!

Everyone trap your ball!

Claire sat with me on the sidelines.

And hammed it up.

More hamming



She brought along some dolls to play with.
This photo reminds me of one of my sister at
 around the same age taken at one of my brother's
sports practices.



Bored? No, just photogenic.

I couldn't resist another dolly picture.



This is Max's first game! Guess which team he's on?



Max going for the ball.

Everybody run!

He's got it.

Still got it. He's definitely a go getter.

The kids all loved the game.

 

Max with his ball, after the game. He was so
excited his ball was used as the game ball.

The kids with their certificates and their coaches, Elliot and Katie

We were all starved after practice, so we headed to Moe's for dinner. The kids love Moe's, and we hadn't been there in a very long time. They had redecorated recently, and the kids enjoyed the new touchscreen drink machines. Very cool.

 Dinner out wouldn't be complete without dessert, right? So we walked over to Spill the Beans. This was their second time there, and the kids were comfortable enough to order themselves.  Claire had plain chocolate, Max had vanilla with peppermint candies.


We can still see you behind that cone, Claire!



Max enjoying his ice cream



A yummy end to a fun evening