Pollinators for the Garden

Over the years my gardening has evolved, and the single thing I have done to have more abundance in my garden is planting for the pollinators.  The pollinators are bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beneficial insects, and any creature that will transfer pollen from one plant to another. There is a saying, "If you build it, they will come." That was the result of my gardening, and it is now a joy to watch the ecosystem that has developed.

This picture is of rudbeckia and anise hyssop. They both self-seeded in this location and were a huge attraction to goldfinches and bees. 

Here are petunias and geraniums, which the hummingbirds love.

The red trailing verbena and petunias were also a huge hit with the hummingbirds. The bees love the lavender.

The echinacea and the daisies are a favorite of the butterflies. 

There are many flowers in this photo; the impatiens in the foreground pot are frequented by the hummingbirds.

This row of cosmos is attractive to butterflies and bees.

The bees can't leave basil alone. This is a variety of purple basil; I am not sure which one.

             Marigolds repel some insects, but some butterflies will be attracted to them.

This bramble hedge may look unruly, but I created it this way on purpose. The blackberries grow in the wild with native grasses and daylilies just like this in our area, and the beneficial insects love this spot in my yard. Each year I find several praying mantis casings here, and also the fireflies will emerge from this area of my yard too. I absolutely love fireflies! 

Here I am trying to establish poppies in my yard; the butterflies will be attracted to them. 

Dianthus will attract butterflies and bees; I always edge my garden with these.

These petunias are the single greatest attractor of hummingbirds to the garden. I have tried many times to catch them with my camera, but they are too fast. 

Last year I grew two different petunias, and these also attracted the hummingbirds. 

Lavender is always covered in bees! I grew these myself from seed. It will be the second year you will get a good bloom from them.

Yarrow attracts butterflies and beneficial insects. The beneficial insects will eat the not-so-beneficial insects. 

Herbs are a must in the garden; I use some in cooking, but I also love to see the butterflies and bees attracted to them. The parsley will be a host plant for the black swallowtail. 

Stargazer lilies and tiger lilies both attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. 

You can always find bees buzzing around the sunflowers. When the seeds dry out, the birds also love them.

Begonias will attract hummingbirds. I have used them in pots for many years.

In this photo I mixed up dusty miller and impatiens. The yarrow grew beside the pot.

The result of all this planting are captures like this! This is the giant swallowtail. It is the largest North American swallowtail, with a wingspan of 6-7 inches across. This was in my yard a few years ago, enjoying my zinnias. I had never seen one and was most excited to catch it visiting.

While many butterflies visit my garden, this black swallowtail is by far one of the most common. I see them every year. Here it is on the echinea. 

This was a self-seeded row of rudbeckia and anise hyssop, which much to my surprise, was very popular with goldfinches. I think there are five of the goldfinches in this picture. 

Another benefit of all these flowers are bouquets! 

For some reason some of the neighborhood cats have even made a home here. A mother cat left four kittens in my yard years ago, and this is one of the offspring. He has been a wonderful garden companion and now in his older years has become my mother's housecat. 

The flowers are blooming with abundance due to the pollinators.

The fruit is also very productive; just look at the amount of gooseberries that are being pollinated each spring.

It is also amazing to see frogs, all sorts of them, and this last year we noticed native lizards, each animal doing its part to contribute to my garden.

So whether I grow flowers in pots, raised beds, or the ground, the results are stunning in that when I added them, the whole habitat of my garden thrived.  So when I built a pollinator garden, much by trial and error, the beneficial habitat grew from that.

Happy gardening! 

In Victory,

Sherry

Spring Flower Arrangements

Last year I made several spring flower arrangements. I have never done that before, but it was a fun hobby to pass the time with a cold spring. I won't be making that many this year, but I thought it would be fun to put them all in one post for this year and revisit them.

Pansies are a favorite! 

We had a storm, and some redbud branches ended up in our street, and I used them in this arrangement.

Oxalis is new to me for using in flower arrangements, but I love the way they look.

Fuchsia was also new plant to me, and it looked spectacular when it bloomed. 

The main plant here was the bocopa plant. It trailed out of the container and was gorgeous but didn't survive the heat of our summers that well.

It is about time to start seeds. So many dreams about the garden, but it will all unfold in time.

In Victory,

Sherry

January Tea

I have a large collection of pictures I have taken over the years. I am just putting together a post of past images for today. 

 

No words to share today, just the promise of spring around the corner.

In Victory,

Sherry

Beef and Barley Soup

A really nice, comforting soup for this cold weather is beef and barley soup. I have always loved pearl barley in soup. I also love to make soup! So here is my version of this recipe.

Beef and Barley Soup 

serves:6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

14 oz. beef chuck roast, I use 28 oz. Keystone beef (I use just half of the can) 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves of chopped )

2 tablespoons onion powder (or 2 large onions chopped)

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

6 cups of beef broth 

2 bay leaves

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

3/4 cup pearl barley

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat the oil add the beef and warm up. Then add the garlic powder and onion powder cook for 1 minute. The add the celery and carrots and cook until slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Pour in beef broth and add the bay leaves, then simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, pearl barley, and thyme, and cook until the barley is tender about 15-20 minutes. Just before done add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Adapted from: The City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine 

You can easily make this out of a dry food pantry with the ingredients I have used. I keep celery, mushrooms, and parsley frozen too. I just needed to add fresh carrots. Such a nice weeknight meal that cooks up easily, and all you need to add is crusty bread or a grilled cheese.

Enjoy!

In Victory,

Sherry

January Cottage Corner

I have been seeking a peaceful corner for my eyes to rest upon, and I have created it in the cottage corner. I have been surprised this year that I have learned how to keep a poinsettia alive. I have would normally have killed the plant by now.  

I have lit this area with natural light and candles. Indoor lighting can be so harsh.

I changed the dishes out in the cupboard to the blue willow pattern. These dishes all came from my mother. I only had a gravy boat I found at a thrift store, and she had found most of these and collected them. Giving the cottage corner a cozy feel for January.

Do you change things up for the season?

In Victory,

Sherry

Quiche Lorraine

It was New Year's Day and one family member requested quiche. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so I made the classic Quiche Lorraine. 

It is a really nice brunch menu idea. I first had Quiche Lorraine at a fancy hotel brunch when I was a teen, and the memory of it stuck with me. I always thought it was an elegant dish.

The other nice thing about quiche is that other than prebaking the pie crust, it is a mix-and-bake dish, so it is very easy.

The results are wonderful. A perfect way to serve your family on a long holiday weekend.

Quiche Lorraine

8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (can be homemade, frozen, or 1/2 of crust in a ready made crust.)

1/2 lb. thin strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into pieces

1/4 teaspoon onion powder, can use real onion (1/2 yellow, diced)

1 cup shredded cheese (gruyere is the classic, but it can be white or yellow cheddar)

1 3/4 cup half and half (this would be equal parts whole milk and heavy cream)

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Prepare the homemade pie crust by thawing out, placing in desired pan. (I used a 9-inch pie plate.)

If using a store-bought pie crust, follow the package instructions for pre-baking. I used the store package instructions and my pie crust was too brown. I would turn the oven to 375°F, prick the bottom of crust with fork, line the pie crust with parchment paper, and then fill the bottom of that with beans or rice and bake for 20 minutes. 

Turn oven to 350°F, after baking the pie shell.

While the crust is baking, cook your bacon and sit aside to cool. 

In a large bowl whisk 4 eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk for a few minutes till fluffy. Stir in the cheese and bacon. 

Then when pre-baked pie crust is ready pour this filling into the pie shell. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. The quiche is ready when a knife inserted comes out clean. The quiche continues to cook after you remove it from the oven, so don't overbake it. Cool slightly and garnish with parsley and then slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Brambly Hedge Winter china by Royal Doulton

In Victory,

Sherry