July Summer Garden Tips

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains... ~Diane Ackerman

June was a beautiful month with lovely, breezy days, so I won't complain about last weeks 100 degree days with high humidity.  Okay, I might have complained a little bit:)  My miniature rose is full of blooms, and seems to love the heat, but some plants don't appreciate it and need a little extra nuturing during hot, dry spells.  I wrote an article with July gardening tips, including a few vegetables seeds that can still be planted and harvested before late fall.  The article is here:  http://oldfashionedliving.com/July-Flower-and-Herb-Tips.html  

Stay cool!
~Brenda

A Summer Menu for Family and Friends

That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
And the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We've been grilling with wood instead of charcoal or gas this summer, and other than the short wait for the fire, it's been great.  I haven't had a chance to try grilling a whole chicken yet, but when I do, I'll share how it turns out.  

Last week I wrote an article with a summer menu:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/Summer-Menu-for-Friends.html

Grilled Herb Pork Chops
Fresh Corn Salad
Red Skin Potato Salad
Summer Fruit Salad

The great thing about these recipes is their flexibility.  If you don't have any fresh corn, then substitute frozen or canned corn.  If you have regular potatoes instead of red skins, use those instead.  Any type of pork can be used with the marinade in the recipe, or if pork is expensive that particular week, use boneless chicken breasts.  At our house we have to be flexible because I primarily shop the sales to save money and vary the menu accordingly. I think you'll enjoy the recipes in the article.

~Happy Summer, Brenda

There is Still Time to Grow Herbs

How I would love to be transported into a scented Elizabethan garden with herbs and honeysuckles, a knot garden and roses clambering over a simple arbor. ~Rosemary Verey

This has been a busy summer and though I sowed some seeds, I didn't plant as many herbs as I wanted.  I realized other gardeners may be in the same boat, and would appreciate a little information on what can be sown in  June and July.  I put together an article here: http://oldfashionedliving.com/Easy-Summer-Herbs.html

There are still a few annual herbs that have time to germinate and grow in your garden this summer, even if you're in a Northern climate.

Enjoy your weekend:)
~Brenda

Favorite Summer Potluck Recipes

My husband can carve a watermelon with precision and creativity. Before he became an RN, he worked in dietary at a nursing home, and always tried to make the meals for the residents special, especially on the holidays. Though he moved on to nursing, he still carves an occasional watermelon for summer parties and special family events.  The fruit varies according to what is in season at the time, and it's always a big hit. This is one of my favorite ways to serve summer fruit.

I also have a few tried and true potluck recipes that have remained keepers in our family over the years.  In this article I share a few of them, and hints for taking the dishes to potlucks.   http://oldfashionedliving.com/Easy-Summer-Potluck-Dishes.html .

I hope your summer gatherings are rain free this year:)
~Brenda

A Special Menu for Father's Day

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children:

one is roots. The other is wings. ~Hodding Carter, Jr.

Father's Day is Sunday, so I thought I'd share the picture above of my husband painting a bird house with my daughter when she was about three years old. It's hard to believe she's 13 now, and taller than I am! Instead of crafts, now they take off to local art festivals or go fishing when I'm busy writing. We all still do plenty of other things together, but I know those alone times with her dad are really special to her.

Over the weekend I put together a Father's Day menu that uses the grill, and the crock pot, plus the preparation can be done after breakfast to make the day a bit more relaxing.

-Garlic Lemon Grilled Chicken
-Grilled Corn on the Cob
-Brenda's Slow Cooked Calico Baked Beans

If you add a tossed salad, and watermelon for dessert you'll be all set! The article is here:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/Fathers-Day-Menu.html

I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day weekend:)
~Brenda

A Beautiful Drought Tolerant Garden

What a pity flowers can utter no sound!—A singing rose, a whispering violet, a murmuring honeysuckle ... oh, what a rare and exquisite miracle would these be! ~Henry Ward Beecher

The blooms in the picture today are of my tall hibiscus. They are beautiful when in bloom, but since I planted them many years ago, I threaten each year to dig them up.  They grow at least 6 foot tall, and bloom for a short period of time.  The Japanese beetles love them to death and munch holes in the leaves for most of the garden season. Why don't I make good on my threat? Because I walk out to the flower bed when they are blooming and they brighten my day each and every time.  It doesn't matter how chewed up they become, or how dry the summer is, they bloom without fail and they are beautiful.  So, they may be too tall, and they may attract all of the wrong insects, but how could I possibly get rid of those stunning blooms?

I wrote an article for this week on creating a drought free flower garden. I've supplied lists with proper plant names and the common colors available. This tall hibiscus above is extremely drought tolerant, and just one of the colorful plants that can be used in this type of flower garden. (Just make sure you plant it in the back behind all of the other flowers!) You'll find the article here:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/Grow-Drought-Flower-Garden.html

~Brenda

Create Your Own Cottage Garden

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. ~Emma Goldman

The end of May through June is one of the busiest times for our family. We have three birthdays, the end of school activities and the garden season is in full swing. Last week I wrote an article on cottage gardens, which I love. I was surprised at the history of this type of garden, and it made me love them even more. In some ways it was a combination of a cottage garden as we think of one now, and a potager or kitchen garden. They were very useful, yet charming. You'll find the article here:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/Cottage-Garden.html

I hope your week is lovely:)
~Brenda