Helping Hands

Over the weekend I wanted to take advantage of our sunshine and snap a few photos of what was coming up in the garden. Not much at the bungalow yet but my neighbor’s Magnolia was sure on full display!

I also wanted to snap a few more pics of these beautiful eggs that a neighbor left on my back porch.

Sporting her Easter loafers and favorite puffy jacket ~ I soon had an audience!

 

Helping hands are always appreciated and made for a delightful visit.

Thank you, Margaret, for making my garden days more memorable. XO

May there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

- Irish Blessing

Heirlooms

The rhythms of becoming an heirloom are rough for some & smooth for others. I thought of this when I picked these heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market. When I arrived home, I felt that they deserved a nice rest in the soft lap of my grandmother’s bowl.

We spent our last summer evening appreciating much ~ along with a few heirlooms. As I was sitting in the cool grass with Granny’s bowl in my lap I was reminded of the cycles of life, of the rightness of change, loss & rebirth.

For the first time, I used my Great Grandmother’s paring knife that my cousin Kris sent to me. In her note she said ~ Grandmother Collier peeled a ‘million’ peaches for preserves and for pickling with this paring knife. She always liked a very sharp knife. The best part though ~ the soft and comfortable handle.

Isn’t it amazing how memories can unfold? Thank you Kris ~ I love it & you too!

Hope you’re all having a great weekend!

Gatherings

 

Family gatherings.

 

 

Friends gathering.

 

 

Gathering my thoughts.

 

 

Gathering my day & sharing it with you.

DIG IT!

The Lisa Porter Collection is honored to be included at DIG IT! Magazine.

A digital publication where avid gardeners delight in sharing their roots & gaining knowledge.

A proud member of

The Garden Conservancy
The Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum
The American Horticultural Society
Dog Writers Association of America
Friends of Orange County Arboretum, NY
Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council

The magazine, both informative & resourceful, appeals to the master & back porch gardener. I like that!

I first discovered DIG IT! in 2012 when I came across a beautiful story ~ Her Favorite Things ~ authored by Mary Jasch. I was moved not only by the topic but also by the author's poetic way with words. I wrote about it here in Poetry & Gardening. 

Mary Jasch is a freelance writer, photographer, gardener, and also the publisher of DIG IT! Magazine. I love how she invites her readers to put on their muck boots, garden hats & gloves and enter the gardens of interesting architects, artists, filmmakers, philanthropists, and foodies who just so happen to also be incredible gardeners!

Here are three of my favorites ~

A Potter's Garden, Frances Palmer

 “The flowers, mostly dahlias, are tools for inspiration and for marketing her handmade dishware and vases and American-made, factory-made Pearl Collection TM tableware.” I love the comments of Frances’ daughter.

 An Architect's Garden, Andrea Filippone  

“There is a place in Pottersville, New Jersey, that some say are the second Versailles. Resurrected from the ruins of an abandoned farm, this house and garden surely inspire.”

 

 

An Old World Garden in New World Clothes, Pamela Page

“Pamela Page, gardener, gourmet, filmmaker, shapes her garden with symmetry, dresses it in colorful vegetables, and bejewels it with flowers.”

 

Look for The Lisa Porter Collection in the Directory of Garden Websites at DIG IT! 

Thank you so much, Mary.

I’m thrilled to be in such good company and I’ve got my muck boots on!

Taste Memory

For the most part, edibles found in my garden have consisted of tomatoes from my neighbor’s vine, herbs from my herb garden, and an occasional crate of Mandarin oranges from Trader Joe’s.

This summer I wanted to put more on my table & in my assorted mason jars.

A sudden desire to preserve or “put up food” as they say in the south, found me exploring a myriad of sources on growing & preserving good food to eat.

The best sources I found for down-in-the-dirt or out-in-the-orchard-goodness into a hot-steamy-kitchen and onto the worn-wooden-shelves-in-a-dark-cool-pantry were ~ my local agriculture cooperative, my 2013 Farmer’s Almanac, real farmers, and a friend who’s mother is a master at preserving everything!

Along the way, I also found Taste, Memory ~ Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, And Why They Matter

The cover caught my eye and thumbing through eventually had me curled up in a deep leather chair appreciating the nuances of heirloom crops and understanding the importance of preserving food.

Taste Memory also reminded me that I’m actually more attracted to the nostalgia of preserving food traditions ~ not hot steamy kitchens!

It’s already late in the season so I think I’ll just hold on to my fondest taste memories of gathering exceptionally beautiful peaches for my Grandmother in Texas. She was not only putting up food for her family’s sustenance, but also for their pleasure ~

I guess I can say that “putting up food” actually has been a part of my life!

I’ll end with another wonderful taste memory called Going for Peaches, Fredericksburg, Texas from Working Dirt ~ An Anthology Of Southern Poets.

This one’s been on my shelf forever ~ 

   Enjoy!

Garden Accoutrements

What do these three things have in common?

 

They’re just a few of my favorite things that I’m talking about in the new issue of Styling Magazine!

 

 

You’ll find all sorts of goodies in my article on Garden Accoutrements!

Enjoy!

 

 

Styling | A Digital Magazine Published by Stylist Coty Farquhar

 

Peony Heaven + Addendum

Every year I ask myself the same question.

Do I leave them in the garden?   

Or do I bring them inside for bouquets throughout the house?

Since the old fashioned aroma of this gentle flower is most appreciated indoors, they make their grand entrance in my Grandmother’s old fashioned cut glass vase ~ the kitchen table is best for photographing in the morning light.  

Before long, I’ve pulled out all shapes and sizes of vessels and the house is filled with the sweet smell of peony heaven.

Even though they’re gorgeous when in full bloom, snip them just before they open and they’ll last longer indoors.

Tiny Visitors?
Shake them from the cut blooms, or wash them off with a gentle spray of water. Ants are neither beneficial nor harmful to peonies, they’re only attracted to the sugary liquid secreted by flower buds.

That little lady got a free ride inside.  If she doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother her.

See ~ she’s already disappeared.

Like I said, peony heaven.

If only they lasted all season. Imagine how nice it would be to always have peonies in full bloom for a special occasion, to give to a friend, or simply to refresh a bouquet at your kitchen table.  

 

Good news ~ there’s a way to harvest peonies in their bud stage to save for whenever.

Select flowers with a well-developed bud. Ideally, the bud should be neither too loose or too compact. Pinch it lightly. It should have the consistency of a soft marshmallow.

Cut the peony, leaving at least a 12-inch stem attached to the bud. Wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel and then wrap the bundle in a sheet of newspaper. I used craft paper like the photo below.

Store the bunches horizontally in the refrigerator ~ tell your family. The flowers will keep for 3 to 4 weeks!

After two weeks I was ready. Plus I needed more room in my fridge. So this morning I unwrapped my bundles to find this!

Let’s just say I had my doubts ~ especially about the little pink babies. Those buds were attached to big blooms, hence the short stem.

I removed the lower leaves, gave the stems a fresh cut and placed them in room temperature water.

Then I waited.

My tiny visitor…poor thing froze to death. She’s most likely in peony heaven.

By noon I kid you not ~ I was enjoying big beautiful blooms!

I added fresh greens from the garden & they were even prettier this afternoon!

Like I said, peony heaven.

Learned a lesson along the way too ~ Don’t snip your buds too early.

 Addendum to Peony Heaven added this evening.

Those little pink peonies above that I was about to give up on ~ took their sweet time and blossomed right open today!

Just goes to show ~ you should never give up on your buds!

What’s your favorite bloom in your garden?

I’m looking forward to Herbs, Hydrangeas, Roses & Sweet Peas!