Burrow House

company

I had an uninvited visitor today.

At first I thought I was imagining things as he scurried across my kitchen floor.  He was t.i.n.y.

I thought for sure I was going to squash him as I was trying to save him.  Really.  I had our big overstuffed chair balancing on 1 leg as I was trying to lure him out into the open.  I just KNEW it was going to land on him. (ick)

I was hard not to keep him.  Just for a little while.  But I knew he'd be happier out by our fountain, frolicking in the fern fronds.  Hope to see you again soon little buddy...outside.

the wet

I feel as if it's done nothing but rain here for weeks.

But this morning, the sun broke through and chased the clouds and the melancholy away.

Steam was rising from the trunks of the trees as if they were breathing in the light.

Rays dappled green through the branches as the boughs shook off the excess.

The blue of the sky so crisp and fresh.

Spirits rise, and a flicker of inspiration returns.

Then the rain came back.

gro good

Now, if you've been hanging out at the Burrow for a while, you know that I'm a huge supporter of good food. And responsible gardening. And all things local. And socially aware organizations. Among other things.

Today, I'm here to make you aware of .

Their nation-wide website makes it SO easy to pledge to garden responsibly, AND to find local foodbanks that accept home grown produce.

Gro Good's mottos are as follows:

MAKE MY GARDEN WITH LOVE

EAT MY HOME GROWN FOODS AS OFTEN AS I CAN

PLANT A LITTLE MORE THAN I NEED

DONATE MY EXTRA HARVEST TO A LOCAL FOODBANK

Come on people.  Make that pledge.

garden song.

Words are sparse today. Buds and blossoms are not. I'll let them do the talking.

My front yard.

My impatiens color this year.  Next year it will be fuschia.  Last year it was blue pearl.

This rhododendron has come to live with us.  It seems pretty happy. So far.

Succotash bird lives by the fountain.

This is not his house.  Although, I did get all the bird houses re-attached to their posts this week.

Clematis.  I call her Clem.

Her great-grandmother came with me from my old house. Her babies are frolicking at her feet.

Climbing Hydrangea. I call her Dranged. (de-ranged, get it?)

That's it little bug, do your business.

Asparagus.  I call him Gus.  Okay, I'll stop.

The raspberries are laden with buds and baby berries.

Lettuces are so close, I can almost taste them.

Beets are getting fat.

And the smell of Lilac wafts on the breeze.

Happy Monday friends.

addiction

Hello. My name is Caroline Thornewill, and I'm an addict.

I can't walk into a garden store and leave with only one plant.

Even if I have no idea exactly where they will go.

I just can't stop myself.

And then.  Then.  Then I get to the register.

And say, "Excuse me?  Can you add that again?"

I see the pity in her eyes, and I know I need help.  Anybody have an extra pair of gloves?

green week; day 3

This post could either be titled Emily's green week installment III, OR The Beets.  Because they're in. The ground.  Planted.  It's actually supposed to hit 70 degrees here today, so it even FEELS green!

I swear, Burrow House is not going to turn into a gardening blog.

But that's where I am right now.

And I'm taking you with me.

There is even a Green Week flickr group.  Go on! Have a peek!

Now, I made the commitment to do a Beauty in Chaos piece once a week, and I've fallen behind.  Story of my life! The mess sure hasn't fallen behind!

Aesthetically pleasing. Somewhat.  But the big picture...

And THAT flickr group is here.  Stephani, you were a brave soul to open that can of worms!

miracles and milestones

It's beautiful here today.  The wind has died down.  Sunshine has reclaimed the sky.  Warm air has blown in from the south, and it's supposed to stay above freezing for at least the next week.  Ah, February.

I've been in the garden today, spring cleaning.  Reminding everyone that I am still the commanding officer, and I'll be taking roll call soon.

See, around here, days like this in February are what get me through until April.  Around here, a gorgeous day in February means it's time to plant the peas.

Which is exactly what I did.

My outlook suddenly just got a whole lot brighter.  

I hope the sun is shining on your little patch!

if a picture paints a thousand words...

Yesterday evening.

5:30 this morning.

In the garden.

My very own playground.

dreams of spring

The skies are grey, and it's supposed to snow tonight.  But I'm finished with winter.  Done. Finite.

I'm desperate for green.  And fresh food.

Sigh.  

the doldrums

So, I'm coming to grips with the fact that I am in a rut.  I'm sitting on the ocean, and there isn't a single ripple in the water. I have a serious creative block going on.  I keep thinking about the next craft swap, and I-got-nuttin-honey!  Well, I have one idea, but it just feels a bit generic.  I mean, there are some seriously talented women in this swap.  So, here I sit.  Waiting for inspiration. Tick. Tock.

But, it will come.  I'm going to try a few exercises that a friend suggested.  I think what I really need is an assignment. 

And, summer really is here.

This thunderstorm was rolling in...

as I was fixing THIS for dinner!

Cucumbers in the CSA this week.  Raike started bouncing up and down singing, "pickles, pickles, pickles!" The kid loves homemade pickles.  And then I stumbled upon THIS in my garden!

Okay, bad picture, but my first tomato!  NOTHING says summer to me like a warm tomato.  On June 26!  That's a personal record for me.  It beat my previous record of July 1, which around here is pretty darn early!  Now granted, I did throw caution to the wind and set plants in early April.  

I always put out the same tomatoes my grandfather did.  Early Girl (todays present!), Better Boy, and Beefsteak.  Tried and true.  And then I experiment with another variety.  This year it's Brandywine, although I've tried this one before and it just didn't perform for me.  But other people rave about it, so I thought I'd give it another shot.  We'll see how that goes.

My creative block has extended to the kitchen, but I'm trying my best to come up with new squash recipes. Because at this point, I am inundated with squash and if I don't vary it up, the kids are going to boycott. This is a papaya pear squash that I sliced on the horizontal, dipped in egg, and coated generously with thick grated parmesan, kosher salt, and pepper.  Baked until quite golden brown and crispy, they were YUM! 

But, making me feel better is the fact that my family had a contest tonight to see who could touch their toes most decisively, and I won!  AND, I discovered that after all these years, I can still do the splits.  HA!

So.  I'm just going to sit in my little corner over here.  Waiting for inspiration to stop by for a cup of tea.  And maybe even a slice of cake.