Friday 28 August 2009

SkyWatch Friday; Gently, gently, sunset;



A few strays;
Good night, sleep tight don't let the bedbugs bite!

Click here and see the scenario of the sky around the world.

Saturday 22 August 2009

The Garden provides...

Fragrance; Brugmansia


Fruit; Mandarin tree;


Fresh juice; Blood orange juice with Passionfruit;


Bananas;
Visual delight; Camellia Polar Bear;


Nectar for birds and insects; Callistemon;


Vegetables; Carrots;
The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus, Etymology: Middle French carotte, from Late Latin carota, from Greek karoton, originally from the Indoeuropean root ker- (horn), due to its horn-like shape) is a root vegetable, usually orange, purple, red, white, or yellow in colour, with a crisp texture when fresh. The edible part of a carrot is a taproot. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. It has been bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot, but is still the same species.


Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. The simplest way is raw as carrots are perfectly digestible without requiring cooking. Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups andstews, as well as baby and pet foods.

The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from ß-carotene, which is metabolised into vitamin A in humans when bile salts are present in the intestines.[3] Massive overconsumption of carrots can causecarotenosis, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, and minerals.

Carrot flowers are pollinated primarily by bees. Seed growers use honeybees or mason bees for theirpollination needs.
Carrots are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Common Swift, Garden Dart, Ghost Moth, etc.




Herbs; Mint, chives and Rocket to give zest to a simple Coleslaw.


Mint is a very versatile herb.

The mint family (Lamiaceae or Labiatae), a plant family which includes int (Mentha), a genus of strongly-scented herbs, some of which are used for flavouring

Mint is used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach pain. Mint tea is a strong diuretic. Mint also aids digestion, in a way that it breaks down the fats.




Enjoy and make yourself a cup of mint tea.

Saturday 15 August 2009

Praise the Iceberg Rose;

Iceberg;
Fee des neiges;
Schneewittchen;
the names of this fabulous floribunda Rose; Kordes Germany 1958



Growing in my garden....everywhere....between other plants.



Many are grown from semi-ripe cuttings in winter.


Some grow in pots in the herb garden.

The Iceberg Rose is well known for its vigorous growth and prolific flowering habit. It grows into a neat bush and produces lovely pure white flowers in large clusters all year round in my climate zone 11. If you are looking for a rose which will reliably provide repeating flushes of white blooms I can highly recommend this rose.

Disease resistance is good. Blackspot may make an appearance now and again, although rarely to the detriment of the plant.

Prune to encourage new growth, Water regularly and deeply. Feed with blood and bone and keep well mulched.


Believe it or not:
Roses are red. Violets are blue. Angels in heaven remind me of you!





Monday 10 August 2009

Buddah's Hand; Citrus medica;





Photos TS/ please click the pictures to have a better view of the odd shaped fruit.


Photo source Wikipedia



Buddha's Hand, Buddha's Hand citron, or Fingered citron (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylus) is a fragrant citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections.
The citron grows on small tree with long, irregular branches covered in
thorns. Its large, oblong leaves are pale green and grow about four to six inches. Its white flowers are tinted purplish from the outside and grow in fragrant clusters.
The fruit has a thick peel and only a small amount of acidic flesh (if any) and is juiceless and sometimes seedless. It is very fragrant.
The peel of the fruit can be candied into
succade. In Western cooking, it is often used for its zest. The inner white pith is not bitter as is usually the case with citrus, so the fingers may be cut off and then longitudinally sliced, peel pith and all, and used in cooking.

The origin of Buddha's Hand is traced back to Northeastern India or China.
The tree itself is sensitive to frost, as well as intense heat and drought.. Trees can be grown from cuttings taken from branches two to four years old.
Wikipedia
To read more click here
Believe it or not: Historically, walled kitchen gardens were a necessary indulgence providing food, herbs and flowers for the household.

Thursday 6 August 2009

SkyWatch Friday; Sunset,


Gilded Clouds;



Please click the pictures.





Visit SkyWatch Friday click here