It's In The Pot

Crock pot , that is.

It is just a pretty basic recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast .  The roast sits on a bed of celery chunks and baby carrots .  A thickened sauce of mushrooms, onion, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth and rosemary and thyme is poured over the seasoned and well seared beef roast . And, I plan to add some chunks of red potatoes closer to the end of cooking time .   I'm not sure what else I will prepare to go with this for dinner .  I have plenty of time to figure that out.

Finally, I have been able to finish planting the Lavender "Grosso" plants.  There were only four plants, but OH what a lot of work to get them planted.  I'm done digging rock for a while !!

They should do well  -  with all my TLC in helping them to get a good start.

While I was checking the Zucchini I was happy to see this little visitor !

The garden is slowly going to sleep for the winter

Before long the Burning Bush will be a fall of crimson red.  At this time of year , I always enjoy seeing it turning colors through the dining room window.

I would like to ask for some positive thoughts sent my way as I am trying to recover from a very disappointing phone call from my twin brother on our birthday .  It has been years since I have heard from him and he continues to be arrogant, egotistical, self-serving and very unkind !  Oh, if you can,  please send me a couple hugs, too.

Wishing each and every one of you a very enjoyable weekend.

Mary 

Love Love Fall Color

I love love love all the fabulous fall colors at the front of my property .  The Yellow Chrysanthemums are blooming and the Maroon Chrysanthemums that are spaced between the Yellow are coming soon .   We are expecting a warmer week into the nineties that will help them to bloom .

Some twenty years ago, Oleander plants were planted around my property on the outside of my fence.  In the past few weeks I have been able to clean up all the weeds and stuff at the base as well as prune the very large shrubs .  Last Spring the weeds were so high that I had to "weed whack" .  I hope this coming year I can control them better .   I am very happy with how it looks now.

The Autumn  Joy Sedum color is changing into its fall shade of a deeper pink .  So pretty!  

Finally, the luscious looking tomatoes are turning RED .  I look forward to making a Tomato Tart or something interesting .  I bet I am going to enjoy the delightful home garden tomato flavor !

Most of us enjoy a surprise and I have another little garden surprise .  At the time that I purchased the tomato plants, I also tossed in my cart one zucchini plant .  All of  these were little 4 inch potted plants .  With no  planning , I just popped the zucchini into my strawberry barrel that was doing very little in the growing department .

I think the wine barrel looks so nice with the strawberry plant expanding over the edges .  And, that little zucchini plant is no longer little!

 Look ! ! !  A zucchini !

 And, another one on the way !

Hopefully, there will be enough to add as a side dish to a Pot Roast dinner I am planning for the near future .  The fall weather says to me that it is time to do some yummy cooking.

Sadly , a little neighborhood nursery that always stocked top quality nursery stock has lost their lease and will be closing .  The nursery sits on a site of large acreage that will be going up for sale .  As a result they have a 25% off sale on every thing .  I stopped in and bought four Lavender plants that I am planting between some daylilies along a pathway .

It is taking me a long time to dig the holes to plant them because there is so much rock to do battle with .  You can see how dense the rock is in these photos .  I also have to buy some planter mix to give them support to hopefully continue to grow into healthy plants.

I think the contrast of foliage color will look good .

The White Clematis continues to bloom profusely on the fence behind the White Garden.

And, and, and, believe it or not, I baked some yummy blueberry muffins.  The cooler weather is coaxing me into the kitchen.

I hope your week is going well and you are starting to enjoy the definite change of season.

Today was my 78th Birthday.   It was just a usual day-no celebration.  Life is what it is.

Mary

Looks Good Doesn't It - And More

With all the hard work/labor I have been doing  it does not leave me much time and energy to do much cooking. If any at all.  It is a good thing I have a microwave.  Other than popping something in the microwave, fresh fruit has been my "go to food" along with cheese and crackers.  It is surprising to me how many types of crackers are available !

I must not forget to mention how much I am enjoying hand picking and eating my ripened figs directly from the tree , especially when I am doing the daily times two garden watering.  They are so sweet and delicious .

 I am not sure if I will be able to do much baking or cooking with the figs this year . I am really working hard to do a lot more outdoor maintenance and general cleanup .

Since I am very overdue in stocking my freezer with some "make ahead dinners" I made myself get busy and change that.  How's this?

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Shallots

Now ,  look at these wonderful Tomatoes in my garden !  I have two plants and they are both producing Heirloom Tomatoes .   They are taking a long time to turn red and the weather is starting to cool .  Maybe , I will have to make Fried Green Tomatoes .  I would like that , too .

This has been quite exciting because I bought the little plants on impulse .  I must say that I have been very good about regular watering and fertilizing .   The TLC makes a difference!

By now ,  you know Me And My Rocks !!!

Well, I have been working on some of the path borders .  I find it quite enjoyable and I like the various colors .  It feels very creative .  Kind of like a "Rock Mason" .

And ,  sometimes the rocks need to be moved .  I can do wonders with a crow bar working just a little at a time!  I limit myself to the short bar because I don't want to get myself into trouble with a long pry bar.  Remember ,  I have a back injury !!!   Aren't these beauties ?  Yes, I really am a "crazy lady" .

Remember these flowers ?  Gomphrena "Fireworks"  that I mail ordered last year ?  You know, the ones I foolishly cut back in late fall.

This Post will refresh your memory.   And, then  this Post will also.

Ta - da !!  Would you believe it ?  This next photo shows a couple flowers from my plants this year !!!

I think they are so very pretty and they sway in the breeze. 

They were slow to show any growth .  But four out of the six plants did fairly well .

Along the way ,  I learned that they are an annual plant in some parts of the country .  They do not over-winter very well .  And, when they do it is because they are self seeding .  Seeds are available as well as plants at certain times of the year by mail order .  Lessons learned.  We'll wait and see what next year brings.

Well, that's a little more catch up on what is keeping me so busy at this time of year.

Wishing you a good end of Summer Weekend.   The California weather is wonderful ,  at least for a few days.

Mary

More About Wild Perennial Sweet Pea

I posted about my challenge against Wild Sweet Pea several days ago.  Progress continues.

This is some of what I blogged about my current project of cleaning up my garden slope that is covered in Ivy.  English Ivy can be very invasive and the time had come to corral it .  More importantly , since the area was covered with cedar tree seedlings and an invasive plant called Wild Perennial Sweet Pea I decided to remove the surface of the ivy and the other offending plants and then allow fresh ivy to once again cover the slope. See that little purple spot in the photo above ?  That is the purple (no fragrance) wild sweet pea flower that have been spreading their long tentacles all over the ivy.

(google image)

The wild flower is Lathyrus latifolius - Perennial Pea, Sweet Pea, Everlasting Pea . It vines to 6 feet long with winged stems and  uses petiole-terminating tendrils to climb. There are one to several pink to magenta butterfly-like blossoms on smooth, unwinged pedicels . 

This is what the slope looks like now .  I'm getting there .  The only thing that I still have to remove is what is left in the ditch .  I have left some Ice Plant in one area and also some Vinca Minor as well as a few other plants .

This is looking down from the pathway .  The English Ivy is starting to come back nicely !

When I say the Wild Sweet Pea is invasive, let me show you how fast it can grow .  The next three photos of different areas show the growth since I cut them just a few days ago .  I plan to take more aggressive measures wherever I see signs of the invasive Wild Sweet Pea .

It will be so nice to have this project completed.

Other progress is happening with the Patio Furniture .  I have completed painting the large table and four chairs .  And, I am so pleased with the nice attractive outcome .

It has been a relatively easy project and when the paint has cured for a day or so I will take another photo when it is all set up !   HooRay!  Since I have the paint , I think I will continue and paint the small table and the two rocker chairs.

I hope you had a good weekend and the week to come will be enjoyable.

Mary