Our garden overfloweth . . .

I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. . .

My husband loves to plant a garden and I do love the vegetables, but  why, oh why, do they all have to come at the same time!   I have made 10 loaves of zucchini bread, 5 casseroles (in the freezer), sliced zucchini for soup later and froze bags of shredded zucchini for more bread. 

Now, here come the cucumbers!  I really must find an easy pickle recipe before they take over my kitchen. 

I am about to start frying green tomatoes because there are so many on the vine that if they all start ripening at the same time I will have to give them away.  (I don’t mind sharing our bounty, but I LOVE tomatoes.)

And figs – I don’t even want to go there.  Our tree is heavy with half-ripe figs and we don’t even like them.  Now those, I would happily give to a new home.

We do love this zucchini bread recipe though so I thought I’d share it.  It makes 2 loves and freezes well.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. each baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt
3 cups flour
3 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.   Spray two 5 x 8 loaf pans with cooking spray.  Beat together eggs, sugar and oil.   Sift together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour.  Mix flour mixture together with egg mixture and add zucchini, vanilla, coconut (and nuts).  Mix well.   Bake for 1 hour. 
(I mix all of this by hand.)

Texas Mountain Laurel

Here are a few pics of my lovely Texas Mountain Laurel. 
Mine still looks like a little shrub, but hopefully some day it will be a tree.

The pretty purple blooms have a distinct grape fragrance and then turn to seed pods.  I have actually gotten some of the seeds to germinate, but the plant died after I planted it.  I think I’ll try again.  It is a little bit of a project, but if anyone wants to try it, I’ll be glad to send you a seed or two.

A branch . . .

a close up . . .

seed pods . . .

my dream!

Lemons – finally!

I showed you my little Meyer Lemon tree in June, with blooms and small lemons.  Well, who knew that it would take this long for them to finally be edible LEMONS?!   I got a dozen off this container tree.  I used the first one in my tea and ate half of it like an orange (in fact, it is a cross between a mandarin orange and lemon) and now I’m wondering  . . . lemon pie, lemon bars, lemonade, lemon cake, maybe lemon chicken.

 

There are about 6 new ones on the tree about the size of a pea and some blooms.  This weekend I will be putting the tree in a new pot and into the greenhouse for the winter.  Maybe by spring we’ll be eating lemons again!

Some like it hot . . .

and I guess it’s a good thing!  It would be a drab world if there weren’t some flowers that didn’t care that it is 100++++ degrees.

Fall can’t get here fast enough for me, but these little brown-eyed Susans in my garden are happy just like it is – HOT.

Blackberries

from the garden.  I think I see a cobbler in our future!

Hydrangeas

My hydrangea blooms are turning a beautiful color as they age on the bush.  When they were fresh and a bright pink, I cut some and tried the glycerin method of drying – didn’t work for me. 

Now, I would love to dry them in this stage, but hate to keep experimenting.  Anyone out there with firsthand knowledge of a surefire way to dry these beauties?   Help……….  If it works, I’ll send some to you!

Mucho Macho

ferns, that is.   I have several of these Macho Ferns and I just love them!!   I have two that I have kept over the winter (for two years) in my little greenhouse.  They don’t come out of “hibernation” quite this pretty, but still macho in my book!

Lemon Tree very pretty . . .

I’ve got little lemons and blooms still coming on.  This is a Meyer Lemon tree which is in a container.  I’ll have to put it in the greenhouse over the winter, but so far it is very happy in our Texas heat – happier than I am right now!

Can’t invite you over for lemonade or lemon bars any time soon, but maybe someday I’ll share.

My Herb Garden

hasn’t really loved all of the rain we have gotten lately.   The mulch seems to have disappeared and some things are looking water logged.  But then, there’s this

Mexican mint marigold (or Texas tarragon) – smells like licorice and blooms in early fall.   My hoja santa (which means sacred leaf) plants (below) don’t usually do this well, but they are not totally suited to this climate.  I guess they like it wet.  It comes back every spring.

Rosemary is looking good

and so are some of my roses.

I even have enough to put some in the house, so I’m happy!