How quickly it grows!!!

Its been a while since I've written and mostly life has made it hard to sit down and truly focus on words. When it comes to my garden I am amazed at how quickly things grow. In two months there is a vast difference...from bare to lush. With a shorter summer in the Pacific Northwest, the days free of rain are so welcome. The goal for this Summer is to have a bigger veggie bounty and simply try to relax, breathe and take whatever comes my way.

Monet would be proud

Spring has arrived!! The pink hues have overshadowed the winter blues and the rain keeps bringing more blossoms. I was away in smoggy LA and although it was sunny and warm, I was happy to return to Portland and find my yard filled with a rainbow of colors. Many yellow daffodils, pink and blue hyacinths and the most beautiful pink flowering currant tree. I could not resist but take photos with my quirky lens. The result was a Monet like display of photos.

WINTER HAS COME

So old man winter has hit and hit hard. Breathtaking to see the whiteness all around. The garden is sleeping soundly until the beauty of spring.

Beautiful Fall

Was inspired to take these pictures outside my window. The wind has been blowing all the color off the trees at a fast rate. There is something about the fierce red and orange hues that gets to me. Maybe Summer's last cry knowing it is time to sleep for a while.

The most beautiful farm!!!

Visiting my friend Jessica in September in Pleasantville NY, she took me to a little slice of heaven called Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture. Located in Pocantico Hills New York, it is hard to fathom that this place is less than an hour from bustling NYC. This place has it all. A working farm that prides itself on organic produce grown with no chemicals or pesticides. The livestock is raised on pasture, grass fed and the farm practices rotational grazing as well as rotation of their crops. All of this helps the soil, the land and all the produce that comes from the farm. Stone Barns also has the Blue Hill Restaurant and a daily cafe where everything is served fresh from the farm and onto your plate. I found myself wandering around this beautiful landscape admiring the animals and the serenity that one feels walking through a place like this. Volunteers were tending to the garden, visitors were laughing over coffee and sandwiches. It made me appreciate the slower pace of life and the true idea of balance between land, people and food.

VEGETABLE BOUNTY

I am still amazed that a tiny little plant can produce so much goodness. After being away all weekend I came home to find an abundance of fresh veggies waiting for me in the garden. The tomatoes look stunning and I have so many cucumbers it's astonishing. Still corn, broccoli and cauliflower are next to come. I just planted a bunch more lettuce as I am eating it all the time. Radishes are coming up too!!!

WHAT IS A BOYSENBERRY?

Went to an amazing place yesterday called Willamette-Land Farm to pick fresh berries. About 30 minutes from Portland. Never had a real Boysenberry or Marionberry before. What are they you ask? Good question. Basically they are both crosses of our favorite type of berries. A Boysenberry is a cross between the raspberry and blackberry. See the picture below as they get huge in size and the flavor. Sweet like a raspberry with hints of tartness from the blackberry.

A Marionberry is native to Oregon and 90% of all Marionberries come from here. Named after the county (Marion) in which they were first discovered, a Marion is a cross between two types of blackberries. You could get lost in this mine-field of berries but not only did I enjoy picking and eating them but I made my first EVER batch of homemade jam. A lovely Raspberry-Marionberry-Boysenberry mix. Gonna try it and give it out to family and friends today for the first time.