Wednesday, September 03, 2008

The Last Days of Summer
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Things are starting to wind down around the Mexican Chalet. The attempts at planting out our hillside met with a modicum of success. We grow weeds supremely. But the pumpkin managed to produce a fine specimen. I am showing my foot here for size comparison.


It is just starting to turn orange. This is a Jack O'Lantern, not an eating pumpkin. We also have a small butternut squash and a watermelon the size of a walnut. Live and learn I always say.


Our best crop were the nasturtiums which have taken over everything. We are happy to note that they are going to seed, so I will collect them and have more again next year, in a different spot I think. We can barely get to the front steps from the invasion of these flowers.


The bees love them and we have all sorts of colors, from orange, yellow, pale peach to reds. I love an enthusiastic plant.
Here are some almost white ones. And next to them are the overgrown basil. What a crop we have had. This is the last of it, altho I may have enough to freeze. I will be making pesto again soon. I think the reason they are so lush is that this is the east side of the house, with gentle morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. That made them less likely to starve for water.


A last bloom of clematis and the lovely calla round out the display. This is only the third calla bloom this year, but I have learned that they will return next year in this zone. And I plan on planting more bulbs. The leaves are gigantic and they would be a grand section of the garden.
My painting arm is sore, believe it or not. The same repetitive motion injury that occurs when I knit. So I am careful to let it rest today, or it will not recover. In the meantime I am reading Bill Clinton's autobiography which Dave brought home from the library. It is a large print edition and weighs a ton on my lap. Bill leaves out nothing from his life. Every person and place is mentioned. Details way less interesting than you may think. But I will hopefully get through it while I recuperate.

7 comments:

  1. I love nasturtiums. My mother used to grow them but they never took over an area like yours did. How neat to have callas too. I have an old shoulder injury that gets revived now and then too. Rest is all you can do to heal.

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  2. I love the calla lilies! I would love a place to grow them in my yard.

    Rest that shoulder... I am developing trigger finger and there is no way to rest it.

    Was Bill being paid by the word... or just full of himself as usual? LOL

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  3. Haha @ the details less interesting. Our first-ever courgette plant flowered and was then devoured by evil snails.

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  4. Oh My Lord! We have got to send you more interesting literature imediately. Besides I don't think hefting a book like that is good for your darling arm not to mention your mental well-being. I will say, if Bill really wrote a book about his actual life, I might get behind that. Or maybe a really good exposaaaay?(can't figure out the French accent mark)
    My adoration of nasturtiums is long-lived. We call them nasty urchins because that's what James called them when he was little.
    Sending you hugs....and books....soon!

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  5. Anonymous2:06 PM

    So sorry about your shoulder. You oughta get a new toy like mine -- a little inexpensive mp3 player -- and download books from your library!

    I love your place. Can almost smell the flowers and the surrounding vegetation.

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  6. How do you freeze basil? I've tried and it always turns a nasty black and gets ooky when I thaw it out. I had 5 plants this year and will dry the leftover in my food dehydrator. I also do that with my tarragon.
    Jenny in NC

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  7. Are you eating your nasturtium blossoms? My sister-in-law serves them as appetizers stuffed with a cheesy filling. I filled some with a mixture of cream cheese and Boursin and used a baggie pastry bag with the corner snipped off. If you like these, you and Dave can eat your way across the hillside!

    Marion

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