A Test Garden

I come to you this afternoon, coughing and sneezing, eyes tearing. No I don't have a cold. I have been cleaning and chopping Anaheim peppers, jalapeño peppers, and onions in preparation for making salsa. I needed a break, nor do I want to miss the deadline for Mosaic Monday with Maggie at Normandy Life. 

So this post will come to you in intervals.

Tomatoes need blanching, peppers and onions chopped in food processor.

Last Week in the Garden

Perhaps your husband does the same thing: You are occupied with something important, any thing. He comes rushing in the room breathlessly demanding that you have got to come see_______fill in the blank. Now we have hawks patrolling  the skies over the Garden Spot all of the time shopping for mice, voles, rabbits, hens. So what's the big deal? You gotta see this one. Grab your camera, he says. So I finally gave in to go have a look see. 

I was able to get quite close to this handsome fellow. We are not sure just which one it is. I kept creeping closer and closer, using my 300mm telephoto. He finally got tired of my spying on him, so he took off. There have several in the air the last several days, young ones learning how to hunt with their ever watchful parents near by perched on high electrical polls and in tree tops supervising the hunting lessons.

 While I was in the garden camera in hand, I took a few photos.

Late summer blooms and seeds: Sunflower and Dill. Nice garden companions. I like the contrast in texture, shape and color.

These are wild sunflowers left to  their own devices in the garden. We leave them because they are so pretty and later the birds will eat the seeds.

You will find a lot of pink in the garden, too.

Hollyhocks grow like weeds around here. The soft pink ones are my favorites

I get all queasy when I see my shades of pink zinnias.

Orange sings out loud and clear.

The multicolored ones make me smile, too.

The glads are winding down. I'll be sad to see them go. Next year I am ordering them from a good catalogue, instead of the supermarket margin bin.

You will notice that there is a lot of pink in my garden:

Cosmos Light Pink

Cosmos Darker Pink

Hibiscus (Heidi for short) Big and bold blooms for the end of summer.

The last of the cone flowers are fading.

A rather small dahlia that I am so thankful bothered to bloom. They were planted late in the north bed that only the brave dare to bloom.

First Prize in the north rose bed where the roses get too much shade, I suspect.

Still she makes me happy.

A Quiz of Some Sorts

Hints: 

• We visit this place every year except the years that we forget to go.
• It's free
• It's eye candy for the gardener
• Inspiration for the gardener
• What do giant can of Campbell's Tomato Soup, an old high school building, and a hibiscus have in common?

Of course: Colorado State University's Test Garden. 

The old Ft. Collins School is now the home of the University Center of Arts. It is one of those classic old school buildings like the ones we might have gone to school in. Love the architecture. 

 

Here are few of my favorite photos. I took so many, but I only a chose a few to share.

Phlox.

The garden's web page explains that supplies donate plant material for the garden an volunteers plant the leaf slips. Yes, almost all of the plants come from leaf cuttings. A few plants were marked as planted from seeds. I found this most interesting.

Would you serve this beet to your family or guests: Bulls Blood. The plants are gorgeous, dark and mysterious. Something Henry VIII might serve.

Rows upon rows of our favorite annuals in every shade and color.

We had weekend guests who helped their grandson and his girlfriend move into their college apartment, so when I saw her photos of the garden I told the Head Gardener that we were going this year.

This is Moon Carrot. What an unusual plant. Here it is growing next rudbeckia and what an interesting combo this two make. 

There was so much plant material to see and ponder and wonder about. There is not a weed in sight or sickly bloom to be seen. The sun was warm but not hot, the breeze gentle, making a perfect afternoon stroll through the garden.

Meanwhile back a the Ranch

We have seen them flirting through the yard and finally one humming bird stopped by the feeder. 

And I'll leave you with our golden boy with the setting sun making him shine like the gem he is, even as he scratches his itch.

The salsa is done. The kitchen is a mess. Canning does make a mess and I cleaned up some of it along the way. I am tired. I took a taste of it and boy does it have a bit. I forgot wear gloves when I seeded and chopped the peppers, so they burn a bit. I made six pints that have quite a bite to them. I hope the salsa isn't too hot. 

Tomorrow I am going to make kraut burgers. Do you make them? I have 3 great heads of cabbage, so I am going to make them from scratch, including bread dough. I'll let you know how that goes.

Have a wonderful week. Thanks for stopping by.

Linking with Maggie at Normandy Life for Mosaic Monday. Join us.