It was nice getting out today for a stroll around Happy Acres. I’ve been a bit under the weather for the last week, so it’s good to feel a little more like myself. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to see if I could find any color out here.
First of all I needed to finish giving my lavender a haircut. I had trimmed the lavender in one area a couple weeks ago, but hadn’t got around the bushes on the east side. So today was the day.
Last week I spent some time at a subdivision nearby where I raked pine needles for our blueberries. Since mulching them, the bushes have turned so beautiful. Here is one of them.
We’ve been waiting on this persimmon for what seems like a long time. This is the second year for this tree and the very first fruit. I sure hope it ripens before winter sets in!
This lonely coneflower is out front.
Then there is chard.
This is our first year for chard. It is such a beautiful plant, but I’m still having trouble liking it. I am pretty flexible when it comes to food, and I love turnip greens, kale, and collards (all new to me in the last three years), but chard I’m just not sure I’ll ever like it. Tolerate it – yes. The deer love it so Dave’s covered it with chicken wire. Unfortunately, the last time they got into the chard, they didn’t eat it all. In fact the ones they pulled up Dave was able to replant. Dave’s been a good sport trying to get me to like it. The last dish he added so much garlic that I could barely taste the chard which was a good thing!
Then right around the corner of the garage I found this holly.
Just beautiful! And I’ve been threatening to cut it down!
Our maple is usually beautiful but this year with so little rain, it’s not looking good. The trees across the street are really starting their color show.
I keeping telling myself that there isn’t much color this year, but I’ve come up with quite a bit so far. I think we still have a little more time and our one burning bush I’ve not hacked on this year, is just about to turn. Hope you are enjoying the colors in your neck of the woods.
Love the colors of that blueberry bush, it’s gorgeous! I don’t think I’ve ever tasted chard…what does it taste like? Similar to lettuce or spinach?
Kristina, It tastes like dirt! Well, that’s what I think, but hubby swears it tastes like spinach. He did fix a frittata yesterday and it was wonderful. The chard tasted like spinach in it. But otherwise, it tastes like dirt!
Uh, that sounds bad! I am planning next year’s balcony garden right now and I think I just crossed chard from my way-too-long list :)) Better stick to real spinach 🙂
Kristina, Oh, I hate you to cross it out. It’s a beautiful plant and you could also throw it in a smoothie. And you might really like it. It might be one of those veggies that has to grow on me. But I’d much rather have turnip greens, kale or spinach.
I think I’m already over-ambitious for next year’s garden (I have looong lists of plants I want to grow and limited space and knowlege…) so I don’t think I’ll try the chard in 2011…maybe the year after that. Maybe I can find it in the supermarket first to try it before growing it and putting lots of work into it. Spinach and kale at least I know I’ll eat 😉
Kristina, Good idea to try it first although it is beautiful in the garden. Last night hubby mixed kale, turnip greens and chard together and sauteed them and I could still taste the chard but it was a good dish.