Food and Shelter

My most popular birdhouse

"Our Task Must Be To Free
     Ourselves. By Widening Our
  Circle Of Compassion To
     Embrace All Living Creatures,
  And The Whole Of Nature ...
     And Its Beauty."
                               -Albert Einstein

Sparrows having a bath

   I love birds. I am amazed by their beauty, by their ability to glide effortlessly through the sky, and by the fact that they can build complex nests with only a beak.
  One of my favorite things about having a garden is the birds it attracts and I work hard at trying to do so.

Small birdbath

  Water is a great way to bring birds to your yard. Besides drinking water, birds need water to keep their feathers clean and as a place to cool off in the heat of the day. Be it a birdbath or a simple clay plate, birds will love it. Use your imagination when looking for a container, the options are endless as long as they are clean and shallow.
     Make sure that your vessel is not to deep but deep enough for them to have a good splash.

Stone drinking vessel

  Early morning, while you're out dead heading your flowers is a great time to put clean water in your birdbath or what ever vessels you are using.
  It is not enough to hope that the rain or sprinkler will fill it, it is important that you check to make sure it is staying fresh and clean.

Copper drinking vessel

  It is also important to place them in an area that has some protection and a place to dry off after a bath. Trees are of course the easiest solution but are not always an option for everyone.    A small shrub or tall plants work well or a covered area in your yard  would also work well.

  Food of course is another way to attract birds to your yard.  The same applies to food as water, Clean, Fresh and Protected.
  If you have a Hummingbird feeder, change the feed and wash out your container every couple of days. You can make up a simple syrup and keep it in the fridge for several weeks.
  The same applies to your dry food, check it every couple of days to see if it needs filling or changing.

Green birdhouse

Goldfinch having a feed

  Think of the birds that are in your area and put out food that appeals to them. You can also try to bring new birds to your yard by placing out food that they like. I have been doing that with Hummingbirds and am still hopeful that one of these days they will pay me a visit. If you are consistent with your food they will know it is there and come to rely on it.

  Then there is Shelter. Birds need a place to nest so try to provide a couple of bird houses.
  Not all birds use a house. I've had Mourning Doves nest in my hanging baskets and on top of my arbor. I've had Robins in a small decorative planter by my front door.
 If nothing else they add character to your garden and hopefully, if you're lucky they will become occupied.

Coconut Birdhouse

  I seem to have luck with two houses that are on free standing poles. It could be the fact that it is hard for other animals to get access to them but I used to have one on my fence that was occupied every year so I'm not sure what the appeal is. I just buy a variety of houses and hope for the best.
 So if you want to attract wildlife to your yard remember to provide water, food and shelter. They give us the pleasure of their company so it is our job to protect while they are there.

Basking in the sun.

  Flowers of course are a great attraction for all wildlife so don't forget about that when you are choosing your plants. Some birds love thistles, Hummingbirds love color, scent. Rabbits I think like them all.
  As you can see by the picture of this Rabbit he is feeling quite content after feeding off my flowers and is now basking in the warmth of the sun. I think he feels safe.
  All creatures great and small.

Happy Gardening!

Reap what you Sow!

Simple Syrups

      Step into the garden,
     lift your face to the sun
              and Breath.
   It will help you remember
      all that is beautiful and 
          right in the world


                      
                                        
                                                
                                                      
                                             
                                                     
                                                         

Lavender drying

  A few weeks back I started to dry my Lavender. I took a cookie tray, lined it with a piece of parchment paper and laid out the Lavender. I then put it in my laundry room where it is cool and dry.

  Once dried I removed the flowers and started to think about what I  might  do with it. I have in previous years made Lavender cupcakes, (the Lavender is in the icing) and I have made Lavender sugar cookies. Both very tasty but I was looking to try something new.

Dried Lavender flowers

  I had read about flavored honey's and thought this would be fun to try. I took two cups of Ontario Honey and placed it in the top of a double boiler, then I added 6 tablespoons of dried Lavender flowers, gave it a stir and let it simmer over the water for approximately a half hour. Then I let it cool and strained it into jars. I filled 4 half pint jars. 

 You can warm it longer and you can add more flowers, it all depends how strong of a Lavender flavor you want.  I have to tell you I was so pleased with the result.

 Now one thing is for sure, you either like the taste of Lavender or not. I for one love the floral taste of Lavender and Roses so I love, love, love this honey. It is perfect over crumpets, tea biscuits, fruit, ice cream etc. Let your imagination be your guide. 

Lavender Honey

  The next thing I decided to try was making Simple Syrups. I had read about them and seen them in many recipes, especially in cocktails. 

  I ended up making three different kinds. The first one was with Pineapple Sage leaves, the second with Anise Hyssop leaves and the third with Lemon Balm.

Anise Hyssop

  Making these is exactly as the name implies, simple. Take one cup of sugar, one cup of water and place in a medium pot, bring the mixture to a soft boil and stir until sugar has dissolved.  

    Add a handful of whatever leaves you are using (approx. 25) and bring the mixture back to a boil. You can turn the mixture off at this point and leave it steep for about a half hour. I turned mine down to low and let it simmer for about fifteen minutes and then turned it off letting it sit for another half hour. Again it all depends on the strength of flavor you are looking for. 

   The flavor of these syrups is amazing. If you like licorice, Anise Hyssop is for you.

 This is one of my new favorite plants. Not only is it a late bloomer which in my books is a definite plus, it attracts Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds also a plus and it has an amazing licorice flavor. You can use the leaves and flowers for various baked goods, syrups or whatever else you can think of. Does it get any better than this?

  I have tried the Anise Hyssop syrup and the Lemon Balm syrup over cut strawberries and it is delicious. On the week-end I made Pavlovas. I used strawberries marinated in the Lemon Balm syrup over whipped cream in the Pavlova. It was nice and fresh, just a hint of lemon.

Lemon Balm

  I saw a recipe for a Gin Martini using the Pineapple Sage syrup, it would also pair nicely with Vodka. You could use them in iced tea or over ice creams. You could try using Mint, Lavender or even Rosemary. It is so simple to make and herbs are abundant so have some fun playing with flavor. Refrigerate the syrups once made and they will keep for about two weeks.

  The other thing I decided to make was Nasturtium Vinegar. I have made this before and it is so pretty and easy I just had to make it again. 

Nasturtium Vinegar

Nasturtium

  You can eat both the flowers and leaves of the Nasturtium plant which has a nice peppery taste. Think of adding them to a salad and then making a dressing using your Nasturtium vinegar, or slice some tomatoes and add some Nasturtium flowers a little cheese such as goats or feta and then drizzle with some Nasturtium vinegar and oil. The possibilities are endless.
 I  have also in recent years made flavored butters and oils which I hope to do again this year. The butters are so versatile and easy not to mention pretty and can be frozen which is a bonus. They can be sweet or savory and you can use them in cooking or just as a butter for various delicacies.  
  Another thing I would like to try is flavored salts and sugars. Those are easy to do, just add dried herbs or flowers to the sugar or salt, cover them and let them sit for a few weeks. You can then use them as is or grind to incorporate the herbs. I made the mistake of not drying the flowers and believe me it dosen't work, so be patient and dry, dry, dry.
  So if you have herbs in your garden go out and clip some and play in the kitchen, don't be afraid to experiment with flavor.  If you don't have herbs maybe it's time to give them a try, there easy and fun to grow. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and whatever you decide to do, have fun.

Happy Gardening!
                                      

Bringing the outside in

Peach Rose

Pink Rose

              

                     Believe in beauty.
                            Let its Magic heal your soul.


 I don't know if you are like me but I used to hesitate to cut my flowers and bring them in. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind that was, maybe I was thinking it would leave a noticeable hole in the flowerbed or take away from the overall look of the garden.

Hyacinth and Daffodils

Coneflowers

The only time I didn't mind was in the Spring. Bringing spring flowers inside is like freshening the house, getting rid of that winter staleness.
 Hyacinth is one of my favorite spring blooms. It's scent wakes up the sense's with the promise of summer close behind.
  Lily of the Valley is  another favorite of mine, I love their fragrance and their delicate little bell like blossoms. I have a round white vase that I got from my mother and it works perfectly with the Lily of the Valley, the stark contrast of the green against the white is beautiful.

  I like to place flower filled vases in areas that I tend to be in most often like the kitchen, hallway, bathroom or dining room.

Coneflower

 In the kitchen I place them on the window sill and try to make sure it is a flower with a lovely fragrance, that way when the sun shines in it will heat the flower releasing it's scent. It just makes it that much more lovely to have inside.
 One of the Roses I bought this year has the most powerful scent that just by bringing one rose into the kitchen, it can add fragrance to the whole floor of the house.

Dried Rose buds

 I also dried some of my rose buds this year. My Rose tree was overgrown and I needed to cut it back so instead of throwing away the buds I decided to dry them. They have a wonderful peppery scent and I have placed them around the base of my candle holder.
 Hopefully when the flame is lit the heat will stimulate the roses and emit it's scent.

 Coneflowers are another great flower to bring in. I have planted about ten different varieties so now I have plenty to bring in. The nice thing about Coneflowers is that they last a long time and stand up nice and straight.
 Some flowers do not have a very strong stem so think about the container you are going to put them in or pair them with a another flower that will give it support.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea do not stand up well in a tall vase, they are top heavy and need support. The best way is to cut them short so that it's head rests on the lip of the vase. You can do the same with Peonies, just remember to give them a good shake before bringing them in so you don't have ants everywhere.
 Don't forget about fall cuttings. Some of the fall flowers we may not think about are Sedum which make a beautiful Thanksgiving centre piece as do Oat Grass. They dry beautifully and  last a long time. Think of flowers in your garden that dry naturally, they will be a good one to bring in.
 
 So don't hesitate to bring your flowers in, just plant more flowers so you don't feel like you are stripping the bed.
 When you think of it, having flowers in your home that you grew yourself is a lovely reward for all your hard work. It brightens our home, our senses and our spirits.

Happy Gardening!