Seeing Double in the Garden

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Flowers are blooming in every corner of my garden, but I was greeted by two very interesting surprises this week. One of my gerbera daisy plants sprouted a double-headed bloom at the same time one of my sunflower stalks popped a set of conjoined twins! Seriously, what are the odds of two sets of twins blooming at the same time? I’ve decided this occurrence is a sign of good luck, for both my garden and life in general!

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Growing together
Single stem, double the joy
Sharing sunny days

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Twin Gerbera Daisies
Photo by: c.b.w. 2013

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Gerbera Daisies joined at the hip!
Photo by: c.b.w. 2013

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Sunbeam symmetry
Wild petals reach for joy
Yellow reflection

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Double-sided sunflower!
Photo by: c.b.w. 2013

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c.b.w. 2013

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Garden Treasures

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The summer heat may be blazing, but my garden is thriving!  The sunflowers are blooming and I’m making some yummy salad with my freshly picked zucchini (yup, I’ve included a recipe!).

Gold petals unfurl
Beautiful blast of yellow
Sunlight on a stem

A sunflower finally blooms!

The zucchini harvest continues to yield some great picks off the vine.  My little bunny thinks he’s going to steal one, but he doesn’t realize those suckers weigh over a pound each.

There better not be any bunny nibbles on that zucchini!

I made a great zucchini salad by modifying a recipe from Incredibly Easy Salads.  Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound zucchini, unpeeled
  • 1 medium sweet onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 medium orange bell pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Directions:

1) Halve and cut zucchini into 1/8-inch slices.  Combine with onion and bell pepper; set aside.

2) Combine vinegar, water, oil, sugar, salt, black pepper, and marjoram in a bowl and whisk until combined. Pour over vegetables.  Chill overnight.

Makes 6 servings.

To serve:

I’ve found the marrinated zucchini/veggie mix to be quite tasty on its own, but you can also serve it over some salad greens.  Use a slatted spoon as the dressing is quite strong!  A little bit goes a long way.

Enjoy this cool, refreshing salad as a light supper or as an appetizer!

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What’s growing in your garden?

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c.b.w.  2012

Buds, Blooms, and Veggies!

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Green buttons wrapped tight
Rays of sunshine tucked inside
just waiting to burst

The sunflowers are getting ready to brighten the yard.

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Bright stars on the ground
Petals open, just one day
Quickly! Make a wish

Make a wish on this big star!

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After seven weeks of waiting, we picked our first harvest of zucchini.  Two plants produced these beauties and more are on the way!  I sliced one up and put it my dinner salad.  There is nothing quite as tasty as homegrown zucchini – so sweet and juicy!

Zucchini waiting to be picked!

The first harvest! Next stop: The kitchen.

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c.b. 2012

Haikus: My Garden Grows, (Part 2)

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Delicate white buds
will give way to magic stalks
Plant dreams and believe

Blooming buds means beans are on the way! My little rabbit is hoping for an early snack.

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First bit of magic
curls up to the sky and smiles
Not for trade, these beans

The first bean of the season!

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Sunflower stalks climb
A forest to a bunny
Taller still, they grow!

From three inches to three feet, my sunflowers just keep growing!

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See Part 1 of My Garden Grows, here.

To see where these little guys started, check out my previous garden posts:

My Little Garden

Haikus From My Garden 

How is your garden growing?

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c.b. 2012