Although this is an origanum, it is not edible, but it is delectable. This is origanum 'Kent Beauty.'
Promises I made when we moved into our new house:
1. I'll always wear gloves when I garden.
2. I'll buy only edibles and natives for the garden.
3. I won't buy any more terra cotta pots. (We moved 3 back breaking truckloads into our new garden)
4. I'll try to restrict my color palette.
5. I won't garden in my nightgown anymore.
So let's step through my garden gate and do a reality Check (see below)
Found this old iron "TRADES" gate at an antique shop.
Gloves are worn for 5 minutes and then end up lost in the garden or on the potting bench.
Oops, a nightgown for gardening. Bad habits are hard to break.
Euphorbia 'Sticks on fire' is neither an edible nor native, but it is gorgeous and fills in a tiny and ugly empty spot at the bottom of the kitchen steps. Uh oh, guess that tall pot is new.
More new pots, but don't they set off the entry to the potager?
These two are HUGE. Yes, they're new since moving here, but who could resist them? I don't buy clothes, but containers? They are irresistible. I just emptied them of their summer bounty and am getting ready to replant for the winter.
I'm ok on one count here-the tall plat on the left is a native elderberry, which is going to be planted along the wall in our back garden. The short plant beside the elderberry is a mini-fuchsia thymifolia, which obviously earned its name for the tiny, thyme-like leaves. This plant is neither native nor edible, BUT, and this is a big BUT, it is a great favorite of the hummingbirds.
This begonia isn't native, isn't edible, and I don't yet know if it is attractive to hummers.
So now you KNOW that I am fickle about gardening, but never fickle about shopping farmer's markets every week. They depend on us and we depend on them.
Join me for a visit to the Ojai Farmer's Market in Ojai Valley. This is one of my favorites and I love to stock up when I visit there. This past weekend three of my best girlfriends from middle school met me in Ojai for a slumber party. The Farmer's Market was high on our list of "have-to-dos." Lots of photos, but this is a feast for the eyes as well as a feast for your soul.
Olive wood cutting boards. YIKES, they are gorgeous.
Inextricably bound...aren't we? Farmers and cooks, gardeners and cooks?
I wish you a joyous Thanksgiving with friends and family.
Love,
Sharon
P.S. Drop by for a visit to my Lowe's Blog posting about decorating with naturals from the garden. No matter where you live these are ideas you can translate to your own surroundings. And won't you leave me a comment about how you decorate with naturals? Check out Lili at Fearless Nesting who has jumped into the fray and is using pine boughs for her decor.
38 comments:
Oh my goodness Sharon, that is a feast for the eyes!! I love farmers markets and having s slumber party with the girls is the best!
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving also.
XXOOXXOO
Kay
There is REALLY nothing wrong with gardening in your pajamas... Is there? and don't garden gloves just come between you and your plants... what's that quote... "forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the wind longs to play with your hair"... surely there could be an addemdum about bare fingers!
Gorgeous olive wood cutting boards! :))
Happy Thanksgiving! :)))
What's wrong with gardening in ones nightgown or robe for that matter? And I agree with Melody, who needs gloves really? So we won't have the prettiest nails at the farmers market? No big loss there! Delicious looking fruits and veggies Sharon...and I can feel that California Sunshine all the way to America's hometown! Love all of your " pots " They all seem right at home!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jeff!
Much love,
Deb and family
What wonderful photos from the Farmer's Market and of your garden. You've broken a lot of those self-inflicted promises, but I hope that you're none the worse off for it...except for the manicure. I can't stand to garden without my gloves, but it's not as warm here as there. And I garden in my nighty all the time and the neighbors have probably seen more than I'd like to think that they have. :D
Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes...right back atcha. Hope that you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
I blog & garden in my gown.
My favorite is to garden in my ancient little denim dress with nothing between me & it!!
Discovered several girlfriends do the same in their denim dresses.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
I don't think you are fickle in the least...you have some very good habits. When you get your hands dirty from gardening without gloves, you can always wipe them on your nightgown! And I love clay pots...have to have them!
Your pictures from the farmers market are stunning. All those vivid colors. I would have had a ball! And friends from middle school? How lucky you are!
For the holidays I decorate with a lot of fresh fruit, branches and boughs from our trees and bushes and I love natural herb wreaths year round. I'm excited to start!
Wishing you a wonderful week and a Happy Thanksgiving, my friend!
XO,
Jane
Sharon -
Oh my goodness what a fabulous collection of photos from the market - each one is worthy of a beautiful frame! (I am in love with the radishes!!) I could have spent the day there just snapping photos.
Your garden at home is lovely - the containers are exquisite - and I had to laugh about the gloves! Really - who really does wear gloves? I am like you - after 5 minutes they are OFF! Love that you garden in your nightie! (is there any other way?)
Lili's beautiful post on her outdoor decorating was fabulous. She is so creative - like you - she has a special style. I love her - she is a really special friend.
Happy Holidays to you to my friend~
Vicki
The farmer's market is definitely a feast for the eyes! And gardening in your nightgown - what could be better? I actually do it often in the summer months - watering first thing in the morning, you know.
So much goodness in one post! LOVE the fickleness. I'm exactly the same! And those stunning pics from the farmers market made me sooo envious. Ours rarely hold those treats and certainly not now w/winter round the corner. Saw your fun post at Lowe's too and admired the wreath n tree. I have some of the same ?vintage seed packs. Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
hugs,
Leslie
Go ahead, break some more rules! It's working for you - your garden is loverly. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with you and yours! Hugs, t
We are birds of a feather....for one, I believe one can never have too many clay pots! You have a beautiful collection, by the way. Secondly, nightgowns are the perfect gardening outfit. And lastly, good intentions of staying edible, native, etc., can be easily forgotten when one is swooning over a perfect bloom, fragrance, or foliage. I'm with you all the way!!
Lovely garden and market photos also!!
Hi Sharon, so much to comment about in this post. Love the veggie photos of the farmers market. Got a good laugh out of your list, so could apply to myself. The thing about the nightie isn't really amenable to will, it inevitably seems to happen to gardening addicts. cheers, catmint
Sharon: I think it's perfectly find to "fall off the wagon" so to speak. I think your new pots add great interest to your garden as do the inedibles.
To answer your question re the spiced pumpkin balls--I serve them as a condiment alongside the cranberry sauce. If there are any left over, I think a brisk game of tennis would be in order!!
Best,
Bonnie
Cambria is very near and dear to my heart. It's a place where my husband and I drive down Highway 1. We always stop at Nepenthe's to enjoy the spectacular view, eat an Ambrosia burger and those ridiculous big basket of fries. When we arrive in Cambria, we wander around the antique shops and out to Linn's country market. We grow olallieberries that we bought while in Cambria. Can you tell how much I love that area? It's only a 2-hour beautiful drive. I feel so blessed to live in California!
Wow.. that market! I like the flowering baby squash... the yellow raspberries and all the berries for that matter. with that kind of inspiration... why would you not keep up your garden?
Your images always brighten my spirits. All the gorgeous colours and shapes and all the green plants.;)
Today they appear almost surreal as here I woke up to a snow covered landscape this morning...
;))
xoxo
Part of the joy of garden is getting your hands dirty and feeling the earth isn't it? You wouldn't want to garden here in your nightie just now but I have been known to pop out in my dressing gown in summer months! Love the colourfulo produce photos and my mouth is watering at the thought of eating some of it!
Jane
I must be your twin :) I do not wear gloves anymore and seems my hands clean up pretty good. I start out to view garden early in the morning and before I know it - way past breakfast and I am still in my nightgown.
Farmers market - I could live in one. Beautiful you make me dream of Spring and Winter has not arrived. Love the pots!!
So many wonderful things in this post! Lavendar wands, those grape clusters, OLIVE WOOD CUTTING BOARDS (in awe!), and your adorable list of self-checks :)
(I'm so glad you like Su Blackwell's work. I think it's absolutely enchanting myself!)
Hi Sharon!
I'm all for gardening in nightgowns. My flower neighbor is always out tromping around in her nightie. I love that about her! And clay pots are wonderful, aren't they? Beautiful and simple.
Your berry photo is stunning. It's cold in Denver and my fairy garden is resting, but I feel sure the fairies are tucked in cozy earthen homes, getting ready for December. Blessings to you!
Oh, how lovely! Are you still in Cambria? We were there a couple of years ago over Easter and my heart is still there I think. Sigh!
xx
Rebekka
Oh, to be able to garden throughout the winter! How lovely! And one can NEVER have too many pots or plants! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Kristina
Hi friends,
Just want to explain that we moved away from Cambria four years ago. I miss it horribly, but here in town I am closer to family and everything else.
I wasn't crazy about living here and felt like a country hen stranded on a skyscraper. My sweet husband Jeff got tired of me being homesick (after all, I WAS home), and griping about trying to garden in town. He said, "Practice what you preach. You always tell people they can create a garden paradise wherever they live...so just do it!
That's what I am trying to do here... In the city, a stone's throw from a highway, surrounded by houses. In early January look for the spring issue of Country Gardens Magazine, which will feature an 8 page article
about my gardens. Also will have images available on their web site.
All joys!
Sharon
I don´t think I know any gardener that has kept their garden promises :-) :-)
I promised that I should stop being a zone breaker trying plants I knew wouldn´t survive in my climate, so why did I buy seeds from the american fruit tree PawPaw :-) :-)
But I have become better in that perspective though. Now days I only try one or two plants I know won´t make it here :-) :-)
But instead of native plants I´m trying north American ones instead and so far it looks like my Red Mulberry trees will make it here :-)
Beutiful photos from that market!
Have a great day!
Christer.
Oh, I'm GREEN with envy at the beautiful produce you have at your local farmers market!!
I hope you enjoyed the slumber party, and if you were wearing your gardening attire, I guess you wouldn't even have to get changed for it!
Have a great week!
Dan
-x-
I think I flunk that new form on Lowe's website. Just wanted to say that I love the seed packets on the wreath. What a simple yet great idea! Happy Thanksgiving to you, Jeff and your family! xxoo Nancy
I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one that makes gardening rules for myself and then breaks them. I was out hanging hummingbird feeders early this morning in the snow wearing my pajamas :)
That market looks so fun and so much pretty produce to buy!
What a glorious glorious garden Sharon! And to tell you the truth I would not have even thought that was your nightgown, looks like a pretty little frock you just threw on to garden! How delightful it must be to walk out of your home and spend hours in that nice warm sunny space. And the farmer's market was just something else to see pictures of at this time of year. Loved the dragon's tongue beans, how pretty! (Thanks for the shout out on here, you really do inspire me so much!) Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jeff! xoxo ~Lili
Lavender wands, berries and more beautiful produce then I can count...we are in the low teens tonight with a dusting of snow - I will revisit your photos often to remind me of gardens yet to come. Your own garden is a feast for the eye!
Oh Sharon,
another gorgeous and enviable post. Your rules were understandable but not necessary since everything you do in the garden is working and doesn't need changing one bit. Oh my goodness, i love your garden. (and you are so cute in your nightgown, i think it makes perfect gardening attire).
LOVE Ojai's farmer's Market. I love Ojai. my last 2 babies were born there. ♥
So glad you had fun with your friends!
love,
lori
I had to laugh when I read your list of promises - it brought back memories of many years ago when I first met you (at Big Sky Cafe) and you were telling me how you were getting over a nasty staph infection from gardening without gloves. I was just beginning my journey down the gardening path and it scared me so much that I NEVER garden without gloves! So even if you don't listen to your own advice, know that I DO! Your story scared the wits out of me!
Happy Thanksgiving, my friend. I consider our friendship one of my many blessings!
Isn't it a delight to go to the market?! you get so excited with all the colors and varieties...if only I was any good at the kitchen :o(
Lovely garden!! and hey!, rules - own rules mostly - are often made to be broken. We make them anyways :o)
have a great day! and a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Oh Sharon....Your garden! your Gown! mmmm the market! I have come to know myself...rules cannot be kept. Yip, the gown looks familiar, goodies for the house and garden definitely come before purchasing clothes. Right now our Summer is in full swing. Rain showers, wisteria, beautiful roses, the sweet smell of gladiola's and edible berries. Oh if I could only get my hands one one of those yellow raspberry bushes. I have never seen those before. We have a gorgeous prolific black berry hedge and our red raspberries are just starting to fruit. Our peaches, apricots and fig trees are full of fruit too. I am in garden heaven..I have planted some more sun flowers in our sunflower house spot...I am really looking forward to seeing those blooms.
Sharon a lovely post. I say BREAK THE RULES~! BE FREE~!
Love to you
Warm regards
Suzanne
Since your rules are neither illegal or fattening, I'd say there is nothing wrong with breaking them. :)
Loved seeing your pictures, we've had two days of rain... then freezing rain... now back to rain.
You know Sharon, I think that all those things are part of what makes you ... well ... you!. Sometimes it is the quirky things that makes us a delight. You delight me and you inspire my creativity. And I must confess, I garden in my pjs too. Isn't it fun?
Debbie
That is some market! I'd be leaving it with armloads of stuff... I see no reason why you shouldn't garden in your nightie. In fact I don't know why you would even consider stopping! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Sharon. I am thankful for your beautiful writings and photos.
Happy Thanksgiving Sharon!
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Good to know I'm not the only one that gardens in her nightgown! :)
Your farmer's market looks amazing - as well as the weather! Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend!
~ Zuzu
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