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.
