Beautiful structural globes of color. . .ALLIUMS! ;)

Each year I look forward to discovering how many little children my Alliums hatched up from the year before. I started with 3 bulbs 7 years ago and am now the proud grandmother of 25! 

These fun purple globes make me smile each time I pass by them, they provide structure and pops of color whereever they're planted. They stand 2'-3' tall, blooms last about a month and are strong, happy and usually covered with bees. All types of bees buzz over to these and hang out for hours before heading out to populate other parts of my garden. With the bee population declining over the years this is a definite plus for any gardener.

Alliums have really hit their stride in the USA and new cultivars are being greedily snapped up each season. This variety is Allium Giganteum 'Globemaster' and is probably the most well known. Who can resist inviting these head sized magenta violet fluff balls into their gardens? Not many. 


While we were at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago I spotted this wonderfully deep maroon Allium in on of their beautiful boarders and snapped a quick photo. Although not fully in bloom I could tell it would be a complete knockout once matured. Hopefully I can get back their to see these beauties in their full glory. 

As soon as we got home I searched online for this variety and discovered it's called Allium Atropurpureum 'Hemispheres'. It reaches 2' to 3' tall and it's maroon blooms fade to a purplish black color. How cool! This is going on my wish list for sure. 


I have some white ones and smaller magenta Alliums but neglected to take photos in time. Oh well next year. 


Tomorrow will be all about roses. I've collected over 90 of them over the past 10 years. A mix of English, Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. Signing off for now, time to enjoy the rest of this peaceful Saturday.   


Here's a link to purchase Alliums online:
http://www.burpee.com/flowers/flowering-bulbs/fall-planted-bulbs/alliums/?cid=PPC

Starting with Spireas

I love taking photos in the morning. The birds are signing at the top of their little lungs, everything is covered in a gentle soft light--perfect for photos. Here is a shot of our teahouse that Mighty Mouse built me when we first moved in 11 years ago. I jotted down a quick design and he built it himself, he cracked 3 ribs doing it but he did it. Stubborn man! 11 years later it's not yet completed, the 1/3 walls aren't up nor are the screens installed. He's a busy man and I don't have the heart to nag him about completing this on his rare free weekends. 

(Allium 'Globemaster', white peonies, 'New Dawn' white rose, lupins and David Austin rose 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' pink English in the foreground of this photo.)


Ahhh, now that most of my heavy duty gardening chores are completed and routine maintenance is only required, I can start enjoying my garden and start blogging about it with you all. Let's start with Spireas. Spireas are awesome deciduous shrubs. The variety I have is called Neon Flash and I think it's beautiful. Look at those neon magenta flowers! Yellow, red and white flowering and variegated varieties are also available at most nurseries.

Spirea has gotta be one of the easiest bushes to grow, certainly one of the easiest I've encountered. They grow well in all well-drained soils and aren't too fussy about requirements --full sun, part shade are fine. I planted this about 8 years ago in a mostly sunny location in the backyard. This bush gets about 3' tall and about as wide, I trim mine to maintain a smaller girth. The flower clusters are great for cutting and adding to arrangements. The bush is covered in flowers in a spectacular display for over a month (mid June to mid July in my zone 7-8 garden) and if deadheaded will have a second round of blooms but not as abundant. The foliage is a nice blueish green, delicate lacy serrated edges for lack of a better description right now. I haven't noticed any insect problems and they're disease resistant, if scented and evergreen they would be the perfect shrub in my eyes.

I've been researching propagation (which seems relatively easy to do) over the past few months and will add this to my list of growing candidates. I would love to have 8 more of these gems gracing my yard.

A twist on lemon bars

Since Mighty Moe can't have anything with caffeine (much to my chocoholic and coffee dismay) I often make blondies, pies and lemon bars for him. I was in a bar mood yesterday and totally torn between making caramel blondies or lemon bars, decisions, decisions! My pantry made the choice for me--out of dark brown sugar. Lemon bars it was. Whenever I take these anywhere they disappear like Santa on xmas eve. 

Most recipes create rather thin bars and I enjoy a nice buttery almond crust and lots of delicious lemony filling. Here is my simple twist on the classic Land of Lakes recipe. 

Ingredients(Makes 16 large bars or 24 smaller ones)

Crust
1 1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling
2 1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel (optional)
6 eggs

Topping
Powdered sugar to preference. I end up using about 1/2 a cup. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients into medium sized mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed mixed well. Dough should be nice and crumbly. Press into lightly greased  13" by 9" by 2" baking dish.
Bake for approx. 16-17 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing all filling ingredients in same medium sized mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Pour filling over  the partially baked crust. Place dish back into the oven and continue baking for and additional 17 to 20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Cut into bars.