Monday, August 8, 2011

Gifts From Nature



The hydrangeas are beginning to wane and the sharp, shrill call of a new family of bluejays echoes throughout the treetops...


It had been a dry, hot July, but August has renewed the garden with frequent raindrops, cooler nights and a bounty of goodies.


The aroma of fresh basil lingers in the air as you brush by to pick the tomatoes...


Jam making, the canning of pickles, relish, salsa and pasta sauce occupy my days right now...
Some might question the intense labour involved but when I open a fresh jar of wild blueberry jam with honey on a cold December morn to spread on a warm baked scone... the effort is worth its weight in gold.

Enjoy the yields of fellow farmers by visiting a local market or roadside stand... the freshness of field to table is heavenly.


There's even some new knitting on the needles, a cowl in Malabrigo Rasta yarn.


Archangel is the colour... reflects the beauty of the blossoms wouldn't you say?

20 comments:

Pomona said...

Wonderful colours together! Your plum tomatoes look fantastic - ours are never great, and I think we will stick to cherries and beef ones next year. And our blueberries were a bit of a failure - we have hard water and alkaline soil so they are in pots, and we ran out of water butt water for them very early on. They were distinctly upset by this!

Pomona x

Larkrise garden girl said...

What beautiful yarn! I cannot believe how you capture simple country flowers and veggies and make them works of art. Cheri

Lyn said...

perfect match!
love the idea of your jam on a cold winters morning!
xxx

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

beautiful post...loved seeing the fresh produce and hearing about what you are doing...i just said to my husband this afternoon while we took Teddy for a car ride..i need to make some JAM !!!!!

thanks for the recipe idea with the tomatoes and zuchinni...i have both right now and i will try it..sounds so good...love the cheese and the breadcrumbs....


happy to see you today, my friend

kary and teddy
xx

Catherine said...

August is going so fast isn't it? There are so many colors, sights, and smells from the garden to tease us. I love the Farmer's Market this time of year.

Pretty colors in your yarn Miss Maddie!
xo Catherine

Theresa said...

Summer's bounty in all it's glory and the yarn looks pretty darn glorious too! Pets to Maddie!

June said...

Susan you live a beautiful life. You know about the important things in it.
The cowl will be beautiful and a comfort when the cold winds start.
I so wish my basil looked like yours (covet)
sending hugs...

snoopydogknits said...

I could almost smell the basil as I gazed at your amazing tomato crop. There's nothing so good as the taste of a frshly picked tomato. Love the yarn colour too. Look forward to seeing the finished cowl. Ros

Nella Miller said...

Dear Susan, I reminder to get some canning done this month. Busy with a few weddings for the next several weeks, but I am knitting every Tuesday!! I could almost smell your tomatoes and basil too!

Nella xo

Pondside said...

It's a lovely time of year, though tinged with regret for summer's swift passing.
The cowl looks interesting - I hope you'll show us the finished item.

Half-heard in the Stillness said...

Ooh! You made your scones and homemade jam sound wonderful!! And such lovely produce abounds in your lovely garden, I can smell the basil!

Beehive Needleworks said...

Ahhh, the sights and scents of a plentiful harvest. I envy you truly...for a woodchuck youngster has helped himself to our wee garden. What is a girl to do...it is a gift returned to nature surely.

I am certain that you shall think back to the warmth of summer when, come Wintertime, you are cuddly, with tea, scones, and homemade fruit jam. Yummmmy.

Happy day to you ...
xo Judy

Suzanne said...

Yum, you're making my mouth water with the description of jam, honey and scones on a winter's day!

Your harvest is abundant! Our garden is just now beginning to produce. Looking forward to fresh veggies.

Ruth Welter said...

Your blooms as well as your veggies, are looking wonderful. Enjoy your summer bounty.

Ruth

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

was happy to see you at farmhouse kitchen today, my friend

sending love,
kary and teddy
xx

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Gorgeously comfy yarn and a perfect match to the hydrangea!

Your tomatoes look delicious Susan - mine are still green.... I sowed some basil in a pot, it took ages to germinate and grow and now it is rapidly going to seed. Yours looks fantastic - is it planted in the ground?

Beginning to feel quite autumnal here ...

Jeanne
x

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Forgot to say Susan. The flower in my post that you were asking about is Nigella 'love-in-a-mist'. They pop up everywhere and look lovely in a mixed bouquet.

Jeanne
x

Anonymous said...

Hello sweet friend~ Your garden pictures are beautiful! I too enjoy canning and completely agree that it is well worth all the effort involved! Your yarn is a perfect match for your hydrangeas, what a lovely cowl it will make! Please give Miss Maddie our fondest regards, this as instructed to me from Sugar herself!(; Thank you for dropping by to visit us too!~Kathy

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