I thought these little guys would be HOT since they’re jalapenos, but they taste exactly like green peppers.
I wonder if it’s because I’ve nurtured this plant for more than five years, way longer than it was supposed to produce. They used to taste really spicy; only a little bit was needed for guacamole, but maybe capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their heat, decreases over time?
I sure have no idea, but they still taste fresh and juicy, and so cozy nestled in this little bamboo bowl.
This very tall yucca is my upper garden overlooking the path used by coyotes.
Did you know that most of the yucca plant is edible?
Some people are brave enough to eat that asparagus-looking stalk. Native American tribes used pretty much every part of the plant. They ate the flowers, stalks, and fruits, used the fibrous, spiky leaves for cordage, and mashed the pulpy root with water for soap and shampoo.
I haven’t tried any recipes with yucca flowers, but I bet it tastes something like squash blossoms.
Is it true? Is there no word that rhymes with orange? Here’s what I found…
“Orange has almost no perfect rhymes. The only word in the 20-volume historical Oxford English Dictionary that rhymes with orange is sporange, a very rare alternative form of sporangium (a botanical term for a part of a fern or similar plant).” Lexicohttps://www.lexico.com
Anyway, here’s an orange zinnia.
I had planted a whole row but my garden bunnies LOVE zinnia flowers. I watched them eat every single one EXCEPT for this plant.
Photos taken at different times of the day; intense color versus sort of washed out by the sun.
Zinnias
Zinnias, stout and stiff, Stand no nonsense: their colors Stare, their leaves Grow straight out, their petals Jut like clipped cardboard, Round, in neat flat rings.
Even cut and bunched, Arranged to please us In the house, in water, they Will hardly wilt—I know Someone like zinnias; I wish I were like zinnias.
A while back I found a hawk feather and gave it to a friend who is as enchanted by our local hawks as I am and feels a real kinship with these raptors that fly over our lagoon.
Yesterday I was getting ready to go to the store to try and find the perfect musical birthday card for my cheeky titian-haired almost two-year-old when my friend drove by and stopped.
“I’ve been carrying this around with me for a while. I just got back in town from hiking Glacier and I’m so glad I saw you!”
I was presented with a beautiful envelope and inside there were two lovely feathers; one was definitely from a juvenile hawk and I’m not sure what the other one is, but it’s spectacular.
“I’m returning your kindness.”
The way they were taped to the card was lyrical and effortless. I kept them exactly as they were presented and found a little frame to keep them safe. Now I can see them every day and remember there are still empathetic and thoughtful people in this world.
PS I’m not sure I like the blue frame but I’m not sure that I don’t, either. It was the only empty frame I had and I’ll sit with it for a few days and make a final decision. I kinda sorta think the blue represents SKY. What do you think? Would another color better complement the feathers?
This was my mom’s favorite and sometimes I’ll get a plant so I can remember her by their fragrance, even though I’m sooo allergic.
I used to think gardenia and camellia were the same flower, but I learned that the gardenia is known for its intense perfume; less so the camellia. I never knew that!
Here’s to you, the original Charlotte, the first gardenia bloom on this hot summer’s day…
