Gardens of Greater Boston Tour - Day 1

When Geo and I heard that Charlie Nardozzi was leading a garden tour, and when we saw the itinerary, we signed up. For three days we traveled with about fifty other people to some very remarkable horticultural sites just a few hours from home.

This was our first stop: 

If you've ever heard of "Proven Winners" plants, this is where they're from. Pleasant View encompasses about 28 acres of greenhouses and outdoor plant production areas. The "mother stock" for the plants comes from Costa Rica. We were given a guided tour of the Proven Winners display.

(I'm not a big fan of ornamental grasses, but I have to admit I do like the red color of this one.)

There were lots of ideas here for the home garden. Even the more common flowers looked spectacular.

There were displays with combinations that work well together.

Then it was on to Portsmouth, NH and Strawberry Banke.

This area dates back to the 1600's. There is ongoing restoration of homes taking place here, with an historic village to tour. 

Although there are examples of gardens across the centuries, what I really enjoyed seeing were the recreated interiors of the homes, furnished as they may have been during the mid-1800's to mid-1900's.

 

This type of cookstove was the first of its kind. Before this, cooking was done on an open hearth. We were told it took people time to adjust to this "new technology."

The most recent time period represented was the 1950's.

In a grocery store illustrating the 1940's, I saw items on the shelves that I actually recall from the 50's!

Oh, yes, the gardens...

This could be a 1940's Victory Garden:

Here's an entrance to a more formal garden:

And here's a view of that garden from the second floor window of the home:

And all of this was only the first day of our tour!

Open House at the Brick House

The Brick House in Shelburne, Vermont was the home of Electra Havermeyer Webb, the founder of the Shelburne Museum. It is open to visitors for tours just a few times a year. Today was one of those days.

The original country home dates back to 1840. Additions and renovations were made over the years. Today it is restored to appear as it did when the family lived there. Each room is like a microcosm of the Shelburne Museum itself, containing parts of the collections. It's a fun place to take photos.

We had toured before, and I've taken many pictures. Today I focused on the archways of this beautiful home.

The first two photos were taken near the front entrance.

This one is of a hallway on the second floor.

Out of each window there is a spectacular view.

Here's Geo taking in the view from an upstairs porch.

Location, location, location!

Flowers in the Garden

We've had rain, rain, rain, and more rain! And now it's been hot, hot, hot! It's just been too wet, then too hot to enjoy working in the garden. The vegetables are not doing well, and the weeds are thriving.

I did get photos of some of the flowers that have been blooming. Here are my favorites. The season is short, so I want to remember how pretty they are.

 The daffodils are among the first to come up.

 

 I love the lavender color of this iris.

The yellow irises show off well against the blue house.

One more common, but lovely iris. What I'd like to add to my collection are a few that are 

champagne-colored .

 

I was totally surprised to see TWO tulip blossoms on one stem!!

 

I think this is called a parrot tulip.

These are blossoms on the tree in front of our home.

This is an annual I tried for the first time this year. I hope it blooms all during the summer season.

Here's a common daylily. Some Vermonters say this should be the state flower because it is so common here. They grow along many of the roadsides.

 For some reason the bunnies really like to chew on the Asiatic lilies. Here's one they missed. (Maybe it was because of all that chili powder I sprinkled around it while it was growing!)

I have lavender, white and pink astilbe. The plants keep increasing and multiplying every year. What I like about them is that they look so feathery.

Monarda is another favorite. I'm always watching for the hummingbirds it attracts.

The geranium is a sturdy-looking plant. My Dad liked them on our porch when I was growing up. Each year I try to "winter" as many as I can in the house, then set them outside in the spring.

The daisy is another plant that multiplies each year. I got down on the grass to get a photo looking up toward the sky. I like how it turned out!

And here's the daisy, about as close as I could get. 

This year I also planted about 50 gladiola (Aunt Clara's favorite flower). The bunnies like to chew on these, too, so I planted many of them behind chicken wire. Look for another post from me in mid to late August for photos of glads!

Update: Re-reading this post, I am newly inspired to care for a flower garden this year so our home is surrounded with colorful beauty.

To read my newest blog, please go to Resolutions. 

Happy Gardening!

My Dutch Apple Pie

It was a rainy afternoon and on the kitchen counter there was a bowl of apples no one was eating. I had no excuse but to bake a Dutch Apple Pie.

(It would have to be Dutch Apple because I avoid rolling pie crust.)

Here's the recipe:

CRUST

• 2 C. flour
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 C. quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 C. melted butter (I used 1/4 C. butter and 1/2 C. canola oil)

APPLE FILLING

• 2/3 C. sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 and 1/4 C. water 
• 3 heaping cups of peeled and sliced apples
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, oats and butter (oil); set aside 1 cup for the topping. Press the remaining mixture into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a large saucepan until smooth, then bring to a boil. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and then the apples.

Pour evenly onto the crust. Top with the remaining crust mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.

Here's the finished product:

Serve warm with ice cream or a slice of cheddar cheese. 

I will be using the same recipe with blueberries, peaches, or maybe even strawberries, or strawberry rhubarb, or...

Celebration at Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum

Having lived in Vermont for more than 25 years, today was the first time Geo and I visited the Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum in Burlington. This was a perfect day to go because today, at the museum, there was a 250th anniversary celebration of nine towns (including Williston!) chartered in Vermont.

Here's Geo entering the museum

Director Dan O"Neil introduced the event.

250 years ago, Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire granted charters to nine towns in Vermont located in what is now called Chittenden county (after Thomas Chittenden, Vermont's first Governor).

"Governor Wentworth" did a fine job of cutting the anniversary cake. There was plenty of cake and ice cream for all.

After cake, I took a walk down the path leading to the garden and the original homestead.

The "Three Sisters' Garden" of beans, corn, and squash.

Unfortunately, it was already closed for the day, but I took a few photos through the windows

.

This event was especially meaningful to me because a few months ago, when we visited Jenn and Sean in New Hampshire, Jenn had taken us to see the beautiful Wentworth home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Now I know that it was Governor Wentworth who gave the charters for towns in Vermont, including Williston. And this is the year we celebrate the 250th anniversary.  

(Oh, I do hope they got some cake and ice cream!)

One Thousand Pieces

Completed!
(I just thought it was worth its own post.)

Kale Chips

I've been wanting to try this, and today was the day. I baked kale chips.

I started out with a package of pre-washed kale. Triple-washed organic is best. I spread it out on a baking sheet and added a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Then I mixed it up a little.

I placed the kale in a 400 degree F. pre-heated oven for just over 10 minutes. The kale dried out and the edges were just beginning to brown.

Ready to eat!

A healthy alternative to potato chips, and fun to make.