How does your garden grow?

I've been growing most of my usual plants this year and a new favorite.




My nasturtiums haven't completely taken over the pots ... yet.




This is my first time growing tomotios ... I love the green little lanterns (thank you, Leann, for the colorful phrase).





I planted these bulbs years ago and can't, for the life of me, remember what they're called. Do you know?

And now my husband and I are off to an adventure to the place of our first date. Do you ever revisit old, romantic places?

Dreaming in Color

My husband and I went to Oakland Park Nursery yesterday to plan the next phase of turning our backyard into the garden escape we've always dreamed of. While the "bones" are all in place, we still have many other plants and trees to add to make it complete.




I really want to have Foxgloves.



... and this Snow Queen Hydrangea.

What sort of garden escape do you dream of?

Pesto!

I grow a lot of basil, and one of my favorite things about summer is turning it into pesto. It takes only minutes, and I use a recipe by Marcella Hazan, the authority on Italian cooking.

Pesto by Food Processor Method2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablesspoons romano cheese (optional)
3 tablespoons butter (I skip this step)

Briefly soak the basil in cold water and pat dry. Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and an ample pinch of salt in the food processor and blend until you have a smooth, uniform consistency. Tranfer the mixture into a bowl and fold in the cheese. (If you choose to add the romano and butter, you would do so at this point.)

I often throw the pesto in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. It keeps its flavor nicely.

What did you eat this weekend?