Summer Concerts in the Park

One of my favorite things to do in summer is to pack a picnic and head to a free concert in our local park. They have become so popular that we usually get there an hour early and nab our favorite spot on a grassy berm-from that vantage point, you can hear the music and still have a conversation with the person next to you. It's a lovely way to spend a warm summer's evening, especially this year when it rained past July 4th in the Pacific NW, and we're all savoring every moment of warm weather. It's such a community thing to do, pack picnics, children, and dogs, and get out and enjoy the outdoors. What a better way to make lasting memories.

Of course, in addition to the music, fellowship and memories, it's also about the food!  Here's an adapted recipe for Pasta Salad that is easy to make and delicious:

One package of cooked and cooled Penne noodles

1 finely sliced yellow squash

3/4 fresh red pepper sliced

1/2 c. Kalamata olives

1/2 c. artichoke hearts diced

1 c. cubed pre-cooked chicken  ( I used the Trader Joe's Just Chicken Teriyaki)

Just before serving add 1/2 c. of Feta Cheese

2 c. fresh spinach

Toss with:

3/4's cup of olive oil

the juice of 1/2 squeezed lemon

1/3 c Rice vinegar

1 tsp. dill

salt and pepper to taste

Add some fresh fruit, some bread with cheese, and you have a lovely feast!

The group Aquiles Montas Latin Orquestra, had a great Puerto Rican sound, and soon had the crowd on their feet dancing to the music!

Early Morning Zen

It's tempting to linger over coffee and blogs on a summer morning, but the Girls, Molly and Lulu clamor to go for an early morning walk to check the pee-mail, and get a little exercise to start the day.

Molly

Lulu

I love the early morning at the Bernert Landing, on the Willamette, before the picnic people spread out their blankets, boaters rev up their  motors, and the buses arrive with soccer players ready for camp.

It's so quiet and peaceful, truly the Sweet Spot in the day.

What's your favorite time of the day?  Whatever you do I hope you take time to smell the roses!

Reliable 'True Blues' for Your Garden

I was at our local nursery yesterday.  Kordell's Produce on the corner of Stafford and Rosemont in West Linn, has a great selection of plants.  Everything is grouped in an easy to find way, so I spent a lot of time in the greenhouses, while it poured rain outside.  I'm not sure how the 'official' rain totals compare with other rainy May's, but truly most of us who live in the Portland area are on our last nerve, and have lost count of the rainy, icy, hail ridden days.

 This was my first shopping foray to a garden center since fall.  I even resisted plant shopping at the Spring Garden Show in Canby, earlier this month, where I helped set up the sale and got some much needed Master Gardner volunteer hours. Anyway, my garden pots are weed filled and moss covered, so I thought I'd take one pot at a time and fill it.  That is, if my tender plants survived the major hailstorm we had today that covered my patio in washed out bark dust and left two inches of ice pellets on the deck.   

While I was planning out what plants to use in my garden and in containers, I thought of some of the background mainstays that I love. They're not the flashy flowering plants, but these tend to blend in anywhere. They remind me of your favorite pair of shoes that are both comfortable and stylish. This combination of perennials and annuals are my 'true blues.'   

One of my favorites is the Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' although it's a little darker than the 'Marmalade' shown here.  All the purples work well with the 'Citronella' below:

I think my absolute favorite is 'Dolce Peach Melba' since it looks lovely all summer but the three of the above are so beautiful in the fall.

My grandmother and Dad were big fans of Coleus plants, and I always thought of them as an old fashioned plant, but I've been amazed that the number of varieties available.  I use them in containers and in places in my yard where I won't get direct sun.  Here's a few of my favorites:

See the cute ladybug!

Below, another favorite is the Astilbe.  It comes in red, pink and white.  It's blooms in summer, but even as the plant dies back it's still attractive until the first frost.

Another one of my favorites is Euphorbia.  I mostly see them in green, but this one below with red hues, I found at a test garden. They grow really tall, so I often clip a few stems for bouquets.

I think my all time favorite is Hens and Chicks, which are a Succulent.  They are so versatile, love sun and work well for in both the ground and in containers.  There are so many varieties to choose from, although many are not all that hardy in a wet climate.  be sure to bring in the less hardy

ones inside during the winter.  This is Sempervivum, is one of the most common:

Once I can get my shovel in the ground, I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more about my adventures in gardening so check back.  It's got to stop raining sometime!