August 30, 2009

Very berry - how to prolonge its life.


Berry lovers know the problem. You bring your precious berries home, can't eat all the same day, but the next day majority of them are gone. If you keep wondering what to do in order to prolong its life keep reading.
Thermotherapy is surprising way of prolonging life of berries, but it seems to be working and this is very precious piece of experience shared with us by Harold McGee writing for NYT. Just don't miss this very interesting article, because it helps to store yummy berries much longer that 24-48 hours.

Picture by Breno Peck

Sherri berry - most luxurious berries in the world


'Sherri berry' seem to be most lavish berries in the world if 6 of them cost 30$.
Do Shari's Berries from Sacramento are the most expensive strawberries we can eat?
There must be a demand also, if Shari's Berries, founded in 1989 still are in the market and doing well.
This only proves to me /again/ that our imagination is the only limitation we have. I have not expected that there can be sold somewhere a strawberry for $5. OK, chocolate berries.
I mean I am aware there is a lot of luxurious and very expensive products, but this is just lazy general thought. Only bumping on very specific information like this one, made me realise that I never thought of it before.
Probably chocolate itself and manual production made the price so high.
But have ever thought what can be the price of chocolate? The most expensive chocolate in the world according to Forbes is Danish Chocopologie by Knipschildt, cost: $2,600 per pound /€2,173 / Can$2,992 / Aus$3,500.
Summing up: berries we grow can be dipped in chocolate and become very pricey, so plant some strawberries in your garden this year, if you don't have any and simply enjoy your chocolate berries. Like we did using melted chocolate, after having a long walk in the beautiful slope garden.

August 29, 2009

Nature book that changed my understanding of the garden.


Do you also feel sometimes that plants are greeting you?
If you know why plants in your garden are something more that just bunch of atoms, you may not only become a better gardener, but learn more about your spirituality. Nature heals and leads us through life, if you only let it happen.
10 years it was waiting on the shelf until I reached for it last July. I bought it, flipped through and placed away on the shelf. NEVER touched it again until that day. In the meantime I got closer to nature and became passionate gardener. Garden seems to me something more than separate plants and other parts. Every time while being in the garden or when I look at nature's wonders, I had the feeling there must be something more than only physical manifestation of the Nature's power.
That day I reached for this small but very interesting book: The Deva Handbook by Nathaniel Altman, and now I know what is that 'something much more' than physical appearance of plants. I feel I am getting closer to achieve what the author is writing about.
What is Devas?
"Power, life, light; these are gifts which companionship with the angels shall place in human hands. Power that are limitless; life that is inexhaustible; light before which all darkness melts away" ~ Geoffrey Hodson 'Devas and Men'.
"Devas can be defined as forms, images or expressions through which the essences and energy forces of the Creator or Great Spirit can be transmitted for a specific purpose. (...) Devas have been variously portrayed in the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, and the Bhagavad Gita - in myths and legends from ancient Greece and Rome, from countries including Mexico, China, Japan, and from throughout Africa and Oceania - as messengers, members of heavenly court, helpers, groups of warriors, sources of healing power, guardian angels, and spirit guides. They have been considered luminous energy principles that stand behind all phenomena, and they work both with nature and with the cosmos to guide the evolution of life" ~ Nathaniel Altman 'The Deva Handbook'.
I know somebody who has seen Devas in her garden. Only one time. She told me that it happened one sunny summer day, very early in the morning, something like 5 a.m. She went out to the garden and after sitting calmly on the bench, she saw kind of steamy light over every plant. She was describing it as reminding glowy steam or smoke
This little book is very interesting because it explains nature wisdom, nature energy, earth wisdom and our spirituality from surprisingly different perspective. You may learn many new things to your surprise e.g. there were christian mystics such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila who believed that humans are very closely connected with nature. Surprising, isn't it? Especially that christian religion deprives spirituality from the nature. Saint Francis of Assisi until today is the patron saint of animals and the environment.
In current times most of us lost the touch with nature so much, that we believe we can control it or nature is there only to serve us. Bah! What can I say more, read The Deva Handbook and you will not only become better gardener, but also there is a chance that you will understand better your own spirituality.
Stay tuned!
Picture by Per Ola Wiberg (thanks!)

August 24, 2009

23 Most Beautiful Lavender Photos - Hand Picked

Lavender - magnificent plant. It can sooth your soul and aching muscle or back. And if you take a closer look, it seems it should be present in every garden. Why do garden designers use it in landscapes? Maybe because it is so dependable? You can also pick up flowers and prepare your own lavender oil or you may get lavender bath and you can have it almost fresh all year round.


For today's Inspirational Monday I made up a special collection of hand picked, most beautiful pictures of lavender.

Picture by derekwt

Picture by Libraryman


















Picture by WSmith


August 22, 2009

Garden shopping - If I give you now 1.000 $, what would you buy?


Remember the day when you got first introduced to gardening? You were lucky if there was somebody to explain majority of things, but what if you know nothing about gardening and one day you decide you want to get your own garden. Don't you think that people feel little helpless in such situations and they are looking for help.
When I had started 5 years ago, nobody told me, that I should fall in love with this specific Garden Fork. I killed 4 of them in 2 years before I bought garden fork of proper quality. That branded garden fork I have bought 3 years ago and it is still in excellent condition.

These days people tend to do more things by themselves, so why not to help a little by recommending MUST HAVE items in the garden, whether it is garden work or leisure. What do you think about it?

There is also the other side of it. Each of you have different experience with different products. Some of them are better than others - why not to exchange opinion on that too? For example I'd like to know which of lawn movers you like best and why, because I need to buy a new one. My first one was very basic - it served well for 5 years, but it seems that for next season I will need a new one. Knowing your true experience would be really helpful.
Maybe you also would like to buy a new lawn mover, because despite of all negative comments, you still also have a lawn which needs care every week?

This season is about to end for Northern Hemisphere, but on the other side of globe Spring will be coming soon and our friends from Australia and South America are getting ready for new season.

As the season is slowly coming to an end, there will be price reductions soon also in Garden Centers, when we can buy things cheaper and save some money for better purpose.

Like always Autumn and Winter will be passing soon and Spring for us will be also coming. In between we can prepare better for next season.

So let's make virtual shopping. Let's assume that I give you 1.000 $. With these money you can make shopping of new things for your garden for example at Amazon, where nearly all products are listed and which is so popular.

What would you buy? Maybe Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower or Strathwood Chaise Lounge or Veranda Fire Pit Cover or special book like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) ?

Don't limit yourself... unless this 1.000$ is not enough - then just spend more.

If you would like to participate in this "Garden Shopping of Dreams" you may either place your choice here in comment section, or make blog post and place the link here:




August 21, 2009

Brugmansia flowers finally

Isn't it late?
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I think so. Why is that? Do you know the answer?
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Maybe this is such kind that flowers late?
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Or maybe lack nutrients? as brugmansia is very very hungry. I started feed it in June with tomato fertiliser - is that the reason?
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This plant is big - approx. 180 cm - and 4-5 years old. I have received it last autumn from a neighbor living few streets away, who read my blog and decided to give it to me as a gift.
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21st of August is definitely late for Brugmansia to bloom - I have no earlier experience with it.
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Don't you think these thin, long thingies on the flowers are cute?
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Blooming Friday is the day when Katarina at Roses and Stuff gathers us together to show Friday's blooms. This is great opportunity for happy gardeners to share their happy blooms.
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What is your Friday Bloom?

August 14, 2009

Beautiful Flowers of August - GBBD'09

Can you you believe, some time ago, in fact long time ago, I couldn't understand all those 'ooh' and 'aah!' people were doing over flowers.
Today I know the power of flowers and the reasons why I have not seen it at those times. It was my distance to Nature and myself that not only hold me back from progressing, but also made me blind to Nature's wonders.
That was time when I lived in the city. 5 years ago I moved to countryside, where I live close to Nature, I garden, digg the soil and I am happier than ever while getting connection with real self.

What flowers can do for you?

1. Especially in the times of difficulty you can use flower's ability to elevate your spirit, get comfort and hope.

2. Even if you don't do it consciously, do you know that you meditate while admiring flowers? Time you spend looking at flowers is very powerful and transformational.

3. Many people say, that presence of the flowers in the hospital room, helps to heal.

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Below you can see beautiful flowers of August that I send directly to your PC from my modest garden in Poland.

Admiring flowers and meditating is powerful experience, so have wonderful time while looking at what's blloming currently at "Ewa in the Garden".

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Rose "New Dawn"

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Rose "Mary Rose".

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Rose "Chopin"

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Pelargonium

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Osteospermum - African Daisy

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Hydrangea paniculata "Pinky Winky"

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Obedient plant

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Monarda hybrida

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Lilly of unknown name.

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Ligularia przewalskii

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Hydrangea macrophylla - Mophead

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Lavender at the pond.

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Echinacea.

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Daylilies - looks happy than ever after getting some home made compost this spring.

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Aslan was also very attracted by flowers I have photographed - does it tell you something?

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On this picture you can see more August blooming flowers.


Flower Meditation
After looking at all these flowers, close your eyes, see the picture of the flower which appeals to you most. Think what it means to you as a friend and as flower. After few minutes the mental picture of the flower will fade away. Have a look again at the same picture - I wonder what you feel?
You may do the same with the chosen flower in your garden. Choose the flower which attracts you most at the moment.


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PS. GBBD is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden.
KEEP READING - MORE GREAT STUFF IN OLDER POSTS