I took home five ribbons at the Edmonton Horticultural Society’s 2011 Bench Show.
Ok, I admit that virtually everybody goes home with some ribbons, but I was particularly proud of having won a first place red ribbon for my eggplant Hansel and a second place blue for my Nantes Coreless carrots.
I also won a first prize ribbon for my photo of a small garden gremlin. The photo was entered in the “Garden Gnome” category. Here is the winning photo:
Gremlin in Repose
Ratatouille (before the oven)
I love ratatouille – the combination of flavors is amazing. I especially like to introduce it to people whom have never tried it. I found this recipe for Ratatouille’s Ratatouille (from the movie) and I have made it several times. I use my own tomato sauce if I have some on hand – I make it with plenty of garlic, oregano, thyme and basil simmered for several hours to make a nice thick rich sauce. A good quality tomato puree is a fine substitute if you don’t have any homemade tomato sauce.
This year I can proudly say that I grew my own eggplant from seed. I planted Hansel (from T & T Seeds) and although I had great germination, only one of my plants produced flowers – the one against a warm south-facing wall with plenty of heat. It was purely an accident that I planted one there in my flowerbed – I did it because I had one leftover plant and I thought “what the heck”. Now I know that if I want eggplants to flower they need a cart load of heat.
My Eggplant Hansel
This is the best time of the year for veggie gardeners. Fresh produce on the plate every night. Lots of choice and variety.
Straight 'n' Narrow Beans
Fresh New Potatoes
Early Russian Cucumber
Prairie Pride Tomatoes
Spanish Onions
Bright Lights Swiss Chard
I love when I find something that is cheap and easy. I bought a solar water pump on Ebay recently and I’m happy to say that this little pump works exactly as advertised and cost less than $10 including shipping. What a bargain. It has a simple solar panel that powers a brushless pump that isn’t terribly powerful but makes a nice fountain for small birds to enjoy at the bird bath.
I placed it in an old tin pail and decorated the pail with some rocks to make it more attractive. It works like a charm.
Solar powered water fountain for under $10
Gardeninggrrl 