Ortensia Blu and a Recipe, too.

Hi, Everybody ~ I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. Laney is a Connecticut gardener who recently combined her 3 great passions ~ gardening, cooking, and the wonders of Italy. Her online store ~ Ortensia Blu ~ sells gourmet goodies imported from Italy.  I'm always on the prowl for fab Italian recipes so I invited her to do a guest blog post and share a favorite recipe with us. Buon Appetito!

'Ortensia Blu' means blue hydrangea.

{From Laney} Gardeners and cooks have a lot in common ~ we enjoy working with our hands, we're tantalized by the scents and fragrances in our gardens. It takes patience and time until we can celebrate our finished product. I’ve found that there’s a huge crossover between gardening and cooking – with many of us wearing and enjoying both hats (preferably brimmed straw ones!)

Ortensia Blu is the fruits of my labor. A new online store that brings together Italian specialty food products I’ve had a great time sourcing in Italy, plus recipes I get a thrill out of creating and preparing for my family.

What started it all is a simple blue hydrangea, which in Italian is called ortensia blu.

True blue Hydrangeas prefer acid soil, turning pink and purple in western alkaline soil.

Actually I have a yard full of blue hydrangeas ~ my most favorite flower that I’ve planted and nurtured every place that I’ve lived. Aside from ones bought at the garden center or even the grocery store, many of them were gifts, since planted in the garden with fond memories of the givers.

I live in a part of the country where hydrangeas grow beautifully in the summer and I’ve turned some of the lovely white and pink ones to a gorgeous blue by adding aluminum sulfate to the soil. Kate says my soil here is more acidic which is why blue grows so well. I planted white ones a few years ago that I’ve kept pure and pristine, though they have the slightest hint of blue in the center so I guess Kate is right.

Pink and purple hydrangeas ~ as well as yellow, red, orange, white and all the shades in between of the many other plants, flowers and shrubs complete the color palette of my garden.

As much as I love all of the colors I see, my heart beats just a little faster and my mind calms a bit more when I gaze out at my beautiful ortensie blu.

I’m not too much of an indoor gardener so I have to wait several months until my hydrangeas bloom. In winter, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So, I thought I’d share one of my recipes with you that’s simple to prepare, smells amazing, looks terrific and tastes fabulous.

Click here to find more recipes at Ortensia Blu.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ~ January, 2012

I love it when GBBD lands on a weekend, when there's plenty of time to take stock of what's going on.

Outdoors ~ weirdness abounds. I was taking pictures out there, this morning, without a coat on. It's that warm. In January. In a ski resort.

Up close & personal with my favorite Kalanchoe

But, since it is January I hope I can get away with playing up my indoor garden. Here we go...

By some bizarre stroke of luck, ALL of my Kalanchoes burst into bloom last week.

I squeeze all the colors into one big pot so it has a garden bed effect.

I take full credit for this though it's not from a good gardener's tender loving care. This sunny window is filled with a bunch of rebellious and horribly root bound houseplants crying uncle.

I don't have the nicest house but I do have a killer view.

I'm not very kind to my houseplants. I only re-pot them when they threaten suicide. I figure if there's no where to grow 'downstairs' (in the potting soil) then they'll get bizzy 'upstairs,' and gift me with lots of pretty flowers.

A few fab re-blooming Orchids. Hopefully more, next month.

I'm even worse with my Orchids. They're on crack 24/7. :) I soak them every Sunday in a diluted water/organic fertilizer mix. Which inspires fanatical blooms though I doubt they're all that healthy.

Micro-mini Roses

I was just delighted to see everything blossom this week because I had a garden friend visit on Friday and that window was a joy to behold.

African Violet

My one and only African Violet is putting on a pretty show.
 
I wish I could photograph her properly (her petals sparkle!) but I don't have a good enough camera... I used to have an entire window of these pretty violets until somebody (I'm not naming names, though it could be me) left them out on the deck on a freezing night.

One of the very few freezing nights we've had this year.

Winter has not yet arrived. I'm beginning to wonder if it ever will.

It's disturbing to me that the trees are not dropping their leaves. (Leaves are shed to ensure a tree's winter survival so the fact that they don't feel compelled to drop their leaves seems odd. Perhaps you know what's going on? If so, please fill me in.)

And, I'm doubly worried about the fact that they're budding. In January. Isn't that strange?

I'll leave you with a pic of my favorite houseplant, Auntie Edna...

She's still radiating happiness and I have high hopes she'll keep this up 'til Easter.

Happy Bloom Day, Everyone!

Pay a visit to Carol @ May Dream Gardens to visit more flower lovers for this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day monthly meme.

Friday's Freebie: Yes! You Can!

That jar o' jam was not that hard to do.

My daughter is going back to school to become a registered dietitian. (Big applause for L! That's a hard choice to make... going deep into debt with student loans, putting adulthood on hold and heading back into the classroom because her first degree was just not lighting her fire.) I'm very proud of her for making this decision. And, of course, this new path is prompting all sorts of food, nutrition and dietary discussions.

I sort of made the resolution ~ (made it in my head, but I guess, now, I'm declaring it) ~ to grow more and store more during this upcoming garden season. I've avoided this like the plague! The idea of canning and preserving? Good Lord... I truly have become my Mother.

But, I just finished reading this book and it's got me kind of excited. Because it's a modern day bible on how to freeze, dry, can, sugar and ferment my way to nutritional bliss. (Ferment had me really excited but I'm sorry to say there was no how-to on Dandelion Wine.)

Would you like this book? 

I have a copy to give away. 

Just leave a comment and promise me faithfully that you'll truly follow through and cook up a batch of freezer jam. Or, some other delightful thing.

"Yes! You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too" is a modern step by step guide to preserving food. Written by Daniel Gasteiger.

Cold Springs Press gave this book to me to read and review.

I give it 2 thumbs up and now I'm giving it to you. Just leave me a comment.

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Hoop House Dreams

Just imagine the goodies I could grow in a greenhouse...

On the morning of NYE, I met up with a new blogging friend @ the local coffee shop. Because it's pretty much the only show in town. [There. I said it. New Year. New Me! In 2012, I might throw 'nice' right out the window and be all critical over things I normally never bitch about.]

I often wonder if other people standing in line at the Roaster are doing the same darn thing I'm doing...

Patronizing that place simply because they're local. They couldn't make a decent cappuccino if their lives depended on it. 

Greenhouse Fever: I'll take this one!

Cold coffee aside, it was a fun morning of sharing seeds and talking gardening. A fine time to dream since we're 6 months out from planting season.

Deb's also an alpaca rancher. I have a blurry vision of what alpacas are all about. My horse tends to race past them at a dead gallop because she's certain sure they're gonna eat her. So, I'm excited to pay a visit to Sunrise Ranch (without my horse) to see what these cuddly critters are all about.

I'd be A-Okay with a not-so-fancy hoopie house, too.

We discovered we're both dreaming of hoop houses. To extend our mountain growing season (which gets weirder and more volatile every year.)

This could work.

I'm actually way past the dreamy stage. I'm deep into OCD. As in obsessing night and day about the bennies of a hoop house.

Is this inspired by skyrocketing food prices? Driven by mounting food safety concerns?

Oh, hell no. This is all about the zen-y aspect of puttering in a greenhouse, playing with baby seedlings, all year long. I'd be in 7th heaven.

So, here we go. I'm officially declaring that this is the year. That a hoop house, a high tunnel, a greenhouse or something similar gets built in 2012. {Resolution #1.}

And, I'd be totally cool with this one. (Provided they'll take a bouncy-type check...)

Now you're talkin'

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Purple Aspirations

Art washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life.
- Pablo Picasso

'Twas a nutty Christmas to say the very least. Kicked it off at a glorious vintage holiday festival in the quaint village of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

Where my dear friend lives in this storybook purple cottage. I'm way impressed with creative types who have the good sense to doll up a one hundred year old home. When you get to be this old, it's cool to strut your stuff.

My friend's darling New Hampshire cottage.

This New England town is home to Strawberry Banke. Settled by colonial types in 1623 ~ where I learned how to make pretty wreaths from natural goodies collected in the woods nearby. We saw the Nutcracker Ballet and did all things vintage Christmas. It was pretty special.

And then... I hopped on a plane, squished in like sardines, seated next to a woman who was very ill, should NOT have been flying. 

She gifted me with her illness 2 days before our own celebrations began.

Persimmons in the wreaths

So that slowed me down a bit but it didn't stop any of the festivities. You can't exactly call off Christmas, now can you?

Living in a ski resort we're guaranteed to have our own storybook setting ~ fluffy white snowflakes and a winter wonderland. But, not this year. It was warm as toast. A brown Christmas in a ski resort? Strange days.

We cooked and cooked in anticipation of the big Christmas Eve party. The second everyone arrived, the power went off. And, stayed off for hours. Until most of the partiers gave in, gave up, and went home.

Sounds awful, doesn't it?

Oh, it wasn't so bad. Relying on dim flashlights and plentiful holiday candles, we sat quietly by a cozy fire and welcomed in the big day.

Took this week off to recuperate. I am clearly in the minority on this, but I kind of like December's short days and early sunsets.

Spent my evenings curled up on the couch reading The Deep Middle Blogger's book: Sleep, Creep, Leap. 

Between his great book (3 years of ups and downs in a Nebraska garden) and M's fancy purple cottage, I'm bursting with big ideas to make some colorful changes in my own garden during the new year.

So... how was your holiday? Here's hoping you had a warm and wonderful celebration, complete with working electricity so you could enjoy the tree!

Portsmouth, NH Holiday Stroll

Best wishes for a Very Happy New Year!

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Wordless Wednesday: Poinsettias

Ever wonder what's up with those brightly colored Poinsettia blooms?

In her natural state, she'll show off green, red and mottled leaves.

 Poinsettias are simply celebrating what we humans are lamenting ~ the long, dark days of winter.

For more Wordless Wednesday participants click here!

* Flor de la Noche Buena means Flower of the Holy Night. Introduced to the US by the Minister of Mexico in 1828. Another fine reason for us to stop being so damned prejudiced.

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Forever Christmas Trees

We need more ornaments!

The great debate continues... what's best for the environment?

Buy a fake tree? 

Buy a live tree?

Well, they're not exactly 'live' if they're leaning against a chain link fence in the Christmas tree lot at your local supermarket.

There is another option. 

Buy a REAL, live tree!

Yesterday, I decked out our Christmas tree from 4 years ago. We bought her live and then transplanted the tree into the garden, the following spring. This year, she's sporting some festive twinkling lights.

Tips:
- If you opt for a truly live, potted evergreen keep it in the house for a maximum of ten days.
- Set it outside, in the pot, in the shade, through the rest of the winter. (Water if there is no snow cover.)

Our tree doesn't look anything like this!

Good 'Christmas trees' for gardens:

Norway Spruce is a popular cut Christmas tree but not so great in the garden. She drops her needles all year long.

• Happiest in High Altitudes: Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) has soft needles and strong boughs, ideal for heavy ornaments. USDA zones 4-7.
• Korean Fir (Abies koreana ) grows to approximately 40 ft, a perfect size for most yards. USDA zones 5-7.
• Noble Fir (Abies procera) is an absolutely stunning silvery-blue tree with fragrant tips, though too tender for the mountains anywhere but the Pacific Northwest. USDA zones 7-10.

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