Gardening - grace grits and gardening

Planting Ollas in my Garden

April 30, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Ollas - ancient irrigation system in my garden

Dripping Springs Ollas

I planted something special in my garden this month. Ollas. If you aren’t familiar with Ollas, keep reading because this is exciting stuff for those of us who garden in hot, dry regions. Like the South.

Simple yet brilliant, Ollas is an unglazed, porous clay pot used for irrigation. Instructions are easy peasy. Bury the pot in the garden. Leave the neck exposed (a lid is included).

Planting Ollas in my garden.

Fill with water a couple of times a week. That’s it. Ollas will provide constant, steady irrigation to nearby plant root systems.

Crafted by Lori Haynes of Dripping Springs, Texas, her clay pot design is based on an ancient method of watering. And bonus…the pots are lightweight and easy for one person to maneuver from vehicle to garden. For more information and details on where to buy visit www.drippingspringsollas.com.

just add water

Now for an update on what’s growing in my garden (besides my Ollas)—three types of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, several varieties of hot peppers and orange bell peppers, basil, dill, strawberries, swiss chard, carrots, lettuce, arugula, radishes, and onions.

And lots of earthworms. Yay!

Everything looks happy in my community plot at Promise of Peace Garden. Magic in the middle of an East Dallas parking lot…

My garden. April, 2014

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
― Margaret Atwood

Musical Pairing:

Counting Crows – Big Yellow Taxi

Simple Spring Decor

April 22, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Raise your hand if you thought spring would never arrive! I know, me too. In Dallas I’ve learned to really appreciate spring because summer brings challenges I’d rather not think about like trying to keep plants alive in blistering days of drought. But right now I’m celebrating cool nights and perfect days, days of front porches, a good book and a glass of white wine.

Okay I’m rambling, but I do have a point, and that point is how simple spring decorating can be. With only a few dollars (or zero dollars) you can transform your home from dull and uninspired to fresh and inviting using items around your house and plants growing in your garden.

Take a look at the centerpiece (below) I arranged for my dining room table. For five dollars, I purchased a bouquet of white gerber daisies at Trader Joe’s and created this natural look using Fostoria goblets (handed down from John’s Godmother) centered inside an antique picture frame layered over a plaid runner that covers my table almost year-round.

The next arrangement is so basic I almost didn’t include it—a crystal vase filled with budding branches. Take advantage of the many trees and shrubs in full bloom now. Forsythia, Redbud, Dogwood, Spirea, Azalea… Snip a few buds or branches from your own yard, alley or roadside. Or maybe your neighbor will share? Ask first of course.

The vintage glass basket (candy dish?) which belonged to my mother-in-law makes a sweet and aromatic arrangement of herbs and flowers from the garden. Only a few snips and it is filled. Keep it nearby in the kitchen, and you won’t forget to use your herbs when cooking supper.

Bring spring indoors by placing dogwood blooms in vintage drinking glasses. Clean, classic, timeless.

If you are a regular reader, you probably already know I have a love for dandelions. This casual looks is perfect for outdoor spring entertaining.

What are your favorite spring decorating ideas?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Sometimes not much is just enough. #Simple #spring #decor. [/tweetthis]

“Sometimes not much is just enough.”
― John O’Callaghan

Musical Pairing:

Joss Stone: The Simple Things

Lavender Blueberry Granola

April 9, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I love granola, but buying it pre-made can make a dent in the pocketbook. I whipped up a batch of my own using Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Almond granola recipe for inspiration. I modified Martha’s ingredients, eliminating the vegetable oil and coconut and adding flax seed and lavender which I have growing in my back yard. (Lavender not flax seed…)

Lavender’s health benefits help aid in digestion plus this herb adds a light floral flavor to whatever you are baking—not overwhelming, just a fresh taste. (I try to throw herbs into all my dishes. The antioxidants are healing, so why not?)

I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy homemade granola is to make.

Lavender Blueberry Granola

Print Recipe

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats I used Quaker
3/4 cup raw slivered almonds
1/4 cup flaxseed whole, not ground
1/4 cup local honey I use Zip Code honey from Texas Honeybee Guild
1 Tablespoon lavender buds chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Notes

Don't be afraid to experiment by substituting your favorite berries or nuts.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except blueberries. Right about now you’ll be thinking wait, this looks strangely like that concoction she made a few months ago for Valentine birdseed feeders… I agree. It does. And although both are edible, this is much better tasting (for humans).

3. Fold in blueberries.

4. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cool. Transfer to your preferred container for storage.

6. Serve with yogurt or ice cream, sprinkle on salads, add to rice pudding, or leave in a Mason jar beside the coffee pot and take a bite every time you walk into the kitchen.

Greek yogurt, lavender blueberry granola, drizzle of agave, sprinkle of bee pollen, sliced bananas

If you don’t have access to lavender, you can order organic culinary lavender from Hood River Lavender. My husband and I visited Hood River Lavender (Oregon) last summer. If you ever have the opportunity to spend time at a lavender farm, do it. As you might imagine, the air smells heavenly.