From his website
“Gardening Green with Doug – Pittsburgh Earth Day’s Green Voice weekly e-newsletterevery Wednesday in your inbox”
“Doug Oster received the Outstanding Documentary Emmy for Gardens of Pennsylvania, a one-hour special he conceived and produced for the PBS affiliate, WQED.”
Doug posts weekly videos on his YouTube channel, In Doug’s Garden. He is also the author of two gardening books, Steel City Garden and A Gardener’s Notebook.
Hey David. Happy Birthday to you. Hope you have a great day. Some pics from the archives remembering my visits to see you out west in Okanogan. Love from your sister.
Strolling with Charles (1) around the neighborhood.
Hot summer sun. The colors so rich and alive.
I appreciate the gardeners’ efforts.
Back at the house on the front porch he said “bubble” and pointed to the chair.Underneath was a red plastic bear with bubble stuff. You had to squeeze the Bear’s stomach and it took awhile for me to get the hang of it.
Something called the Century Plant is going to qualify as a relic today.
My friend Kristin had been sending me photos of the Agave Americana (known as the Century Plant) as it was growing in her family’s front yard on
St. George Island. When I went down for vacation I got to see it first hand. I couldn’t believe how tall it had grown.
It is definitely at least twenty + feet tall!
It was preparing to be in full bloom- and then it will die. I saw some other Century Plants on the island in different stages of their life cycle.
Kristin sent me these photos on the phone and said, “Wait until you come and see it in person.” She wasn’t kidding. I took some photos of it too.
How it starts. The mother plant sends out “pups”
Look at the thickness of the stalk
I used a flash at sunset and it makes the buds look interesting.
A shot at night
Agave Americana with the American Flag
Someone else’s Century Plant fell over.
Steve and I drove across the Highland Park Bridge to Joan’s for dinner. You’ve seen Joan’s spools of thread and checking out where she used to teach.
Since I went out of town on my birthday, we made a plan for when I would be back in town and when we could get together
Joan made James Beard’s recipe for Lahma bi Ajeen. The fresh tomatoes, cucumber and peppers,Baba Ganoush, Hummus, Yogurt Sauce with Fresh Dill from her garden, and wonderful olives.
The Lahma bi Ajeen recipe from Beard on Bread cookbook (A well used page)
Buttermilk Pound Cake from World of Baking by Delores Casella topped with fresh rhubarb sauce. Rhubarb from Joan’s garden- we ate outside.
Thanks for a nice dinner and good conversation, Joan. Everything was delicious
Joan inside her doorway keeping the dogs inside.
They are everywhere.
As far as the eye can see.
Bluebonnet wildflowers. Beautiful color of blue, the Lupinus Texensis is the state flower of Texas.
I photographed (70-200 Canon L series lens) the wildflowers on the way to the San Antonio airport last Sunday.
Was NOT the driver of the rental van but the passenger. (Thanks Rick) Figure we were going about 70 mph so the blue is a bit of a blur.
My artist friend J gave me a dozen stems of dried Allium from her garden.
(“Allium species are herbaceous perennials with flowers produced on scapes.”) you know the family- onion, garlic, chives and leek……)
J knew that they’d be great for pictures.
The kids enjoyed arranging them and taking photos of the outer space orbs.
After school I tried putting one into a glass globe my neighbors had given me (minus the crazy centerpiece, which has since been trashed).
The top flower had broken off from the stem but didn’t take away from the dried flower end.
The round glass globe creates some interesting effects in the images. I see that you need to plant bulbs if you want Allium in your garden next Spring.
I’d always wondered what they were when I saw the tall purple alien- looking flowers.
Some of the flowers were gigantic. The stems are called scapes.
And if you want a recipe for scapes, (which aren’t available now but you can plan ahead for next season) check out recipe from Bartolini Kitchens Chicago John’s calling for “6-9 garlic scapes“ or Rufus Food and Spirit Guide for Stir Fry with Chicken, Zucchini and Garlic Scapes
My food blogging friends know allium well. I just didn’t know what they were named. Shot with iPhone.
Since the family is visiting , Erika wanted to see her longtime friend Liz. We drove out to the country today to see Liz and her family’s new home and all the hard work they have done (continue to do) to make it spectacular. During the house tour she shared her attempt at Bonsai.
She made us smile. It can’t be easy.
I should have asked her more about it but the little brown growth had a prime spot in a sunny window in the kitchen, even though it had seen better days.
Not sure if she took a workshop or class.
Here ‘s a link to the Brooklyn Botanic article on Bonsai Small Tree, Big Heart by Julian Velasco
And here is one of the photographs of a Bonsai tree at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden I took in June when I visited my sister.
Probably more what Liz had in mind. Bonsai means “planted in a tray” and the definition and history is here
My friend Kristin sent this beautiful Orchid Cactus (epiphyllum) blossom from Florida- on the phone!
I invited her to guest blog it. I had never seen an orchid cactus before.
The cactus blooms once a summer and the flower lasts about 24 hours.
Glenn Rice’s page states “Opens and closes in a single night” opens and closes on a single night
That’s it. A beautiful short life.
Kristin got the cactus at a local/ native nursery.
From behind the bloom
Thanks Kristin for sending the beautiful blossom. I forgot to ask if it has a scent.