Is It October Yet?

I don’t know about you, but by this point in July I’m usually growing pretty tired of summer and longing for the crispness of fall. But I know that come February, I’ll be wishing I had done a better job of appreciating summer and all its balmy delights.

I found a way to merge summer and my fall lust this week: zucchini spice bread.

I grow zucchinis in my garden, and they are blowing up this season! Check this guy out (teaspoon included for size reference):

I searched Martha’s site for zucchini recipes and came across the zucchini spice bread recipe from the September 2003 issue of Everyday Food. It looked like it would help make use of my immense zucchini supply while also indulging my fall craving with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

I followed the directions on the site, except that I shredded my zucchini in the food processor (much easier than grating) and I added a few handfuls of regular and golden raisins.

The recipe did not disappoint! The bread is moist and delicious, marrying the fresh veggies of summer with the spiciness of fall. It’s actually much better on day two, once everything has fully cooled and the moisture has set in.

Next time I might try substituting some of the oil with unsweetened applesauce or canned pumpkin. Two-thirds of a cup of oil seemed like a lot to me, but the bread sure is moist!

Are your summer veggie gardens producing? How are you making use of your harvest? And am I the only one wishing it was fall already?!! Let me know in the comments.

Hydrangea Helpline

The popularity of hydrangeas has grown in recent years – and that could be the result of Martha’s love of the blooms.

Last summer, someone gave me a potted hydrangea as a hostess gift. It flourished inside, but when I moved it outside, it met a quick demise. This year I set out to avenge its untimely death.

In the spring, I bought a plant of the Endless Summer variety at my local nursery. I planted it in an area in my backyard that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, per the instructions. I water it almost daily, feeding it coffee grounds and Miracle Grow on a regular basis. It is definitely growing. The leaves look healthy. But it has not flowered yet!

I even purchased the plant a “friend” at the grocery store. I picked up an already flowering hydrangea in a pot and placed it nearby, just in case my plant needed some pollination help or something. Still no flowers.

This is driving me crazy! I’m determined to have lovely hydrangea blossoms this summer.

Does anyone have tips for me? I live in Zone 8 (Northern California). My plant gets full sun until a little after noon. Then it gets almost full shade for the rest of the day. Let me know if there is any other info you green thumbs out there need to prescribe a flower fix for my poor hydrangea!

If your hydrangeas are already blooming, I’m jealous! Check out the lovely things you can do with your blooms, à la Martha:

Cutting and propagating hydrangeas
Keeping hydrangeas fresh
Rehydrating hydrangeas
Hydrangea tray craft
Hydrangea wreath craft
Hydrangea wedding centerpiece

How My Garden Grows

A few new pots of impatiens on my porch.

The weather is gorgeous here in Northern California this weekend, so I decided yesterday that it was time to plant my seasonal flowers and vegetables. Before embarking on this task, I did a quick search on Martha’s site to see if she had any wisdom to impart. I came across this article that offers 10 tips for spring gardening. Below is a summary of the article, noting how I “appropriated” her advice.

1. Survey the yard: Martha says to make note of trees that need to be trimmed, things that need to be repaired, etc. Hooray! – I’m already ahead of her. I know exactly where things stand in my yard and I’ve “hired an arborist,” a.k.a. my husband, like she recommends.

2. Order tools and plants: I have a basic arsenal of gardening tools, so I hit up our local nursery and picked up my flowers and veggies.

3. Get ready to mow: This is my husband’s department. He keeps the lawn pretty tidy despite ignoring Martha’s suggestions to regularly sharpen the lawnmower’s blades and change its sparkplugs.

4. Prune trees and shrubs: Check! My “arborist” and I did this a few weekends ago when the weather was nice.

5. Take a soil test: Martha says to test your soil’s pH. Seriously?? I skipped this one.

6. Prepare new beds: I did not spread compost or manure as per Martha, but I did weed and rake all areas before planting.

7. Plant: Oops! Martha recommends doing all planting on a cool, cloudy day. Yesterday was neither cool nor cloudy, and I have the sunburn to prove it.

8. Fertilize: The array of fertilizers at the nursery made my head spin. I bought the most generic-looking one, simply labeled “plant and flower food.” It must be better than nothing, right? Besides, the article says to reference that darn pH test that I skipped.

9. Start a compost pile: Gross! No thanks.

10. Clean bird feeders and baths: Yay, I’m done! I don’t have any of these.

So, I did not quite meet Martha standards in today’s gardening adventure. But I think I did pretty darn good for a busy girl on a budget.

How do you get your yard ready for spring planting? I’d love to hear any tips or tricks.