in my neighbor's garden

The Picaroon is a bit on holiday this weekend - I took these photos on Thursday just for all of you to look at today. This is where we live - this is what we see, here in Renton, here in the garden.

Rhubarb Season!

Well, the bountifulness of the summer is already upon us - the rhubarb is ready to be picked. One of our family favorites - in really any recipe, is Rhubarb. However, I will let you in on the best and simplest recipe ever for rhubarb -one that you and your family can enjoy again and again. Rhubarb Compote.

Soak and clean the stalks of rhubarb and cut into chunks. Place in a nice heavy pan (or whatever you've got) and put on a very low heat to simmer. Yep, that's right - don't add water, the rhubarb has plenty enough to make the sauce. It may take awhile, but this will cook down into a thick sauce. Add sugar to taste while it is still warm and then = EAT!

Eat it all by itself, eat it slopped onto of some vanilla ice cream, eat it for breakfast served over a sliced banana, add some strawberries to it and serve over shortcakes (rhubarb will take on the taste of the berries and give you more to serve at less the price!
Ask your neighbors for some from their garden - then be polite, and share some delicious compote with them - you will always have a ready supply of ingredients at hand that way

Down at the Pea Patch

The soil has been tilled, the plants are going in - when you pass the Renton Pea Patch at the corner of N.First and Williams, there are always a few green thumbs working the soil. The plots are all spoken for and have been for months - but there is always next year. The cost is cheap - $30, and you have a piece of earth that is 10 x 40 or 20 x 20 feet to make your own source of fruit and veggies for summer eats or pretty posies to liven your home from April to October.
These are strawberry plants that will bear fruit all season long - their second time around as gardener Charlotte, my host at the pea patch today, dug them up from her garden last year. They had a little visit in the hothouse before coming out into the sun with us today.
This is Farmer Dave and he is planting some onion starts right there. In a mere six weeks this tame looking pea patch will be in full bloom and thriving with goodies to eat.

The hothouse that sits adjacent to the pea patch is open to all the community gardeners to use, for a nominal additional fee and is a great way to get things going. Others use the hothouse and bypass the pea patch completely, taking their plants home for their own yards and gardens. Cooled by an evaporative air conditioner, the plant starts have a way to become healthy and strong before facing the potentially cold Northwest weather fronts.

Tomato starts, melon starts, berry starts - even flowers can all be found within the hot house.

Sometimes the tomatoes won't bear our little flirts of cool weather, and need to be protected from the elements with a covering like you see below. I don't know about you - but this shot had me thinking of a certain scene in the first X- Files movie - you know the one. Don't walk the fields late at night, folks. The veggies are all spoken for and they have hired a professional scarecrow already.

Renton Community Garden/ Renton Parks Dept. Wonderful stuff!

The Garden is wet

I am embarrassed to admit that yesterday late morning, I actually watered some of the color spots that I had planted in pots over the weekend. Some had dry soil on top - and I guess I wasn't really thinking. I mean, Mother Nature is certainly taking care of our greenery as of late, hasn't she?

The Hanging Fuschia Basket

This is what is I saw today - lines of people, parking lot full - hanging fuschia baskets everywhere and many, many happy shopping gardeners. McLendons, Saturday, blooming with folk.

Pancakes and potting soil

Every one has a holy grail - for some it is the best set of car rims, maybe a first edition comic book unearthed at a garage sale, or in our family's case - a good sale and a "free" something or other. I am certain you know just how I spent my Saturday morning....
The lines were long but moved apace - and there is always someone to talk to at McLendon's.
I overheard that they were prepared to serve 1,600 deserving customers with a pair of link sausage, two flapjacks, a cup of orange juice and some hot coffee. Impressive.
Three long, hot griddles going constantly, churning out some mighty tasty pancakes, complete with butter and maple syrup - your plate was fresh and piping hot when it was handed to you.
Long tables, decorated with flowers and a white paper table cloth awaited you. Standing room only. No one cared - they just happily munched.
This is McLendon's biggest sale of the year - the full parking lot attested to that. Hanging Baskets of Fuchsias for $17.99, and tons of other garden goodies. We stocked up. Hey - and the Puget Energy "Spin the Wheel" offered prizes, and with one spin, Mom landed a $20 coupon to McLendon's! It was promptly spent.

Ummm - free pancakes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/exlibris/2286985826/
This is the big weekend where you get to fuel up on a free pancake breakfast, compliments of McLendon's Hardware Renton Store and then hit the sales that are waiting there in store for you. The best deals are on the lovely Fuchsias - just in time for our newly burgeoning garden plans and the near advent of Mother's Day. Shopping local was never so good!

McLendon's Hardware 440 Rainier Ave.S. Breakfast served 7:30 am - 10 am
PS - Puget Sound Energy will also be there and having a drawing - so check it out

In My Neighbor's Garden

You must excuse me - I am predisposed to like, nay, love the TULIP flower. It has been my favorite for years - it's simplicity of design, vibrancy of color and multitude of petal shapes holds me in it's springtime grasp. In the Netherlands I hear that in the 1600's the tulip bulb was a currency, likened to gold. I am so glad that everyone can now afford the pleasure of planting these wonders - I merely have to walk the neighborhood and I see a fortune's worth of them.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Good day for Gardening in dear ole Renton

These blooms are from a house on Wells Street, here in the DTR (that is Downtown Renton to all of you - the new Renton lingo ringing through!)

Aren't they just gorgeous! It's not to late, you know - to add the daffodil, tulip color into your life. Just head to McLendon's today - you'll see the parking lot is full of gardeners today!

This sweet little ensemble was in front of The Feathered Nest on Third Street the other day - now, doesn't that just inspire you to get right out there, pull some weeds and start creating that special little corner in your world to enjoy some fleurs and partake in our lovely Spring weather we are finally having...