sparrowpost

I had a look at Martha Stewart Living December in the airport earlier this month, and noticed that it had a piece on living wreaths. Sparrowpost had a tutorial on making succulent wreaths back in November 2005. The results aren’t as perfect as Martha’s but the directions are probably more specific and helpful. MS Living has some very cool variations on the living wreaths, including ones made of moss and ferns– I know there are other cool examples out there. My boyfriends’ mother made one out of bromeliads, which are far better suited to southern Florida’s humid environment than the original one I’d made her, and I’d love to try to make one out of living evergreens like this one. Continue Reading »

Continuing with the Day of the Dead theme this year, I decided to make a pumpkin carved with flowers…
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Where dried leaves are concerned, it’s often feast or famine. The leaves are useful year-round, as a component of “brown” refuse that must be alternated with “green” refuse (grass clippings and kitchen scraps) in a successful compost pile. In summer and winter, there often don’t seem to be enough leaves, whereas in winter and spring there are always far too many.
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The nasturtiums have taken over our community garden again this year. While it’s annoying having them shade the strawberries and herbs, it is delightful to have a virtually indestructible source of edible flowers! One time during our courtship, Mr. R and I purchased a package of edible flowers from a grocery store and ate them on a camping trip in the dark. So I associate them with romance (of course) and luxury (I think that plastic package cost $5). Good asociations aside, nasturtiums are delicious… Continue Reading »

Cooking Pumpkins is really quite easy, though if they are large enough, butchering them can be quite a chore. To cook a pumpkin, first wash it off to remove any dirt. Next, cut the pumpkin at least in half, and remove the seeds. If the pumpkin is large, it may need to be quartered in order to fit in the oven.
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