Here Come the Squash

Friday night there were enough squash to make a big mess of squash & onions. We used green onions from the garden too. Sunday there were over2 pounds of squash. We had squash casserole. Mick McNeely taught me a new trick. Pick a handful of Sage leaves. Get some olive oil hot in a pan. Drop the sage leaves in and crisp them and pull them right back out. It takes 5 seconds or less. Be careful not to overdo it. After the squash dish is cooked garnish it with the sage leaves. They provide a wonderful surprise when bitten into.

Zucchini is coming in now as well. The variety is not exactly what I thought was planted, but they are tasty. That is what counts. The patty-pans are covered with blooms. They all seem to be males. No squash there. There are three little spaghetti squash and several “pregnant” blooms. I am having to spray with BT every couple of days because we are getting so much rain. The fence and the human hair seem to be working fairly well for the deer, so I haven’t bothered with pepper spray. I see small rabbits in the garden every morning; but the garden is well advanced enough that they don’t eat much.

The corn is tasseled and has little ears. The height of the cornstalks is all different because of it being smashed down several times. Who knows if there will be any kernels on the corn?


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?” These are 4 really great herbs that go together in almost anything. Except for Parsley, they are all perennials and once they get started they continue producing. They are also evergreens and give a little fresh winter flavor. The parsley of course can be dried.

Parsley is usually started in the greenhouse. It is a great companion plant with almost everything; but especially with tomatoes and peppers. The rosemary bushes are scattered around the yard. A new one is planted every 2 years or so; because the younger shoots are good in stews and stuff. The older tougher branches are used for skewers with the leaves left on or laid in the bottom of the crock pot until the dish is complete. They are then pulled out and put in the compost. The dead wood from pruning is thrown on the grill to add flavor when charcoaling.

We have no sage yet; but that is one of this years goals. It is a beautiful evergreen plant. The leaves can be picked for seasoning, teas, or medicinal herbs. Thyme is planted in the garden; but it is also used for borders and allowed to flower. The flowers are pretty. If you go to Scarborough Fair, please watch for my old true love.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/