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all summer i’ve worried about my dahlias. no buds all summe- just droopy foliage. and they were supposed to be the stars of the garden! but now that the weather’s cooled off they’re starting to come to life. so many buds now! here’s just a few that are starting to show their beauty.
we recently headed to cotton country....well that is what i call it. there is a little town, bostwick that is just past bishop, georgia. it has one of the few active cotton gins around in addition to fields upon fields of cotton. every year i like to go a see the cotton blooming. this year we went a little bit later than usual and drove through bostwick with no cotton in sight. on our way home, josh nudged me and i turned my head only to see the biggest cotton field ever. i honestly thought it had snowed for a second. i don't know what it is about blooming cotton, it gets me every time. i guess that means i am a true southerner now.
yesterday we headed to the country and went to the
festival at
. it doesn't get much garden to table than that. the festival offered tastings from 35 regional farm to table restaurants, live music, art market, farmers market, and a petting zoo. we made cider, milked a goat, and ate a ton of yummy food. i already have marked my calender for next year to bring our family back. thanks for an inspiring day farmers and chefs!
r[gallery]
our friend peter dale mentioned
great little story today on his blog. i had to share. who would have thought we would have georgia grown olives.
thanks peter!
being an artist, i love to pay with color contrasts in the garden. whether it’s flower or foliage color i’m working with, i love to pit warm colors against cool, red against green, silver against purple. these days there are so many great foliage plants that come in a rainbow of colors. i love coleus in red and almost black, silver grey salvia and black elephant ears.put warm next to cool and mix it all together for inspiration all summer long.
it’s worth it to surround yourself with beauty. i am lucky to live in an inspiring place full of eccentricities and lots of beauty. it makes me happy just to be there and love it all. here’s some scenes from around the house...
i know that edna lewis may disagree but i love creamy and cheesy grits. in athens, there is a restaurant called farm 255 that makes my favorite grits. they put sauteed local mushrooms on top with some shaved parmesan and a broth. whenever the weather starts to get cool, my mouth starts to water thinking about them.
the other night i was craving them and tried to recreate them. here is what i did...and i must say they were pretty tasty!
recipe
1 cup dried grits (not the instant kind)
2-3 cups water (start with less and add more as needed)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream (you can add more or less depending on how creamy you like them)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup cream cheese
salt to taste
directions
-boil some water and add the grits
-add more water as needed
-simmer and add the rest of the ingredients
-simmer until the grits are creamy and cooked
you can eat them plain or top with parmesan cheese, broth, or sauteed vegetables....or a fried egg would be great!
i ordered this on ebay for a little sewing project, but it’s so great i can’t cut it up.
