If you could smell the color blue, what would it smell like?

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

The blue I’m talking about is cobalt blue, but brighter, just a little lighter. And then, what if you could taste it?

IMG_2640Last Spring, I saw Blue Spice Basil for the first time, (at Oakland Nursery). I read the name on the tag, then when I crushed a leaf, I could not get over the unusual, berry-basil fragrance. To me, it smells like the color blue. It does not smell like blueberries, just the color blue. Not to be confused with African Blue Basil, which is darker and spicier, this basil smells clear and round.

It tastes like its fragrance, the leaves in a salad lend and pleasant unexpected lift every few bites. I would love this stuff, even if I was only allowed to breath it in.
Tonight as I harvest the last of my basils because the nights are getting cool, I’m thinking about mixing it with some sweet basil, rose water and walnuts to make a pesto. I’m looking forward to trying it in an Indian dish. Would love to throw this ingredient in a cooking show to see what they pair it with!

Just wanted to give you something to look forward to:)

Get a Professional in your yard for the best, most relevant advice!

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

I don’t work on electric or plumbing at my house. I call a professional to avoid costly and time-wasting mistakes. Same goes for your yard. We offer consults for lawns, tree and shrub problems, time saving tips on maintenance for everything from vegetable gardens, perennials, weed control, soil amending, corrective and maintenance pruning and more. Most of the time we can cover all these categories with one visit. And every time, we point out things that never crossed your mind. For the cost of a plant or two, we make sure you get it right the first time. Mistakes cost money and more important where plants are concerned, mistakes cost time!

We tailor consults to the individual. So before your consult, we recommend the following steps:
Keep a list and continue adding to it, questions about everything in your yard.
Take pictures while walking or visiting other gardens of things you like.
Record past difficulties, problem sites, plants that don’t do well, and so on.
Also list your aspirations, what your dream yard would be like, the sky is the limit!
We can put everything in perspective, solve your problems and make life easier. Sounds simple, and it is if you decide to invest one to two hours in a consultation!
Please contact us for a consult!

This is my favorite vegetable this week:

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

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It happens every time. When a person tastes Ground Cherries for the first time, eyebrows go up, and they immediately reach for a second. Not so much because it’s so good, but probably because they want to get to know it better so they can describe it. They are sweet, nutty, I think mapely, and pop in your mouth like pure joy!
Ground cherries, related to tomatoes, and more closely to tomatillos, are less sticky, easier to free from their husks, and less, for lack of a better word, slimy. Unlike tomatoes, they are disease resistant. They grow like a low ground cover around other vegetable plants, shading the ground keeping moisture in, while shading out weeds.
They are at Farmers’ Markets now, so give them a taste drive! I would love to hear about your take on ground cherries’ flavor!