Saturday, August 15, 2015

Life as it happens

I am reading "The Bell Jar", by Sylvia Plath, for the first time.  From its very first pages this book sprouts an apathy so bleak, that I'm afraid I would not be able to muster the end, already announced from its vastly beginnings.  What a beautiful messy soul Sylvia Plath was... to shed so much light in such terrible darkness...


I've been harvesting goodies from our gardens... tomatoes, herbs, green peppers, red peppers that smell and taste like nothing as store bought peppers ever would.  




Flavors so rich with which I've been doing my own 'sofrito' (condiments) to spice our Latin dishes with.    

1 medium onion
1 medium red pepper
1 medium green pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil


I've been collecting hydrangeas from the garden too.  


Making bouquets 



And enjoying the marked difference between fresh and dried hydrangeas... and how sometimes it is impossible to duplicate the process of flower drying on a same variety.     



You can see what I mean here:  To the perfectly conserved floret of last year... 


To the lovely, yet not so perfect summer blooms of this year...


Why the blooms of last year are in a much perfect state of conservation than those I collected just a few weeks ago, escapes my imagination... but I intent to discover the mystery for sure. 


I pruned the holly hedges again this week, and yesterday I had all the tall, lanky zinnias removed from the flowerbeds in the center of the garden.  I don't know how to go with zinnias when they become infected by disease and knocked down by winds.  


They are not a perennial plant, so I suppose that pruning them won't do any good, in addition to the unattractiveness of the stark bared stems.  So I removed them... all of them.  Did I made a mistake by doing so?  Would they had reseeded themselves, had I left them be?  Please do tell if you know!    


I also pruned the spider flowers, which had fainted down to the ground after the storm of the other day.  But these plants are perennials, so there's hope for them.


The hummingbirds have made the garden their home and my ears have learned to know when they're near.  I have learned the song of the hummingbird.  They seem to love this place as much as I do...


Thank you for being here my friend~

And remember:


Love,

Cielo

6 comments:

  1. Oh, hardy soul... Reading Sylvia is sturdy work. She breaks my heart and makes me angry all at the same time. Zinnias to me personally are a cheerful garden flower to be planted among the corn and tomatoes and green beans. Their foliage often rusts and droops and they are imperfect. Maybe too wet? They are a laughing shot in the dark but I liked growing them. Think they are a country bumpkin flower like me. I would love to know about your hydrangeas. I haven't even looked at mine. Your Sofrito sound delicious. Have a lovely Sunday!

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  2. Zinnias are one of my favorite. I have many now feeding beautiful bees. Colors that glow. Enjoy that humming bird!

    Eve

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  3. Your hydrangeas are so pretty. I have never had luck growing them, but I am going to try again next year.

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  4. What a sweet post Cielo. I love all the photos. My favorite has to be of your little bird friend. He is adorable. I also love to dry hydrangeas from my garden to make arrangements for fall. I also spotted the tostones and arroz moro. What a feast my friend. So tasty and yummy.

    Sending fairy dust your way querida amiga,

    Janet

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  5. I think one has to be in the right mood to read Sylvia Plath. I have The Bell Jar, but have not read it yet. One day! Sofrito...mmm. I think I could eat that on just about anything. Your flowers and displays are all just so lovely...

    Don't know what to tell you about the zinnias. Since they're an annual, not sure they'll grow back?

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