As the Garden Grows

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Fair Trade Coffee – Better Quality for All

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Fair Trade Coffee - Better Quality for All

As most people that read this blog know I’m an organic gardener. I don’t grow a lot of veggies in my garden, but I do take pride in knowing that what I grow is organic and thus all the healthier for my family.

When I’m out shopping I try to either buy organic products or products that have been produced with “green” means or sustainability in mind.

As the information above states most people probably don’t think about where their coffee comes from, or at least they didn’t a decade or so ago .. but that’s slowly changing. I’m happy to say that Green Mountain Coffee is fair trade coffee which means that it’s a quality products and the people who produce it are making fair wages, and the coffee is harvested ethically and sustainably.

I haven’t actually had a chance to try Green Mountain Coffee, but the next time I go shopping I’m going to look for it and pick some up if I find it. I’d certainly be interested in tasting it.

Have you tried Green Mountain Coffee? What did you think?

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My garden is getting it’s Fall colors

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It looks like my garden is beginning to get it’s fall colours. I believe my roses are starting to go through their last bloom of the year … wait, what am I talking about – my roses often bloom right up until Christmas!

Nah … well my Browned Eyed Susans and Phlox David are certainly on the way out, however, just as those plants are winding down, others are beginning to shine.

For example, my Toad Lilies are covered in buds and I expect I’ll have blooms next week. I’ll also have blooms on my three Monkshood in the next week or two as well.

My Sedum are already changing color and looking lovely:

Sedum blooms

The large potted Chrysanthemums that I purchased at Costco at the end of August are blooming away too:

chrysanthemum flower blooms

Aren’t they lovely?

My Cosmos have been blooming all summer, but this one looked so pretty the other day and it happened to have a bug on one of it’s petals as well – can you spot it?

Cosmo flower

How is your garden doing this month? Is it changing as the temperatures change? Tell me what’s blooming.






Alfresco Entertaining in my small Garden

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We’re at the height of summer and I find that almost every day we’re having a meal in the garden on the patio. It’s lovely to sit outdoors enjoying the beauty of the garden and when we’re lucky it’s bounty as well.

As I mentioned in my last post, our tomatoes are just beginning to ripen and very soon we’ll have cucumbers and beans. We’ve already been enjoying strawberries and raspberries from the garden and I expect that we’ll continue to enjoy them for another month or so.

It’s at this time of year when I most enjoy entertaining. I love inviting a few friends or some family members over for an informal visit. We’ll get together and have a barbecue or just a snack and a few drinks. Just a chance to get together – but of course it’s always in the garden surrounded by my lovely flowers and all the lovely scents they produce.

One quick and simple treat that I whip up when guests come over is cheese and crackers. I almost always have both cheddar cheese and a soft cheese on hand like Boursin Cheese and of course a variety of tasty crackers is always handy.

Do you do a lot of entertaining in the summertime? Do you keep supplies on hand for “drop in” guests? Supplies such as tasty spreadable cheeses like the Boursin cheeses discussed above or other quick foods?

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