Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Autumn around the palace!

Autumn has always been my favourite season so I enjoy decorating and getting everything ready for Thanksgiving, a chill in the air and all of the Halloween fun!

On Thanksgiving day I had every intention of taking photos of everything but I just got too busy with the cooking and entertaining.  I did a repeat of a lot of my Thanksgiving favourites from last year like my acorn cookies, apple pocket pies, and mini pumpkin pies with a single oak leaf on top.

Just before we sat down for dinner I decided to take a few photos of the table before it was ravaged.  An amazing thing happens when I pull out a camera in front of our parents...for some reason they will all get their cameras out too!  If I stopped to take a photo of say, a tree...they would all start taking photos of the tree too, even tho they have no idea why they are taking photos of it.  So, while I was trying to take a few photos of the Thanksgiving table, for the BLOG (!!!), they gathered around and started taking photos too, with no idea what they are doing, flashes going and finally I had to tell them all to stop.  Number 1 because my inlaws need a special battery for their camera yet wont order one so they are in the way yet only able to take 2 photos before the regular batteries die then spend the next 20 minutes complaining about it and, Number 2, my parents have had a digital camera for almost two years yet refuse to get a computer (yes, they are those people) so they have never printed a photo, seen them except for on the little camera screen and for some reason wont take the little SD card to Wallie's to have them printed there.  So honestly, who knows why any of them had to get in my way.  The Suburban Prince says it's like when Japanese tourists see a baby panda.

Anyhooooooo - since Thanksgiving day the cookies have been eaten, the table is back to being the Royal Ribbons headquarters and I found all I managed to get were four photos of the table.  Hmpfh!


The Thanksgiving table is full of leaves, pumpkins, acorns and candles!


I made spice acorn cookies and packaged them for each place setting.  
The ribbon on each wine glass saying Happy Thanksgiving and can be ordered at www.Royal-Ribbons.com


I love all of my different pumpkins!  Especially the glittery ones!


I added a leaf shaped chocolate to each place setting to keep the autumn theme going!


The wall unit was emptied and then filled with leaf garland and lanterns.


The camels were in this section rather than on the table this year. 


I wont even embarrass myself by admitting how many dark chocolate balls were in this vase compared to when I took the photo!


Little leaf dishes are scattered about the house filled with chocolates!


Easiest autumn decor ever!  A large vase, leaf garland, dogwood branches and autumn coloured ornaments!

 

Outside I got mums in shades of orange and yellow - they looked so much better a few weeks ago before the rains flattened everything.  I love my little welcome bears!


I think the steps to the house look great!


A splash of pink and a home grown pumpkin!

 

The front door wreath and garland.  We are the only house on the street to decorate.


The jack-o-lantern the Little Prince carved last weekend!
Have a fabulous day!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

100 Mile Diet Event - Part 2

Here is part 2 of the 100 Mile Diet event!


Click on images to blow them up - there is a lot of great information!


This farmer uses this to grow his tomatoes - no dirt!


He is so proud of his humungous tomato plants!


The fruits of his labours.


Until I moved to the country I had no idea how many types of tomatoes are out there!

 

  Potatoes.


Peppers and garlic!


I asked...they don't taste like chocolate.  Le sigh.


With all the farmers' markets around it is very easy to eat local!


All of the farmers and businesses within 100 miles of us.


A food demo was going on in the middle of the event.  In typical fashion there were 6 chefs preparing....tomatoes, cheese and basil on baguettes.  Remember how many it took to make a hamburger at the Lavender Festival?


Since moving here I have discovered just how enjoyable it is to spend time chatting with farmers, finding out about their products, getting the scoop on new products and supporting my local businesses.


This is my local farm - every spring the owner dresses in a strawberry costume and takes people on wagon rides to pick berries!


I see my lavender shortbread has some competition!


Have a fabulous day!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

100 Mile Diet Event - Part 1

I have had these photos on my camera for ages so it's about time time I got them posted!  We went to a 100 Mile Diet event close to our town and got the chance to meet lots of farmers, bakers, gardeners and more!


Our local chocolatier.

 

This farmer raises chickens and sells the eggs and meat.  His brother has honeybees and sells the honey...so he takes the beeswax and makes candles!


There were lots of great educational projects around the event. 


A woman who has sheep was there with her wool...


We got to see how she cards the wool and spins it into yarn!


She dyes her wool and sells it to all the local knitters.


I was tempted to ask her to knit me a birdseye sweater!

 

Produce galore!


One of my favourite cheese companies was there with samples!

 

Goat cheese samples!

  

These ladies had the most popular booth at the event!


Pies in every flavour imaginable!


Each booth had lovely autumn decorations.


Many varieties of apples were for sale!


Thanks to one of our local farmers we got a free apple!


Goat farmers had goat milk soap for sale and sample!



Everything under the sun was canned and ready to get us through winter!
Part 2 tomorrow!


Have a fabulous day!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A walk in the garden - Part 2

Here is part 2 of my garden photos!



You just can see some purple grapes growing under the leaves.


A rogue pumpkin!


Another rogue!


The veggie patch is full by August!


Another rogue...we kept finding them everywhere thanks to the compost!


The pumpkin plants grow to be huge!  You can see why they have to be kept under control!



I love the vines growing over my 'Secret Garden' door!


More vines growing over the canopy - they bloomed hundreds of white and purple flowers!


So pretty!  Makes me feel all Ivy League!


These flowers are amazing!


It's not just pumpkins!  We had a rogue carrot too - it won 3rd place at the fall fair!


Have a fabulous day!