Herbs - Pesto - Growing your Garden.

. . . . . . for late June.

I'm growing all these herbs - and they are doing well.

As it's so unbearably hot in many places across the country here right

now, I'm thinking a really 'green post' will be a little cooling!

First pots of Genovese basil are now being harvested for pesto.

Of course there should be garlic here also!!!!!  Lots of it.

Using walnuts this year - pine nuts are just so expensive.

I add a little lemon juice to keep the bright green color.

Good ingredients, as always, make good, healthy foods.

Extra virgin olive oil, real Parmigiana Reggiano cheese freshly grated, 

fresh nuts of your choice are a must.

These small square Ziploc storage containers are the perfect size for

 pesto - I share a lot and pack the freezer with the rest. 

Big pot of sage, smells so good.

Pots of thyme - regular and lemon.

The long leaves? My amaryllis bulbs over-summering - will repot for 

the house come early winter.

More pots of basil planted later, also more dill. . . . . .. 

. . . . . . because the flowers are tall and pretty. 

The current 'kitchen window' vase is of course filled with basil also!

Are you growing herbs?

Which is your favorite?

Mine has to be basil. . . . . . and hopefully there will soon be

locally grown tomatoes available to make fresh summer dishes.

More news from the front porch -

How unexpected and exciting!

Yesterday when watering I discovered a rarely seen garden visitor of 

mammoth proportions for its species. A glorious hawk moth - sometimes

 called the 'hummingbird moth' because it's about the same size - sleeping

 under the shade of the morning glory leaves which I'm training

up the porch rails. Note how it clings with its outstretched legs.

It doesn't bite or sting, but apparently when it flies it buzzes.

Its wingspan would be about 4 inches - this is no tiny moth such as

the devils who search through our closets for our cashmere sweaters!

What a beauty!

Pandorus Sphinx Moth : Eumorpha pandorus

Hawk moths are fast fliers and nocturnal. The Pandorus Sphinx Moth

 sports a camouflage pattern of army green color with earthy undertones. 

The rotund abdomen has a dark green band followed by a bright white band

 just after the head and thorax area. The rest of the abdomen is a lighter 

shade of muted green. The head and thorax are mostly cream colored with

 dark green stripe running down the middle.  Thorax sides are dark green. 

Wings are narrow and aerodynamic, unlike the wide feathery wings seen

 in many other moths. 

Nature went all out when painting this beauty.

The Pandorus Sphinx Moth drinks nectar from various flowers

 so it is most likely to be found in gardens, vineyards, near rivers, or

 in meadows. It can also be found near forest edges or blending in with

 the foliage inside woodlands. This species is attracted to lights at night

 and is active from spring through fall. It enjoys warmer climates and is

 best viewed at dusk or dawn, when it is most active.

This is what they love - moonflowers and morning glories. 

I have both growing up the porch with a few morning glory blooms

already, but the moonflowers will come later - this photo above was

 from another summer.

The moth remained all day and I was excited to share it with granddaughter

 Jasmin who came to supper - we grilled out and dined in the gazebo as it

 was a perfect evening. 

Later, after dark, when saying goodbye to Jasmin, and watching that 

awesome rising of the last super moon of this year, the 'Strawberry Moon', 

I noticed the moth had left on its search for supper. . . . . and it's not here

 this morning. 

Sadly, their lifespan is a brief 30 days or so. I'm now searching

 for their fat green caterpillars - maybe they'll be around later when

 the moonflowers bloom!

Any surprise visitors to your garden lately?

Have a fabulous weekend wherever you are.

 

Staying busy as days fly by!

This has been another extremely busy - in a good way - week, and it is

 flying by quickly.

We are still gardening - and of course always will be as long as we're able.

We also shopped quite a lot for garden supplies such as mulch, an edger, 

new bird feeder...........and of course plants!  

We're having some rain at last and things will be growing by leaps and bounds.

All looks fresh this morning. Rain will start up again around noon and continue 

through tomorrow. A thunderstorm in the night actually woke me but I managed to 

roll over and sleep a bit longer.

We've had several visitors this week also - vaccinations have changed

 life quite a lot and we feel safe meeting up with friends outdoors. 

We've used the front porch and the gazebo for tea, coffee, and grilling

 out, just about every day.

Can you believe these amazing freshly harvested veggies. They have been

 arriving in my kitchen recently. My neighbor volunteers at the NC Food Bank

 and a woman grows a garden there. At day's end any remaining vegetables

 she shares with the workers and my neighbor then shares with me.

These rather ugly little carrots are especially tasty and came with 

huge attached tops which I've also been adding to salads and soups.

As for the rainbow chard.........it is fabulous, we've eaten it steamed, and

even the stalks are tender and tasty when this fresh!

 

Our new garden visitors are funny - and seem harmless.  At least they aren't 

digging up or munching on my plants. Apparently this pair of frogs are

 enjoying their drainage pipe 'condo' which comes complete with indoor

 swimming pool. They spend a lot of the day just looking out and then

 quickly hopping back inside when I walk nearby. 

I'm just hoping they will eat all the mosquitoes in the garden!

I'll be back soon with more garden and shopping stories, meanwhile today

I'm making soup, popping over to visit a friend for a cuppa, and running to

 the grocery later.