This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

Car Full of Plants

June 15th, 2016

This past weekend Mr Chiots and I headed off to Vermont for a quick visit to a nursery with a lovely garden and lots of rare plants. Of course I came back with a car full of plants.
car full of plants
What made it home in my car and where did we go? Find out tomorrow. I’ve been busy catching up after traveling and madly planting things I purchased this weekend.

Spring Cassis

June 14th, 2016

I purchased seeds for spring cassis from Baker Creek this spring. Violets are a favorite of mine, I love that they start blooming so early in the spring and can take pretty cold weather and light snow.
spring cassis 1
spring cassis 2
spring cassis
I love how they all have different flowers ranging from dark purple to streaked with lots of white. Every time a new one blooms I’m excited to see what the flowers will look like. These have been a wonderful addition to my gardens this year. I’m usually not much of one to start annuals from seed, but I’ll definitely be growing these every year for window boxes and planters.

Have you discovered any new gems this year?

Early June in the Garden

June 9th, 2016

It seems like overnight the garden goes from hibernation to exuberance. I’m continually amazed by the rate of growth in the potager and in the woods. Every day I notice new color in the garden and flowers start to bloom. The lilacs, irises, and wildflowers are starting to fade, making way for the peonies, foxgloves, and hydrangeas.
Early June in the Garden 1
Early June in the Garden 2
Early June in the Garden 3
Early June in the Garden 4
Early June in the Garden 5
Early June in the Garden 6
Early June in the Garden 8
Early June in the Garden 9
Pink and purple are the dominate colors in my garden, I also have a few white and green flowers in the mix. This is my preferred color range, I’m not a huge fan of yellow, orange, or red flowers, they seem a bit to bracing for me.

What’s blooming in your garden?

A New Favorite Vegetable

June 8th, 2016

A few years ago I started growing broccolini and rapini and fell in love. I love that you can direct seed it very early in spring. I love that it reaches harvest very quickly. I love that it has a slightly bitter taste.
broccoli raab 1
It’s different than broccoli, though the essense is the same, it has a much more complex flavor. I cook it very simply, blanching it first in a pot of salted water for 2-3 minutes. Then I sauté it in a skillet with garlic and olive oil. Like spinach, you’ll need more than you think for each serving.
broccoli raab 2
This year I actually grew three different varieties, each one had unique characteristics (Sessantina Grossa, Spring Raab, and Happy Rich all from Johnny’s Seeds). Two had that bitter essence that you get with raab, the broccolini florets had no bitterness at all. I actually prefer the smaller leafier version with bitterness. I’m a bit fan of bitter notes when it comes to my food. I’ll continue growing these beauties to add more variety to our plates. They definitely fill that void when you want something other than salads as a vegetable and head broccoli isn’t even close to maturity.

What new vegetables have tried to grow recently?

Herbal Cats

June 7th, 2016

I grow all kinds of herbs in the garden, including catnip. Of course the cats like to roll in the catnit and catmint, but they also love all the other herbs. Dexter is especially fond of the oregano and frequently smells of it. Samson is particularly fond of the thyme. I’m sure it’s partly their natural inclination for pest control. Many of these herbs keep pets away, let’s hope it helps them not be as palatable to ticks and fleas.
cats in herbs 1
cats in herbs 2
cats in herbs 3
cats in herbs 4
cats in herbs 5
cats in herbs 6
When I head out to the potager I frequently find a cat lounging in one of the herbs. It’s a good thing I have so much of each variety so I can harvest cat hair free sections for the kitchen.

Do you find that your pets like particular plants?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin