Category Archives: herbs

Apr18

How Was Our 1st Outdoor Market Day?

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We loaded up the Deanna Greens and Garden Art van with perennials, a few houseplants, and loads of tomato and herb plants the Friday night before the opening of the outdoor market for this growing season.  And it was the first at the Lake Saint Louis Farmers’ and Artists’ Market.  We knew the forecast, and it was pretty accurate.  As I drove down the highway about 6:40am Saturday morning I approached “midnight”.  The darkness was lit up with lightning, and the wind terrific.  I prayed “Please God no tornadoes!”   God heard my plea and had mercy on me!  Dean & I were soaked putting up our new tent and unloading our green inventory.  But our plants loved the rain when sheltered somewhat from the gusts of wind as neighboring tents went up.  Not quite like the greenhouse! But the tent, their temporary home, held up through the wind and rain.  Our featured garden art were handmade pottery from my sister-in-law, Joan Bates and my sister’s photo cards.  We managed to keep them dry.  And the people came with umbrellas and ponchos!  Amazing how a community can get so excited about a farmers’ market!  St. Louis news media showed up to capture the event despite our bad hair day!  Look for Deanna Greens and Garden Art on Show Me St. Louis.  Airing time to be posted later.    It was a good market day for us!    Check out more details of the LSL Farmers’ and Artists’ Market:  http://www.lakestlouisfarmersandartistsmarket.com/

Apr13

Opening Day of Outdoor Farmers’ Market

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Deanna Greens and Garden Art will feature lovely 10″ hanging planters of perennials at the new Lake Saint Louis Farmers’ Market tomorrow held at The Meadows Shopping Center from 8:00am – 12:00 noon.  We have Boston ferns, geraniums and vinca mixed, geraniums and swedish ivy mixed, dragon-wing and charm begonias, and coleus planters and pots as well as heirloom tomato and herb plants.  This is the first outdoor market for us, and they are predicting storms, not just rain!  Hopefully, the patrons bring umbrellas or do not mind getting wet.  I know the plants like fresh rain water.  No high winds, please!  Our new tent as well as all 24 other vendors’ tents will be secured with 40# concrete weights at each peg.  Also featured will be hand-crafted photo cards and ceramic pots made by St. Charles County native artisans.  Come join opening day of the spring farmers’ market!

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Mar30

Happy Harvest Day of My Arugula

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Have you ever tried arugula?  I highly encourage partaking in this green, grown organically, of course.  It has a peppery flavor and is used as an herb, vegetable, or salad green.  Arugula is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, calcium, and magnesium; a very good source of riboflavin, potassium, copper, and iron; and a good source of zinc. It is an awesome herb, vegetable, and salad green.  I planted a flat of seeds, and love the fragance it permeated throughout the greenhouse as it grew this month of March.  This leafy green eluded to a fresh salad sometime soon.  Well, today I had my first arugula salad for this spring season.  Sliced a boiled egg, sprinkled some shredded cheddar, and lightly tossed with a simple buttermilk dressing. Yummy!!!  And baby arugula is mighty tasty on a pizza or in pasta.  Plans are made already for this weekend’s menu in this culinaire’s kitchen.

 

 

Feb22

Down The Row

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Working down the field row of freshly planted garlic bulbs, I cover each bulb with the organic soil using a hoe at the historic Mueller Farm in Ferguson, Missouri.  Those bulbs will sprout greens very soon, as we have had a mild winter.   Garlic greens add so much flavor to stir frys, salads, and mashed potatoes.

November Garlic Planting

Lush Deanna Greens Houseplants

Gazing down a greenhouse row of beautiful houseplants and perennials, asking myself,  “what did we get ourselves into”?  So many plants to care for in this 1300 square foot greenhouse.  Memorial Day weekend Deanna Greens and Garden Art will move this greenhouse to Boone Hollow Farm in Defiance, Missouri.  We will have a moving sale on houseplants not sold before the big move.  We will convert to total organics, and grow more edibles, lots of vegetables and herbs. 

 
Feb6

Dinner Bell Ready

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Ready to Eat?!

The dinner bell has rung!  Are you ready to eat?!  I know I am with all these scrumptious dishes laden with vegetables of tantalizing flavors and texture combinations at a EarthDance Farms potluck.  Another potluck coming up this Sunday to welcome the freshman farmies.
Jan15

Leafy Green Cravings

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So I am salivating while planting a micro green mix and red sails leaf lettuce seeds at the greenhouse … I think viewing this July vacation photo of a salad made by my longtime Minnesota friend, Tamie Jensen started it! 

Is it not a palette to behold?!  I am craving leafy greens … like fresh spinach, pac choy, arugula, leaf lettuce, borage, you name it!  Some of these items can be purchased at most local grocery stores, and fewer even have the organic variety.  And how far did these items have to travel to my local Schnucks or Dierbergs? And how much did that price tag say??? I am not willing to pay $5.99  for a pound “fresh” spinach that was grown 2,000 miles away!  I have become “spoiled” or a better word “selective” in my grocery purchases after farming with EarthDance Farms this past year.  Organic and local are the way to go for optimum health.  I froze several bags of spinach, swiss chard, and kale from my field labors this past growing season.  I just want fresh right now! Deanna Greens and Garden Art  recently bought this 1300 square foot greenhouse full of houseplants and flowering plants.  And it now makes way for my leafy greens!  Not quite the same as spring or autumn sunshine…  but it is organically grown, local, and cost pennies to those dollars! In 4 – 6 weeks I will be satisfied when a few of our nasturium blossoms and leaves are married with Deanna Greens and Garden Art’s very own leafy greens …

Jan8

Lemon Muffin Cakes

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I arose this Sunday morning with the notion to bake.  Fresh lemon thyme await usage, so I adapted a tried & true blueberry muffin cake recipe to accommodate my lemon thyme.  I steeped the lemon thyme in warmed milk, and added the zest of 1 lemon into this butter based batter.  The last of my poopy seeds in the cupboard went into the muffin recipe as well.  The aroma of lemon filled my home, and awaken my husband.  I steeped earl grey tea in my mug while he grinded his coffee beans and proceeded with his coffee ritual.  I finished the warm muffin cakes with a lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze before indulging.  Now we refrained and saved 10 muffins for my oldest daughter and her family.  She just had her 30th birthday, and the kids were under the weather most of the week.  We dropped off the goodies after church … Sure hope these lemon muffin cakes brought  sunshine to their home …

Dec22

Happy Haiku Day!

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 Christmas brunch awaits;

Lavender cream scones, ham quiche,

with cranberry juice red.

Happy Haiku Day!

Haiku is a form of Japanese Poetry. In English, it consists of 3 lines.  Each line has:

5 syllables

7 syllables

5 syllables

It often includes references to nature, especially the season and your experience of it.    Post a haiku today!

Dec19

Child Again

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Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. “~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
As I get older, I have simplified the holidays. Most gifts are bought throughout the year, decorating kept to a minimum, baking delicacies few, and gatherings short but sweet. Green gifts of houseplants and botantical soaps given at all the gatherings … I want to feel like a child again this Christmas … the magic of just being …