Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel

Favorite Accent Plant: Wine Cups

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Deep rose wine cups (callirhoe involuncrata) scampers over
lavender perennial heliotrope, gold leaf tansy and purple sedum.

Wine cups splash a long way in the garden—literally! The tender stems of lacy foliage are far-reaching. The blooms lightly dance over, under and around other plants. This isn't a monster plant that takes over. You can easily cut or reroute the thin vines to your liking.

This native perennial, callirhoe involuncrata, isn't a specimen plant. This is a mingler, a socialite that loves to engage fellow plants in pleasant combinations. Place it where it can party in the garden in zones 3-9. Speaking of party time, wine cups are early to bed, closing up in the evening and opening again with morning light.

Rabbits have a taste for wine cups. I've never tried this among deer, assuming that they'd like to attend a wine cups tasting, too. I have only one plant inside the cottage garden fence, purchased in 2010 and then moved to position it away from the prying noses of bunnies. I use a rabbit repellent. Wine cups is growing among perennial heliotrope (heliotropium amplexicaule), salvia, lambs ears and tansy—disgusting appetizers to a rabbit palate!

I have a fondness for monochromatic groupings where I use the same bloom color from different plants. Shaped like the California poppy, the wine cups are the same color as my petunias and salvia greggii 'Diane'. Soon, my gaillardia 'Grape Sensation' will be in full bloom, adding to the deep wine mess—mass.

Don't drink to take this test.

Splash! All of those wine cups blooms are from one plant.
There are also California poppies, salvia greggii 'Diane'
and petunias in the same wine color.

Stemware. Wine cups with salvia farinacea 'Victoria'.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Purple Milkweed Blooms Create a Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:10:00 +0000

Purple milkweed (asclepias purpurascens) attracts bees and other pollinators.
A Monarch Butterfly host plant. May 2012

The first milkweed to bloom in my garden is ascelpias purpurascens, a native wildflower. Blooming and returning reliably this purple milkweed was purchased and planted four years ago. To date, there are only two seedlings that have volunteered nearby. Unlike common milkweed (ascelpias syriaca), this one isn't an agressive self-sowing perennial and I'd actually like to see more of this asclepias variety.

Being deer and rabbit resistant, the only issue I've had has been with the orange and black milkweed bugs eating the blooms. I pick those bugs off the flowers and send them packing.

The large globe blooms attract pollinators and the leaves are food for the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly—though they seem to like the thin-leaved swamp milkweed (asclepias incarnata) when choosing plants in my garden for egg-laying. There have been times when I've had to move Monarch caterpillars from the swamp milkweed to the leaves of the purple milkweed! I tend to think this is because of the location of the milkweeds, with the swamp being among lush plants that serve as good places for the chrysalis and metamorphosis.

The veins in the long leaves of purple milkweed are a deep raspberry color like the large blooms. The sturdy stems are not weighed down by the blooms, standing straight in the garden, up to three feet in height and two feet in width. It is easy to tuck this one into a small space.

Hardy in zones 3-9, purple milkweed prefers a bit more moisture when planted in full sun (as in my garden). Though, in my garden, it is planted in a rather dry area, but the roots are shaded by neighboring perennials such as nepeta and agastache.

This is my favorite milkweed in terms of ornamental uses in the garden as well as being out of the ground in time for the early migrating Monarch butterflies.

Frilly Bloomers

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:42:00 +0000

Peony poppy

Frilly blossoms weren't intentional, but reading the May Dreams: Finished with the Frilly Flower Phase post prompted me to take a look around my own garden. Yes, there are some fru-fru flowers tucked here and there that are blooming right now.

I don't grow peonies, but I grow peony poppies and that was my criteria when selecting this poppy. The full flowers fit the frilly flower formula. Peony poppies self-sow if you allow the seeds to ripen. Just shake the pods around and wait until next year. I'm still hoping my pale pink and nearly black (purple) ones will bloom. We had an incredibly warm winter and the poppy germination rate has (so far) been disappointing. Unlike me, poppies like a bit of a cold winter.

A mix of dianthus.

I scattered seeds of "mixed" dianthus in the cottage garden, for the fragrance, not the frill. These sweet little pinks are so easy to grow and now that I take into account the frilly factor—I do find the form flattering on this flower. These frillers are great fillers. I like to use a mix of colors because I cannot make up my mind as to which color I prefer. I don't usually transplant the dianthus around, though I did pilfer a solid white to relocate with a blue salvia.

Spirea, stipa, spirea—with a dash of blue nigella.

There's a whole lot of frill going on with the spirea blooms. The frilly pink blooms on two varieties of spirea are filtered by the flowing stipa grass. There's a dash of blue nigella, another frilly fru-fru flower that was pulled after I took this photo—it just didn't belong there and I have hundreds of other nigella. A still photo doesn't do this spirea-stipa vignette justice. I should take a video. The stipa is especially lovely with a bit of glistening morning dew, backlit by the rising sun and swaying in the breeze.

Verbascum 'Southern Charm'

Verbascum 'Southern Charm' casts a frilly eye upon the garden. The stem even looks frilly with buds and blooms on the spike. This dainty flower is quite the trooper, returning every year and never asking for anything except to be cut back after the first bloom is finished—only to rebloom.

Amsonia hubrichtii frilly foliage and flowers.

Native plant, amsonia hubrichtii's wispy foliage and star-quality flowers qualify as frilly in my book. Not ruffle-skirt frilly, but delicate and feminine. Another tough plant, this amsonia blooms in spring, then the foliage looks great through rain and drought, cool or hot temperatures. In autumn, the foliage turns gold. This is a great plant for frill-seekers. If you want more amsonia, let the seeds ripen and drop to the ground. If you don't want more, then wear gloves to prevent the milky sap from getting on your skin when you deadhead.

Verbena 'Imagination'

I've already bragged about verbena 'Imagination' in a previous post. Again, this is a plant with frilly blooms and frilly foliage. Tough as nails, this verbena is a ground-sprawler that blooms non-stop from spring until hell freezes over. And, yes—it self-sows. It is easy to pull, so no worries.

Itea 'Little Henry'

If bottle-brushes are frilly, then itea 'Little Henry' is another fine candidate. This part-shade small version of a sweetspire shrub has a tendency to run about, so pull the sprouts to keep it from filling up the area. The white blooms go every which way, but are charming nonetheless.

While I never intentionally purchased frilly bloomers per se, each delivers a dose of delight in my garden.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Cottage Garden Goes to the Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:17:00 +0000

Coreopsis is surrounded by ground covers with
near-twin blooms of light purple verbena 'Imagination'
and heliotropium amplexicaule.

Shades of pink, purple and blue have dominated my cottage garden over the years. I shook things up a bit this year with addition of bold gold in the form of a native wildflower, coreopsis. Yet, I'm not quite sure of the circumstances. The seed packet (I took a photo) said "coreopsis palmata" (prairie coreopsis), but the flowers look like coreopsis lanceolota to me. What do you think?

Sown from seeds last year, the success rate has been almost overwhelming! While the coreopsis is great for poor soil, given the good soil of the cottage garden, the mounds are huge, full and extra tall (close to three feet high).

There is another possibility regarding the seeds. I sowed a packet of "mixed cottage garden" seeds that included annuals and perennials. Perhaps this coreopsis came from that mix instead? The hint at this possibility is that coreopsis is also growing among hesperis matronalis (Dame's Rocket) that must have come from the mixed packet—along with a barrage of susans (yet to bloom).

Before you all attack me with your gardening hoes, Dame's Rocket is not yet on the invasive list here in North Carolina. The plant is invasive in other states and countries. I'll have to manage it properly to prevent it from escaping the confines of the garden.

The coreopsis blooms have been going strong for at least three weeks, but I've not had to deadhead at this point. Yesterday's heavy rainfall beat the plant down a bit, but it is bouncing back and not drooping too much given the beating.

I've not seen any rabbit damage, but I've not seen any rabbits in the garden so far. There is a feral cat hanging around, not to mention a few black snakes and a hovering red-tailed hawk. This coreopsis is also growing out in the deer resistant garden and I have seen many deer. So far, so good.

I'll let the coreopsis grow as a test this year. If it performs well, I may just let it remain in the cottage garden. I have enough already, so I will deadhead the coreopsis and not let it go to seed.

As for the color gold—right now, I'm enjoying the glowing brightness among the purple blooms.

Coreopsis with Dame's Rocket (invasive in some areas).

Coreopsis with purple larkspur
(and buds of purple cornflower, not yet opened).

The "back side" of the coreopsis as viewed from the porch after the rain.
The "faces" of the coreopsis follow the sun, just like sunflowers.

Cinco de Mayo: Aztec Chocolate Chile Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:02:00 +0000

Sweet, spicy and chocolate—Aztec Chocolate Chile Cookies are perfect for Cinco de Mayo. I learned to make these cookies during the winter and served them with chocolate chile espresso pot de creme. My husband and I decided that these are among the best cookies in the world! In other words, these cookies will disappear rather quickly.

The recipe that I used came from the blog, Savour Fare. I altered the recipe by using powdered ancho chile instead of chipotle. My photos were taken with an iPhone and therefore don't really show the darker color of the chocolate cookies as the photos on the recipe blog.

The cookies while cooling...before they disappeared!

I used Madagascar vanilla and Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa. Using quality ingredients will give you the best results. The cinnamon, honey and ginger add so much to the flavor and if you love ginger snaps, just imagine those flavored with intense chocolate and dash of spicy chile. The chile isn't overwhelming at all, so don't let that ingredient prevent you from trying these easy cookies.

One tip that I'd like to pass along is my non-messy method for rolling cookie dough into balls. Using a regular flatware spoon in my left hand, I scoop out the dough. In my right hand, I swirl another spoon on top of the dough to create perfectly rounded balls without putting my hands in the dough. This method makes quick work of the task as well.

With no eggs in the dough, you can pass the bowl to hungry onlookers to clean it up for you!

Rolling the dough with spoons keeps hands clean.

Sages Spring in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:38:00 +0000

A mix of salvia greggii and salvia nemorosa
in the cottage garden, viewed across the blooms,
but there are many companions surrounding these sages.

I'm not a collector of plants, but one look across my garden in spring, a visitor might think that I have a sage in every color. My favorite variety is salvia greggii and there are many reasons why I love this plant.

When I began my research into deer resistant plants, salvia topped the list. The first salvia greggii planted in my garden is the beautiful 'Navajo Bright Red' (difficult to find). A grouping of five is still flourishing and delivering masses of blooms in spring and fall. During the heat of the summer, the blooms are sparse, but the foliage of the plant, evergreen in my zone 7b garden provides year-round satisfaction—characteristics of all greggii varieties.

Maintenance is similar to butterfly bushes (buddleia). I cut back and shape salvia greggii in late winter, removing the dead wood and to keep the plant flexible and full of foliage to produce the blooms.

The plants are tough as long as they aren't overwatered or stand in wet soil. Drought-tolerant, deer and rabbit resistent, the results of using the sages for gardening in full sun is rewarding.

I now grow salvia greggii in the cottage garden, the deer resistant garden and in containers—in planned vignettes, randomly mixed and literally contained. For the versatility and low-maintenance, salvias are among my perennial favorites.

Is there a downside? Yes—salvia greggii is very difficult to photograph! My photos are rather dark because I had to wait for evening or cloudy days to capture the colors and shapes of the blooms!

Salvia greggii 'Navajo Bright Red' began in full sun
and is now partially shaded by a mature weeping willow.
Companions, monarda 'Jacob Cline' and crocosmia 'Lucifer'. April 2012.

Salvia greggii 'Texas Wedding' is a creamy white.
Planted at the edge of a path in front of roses, a potted hosta (shaded),
daylilies and saliva farinacea 'Victoria Blue' (yet to bloom) are companions. April 2012.

Salvia greggii 'Diane' (dark purple in front of burgundy loropetalum)
surrounded by other sun-loving companions in the cottage garden. April 2012.

Salvia greggii 'Autumn Sage' and 'Dark Dancer'
randomly mixed across the deer resistant meadow garden.
April 2012.

I purchased this salvia last week, but when
I got home, there was no ID tag!
The color is a creamy white with pale peach tones and dark stems.
Planted with salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens' and thyme.
April 2012.

A Simple and Sweet Lavender Container

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Flowers spilling out of a container add instant charm to a garden. However, I'm not the best model of how to tend containers that require trimming, watering and feeding. Over the last several years, I've opted toward a more permanent solution by using drought-tolerant, water-wise perennials. With this approach, it takes a bit longer for the container to mature. Patience, but little work is required once my containers are planted.

While shopping at Big Bloomers Flower Farm in Sanford, North Carolina, I fell for a sweet planter that was too French for me to pass up. I purchased the planter (it was on sale for 30% off). I chose a variegated lavender, lavendula x intermedia 'Silver Edge' that should mature at twenty-four inches high in bloom—what I consider the right scale for this planter.

The lavender is just a sprig right now, but I have visions of purple blooms at the end of the wands. Being a water-wise plant, I won't have to fuss over the container to keep it looking good. The fragrant foliage is a wonderful thing to brush with my fingers when I go onto the front porch. Although I am planting the lavender in a container, it is deer and rabbit resistant should you choose to plant it in a sunny, dry space in your garden.

Rated for zones 6-9 (according to the tag), 'Silver Edge' is well-suited for my zone 7b garden. I will let it over-winter on the covered porch to keep the container from freezing and thawing during winter rains.

Given that birds, especially Carolina Wrens love to nest in my planters, I added gravel to the top of the soil. Wanting a dash of color, I spray painted ordinary crushed gravel with purple—to coordinate with the future lavender blooms. Sure enough, I saw the Wren checking out the container this morning! She rejected the lavender pot as a nesting site when she realized the rock was a deterrent.

I put the gravel in a square plastic pot with holes in the bottom. I shook out the excess dirt, then sprayed the gravel. I kept shaking and spraying to cover throughly. I let the paint dry, but kept shaking the container several times while I was out gardening. This kept the gravel pieces from sticking together.

For now, I have to use my imagination for the future of this container. I'm pretty happy with the dream!

The pale green color and the design (a season on each side)
reminded me of France, so I had to plant a lavender in this pot!
I will rotate the pot as the seasons change for this perennial.

Gravel, spray painted purple for a splash of color,
deters the birds from nesting and squirrels from digging.

Use Your 'Imagination' Verbena

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:14:00 +0000

Verbena tenuisecta 'Imagination' blooms spring, summer, fall until...

It's supposed to be an annual, but I'm not convinced! Verbena tenuisecta 'Imagination' bloomed from early spring 2011 and there were still blooms around in December in some pockets of my garden.

Rated as an annual by most sources, every plant returned, making this verbena as hardy as any zone 7b perennial that I grow. It must take a seriously cold winter to kill it off. Thinking that 'Imagination' was a tender annual, I allowed it to self-sow.

Wait—there's more! I sowed seeds again in fall 2011. Maybe too many seeds! While it is lovely, meandering around tall plants and over short plants, it could easily takeover the garden. That said, it's easy to pull out. The color is a soft-purple, making it compatible with every color in my garden.

Don't worry about watering or babying this 'annual' as it is a tough plant for full sun to partial shade. Never drooping or complaining, it blooms continuously for three seasons. Deer, rabbits, voles and even a groundhog passed on this plant.

If you don't know what to plant as a meandering ground cover, just use this 'Imagination' verbena.

Free Palace in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Is the line to visit the Louvre or Musée d'Orsay too long? Are the crowds at the Eiffel Tour overwhelming? Instead of paying and spending time waiting, there are free museums in Paris where you can walk right in and enjoy a bit of elbow space and quiet as you get up close to the exhibits.

Except for special exhibits and the archaeologic crypt and catacombs, there is no admission fee to see the permanent collections in the municipal museums in Paris. While residents of Paris are well aware of this benefit, most visitors are focused on the "must see" famous sites.

The courtyard garden inside Le Petit Palais.

Le Petit Palais is a charming palace on a human scale. Located directly across Avenue Winston Churchill from Le Grand Palais, the smaller palace is filled with sculpture, paintings and relics. While you won't find the Mona Lisa, the galleries include representative examples over the ages: Paris 1900, Seventeenth-Nineteenth Centuries, Renaissance, Eastern and Western Christian, Ancient Greeks and Romans as well as Graphics, Photographic Collections, Books (including Oscar Wilde) and Manuscripts.

Le Petit Palais was built for the 1900 World's Fair. There are four wings to this trapezium structure that surround a central garden. The architecture and decoration make the Palais worth a short visit, even if you have no interest in the art collections. If you've been walking down the Avenue des Champs d'Élysées and are heading toward the Louvre or Invalides, the garden is a pleasant place to take a break.

There is a café for beverages and snacks, but with all the wonderful foods available in Paris, go somewhere else for a complete meal. The museum is closed on Monday and holidays, but it is open other days from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, with last admittance at 5:00 pm.

In the garden.

Le Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:56:00 +0000

The garden was created in 1857 by scientist Gustave Thuret.
Photo: 3 April 2012; Cap d'Antibes, France.

The third time is a charm. Well, the garden is charming and on my third trip to Cap d'Antibes, I finally visited Le Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret. This is not a "oh my, look at all those colorful flowers" kind of place. This garden, created in 1857 by scientist Gustave Thuret, is a collection of exotic Mediterranean trees and shrubs. The garden will intrigue those with a keen interest in botany or offer tranquility to those simply looking for a lush place to stroll.

There are "2500 individuals belonging to 1600 wild species and 145 botanical families." Every year, another 200 new species are introduced in this five acre garden. Newly-introduced plants are tested for their ability to adapt to the volcanic soil and local climate conditions. The new plants are watered for two years and only during extremely dry summers. Dead plant matter is left to drop and add humus to the soil. There's no mulching or mowing as wildflowers dot through clover and grass. Only the gravel paths are maintained to allow visitor access.

Only the main paths are well-maintained.
The garden is "natural" without mowing, mulching and pruning.

Dead leaves and wood are allowed to drop to add organic
matter to the soil. Wildflowers dot the natural, grassy areas.

A lovely peony.

Being an American and accustomed to "staying on the path" I didn't venture into the grassy meadows to read the labels on the shrubs and flowers, such as peonies, agapanthus, clivia and crocosmia—nor all the plants that I can't identify! Given that we were the only visitors and everyone else had clipboards with eyes focused intensely on the plants, I had no clue as to the proper protocol.

We weren't even sure if we were supposed to pay an admission fee. We walked into the open gates and saw no ticket stand. Since no one chased us down and demanded Euros, we assume that there was no charge.

For a lovely, sunny day, a leisurely stroll through the gardens was worth the trip to Cap d'Antibes.

To find Jardin Thuret from the town of Antibes, we headed west along the promenade at Ponteil. We crossed Boulevard James Wylie to follow Boulevard du Cap to Chemin Raymond. There is also an Enviro-bus that makes a circuit through the area for 1 Euro. The garden is closed on Saturday, Sunday and some holidays. Verify through the website.

Crocosmia blooms beneath a grove of bamboo.

Garden Inspiration: Great Gates

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:46:00 +0000

After a long, leisurely and fabulous Saturday lunch at Plage Keller "Le Cesar" restaurant on La Garoupe Beach, my husband and I strolled along Boulevard Gardiole Bacon. This quiet street on the peninsula, Cap d'Antibes, is lined with villas—more accurately walled gardens that obscure the villas from view. Many of the villas are Provençal style, a common design in this area of France, and quite large and luxurious. Others are Spanish Mediterranean and then there are the modern architectural styles of white boxes. I prefer the traditional styles.

I love garden gates. Even the driveways have gates, and some of those are inspiring. Come along on a stroll down that boulevard as we walked back to Antibes, a distance of about four kilometers, depending upon how many detours we make to snap photos along the way. You see, we justify all the eating by walking!

Socca, A Niçoise Specialty

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Socca being made and baked over a fire at
the Marché Provençal, Antibes, France.
March 2012.

Freshly baked, piping hot socca
is a Niçoise specialty
made from chickpea flour and olive oil.

Socca is a specialty of the area of France around the city of Nice on the Côte d'Azur. At the Marché Provençal in Antibes, we enjoyed a piping hot socca made over a fire. For only two Euros ($2.67), my husband and I shared the socca. Made from chickpea flour and olive oil, it has to be healthy, right?

This was my first taste of socca as there are always long lines of customers waiting for these pancakes to come out of the oven.

If you're interested in making socca at home, here's a recipe from David Lebovitz, an American pastry chef and cookbook author, who lives in Paris.

Hot work!

Garden Inspiration: White Garden Vignettes

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:22:00 +0000

1. Jenny's White Garden at Fearrington Village.
Pittsboro, North Carolina. March 2012

2. Duke Gardens, Duke University.
Durham, North Carolina. July 2011

3. Duke Gardens. July 2011

4. Central Park, New York City. June 2011

5. Musée des Impressionismes, Giverny, France. May 2009.

6. In a Paris, France park. April 2011

Sprinkles, masses or entire gardens—the use of white flowers can be a huge success or a total fail. These six inspirations were gathered on visits to gardens at home and abroad.

Jenny's White Garden at Fearrington Village changes with the seasons. Since this is located only five minutes from my home, I've seen the changes. In early spring, the white blooms are primarily daffodils and other spring bulbs.
I've seen the Page-Rollins White Garden at Duke Gardens only in the heat of July where it was splendid in the 90+°F heat of the summer sun. There are succulents, perennials and annuals as well as foliage plants. I've not located a list of their plantings as this section of the garden is very new.
The yucca container in the center was surrounded by sweet alyssum, a plant that I grow from seed that overwintered here in my zone7b garden during our mild winter of 2011.
White hydrangeas and large, blue hostas provided a cool vignette in the shade on a hot June day in Central Park, New York City.
For more information on the black and white flower garden, see my story about the Musée des Impressionismes in Giverny, France.
Walking through a random park in Paris, France, I photographed these white tulips underplanted with white forget-me-nots.

For my own garden, I've started a small vignette using phlox 'David', Japanese iris 'Mount Fuji', sweet alyssum and snapdragon 'La Bella' white. A nandina 'Alba' is the only shrub. I've sown seeds for white moon vine to climb the fence behind this grouping. Outside the fence, three large oakleaf hollies provide the dark green backdrop. I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

I love fragrance and there are some white flowers that do not disappoint! The sweet alyssum smells like honey. Ginger, gardenia, jasmine and sweet bay magnolia are other fragrant plants in my garden.

With hot summers, the idea of enjoying the garden in evenings with cool temperatures is hugely appealing. White flowers can add sparkling magic to a garden in the evening. Added fragrance and good paths for meandering in the dark enhance the experience.

Baking Biscotti

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:12:00 +0000

I faced and conquered a fear. On a January evening, I was bored with reading the Internet and watching TV. I avoided reading a novel because I was writing a novel and didn't want someone else's fictional work to influence my own. I needed a challenge that was creative and different. It was time to attempt to bake biscotti!

Biscotti is a twice-baked Italian biscuit. The "twice-baked" aspect is what seemed daunting to me. Every time I took a bite of a biscotti from a bakery, restaurant or store, I was in envy of the baker behind the product. How difficult can it be?

Ingredients in my kitchen led to my choice of a recipe. I had almonds and dried cherries on hand. Finding a Williams-Sonoma® recipe for hazelnut and dried cherry biscotti was close enough. I didn't want to go out and purchase more ingredients, so I substituted almonds for the hazelnuts. Other than the substitution, I followed the recipe, adjusting my oven temperature down by twenty-five degrees to use the convection baking option.

I was so pleased with the results! There was nothing difficult about baking biscotti except for allowing the amount of time to cool between baking. The tasty slices stored well but didn't last long as my husband and I enjoyed the biscotti with our coffee...that I can no longer drink...but, that's another story. I now drink decaffeinated ginger tea for breakfast.

Go ahead and bake a batch of biscotti!

(All photos were taken with my iPhone. Click any photo to view enlarged in a slideshow.)

Biscotti after first baking.
I used parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

After cooling,
cut slices diagonally and turn on sides.
Bake for the second time.

Let biscotti cool again.
Shake off loose crumbs and store
in airtight container.

12 Places To Experience 'The Hunger Games' In North Carolina - What's New In NC – North Carolina Travel & Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Yes, the Hunger Games movie was filmed right here in North Carolina!

Take a look at the link to the official tourism website, VisitNC.com, if you're interested in visiting the locations. Scenes were filmed in the beautiful western part of our state, including DuPont State Recreational Forest for the "arena" and below the Craggy Pinnacle Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

12 Places To Experience 'The Hunger Games' In North Carolina - What's New In NC – North Carolina Travel & Tourism

There is even a suggestion for a 4 day itinerary on VisitNC.

An article on Huffington Post® provides a good overview of the travel options here in North Carolina.

Are you going to see the movie?
Did you read the books?

The Gravel Garden Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:50:00 +0000

We're rocking around the garden again! After the April 2011 gravel garden project proved to be such a success, we were shoveling and raking again on the first sunny days of a very early spring. I have to be more specific with the work credit—my husband did the heavy hauling and shoveling and I raked the gravel to smooth it into place.

We did nothing to the last year's garden (photo below, click to enlarge) except raked it a bit and tugged out a few weeds that were easy to pull. All the shoveling and raking work of the last week was done to extend the use of gravel in the front entrance, upgrade the path through the deer resistant garden and create a Zen-inspired garden where a chaste tree was removed.

The gravel garden/guest parking on 15 March 2012.
View is looking toward driveway from the garden gate.
Constructed in April 2011.

The Pros of Using Gravel

My husband is an enthusiastic supporter of gravel projects because he is in charge of mulching. Over the years, the application of hardwood mulch had to be repeated at least twice a year. That was a lot of work and expense. Voles love to tunnel under the hardwood mulch and they were slipping into the garden and devouring nearly every root they found. In Winter 2010, the vole damage was devastating! In Winter 2011, after we'd increased gravel mulch, the vole damage was ZERO! Of course, we still use hardwood and compost mulch in some garden spaces.

The maintenance of the gravel garden has been easy and I certainly needed to downsize my work! We've not added gravel to last year's locations and the weeding was minimal. We use a wide plastic rake and a battery-operated blower to keep the gravel clean. The ground beneath the gravel stays relatively moist, making it easy to pull weeds (and flower seedlings). In fact, I easily wiggled out larkspur, poppy and nigella seedlings that were then transplanted into proper spaces in the garden beds.

We mulch Japanese irises, monarda, nepeta, salvia greggii, perennial heliotrope, amsonia hubrichtii, rosemary, sedum, buddleia, crape myrtle and hollies with gravel. When I left the irises and monarda in place last year, I was sure that the perennials would bake and die since the gravel garden is in a southwest location. However, the opposite happened! I never once provided supplemental watering to any of the gravel garden plants during the summer drought. The gravel is permeable, allowing water to slowly seep into the soil. The gravel then reflects the sunlight, keeping the soil shaded and moist far better than hardwood mulch.

The gravel makes it easy to walk in the garden year-round. It is especially nice on moonlit nights!

The Cons of Using Gravel

Not everyone likes the look and it's difficult to remove gravel once it is in place. While I'd love to use an expensive pea gravel for a prettier look, the cost is prohibitive, tripling the price of what we are using. The gravel that we use is $50 per CUBIC yard.

You must keep the edges separated from grass. Grass will creep and crawl across the top of gravel, so using edging will help keep the grass at bay. We use a flexible metal edging (dark brown color) that is easy to drive into soil using the provided stakes and a rubber mallet. If you've got rock beneath your soil, it will be more difficult.

You must have a way to keep the gravel from washing away during heavy rains. We have buried French drains around our entire garden perimeter, uphill from all of our gravel.

Entry Garden: 15 March 2012.
View is from the gravel/guest parking
looking toward cottage garden gate.
Container gardens will be placed on the
right side of the existing flagstone walk.

The Gravel Garden Expansion Projects

Entry Garden: We removed the unwanted plants and hardwood mulch on either side of the flagstone walk that leads to the cottage garden gate. In areas where we want in-ground plants, we do not use landscape fabric beneath the gravel. Sedum and dusty miller are at the base of a crape myrtle (on the left behind birdbath). I am going to use container gardens, placed on top of the gravel on the right side. Nepeta, crape myrtle, Japanese irises, amsonia and a clumping bamboo remain planted in the ground.

Deer Resistant Garden Path: We set aside our existing flagstone while we worked. We hammered the flexible brown metal edging in the ground. The edging curves along the bottom of the deer resistant garden on the slope on the right side. On the left side, around the carrisa hollies and the crape myrtles, we replaced hardwood mulch with gravel to integrate with the new path. We raked the gravel into place and then placed our flagstones on top.

Deer Resistant Garden Path: March 2012.
Hollies and crape myrtles mulched
with gravel while metal edging
keeps the gravel out of the thickly planted
deer resistant garden on the right.

Zen-inspired Gravel Garden: After seeing a Karesansui garden at Villa Ephrussi in France, I wanted to create a similar space here at home. At the willow tree on the far end of the deer resistant front garden, there is a left turn on the outside of the cottage garden, east side of the house.

In that location, we had a large chaste tree that littered the ground with millions of seedlings each year. The seedlings were horrible to pull, requiring a shovel for the long roots. (We transplanted a few offspring out into our grassy meadow where they can no longer cause a problem in the garden.) Removing the large tree freed up my space for the Zen-inspired gravel garden.

While it is still a work in progress (I want to add evergreen hollies behind the pagoda and find more large rocks for the edges), we're already enjoying this tranquil space. An existing clumping bamboo (fargesia variety) was left in place.

Osmanthus fragrans provide a green, fragrant wall on the left side. Another osmanthus fragrans on the right side creates the entrance to the this garden after passing the willow tree and a garden space filled with red monarda 'Jacob Kline' and crocosmia 'Lucifer'. I must say that the fragrance from the osmanthus is heavenly right now! We moved our curved concrete bench to the space to provide a place to sit. The willow tree, large oakleaf hollies and osmanthus provide afternoon shade.

Zen-inspired Gravel Garden:
work still in progress, March 2012.

Early spring is the perfect time for construction projects. While the edging looks stark right now, the plants will grow and flourish to soften the edges as the garden wakes up from winter, fills in, greens up and blooms. We have some tweaking to do as the gravel settles. We'll level out the flagstones and rake the gravel again after a few rains. Then, we'll enjoy the new space year-round.

Favorite Garden Photos of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:21:00 +0000

There's much to enjoy (and learn) from reviewing garden photos. Here are a few of my favorites from 2011 that I love for the colors. Some photos were taken near while others far away. Click the photos to view in a slideshow lightbox.

Hemaris thysbe (hummingbird moth)
visits the liatris ligulistylus in my meadow garden.

Zinnias in my cottage garden.

Fiery colors at Dole® Plantation in Hawaii.

Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France.

Leopard's Bane in a garden in Paris, France.

Pink prevails in my deer resistant
meadow garden in June.

Rich red monarda 'Jacob Cline' in my east garden.

Blue nigella and pink autumn sage
in my cottage garden.

Battery Park in New York City.

In a North Carolina public garden.

Bright colors in my
meadow garden.

Stipa (grass) and spirea (shrubs) in
my front deer resistant garden.

Ring around my sundial
in my cottage garden.

Agastache, flax and salvaia
in my deer resistant meadow garden.

Larkspur and rose campion
in my cottage garden.

Flipping Frittata! Have No Fear

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Cooking is right up there with gardening and travel. The experience alone is rewarding and the result is usually satisfying. There are times when I love to spend hours in the kitchen purely for the creative outlet and enjoyment. I'd love to cook from scratch more often, but with only two in our empty nester household and a desire to remain healthy, I seldom make "big meals" anymore.

My pent up need to cook was released the other day when I decided to make a frittata for dinner, using an early birthday gift from my husband. I tend to use recipes as a loose guide to cooking unless baking a cake where ingredients and measurements must be precise. For most main courses, I add, subtract and substitute ingredients according to whim.

With that flexibility in mind, I embarked on making a frittata with the gift, a Calphalon Unison Slide Nonstick Fritta Pan Set from Williams-Sonoma®. In the past, I've used the stovetop to start a frittata and the oven to finish it. Nothing wrong with that method, but I was never sure if I was undercooking or overcooking the frittata. With the pan set, I can flip the frittata several times to finish the cooking.

A frittata is an egg-based Italian dish that I prefer to make instead of individual omelets and without the fuss of crust or calories of a quiche. Although we like our frittata served hot, it is often served at room temperature.

I have scanned through hundreds of frittata recipes published on the Web and buried in the pages of printed cookbooks in my kitchen for ideas. Once you master the cooking method, you can be creative and use the ingredients that you choose to combine.

Caramelized onions! Oh my, how I love the flavor, so reminiscent of onion tarts in France. With that ingredient on my short list, I started with the Wilted Greens and Gruyère Frittata as the basis for my experiment in mastering the art of flipping a frittata in the pan set without dashing the mixture all over the stovetop.

Thinly sliced yellow onions are required for proper caramelization. I tend to literally cry over this chore, rendering myself too blind to read the recipe while I recover. Using my mandoline makes quick work of onion slicing, producing only a teardrop or two from my eyes while delivering perfectly thin slices. This manual device is worth the investment for anyone who wants to turn out mounds of julienned, cubed or sliced veggies.

V-Blade mandoline produces thin slices of onion in a flash.

Cook onion slices slowly to caramelize.
You can make these a day ahead and
store in airtight jar in the fridge.

Almost caramelized, not burned.
I used the deep pan in the frittata set for prepping
the onions and sautéing mushrooms and wilting Swiss chard.

To caramelize onions takes an hour and patience. The slow cooking and light browning makes the onions quite sweet, a perfect compliment for the gruyère cheese. These onions are also wonderful for omelets, quiches, savory tarts and pizzas. The good news is that you can prepare the onions in advance. The onions must be cooled before adding to the whisked eggs in the recipe.

I altered the recipe with sautéed shiitake, oyster and baby bella mushrooms. I simply wiped out the pan to sauté the mushrooms once the onions were finished. The recipe also calls for wilted Swiss chard, and I used the same deep side of the frittata pan. If you want to use meat in this recipe, bacon is a good choice. Brown the bacon ahead of time, cool and crumble for delightful flavor.

The frittata cooking in the deep pan for 7-10 minutes.

After whisking eggs and adding all of the cooled ingredients, the mixture is poured into the deep pan. Using a spatula, you have to gently stir the raw eggs quickly at first before they firmly set. This ensures even cooking. Cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

The preheated and seasoned shallow pan is then placed on top, interlocking the rectangular handles. This is where the fun starts as you must swiftly flip the pans so that the deep pan is then on top and the shallow pan on the bottom. Cook for three minutes longer, then flip the frittata back into the deep side.

Pans are used in unison to flip the frittata.
1. Put shallow pan on top, then flip. Cook 3 minutes.
2. Flip to put deep side back on the bottom.

The frittata is ready!

With a rubber spatula, I gently
loosened the edges.
The frittata slipped right onto the plate
without sticking to the pan.

The frittata was so delicious for dinner! It also refrigerated well and we microwaved individual slices for breakfast and another dinner the follow day. We still didn't finish it! This easily serves six generous slices for a main course or eight slices as a side dish.

I plan to make a frittata for an upcoming brunch to save time and serve more people at one time. Of course, I have a few ideas for other ingredients to use in the next frittata.

As for the flipping—I spilled only a little bit of egg on my first flip of the pans! From now on, I'll have no fear of flipping.

Disclaimer: I assure you that this story is not a paid advertisement, but I am a satisfied customer of Williams-Sonoma® and linked to their site to reference the products that I used to make this recipe. Nothing mentioned has been provided for free.

A Carpet of Snow in December

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Drifts of snow white blanket the cottage garden in December. On a sunny winter day, the few remaining pollinators buzz among the blossoms. So far undaunted by frost, Sweet Alyssum 'Carpet of Snow' still flourishes.The honey fragrance of the blooms makes it nearly impossible to resist picking a stem to deeply inhale the scent. Braving the cold morning, I snapped a few photos of the alyssum, just before the sun warmed up the garden.

Sweet Alyssum 'Carpet of Snow'
(8:00 am, December 3, 2011)

Alyssum with burgundy leaves of loropetalum.
(December 3, 2011)

I sow seeds the tiny seeds of Sweet Alyssum (lobularia maritima) from October through March. Known as a cool climate annual, the small investment in seeds was worth the effort here in zone 7b of North Carolina.My cottage garden is a micro-climate more like zone 8a.

The alyssum patches spread remarkably wider in 2011 compared to 2010 and I believe this is due to some self-sowing. The height is relatively low, less than twelve inches. Beginning in April, the fresh and new alyssum sprouts bloom and they gradually spread over the next few months.

The focus of my mass plantings is an edge of the cottage garden path that is seldom seen until September. The heaviest blooms crank up from September until...we shall see!

During the hottest, scorching months, I grow taller annuals and perennials to shade the south side of alyssum. The blooms take a break on the hottest days, but the foliage is still lush until re-bloom. I've found the annual to be remarkably drought-tolerant and rabbit resistant. Given that the rabbits haven't touched the alyssum, I've sown seeds outside the fence in deer territory. I'm optimistic that the annual will be deer resistant.

I am so enamored by alyssum that I have already sown seeds in a new cottage garden bed that is based upon white with nandina 'Alba', phlox 'David' and a few other favorites.

Alyssum is the perfect plant for hiding the stems and ankles of taller plants. I've given thought to growing this versatile annual in so many spots! It is a wonderful companion for annual dianthus and verbena 'Imagination' as both are still blooming on this December morning.

With the low cost of seeds, the many months of blooms, fragrant scent and food for pollinators, Sweet Alyssum 'Carpet of Snow' has earned a permanent place in my garden.

Annual dianthus, verbena 'Imagination' as companions.
(September 2011)

Alyssum and tender perennial/annual salvia 'Victoria'.
(August 2011)

Alyssum blooms are fewer and smaller in the heat of July.

In the beginning.
The first white blooms of Sweet Alyssum in May 2011.
(Lower left hand corner)

Easy Colors, Easy Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Yellow yarrow (achillea),
Purple salvia 'Caradonna' and
Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'

Achillea, salvia and nepeta are three easy perennials for a colorful combination. While I'm fond of purple and yellow/gold, there are other colors of achillea and salvia that pair well. The nepeta is just a great all-round companion for many designs.

When walking through my garden on this rather warm November day, the basal foliage of all three plants was easily recognizable. Seeing these hardy favorites today was a reminder to spread the word to other gardeners.

The yarrow and nepeta are easy to divide and the salvia 'Cardonna' is a self-sowing favorite. Would you believe—there are still a few remaining blooms on the nepeta in my cottage garden!

Deer, rabbits and drought don't faze this plants.

Plant all three in the spring in full sun. Well-drained soil is important to keep the plants happy.

Achillea 'Moonshine' zones 3-9
Salvia 'Caradonna' zones 4-8
Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' zones 3-8

Thankful in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Hope you and yours have a wonderful, safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

My cousins and their husbands.
Blowing Rock, North Carolina. January 2011.

Family dinner at home. March 2011.

Me, Richard meet up with SlowTravel friends in Paris.
David, writer & wife Nancy, translator;
Shannon, GrapeHops.
April 2011.

Writer Kristin & husband Jean-Marc Espinasse
at their vineyard, Domaine Rouge-Bleu.
Saint-Cecile les Vignes, Provence, France. April 2011.

Happy in home & garden. May 2011.

Exploring Reynolda Gardens,
Winston-Salem, NC. June 2011.

Visiting the Duke Lemur Center. July 2011.
Richard & I now volunteer to help with the data.

Boys from Carolina (Richard on upright bass).
Roost, Fearrington Village, NC. July 2011

North Carolina Coast at
Fort Fisher. August 2011.

Wedding of Chris (son) & Nicole.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. October 16, 2011.

Thanks to all of the gardeners, travelers and other readers
who visit my blog.

Lush Foliage with White Berries

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Nandina domestica 'Alba'
November 15 2011

With the arrival of cool autumn days, creamy white berries drop in weighty clusters on nandina domestica 'Alba'. This variant sport may be difficult to locate in nurseries, but should you stumble upon it, it's a great cultivar.

This nandina, as with most plants that come to my garden, had to pass the deer resistant test in order to have a permanent location outside of my cottage garden fence. Unfortunately, deer eat nandinas. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

For at least four years, I have grown the 'Alba' outside my fence. Every winter the deer devoured the foliage. The deer will literally eat nandina down to stems and stubs. It's sad to see, but the shrubs do bounce back. The nandinas sprouted new foliage every spring and were fine in the summer. That said, they were never going to be fully enjoyed or allowed to mature with the yearly winter feast.

Over the last few months, I have moved all of my nandinas (I have one other variety, 'Gulf Steam') to locations inside my cottage garden for more enjoyment. I had to first remove a few other shrubs to make the space. The changeover has now been completed.

Nandina 'Alba' is a great evergreen shrub for zones 6-9 and can handle sun to part shade. Though it is drought tolerant, the nandina responds well to some pampering. I can't report on foliage color changes due to the deer dining, but in the summer, the leaves have a wonderful blue-green tint.

I love to underplant shrubs, so I am keep my 'Alba' nandinas trunk-pruned like small trees. Only two of my three nandinas survived the deer destruction.

I transplanted one to a small spot beside a stone fence corner and the gable gate to the cottage garden. The nandina replaced a phlox whose color had changed from purple to salmon pink. It is underplanted with ajuga repans 'Chocolate Chip' that holds up well in summer droughts and doesn't spread as enthusiastically as other varieties. This ajuga has dark leaves and blue blooms in spring. I chose to underplant the nandina with this ajuga (also moved from another part of the garden) because there are blue-blooming geranium 'Brookside' along this same path.

The poor little deer-devoured nandina
(now beside the stone corner column)
deserved to be protected. November 2011.

Given another chance, the nandina
is underplanted with ajuga repans 'Chocolate Chip'.
November 2011.

The second nandina replaced a large 'Royal Red' buddleia that was taking up too much space within the confines of the cottage garden. I have an abundance of buddleia in the deer resistant gardens, so I won't miss the shrub that I removed.

This nandina is planted beside the bridge to the stream. I added lots of good soil and compost and smoothed the area. With the large oakleaf hollies backing this area on the outside of the fence, I'm going with a white-flower theme.

An underplanting of seeds includes white snapdragon 'La Bella White' and my favorite sweet alyssum 'Carpet of Snow.' I usually plant snapdragons and alyssum in the spring, so this is a fall sowing experiment.

To the sides of this nandina, I sowed seeds of black peony poppy for spring drama, to be pulled out for summer when a division of phlox paniculata 'David' will bloom along with the alyssum. The snapdragons, phlox and alyssum are fragrant.

As gardeners, we show patience and optimism as we plan and create new garden areas and wait months or years for the results.

The new bed will include fragrant
white phlox, sweet alyssum and snapdragons for 2012.
November 2011.

Favorite Combination: Fragrant Phlox and Lily

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:15:00 +0000

A little rearranging and tweaking of existing plants evolved into a favorite combination. Inspired by lilies combined with monarda, I tucked my oriental 'Starfighter' lily up against my monarda (bee balm) 'Raspberry Wine' to replicate the garden inspiration. The two create a color echo with the raspberry color of the bee balm echoed by the throat of the lily.

In April, I transplanted 'Starfighter' to the new location. It is related to 'Stargazer' and that variety will provide a similar look. Oriental lilies are best moved from mid-September through mid-October, but moving the lily in the spring didn't deter the bloom.

Knowing that there are no guarantees with bloom times, I hoped for at least a week of overlap of the bee balm and the lily bloom. The bloom times weren't synchronized but, I was not disappointed with the results because there was another plant that worked just as well!

The lily is fronted by the pure white snowballs of 'David' phlox paniculata and purple coneflowers. This was the first bloom season for the phlox, so the blooms were a bit sparse. That said, 'David' kept blooming and blooming as long as I kept deadheading.

'Starfighter' Lily with 'David' Phlox and
'Prairie Splendor' Echinacea. July 2011.

One month prior to the lily blooms. June 2010.
Monarda 'Raspberry Wine', Phlox 'David, Echinacea 'Prairie Splendor'.
Loropetalum shrub foliage in lower left corner.
(The lily blooms where I've placed my name in the photo.)

My photos of the combination are few because we experienced many days around 100° F during the July blooms. Trust me, the phlox and lily are fabulous companions.

There is another bonus by pairing the 'David' phlox and 'Starfighter' lily. Both are very fragrant and can be cut for flower arrangements.

To replicate variations of my combination, here's the scoop:

Oriental 'Starfighter' Lily; zones 4-9; 36-48" high.
Phlox paniculata 'David'; zones 4-8; 36-48" high.
Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'; zones 4-9; 30-36" high.
Echinacea 'Prairie Splendor'; zones 3-8; 24" high.

I grow all four in full sun in the location shown in my photos. I also grow all four perennial in part shade with success. Rabbits will eat the phlox and echinacea. I have to protect the phlox and coneflowers with rabbit repellent. Deer will eat the phlox and lily, so protect accordingly. This combination is inside my fenced cottage garden.

Wide view shows 'Happy Returns' daylilies,
loropetalum shrub, liatris 'Kobold', perennial heliotrope.

Local Dining: Follow That Food Truck!

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:12:00 +0000

Food truck dining is taking the Triangle Area of North Carolina by storm. Foodies make a game of finding new and exciting food trucks. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and late night options are flexible and fun while the prices are reasonable.

The Parlour Ice Cream truck parked
behind the Chirba Chirba Dumplings Truck.
At MotorCo in Durham.

Roving diners search out trucks for simple fare, the unusual or to satisfy sweet cravings. Want a homemade pimento cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup? Find the Grilled Cheese Bus. Got a thing for caramel? Try a caramel apple cupcake at Daisy Cakes followed by salted butter caramel ice cream from The Parlour!

Chirba Chirba Dumplings Truck.

The best thing about dining from a food truck? These are LOCALLY owned and operated. In fact, my husband and I were so impressed by the many young adult owners and operators. If these folks were trying to establish a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, the cost and risk would be high. This new trend is an affordable option for breaking into the restaurant business.

These friendly entrepreneurs conjure up beverages, pizzas, sliders, ethnic foods and more. Young culinary artists craft their food with a passion for quality. The results are delicious! The long lines that form outside the trucks are proof of popularity of this new food scene.

The epicenter of food trucks is Durham, located west of Raleigh and north of Chapel Hill, between Interstates 40 and 85. While it is easy to find these cities on a map, the trucks are always on the move throughout the entire Triangle area. They often show up in smaller towns such as Hillsborough, Carrboro and Pittsboro.

To find the names of trucks to follow on Twitter® use the search term “Durham food trucks.” As food trucks are quickly gaining popularity across all of North Carolina, check Twitter for trucks in the cities where you live or visit.

The trucks typically “tweet” their location several hours or days ahead of schedule. Most maintain regular stops, but schedules are subject to change as museums, farmer’s markets, local events and private parties invite the popular food trucks to serve their attendees or guests.

If you’re lucky, you may find a “food truck rodeo” or “roundup” where multiple trucks gather at the same place. There is camaraderie among the truck owners who cheerfully recommend other favorite food trucks. The trucks sometimes organize their menus around a theme, such as chocolate! Do you want a spicy, sweet chili chocolate crepe? Really. Parlez-vous Crepe did that!

Parlez-vous Crepe was in
Carrboro during our visit.

A Sampling of Triangle Area Food Trucks on Twitter®:

Bluesky Dining @blueskydiningnc

Bulkogi @ncbulkogi

Chirba Chirba Dumplings @ChirbaChirba

Bike Coffee @bikecoffeedrm

Daisy Cakes @daisycakesnc

Dang Good Dogs @DangGoodDogs

Don’s Classic Ices @donsclassicices

Farmhand Foods @farmhandfoods

Grilled Cheese Bus @grilldcheesebus

Indian Food Truck @IndianFoodTruck

KoKyu BBQ @KoKyuBBQ

Locopops @locopops

Onlyburger @onlyburger

Parlez-vous Crepe @parlezvouscrepe

Pie Pushers @piepushers

Slippin Sliders @slippinsliders

The Parlour Ice Cream @parlourdurham

Valentino Truck @valentinotruck

Will and Pops @willandpops

Not all Food Trucks are trucks.
Bike Coffee set up at Motor Co in Durham.
They are going to be pedaling a bike!

I received no free food, pay or incentives for writing this story. However, I dined well!

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Wild Quinine, A Native Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Cameron) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:29:00 +0000

I'm wild about Wild Quinine (parthenium integrifolium) after seeing mass plantings at The Battery Gardens in New York in June 2011. In fact, I was so mesmerized by the tiny white pearl blooms that I failed to take one photo, but found a few on the gardens website!

I returned to do a bit of research and decided that this is a native wildflower to try in my meadow garden for 2012. Quinine is a perennial that blooms in summer. Seed heads can remain over the winter.

zones: 3a-8b

height: 36-38"

light: low to full sun

soil: medium

Finding the plants is not impossible, but I decided to try seeds for next year. According to the instructions on my seed packet, it is best to plant quinine in the fall or cold stratify for two to three months.

Fall sowing has always given me good results as our weather can often turn too hot, too soon in the spring. I'm not one to pamper pots, so I prefer to direct sow into the ground.

With the moisture from autumn rains and daytime temperatures forecast for 60-70° F for the next two weeks, I'm ready to sow! I have cleared a section of the garden for a mass planting of the quinine.

I will add a mix of organic soil, compost and conditioner to the area; rake it smooth; sow the seeds just below the soil line; walk across the area; water with a gentle spray to keep the soil moist.

The test in my garden will be to see whether or not quinine is deer and rabbit resistant and can tolerate the droughts here in zone 7b. I'm optimistic!

Quinine is an attractor for pollinators and food for chickadees, so I'm excited about the birds, bees and blooms for next year.