The Stylish Gardener – Page 2

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition #40

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
____Henry David Thoreau.
~
What better time to reflect on that journey than the season of autumn?

The atmosphere, from ever-changing skies to the carpets of color, texture, and shapes.
Blueprints are everywhere, free for the embracing, each element begging to be claimed and owned.
~
Sage Hill Gardens is basking in the fruition of her dreams, many talents, and efforts have brought her thus far.

Preparing and excited to be looking at the end of another year, in the same style as the past 18 years…the original goal was 15-Talk about Lagniappe!!

October, November, and December…the colors, the textures, the aromas, and the flavors ….it will be about the frolic of food and activity….visual delights!
Feelings and stability of a stronger family, friends, and country will be the thread that binds the two as one.

There is always a price to pay for living a dream and the joy of success.
Make sure your goals are worthy.

God Bless the USA
~

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition# 39

The warm, colorful, rebirthing days of springtime,
through the long, sweltering, sky filled with Lightening Bug nights of summer,
brings us to this fantastic season known as autumn.
Where days are filled with a perfect, and not-so-perfect blend of pending winter and waning summer.
Where nights test our tolerance and days reward us for trusting.
Where the moonlight is enough for our path home and the front porch beckons us to sit, and for a few short hours,
stressors and dread get lost in the shadows of a welcomed autumn eve.

Thank the creator for the tools that make our masterpiece of life possible.
~

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition # 38

Is it just me?

The colors and texture seem over the top all around the Sage Hill grounds.

My prayers, thoughts, and manifestations have been over the top lately, so I’m going with the hope….

I feel this urgency to pull every ounce of energy from these grounds and spread it out into the atmosphere!

God is alive, how about the rest of us-
Wake up, light your candle, or build a bonfire!
~

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition #37

Did we ever think, there would be a time when packing a bag, hitting the backroads or the freeways would be such a challenge, our needs, and our safety, both have question marks.

While I have not stopped traveling, I do give more consideration to where, how, when, and if the trip is sanctioned by my inner voice!

I was all set for a turn-around day trip yesterday and I suddenly got this big NO that sent my day in a different direction.

I don’t what I missed by staying home, I do know what I gained.
A renewal of how powerful our faith/my faith is and how quickly we can allow rough times to creep in and erode our higher thought process.

I ask God for a sign that brighter days would be coming, that wrongs would be righted, and evil driven from our midst, if we pray, trust, and refuse to back down, give in or give up.
This request was for our land- America- and for Sage Hill land that has been abused by morally bankrupt neighbors and condoned by a morally bankrupt system.

I can say for certain, in the (almost 20 yrs) I’ve been working and loving this land, a sunset of this magnitude and intensity through the camera lens has never been close.
It seemed the locations in question were on fire with the sun.
I was at the right place for the right moments…it didn’t last long but it got my attention!

I believe!
I trust-
I will not give in or give up-

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition #36

Autumn is on my mind!

Thirty-one days until the first day of the Autumn equinox.

The first frost date for most of the Southeast is the latter part of October.
That gives us gardeners about 45 days to gather up, put up and clean up our gardens, growing containers, greenhouses etc., etc.

Then…we can concentrate on “the” holidays!
Most of you know how crazy I get during the holidays!!
My entire family goes a little off the rails for holiday time!!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year come with history, blessings, and their own built-in energy!

But I digress, back to the gardens…

I have made a big dent in my to-do list at Sage Hill.

Two beds are ready for cover crop planting, others are partially cleaned.
Containers and tools are cleaned and tucked away for another year.

The last of the herbs/basil and oregano were cut and hung to dry yesterday.

Plenty left in the gardens for daily use, if anyone wants basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary for the daily kitchen…it’s a gift for the taking.
~
87*- overcast, a slight breeze with thunderstorms coming in between 4:30 and 5?
~

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill-Edition#35

Fabulous Fall, Alluring Autumn, so many ways to love this pending season!

September 23, 2022, is the official arrival of autumn, just around that bend in that muddy country road!

Sage Hill was greeted with an early morning rain-thinking it was past, I’m off for a long walk only to be proven wrong!
However, I was in the right place at the right time for the right reason.
Nothing is more impressive than to be caught in the rain and just like that an old abandoned church.
The message I came away with, no matter how harsh the outside world may be, our Heavenly Father always provides shelter from the storms.
~~
The world, our country, our own backyards, the gardens at Sage Hill….all in transition!

In my world, I will embrace the lessons, and use the gifts of nature to inspire…..
Denounce the evil that lurks to take it all away, Never, forget, we must live in this world, we don’t have to conform to the wrongs.
~~
Tablescapes to compliment the season—why not?

Sunday morning coffee is exceptionally good!

Road Bloggin’-From The Sage Hill Kitchen-Edition# 34

UPDATE ON TODAY’S BLOG POST~

Fig and Peach Jam for the holidays and maybe a Santa gift in a stocking!

While I was catching up on chores I slow-cooked a beef brisket/new potatoes/carrots/onions
An arrowroot gravy—- and for the leftover brisket after a couple of days…a tangy/sweet fig sauce/drizzle and warm under the broil setting for a few minutes and serve on a French bread/roll.

My day is done—-Joe Biden is still the worst president in all of history~
God is still in charge—it ain’t over!!

When one plays on Wednesday, one doubles up on chores come Thursday!

I am allowing for a lunch break…Frozen Yogurt with chopped figs and Jalapeno and Lime syrup!!
(take a lesson Nancy-yogurt doesn’t make you fat!)

I did start my day with an excellent Italian breakfast.
Fresh eggs, chopped Roma tomato, pepper and onion, fresh ground oregano, sea salt, peppercorns, and a pinch of cayenne and basil.
I sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan, just a sprinkle!

An Omelette or Frittata to envy! (roughly translates to “fried!” in Italian)

For all my Italian and Italian-loving friends. Gloria D’Eliso Mount!

I have about 3 hours of work left…see ya!

Road Bloggin’ From Sage Hill Gardens-Edition# 33

Our Autumn equinox begins on September 23.

The grounds and gardens at Sage Hill are busy preparing for the celebration!

As much as I love the summer gardens, the sun, the fresh foods, and the easy day-to-day journey of barefeet, shorts, and tacky tee shirts!
I have no trouble letting go. (well, maybe the tomatoes and cucumbers!!)

I planted and was looking forward to watching my pumpkins grow, however, those pumpkin seeds turned out to be squash, all of them??

Another infiltration into disrupting and discouraging small farmers?
The manipulation of our seed industry has been heavy and mighty over the last few years!
(that’s for another post!)

As for now, the little things demand the spotlight.

The journey into the BER months has begun.

Road Bloggin’-Edition#-26-Hijacked-7-16-22

When one is a Road Blogger and travel gets hijacked, one goes in search of local gems we so often take for granted.

This weekend is Blackberry Festival time in a quaint little town about 40 minutes from Sage Hill.

Lynnville, Tn., is a very small community/town with a lot to blog about.

The Blackberry Festival is filled with street vendors, farmers’ markets, live music, food trucks, and blackberries everywhere in everything!
Oh…and my favorite…Porsche Car Club from Alabama!

Soda Pop Junction is another favorite, best food in all the land! (except in the Sage Hill Kitchen of course!)
~
Some of the photo credits go to the Lynnville Blackberry Festival committee.

Some are my own.

Clydesdales to Traci Gawlik.

Nursing Students from UT were on hand!
~~

Meanwhile, I was busy back at Sage Hill with my own berry project…Blueberry Syrup!
Oh yeah, baby!!

Road Bloggin’ from the grounds at Sage Hill-Edition# 23-6-27-22

There are times when we just have to take the day and make it AWESOME!

My day in pictures.

It was 8 AM and the blueberry bushes were calling for help! ( I did apply my lipstick…it brightens my day!)

~~
1/2 gallon of berries and a few other things followed me inside!

~~
New blooms scattered around the grounds, mostly in the perennial bed designed to feed the butterflies.