We are stoked to have a much longer growing season here, we can grow more fun stuff now. We have things like corn, zucchini, tomato, peppers, basil, lettuce, parsley, cucumber, melon, beans, peas, egg plant and collard greens going out there right now.

This last weekend we had quite a few zucchini that were harvested and some bushy collard green plants so I went looking for some recipes. Since transplanting to the Midwest I’ve discovered I like southern style collard greens but we’ve been failing at cooking them. Turns out it is all in the stock!

I found this recipe for Tasty Collard Greens that calls for simmering in chicken stock for an hour as opposed to sauteing them. Who knew the chicken stock simmer would make such a huge difference? It turned out amazing.

N also had a hankering for Stuffed Zucchini which was also very tasty! We used some leftover homemade spaghetti sauce that N’s dad made while they were visiting us right after Everly’s birth. It was so good over the zucchini.

Now we are looking for ideas and recipes for all the fresh cucumbers we’ve got. I don’t want to make a million jars of pickles, we’ll make a few but I would also like to make some other things with them. Any ideas?

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This Afternoon: Periods of snow. Some thunder is also possible. High near 43. South southwest wind between 9 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Southwest wind between 7 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

And this is what it looks like in my tulip garden:

The tulips can withstand some snow but I am worried about the zucchini, tomatoes, snap peas and other stuff in the vegetable garden… How is the weather in your area, is it just a screwy?

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This one is Muscari that usually comes up with the crocus in early spring. They come in so many colors but I just love the purple ones because they contrast with all the tulips so nicely!

As you know, for my birthday I got a number of plants and bulbs to enjoy! One of the plants I got was already in bloom, it is this Hydrangea shown at the right. It was actually forced into bloom earlier than it normally would so it is in a dormant state now but I enjoyed the beautiful color during my birthday!

This next one is a unique one that I got for my birthday. It is a Peruvian Daffodil, isn’t it elegant? It actually does not do well in frosty conditions like common daffodils. It is planted in pot indoors with my gladiolas where it is warm.

Here is another shot of my crocus. I got to enjoy white once, purple ones and a few that were white and purple. The flowers are gone now but I captured some photos to enjoy throughout the year.

This next one is a shot of some of the red tulips that came up under the trees in the front yard of the place we are renting. We didn’t plant these and they kind of seem like they are planted in clumps that are too dense, what do you think?

These are dutch hyacinth I planted in the fall. They smell wonderful and look great, I am thinking they were planted too deep since they haven’t grown too tall.

Just today some daffodils opened up and I haven’t had a chance to snap photos of them but I will soon. What kind of stuff do you have surfacing in your garden these days? Anything fun?

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I noticed that it was getting a bit leggy today so I spent some time pinching it back and taking some cuttings. Apparently fuchsias are easy to propagate via stem cuttings so I thought I would give it a try!

The Winston Churchill Fuchsia can withstand temperatures as low as 35 degrees and prefers light shade, sun to shady conditions. It blooms in the summer and fall. The blooms are simply amazing, they are pink & purple and are so unique (click here to see a Google image search showing these stunning blooms!! I can’t wait for mine to start blooming!

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The great thing about bulbs, tubers and corms is that they usually will re-flower year after year when given the right growing conditions and care. Specifically calla lilies are grown from tubers and bloom in late spring and are considered “perennial bulbs” that will return year after year.

They are hardy in zones 9 & 10 and can be left in the ground between blooming seasons, in all other zones they will need to be dug up, dried and stored during the winter. Calla lilies don’t do well in frosty conditions and will often fail to return the next season if exposed to freezing temperatures.

The great thing about Calla lilies is that they can be grown as a houseplant easily. As houseplants they should be given a 2 to 3 month rest period without moisture once they bloom. Flowers will fade and can be cut back but the leaves will remain green until you reduce the amount of water given. Reducing the water after flowering will initate the 2 to 3 month rest period. After this time has passed they should be repotted and lightly watered until new growth appears.

If you prefer to grow your calla lilies outdoors you can start your in indoors in later winter and transplant them outdoors after your last frost in the spring, the calla lilies will grow and bloom through spring, summer and even fall but will need to be dug up, divided and stored during the winter if you aren’t in zones 9 or 10.

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