Easy Gardening

A whole bunch of rambuncious garden bloggers (64, if I’m counting the blogroll right)  are convering on Seattle for the–what, third? fourth? fifth? annual gathering of garden bloggers?  Let’s see, we had Austin, Chicago, Buffalo…I guess this is #4.

And I have yet to make it to one, but I love following along on Twitter.  It’s #seattlefling – so check that out if you want to get some vicarious thrills.

It’s a big job for a group of volunteers to put this thing together, and it’s no small feat for the bloggers themselves to get on a plane and get out there.  I love the way this thing has come together in such a–shall I say–organic fashion over the last few years.

And there’s a long list of sponsors who have chipped in to make it all possible, so do give them your thanks if you have the opportunity. You

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I have just harvested my first ripe red tomato, and now I am going to celebrate by sharing my favorite tomato recipes (other than sauce). This first recipe is called tomaquet in Spanish, and I only recently discovered it on my trip to Barcelona.

When Eve and I first arrived at our hotel, they brought us bread with a side of olive oil, garlic mayo, and what looked like raw tomato pulp. I was fascinated, and soon discovered that the raw tomato pulp thing is sort of a national dish of Catalan.

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Clematis is one of the worlds favourite flowers for climbing over fences and trellis.

The Family of Clematis

• The Clematis genus is from the family Ranunculaceae which is the same as the buttercup and many other plants.

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EVERY SUMMER, SOMEONE OF THE AMPHIBIAN PERSUASION sets up housekeeping in the seasonal water gardens by my kitchen doora pair of big glazed clay troughs I fill with water and floating plants. This years renter: a female green frog whos inclined to wearing something skimpy in green velveteen at poolside. (If you dont have a water garden in a pot to enjoy, its easy; heres how, and its not too late to get one going.)