Coffee!! Just what I need to perk up my day. As I pick up my espresso at the Café Ladro counter, I ask them if I could have some coffee grounds. The girl at the counter is surprised and happy – “We have just started giving our coffee grounds away, free for everyone” she says. I tell her that I am more than happy to take all she has got because they do ‘wonders’ in my garden.
In the midst of sowing radish and carrot seeds, we harvested our first crop of the season – Purple Sprouting Broccoli. It is so beautiful, so fresh and so tender that I did not use my bamboo steamer. Instead, I sautéed it lightly in butter along with some garlic, salt and pepper. It turned green upon cooking and paired up beautifully with lentils and rice. Yum-O!
Last few days have been absolutely glorious. It has been bright and sunny, with a little chill in the air; so typical of spring in the Pacific Northwest. I have been out weeding in the garden and taking stock of the changes over this winter. That’s when I noticed tiny crocus flowers in full bloom. What a treat!!
The NW Flower and Garden show is an event I wait for eagerly every year. I have ogled at the marvelous gardens, admired the floral displays and stopped at every booth to buy a bulb or a garden ornament. I am very excited by this year’s theme – “Once Upon a Time… Spectacular Gardens with Stories to Tell.” Just imagine the possibilities and the artistic interpretations of this theme!!
The Pickering Barn Garden in Issaquah is a community learning garden that demonstrates organic food growing techniques, promotes healthy soil building, resource conservation and eco-friendly gardening practices. The green roofs and rain barrels on site are examples of sustainable living in urban landscapes.