Bounty

Went to the Farmers' Market again this morning. Although I don't think 10:30 a.m. counts as morning at the Farmers Market.....but there was still plenty to choose from. By the way, last time I went, I did try Darby's squash recipe a few days later. It is so different than any squash casserole I have ever had, and so, so delicious! I do recommend you try it!

Behold, this week's bounty:

I wish I had the green thumb to grow my own vegetables....I don't have a black thumb, I guess I would call mine blue....halfway to green? I have been nursing a tomato plant since early spring that has yet to even think about producing a tomato. I regularly kill at least 3 or 4 plants a year, but I do have my successes. My baby is my gardenia plant that has gotten to be quite the bush. It doesn't flower as much as I would like yet, but it's finally stable and healthy (I had my trouble the first year or so of it's life).

I have two aloe plants that are freakishly awesome. I got them at Wal-Mart as little bitty stalks a few years ago. That is a poinsettia from last Christmas still truckin' in the center (which totally shocks me, by the way).

Most of the time, I buy a plant I really like, and after reading the little tag with instructions, I think I can handle it. Then I forget what the plant is. This happened to this little tree guy. At one point, it was only crispy little sticks, and I pushed it to the corner of the yard to throw out. A few months later, I noticed part of it was growing again, so I decided to give it another try. Here it is now, and after several years, I see some little blooms coming! I am so excited, and hope this will help me figure out what it is I bought. Ignore the dead and wilted leaves....we are in a record drought and have had a record number of 100 degrees plus days this summer...I can only do so much! :) Trust me, it looks way better than it once did. For some reason, I seem to remember it being a Crepe Myrtle or Dogwood....and I think the leaves look like Crepe Myrtle....we'll see!

Also love my confederate jasmine. The smell of its blooms (as well as the blooms of my gardenia) remind me of home.

The one thing I can't seem to kill: succulents! These love the Texas heat and lack of rain we've had. I did lose one in a freeze though.

I'm thinking of making a nursery run today....I have a few empty pots that need some life in them! Wish me luck! {while finishing this post, (pictures take forever on blogger....there has to be an easier way to organize them), Chris' mom called and said she stopped at a market on her way back from Houston and bought me a grapevine plant. We'll see how I do with this!}.

One question - my favorite produce from home are butterbeans (thus the blog address) and fresh field peas. Why oh why can't I get these here is Texas? I am interested in getting those and scuppernogs overnighted in dry ice from anyone willing to go through the trouble (Mom & Dad??). Have a great and green weekend!