Kaseys Korner

costumes ready

Hip hip hurray, you know what day it is, don't you?  For those of you grown weary of my Halloween enthusiasm, tomorrow we'll return to gardening and tranquility will once again be restored to the blog.   Today however, we will revel in all things "Halloween;" the decorating, the costume hunting, the carving is done.  It's time to party.   I'm sure a little too much candy will be consumed:

    

But we can live with that, it only comes around once a year.  Trick or Treating tonight will be one Hawaiian Hula Girl (whose photo will remain unpublished) and one "cute-as-a-button" Jack O'Lantern:

 

When I see Butter in his costume, for some crazy reason I think of that old Charmin commercial ~ remember it was something about "don't squeeze the Charmin??"  Insert "Butter's" name in place of "Charmin" and that's what he's been saying to me.  He looks so darn cute, it's hard to resist not doing just that.  Believe it or not, he's most likely going to be hot.  Daytime highs will be in the 70's and at "trick or treat" time an anticipated temperature of 64 degrees.  I am expecting a lot of kids as it's a rare and unusual treat for us to have such a mild night.  Passing out candy and being an all around door greeter will be one bewitching Regis:

 

with his black shiny coat and glowing amber eyes, he was born for this night.  Which means I'll have to be extra vigilant regarding his whereabouts.  Now, I need to see that the "witches brew" for adult imbibers is prepared and get on with the business of the day.  A happy Halloween to all who participate.  It's going to be a good one, I feel it in the air....

Halloween parade marches on

Isn't today All Hallow's Eve??  or did I make that up?  Could be completely made up since we're giddy with excitement over the holiday tomorrow.  In keeping with my post from yesterday, I have more Halloween decor pictures for you.  You must think we are absolutely, over the top, crazy by now??  The answer would be yes to that (I suppose) but it's fun.  :-)

 

How about making some black & white "twizel" sticks for your apothecary jars??  These are so fun.  They look good enough to eat, don't they??  I wish I had columns on the outside of my house to wrap black & orange around (with lights of course, everything is more spectacular with lights).  Because we like lights so much, we've draped them on the backyard arbor:

 

It's so fun to go outdoors at night and walk back & forth underneath them (now you know we're certifiable, don't you?!!).  A little midnight gardening, anyone??  by the light of some glowy, orange Jack O'Lanterns??!!  The racoons messed up my careful arrangement of the pumpkin lights one night when they climbed the arbor on the right side (after the peanuts I had left on top for the blue jays).  I should have expected that.  Peanuts are not left outside at night anymore.  and finally our newest Halloween item:

 

a six and a half foot, prelit, black tree!!!  Yes, BLACK!!!  How cool is that?  I saw black trees all over last Christmas and immediately fell head over heels in love, but they were expensive and I didn't want to shell out the cash.  Thanks to a very dear person, who found me one on clearance after the holidays, we now own one.  I'm over the moon ecstatic about it.  Since we've never had a big tree for Halloween before, my ornaments are limited but we're going with a hot pink & orange theme (with a sprinkling of silver stars thrown in).  I will buy more when they go on sale and dude them up with glitter and rub on's:

 

Expect greatness from this tree in the years to come, I'm telling you.  The fabulous thing about putting up a black tree for Halloween is when the 31st has come and gone, the first tree of the Christmas holidays is already up (we'll undress it and redo the theme).  Now that will be some serious fun.  I think we've already had a pre-Halloween fly by.  The first clues were two items left behind:

 

I'm sure the owner of said items will be back to collect them.  What else can I say??

Halloween on parade

It's all Halloween, all the time for the next 72 hours at our house!  Oh my ghosts and goblins, can you believe it??  We are holiday "freaks" and Halloween kicks off a six month decorating season (thru Easter) which I am absolutely convinced, helps us survive the winter.  I know many people who hate detest Halloween but we fully enjoy the fun aspects of it ~ candy, costumes, decorations, etc.  The devil worship, sinister side of Halloween (which many people are opposed to) doesn't phase us, we are unabashedly 100% commercialized.  What I'm leading up to, in a not so very eloquent way, is if you are not a fan of October 31st, you may want to avoid my blog for the next two days (three including today) as I'm going to devote the next few posts to it.  Now that we've got that out of the way, I thought we'd share a few of our Halloween decorations with you starting with a little 18" black tree that adorns the buffet:

 

Every year we add a couple more items to it ~ some homemade, some store bought.  My favorite is the owl topper which I added a witch hat to (after snapping this photo):

 

How cute is that??  and doesn't he look realistic??  Next the mantel which won't return to "normal" now until long after the New Year:

 

The bare tree branches (on the right) are stuffed into a green bead garland (that's crammed into a glass vase) and then the metal bats and the large feathered crow were hung from them.  Maybe you can see it better here??:

 

To the left of the branch assemblage, are five, black, dancing, glittered, witches back-lit by candles.  The candles are really effective at night, their flickering light creating the illusion that the witches are actually dancing/moving:

   

Cool, huh?  Finally to the left of the dancers is the "matriarch" witch, ever observant of the celebration in process:

 

and that's where we'll call it quits for today.  We'll pick it back up tomorrow.  A little hint of what's to come (in case you're wondering), think sparkle & shine. 

the cutest not-so-little garden shop

I'm not a big shopper.  Really.  I'm not.  My daughter loves to go shopping much more than I do.  Except, (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) when it comes to anything for the "garden" (plants, pots, seeds, etc.)  Then sometimes I tread into dangerous waters.  Yesterday was one of those times.  It could have been catastrophic.  Luckily it wasn't.  Yet.  A friend and I wandered into a fabulous garden shop, tucked into a lovely old building, that I hadn't been in for years (located in a nearby town):

 

Just from standing outside, looking in, the trigger hairs signaling "danger" started firing off.   Once we crossed the entrance threshold, oh my.  Anything and everything "gardeny" assailed our senses and what had appeared to be a "small" shop, went on and on and on and on.  The storefront certainly belied its true size.  I kept wondering to myself, why on earth had it taken me so long to find my way back??  No answer to that one, except maybe my wallet prevented me. Topping everything off, the store clerks were already decorating for the holidays and had a gazillion trees up.  Talk about a store packed to the gills.  I know we did not see everything, there was no way to do that on one, somewhat hurried, stroll thru.  Lucky for us, we were headed to dinner but we still didn't leave without a purchase and an invitation to come back for "Girls Night Out."  Oh yeah, "Girls Night Out" at the Perennial Gardener.  A holiday event. It's why there was a "yet" in the line above.  Save your pennies people.  We're going to need every last one of them.  ;-)

whoot, whoot & pumpkin recipe

First some old business, the photo of my chocolate pumpkin cheesecake squares (that I promised yesterday then never got back to):

 

I wish I could pass one thru the screen so you could do your own taste test.  These are now my new favorite pumpkin dessert and my neighbors must think the same because I came home with nothing but crumbs.   If you're feeling inclined to whip up a batch, here's the recipe:

Crust:  2 cups Chocolate Teddy Grahams, 1/4 cup butter.  Finely grind grahams in food processor, melt butter and mix to combine.  Line an 8" square pan with foil and press the chocolate crumbs into the bottom.  Bake at 350 until slightly firm ~ 12 - 15 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:  (2) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup canned pumpkin, 3 eggs, 3 Tbsps Flour, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp salt and 4 ozs semi sweet chocolate (I used the chips).  Soften the cream cheese then add all the ingredients except chocolate and mix together.  Melt chocolate, add one cup of pumpkin cream cheese mixture and combine.  Pour remaining pumpkin cream cheese mixture over crust, add chocolate cream cheese mixture in spoonfuls and swirl.  Bake for 40 - 50 minutes in 350 degree oven or until center is set but slightly jiggly.  Chill for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.  Using the foil makes removal from pan simple and clean up easy.

Now, what I've been dying to share, drumroll please........

The owl pumpkin rocked the carving contest and came home with first place!  Whooty, whoot, whoot.  For that honor we received a plastic pumpkin, lined with pretty fall napkins and filled with all things pumpkin:

     

Coffee, scone mix & candle.  How sweet is that?!! 

pumpkin carving contest

Today our neighborhood is holding a pumpkin carving and pumpkin recipe contest.  I have yet to make the Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars I am entering into the recipe contest but I am happy to say that three pumpkins have gone under the knife (scoop and drill, etc.) in preparation for judging.  The rules were loose, just show up with your carved pumpkins and the judging committee (three teenage girls) will select a winner.  Same with the recipe (make anything with pumpkin in it, bring enough to share) and the same panel of judges will select the best tasting concoction.  I'll have to edit my post later to insert a photo of the bars.  Without further ado, here are our three carved entries, in no particular order:

Number one is the requisite "holey" pumpkin being feasted upon by two hungry crows.  The holes were made using an apple corer.  Try this with a softer skin pumpkin, if possible, and your hands will thank you for it.   Mine are still aching this morning from the effort required to break the skin with the corer.   As everyone knows, Jack O'Lanterns are best viewed at night, so here is the same pumpkin, photographed with the flash turned off, for optimal effect:

 

Unfortunately, the "flash off" method excludes the crows but you get the idea.  Entry number two was carved specifically for my daughter who is a princess in every way.  Every princess needs her carriage, drawn by a couple of handsome steeds of course.  This pumpkin could have been so much more elaborate had we only planned it!  We could have inserted knobs for the doors on the coach, a spare wheel on the back, etc., but spontaneity does not cover supplies.  We have five more days to vamp it up for Halloween night tho:

 

As you will notice, 2008 is the year of the mini pumpkin (in our household anyway).  Normally we use these tiny replicas solely for decoration but this year, we decided they have more utilitarian purposes, like being turned into wheels for coaches (and eyes for owls as you'll see momentarily).  You could use your drill for this carving and insert two small dowel rods thru the pumpkin (at the front and back end) and attach the "wheels" that way.  We took the lazy method and just attached them using toothpicks.  Here's another look at the "coach":

 

Cute, Cute, Cuteness, that's all I have to say.  Our third and final entry is my favorite (maybe there was an order afterall and I saved the best for last??):

 

I wish I had thought this clever feathered friend up entirely by myself but it's a Martha Stewart original.  Who else but Martha??  The directions can be found on her website if you have any interest in recreating this adorable owl for yourself.  It is the most complicated of our carvings, requiring a drill (for the holes in the eyes) and a string of mini white lights (no candles here).   The eyes were made by cutting an opening on one end of the mini pumpkins, hollowing out the insides and inserting mini lights inside.  They are attached to the main pumpkin using toothpicks (our tool of choice!).  The apple corer was put into play again to cut "feathers" into the main pumpkin (I'm not sure how easy that is to see in these photos but trust me, it lends an air of authenticity to the project) and another mini pumpkin was cut into sections to create the ears, nose and feet.   This owl looks sensational at night:

 

My camera skills in no way do him justice.  It's just plain and simple coolness.  Here's a close up of the eyes only (which is what "makes" this carving anyway):

 

Whoo do you think is going to win this contest??  ;-)  You may be getting the idea that we like Halloween??  ya think?  It's one of our favorite holidays topped only by Christmas.  Now I better get baking because I want to be a "contender" in the recipe contest too!

late bloomers

There are only two perennials left blooming in my garden now.  One is monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelli).  I posted this picture of the buds a couple weeks ago:

 

At that time, you'll notice they were just tight green buds, the "hooded" shape of their eventual blooms not readily apparent yet.  It seems like its taken longer than usual for them to develop this season and I'm not sure why?  A week or so later, I rephotographed:

 

Ahhh, that's what I was waiting for ~ blooms infused with rich purple color and conspicuous trademark "hooded" shapes.  BUT, (there's always a "but" right?), still not fully developed.  Until yesterday, that is.  Finally, here they are in all their splendorous glory, the only spot of non-harvesty color for miles around:

  

and that, my blog reading friends, is IT for blooming plants in my garden this year.  It's the last perennial I've been waiting to see.  They've all taken their turn now, had their moment in the sun (or shade) and when Monkshood is over, it's all over until spring.  Sounds dramatic, doesn't it?  But sad, and unfortunately true.  Wait, I said there were two perennials blooming now, right??  How could I almost sign off without showing you the 'Coral Canyon' Twinspur (Diascia integerrima)??:

 

This not-so-great photo was taken earlier in the summer but I'm recycling it because it's reblooming again right now and looks identical to this picture (well, imagine it without the harsh light of mid summer and you've got it).  Okay, now we've covered everything.  Pink and purple to finish out the gardening year.  Not a bad note to end on, is it??

the Leonotis genus (Mint family)

For those of you who read my blog, you know how I carry on about the half hardy annuals I love so much from the Leonotis genus (Lamiaceae or mint, family).  Their whorls of orange mesmerize me and this time of year they also delight me with their frost hardiness.  This summer I grew two species in my containers/garden that at first glance appear similar but upon closer inspection are different in many ways.  Just for the fun of it, I thought we'd focus on those differences this morning.  :-)  A word of prewarning, if you are a gardener who only likes to plant natives, this will not be a post for you.

 

To lure you in, I'm starting with a group photo of Leonotis leonurus (planted in the top of my strawberry jar) ~ if this is not "fabulosity" I don't know what is.  'Leonurus' is a native of southern Africa.  I bought three plants from my local nursery this spring, not realizing (at first) they were different than the seeds I had started of 'Nepetifolia.'  'Nepetifolia' is a native of southern India and tropical Africa.  The two biggest differences are in their foliage:

 

and in the flower heads.  'Leonurus' flowers emerge from a softer whorl around the stem of the plant:

 

in contrast to the prickly ball of 'Nepetifolia:

 

Fascinating if you don't mind my saying so.  The flowers are supposedly nectar rich and judging by the way hummingbirds & bees are attracted to them, I'd say it's true.  I also appreciate the slight differences in the blooms.  'Leonurus' seems to bloom upward (if that makes sense):

 

where 'Nepetifolia' blooms downward (at least to my eyes):

They both have a "diva"  or star quality about them that demands attention and attracts inquiries from visitors to my garden.  Maybe because they are not often used as garden plantings making them seem rare and unusual??  Perplexing to me because seeds are readily available, easy to germinate and plants grow with minimal fuss.   In closing, as the sun sets on 'Nepetifolia' and the 2008 garden season:

 

I, for one, plan to invite them back next year for another season of spectacular blooms. 

PS  These annuals are also referred to as Lion's Ear or Lion's Tail for those of you wondering about a common name.

painted ladies, pink cosmos & light

 

The sun was going down the other afternoon when I snapped the above photo.  I had the Painted Lady butterfly and the pink cosmo back lit by those last rays of the day.  It made for an interesting photo, didn't it??  Painted Ladies were out in abundance that afternoon, flitting from flower to flower on both the cosmos and the buddleia (which are almost my only two blooming plants left).  We had a hard freeze last night so my floral photography may be over for the year.  :-(   Here's another nice angle, a side shot, taken when I scurried around to the front side of the cosmo, with the sun at my back:

 

Learning to use light is definitely another step toward good photography isn't it??  I have no formal training, just seems the more I experiment with my camera the more I learn and good lighting is such a huge issue.  Darn the frost, I was just getting into it.  I'm headed outside in a bit to find out if everything is truly gone in the garden or if I will have a few more opportunities to play.  It does seem like gardening begets an interest in photography doesn't it??   Maybe we all want to preserve, capture & share the beauty we've created in our surroundings??  Whatever the case, I've certainly seen many a spectacular photo since I started visiting garden blogs.  It's inspired me to get outside with my camera  every chance I get. 

yummy Halloween craftiness

Lately I have to remind myself that I started this blog to also host paper crafting projects.  Somewhere along the line, it evolved into way more of a gardening blog than anything to do with paper.  Funny how these things take on a life of their own, isn't it?  Maybe I should be maintaining two separate blogs this one better(I can hardly keep up with one so two is NOT happening).  In an effort to remedy my slight toward paper crafting I decided to post my "Girls Night In" project that was featured in the October 2008 issue of Crafts 'N Things magazine.

 

The project for the night is to make this altered Halloween theme candy bar.  Yummy fun, huh?  Be sure and provide extra candy bars for consuming!  Now that I've shown you the end result let's back up and take a peek at the invitation:

 

You'll notice burlap is the unifying "ingredient" here.  I love using burlap on fall projects.  Something about the texture just "speaks" the season to me.  Does it do that for you too?  For the invitation I hand stitched a burlap pocket onto black cardstock to slip the invite into, nothing fancy but true to the theme.  For the kit:

 

I hand stitched a bag that, when disassembled, contains all the parts for the candy bar project you saw in the first photo.  So untie the ribbon (that's now the handle) take apart the bag (sewn together using some more basic hand stitching) and empty the contents and you now have your supplies.  Simply reassemble them to create the candy bar wrap.  Was that clever or what?  I'm not even going to tell you how many candy bars were consumed in the process of creating this kit.  We will not go there.....  If you can manage to part with it after finishing, it would make a nice gift for someone special.