The First Week Of August In The Front Yard

I'm back with front yard pics.  I was out the other night, after working all day in the yard, and decided to grab my camera.  I've been working so much out there, I just haven't even thought to take pictures.  So these were taken at dusk.

Up first, a red zinnia, just starting to open.

Am I the only one that has a really difficult time choosing which photos to use?

This is why I end up with six that probably look the same to a reader.

To me, they're all a little different.

Hence, the indecisiveness.

My poor, naked "Tina" rose has finally put some clothes back on.

This is the rose that, every year, gets black spot so bad that it loses all its leaves.

Well, half of them at least.  I yank the rest.

But then it comes back super healthy and blooms its little heart out again.

I love this rose.

Again, the reason for the excessive amount of photos.

(FYI, that's a Cleome leaf.)

A little bumblebee was beddin' down.

Aren't they so cute?

A couple shots of the new pathway.

The purple Phlox.

 A cluster of Verbena bonariensis that planted itself.

I transplanted this variegated Hosta from the backyard where it was getting FRIED.

I'd been lookin' at its poor, crispy self for months.

I know it's not the time to be movin' stuff, but I couldn't look at it that way anymore.

So I dug it, stuck it out front, cut all the brown, crunchy leaves off, and it wasn't even phased a bit.

In fact, I think I heard it let out a sigh of relief the other night when the sprinkler was hittin' it.

(The Heather I originally had moved here when I redid the path, didn't make it.)

The window box is finally starting to trail a bit.

Next year will be better since I can get things in earlier.

And no, I still haven't filled the holes or touched up the paint.

It's on my before-the-garden-tour to-do list.

The bed underneath it has filled in a lot in the last couple weeks.

The annual white Salvia is finally starting to do its thing.

And the Pineapple Sage, in the back corner, has taken off with the heat, too.

The Plumbago outside the fence is just staring to bloom.

It's that blue color that I love.

I haven't posted about the sink yet this year, have I?

I always put The Dad's spicy peppers in there, and then whatever else strikes my fancy.

This year, the neighbor gave me some Walla Wallas onion starts, so I stuck those in on one side.

I planted four hot peppers and there's a ton that reseeded from last year, on both sides.

Don't know what they are yet.

We've got Serranos, Jalapenos, Thai, and Italian Roasters this year.

We've done some of the Roasters on the grill.

Mmmmmm.

The onions did well in there.

I'm anxious to do more next year.

And that's it for out front this time.

No worries, I have 400 more where those came from of the backyard.

You think I'm kidding.

Just a little reminder that you can purchase my floral photographs in my Etsy shop.

If you see one in a post that isn't in the shop, shoot me an email and I'd be more than happy to list it for ya.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RindyMae

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.

Bulgogi Marinade + The Latest Meal Plan

Is it weird to post a recipe without photos of the finished dish?  I was sitting in front of my cleaned off plate and went, oh shit, I forgot to take pictures!!!

I've been making this marinade for as long as I can remember.  It originally came out of our newspaper.

It's sooooo good on flanken-style short ribs, but they're pretty spendy, so sometimes I'll use it to marinate a less expensive cut of meat.  Sirloin, flank steak, tri-tip, whatever.  It's all yummy.

We almost always have it with white rice and either a veggie or an Asian-style salad or slaw.

And lots of Sriracha.

So, so delicious.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Bulgogi (Fired Beef)

Printable Recipe

2 pounds Korean-style short ribs or 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or other beef cut

1/2 C soy sauce

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

3 Tbsp grated Asian pear, grated Fuji, or other sweet apple

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, grated

4 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (you can buy them already toasted)

4 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp ground black pepper

If using beef sirloin, slice diagonally across the grain into long thin strips about 1/4 inch thick.  (This is easiest if you stick the meat in the freezer for a bit.)  Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, sugar, apple, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil and black pepper; mix well.  Transfer to a large ziplock bag and add the meat.  Seal and toss the bag lightly back and forth to coat the meat.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Prepare grill.  Remove meat from refrigerator. Thread beef slices, if using, lengthwise onto skewers, putting 2 to 3 pieces per skewer.  Transfer remaining marinade to bowl.

Cook the skewers over medium-high heat.  Grill, basting beef with reserved marinade and turning frequently to prevent burning, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes.  

To cook short ribs, grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until brown and crispy on all sides.

You can eat the skewered meat as-is with your side dishes, or make lettuce wraps with it.  Delicious.

As for the ribs, they just may change your life.

Here's what we'll be eating over the next week or so:

*  Chorizo Burgers with Spicy Ranch, Cotija and Avocado, Oven Fries, and Fruit
*  Chorizo (leftover cooked meat from the burgers), Cotija & Avocado Quesadillas and Fruit
*  Grilled Beer Can Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans
*  Grilled New York Steak, Garlic Roasted Chickpea Salad with Feta & Mint, Tomato, Basil, & Feta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Crispy Fried Japanese Eggplant (from the garden!), and Bread
*  Lemongrass Pork, Eggplant and Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (from the garden again!), and White Rice
*  Banh Mi Sammies (using leftover Lemongrass Pork) with Pickled Carrots & Daikon and Fruit
*  Grilled Chicken Salads and Bread
*  Cheese Steak Sammies, Chips, and Fruit

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The First Week Of August In The Parking Strip + An Open Garden Tour (at my house)

I volunteered to open my garden for a public tour.  Yes, hell just froze over.

I belong to a Facebook page of gardeners in our immediate neighborhood.  It's new this year.  One of the members threw out the idea of doing a group tour, and offered to organize it if he could get at least five volunteers to open their gardens.  In a moment of wine-induced weakness, I responded with a yes.  AHHH.

I also "like" a Facebook page of our neighborhood community, and he has posted the preliminary tour info on there, in addition to just sharing it with members of our little gardening group.  AHHH.

So, it could stay really small, or, it will be like a high school party.  Everyone and their mother will show up. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.

Anywho, needless to say, I've been pretty busy in the yard the past couple weeks.  I may or may not have purchased more annuals over the weekend to fill in holes.  Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do about the browning lawn at this point.  It is August, after all.  I did reseed all the bare spots from The Dog this morning. I don't know if it'll do any good in the next 15 days, but it was worth a shot.

Anywho, that's the latest.  This is what's happenin' down in the parking strip this week:

I forgot to take pictures of the tree.

It's a Mallow, or Rose of Sharon, or whatever you call it.

It's a friggin' mess, as you'll see in the photos.

There's one in the backyard, too.

I HATE the flowers all over the ground and in the flower beds.

And because there's flowers constantly all over the ground, there's seedlings coming up EVERYWHERE.

If I didn't love the shape of the one in the back so much, it would have been gone a long time ago.

I'm tempted with the front one, though.

Okay, enough complaining, this is a piece of a 'Canary' Crocosmia that I transplanted from the main part of the garden this spring.

It appears to be happy down in the hell strip.

Knowing my aversion to orange flowers, one might wonder why I originally bought it.

I assumed 'Canary' meant yellow.

Ah well, it's pretty and fits in with the other oranges, bright yellows and reds down there.

Speaking of orange, the other Crocosmia is still blooming well and not even a smidgen of browning leaves.

(I shouldn't say that out loud.)

It has officially redeemed itself and will be staying.

Onto bright yellow, the Rudbeckia is definitely earning its keep down there.

Even the pieces I divided for the rest of the yard this spring are doing really well.

It drooped a lot the first year I planted it, but now that it's good and established, it's happy as a clam to not get watered every day.

The 'Autumn Joy' Sedum is starting to blush.

The two artichokes that I let bloom are showing all their purple fuzzies.

The yellow Phygelius (Cape Fuchsia) is still solid flowers.

And last, one of the 'Cheyenne Mix' Echinaceas that I put in last year is finally starting to bloom.

I don't know if it's in too much shade under the tree, or what, but it sure isn't doing what I wanted it to.

I may need to move it to the other end this fall.

It's such a pretty color.

I've got backyard and front yard photos for two more posts, coming soon.

Just a little reminder that you can purchase my floral photographs in my Etsy shop.

If you see one in a post that isn't in the shop, shoot me an email and I'd be more than happy to list it for ya.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RindyMae

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.