MID FEBRUARY FARM REPORT JUICY SWEET IS ON ITS WAY

We're half way there.

The early peaches are in bloom!  And we are hopeful that there will be no late frost to nip the buds that will becomes 

Peaches.  

Some of the apples have bloomed and the figs are swelling.  Still haven't been able to get a photo that begins to do them justice.  Is there a class for people to learn how to photograph fruit trees?!  Citrus I can do but the rest I'm still learning.

Grapefruit & Tangerines

Meyer Lemons

Citrus season has ramped up and the Front Door Honor Market will be open!  We sure missed picking for you.  We hope you missed picking it up from us.  Just look for the red pick up truck flag and follow the side walk to the front door.

The 4 fruits oranges, tangelos, tangerines and grapefruit will be in the coolers in the alcove.  

The fresh squeezed juice is available 4 ways... by request  when you stop by, or you can pre order, or bring your own bottle while we juice for you or take home the fresh squeezed juice we just froze.  

We can pick that for your by request when you get here.  Just doesn't get any fresher.  Almost like having your own tasty garden.

The grapefruit are beginning to be at their peak.  They are big and sweet enough to eat without sugar. They look like and taste like a big ball of sunshine in their lovely yellow skin.   We'll put them up for taste against any pink grapefruit.

If you decide to dress your grapefruit up in lavish array then we suggest exotic pure scented sugars from La Bella Terra http://labellaterre.com Rose cognac would be A- Maz-Ing!

Eco-ista, Terri Nacke is the alchemist and artisan purveyor of these fine botanicals sweeteners.  Just three to choose from are Lavender Provence, Mint Melange, and our favorite Rose Cognac!  They are available at the Bodega Market at FnB http://fnbrestaurant.com in Old Town Scottsdale and other purveyors of fine provisions.  

White Grapefruit

If you prefer a more rustic half of the sunny grapefruit then try this RECIPE.  A touch of butter spread across a halved grapefruit then put the inside half on the grill to bring out  and caramelize the many sugars already in the grapefruit.  After taking it off of the grill you could add a pinch of brown sugar if you must, but it won't be necessary for most palettes.  Lovely in bed on Valentines Day, Birthday,  Anniversary morning and equally at home on the desert plate by the fire.  The fragrance of the grilled grapefruit and it's caramelized sugars is addictive.  Yet for the most refreshing in the morning, or an afternoon pick me up, just a fresh chilled naked grapefruit is always in style. 

For the Tangerine, Orange and Tangelo lovers…We've got 'em.  Come and get 'em!  Very sweet and juicy.  Not as tart as some years but just as delicious.  We've squeezed the juice for you or you can take them home and juice or peel and eat them yourself.  This is the fruit that can be addictive if you are a sugar lover.

Minneola Tangelo

Magical Meyer Lemons.  Why magical?  Well seems everyone waxes poetic about how these lemons never make you pucker.  They are a gorgeous orange yellow color, and never hard or juiceless.   Peel the skin all the way around for a swirl of color and lemony flavor in a pitcher of water.  Like a giant lemon zest.  Lemon bars anyone?!  Drizzled with dark chocolate?!!!  Yes, nothing goes better with chocolate than citrus.  Really!  

Then again you  could squeeze the rest of your lemons and freeze the juice till the 90* heat comes and you're in the mood for lemonade.  With the Meyer you'll use less sugar.  Speaking of which lavender lemonade is refreshing so here again we think you may want to go get some of La Bella Terra's Lavender Provence sugar.  It seems to feel a bit daring to make, serve and imbibe of refreshments with flower essence in them.  Don't you think?

And then there is the Swiss Chard!  We have a rainbow assortment of 4 colors.  Imagine that!  You don't have to because we asked the bunnies to take a photo of their favorite chards... lemon yellow and cherry red are my favorites too.  Is it any wonder that so many prefer these jewels over spinach.  And we're not just talking the rabbits who took this photo.

So come and see us.   It'll be a beautiful morning to add Tre Soli to your shopping list

While you're here notice the wild flowers and native shrubs that are beginning to wake up and bloom.  Here are just a few.

SEE THE THREADS OF GOSSAMER?

GOOD MORNING STAR SHINE!

DAINTY BIT

FIRST OUT OF BED, LAST TO BED, WORKS ALL SUMMER LONG

JUST FOR YOU,  HUMMERS

 

WITH A GARDEN & A LIBRARY YOU HAVE EVERYTHING

With A Garden and a Library You Have EveryThing

Tre Soli is so pleased to announce that we are now the stewards of Little Free Library #13224.

We only learned of these wonderful community builders in a box a year ago.  When we first saw a Little Free Library in a residential neighborhood we knew we had to learn more.  The short history and the seeds for LFLs is nothing short of amazing.  Did you know that in the first "official" LFL was posted on a bike path in Madison Wisconsin in the summer of 2010?  As of January 2015 it was estimated that close to 25,000 LFLs had been registered.  You do the math on that growth rate!
To learn all about the beautiful boxes of books go to http://littlefreelibrary.org/ourhistory/  Who knows the book bug may bite you too!

Ours is not just a book exchange but a seed and recipe exchange as well.  People passing by are welcome to take a book, seed pack, or recipe as well as donate a book, seeds, or recipes.  We loved the option to have reproductions of old seed signs on two sides of our LFL.

Our LFL is actually to commemorate all of the women in who nourished our love of reading and learning - mothers, sisters, aunts and friends.  Book lovers all. 

On Saturday, February 7 we had a "Grand" opening to celebrate.  Even better we teamed up with SEEDs 4 Autism.  Their mission is "to nurture and grow the spirits and skill of our clients with Autism Spectrum Disorders through education and job training that promotes work ethic, pride and success in an environment that is tailored to the client’s individual needs and comfort. They brought many "lovingly handcrafted artwork of metal, wood, and ceramics for the kitchen and the garden.  And I bought many "lovingly handcrafted artworks"!

Side Table?  Plant Stand?  You decide.  To pretty to put anything on it?  Love the colors!

Walnut, Cherry, & Maple Woods make this smooth Cutting Board

 And they brought birdies to our potted plants.

Their art work is beautiful and practical.  And much of it now resides at Tre Soli and finds purpose in making our work easier while being beautiful!   Please visit their website to see what their students get out of the classes and what they put out...  http://seedsforautism.org  The artists who teach the students are all volunteers.  Maybe you could invite them to do a "Pop Up Shop" at your event.  Or looking for a place to volunteer?  This could be your new home away from home.



Contact Mary Ann and you too may fall in love with this organization.  For a first hand look at students and artists at work stop in at their Art Jam / Open House.  It will be a blast and Bonus...you can find wonderful gifts for Mothers Day.  If the poster below,  announcing their event, is not displaying please send us an email and we'll forward it to you.

SUPER BOWL? SUPER FOG!!! THIS BUD'S FOR YOU.

We don't get a lot of fog here in the desert Southwest but when we do it is to be treasured.  After spending a few hours just enjoying the quiet  muffled sounds it brings, we decided to try to document the effects of fog on our view from Tre Soli. All of the fruit trees and roses have been pruned.  

One peach has even begun to bloom.  

And the asparagus is delish!  Sorry we ate it before thinking to snap a pic.  

But here's a foggy look around some of the Tre Soli farm and neighborhood.

Just haven't quite learned the art of fog photography but you may get an idea from these posts.  

Next on the Tre Soli never ending list of things TO DO is feed the soil!  

But today is Super Bowl Sunday and we're taking the day off.  We'll make hearty soup, get the fires in the fireplaces going and be ready to watch the puppy and horse commercials.   

In the meantime enjoy the beginning of Spring wild flower season.

This bud's for you!

Seed Savers Exchange

A quote by Josephine Nuese  found on the Seed Savers Exchange website:
"Anyone who thinks  gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream".   And dream I do!  So many edibles and flowers!  How to choose!

Next time I'll tell you about an Arizona Grown Company Terroir Seeds! 

It is that time of year when we, in the desert are not just dreaming, but getting ready to plant.  Actually we can plant year round here but we are about to swing into 1 of our 2 gardening high gears.   I'd like to highlight some of my favorite seed companies.  Terroir, Seed Savers Exchange, Native Seed Search, Renee's Garden Seeds, Johnny's Select Seeds and Territorial Seeds are at the top of my list of favorite places to get seeds.  If you don't know them you should.  I'll introduce you to one, Seed Savers Exchange.

Why-  Seed Savers Exchange knows that the future of our planet depends on a genetically diverse food supply.  Their mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.   I agree with the importance of their work.   Clean water for all, as well as clean affordable food for all and of course healthy educated children.  Theses are the most basic of things all people need.  And Seed Savers is doing they part.  Now they also have a sense of humor.  Check out the prickly caterpillars for something fun to grow with the children: http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/caterpillar/Prickly-Caterpillar.html

Who -  Employees, member farmers and gardeners who sign a safe seed pledge.  You benefit and enjoy their work and get to utilize the seeds and plants.  Ladies you must go to find out how a particular Hollyhock acquired its name:  
http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/Flower-Seeds/Flower-Outhouse-Hollyhock-OG.html

What - Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.   The members pass on garden heritage by collecting and distributing thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners.  Their members are diverse, as are their selections.  Look at this for eating a rainbow:  
http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/swisschard/Swiss-Chard-Five-Color-Silverbeet-OG.html

When- They were founded in 1975.  While some of us were just wrapped up in listening to Bruce Springstein's album "Born To Run", or playing air guitar to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", or singing with  Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All Theses Years", or swooning to Fleetwood Mac or  Jefferson Starship's "Miracles", or10CC's "I'm Not in Love" or Barry White's "You're the First…" or putting on the headphones to listen to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album, or jamming' to Bob Marley's live concert album, or weeping to Janis Ian's "At 17", or getting all pensive to Joan Baez or  Bob Dylan or thumping to Linda Ronstadt's "you're No Good" David Bowie's "Fame", The Eagles "One of These Night", or dancing to Earth Wind and Fire's "Shining Star"as well as KC & The Sunshine Band, or Average White Band's "Pick up the Pieces".  Obviously I digress but what a time in American Music History!  And look what else came of that time!  Seed Savers Exchange!  These I loved & remember to be quite common from when I lived in the Midwest and have asked for repeatedly in desert nurseries:  They smell of summer to me.
http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/Flower-Seeds/Flower-Old-Vining-Petunia-OG.html

Where- Their 89 acre Heritage Farm, their headquarters, is located near Decorah, Iowa.  They are in the heart of the big agricultural country in the midwest.  Their Preservation Gardens are certified organic.  Additionally there is a historic orchard and ancient (over 2,000 year old) White Park Cattle, limestone cliffs, sparkling streams, pine woods, garden gifts and horticultural books.   their visitor's center is open from March through December.  They even have seeds from around the world.  Here's one from an old cold war foe that would look right at home in many of today's gardens:  http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/Flower-Seeds/Flower-Perfect-Mix-OG.html

How - All of their programs to preserve garden biodiversity are made possible through donations, membership dues as well as seed sales.  Twenty-five cents from each pack of seeds foes into an endowment to help pay the salaries of employees who maintain the seed collection.  Consider joining or purchasing seeds, won't you?  How do they do it?!  They even have 36 seeds from the US Slow Food Ark of Taste:
 http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/Ark-of-Taste/


Please, go to their website and see the colorful array of beautiful seeds for your dreams
www.seedsavers.org  
While you do that I'll go make a nice hot pot of heirloom bean soup.  It may not be freezing but it's cold enough for soup.  Our rare foggy day is perfect for souping' up for the SUPER BOWL XLIX

To All of You Dedicated Gardeners, Farmers and Fanciers…

…this bud's for you!

And this bud…

And this bud…

And this bud…

And this bud...

And these buds...

And these buds...

And these buds…

And these buds...

And these buds...

And this BUG!

I Can Tell By Your Outfit That You Are A Farmer...

…or a Gardener…

… A Fun Mudder

…A Tough Tootsie

… An Innovater

…Proud Winter Survivor

…A Hard Worker…With Proof on Your Hands

TEAM WORKERS

Yes, that is what it takes to be a Gardener, a Farmer, a Landscaper.   My thanks to all of theDesert  Botanical Garden's Desert Landscape School classmates and instructors for the most amazing year of learning.  It is through all of your team work that peace with the desert was made and love came to the desert.  A late bloomer…

 But "better late than never"!

"Our House Is...

…A Very,

Very,

Very

Fine House

With 2 Cats In The Yard…
"Yikes! 2 Cats?!
Not in these yards, please.  At least don't hunt the birdies, kitties.  Please.  Pretty please with catnip on the top?!   We need the birdies to help eat the bugs and pollinate and make music.
And no littering in our veggie boxes!


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