One Last Hurrah!

Can you feel it? See it? Yep, the days are growing shorter. The light is changing rapidly & before we know it Halloween will be here then Thanksgiving then ChristSTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We can still bleed a little bit of summer out of the remaining days of the month! A few things to do right now:

• Prune your roses & cut back the dead blooms to encourage one last cycle. Cutiing only encourages more growth so make a nice centerpiece. Don’t be too severe with the pruning right now, wait until it’s totally dormant (late November) for that.
• House Plants: Now is a good time for re-potting. Get new (used!) larger pots for all your houseplants so they have room to grow this winter. New soil will give them some new life too. Also start to bring in any of your houseplants that have been enjoying the summer sunning on the patio. They’ll need time to readjust to being indoors.
• A great time to start an herb garden too! You can start your favorite herbs outside while it’s still warm & sunny, then bring them inside to the kitchen when it starts to get too cool. Rosemary is so easy to grow & there are many new, very sturdy, varieties. I love this herb. You can use in to cook virtually any dish, as a garnish or a decoration & it also looks simply perfect growing in a pretty pot!

Mix up another pitcher of WHITE SANGRIA* throw some burgers on the grill, put some little glass jars of roses in every room of your house (one bloom in a votive candle glass can also = perfection!) invite some friends over before everyone gets too crazy & say “Adieu to Summer 2008!”

* WHITE SANGRIA RECIPE (from THE SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK-TheGayGardener’s Favorite!)
1 Bottle dry White wine
2 kiwis, peeled & sliced
1 large pear, sliced very thin
1 cup seedless green grapes
2 tablespoons “superfine” sugar
2 tablespoons Calvados or Armagnac
2 tablespoons Cointreau
1.5 cups bottled sparkling water
Sprigs of mint

1. Pour wine into a large glass pitcher, add kiwis, pear, grapes, sugar, Calvados, and Cointreau. Cover & refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours***
2. To serve, stir well, add sparkling water & pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with mint sprig.

***remind me to tell you about the time I made a traditional red sangria & thought it would be a good idea to have it “ferment” for 4 DAYS!!! That stuff was like moonshine! A lovely dinner party turned into a bacchanal with clothing discarded & crimes confessed. At least that’s what the Police Report alleged.