Hidden Hill Nursery - National Garden Month Series

If you like eclectic and unusual garden art and large scale garden presentation, then you will love Hidden Hill Nursery in Utica, Indiana.

I found this nursery when we were travelling to Evansville, Indiana and needed a stop over on the way home. This was a commercial business with display gardens overflowing with art.  In fall 2018 they closed down nursery operations and simply have the 8 acre forested garden area available.  I do not know the hours of operation, but you may find what you need on their Facebook page.

When we went to visit in 2014 after our quest to Evansville, Indiana to see an LST (Landing Ship Tank - a troop and equipment transport from WWII) we stopped by because it was open on a Sunday when many other things were not.  The garden art is worth trekking the back roads of Utica Indiana to find it.

The promotional shot for the place has this man made out of salvaged metal parts, but the one made out of milk crates I found while wondering was much more to my liking.

My husband liked the walk under the string arbor covered with vines that was tall enough for his six foot 8 frame to fit under.

and he identified all the implements where the parts were used to decorate this flower border filled with metal flowers made from old farm implements.

There was a stream populated by gnomes.

A giant Squash made out of old tires.

A bathtub in the middle of a woodland.

A stone stacking area where you could stack stones and meditate.

The butterfly garden sported a butterfly bench.

And the largest succulents I have ever seen grew in a vertical pallet garden with a smaller one filled with herbs nearby.

A prairie space covered with black-eyed Susan had a wonderful wind sculpture,

and in the same area was a dragon made out of an oat conveyor.

The fountain garden had some of the most interesting tile.

And the gate / door into the prairie was just cool.

I took one of my best art photos here too:

 

Hidden Hill Nursery was a wonderful little hidden Gem.

Crispy Seasoned Shrimp on the Grill - Weekend Recipe

With the weather the way it has been, I feel like I am rushing things by suggesting you get out the grill, but seriously it is Spring and we need some outdoor time.  This light flavorful shrimp dish is perfect.  Serve the skewers over a bed of couscous or quinoa or Arborio rice and enjoy with a side salad.

Crispy Seasoned Shrimp on the Grill

2 lbs. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 Tbls. olive oil, divided

2 Tbls. vegetable oil

1-2 Tbls. BYP SEAFOOD SEASONING or ITALIAN SEASONING

1/2-1 tsp. granulated garlic

1/2-1 tsp. salt, optional

1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground

1 cup bread crumbs

16-24 wooden skewers, depending on shrimp size

Directions:

Place the shrimp in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil and 1 TB. olive oil and toss to coat. Add the Herb Seasonings, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours. So the ends of the skewers don’t burn off, soak them in water for the last hour the shrimp are in the fridge. Spray or brush the grill grate with oil before heating the grill so the breading doesn’t stick. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Use 4 shrimp per skewer. Be careful that the bread crumbs don’t fall off while skewering. If there is a lot of breading leftover in the bowl, press it into the shrimp wherever it looks to need some. Sprinkle the skewers with the remaining olive oil and grill over medium coals until thoroughly cooked, 6-8 minutes, turning the skewers at least once to cook evenly.


RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

LaSalle County Historical Society and Illinois Valley Herb Guild Garden - National Garden Month

It is rare to find a public garden that is only there to be an herb garden. I find one every now and then but most gardens we visit have herb gardens as part of a larger garden, rather than the main focus of the experience.  The garden I am focusing on today is just an herb garden.  It focuses on many useful aspects of herbs but it is only an herb garden.

taken March 2015, the garden is still asleep

Located near the one room school house of the LaSalle County (Illinois)Historical Society I have visited this garden many times starting in 2015.  I took photos of it when it was still dormant and cold in March, another time in June during early growth in a rain storm and finally in 2016 when it was the end of the season in October.

This garden is maintained by volunteers so sometimes when I visit it is overgrown and untrimmed, but it is obviously well cared for by the Illinois Valley Herb Guild. 

taken 6-25-15

The Guilds’ herb garden is planted in a traditional homesteading style in four beds defined by the major uses for which the plants were grown in the 1800s. Dyes, Culinary, Medicine and Fragrance are the themes used in the garden.  I like the four-square design and plants included.  I think all the plants used in the garden have roots in the 1800s, but I think not all would be found on the 'frontier.'  But I am not certain what definition of frontier they are using, so I could be wrong. 

Since this garden is only about 12 by 24 feet, constructed with a center X path dividing the plot into 4 rectangular beds.  There is no need for a tour, so instead I thought I would show some of the variety of plants they have in the garden.  

Taken 10-28-16 

This garden was planted probably around 2010 and as a result has some age and many of the plants have reached some spread and have taken hold in their locations and flourished.  It is a joy to walk through and see the plants and touch the scented leaves.  A booklet was published detailing many of the plants in the garden back in 2011 and you can get it from the LaSalle County Historical Society in Utica, Illinois.

I love the groupings and the way the plants are labeled.  I think someone made the labels by hand.

There were several plants I had never grown before in the beds which allowed me to see the mature look of the plant as you rarely can in a nursery setting.  Lady's Bed Straw and Germander are historically interesting plants and to see them in a garden bed was a joy, especially since I have never grown them myself..

Flowering Lady's Bed Straw in June

Lady's Bed Straw is named so because it is thought to be the plant used in the Manger for the Baby Jesus. In the Galium family it is a cousin of Sweet Woodruff, and is another European introduced plant that grows well in Northern Illinois. When in flower they are highly fragrant and hold their scent while dry.  There is a chemical in Lay's Bed Straw that will curdle milk causing it to be used as an ingredient in the making of cheese.  The flowers can be used for making yellow dye and was used to color butter.  It is an all purpose herb which is perfect for a frontier garden.

Germander just getting serious in June.

Germander is used these days as a scented ornamental wreath plant, but traditionally it was used as a treatment for gout.  It is an Mediterranean plant and would have been brought to the US by European settlers. This is probably the creeping versus upright variety due to the short stature and it works as a lawn substitute and grows well in shade and with drought conditions.  I am thinking of adding it to my side yard which is both shaded and dry.  It flowers purple in summer.

Flowering from June to frost, this was enjoying the summer when I snapped this photo

Thread leaf tickseed was popular in 19th century ornamental gardens, but although you can use it as a dye in certain circumstances I think it was less a frontier herb as a landscape plant in more urban areas, especially along the east coast in the 1900s.  I love to grow this, but it is a serious self-seeder, so I put it in pots rather than in the ground to keep the seeds contained.

Clary Sage

I got the best picture of Clary Sage I have ever taken while at this garden.  Even the one in my own garden never looked as nice as this one. Clary Sage is an old plant.  Used by the Quakers in PA, it is a perfect frontier plant.  The aromatherapy benefits include reduction of stress and anxiety.  It is also an anti-inflammatory herb and an antibacterial.

Winter Savory in flower in June

Winter Savory is always a good edge plant and this garden placed on the edge.  I suspect someone came by and trimmed it up shortly after I took this photo.  Winter savory takes on a nice shape if kept trimmed.  And being a perennial it only gets better with time.

St John's Wort flowers look bright even on a cloudy rainy day.

This plant flowers around the Summer solstice in June, (near St. John's Day on the 24th) which is how it gets the name St. John's Wort.  The flowers make a great herbal tincture that is red in color rather than yellow as the flowers might suggest.  The infused alcohol can then be used to treat various ailments, including anxiety and depression.   Historically it was believed to be a panacea that could cure almost anything.

Sorrel going strong in October

French Sorrel is an herb I have never grown.  Considered one of the bitter herbs, it was used by the Egyptians and the Romans to impart a bitterness or acidity to foods, much like we do with lemon juice today.  It can be eaten as a green, with a taste similar to a sour green apple it is in nice counter part to other sweeter foods. 

Flax in October, not tall enough to harvest

Flax is also part of the garden, but my guess is this plant would not have been in the garden as much as it would have been in a field nearby.  Flax was grown extensively in Illinois as a crop for making linen fabric.  To process flax you need a good flowing water source.  This garden is right along a canal which makes it a great place to grow flax but more abundance would give you the flax you needed to weave into cloth.  The process for making fiber from flax to create linen is very harsh and hard on people and the environment, so once cotton was more easily available Flax was abandoned as a cash crop.

taken 10-26-16

After my second visit we stopped in the nearby museum and I picked up a little booklet called "The LaSalle County Historical Society's Settler's Herb Garden" which details photographically many of the plants in the garden with a short one or two sentence description of the use of the plant.  The only thing the book is missing is a bit of information on why they chose the plants they did for the garden, as I am curious.

This garden is near Seneca, Illinois, where my husband and I intend to retire and raise herbs in the next few years, so I will be visiting this garden again, and I recommend you do as well if you are ever along the I&M canal or the Illinois River near Starved Rock.  The address of the museum is 101 E Canal Street, North Utica, Illinois and the garden is east of the parking area beside the one-room school house building.

Green Bean Seafood Stew - April Recipe Series

Seafood stews are generally not long cooking and are an easy way to make dinner when time is short.  This recipe called for saffron which is a rare herb that costs quite a bit, but you only need a couple threads if you can find them in your local cooking specialty store.

Green Bean Seafood Stew

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pinch of crumbled saffron threads

1 cup diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 ounces bay scallops, tough muscle removed

4 ounces small shrimp, (41-50 per pound), peeled and deveined

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seed, salt, pepper and saffron; cook for 20 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes, broth and green beans. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Increase heat to medium, stir in scallops and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more. 2 servings, 1 3/4 cups each.

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Seafood Salad with Grapefruit Dressing - Weekend Recipe

I am trying to get more good fats into my diet and less bad fats.  So I liked this recipe which uses avocados and seafood combined for a great Spring flavor boost. This recipe is easy for a brunch and can be easily doubled or even tripled.

Seafood Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

4 medium dry sea scallops, (Note - below), quartered (about 3 ounces),

tough muscle removed

1 small grapefruit, preferably ruby-red

1 small shallot, minced

3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

Salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces lump crabmeat

1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded (about 3 cups)

6 grape tomatoes, halved

1 small avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Directions

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add scallops and cook until firm, opaque and just cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. 

Slice 1/4 inch off the bottom and top of the grapefruit; stand it on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the peel and pith. Hold the fruit over a medium bowl and cut between the membranes to release individual grapefruit sections into the bowl, collecting any juice as well. Discard membranes, pith, peel and any seeds. Transfer just the grapefruit sections to a serving bowl.

Whisk shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper into the bowl with the grapefruit juice. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the scallops and crab to the dressing; toss well to coat.

Add lettuce, tomatoes and avocado to the bowl with the grapefruit sections; toss to combine. Add the seafood and dressing; toss gently.

Note: Be sure to request "dry" scallops (i.e., not treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP) from your fish store. Sea scallops that have been subjected to a chemical bath are not only mushy and less flavorful, but will not brown properly.

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails