I mentioned on a recent post that my sister, cousins from St. Louis and I visited Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA several weeks ago. 

This estate began as the country retreat of Adolph Rosengarten, Sr. and his wife Christine, and dates back to the early 1900’s.

The photo above gives you a glimpse of what the 48 acres of  Chanticleer has to offer.

An excerpt from the brochure says it best…

Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America.  The garden is a study of textures and forms, where foliage trumps flowers, the gardeners lead the design, and even the drinking fountains are sculptural,  It is a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home.

Here is just a sampling of some of the photos from our wonderful day spent at this miraculous garden retreat.

If you get the opportunity you must visit this enchanting place.  What makes it stand out among so many public gardens is the fact that they have made an extraordinary effort to keep it from being commercialized in any way, and have succeeded.

As you walk the paths of the various gardens you feel as if you are visiting a friend’s home and gardens.  If you have questions about the many plants there are numerous gardeners available to answer them.

This pretty much sums up the experience they hope it will be…

…Sit and enjoy the views.  Relax, read, converse, meditate.  Feel the sun on your back and the grass beneath your feet as you listen to the birds and enjoy the scents of the garden.

Lately I find myself looking for all kinds of excuses in the kitchen to use the rosemary that is still thriving in the huge pot it’s been planted in for the past 3 summers.

When the weather turns cold here I take my perennial pots from the patio and move them into our garage for the winter.

In early spring when it appears the days will be increasingly warmer I bring them out and let them adapt to the weather on the side of my house where they are still somewhat protected before returning them to the patio.

I then begin watering them again, and in no time at all they are bursting out of the soil.

I will never tire of that feeling of amazement as I watch this process year after year.

I must admit that some years I’m not even certain I remember what was planted in some of the pots until they begin growing again.

In the case of the rosemary, if the winter is fairly mild which it was the past couple of years, ( and so far this year ), it doesn’t die back and I have been able to harvest it in my garage where it sits beneath a window allowing it some sunlight.

 All the other herbs in the garden have long since been plucked and won’t be available til spring again so I do have to buy them fresh in the market whenever I need them.

But my rosemary has been there for me and whatever dishes I impulsively decide to make. Recently these have included the  Roasted Tomatoes   , a Rosemary Gin Cocktail, and the Rosemary Potatoes pictured  above.

The Rosemary Potatoes are a perfect accompaniment to a grilled chop such as the veal chops above.  

Rosemary Potatoes (serves 2)
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Kosher salt to taste (but potatoes do like salt, so be somewhat generous)

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Toss potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper. (This will help prevent any sticking).

Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once or twice until potatoes are tender, crisp and nicely browned.

Of course garlic is always wonderful with rosemary, but this time I decided to let the rosemary shine on its own! 

And they were wonderful along with the chops which I seasoned liberally just with kosher salt and fresh pepper, then pan-seared on top of the stove at a fairly high heat and finished off in a 350 degree oven.

Yesterday it was announced in our local community newspaper that my garden has won first place in our village’s annual Most Beautiful Garden Contest.  I know I’ve already shared many photos of my garden with you this year so I promise to just post these few more.

Gardening has been challenging this summer with the record heat, hungry deer, lack of rain, and  a  back problem which recently has kept me out of the garden as well as the  kitchen.  But I am feeling much better, and this news has given me just the lift I need to get cooking again …. gotta do something with all that mint growing in the urn in the bottom photo!

I ‘ve decided to post some photos from the garden since it will be a little longer until I can maneuver my way around the kitchen for any amount of time.  But I promise something special to come.  These photos were taken throughout this spring and mid summer.There will be more to come of these as well.

I get so much pleasure out of the process of gardening even when mother nature seems to be doing her best to work against us….the deer who stop by for a nightly buffet dinner (they particularly enjoyed the lily buds) this year, the chipmunks and squirrels who seem to dive headfirst into the  pots either looking for treasures or burying them, I’m not quite sure, the mealy bugs that seemed to be everywhere,  and of course the highly unusual triple digit temps coinciding with long dry spells.

But, in spite of all this, and maybe even because of it, the joy is so much sweeter.  When I gaze around my yard and patio it tells a story.  Almost 25 years ago I began this endeavor with little knowledge or first hand experience.  With the help of my sister and best friend I learned so much, and through my own research and trial and error, the successes seemed to outweigh the failures. 

I know I’ve said this before but it’s in the doing , whether it be cooking or gardening, that we learn and  with this knowledge our confidence grows.  And without those challenges we’re faced with, the experience would not be nearly as fulfilling.

I hope you enjoy these photos, and I promise… you will have your cake and eat it, too, before too long!

Thanks again for being loyal followers of Dinner at Sheila’s!

2012 Garden

This past Friday I found out that my garden has been awarded first prize in our village’s annual garden contest, and I’m delighted and most appreciative!

I think most gardeners would agree that the pleasure  received from hours spent nurturing and caring for one’s garden stems from the personal satisfaction each of us derives from watching something grow into a thing of beauty. And knowing that we along with mother nature were responsible for this is reward enough.

So receiving this recognition from my community for my garden is especially meaningful to me and a real bonus.

Each year I try to do something a bit different in my gardens, and this year is no different.  Here are some photos from this year…