Mabel Dodge Luhan house

Mabel Dodge Luhan house, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

watercolor sketch, from inside the original house..corner fireplace The detail on the ceilings was amazing.

and the winner is..

Abraham Darby rose, Denver, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This is my winning rose, Abraham Darby. She lives in Denver but used to live in Southern California. I brought her and 4 more roses with me three years ago and hoped they would acclimate to this weird climate.
Just 7 weeks ago we had snow on the ground but it has warmed up since then and all the roses are in beautiful bloom in Denver. There was a rose exhibition at the War Memorial Rose Garden in Littleton on Saturday and yesterday an exhibition/show at the Denver Botanic Gardens so I thought I would give entering my roses in the exhibit and ...
This pretty rose won a first prize!! I also won one second for Paul Bocuse rose....and 3 thirds. I am glad I brought these roses 1000 miles East. They bring me great joy!

winners!, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

one first place, one second and three thirds

front garden bed, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

my front entry bed, planted one year ago

Abraham Darby, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

the winner it her home in Denver

War Memorial Rose Garden, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

French lace, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

French Lace, one of my favorites in Corona del Mar

Othello, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Othello

Denver Botanic Gardens, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad

Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This salad was inspired by our fabulous chefs at Mabel Dodge Luhan House where I stayed last week. I promised my fellow art retreaters as well as my teachers I would figure this salad out and post it. This is one of the FRESHEST salads I have had in a while and it uses some fabulous vegetable. I am posting this with an authentic Caesar dressing but in a pinch use a bottle of dressing or a good garlic lemon vinaigrette. I can't believe I just wrote that.

Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad:

Good wooden salad bowl

5 cups finely chopped kale..demo on how to remove the rib follows
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced...I used amethyst
1/2 bulb fennel..also thinly sliced
pinch of salt
1 lemon, zest and juice (3 TBS)
1/4 cup olive oil
Toss and put aside

In your wooden salad bowl place

pinch of course salt
1 garlic clove, cut and rubbed into the bowl letting the salt break up the garlic
anchovy paste, about 1/4-1/2 tsp
1 egg yolk...Henny Penny donated to the cause....I'll have the white with breakfast tomorrow
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp agave or honey
Whisk the contents of the bowl, then add the kale salad,
Toss well
Serve on plate
Parmesan cheese, grated over top.

If you are not going to make this dressing this way just toss an alternative dressing over the kale, radishes and fennel. I wouldn't forget the fresh Parm on top

Use fresh vegetables

kale, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

There are many varieties of kale. Any of them will make a great salad. Better yet find some dirt in the garden, throw some seeds in, water and you will have kale that will thrive for many months...even in Denver

kale, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

lay the leaf flat with the back facing up. Use a knife to cut out the rib.

kale, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

or cut out the rib by folding in half and using kitchen scissors

amethyst radishes, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

amethyst radishes

fennel, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

fennel

radishes and fennel, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

kale, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

kale chopped fine--5 cups

Trip to Taos

Mabel Dodge Luhan House, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This week I drove South to Taos New Mexico for a 5 day art retreat with my favorite art guru, Jane LaFazio, and her art partner Pamela Underwood for a Stone Soup journey. We stayed at the historic Mabel Dodge Luhan house. Mabel built this home in 1922 and hoped to attract worldly artist to come and stay. Many did: Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams were two. Mabel married a local Indian from the Taos Pueblo and they lived here the rest of their lives.
After filming "Easy Rider" (in parts) here our buddy Dennis Hopper bought this place. Now it is a wonderful place to come and..........

birdhouses, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

watch birds fly home

living room, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

 look through windows

old truck, background: sacred mountain of Taos, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

go places

fish lure sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

fish to catch

fish sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Blue Fish Clothing, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and one caught me

San Francisco de Asis, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

paint churches

living room doorway, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

enter some doors

front door, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

ladder, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

go climb ladders

stone bench, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and rest on a bench

Patience!

Poppy, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This has been a rewarding week in the gardens of Denver-mine, the botanic garden and just driving down the neighborhood streets
There were not many lilacs this year because of the last freeze but the irises are magnificent.
This week celebrated some firsts in my garden: First wisteria after planting nearly 3 years ago....nothing like in California but a start none the less. First peony: many neighboring plants are huge and proliferous but I have a couple of white ones....again nearly 3 years after planting and this gorgeous poppy which measures about 8 inches in diameter and is so black in the center it is purple. Patient is not how anyone would describe me but I have found some being a gardener in Denver.
I hope your garden is blooming!

Denver Botanic Gardens, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

bearded iris, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The irises are everywhere in full bloom

Monaco in June, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The trees on Monaco leaf together to form an "allele" This is worth waiting for

peony, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

First peony in Denver

wisteria, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

First wisteria in Denver