VC Fair '12 Results for Floriculture

Zinnia Zowie Yelow Flame in the garden

This colorful and unusual zinna won "Best of Division" at the Ventura County Fair.  I entered it in the annuals, Zinnas, variegated category. (Div. 344, Class 18, planted from seed).  I was so amazed to win the lovely plaque especially when I was rushing and cutting the annuals in my garden at the last moment, early in the morning.

Here are some of the other flowers I entered in Floriculture for the 2012 Ventura County Fair. There are more pictures of my fair entries on flickr.

• Scabiosa Pin Cushion Flower (344,18) Annual, Framed Flower. (First place)
• Chantilly Snapdragon (344,17) Annual, annual any other. (Second Place)
• Polar Bear Zinna (344,12) Annual, Zinnia any other (Honorable Mention)
• Marigold (344,7) Annual, Marigold, any other (Second Place)
• Retro Red Marigold (344,7), Annual, Marigold, any other (Third Place)
• Mexican Tulip Poppy (345,27), Perennials, framed flower (Honorable Mention)

VC Fair '12 Floriculture Entries

For this year's Ventura County Fair, I entered two arrangements in the Floriculture department.  I was hoping that I would have poppy blooms to enter.  I was so surprised to see so many poppy blooms - I had to fight the bees to pluck those flowers for the fair!  I wanted to remind those bees that I'm the gardener that planted them! The poppies were stunning - I hope they lasted for the judging.  My dear Mr. P. helped me transport them to the fairgrounds.  See you at the fair!

Recycled Container (Second Place)

All Home Grown Flowers
(Honorable Mention)

Sunflowers are magical

I love the way they tower over the garden with big and bold colors! Soon all these sunflowers will be open in a row!

Morning in the Garden

Every morning I come outside to see the new blooms in the garden. Morning is the best time to see the poppies just begin to open. Everything is so crisp, clean, and new in the morning.

Squash and Cucumber Harvest

I've been waiting all summer long for squash. Usually by this time of the year I've harvested many squash and then I become sick of it. But this is my first real bounty of squash and cucumbers. We had such odd weather this year. It even rained a bit yesterday and today! The bounty includes:
• White Bush Scallop Squash (Baker Creek Seeds)
• Lebanese Cousa Squash (courtesy of Thinking Stomach)
• Sunburst Hybrid (Park Seeds)
• Green Finger Persian Cucumber (plant purchased at Ojai Farmers Market)

Double Rainbow China Asters

Red Poppy

Hot Pink Poppy and a Bee

More Poppies

Square dance poppies

So the real name of this plant is not Square Dance Poppy. Mr. P just started calling them by this name because it looks like the colorful skirts the ladies wear in square dancing. It is so lovely it takes my breath away. It is growing in the sand mound with a multitude of flowers.

Love-in-a-Mist

I received the Love-in-a-Mist seeds free with one of my seed orders. I usually grow Shirley poppies in my sand mound garden, but nothing seemed to be growing there with the weird weather we had this year. So I kept on throwing seeds on that mound. And here you have the beautiful result of my efforts. You can also see the lovely bright yellow sunflower in the background that the birds planted for me.

Swiss Chard

The swiss chard in my garden is beautiful with deep green leaves and fuschia colored stems.  I usually saute it with onions as a side dish, but lately I've grown tired of swiss chard. A friend mentioned how she cooks these little swiss chard packets filled with tomato and mozarella cheese.  Last night I was feeling sort of bad that I didn't appreciate my garden's swiss chard.  So, I made these packets filled with mushrooms, bits of ham, onions, and cheddar cheese.  Mr. P. helped me assemble the chard packages.  They turned out to be divine! 

Red Nasturium Drawing

Yesterday I was stuck inside because of the rain.  I ran out in the rain to take a picture of this dark red nasturium.  I drew the picture in the sketchbook for the Sketchbook Challenge. It was a volunteer growing up the garden fence.  The dogs thought I was crazy taking a picture in the rain.

Yellow poppy sketch for Sketchbook Challenge

I've wanted to sketch in my sketchbook more everyday. It's something that I enjoy. I came across "The Sketchbook Challenge," and it sounds like a great motivator. Here is my first drawing posted to the flickr sketchbook group.

Sunflower Seed Envelope Design

Sometimes I create my own seed package designs.  It seems like quite a bit of work for embellishing an envelope that is soon to be ripped up.  But, I just love seeds especially those that I collect from my own garden.  I'm going to place Lemon Gem sunflower seeds that I collected from last year's garden.  These are the ones I stole from the birds.

Perpetual spinach

 

I planted seeds for Perpetual Spinach many months ago as part of my winter garden.  It has been a very productive crop in-spite of all the odd weather we have been experiencing.  It tastes like spinach but it has more body.

Shirley Poppies

 

This is one of the many Shirley Poppies that are blooming around my garden.  They have such bright, vibrant colors.  I cannot take any credit for the beauty of these plants because they are volunteers from the previous year.