Plant Them Well and Let Them Govern Themselves

It's good advice.  Especially if you started with good soil and it rains every three days.  But, even the best advice doesn't come with guarantees.  This is the last cabbage (and Brassica in general) I will plant in the Spring.  In the Spring those little white moths flit around laying eggs in tender leaves which hatch little green worms that feast feast feast on my heads.  

The number of Seven Dust applications needed to keep these cabbage edible is not worth the toxicity.

 Same cabbage, planted late summer/early fall will have no pest damage at all!!  If you live in a climate, where there are 10 growing months in the years you have this luxury.

healthy leeks take a long time to beef up.  i will harvest these for quiche and a potato leek soup this week.

peas are finally flowering

just as with people, some thrive and some seem so stunted for no particular reason.  growing in the exact same soil this little tomato plant is about the height of my hand, while the others from the same seed (see in the rear of the photo) are four hands high.  

Crookneck Zucchini.  I think these blossoms have the prettiest color.  Katy, could you make me a spring dress that flows and glows like a squash blossom?

I love these little bells.  They will get big and be perfect for some gumbo, or stuffed with spicy rice.

This little pod is a baby baby tomatillo.  my first try with these, I'll let you know how they turn out.

Was it the hail or is there a bug in the yard partial to the leaves of my struggling eggplant?  Hmmm.

Tomatoes!  Tomatoes!

If you plant nothing else new in your yard, may I suggest this Verbena Bonariensis?  It adds height and dreaminess to your garden scape.

Hollyhocks, bright and pale pink, another tall bloomer.

we love spiders

I love hydrangeas.  Add lime for pink, aluminum for blue.

Bring 'em in, Dude.

There is no sense in leaving all the flowers out in the yard.  Unless of course you LIVE out in the yard and can enjoy them there all day.   (Which sometimes, like when it feels like I'm being pecked to death, not by the chickens, but by the children, I am tempted).  I'm starting a movement:  BRING IN THE FLOWERS!!!  They make everyone happy, especially the mama.

Saturday Night Turn

I walked around the yard tonight after I put the children in their beds.  Prodded out of doors by their promises to stay put, I took a turn around the yard.  All the way around.  I do this a handful of times during the day if I am home.  I've been home most of the day feeling miserable with a cold.  

On these turns, I usually pocket a few eggs from the coop.  The other day I pulled up all the lettuce that had begun to bolt and then harvested the red kale (all of this made room for the beans, which I planted on a morning turn today).

I discovered a good sunny spot for the fig tree and Dr. Gooch planted it.  It's his fig tree, so his approval was crucial.  He may beg to differ (meaning he may not believe that I believe his approval was crucial), but it's true to be sure.

On a turn tonight I plucked a twig from an unknown-to-me tree (to take inside and give it the ol' dichotomous key treatment), I frowned at the eggplant that don't seem to be thriving as well as I'd like, but saw that my cosmos and wildflowers that I poked into the ground last week have sprouted.  It's all this wonderful spring rain we've been getting.  I watched the hens.  The younger girls (now three) like to head in for the evening earlier than the older ones.  But Gloria and her gang kick them out and demand first choice as far as roosting goes, so the non-layers have to step aside and then resettle themselves.  Every single night.   The same ritual.  Our lone rooster was killed the night before last.  All that remains is a smattering of pretty black and white feathers by the compost pile (Dr. Gooch disposed of the mangled body before the rest of us had even stirred). I wonder if they miss their man.

Then, it begins to be too dark to see anything but the silhouette of the three great Willow Oaks against the sky.  I come in.  The unknown tree is another (younger) Willow Oak but with larger leaves.  The chickens are settled.  All six.

I'll go to bed congested but content to have this little bit of earth for the six of us.

Happy Mother's Day.

RIP,  Mister Rooster

On The Grass

As much of a pain (and some might say "waste") a big lawn can be, I love that my rascals have ample room to romp.  Besides, ours is more like a clover field than a lush lawn.

Progress

Post-Rain Stroll With Me?

Turn left off the front porch

Stop to lay in the goldenrod, it's so soft...

turn right off the front porch and you'll picture this prize peony, I'm so proud of her...

At her feet, Stonecrop gathering rain droplets...

their next door neighbor is a Hollyhock reaching for the heavens, both will bloom come summer...

a pile of weeds minds its own business...

inside the secret passageway...

look up at the still life with hanging plant and newly clearing sky...

skip down the hill where everybody loves a flowering shrub...

random lone wildflowers amid the yarrow yet-to-bloom...

further down on "Sun Hill" the sunflowers are slowly rising up to meet their namesake...

back to the other end of Cicada Cottage Gardens is the wisteria alcove where wild kidlets play...

tucked around the corner, an empty pot (ludicrous!) guards garden stakes waiting to be called to use (soon)...

just behind them peas are just about to push their first blooms, which means...peas!

the potatoes are still green, which means they're still making potatoes (these are purple), don't harvest until that green is brown and grounded...

an unexpected love recently cropped up in my horticultural heart: ornamental grass, these make a border for my Euphorbia garden.

What a lovely stroll, let's do it again sometime.

Horsey Dressing

Dr. Gooch had a salad at a local restaurant, Nana's, here in Durham.  It was so good, I think I ate more of it off his plate than he did.  It was the dressing that hooked me.  I grow tired of the same old vinaigrette, so this was quite refreshing.  The only ingredient I could pinpoint was the horseradish.  I tried to recreate it at home and after several tweaks I think this is the best version.  Let me know what you think, if you try it!

Horsey Dressing

1/2 Cup sour cream
Juice from 1 lemon
1-2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
1 Tablespoon good honey
Salt and FGP to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together.  Toss with your favorite salad.  Above, some spicy greens, cucumbers, and diced browned ham leftover from easter dinner.  Dresses a salad to serve 6-8 people.