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.

Pappardelle with Creamed Chard

My tomato seedlings were already planted basking in the glorious sun and rain of mid spring while my eggplant seedlings had to watch longingly from the window.  I suppose I could always stick them in with the roses, but they might get poked or, worse, forgotten.  So, out came the chard to make room in the vegetable garden.  It was actually PERFECT timing.  The chard had big leaves on a few plants but most of them were medium-sized and still young and tender... perfect.

Now, what do you do with a pile of chard (plus the rest of the spring onions)?  Well, I typed the word "chard" into a favorite food blog's search bar.  Then, tweaked it Cicada Cottage style.  My favorite way to prepare greens?  Cream and nutmeg.  This is a rich dish comfort food, beware.  Pair it with a tangy salad or a fruit plate and some super crusty bread.


Pappardelle with Creamed Chard
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen


8 oz dried pappardelle pasta (or any shape works well here)

2 bunches chard, stems trimmed off
2 cups heavy cream, milk, or half and half
5 Tablespoons butter
4-5 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and FGP, to taste


Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Set aside.

Slice the chard greens into large pieces.  Rinse well, then add, still wet, to a large pot and cook, covered,  5 minutes stirring one or two times.  Meanwhile, warm cream (or milk) over medium heat in a small saucepan.  Drain chard, then wring out excess water.  Set aside.

In same large pot melt butter over medium high heat and add green onions and red pepper flakes, cook for one minute, add flour and whisk constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then, while still whisking, slowly add the warmed cream.  Cook cream and onion mixture until it begins to thicken, a few more minutes.

Add chard, nutmeg, salt and FGP, and parmesan cheese.  Stir until smooth.  Add pasta, stir over medium heat to warm up the entire dish, serve steaming.  Best the first day, but still good tomorrow!

Serves 4-6

©Sweat Bread

Bring 'Em In!

They are messy, and pricey, and don't last very long at all, but there is something that cut flowers in a vase bring to a room no other decor can touch.  I noticed a lot of purple in our yard, so I used that as the unifying element and brought 'em in!!

tulips

chive blossoms

alium

false indigo

Salvia

Japanese Maple

and the iris, that are beginning to bloom all over town here

"That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet"

 Fertilizing really pays off when it comes to roses!  I took these photos this morning around the garden.  I can't take any credit for the planting of them and Dr. Gooch did the fertilizing, but I am enjoying their form and fragrance.  Wish you could come take a rose stroll with yours truly.

Another wonder in the garden right now is this Bells of Ireland that Dr. Gooch planted by seed two winters ago.  Here it is even overpowering the Hibiscus next to it.  My dad, the florist and gardener extraordinaire, said he had never even seen one growing "in the wild".  

When we were dating, he would give me flowers with Bells of Ireland (or Moluccella laevis) in the arrangement.  He loves them so tried his hand at them in the garden.  They are in the mint family and are native to Syria, Turkey and the Caucusus.  They don't like hot, humid climates...so we'll see how they fare through the summer.  For now, they are a delight to watch.

This is my new favorite flowering perennial.  It is Baptisia Australis or "False Indigo".  It is in the pea family.  And does well in drought and even heavy clay soil.  A winner!

 A little bit of the west coast on the east coast!  We scattered some poppy seeds a couple autumns ago and now have a couple of plants that pop out each spring.  My sister, Katy, would love these!

And here!  My first ever peony bud.  The ants are attracted to a sap on the bud but do no harm.  They also don't "tickle open" the petals as commonly believed.

Vegetables are well and nice, but in the words of Claude Monet, "I must have flowers, always, and always."