What's blooming May 29 2011

Sean took a look at my camera today and readjusted it.  No more dark background.  It was hot today and will be even hotter tomorrow.  Weeded the front yard today and then sat on the porch to enjoy the garden.  Tomorrow we are going strawberry picking.  Last week I had a fun time giving an interview for American University's newspaper - all about being a locavore.

Clematis

Dianthus

Bachelor's Button

Catmint

Pink Dianthus

Butterfly weed - about to burst forth

Rose Campion

Blanket Flowerm with Coneflower in the lower left corner and Hibiscus in the back

Gaura with red yarrow

Flower of a stonecrop

Clematis with rose

Thyme

View from the porch, left side

View from the porch, right side

The garden harvest

Today it topped 90 degrees.  The spinach and arugula are done and starting to go to seed.  I had a chat with my gardening neighbor Marina and she gave me some tips on letting the greens go to seed and spreading the seeds around for fall sprouting.  I will give it all a try.

In the meantime, only one broccoli plant of the 8 or so I planted survived and I cut the head today.  The snowpeas are coming in like crazy - I will freeze a batch this weekend.  Everything else is coming up very well - I planted the sweet potatoes last week and they have started to look normal now that the weather is hot.  I will try to remember to take the camera to the garden this weekend and take pictures.  In the meantime, you can see a shot of my plot in this story. 

I stir fried the snowpeas, broccoli and tofu with black bean sauce - delicious.

The snowpeas

The one head of broccoli

Kale from a rogue plant that self seeded

Lettuce.  My gardening neighbor Marina has a huge patch of the red lettuce - all that self seeded from last year.  The red here is from that patch. I traded her snowpeas for lettuce.

Update on Brian's blanket

My son is a pain - nag nag nag, mommy when will you finish my blanket?  Sheesh, you think 150 squares will make themselves?!

I'm kidding of course but I did take a bit of a break there for awhile.  Thank goodness for double header softball games, I can get a lot of crocheting done in those 4 hours.

15 rows of 10 squares in each row.  5 rows down, 10 to go.  30 min to make a square - I should be done by the time it snows again.

Row 5, ready to be attached

A riot of color

What's blooming May 15 2011

The yellows are starting to bloom.  Too bad I don't remember what these plants are!  It's also May Garden Blooming Day

Iris

Peony.  I need Emma to show me how to use my camera - this was taken seconds after the iris picture

More Iris

I have no idea what this is.  It's a bulb.  There's also purpley/pink ones.  Any ideas?

Clematis, growing with the roses.  Too bad I broke off the whole vine on the other clematis, growing on the other rose bush.

Daisies.  I thought they were white when I bought them, turns out they are pink

Stone crop sedum

Blurry poppies

Vanilla Rhubarb Jam - wow!

The rhubarb is ready and I am came across this recipe a few months ago.  The Food in Jars blog has been a wonderful inspiration for all things canning.  If only I was so ambitious.  Today turned out to be a dreary raining day so what else to do but make jam.

Sugar with rhubarb and a tea bag.  Tea bag?  The recipe called for 1 cup of Earl Grey tea (or water) and I only had Irish Breakfast.  My Irish children will thank me.  The sugar has 1/2 cup of vanilla sugar mixed in.

Mix the rhubarb, tea and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.  Add lemon juice, salt and the insides of a vanilla bean (what to do with the pod?  I could put it into more sugar but what else?).  Boil for 10 min, add liquid pectin and boil until thick.

Put into jars and process in water bath for 10 min.

This jam is delicious!  I'm very impressed with the taste, I just hope it sets up well.

here are a few new blooms in the yard

Poppy.  These are growing rampant in my vegetable garden and I can't get it to grow in my yard. This is the lone poppy.

Baptisia.  Looks nice with the Peony that is almost ready to flower.

Clemetis.  These are really lovely

What's blooming May 10 2011

Every time I walk outside, there is something new in bloom.  This is the best time of year

My cozy nook on the porch

Little Bluestem grass

Knockout Roses

Geranium - Johnson's Blue

Tulips, still hanging on

I love these Clematis

Rock Iris

Bachelor Buttons

Smoke Bush flowers

 Azaela

Knockout Rose

Geranium

Coral Bells - I don't know what I did with the camera as it was sunny out!