May 9, 2021- There was rain

It rained. Actually the week had rain at both ends.

We got almost 1.5 inches on Monday. The ground soaked it up. Plants that were starting to droop perked right up. Weeding became easier. 

It then became cool. That happens. We are now close to the frost free date. That sometimes elusive date seems to be about May 10.  I still found myself gardening in my winter coat several times when I was out by 6 am.

I try to get out to the garden by that time these days. The sun is up at 5:53 at this point. This evening (Sunday night) is suppose to get down into the upper 30's. Today's high is predicted to be 56. What?

It is what it is.  

Update: We got more rain as of Saturday night into Sunday morning. Three of the next four nights will get into the mid to upper 30's. The soil temperature will not do tomatos a lot of good. I should really plant several of those broccoli starts that someone brought for the sale table,

One bright spot in cool weather is that much of the garden stays the same. At the moment that means that tree peonies are blooming.

The flowers on the big white ones close up at night. They open completely with the sun. 

I looked back on last week's post. So much of what was blooming is now gone. The Virginia bluebells are pretty much done. At this point I can just break off the tops of the plants if I want to make an area look more presentable. It is also possible to dig the bulbs at this point, either putting them on the sale table or sending them across country.

The Monsella tulips are done. They had a great run. Now I have to decide what to do with the old bulbs. Since they mostly do not bloom a second year I could and probably should dig up the bed and plant something else. Getting 20 new bulbs only costs about $20. Maybe I should order 50 this year. 

Of course the Monsella tulips do not go quietly. They go through their modern art stage on the way to being gone.

One plant type that has bloomed this week was the cristata iris. Such a strange little plant. So tiny. 

I seem to have two types. The first is smaller and slighly more blue.

These flowers are really bigger than the ones above. Both of these clumps are behind the pond. Speaking of the pond the chicken wire has apparently kept away the ducks.

Here is more information about these iris.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k690

In thinking about Monsella tulips I looked at the tulip section of a bulb catalogue. That requires me to look at other tulips. Species tulips? Shirley, the tulip? I could get in a Shirley rotation, first growing Shirley tulips followed by Shirley poppies. I have close to 25 of those poppies planted in the newly named Shirley bed. They are not budding up yet. That makes them different from the Iceland poppies, that have been blooming in their pots for a month. 

But as flowers end, something else takes their place.

The lady slipper orchids have just opened.

The late blooming spring bulb called camassia has started to bloomed this week. It is also called quamash. It was a food for native people in this country. The tubors can be baked and are described as being like a sweet potato. There were apparently prairies of camassia. Imagine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camassia_quamash

 

It blooms and then disappears by mid June, much like the daffodils.

I have two colors. The lighter color blooms after the darker one.

The little bearded iris continue their display.

These late English bluebells are also blooming. Some are blooming in places where they were not planted. Sometimes squirrels have a purpose.

Julia's recipe

Salmon and rice with mushroom-leek broth

This is another recipe for salmon, apparently Japanese-inspired, from the NYT. It's fast and easy, and we do eat salmon 2 or 3 times a month, so it is nice to be able to change it up. I made the recipe more or less as directed, and I think I will change it up slightly (as described below) to make it even easier and tastier.    

The ingredients:

1 lb. (or so) of salmon;

2 - 3 tablespoons of sesame oil;

2 cups of leek slices;

2 cups of mushroom slices (I used shiitakes);

4 cups chicken stock;

1 cup of short grain rice; 

1-2 tablespoons grated ginger;

some kosher salt. 

I used a leek. I think thinly sliced white or yellow onion would be fine. I used shiitake mushrooms. I could not detect anything special in terms of flavor, and I will use cremini or maybe white button next time. I used aroborio rice (the short grain rice I had on hand). I think medium grain rice would be fine. I had frozen chicken stock; Better than Bouillon would be fine. You will want salmon, of course, and fresh ginger and sesame oil. 

  

First I turned the oven on to 325 degrees. I sprayed a baking dish, put the fish in the dish, drizzled 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over the fish and sprinkled about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the fish. 

The fish roasted for about 25 minutes.

Next: prepping the vegetables. I trimmed and cleaned the leek (a large leek), then cut it in half length-wise and then into half-moon slices. I washed the mushrooms, removed and discarded the stems and sliced the caps. 

Then I put the rice on to cook separately.

While the fish and rice cooked, I made the leek-mushroom broth. I heated up another tablespoon of sesame oil in a big enamel pot and added the leeks and the mushrooms with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. 

I let the vegetables cook on medium for

8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then.

Then I added a quart of (frozen) chicken stock. I left the heat on medium to hasten melting the frozen stock, and then I turned the heat down and let the pot simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, the fish finished cooking and sat quietly on the counter for 5 or 10 minutes, and the rice also finished cooking. 

Assembly: a scoop of rice in the bottom of the soup plate, to be followed by some small- to medium-sized pieces of salmon. 

Then topped off with a ladle or two of the mushroom-leek-chicken broth.

Last of all, a drizzle of sesame oil and some grated ginger. Later we splashed on some sriracha.

This is a mild soup/stew, and it was good on a chiily spring evening. 

Next time, I think I will add some red pepper flakes at the onion-mushroom. Mild and warm are good, but a bit more pep would make it even better. 

What is coming in the garden?

I noticed that a few Siberian iris were showing some color. If I think about it with this cooler weather it could be another few weeks.

I begin to see a few buds forming on some early lilium.

We are still waiting for leaves on the walnut and sycamore trees. I want them to provide some shade before all the plants still on the front porch to more on out. At the same time these temperatures are not want crotons or orchids really want.

Odds and Ends

Having been prompted to mention this-

I must say I did not take part in gardening while naked day last weekend. 

https://mrplantgeek.com/2018/05/05/more-photos-from-world-naked-gardening-day/

Inspired by the wonderful little iris display the last two weeks, I ordered some more this week. They will arrive in September.

Dandelions seem to be everywhere. Since we did not go after everyone of them just when the bloomed, they of course are going to seed. I can now dig up a dandelion and in doing so sending forth hundreds of seeds.  However we have standards. At a certain size  I have to put everything else aside and get it out of signt. For example if it measures more than15 inches across it must go. If it puts up more than 3 seedpods...the same.

Yesterday was a tiring day of potting and weeding and talking gardens with visitors. I have an appointment with the chiropractor tomorrow.

Perhaps the rain will mean I do not have to be outside at 6am.

Be safe.

Philip