July 25, 2021- I am trying to be positive

I have been trying to get out into the garden for at least 30 minutes after dinner every night. (Last night was a challenge, which I will not discuss since I am being positive.) For the moment that means working in the front yard. As the front yard gets under control, (ever the goal), I will have to expand the area of concentration. There is always some part of the garden that needs the most work.

(Update-my additional activity in the garden is a reflection of the fact that my back is much better. Nothing said was to suggest the contrary.)

As high summer begins to fade, as I have said before, it is time for annuals. With all my cuttings now growing, I realized I have something like 7 flats of annuals still to sprinkle around the garden. (That was before I got 4 more flats yesterday. Discussion later.)

The garden again needs watering. This is not a negative. It is a fact. I spent my 30 minutes Friday night with the water wand in the front yard. It is actually something to do really early in the morning. Yesterday (Saturday) I was out watering at about 5:20.

I had forgotten what a meditative opportunity that can be. It is quiet work. You think about individual plants. You make plants sparkle. As you spend time with each plant, you can think about each plant and each bed. What should be done next in that area? What should be done in 30 minutes. What could be added this fall.

With the help of a neighbor with a truck, I now have a supply of nice city compost. I can use that for potting things. Then there is top dressing. I can add maybe an inch of compost to an entire bed.

I can also give a plant a special treat by working compost all around its base. 

That same neighbor helped us get the enormous jade plant outside yesterday.

Last week I told you about annuals, including some coleus. Having obtained an entire flat of coleus last weekend, I had asked for two more. He brought 4.   4?  4!  So I am going to share. Some of them have gone on the sales table on the back driveway.  Speaking of the sale for the food banks, we passed $5900 this past week for the year. But what you have done in the past means nothing tomorrow. Harsh? Maybe a little. But you have to  keep going. You need to make sure it is in the right direction.

Let me let pictures from this last week that tell you about the garden.

The Shirley poppies continue on a very limited basis. I really wonder about succession planting of these poppies. I am collecting much seed for next year.

We have a number of inside hibiscus.  They really like the outside in the summer. 

This really dark lilium just started this week. There are lilium that bloom in August. August. We will be there soon. 

This little airplant is now 6 years old. Thank you Pat and Stewart. It hangs over the kitchen sink in the winter. It is currently thinking about blooming. It is in the backyard, probably getting a little more sun that in the past. But it looks healthy. When it thinks about blooming it turns red. 

Some of the late daylilies are really striking. This one is called Tiger Kitten. I think the label is lost. But it is such a nice plant that I remember the name. I sometimes think about getting rid of the label and just keeping the plants where I can remember the names. I suppose the garden would thin out over time.

This picture was from Thursday, July 22. Goodbye Ruby Spider. See you next year. The spray I applied did keep the deer from eating you again this year. Ruby Spider bloomed for the first time this year on June 23. What a run.

This cactus plant has been the reliable bloomer this year.

The crotons are doing well, and particularly appreciated being watered yesterday. This particular plant is in a clay pot. Too heavy. It does become a challenge to move around. I should transplant it to a plastic pot.

The late daylilies are blooming.

This next picture is of a double daylily called Savannah Knockout.

This  is Robert Batt. I do not know if it was developed by Mr. Batt or if he was the developer's next door neighbor.

This lovely little daylily is Bright Eyed Doll. It has not moved in 15 years. I wonder if it would do better if it were moved someplace else.

Julia's Recipe

Betsy's Halibut

As I may have said, when I was growing up, we always had fish on Friday, as a matter of religious observance. My mother observed the fasting-on-Friday rule long after everyone else had let it go, and I am not sure why. My mother was a religious person to be sure, but we were (and are) Episcopalians and I don't think year-around fasting on Friday was ever a rule. 

We had our share of pre-breaded frozen perch and take-out French-fried shrimp and creamed tuna (in the winter) or tuna salad (in the summer). We also had halibut, and this is how my mother fixed it, with one small change. 

The ingredients:

1 piece of halibut (probably 8 to 12 oz.);

1 cup milk;

1 egg;

1/4 cup white flour;

1 cup or so panko breadcrumbs;

salt and pepper and cooking spray.

I started by soaking the halibut in the milk. I don't know why my mother did this, but she did, and therefore so do I. 

I soaked it for 5 minutes, then flipped it over and soaked it for another 5 minutes. 

I turned the oven on to 400 degrees. 

While the fish was soaking, I put most of the flour on a plate and added some salt and pepper to the flour,

I took the fish out of the milk and patted it dry (but not too dry).

I put the fish on the plate with the flour mixture ad sprinkled the rest of the flour on top.

I spread the flour around with a little spoon so the fish was completely covered and then shook off the excess. The idea was to have a thin coating of flour.

Next, I cracked and beat the egg and poured it onto another plate. I dipped the fish into the egg to coat it lightly.

I poured the excess flour from the first plate and spread some panko breadcrumbs on that first plate. 

Then I plopped the fish onto the now-panko-covered plate and sprinkled more panko over the fish until it was nicely coated on both sides.

I lubed up a baking dish and then carefully transferred the fish from panko plate to baking dish. I sprinkled on some more panko to make sure I had even coverage. And then I sprinkled the fish with a bit more salt and pepper. 

Into the oven for about 25 minutes. Your baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. If you use an instant read thermometer, you will look for a temperature over 125 degrees. 

Here it is, golden brown and delicious. My mother always served fish with lemon wedges or lemon juice. You should too. 

I found 2 little russet potatoes that I forgotten about plus fresh green beans from the farmers' market for a nice dinner with green salad and melon.

How is this different from my mother's version? She coated her halibut with Kellogg's cornflake crumbs which came in a box like breadcrumbs. I like panko better.

Odds and Ends

I have been going over to the little sunny garden plot this last week. I have made it less embarrassing. Here were the first cherry tomatoes. 

Stay cool. The heat is here, probably to stay. 

Not everyone can be at the beach. But some people are there.

Christopher watched his first baseball game when he visited Iowa in May. He now almost always wears a baseball hat. He even was given a Babe Ruth jersey. (He read the book from the library, probably the same book I read 65 years ago.

He is interested in the Olympics this week. I wonder what new fascination he will realize. Skateboarding? Wrestling? 

When you are 4 years old there is a big world out there, with so many things to learn.

Philip