July 21, 2024 What next?

Last weekend was the Open Gardens event in Iowa City. Twenty gardens in the Iowa City area opened their gardens from 4-8 on Saturday and 10-2 on Sunday. We were one of the gardens. 

We had a decent amount of visitors. At the same time gardeners in Iowa City mostly know out garden. The novelty of seeing a garden for the first time just does not exist. 

It was rather exhausting. I was literally on my feet for 4 hours in a row, talking most of that time. I did not feel like gardening for several days afterwards.

However the temperatures cooled off by midweek. We have had delightful mornings, down in the 50's. I would actually wear a jacket when I first would go out in the morning. We got our inch of rain for the week on Tuesday, giving us over 4 inches for the month. The hoses are rolled up but not put away.

It is time to think about what comes next. The ornamental kale is still growing in the greenhouse. The caladium gets bigger. I transplanted a hosta yesterday to a place on the east side of the house, that needed something.

So what is blooming? 

The last yellow orchid cactus bloomed last Sunday, just in time for some of the visitors.

It is time to think about bulbs for the fall. From experience I know that certain plants sell out. In fact I keep a sold out list. I look at it the next year and order it as soon as it is available. Monsella tulips are in that category.

This year I just ordered 5 lilium that were doubles. Exotic Sun had convinced me that doubles were ok.

Can I do a video?

This is a hardy hibiscus called Starry Starry Night.

I have seen several blooming around Iowa City this week. It does seem early.

The phlox give color to parts of the garden in search of color at the moment,

Here is the fancier caladium, planted less than two weeks ago.

This hydrangea has also started blooming.

This lantana plant is now in its second year. It wintered inside. I really am wondering how big it will get by October. I suspect we will bring it inside again.

This is a blackberry lily called Freckle Face.

It has rounded edges. Compare it with the next picture.

The white cattleya is putting up buds. It bloomed last year in July.

This is one of the adenium that has some buds coming. I am pampering it along with its 3 friend. Please deer, leave this plant alone.

Julia's recipe

Vichyssoise

Although we have not had a prolonged hot spell (so far), it is summery enough to put one in mind of cold soups. I have made hot potato soup to eat in cold weather: this soup can be served hot but it is excellent cold. This recipe is from an ancient version of the Joy of Cooking. 

The ingredients:

2-1/2 cups cleaned and sliced leeks;

1/2 cup chopped onion;

3 tablespoons butter;

4 cups peeled, thinly sliced potatoes;

4 cups stock (I used better than bouillion vegetable base);

2 cups 1/2 and 1/2 (or whole milk);

1/2 or more kosher salt; and

some black pepper.  

I started by peeling the potatoes. Then I cleaned the leeks (cutting off the green part and the root end; slicing each leek in half and rinsing each half to remove any dirt). After that, I sliced the leeks into thin half moon pieces.  

I melted the butter in a dutch oven, and then I added the leeks and cooked them over medium heat to soften but not brown.

Next I chopped the onion...

and added the onion to the leeks.

While the onion-leek mixture cooked, I sliced the potatoes using a mandoline. Very handy for getting uniform thin slices.

I used 1 russet potato and 3 yukon gold potatoes. I wanted the russet because russets break down easily and would thicken the soup. I wanted the yukons because they break down but less dramatically and don't thicken the soup as much.

Don't use red potatoes. They don't break down, which makes them good for potato salad, but not for soup.  

By the way, the mandoline guard is in the foreground. I did not use it for the first half of each potato, and I did use it for the back half of each potato. 

I added the veggie broth to the pot, follwed by the potato slices, the salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each).  

I cooked the soup until the potatoes were completely soft - maybe 30 minutes. Then I used a stick blender to turn the soup to mush. It ended up the texture of thickish applesauce.

Then I let the pot cool off and I put it in the refrigerator overnight. 

The next day, I ladled the soup into the blender, about 1/3 of the soup each time. I added 1/3 of the dairy and zizzed the soup up. The resulting soup was silky smooth. 

You don't have to cool overnight or use the blender. You could let the soup chill for an hour or two and then whisk the dairy in. 

In the bowl. It was a bit beige - if I had used chicken stock it would have been paler. 

If I had any chives or scallions on hand, I would have garnished.

We had egg salad sandwiches and salad and canteloupe. A nice summer dinner.

And of course, the leftovers were great. 

Odds and Ends

Damn- deer- There is a new family in the neighborhood. Julia was awakened several nights ago by the motion detecting light outside the kitchen door. It was almost midnight and she saw a large deer with antlers.

Friday evening, about dusk, Julia told me there was a deer on the back driveway, by all the sale plants. Since I was still dressed I went out to chase it away. I thought I was seeing double. Actually there was a large deer, without antlers, undoubtedly the mother in this group.

AND THREE LITTLE ONES- TRIPLETTS

Oh my. I expect they are just settling in to the neighborhood for the forseeable future.

I will get out the deer repellant, but I cannot spray everything.

The crazies in this state and this country are apparently doing well.

Pray for peace. Pray for an epidemic of good sense.

Pray that people will see that the emperor has no clothes.

Philip