Thursday 6 April 2017

Bearded Irises, Tulips, Rosebuds, Asparagus Recipes & Eli the Kitten!

The Bearded Irises have started their wave of violet-blue that eventually will progress down a side of the central garden path.

The vanguard as they get the most sun

Many blooms are yet to come.

They resemble a shoal of minnows!

Days are sunny enough to warrant wearing a straw hat. This one which The Calm One was given at a community event fits snugly unlike the tattered one it replaced. That old companion often went flying into the wind with me running after it, but regardless served me well for six years. There's lots of work at hand presently and a simple pleasure of wearing a bonny hat puts me in the right mood. Seven of the annual veggie beds have been planted with just four more to do (tomatoes, shelling beans, parsnips, and kale).

Onion, newly planted potato, and pea beds

To make sure that the laundry doesn't act like my old straw hat, the washing is secured with many a clothespin.


Roses unfortunately are subject to blackspot, a fungal disease which rapidly defoliates them. Since a few spots have appeared, our ten bushes have been sprayed the first windless day of the season.


Triumph tulips bloom in midseason along with Darwin Hybrids, that is, before lily-flowered, fringed, and parrot tulips.

Candytuft ground cover and tulips

Miss Elegance gleams like the finest porcelain with delicate tinting of white and pink.  Their stunning blooms are an excellent choice for cut flowers.


Though a creamy, pureed asparagus soup is wonderful, so is a clear one made with a broth from simmering the woody ends and trimmings in water for twenty minutes. Strain, boil some egg noodles in it, stir in a beaten egg or two, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and top with asparagus tips/Parmesan cheese.


Just as delicious is buttering some cooked spears, topping with poached eggs and Parmesan, then seasoning the whole lot with salt and freshly ground black pepper. A sprinkling of breadcrumbs would be nice also.

Butter, egg yolks, and cheese combine to make a sauce as you eat

Eli the Kitten greeted the new straw hat with eager curiosity. Yes, his eyes are that fabulous: topaz with an emerald circle surrounding his pupils. Going on five months old, he still energetically rushes Dirac the Cat so they get together only when we are in the room with them, otherwise they are kept apart for Eli's safety and Dirac's peace of mind.


À la prochaine!