The garden and plants have been neglected for two weeks while I traveled to Missouri and Oklahoma. The best part was visiting with family and friends. It was a wonderful trip with delightful discoveries in my son and daughter-in-law’s backyard. The steep slope is covered with wildflowers growing under the shade of many trees.
There were hundreds of Dutchman’s Breeches.
After searching the internet I found out these are Toothwart.
The trout lilies, or White Dogtooth Violets, were the most numerous. This one grows beside a Mayapple that is smaller than the ones in the North Carolina mountains. Now I have transplanted them all, except for the Mayapple, from Missouri to North Carolina. That will add to the numerous variety I already have. Those will be coming up in a following post.
Sometimes I go to Sam’s and get the big pack of garlic. This time I didn’t use it all, so these two heads sprouted.
Now they are growing in the garden. It won’t be long before I can just pull some when I need garlic.
These chives jumped to garden path two years ago to grow in the mulch. They are ready to be used on baked potatoes, or in recipes.
Here is a recipe that uses both garlic and chives, and is a wonderful dip for raw vegetables.
Dip
1 cup homemade olive-oil mayo
Blend: 1 whole egg
2 tsp wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
Add in drops: 1 cup oil (this can be done in a blender or food processor)
Add: 1 cup sour cream
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 T chopped capers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 t Tabasco
1/2 cup chopped chives
I tried using my hand blender for the mayo. It made nice, thick mayonnaise.
And the garlic is growing!
The rhubarb that looked like this,
now looks like this.
The flower that is forming needs to be twisted off so the strength of the plant can go into the stalks, the edible part. The leaves are poisonous, but I don’t know about the flowers.
Some stalks are ready to be picked to make rhubarb sauce or cobbler.
I love this cobbler variation:
Rhubarb Sweetie
3 cups diced, fresh rhubarb or frozen, thawed
2 T orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1 T butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup honey
1 t vanilla
2 T sour cream
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t soda
Arrange rhubarb in a 8×8x2 inch greased baking pan. Mix orange juice and honey and drizzle over rhubarb. Dot with butter. Bake in 350 degree oven until tender (or microwave).
Mix egg, honey, vanilla and sour cream. Mix in flour and soda.
Spread batter over hot rhubarb and bake in 350 degrees oven about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Although this sauce takes time, it is very easy:
Rhubarb Sauce
Trim and cut rhubarb stalks into small pieces. (as shown above)
Put in a microwaveable bowl and add butter and honey (or sugar) to taste.
Microwave four minutes, then stir.
Continue microwaving, then stirring until sauce is smooth and thick.
This can be served warm on toast, pancakes, waffles, etc., refrigerated or frozen. It can be used just like applesauce.
One more good rhubarb recipe is Rhubarb Bread. I still like to microwave the cut-up rhubarb first and add whole wheat pastry flour instead of white. Also, if you add rhubarb sauce to replace some of the oil it is healthier.
The apple trees have buds coming out and there’s snow forecast for next week. Everyone here is worried about damage again this year.
After no blueberries last year, I’m especially concerned about these blossoms that are already opened. This year maybe covering them with sheets will help.
The candytuft is full of blooms and has spread to new areas. It even jumped across the driveway.
This clematis was hit last year, but still bloomed later.
My Bradford Pear has a redbud blooming in front, and a dogwood getting ready to bloom close in about a week.
Maple trees add red color to the view both spring and fall.
The squash was getting so big, and I had extra so I decided to plant three, as well as a basil and parsely. The pots there are ready to protect them if a frost or freeze comes.
One artichoke made it through the winter, but then it promptly wilted.
Mia is a constant companion in the garden. She mainly supervises.