The Front Planter, Nude

I share a front planter with my neighbour and we have finally agreed to repair it. The 30+ years old railroad ties where disintegrating and on my side pushing out. This is the planter sans wood, nude if you will. Next posting will be with the new wood painted chocolate brown and my new additional planter in the nook of the stairs (not visible in this image).

The tree is a Sugar/Honey Locust which produces giant brown pods each fall. The dogs eat them like candy so I researched and found that so, too, did Native North Americans. I have yet to find a recipe.

On my side there is a a lovely single Holly which manages to find love somewhere in the neighbourhood and on the other side a pretty boxwood. The vine climbing the tree is a Boston Ivey which turns vivid red in the fall. Newly planted are Poppies; the Periwinkle did well this year with many periwinkle coloured flowers; and in error (in the excitement to get planting) I put the Lemon Thyme out front instead of a pot out back but it loves it and I dart out regularly from the kitchen to snip; and the blue Clematis growing on a stand just behind the tree is about to burst; and the two Spider Warts on either side burst and close with the sun each day; the Marigold keep the pests away; and I have forgotten the name of the lime yellow vine but it is a pest and would take over if not kept in check.


Gardening +

Ah, Spring

Ah, Spring.

Looking up into a sunny blue sky

full of just opening lime-yellow leaves,

a warm wind,

birds' song everywhere,

green grass,

and shirt sleeves.

(completely ignoring the pollen count)

Yellow Bloom Holly (?)

Investigating this Yellow Bloom Holly in the park. The blooms started as small clusters of pellets. Then they opened looking like they had cracked. I thought them done but then they engorged as they are now. I don't know what kind of Holly, if Holly at all, this is. After staying green all winter many of the leaves turned russet colour just before the bloom. You can see the few left in the bottom image. I want some of this Holly for the garden.

...

Solved: the plant is Mahonia Aquifolium, 'Oregon Grape', and it is out of its zone growing in Toronto. Must be its protected location amongst the buildings and it is well sheilded by other plants.

...

And this past weekend Tom and I found three wonderful Mahonia Aquifilium, 'Oregon Grape' plants at Bristol Gardening and planted them next to the regular Holly. It has occured to me that we didn't ask if they require male and female plants as do the regular Holly. Guess next spring will tell.

More Orchid

Now with 3-branches in bloom . the right side is 2-arms of the same stalk - this is one wonderful plant.

A Farewell to my Colleagues

Thirty Days

Two Dogs on Ice

Kokopeli and Noa Jivali at Cherry Beach, February 6, 2010.

Temp, -8C. Sunny and bright.

Great cracking ice noises.

Both intent on ducks in open water.

Sunday Onion and Cherry Tomato Pie

 

Mid afternoon Sunday and I decided it was time to pie again. I made the crust with butter instead of shortening - much better, and honest tasting - and I increased the quantities to be sure to have enough dough. This is an Onion and cherry Tomato pie and though intended to be Savoury it is actually quite sweet. At the last minute I put Star Anise in with the Onions which added to the sweetness but also spiced it up. My simple top of sliced dough with spokes glowed nicely with the egg finish. The next on the list is a Tortiere.

Savory Pies, 2010

Savory Pies, 2010

I have decided that 2010 will be the year of Savory Pies. Last year was the year of making bread and in the nick of November I finally turned out wonderful loaves. My challenge is to keep it simple. I tried all sorts of bread – flatbreads, bulgerbreads, carawaybreads – finally settling on the straight forward white flour with 1/5th whole wheat flour loaf. In light of that learning my first pie of 2010 is the Chicken Pot Pie, the challenge being the crust not the stew (see previous post re: cooking vs. baking). And my first try is an unmitigated disaster. Where as it tastes just fine, the crust is light and fluffy on top, and suitably unmushy under the filling, the quantity of pastry is too small. I followed the basic recipe in the Joy of Cooking (1980 edition) for a 9” two part pie but somehow I ended up with only enough pastry to make the base. At the last minute (I know that’s a baker’s worst thought) I made a little extra for the top. It’s cute and perhaps could be considered even as a new form of pie, say, 'The Half Top, or 'Cabriolet'. But for my first effort it is wonderful.

Savory Pies of the future: Tortière, Tomato, Steak and Kidney, Vegetable.

I will master the simple crust then move on to fancier looks such as a woven top and then more interesting crusts such as olive oil, turmeric and perhaps even a sweet one.

Oh, and happy New Year everyone!

Kathy, R.I.P.

Kathy and I, Taboo Resort, Muskoka, 2008.

Christmas Tree

I am enjoying this Christmas season. Last weekend Tom and I decorated the tree at his house with massive amounts of ornaments and ribbons. It is gaudy but beautiful.

Pink Jade in Bloom

My Pink Jade blooms twice a year, once in the spring when I take it outdoors and again in the fall when it is brought back inside. A canopy of small pink flowers. I received this plant as a mere sprig, a small single stemmed housewarming gift in 1995. Fourteen years later it is too big to pass through a doorway without breaking a branch. And each year I break a branch and plant it as a new Pink Jade. Curiously not all new plants bloom.

The Perfect Loaf, December 2 2009

I have always been a cook: meat, fish, hors d'oeuvres, soup and salad. But never a baker. My goal this year was to learn how to make bread. Many failures, some success. Flat breads a breeze, but a good risen loaf nearly impossible. Today I made the perfect loaf. it rose exactly as it should have, three times: first as a mash mixture, second as a boule, and lastly in the bread pans. It is a white caraway. They almost look like chickens with their tucked in bases. They are fluffy inside, a billion bubbles in the bread architecture. The crust is firm, solid and just the right crunch. Home made bread, butter and honey. Mmm.

For 2010 I have decided on savory pies.

Self Image, circa 1960/61

Escape is futile.

Bed Beasts

Possibly the biggest bed infestation I have ever encountered.

Dinner in the Sky

Dinner in the Sky was a program we ran for AMEX to launch Summerlicious.

Since then we have won numerous awards for this work: Best Experiential, CAPMA; Best Experiential, GLOBES; and tonight, fingers crossed, Best Financial-PR at the Canadian Marketing Awards (CMAs).

Noa Jivali in Hyland Park

My little beast chasing rabbits and tennis balls in Hyland Park, Rochester, August 2009

Maudine ‘Claire de Lune’ Philippinense Alba: Twins

The Philippinense has a twin head. Hope the first bloom (left) lasts long enough for the third bud, hidden behind the bloom on the right, for all three to be out at once.

Brian James, 1960 - 2008

We scattered my brother last night

in the Humber River just beyond the pedestrian bridge,

a quiet recluse, the storms passed

and he fled downstream.

.

Maudine 'Claire de Lune' Philippinense Alba

A spectacular showing of Maudine 'Claire de lune' Philippinense Alba. The top image is of the whole plant and bloom, and the lower image, a close up, shows the one bloom full open with another to the right and a third just a bud peeking from behind. Wonderful colour striations and fierce demeaner. Note: I have stamped out in photoshop the wire supports which accounts for the glow around the middle of the stem.

BlackLineDream of Tom's Daphne Shrub

BlackLineDream of Tom's Daphne Shrub_01
2009-07-26
digital media, 9" x 9"

Tom's Daphne Shrub as Batik

> grey scale > brightness -42 > contrast +48 > stamp (light/dark balance 25, Smoothness 5)

Tom's Daphne Shrub

Characteristics of Daphne Plants

'Carol Mackie' daphnes are rounded shrubs that mature to 2'-3' tall, with a slightly greater spread. They bear fragrant, white to light pink tubular flowers in clusters; blooming time is generally in May. The flowers are succeeded by small red berries (drupes). Perhaps the outstanding feature of 'Carol Mackie' daphne plants is their variegated foliage. Despite being classified as "deciduous," I can understand why some refer to 'Carol Mackie' daphnes as "semi-evergreen": the daphne shrubs in my zone 5 garden kept their leaves throughout the winter last year; the leaves didn't become unattractive until late winter.

Source: http://landscaping.about.com/od/shrubsbushes/p/daphne_plants.htm

Orchidflagrante redux

At first I was worried about the horizontal stem but it is strong and vibrant and looks to be producing eight or more blooms. In the summer it needs to be moved away from the window or the metal finish on the container overheats and cooks the plant. It is not going outside this year as in others - let's hope that still gives winter blooms. This plant has been blooming continuously for two and a half years.

3-Sketches from last August

Lee's Trail, Stanley Park, Vancouver
Ink on Lamali Lokta Paper, 2008-12

Prospect Point, Stanley Park, Vancouver
Ink on Lamali Lokta Paper, 2008-12

The Ghatt (Fantasy)
Ink on Lamali Lokta Paper, 2008-12

Rêve de tournesol

Rêve de tournesol, 2009-07
digital media, 9" x 9" 300dpi