Viburnum and Columbine

The virburnum trilobum is blooming.
It is a shrub, probably 10 feet tall, with three-lobed leaves.
The flower is interesting.
There is an outer ring of large flowers and a center of many tiny flowers.

The outer flowers are sterile.

The little flowers are pollinated by insects.

It is also called High Bush Cranberry, although it is not a cranberry.
The berries will be the size of cranberries - sour - and high in Vitamin C.
We have not eaten them.
Usually we will have a passing flock of cedar waxwings to eat the crop.
One year, when the snow was very deep, we heard a commotion.
There were turkeys jumping up to get the berries!

.~.

The columbine has been blooming for a while.
In the next picture, you can see a seed case forming.

We have white, pink, and light purple.
They are self-seeders.

 

End of May Gardens

Oh, boy, are we ever ready for the Mara des Bois strawberries to ripen.
I keep checking, but they are still white.


But today, I got excited.  Red!!!

Alas, it is only a stone painted red.

We are concerned about the birds eating more than their share.
We're experimenting with various bird repellents.
One idea is stones painted red.
The birds learn that red things in this garden are not food.
Hope it works!!
~
The grapes are starting to flower.

 

The corn is planted.  The stakes are used to guide straight lines.
They will also get strings and other attempts at bird repellents.
Ribbons - balloons - pie plates.




Mama now has four babies.
She is a good mother and keeps track of them.
The white one did not make it.
It was smaller and did not thrive.

Weeding is always fun.
Tommy loves helping with the weeding.

Tomatoes are in.
We have had no tomatoes in three years due to late blight.
We're keeping fingers crossed.

Here's the great helper again.

Uh, Oh, We've got Aphids

The elderberry bushes have aphids.


They are in a tight bunch at the crotch of several branches.

At this point, they have not moved to the leaves or flowers.

Hope they don't overwhelm the trees.

First Lettuce of Summer

Today we picked the first lettuce leaves.


The temperature is in the low 80s,
so tuna salad seemed in order.

 

Made a sandwich with freshly baked naan.

Delicious!
An early taste of summer!

Chicks

Mama brought out her chicks today.
Here's a white one - probably a Buff Orpington, like she is.

Here are two black ones.  Who knows what they are?

We let a few eggs in the nest until one of the Buffies got broody.
The eggs could have come from any of the chickens.
There had been two roosters, but one disappeared.  Hawk?

Naan

Naan
Today I had a taste for naan, the flat Indian bread.
I found a recipe online at http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2010/08/naan/
It's a fairly quick and easy recipe for 8 naan:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1/3 cup Chobani Greek fat free plain yogurt
1 large egg
olive oil for cooking (you can use butter if you prefer)

After the first rise, cut into 8 pieces and roll out.

I used a super-hot cast iron frypan lightly coated with olive oil.

When the first side is brown enough, flip to do the second side.

Eat!

I served it with pork tenderloin.
I used the rest of the yogurt to make a sauce:
three cloves of minced garlic
lemon juice
salt and pepper.

So I guess this was a cross between a Greek and an Indian meal.