The Last Week Of April In The Garden

I can hardly believe tomorrow is the first day of May.  Where did April go?!

I haven't been as motivated to get out and take pictures this last week, since I'm still workin' with my point and shoot.  Yeah, I know, it isn't the camera, it's the person behind it, but it's more fun to play with the "fancy" one.  I'll be glad when they finally get it fixed.  Or send me a new one!

That being said, I do have a few pictures of some new things blooming in the backyard.

Let's start with the Jacob's Ladder.  I've never had much luck with them, but when I spotted this peachy-pink colored one last year, it had to come home with me. And it's actually doing quite well.

Here she is, Polemonium 'Apricot Delight'.

This next one is a plant I gave to my mom years ago.

She dug up a start of it for me this year.

Heck if I can remember the name of it.
Update:  My mom just emailed me and said this is

Omphalodes 'Lilac Mist.'   

The bed up against the back fence is really starting to fill in.

Right now the forget-me-nots, speckled spring (lungwort), and perennial bachelor buttons are all blooming.

Funny, the three plants that I'll be whacking back here soon, when they're all three covered in mildew.

Also in that back bed is a perennial geranium that I've had forever.

I can't remember the name.

It only blooms for a very short time, but I still love it.

The Solomon's Seal is huge now and starting to bloom.

This last one isn't a flower, but when I went out the other morning with my coffee, the cauliflower plants were rimmed with dew.

So, of course, I grabbed my camera.

So that's all for this time.

I guess I had best be gettin' out front before I miss the boat on some of those spring bloomers.

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Sesame Noodles With Scallions & Radishes

This recipe came out of the paper and it was amazingly delicious.  I'm a fan of peanut sauce anyway, but this one was SO good. 

The original recipe is vegetarian, but I marinated a chicken breast in Asian Sesame Salad Dressing, then grilled it and sliced it to throw in.  I also bought some fried tofu at the little Asian market by my house, and it comes in large rectangles, so we threw those on the grill as well.  So you could keep the recipe as veggie only, or amp up the protein with meat, tofu, or both like I did.

In addition to the radish and green onion, I added yellow bell pepper and cucumber.  You could throw in any extra veggies.  Also, instead of regular pasta, you could use wide rice noodles, which would be super yummy.  This one's goin' in the keep file for sure.

Here's my version:

Sesame Noodles With Scallions & Radishes 
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb dried linguini or rice noodles
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1/4 C warm water + more if needed
1/4 soy sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 scallions, sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, sliced
1 large cooked chicken breast, sliced
Cooked tofu, sliced

Directions:

Cook noodles until al dente and drain.

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree peanut butter, 1/4 C warm water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, oil, honey, and pepper flakes.  If necessary, thin with additional water, a tablespoon at a time.

Toss pasta with dressing and remaining ingredients.

Here's dinner on my plate:

All five of us devoured this.

Mouth pleaser all the way around.

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New Babies

We're talkin' the kind with roots.

I went to a plant sale with my mom last weekend and, of course, came home with some new additions.

First up, a Bleeding Heart.

This one is Dicentra, 'Gold Heart'.

I had no clue there were so many varieties of epimedium.

I'm pretty sure I need to become a collector.

At the price, I could only come home with one.

Please welcome, Epimedium, 'Starlet' to the world.

 A plant that I've never grown, but am now infatuated with: Lewisia.

I got two.

Meet Lewisia cotyledon Hyb. 'Rainbow'.

And her sister, Lewisia cotyledon 'Kanab'.

I had never even heard of this plant.
It's called Cortusa matthiolii ssp pekinensis.
Say that ten times fast.

This next one I'm pretty excited about, as well.

They get big and I'm runnin' outta room, so it had to go in a pot.

Euonymus alata, aka, Burning Bush.
Wait till the pictures this fall!

The annuals were odd man out at this particular sale, but I couldn't walk by the display of Stock without bringing two home.

They've never grown well for me, but I'm thinkin' this is my lucky year.

I also got a new Penstemon called Pikes Peak Purple, that would make for pretty uneventful photos right now.

And, I had a couple new things jump in my basket at the grocery store garden center a couple weeks ago.

Two new Columbine!

A lavender-ish one and one called Winky Red-White.

And a Celosia for The Dad.

They're not my favorite, but they were everywhere on our honeymoon in Victoria, and he was always pointing them out.

So I got one I could live with.

'Intenz'.

So there ya go, some new babies to take care of.
We're breakin' in a new grill tonight with this Spicy Turkey Burger recipe.
Supposed to hit 80 today. 
Wahooo!
Have a good weekend!
Off to the dirt I go....


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