Promised Photos

I spent most of the afternoon pulling up grass and planting these Stone Crop Blue Spruce Sedum. I moved the ajuga that had been there to the bed outside of Dan's study. I hope it grows better there.

We planted daffodils in four spots last fall. One spot was on the edge of the glen. In years to come this will be quite a display in spring time. For now its only single blooms with the promise of more in the future.

You know its spring when the bleeding heart is up.

I don't know the name of this wildflower that someone gave me last year after they had bloomed.

Garlic is doing super. I need to plant red onions now. They'll go in a perennial bed since the deer won't bother them.

Here's another spot we planted daffodils. I can see these outside my bedroom window except the flowers face away from the house.

What's happening in the garden?

The garlic is up and very green.

Daffodils are blooming where we planted bulbs last fall.

Spinach and peas have sprouted in the new raised beds.

Hostas are poking through the earth and will need to be sprayed so they don't become deer food.

5 yards of mulch to be delivered next week and will need to be spread.

Lavender and Russian sage needs to be pruned .

Onion sets to be planted as well as other cold weather crops.

Sitting here doesn't get it done so I best be going to do it.

I'll take some pictures today too!

New Vegetable Garden

I am trying two raised beds this year as a vegetable garden. Each measures 3 ft. x 3 ft. and is 10 inches deep.

Dan did most of the work to put them down level by using the pick axe.

We went to Home Depot for soil and a couple of bags of humus/manure. The soil came with lots of additives and there wasn't much choice. We got 9 bags to split between the two beds.
Here they are filled in. I can't wait to plant but am waiting on my seed order and free seeds from my daughter.
I couldn't have done it in one day without Dan's help.

Dinner

Had friends for dinner last night. Here's the menu:

brie cheese with almonds
asparagus soup
bison meatballs
angel hair pasta
tomato and basil sauce
salad
chocolate cake
strawberries sauce

Here's the chocolate cake recipe (courtesy of Country Living Magazine):
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup sifted cake flour (I used King Arthur unbleached)
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup strong brewed coffee, warm
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 400. Lightly coat an 8 inch round cake pan with PAM and dust with flour. (Or cut a round of wax paper for the bottom instead of the flour.)

Whisk the flour, cocoa, soda, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Stir the coffee, oil, vinegar, extract together in another bowl or large measuring container.

Whisk the liquids into the dry ingredients just until smooth.

Pour batter into pan and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan and then remove to serving plate.

Cake may be iced or I like to serve with strawberries in syrup and whipped cream or ice cream.

Fresh Strawberries Sauce.
1 pint ripe strawberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar

Lightly rinse the strawberries and pat dry. Hull and cut up into a bowl. Toss with lemon juice and sugar and let stand for 2 hours to let juices develop. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 hours before using.