Rose-Scented.

How did Egg Creams get named, as they contain neither eggs, nor cream? Always liked these, the Southerners' (all things being relative) fizzy version of a Boston milkshake. (Milk and flavored syrup, shook. No ice cream; that'd be a frappe.) 

Instead of the traditional chocolate or vanilla syrup, I used rose flavored, with a bit of spice thrown into the shaker. Housemate, my guinea pig, asked me where the lamb vindaloo was that we should have been having for dinner tonight.

Sweeter than the other drinks so far, but perfumey. Could see making this one again, but going lighter on the syrup.

For two:

- 11/2 c. milk
- flavored syrup of your choosing to taste (I used rose, approx. 1/4 c, as the label said roughly 2T per serving; that was a bit intense.  Thinking that maybe half that would be ideal.)
- seltzer (I used orange)
- ice

Pour milk, ice, syrup and any other flavors you might like into shaker.  Shake until frothy.  Pour into two highball glasses, top with seltzer.  Garnish, if desired.  I used a cardamom pod, some rose petals and ginger with this. 

Les Mains Vertes, I



Scabiosa - new to the garden this year. Am not too keen on the name, but it sure is a pretty flower. Hopefully these'll come back next year.

Here's hoping that folks had a great Memorial Day - the unofficial start of Summer in these parts. Myself? Spent a good bit of the weekend in the garden, rather than doing the Barbecue Thing, as have been feeling the need for more quiet than revelry lately.

Anyway, knocked the Forsythia back into nominal submission, got a whole bunch of pretty stuff planted as well. Transplanted and took a headcount of the beautiful seedlings from that Trader Joe's melon we schlepped home a few weeks ago*.



Picture's from a few days ago; these guys have grown like crazy since then.

The backyard's being left to 'devolve,' so to speak. Violets and milkweed are taking over where there used to be grass, greenbriar's taking the place of the old vegetable garden. Having a bit of a forest in the middle of the city's kind of a nice idea. I will have to prune the lilacs and cut back the ivy. That's not too big of a deal, though, especially since it's all in the shade.



One of the two columbines we planted last year. The other one didn't turn up. I wonder if the garden's self-selecting for purple and yellow only?

***

* Anyone want to try for cantaloupe this year? I have two dozen plants and absolutely not enough room for that many.

Il faut cultiver son jardin.

Got out for a bit to tend to the gardens around the Somerville Estates. Though not as manic about this as I used to be on Winter Hill (partly because I don't have Raphaella around to guilt trip me anymore), am still managing to spruce things up a bit.

Out back, rounded up and transplanted the nasturtiums in pots up front. Thinned out the chives, radishes and dill. Decided to leave the greens to grow a bit more.*

Staked the peas.



Looks a bit like the camera had a hard time focusing in the low light. Sorry about that. Still, you get the idea.

Up front, dead-headed** everyone who needed it and where I found mature seeds, sprinkled them in blank spots. Worked on shoring up the little rock borders I'm making around plantings with ballast I find under the porch. Planted some more cheap annuals picked up on sale at K-mart.***

Also, moved outside and pruned the poor, half-eaten tropical thing an ex-coworker gave me when the office had a plant purge. Hopefully, the time outdoors in the sun, along with some plant food and a bit of respite from the cats will revive it a bit. I'm really fond of the thing (and of the person who unloaded it on me).

Around the ash tree this year, I planted marigolds.



Generally plant either them or alyssum, as both are pretty hardy and tend to lushness. Also like the smell. My main reason for planting here is to dissuade hospital clientele from using our (and the neighbors') yard as a trash receptacle. So far, so good; have only had to collect up remains from one lunch and a couple butts. No medical waste yet, anyway.



Inspired by the work of a friend in the old neighborhood, I decided to try planting morning glories around the tree. Started them from seed in Mid-April, and believe that, with luck, the little clumps of heart-shaped leaves will climb up the trunk and give us some purple flowers. We'll see.

Am pleased, as have already gotten positive feedback on the yard work from some hospital staff, a couple patients and neighbors a couple doors down I'd not met before. Pavel actually told me that another neighbor who puts a lot of work into her yard stopped him in the local garden store to talk plants and landcaping.

Tiny effort, small results that do grow with time. Kind of like what another dead European**** came up with the title once said - 'Se prendre du mal pour les petites choses est parvenir aux choses plus grandes.' (Taking pains with the small things leads to success with larger ones)*****

***

* This year it's going to be rocket, sorrel, kale, collards and mustard. I wanted tougher than lettuce and bitter/sour so the animals would leave some for us.

** Or, as Pavel put it - continued the plants' states of reproductive frustration. Kind of reminds me of what another guy friend once said about having the boy cats 'snipped.'

*** $1.89 for a package of six plants! This time around, we got some cute little fuzzy buttons in purple.

**** Not the guy who came up with the title to the post.

***** Just a rough citation from memory, so please pardon my inexactitude along with my French. Also, positive, but am pretty sure it was Samuel Beckett who said that.

Today was a bit grayer than the past few days, which really set off the colors of burgeoning life. This was just around the house today:



Norway Maples are sort of viewed around here as pale cousins to the red or sugar varieties. Granted, both the blooms and the foliage of the latter two are spectacular. Still, this isn't too shabby. (My favorite green, in fact.)



Last year's primroses! Am so happy to see them! I'm terribly jealous of the Frenchie, as these have naturalized in his garden. Normally, I treat them as annuals, as the Winters usually freeze them out here. Thanks to the wonderfully mild one we had this year, though, at least half of last year's transplants have come back.



The neighbors' fence been needing repair or replacement for some time, just as their cherry tree's been needing a pruning. Still, there are sometimes advantages to stuff going rank. Am trying to decide whether to leave these untouched or to bring a few branches in to force.

Love this perspective from the back steps.

Was a good thing we did get to Home Depot when we did. They were having a sale on hardy winter plants, so picked up two kale and several chrysanthemums to replace the early-frost ravaged summer stock.

I opted for two large chrysanthemums to put into the two now vacant hanging baskets because, for some reason, the hanging baskets were $10 more than the ground plants. They're sticking kind of bolt upright, but I think they'll relax a bit with time.

Figure that, when we get sick of looking at the kale, I can always make caldo verde from it.

Brought in the geranium and put it in a bag in the basement to kill off pests. Will check on it in a week or two to see how it's doing. The plan is to hang it somewhere in the house with southern exposure and let it bloom away during the winter. Had a geranium once in college that cheered me up greatly with its bright red winter blossoms.

As for the poor dollar-short-day-late tomato plant: there's one green tomato and about 1/2 a dozen flowers. Am trying to decide whether to keep it outside and continue covering it at night, bring it indoors, or to just let it go. (Poor thing.)

In flux.

Took a wander out to Great Meadows today. Decided to leave the camera home for a change so as to really get a good look at things. Noted that the swamps had been drained and some of the greenery had been cleared away. In others areas, it was left to grow beyond what I'd ever seen before.

As always, the area was teeming with birds and other animals. This time around, though, their activity seem almost frenzied. Noted more snowy egrets than we'd ever seen there in all our visits. Saw and heard at least two blue herons. Ducks and geese could be seen in the reeds, nurturing what seemed the last broods before migration. In the newly-drained areas, we could see (and hear) what looked like common snipe chicks and possibly some yellow-legs. Also heard marsh wrens and (I'm pretty sure) the cries of fish hawks, both young and mature.

The main causeway was nearly covered with at least three different types of frogs. Caught one slow one and gave it to Pavel to hold for a while. Marveled at sunfish leaping out of the water to catch gnats.

Oh, and the plant life: tasted some wild grapes. Wished I could get close enough to sample a lotus pod. Were amazed to find what looked like a couple different types of dogwood (?). Decided that maybe, just maybe, a bouquet of loose strife (bad, bad loose strife) and goldenrod might not be such a bad thing. Over all, the setting sun was gradually changing the variegated sky from different shades of gunmetal to golds, purples and pinks, all while drenching the rest of the landscape with gold.

Chatted for a bit with one man on his evening constitutional. He'd noted the draining of the swamps and the decision to cut some areas while leaving others overgrown; was perplexed a bit by this. I mentioned that, though there was always a lot of bird activity, this seemed like the richest I'd ever seen things. Pondered on the politics of managing the wetlands area.

At that point, the sun's rays shifted, both changing the colors of the cloud kaleidoscope above and highlighting a (until that point unnoticed) band of early-changing sugar maples.

"We're in flux," he said. "The seasons are changing and this is a wild time for everyone. It's all happening so fast."

"Much of the land will be given back to nature. People will enjoy living near a forest or meadow."



Right.

Flowering Trees



Fiddleheads



Bird Family Values



Oh, and lots of fretting over school and exams. That's what's going on in my little world right now.

I can't wait until next week when, for better or for worse, the school stuff will be done for the Summer, anyway.

Happy Easter.

Got started with my Spring planting up front today. Put in some primroses, pansies, columbines and some sort of composite with fringe-like petals whose name I forget. Did an awful lot to cheer things up.

Since I was up front, noted quite a few people stopping to take a look at what I was doing. Even got a few compliments on the arrangement and lack of color scheme. Was surprised that this came mostly from hospital people and glad that they noticed. Hopefully this will help push the notion that the houses that remain in the neighborhood are homes. Perhaps, by extension, the notion that the driveways aren't free parking and the lawns aren't trash bins or ash trays might gain traction as well.

Anyway, next up will be the strawberries, tomatoes and lettuce we picked up over the weekend. I want a decent-sized vegetable garden in the back, but really need to think on where to put it - both to maximize the sun time and to minimize the squirrel damage. (This is going to be tricky.)

Need to get out today to look at flowers for the new garden. Pavel likes primroses and pansies. I want a lot of cheap perennials like hostas, bleeding hearts and astilbes.



Naturalized primroses in the Frenchie's yard. February, 2009.