Each Little World

Late summer in the pond

As our waterlilies are fading the broadleaf arrowhead (Sagitaria latifolia) in the upper pool burst into bloom. The tall stems of clean white flowers always come as a surprise after weeks of looking at nothing but a sea of leaves.

September comes early

This year my 'September Charm' Japanese anemone and wood aster (Aster divaricatus, Raiche form) all started blooming before my August lilies (Hosta plantaginea, below ) even thought about opening. Despite their names, they seem to be a bit confused about who is supposed to flower first. 

Belated anniversary

Friday, August 23rd marked the end of my fifth year of blogging. Thanks to all of you who've followed me and continue to comment.  

This is what I posted on 8/23/08 and it still holds true today:

 

For the mind, by nature stagey, welds its frame

Tomb-like around each little world of a day.

We jump from picture to picture and cannot follow

the living curve that is breathlessly the same.

— Louis Mac Neice / 1907-1963

What little world?

EACH LITTLE WORLD that collides with mine:

The world of interiors and exteriors; bibliophiles; china and dishing; feasts and fests; food; flowers and gardens; material possessions and textile obsessions; worldly goods and bads.

Your worlds and mine.

Let the collision begin.

. . .

The opening quoted text is the 2nd stanza of Louis Mac Neice's poem, "August," as it appears in A Little Treasury of Modern Poetry.

Back from the dead!

I planted "star fruit" (Penthorum seloides) at the edge of our pond in 2000. By the summer of 2011, it had grown out of all proportion for its space. When it didn't show up last summer I was mad at myself for being too enthusiastic in ripping it out in big handfuls the year before.

Lo and behold, one stem appeared this spring and I've been waiting all summer for this moment when it finally bloomed! Star fruit is described as "having bouquets of upside down turkey's feet embossed with small rows of starry flowers." They'll turn into pinkish fruits later in the season.

It's great for wet spots as it will grow in up to 4 inches of standing water. Its strong profile makes it nice for winter interest as well.

How about your garden this summer: any sudden deaths or reappearances?

I gave up and watered . . .

Decided the garden couldn't wait for rain any longer, so I watered for much of Sunday and Monday. Lots of new plantings and re-arrangings needed more attention than a watering can could provide.

I'm glad I didn't wait for the rain that was forecast. Nothing yesterday and this morning it's dark, noisy and windy at our house but no measurable rain so far. Let's hope I don't regret those words  . . .

Update: Rain is picking up; keeping our fingers crossed.

Donna Hay does it again

I love Donna Hay's eponymous cooking magazine. It's an Australian publication which means I tend to discover it more by accident than intention. Local bookstores just don't seem to have it on a regular basis, or maybe the copies sell out quickly.

The other quirky thing about Donna Hay is that she's usually publishing recipes for the opposite season, being in the Southern Hemisphere. But issue 67, which I found earlier this summer, is a winner — primarily for its variations on potato salad. Turns out the magazine has sold out and I can't find the recipes on-line, so I will share one of the recipes I tried: Salmon, horseradish and potato salad. 

Essentially, boil new potatoes for 18-20 minutes, drain and set aside until cool. Then slice thinly. While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice two large cucumbers. Quickly pickle them in a bowl with 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar. Allow them to marinate at least ten minutes.  

Make a dressing with 1/2 cup creme fraiche, 2 tablespoons each of white vinegar and horseradish, sea salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, grill 4 salmon fillets of about 7 ounces each. Top the sliced potatoes with flaked salmon, drained cukes, chopped chervil and drizzle with the dressing. An easy, elegant and delicious dinner for four.

What I really liked about these recipes was the flavor combinations. 

• One salad wrapped wedges of cooked potatoes with proscuitto, then tossed them with frisee lettuce and cooked asparagus spears. Dress it with lemon juice to which you've added garlic and chopped anchovies to taste. 
• Potatoes, peas, green onions, mint with a dressing of yogurt, lime juice and Indian lime pickle.
• Another great combination I tried mixed potatoes, radish halves, sliced baby beets and red lettuce. Dressing is mayo mixed with fresh tarragon, garlic, capers, and a bit of vinegar and oil.
• Boil new potatoes in water to which you've added finely sliced ginger root, garlic cloves to taste, salt and 1 cup of rice vinegar. Boil for ten minutes, then add turnips and cook another ten minutes. Drain, slice potatoes and turnip and mix with sugar snap peas and edamame beans that have been blanched. Dressing is 1/2 cup mayo mixed with 1T. each of wasabi paste and rice wine vinegar.

I realize these are not full recipes but I think you can get the idea and improvise using amounts of ingredients and spices that appeal to your personal taste. And maybe when Donna Hay Magazine gets their recipe index functioning you can find more details and ideas online.

Metered design

Functional items hide in plain sight in the Torhorst garden.

Pruning lessons from Linden's

Last week we stopped by one of our favorite destinations in Door County: Linden's in Ellison Bay. We made many visits to this wonderful shop/gallery in all its Madison incarnations, and brought home more than a few treasures.

But what made this visit special is that both Brian and Jeanee Linden were at the gallery. We could tell how long it's been since we last saw them by how much their sons had grown — and how much their landscaping around the gallery had grown as well. Their shop is well-worth a drive up the penninsula, but it was the lansdscaping that caught our eye on this trip.

Pagoda dogwoods (Cornus alternifolia, above and the two images below) trimmed the way we often see on the East coast. In this instance, however, the layered wedding-cake pruning gives them more of an Asian ambiance.

Such hard pruning also causes lots of growth making for a dense specimen — despite the space between layers — as this side view shows.

I've always loved this Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) which was a small specimen the first time I saw it outside the Linden Gallery. Now it's large enough that its wonderful shape is obvious at first glance.

Though it twists and turns naturally, you can increase this effect by opening it up with pruning, too.

Back home

Mark and I have just returned from a week at "art camp" in Door County. Five days of drawing, painting and collaging inspiration. We feel just like this Buddha we snapped in Ellison Bay: at peace with the world and smiling a secret summer smile.