The hydrangeas

In the fall of 2013, I made cuttings from our single hydrangea plant and rooted them for a few months before transplanting them into pots. Last summer, after we dug up some tired old roses, I planted six of the new hydrangeas along the front of the house. They've made it through their first outdoor winter and now they look like this:

Three of the new hydrangeas in their permanent home. The board is Bertie's ramp up into the garage.

The growth is impressive for their first year in the ground. Some of them even have flower heads forming. As they continue to grow, they should make a nice flower hedge against the house with plenty of green from spring through fall. I'm really happy with how this worked out. The photo below shows the plants in December 2013 just after I potted them up.

Little hydrangea cuttings, rooted and potted, nearly a year and a half ago.

Spring chill

We're using the central heating again after a few weeks of not needing it. Temperatures in the past two mornings are down into single digits (that's celcius -- low 40sF). That's a little lower than normal, but it feels cold compared to a week ago. Oh well. It's still April. Last night I dreamed I was driving in snow, a thing I have not done in decades.

Cool spring weather doesn't seem to slow down the dandelions.

On Tuesday I divided my tomato seedlings. Even after tossing a few that were particularly leggy, I still have thirty-five individual plants. I swore I was going to have fewer plants this year. Ha! We're still a few weeks away from planting out in the garden.

The first poppy

Here is the first coquelicot (poppy) that I've seen this year. It's out in the vineyard, where a few patches pop up here and there every season. Elsewhere, these prolific bloomers will paint entire fields with their bright red color for a few weeks as spring progresses. I hope to see some when we're out and about, and if I'm lucky I'll have the camera with me.

A single flower in bloom with at least six more on the way.

Temperatures have dipped again to below normal for this time of year. Outdoor work is slowing, but I still managed to plant some seeds (indoors) for zucchini, cucumbers, and several varieties of winter squash. Once they germinate, they'll go into the mini-greenhouse on the deck until it's time to set them out in the garden. That will be some time in mid-May.

Asparagus season

This year I've noticed that, in our market at least, the asparagus is not as abundant as in past years. I'm talking about the local stuff that's grown not far from here. I bought a bunch on Saturday and the vendor told me that it's been slow growing, and that some days the harvest was good, but on other days there was nothing to pick. And then there were some fields where the asparagus was no good and unsellable. I wonder what it is? A week ago his asparagus was going for €9.50/kilo (about US $4.70/lb); this week it was down to €6.00/kilo (about US $2.95/lb).

I'll make this dish a time or two more before the season ends.

He also told me that their strawberries, which are also normally abundant now, were slow to flower this year, and he won't have his first berries until next week. There are local strawberries to be found, and I got some on Saturday from another vendor, but my normal supplier is having trouble. I hope it gets better for him.

Meanwhile, I made our annual asparagus and ham tarte for Sunday's lunch. If you don't remember, the white asparagus is peeled and cooked, then wrapped in ham slices, placed in an egg and cheese (parmesan) custard, then baked until done. We ate it with pan-fried potatoes. Delicious!

Funky feline fotos

Bert likes to come visit us on the deck in nice weather. Sometimes he jumps up on my lap, other times he sprawls on the table, and this time he nestled down into one of the empty planter boxes. I will soon be putting geraniums in the planters, but in the meantime, Bert thinks that they're spa beds.

It's almost like a sarcophagus. He has no idea that cats were once mummified.

In the good weather, Bert gets more people time than he does in winter. He'd rather snooze close to us than down in the garage where his bed is. He still spends most mornings on the couch when Ken gets up, but he has to go outside when it's time for Callie's breakfast. Mademoiselle does not tolerate cats.

Snooooze.

It's too bad, because Bert has no problem with dogs. It's just Callie who won't leave him alone. She was here first, it's her house, and from her point of view, Bert is an intruder who must be chased. Oh well. It's been five years and nothing's changed.

Just hanging out on the table top.

What's on tv

This week's cover celebrates the upcoming season of summer sports. There will be swimming (world championships in Russia), cycling (le Tour de France), tennis (Roland Garros), rugby (World Cup), and track and field (world championships in Beijing), among the highlights. I know I'll be watching the tennis and the cycling. I'm not really into the cycling per se, but they usually have terrific aerial views of France during the three week race.

A sports-filled summer. Just like last year. And the year before that.

What not to watch this week. Our tv magazine rates shows and movies using a star system: one star is ok, four stars is best. They use another symbol for really bad movies: the red dot. It means "à zapper" (change the channel!). The editors often include comments about the movie that make me laugh.

We leave the weather disasters behind this week and move into the realm of alien visitation. This time, it's the Roswell, New Mexcico, mythology, starring Denise Crosby, probably best known for her stint as Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She knows her space aliens.

Invasion Roswell. American made-for-tv movie. Directed by David Flores, 2013.
With Greg Evigan and Denise Crosby.
Sixty-six years after they crashed in Roswell, aliens return to invade Earth. Veterans of an elite force are called to the rescue.
► This flop feels like it was made in the 1980s with a paltry budget and washed-up actors. The sound effects used for the weapons are ridiculously absurd.
For adults and children over 10.

Red maples

Two red maple trees tower over the drive at the front of our house. When they're fully leafed out, they filter the morning sun on the house's eastern facade. During summer's warmest days, the dappled light helps keep the living room from heating up too much. In winter, when they're bare, the low sun can shine through. When there is sun.

The top of one of the maple trees and its shiny new red leaves, taken from our deck.

The apple trees in back are in full blossom right now. We're in an "on" year for the apples and I'm expecting a lot of them. It will be a pain when they start to fall from the trees later this summer and I have to pick them up before I can cut the grass. Most of them go into the compost pile (you can only eat so many apples), and that's good for the garden.