The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the sky so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!


Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside...

from "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson

The swing is a favourite piece of equipment at the park for our grandchildren. After I've set a child into the swing I give the first push and then begin the rhythmic singing of "The Swing" -the tune can be found in the old Manitoba School Songbook. This songbook is a treasure trove for my sisters and me, since we still sing many of our favourite songs from it, reminiscent of our early school days in that province.

We hadn't been to the park for quite some time due to rainy weather but last week we had a wonderful sunny day at the park enjoying a picnic and lots of play time. When we got to the swings,I had barely placed my three-year old grandson onto his seat preparing to give him that first push, when the little fellow implored me: "Grandma, sing up in the blue sky!" I was floored since I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually sung it with him in the park. But I also was thrilled that he associated that song with our activity.

An Arrangement

It's fun to be able to make something beautiful out of whatever you find on hand. Thinking that I'd like to take a small bouquet of flowers to someone in the hospital today, I knew I would take some roses of the floribunda since one branch reached too far across the walkway where it was. This rose bush has mushroomed in the last weeks, resplendent with roses - no pics of the rose bush though I've taken dozens, none to my liking. (I'll keep experimenting till I find the right one.)

That small branch of roses was beautiful all on its own but I thought I could improve the look by adding some boxwood of which I have plenty... very nice...but how about a few new baby hydrangeas in their beautiful limy-green stage and lovely leaves? Ah, yes, very nice indeed. Now I just needed a "vase". I like to use old bottles for this purpose. They're neat and don't necessarily need to be returned. I placed this posy into a small old-fashioned milk bottle and liked the effect. But as I study the pictures of this creation I'm disappointed that I didn't notice the blight on one of the principal leaves, so apparent in the photo. Photography is teaching me so much about detail and the importance of arrangement and positioning.

Later this afternoon I popped in at the MCC store where Al drops things off at one end and I, at the other end, find treasures to take back home! Today it was bottles - beautiful bottles for more arrangements to give away...and since it was 50% off day at that store I got some beautiful items for only five cents each! Don't think this bottle business is my idea...I'm indebted to so many people for good ideas. My relative, Erna, is an artist. Some years ago she brought my mother a simple but beautiful floral arrangement in an old glass salad dressing bottle. The whole effect was gorgeous in its simplicity.

The garden provides year-round material for arrangements and if only a twig of boxwood or cedar in a unique bottle.

The Peony - Paeonia

Ever since Jennifer gave me these three (see first photo) of her first blooming peonies, I have been watching and waiting, and photographing my peony bush. This is the first year my peony bush has sported more than two or three blooms. While they have opened up beautifully, these dark red beauties can't match the intoxicating scent of the pink frilly ones.

Peonies are pure delight. A little research tells me they are extremely hardy-they need a cold winter climate, they are one of the longest living of all perennials, they have been around for ages, there are many, many varieties of peonies and of course their beauty and fragrance are fabulous.

The red variety in my garden, has a thick ring of bright yellow short stamens not only in the center, but in and among the layers that encircle the luxuriant bloom. And just why do ants love to hang out on those developing buds of the peony? (You can see an ant in the second photo - just click on it to enlarge) Let me tell you why...the buds produce a syrupy nectar that ants just love. Once the bud opens, the syrup has disappeared and so have the ants.

Peonies trigger vivid memories from my childhood years. My aunt,who lived in an idyllic little farmhouse, would send huge bouquets of flowers home for my mother during our summer visits. I would ride my bike the mile to her country home or walk along the railroad tracks with one of my four sisters, listening for the meadow larks. Returning home, we always carried a bouquet of flowers from her ample garden, laced with asparagus fern. What a fragrant ride all the way home especially when it was peony time, my favourites.

Another memory is that of peonies dancing along the entire south-facing wall of one of the most beautiful homes in our small prairie town. Along the wall of this stately yellow stuccoed home and walkway, ran a row of stunning red peonies signalling the arrival of summer.

The Peony...
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
John Keats

Tortoise Shell Rhododendron

This beautiful late-blooming tortoise shell rhododendron is a symbol of endurance. Not only is it a spectacular color show against the green cedar backdrop, it provides a classic demonstration of the parts of a flower in each bell-shaped bloom. A quick check at www.prairiefrontier.com/.../flwrparts.jpg, confirmed that I still remembered that elementary science lesson. The center long robust pollen tube is the pistil-made up of stigma, style and ovary. The stamens are the threadlike filaments capped by the anther. Magnificent! Miraculous! Spectacular!

Even more miraculous however, is the fact that this rhodo is still alive. After getting a number of rhodos about eight years ago, I realized that they weren't doing well, in fact all of them were looking so hopeless, in a relatively short time, that I took them out. Determined to doctor this one back to health, I replanted it several times paying close attention to location, soil, rhodo food and bug killer before it rallied and started to thrive. It was the nocturnal weavil that wreaked havoc on the unsuspecting rhodo leaves. These weavils are voracious and relentless in their quest for the rhodo. Now that it is vigorous it can stand on its own inspite of weavils, with just a modest amount of TLC. What a lesson for life - don't give up!

Garden Friends

There are many creatures that I welcome and look for in my garden. A friendly garden will have ladybugs, earthworms, butterflies, bees, frogs, toads and snakes to name some. I'm concerned that my garden isn't very friendly because I don't have any of the above in abundance and no frogs, toads or snakes - can't say I'm sorry though because they really make me jumpy.

Finding a ladybug however, is another matter. Tiny as they are, they evidently have voracious appetetites and feast on equally voracious aphids, intent on demolishing my roses. Every day I search for ladybugs and join them by using my fingers to squeeze the aphids off the buds. Aphids can make shortshrift of a rose bush. (I'm reminded of the children's classic: The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, a gorgeous book rich in color and message, as is his famous childrens book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar -both beautiful books and so enjoyable.)

Click on the tiny ladybug to enlarge it and you will see the detail of this remarkable garden friend.

The compost bin is another important garden friend. I've started keeping only grass clippings and fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen in it. This makes great compost in a relatively short time. One section of the bin is full of older compost. Ideally, the compost should do its work over the course of a year but I find I run out of it and use it sooner. It acts as a great mulch and keeps the soil moist as it retains the water better.

The earthworm is the great composter and I'm thrilled to find the older section of compost rich with earthworms. Tune in again for a neat picture of some of those garden friends.

Snails, Slugs and Spittle Bugs

Gardening is fun! It's like a game or even a competition. You put your best effort in and see what your opponent serves up. Offensively, I've turned up the soil, added compost, water and fertilizer - pruned and weeded - optimum growing conditions. But then there's a few pesky things to deter the happy advancement of this game...hmmm - like snails, slugs and spittle bugs - my greatest opponents right now.

These creatures, created for a specific purpose I'm sure, are fascinating and quite clever at times. Snails, for example can be dark or light depending on which plant they're feasting. They usually come out before sun-up or after sun-down. But I don't let them off the hook when I spy one. Even my grandchildren have learned how to look underneath the hydrangea leaves for a culprit.

The Spittle Bug is not so crafty, however. Like aphids, they suck juices from plants and then blow air into it, producing masses of white foam. The bug just sits within this foam - protection against predators and keeps the insect moist but a dead give away (pun not intended)for the gardener since, although invisible in that foam you know within each foam mass lurks a tiny creature. You can simply spray them off with a hose or slide your finger through the white foam - there tucked inside is a tiny yellowy-green bug. This is the infant stage. They develop into adult leaf hoppers which will later ruin the leaves.

The slug (no picture yet) is another creature I don't tolerate in the garden. Although composters, they love to munch at the stems, preferably right at the juncture of stem and flower, thereby decapitating it. Marigolds, iris, tulips, and most annuals are not exempt. Slugs can smell a favorite flower a mile away and make their way to a potted plant, burrow in and set up house-keeping. Frequently I've discovered a plant looking wan, bedraggled and unresponsive only to find an enourmous slug even way down in the bottom of the pot.

So little creatures beware - that trusty trowel is raised and poised - the defensive gardener is on the prowl!

Pineapple-Strawberry Chiffon Cake

Chiffon Cake
(adapted from my tattered old Robin Hood cookbook of bygone years)

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons grated orange or lemon rind (optional)
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl-add cream of tartar and beat until peaks form
Mix dry ingredients together-make a hollow and add oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and rind. Mix with beater until smooth.
Fold flour mixture gently into the egg whites using a sturdy rubber spatula.
Pour into ungreased 10"x4" tube pan.
Bake for 55 minutes, then increase temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 10-15 minutes. Cake is done if top springs back when touched lightrly.
Turn pan upside down resting tube pan on a narrow necked bottle. (I use an old tabasco bottle and then brace it against my toaster oven and a teapot which I have next to the oven.) Let cake stand until cold before removing from pan.
Frost and decorate according to the occasion!

Frosting pictured:
Whip 500ml whipping cream
Add about 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding
Add 1 tin crushed pineapple - drain most of the juice
Split cake in half horizontally and put a layer of whip cream filling on the bottom half
Add sugared strawberries
Place other layer on top - press down gently
Cover cake with cream mixture working carefully from top to bottom all the way around
filling in the center whole
Decorate with kiwi slices and strawberries
Chocolate squizzles all over the cake also make a great addition.

An orange or lemon glaze made with icing sugar also is wonderful.

During the summer months I try to keep an un-iced cake on hand in the freezer. It makes for quick desserts when you just take out a chunk at a time, defrost it, and serve with ice-cream and berries in season. I have made dozens and dozens of these cakes over the years and everyone just seems to "eat them up". It's a very large cake and serves 12-16 people easily.