Pre-Easter Crocus Parade

Friday was, in many respects a stellar day around Casa IVG ... what with the historic Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, to mild temperatures in the mid-50s and abundant sunshine ... and I, being the obsessive meteorology geek that I am, already knew it wouldn't last. For days, the weather service had been forecasting a cold turn and rain morphing into sleet and snow for Saturday and Sunday. Well, Saturday started out fairly sunny, but over the course of the day, conditions darkened and by evening, it began to rain ... nothing truly dramatic or stormy, but steady, light showers that persisted throughout the evening, and then sometime overnight, there was a transition to sleet and then snow. Sunday it snowed steadily all day, but with temperatures in the low 30s, much of it melted when it hit the ground and there were only light accumulations (perhaps an inch or so) on grassy or garden areas, and the sidewalks and streets remained clear. Not at all what we had been expecting from the forecast: 3-5 inches with high winds behind the snow. We did get periodic bouts of wind, but fortunately no accumulations requiring shoveling. Of course we weren't happy to see the snow return one more time, but at least it wasn't excessive and it will likely be gone before the end of the day tomorrow ... so we can live with this kind of April snow shower!

On these kinds of weekends when the weather threatens to be "iffy" we often try to plan to get all of our errands out of the way on the decent day so we can just hole up at home when the nasty stuff sets in, and this weekend was no exception. This is when I get the cooking bug to make something really tasty and satisfying because I have the time (which I never seem to have during the week). So Saturday night we had cheese ravioli and meatballs (both frozen, but tasty) and Sunday I set about putting together a real meal for dinner ... a pork roast, fresh steamed asparagus and yukon gold mashed potatoes, with cranberry orange zest quick bread for dessert. It was the perfect "cold weather again" meal for the day and we really enjoyed it, and even Hanna got some little tastes of the meat and potatoes just for being an exceptionally good girl on a day when we were sure she was suffering from a bit of cabin fever, even though she did get a brief walk (wearing her jacket of course, due to the cold). After dinner, we were three contented souls enjoying what was left of our weekend....

Friday afternoon after work, while it was still gloriously sunny, I headed out front to get some sun-soaked shots while I still could and these photos are all from that session (April 3, 2009). This first shot is in the "original" bulb bed next to the steps ... These are two of my favorite Giant Dutch varieties, Jeanne d'Arc (White) and Flower Record (Purple) ... they were part of a Giant Crocus Mix we originally got from Van Bourgondien several years ago, and we liked them so much we ordered another couple of bags last year, though many of them have yet to come up, since they are scattered about the various beds that make up our gardens. I suspect many are on the northern side which has yet to fully warm up (though there are tulips and daffodils galore breaking ground in the past week or so). So, unless they have been poached by the tree rats, we should be seeing them sometime fairly soon. We've both been noting with concern, a lot of holes around the beds and hope that we're not losing things to these voracious thugs, but then again, it may just be random digging, since I've heard many times that tree rats are so stupid that they forget where they bury the nuts so they dig everywhere ... I sure hope this is the case!

If you've never grown the "Giant Dutch" varieties of Crocus, they are just as easy as the smaller "Snow Crocus," though need to go down a bit deeper than the smaller ones ... growing conditions and situations are identical, and they look fantastic mixed in with the smaller varieties, especially when they begin to multiply. They're not as quick to colonize as the "Snow Crocuses," but gradually increase their stands year after year, so patience is the operative concept once again. They grow to about 4-5 inches tops and as long as they're not subjected to pounding rains or consistently high winds, they generally have a bloom time of maybe 2-3 weeks if you're lucky. Like all crocus, after the blooms fade, the foliage remains until the weather gets warmer and then disappears for the rest of the season, going into "snooze mode" until the following Spring.... This shot is a closer view of the Flower Record clump seen above, positively basking in the late afternoon sun and showing off the various hues of purple they exhibit ... I think the most striking feature of this variety are the brilliant orange stamens that really contrast gorgeously with the purple petals ... If you don't have any "Giant Dutch" varieties in your garden, this one is a must have in my opinion ... it's a virtually carefree and fail safe early Spring bloomer that will reward you year after year!

These little beauties look a lot like 'Tricolor,' but they're actually a different variety of Crocus sieberi called 'Firefly.' I really enjoy the subtle gradations from lavender to white, and the brilliant yellow stamens of this variety, which make it really "pop" wherever it is planted, whether it be in a formal bed or right in the middle of a lawn, providing a pleasant surprise to anyone who casts a glance in their direction. Something I don't think I've mentioned in my many musings on Crocus is that they do quite well in grass, where their foliage blends right in, but the flowers stand out, and the best thing is that they are done blooming long before the first mowing needs to take place, so they can fulfill their whole bloom cycle before they're forced into summer retirement. Again, I realize that for a lot of people the idea of planting bulbs is a daunting one (especially for tulips and daffodils and the larger bulbs), but if you enjoy the early spring rewards of these joyful crocus, there's really no excuse why one's garden should go wanting for these little jewels. They're small bulbs that don't need to go down very deep and one can plant a hundred easily in an afternoon armed only with a trowel ... dig a small plug of grass (or dirt) out of where you want them to appear, about 2-3 inches deep, pop 3, 4 or 5 bulbs in, replace the dirt or grass plug and you're done! As my culinary muse Ina Garten would say, How easy is that?

I admit I used to pooh-pooh the idea of white flowers as boring, but I've certainly changed my tune as I've matured as a gardener --don't get me wrong, I still go for the fiery colors with a passion-- there's a lot to be said for flowers that produce a pristine, clean shade of white ... and how much more pure could one get than a variety named Jeanne d'Arc? When planted in proximity to the flashier purples and yellows, they really provide a striking contrast, as you can see in the first shot of this post. At this point, I really wish I had popped some of the larger yellow ones in near these two for even more flash, but this bed is so full of bulbs that I don't dare mess with what's already there, so maybe I'll just designate a small area somewhere where there aren't crocus this year and do another planting of several colors next fall.

I call this shot "Nonchalant."

For the puppy deprived among you (how's this, Deborah?), here's another candid shot of Princess Hanna from Friday evening ... when I looked closely at this shot, I had to laugh when I realized that the image on the TV in the background is that notorious motorized bar stool that has been in the news the past week ... you know, the one the guy in Ohio was riding when he crashed it after having drunk 15 beers, then told the police he followed that up with half a bottle of whiskey? Loose lips sink ships buddy, and got this overly loquacious dude a first ... a DUI on Motorized Bar Stool citation! I hope he thinks twice the next time he considers driving this to the bar....

On the weekend cinema front, we only managed to get one "real" film in on Friday night ... the Cohen Brothers' Burn After Reading, which was a pure comedic delight which reveled in the unadulterated stupidity of a whole ensemble of bizarro world characters (CIA operatives and health club types) who fall into a convoluted plot way over their heads. Though much of the comedy is far from the "laugh out loud" type (say, as in a Will Ferrell or Sacha Baron Cohen movie), it's definitely sardonic enough to satisfy even the most jaded viewer who can tune into the Cohen brothers sensibility. My take is that it's a great light (?) hearted follow up to the more sinister No Country For Old Men, which I found to be a real stunner of a different sort. (Oh, Javier, that haircut was painful!) Though I'm no great fan of Brad Pitt under most circumstances, he was positively delightful in this role where he (as one cast member notes in the extra features) "fully embraced his inner knucklehead." George Clooney has never been sexier than he is in this film, (despite his despicable lothario-like sex addict character), and it was great to see him engage in a performance ranging from purely comedic to full blown paranoia ... at one point I was so engaged by his paranoia that I started to get nervous myself when I heard sirens going by nearby.... Another standout performance by Frances McDormand (the original "Marge Gunderson" so amply imitated by Sarah Palin) punctuates the bizarre dynamic of this film ... so much so that of all the characters we follow, she is the only one who achieves her central goal, despite all her idiotic missteps. After we watched this film, I marveled at how oddly this film was marketed ... I remember at the time thinking that it was nothing more than a "fluffy" Cohen Brothers film I might not like, but after having spent the evening going through this impossibly convoluted adventure, I felt greatly rewarded and had quite a few hearty laughs along the way. Those guys still have it in spades and this film deserves a lot more exposure than it seems to have gotten on its original release ... you could find many worse ways to spend 96 minutes of your time, so I give it a hearty recommendation.

Hanna, on the other hand, slept through most of it, so if you're taking cues from her reactions, you might as well take a nap....