Mother's Day 2017

Current Blooms:
There is a lot blooming.

• Lilly of the valley
• Azure bluets, Houstonia caerulea
• Spanish Bluebells
• Azalea
•  Erigeron linariifolia
• Coral bells
• Nelly Moser clematis
• gentiana angustifolia
• big blue iris
• sweet woodruff
• star of bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum
  

2017 Stonecrop Gardens Alpine Plant sale

Stonecrop Gardens

New Garden Additions

 Will live in a trough with another Gentiana.

 The Edelweiss will share accommodations with the Gentianas.

 Spring blooming Cyclamen Rhodium.

 This one should bloom in the fall, Cyclamen Hederifolium Ivy leaf.
The 2 Cyclamen will be underplantings in the Peony Garden, they don't take up much real estate or nutrients so shouldn't affect the Peonies. They will be planted in bottomless pots so their whereabouts can be tracked.

 Already have wild violets, but the speckled one caught my eye. No location planned for these yet.

Heather Calluna Firefly, colorful foliage in spring and fall and purple-pink late summer flowers. Destination Heather Garden.

 Dwarf Iris with light blue flowers.

Unsure if this will go in a trough or mix it up with the heathers.

A small selection of Stonecrop Garden Displays

 Woodland plantings

 Raised Bed

Scree Garden

Pit stop at Bear Mountain on the way back home.

View from Perkins Memorial atop Bear Mountain.

Light traffic both ways, left 7:30AM and arrived at the gardens just after 9AM, the parking field was already very full. Not sure how long I stayed, but I arrived home at 1:00PM.

Happy Easter

As Martin Luther was said to have said "Sin Boldly".  It gives God something to do, forgive you, while she is waiting to do that Rapture thing.

Beers in the Fridge (UK Version):
Mr. and Ms. Eldest came for a visit and gave me these brews from the UK.

Brixton Brewery: APA (American Pale Ale) 5.4% ABV, 45 IBU
They say "Our beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised, unfined (vegan-friendly) and full of flavour."
They are located deep in the heart of Brixton, have tours and open the brewery on Saturdays to buy beer. Tour Info
Craft Beer dot com describes an APA as "An American interpretation of a classic English style. Characterized by floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney, resinous, or sulfur-like American-variety hop character, producing medium to medium-high hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. American-style pale ales have medium body and low to medium maltiness that may include low caramel malt character."

Freedom Organic Helles, traditional Bavarian Helles Lager, 4.8 %ABV
The brewery is located north of Birmingham in Abbots Bromly, Staffordshire and they have tours. Tour Info  They also have an annoying website that asks you if you are of age every time you go to a different page.

Gypsy Hill Nomad Milk Stout  5.5% ABV. Milk Stouts have unfermentable sugars(lactose) to add body and sweetness.  The Brewery is located near Gypsy Hill train station and Crystal Palace Park, south of London.

Beers in the Fridge:

After having Birra Italia, Peroni is no longer my favorite cheap Italian swill.
The Anchor Porter (5.6% ABV) is very good, I may actually like it more than the Samuel Smith Taddy Porter, possibly more complex flavor.

Brooklyn Brown Ale (5.6% ABV, 30 IBU) from Brooklyn Brewery was very good, but I think I still like Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale (5% ABV 31 IBU) better.

Just Spring Flowers

Current Blooms:

 Siberian Squill

 Perivinkle

 Anemone Blanda "grecian windflowers"

 Ditto

 Perivinkle & Hyacinth

 Anemone Blanda

  Chionodoxa luciliae "glory of the snow"

Squill and Perivinkle

Spring Sprang Sprung

The Young One is involved with a musical project to create an opportunity for works by young local artists to be performed as well as the works of J.S. Bach. Next month Mr. and Mrs. Eldest will be in town. We were in London last April.

Current Blooms:
Here we had a warm week in the 60s and Wednesday I saw this in the Western Foundation Garden.

 Grecian Windflowers, Anemone blanda.  Love these little beauties, but for me, the blooms never last long nor do they seem to come back year to year.

And 2 days later

 Crocus

 Heaths

 Perivinkle

Siberian Squill?

Beers in the Fridge:

Smuttynose Brewing Company's Robust Porter 6.2% ABV 60.5 IBU.
Liked it a lot, had complex flavors, not too strong, just right with a ploughman's platter. This is the first beer of theirs I have tried. For some reason, I am not attracted to their labels, maybe the sideways wording? I'll have to try some others. I guess you can't judge a beer by its label.
Their brewery is located in New Hampshire about an hour north of Boston and has tours.

Deregulation: why not? businesses always do the right thing

Privatize the reward, socialize the risk.

 "Republicans are using their control of Congress and the White House to attack regulations they believe hurt the economy."[Reuters]

Over 500 Billionaires live in the USA[Forbes, NY Times, USNews, BBC News], I wonder how badly these individuals were hurt by regulations designed to protect the health of US citizens and the environment of our country?

 "By a vote of 54-45, the Senate approved a resolution already passed in the House of Representatives to kill the rule aimed at keeping pollutants out of streams in areas near mountaintop removal coal-mining sites."[Reuters]

The EPA's Superfund for Abandoned Mine Lands might be able to help the affected constituents of the Republicans who voted for this unless of course the EPA gets defunded.

Current Blooms:
Like I said right around the corner. Crocus.

OK, not a Crocus, but the photo came out nice.


Beers in the Fridge:

 Samual Smith India Ale (5% ABV) Like this a lot, flavorful, not overly hoppy. I usually purchase this in the spring and summer, picked it up Thursday which was a very nice day indeed.

 Chef is making Beer-Braised Brisket today in the slow cooker using Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. I expect it to come out delicious.

Harpoon Hefeweizen (4.8% ABV 18 IBU) Unfiltered American Wheat beer. They say it is quenching and refreshing, I agree. Good beer, but I think I like the UFO White better.

Birra Italia (4.8% ABV) Founded in 1906, an earthquake in the 50s, trade union issues in the 70s and later corporate issues affected the company's market share and it was acquired in 2000. A pilsner style lager, on the sweet side, a bit malty, crisp. I might prefer Peroni better.

Happy Not-My-President Day

A listing of the Kremlin Kontrolled Karrot's lies compiled by Mr. Dale, a Canadian journalist. (Double enemy of the state) HERE

How your representatives vote with or against the Sweet potato Stalin HERE

Other places to check out
http://www.stophatedumptrump.com/
https://www.theidesoftrump.net

P.S. I love the NSA