Hello Spring, Goodbye Spring!

Spring in the UK is eagerly awaited and lasts for several weeks, in central PA Spring is just as welcome, but if you blink you have missed it!  On 9th May this year we awoke to snow on the ground, our last frost was the night of 13th/14th May, two days later we hit 82F/28C and this last week we have had warm to hot sunny days which means that digging out the air conditioning units is on the jobs list for the week.

I have to confess that over the last week or so I have not even turned on my sewing machine, that spring weather has had me out in the garden!  Some annuals needed to be replaced as they did not like the frost and snow, and that is my own fault as I know that the local rule of thumb is not to plant such things out until Memorial Day.  I took the chance and lost.  However every cloud has a silver lining and needing to replace those plants meant more trips to Lowe's and finding bargains on the plant clearance racks; over a couple of trips I found gerbera daisies, alyssum, lobelia, lavenders in three different shades and two dwarf buddleias with prices ranging from $1 to $5.  After a good watering all have been planted out.

My succulents and my amaryllis have also gone outside for the summer, with our aloe getting its annual repotting and removal of its offshoot babies. I introduce Audrey III and her daughters to you!

When we moved here in 2014 there was a small, rather weedy looking aloe on top of the refrigerator, a bit of care, repotting and an annual summer break being ignored in the garden has done wonders and, to be quite honest, I don't know where she will fit when it is time to bring her back inside in the autumn!

We also grow fruit and veg each summer, mostly in our outdoor hydroponics system but also some in raised beds and containers.  This year I am trying radishes in containers so I can easily ensure that they get sufficient water.

 My sourdough adventures have also continued with rye bread and crumpets made from the "discarded" starter. 
 

The rye bread was dense and flavourful and the crumpets were a great use of the excess starter that would otherwise be thrown away, thanks to King Arthur Flour for the recipe.