Starting Annual Flowers and Pickle Cukes. 5.23.22

 I set up containers flower seeds - French marigolds (my saved seeds), African marigolds, Thunbergera, Cosmos, Cleome.  This year I was going to grow flowers even if it kills me LOL.  

I also planted bush cucumbers seeds, for pickles.  Next, to plant nasturtiums and zinnias directly.

Today's Gardening. 5.23.22

 I had a long task list, got through a fair amount.

Filling in growing soil for the first container potatoes, and almost filled in for the second ones.

One of the containers was filled with a commercial soil that I just wanted to use for the first potatoes container.  I finished emptying it out.  I didn't refill it yet with the looser soil that I want to use for its next occupant, which will be a pair of Serrano pepper plants.

I finished planting peppers in the pepper raised bed.  Three Early Jalapeños, two Banana peppers, three Thai Dragon peppers and a Cayenne.  I still have Serranos, some Jalmundos (a giant Jalapeño type), and a Tabasco to plant, and some to give away.  The drip lines are installed and 1/2 of the paper mulch.

I also transplanted a half dozen Rudbeckias, planted the three Rosemary cuttings that have grown roots, and did some work on the squash bed.  Enough for one day.

A Loaf of Sandwich Bread. 5.23.22

 I used the mixer to make a batch of pizza dough.  That's just flour, water, yeast, a little salt.  I kneaded it together, let it rise.  Now it needs to age a little in the fridge, up to a week, maybe two.

Then I made a loaf of sandwich bread.  I used a recipe on the King Alfred flour website. This bread has potato flour and milk powder as dough conditioners, and some butter.

I made a mistake and cut the butter back by 1/3 without adding liquid to replace the difference.

The dough was a bit dry.  I realized my mistake and kneaded in a little more water.  It was a bit lumpy before rising.

I realize that dough hooks have been around for a generation of two, but I have always kneaded by hand.  I like being part of the process, and feeling the dough texture with my hands.  That is becoming more difficult, and it's more messy that kneading in a bowl, so the mixer is worth a try.  Cleanup is also easier.

Since the surface was a little lumpy so I kneaded a few times by hand.  Let it rise until very puffy, punch down, made into loaf and let it rise again.  I cut some slices across the top.

It came out really nice.

The bread is maybe a little crumbly inside.  Maybe I over-kneaded.  The flavor was excellent and it was  very tender.

More Forsythia Cuttings. 5.23.22

 A few months ago I forced some forsythia flowers, and kept them to see if they would grow roots.  All I did was shorten the lower end when growth started at leaf nodes, to get some of those new nodes under water.

These are a modern, shorter variety with larger flowers.   I don't know the name.  Rooting ranged from lots of big roots to none.  It's easy to see that new roots often emerge at the nodes, often where there is new stem growth at those nodes.

These are an old historic variety, which is what I'm using for the hedge.

I really didn't try.  I just filled the water jars when the level was low.  The goal is to have the plants close together in the hedge.  I think these will grow, with a little extra watering for the next month.  Eventually, I want it to be a privacy hedge.

Making a Small Water Feature. 5.21.21

 I've been wanting a small water feature to give a calming  atmosphere in my garden.  I haven't found what I wanted, so I'm making one from a ceramic planter.

The inside is unsealed clay, and it has two large holes that need to be sealed.  I'm using self adhesive rubber patches, and liquid rubber sealant.

The  I sprayed with white rubber sealant.

I messed up an area, so will get some more rubber sealant spray and repeat.  I think this will work.  I ordered a floating, solar powered mini fountain, and it will stand on a bird bath pedestal that is missing its bird bath.