Last week was a wet one as you all have heard and water is the lifeblood of the garden. I love the beauty of raindrops and dew which accentuate and highlight a plant’s details. You can see a whole world in a raindrop.
July 01, 2009
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High 66 F
Low 64 F
The third week in June was soggy. In fact, the whole month of June, 2009 was soggy. I thought I was being prepared for English weather. English weather, at least in Cornwall which is noted for being dryer and sunnier than most of England, was not just sunny but hot and sunny. What a welcome change. The garden I left looks very much like the garden I came home to although the roses on the fence, New Dawn, are blooming and bedraggled. As far as the gardens I visited on the way to Cornwall and in Cornwall let’s just say they were humbling. While there is no place like home, the gardens of England served a major portion of humble pie to this gardener. I have always believed that each garden is a true expression of the gardener who tends it and the English gardens I visited did have full time gardeners and the private gardens were all tended by retired people.
The first garden I saw was that at Mottisfont Abbey which lies between London and Cornwall in Hampshire. The original building at Mottisfont was built in 1201 by Wiliam Briwere who had connections to Richard the Lionheart, King John, and Henry III. It is difficult to comprehend 1201 isn’t it? And Richard the Lionheart? Maybe he walked the very grounds I walked. Time is fluid in such a place as Mottisfont. The building has changed since the original structure was built but the Cellarium stands original and was used as storage space for all manner of things. I am sure it contained foodstuffs but what exactly? It has an ancient beauty don’t you think?
This is a beautiful property but nothing prepares one for the assault on the senses, both visual and olfactory, upon entering the walled garden. Here, in a space of a few thousand square feet, roses and perennials bloom profusely and fragrantly.
There are both grass and gravel paths and the gravel paths have a satisfactory crunch under foot .
The perfume of roses fills the air. There are roses and clematis trained on the walls and they share a companionable and complementary vertical space.
There are wonderful perennials in this garden many of which I can grow but haven’t done so yet. The Papaver somniferum is the most beautiful poppy I think I have ever seen. It comes in an array of colors
with very gray foliage. The Campanula lactiflora is another plant seen quite often in English gardens but I rarely can find it in the garden centers.
Here it is over six feet tall and makes quite a statement in the garden. The exhuberant profusion of these gardens is enough to convince a gardener to work a bit harder and pay closer attention to color combinations if she can extricate herself from the fetal position that is.
Is there an estate of this size without a parterre? The formality of this parterre fits in well with the stately design of the building. I will not be adding a parterre to my garden but I can appreciate its’ form and linear stability.
I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Mottisfont and recommend it to any who visit our friends across the pond. It is always enlightening to visit other gardens and from this one, I gained an appreciation for vertical elements and well used space. The scent of the rose garden will not soon be forgotten.
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She’s Back!
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
Well, sort of back. I’m here and there and in and out…
I have rather a lot to report on, actually. I’ve been given a toy to review, and will do so in a little while. I almost lost my cell phone at Wal-Mart.. but got it back, bwahahha. (that’s the story, you’ll have to wait for it). I’ve also accepted a 1000 word challenge from the Omnibabe, with whom I’ll be rooming when I go to Blogher in Chicago at the end of July. Yep, Chicago again. Three flights in a 12 month period, and all to Chicago. Go figger.
I’ve also been looking for some things on sale, and perhaps, that’s where I’ll start for now.
If you’ll read back a bit, you’ll see that ‘Pup, my dear husband, surprised me with a trip to see some places we’d always wanted to stop to see, but hadn’t. And, that he’d indulgently allowed me to fill up the van with plants put in places you’d not think plants would fit. Such a gift! I think it’s one of the nicest I’ve ever gotten.
So, now, HIS birthday is coming up in August. I need something he’d like, and I might have found it. After Ike hit us, ‘Pup is even more determined that we’ll not suffer through an extended power outage such as we had after that storm. We’re buying batteries. We’d like to be buying a generator, and, truth told, that’s not out of the question…however, baring that purchase, I think he’d like this multi use radio, solar powered lantern/phone recharger.
We had several flashlights and radio combinations that worked as you wound them up, and they helped light the darkness quite nicely. I know ‘Pup wants one of the weather radios, because he’s been lingering by them whenever we pass one. He’s always been aware of bad weather, more so than I am.
By “aware”, I mean that once he woke me up out of a deep sleep to tell me that our power might go out because there was a thunderstorm on the way, so if I woke up and it was dark, I shouldn’t be too worried.
I turned over and went back to sleep.
I must have snored a little because I got a poke in the back that woke me up.
“Oh, you’re awake!” said he.
I just blinked at him and thought about what to say that wouldn’t be too….truly indicative…of how I felt at just that moment. I’m grumpy when someone doesn’t let me sleep.
‘Pup has learned that by now, and instead of waking me up when he is next to me, he’ll now try to talk to me at 4:30 am from across the room or just inside the doorway. Problem is, I answer back sometimes, but have no real memory of what I said or agreed to do. All I remember is feeling a bit grumpy that my sleep had been interrupted.
Sometimes, he sends the dogs to wake me up. I won’t threaten them. He takes advantage of that fact.
Now, where was I? Oh, yes. His birthday present. I think I’ll get him one of those radios.
Turning the crank should keep him busy long enough for me to get some sleep.
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Happiest Girls in the Garden
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
Painted Daisies always make me smile
May Night SalviaCheck out Mr. Bumble Bee cruising in for a landing. I didn’t notice him until I downloaded these photos. 
Mom’s Peonies rescued a few years back.
Purple Dames Rocket, Yellow Columbines and Mom’s Purple Bearded Iris
I stole her yellow Bearded Iris, too. :))
* The happiest girl in the garden could very well be me.
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The Hiatus
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
I’ve been a baaaad blogger. No post for two fricken’ weeks? That’s a record for me, and one I hope never to break.
What can I say, between starting the summer work hours at the tutoring center and the extreme heat (ya’ll.. 10 days at or above 100 degrees F!), just kinda sapped the words out of me.
Not that starting Facebook and Plurk helped any….
There needs to be a 12 step program for Farm Town. I’m addicted.
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Raindrops
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
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June Columbines
Submitted by Imaginary Diamond Blog
Weeds? Never! More like a dream come true!Columbines are so plentiful around the gardens that they are seeding themselves, growing AND FLOWERING in the cracks of the sidewalk.
I never planted red. But then, this Jacob’s Ladder used to be blue, too. Weird soil causing trouble I suppose…
This one’s for you, Wunx. She loves white flowers. (No accounting for taste.)
Wunx might go nuts over this one:
Ms. Jasmine grew indoors all winter. While I loved the fragrance, I did not love the way she boldly sent runners 10-15 feet up the wall. When she started wrapping herself around the television set, I decided to toss her outdoors for her last hurrah. Instead, she continues to climb and bloom… and stir up trouble.
So, for a little while, anyways, my ratty old deck holds the enticing fragrance of the Deep South and a favorite haunt, New Orleans…
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English Weather
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
This past week’s weather has well prepared me for the trip I am taking to Cornwall, England. It has been misty and wet with no end in sight. Even Tucker looks a bit discouraged and the peonies have not seen dry days in quite a while. They have spent their life, this year, wet and bedraggled which does encourage one to cut them and bring them inside to enjoy. I have put a bouquet on the table and enjoy their heady fragrance when I come inside from some outside task or work.
An English garden tour has long been on the agenda and I can’t wait to share the pictures with all of you. It is a difficult time to leave the garden as there is much left undone but peak week in a New England Garden, at least my garden, is the first week in July and given all the gray June weather we have had plus the rain, I should return to a changed environment. I will post a couple of times during my absence so please leave a comment. Comments are so appreciated.
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Foxglove
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High 72 F
Low 60 F
I have planted many foxglove in the garden. Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, Digitalis grandiflora, and Digitalis mertonensis, are just some of the species which I have planted. There are over twenty species and the name derives from the Latin, digitalis, which means finger. The flowers do fit over fingers which is ill advised given the poisonous nature of this plant. This plant is native to Europe, Asia and parts of Africa and it is hardy in Zones 4-10 giving it a wide range of distribution. I have found that its most particular requirement is winter drainage. I have one self-seeded plant growing in a couple of inches of soil perched on a rock ledge. No fertilizer, no attention, just this plant in pure white, a gift of the fairies, a random breeze or the weeds which were thrown over the wall. The plants blooming in my garden now, with the exception of the yellow foxglove, Digitalis grandiflora, are gifts. They are blooming here and there scattered just as the above white one was on the ledge. Since they are biennial, again with the exception of the yellow aforementioned, D. grandiflora,
they are somewhat of a surprise when their burly foliage greens up in the early spring and their appearance in the garden becomes known. I don’t try to move them around but leave them where they have chosen to grow.
I planted about a dozen in one area four or five years ago. There is only one left, a son or daughter of the original planting. It is worth getting a close up view of the flowers.
There is a distinctive trail leading towards the center of the flower, the path to pollination guaranteeing fertilization of the flowers.
Nature’s tiny intricacies are often invisible to most of us as we rush through our days. Most gardeners are familiar with this trail hidden inside each foxglove flower. Each trail is as individual as a fingerprint.
How many of your family members have ever noticed this little phenomena? Ask them and point it out if you have foxglove flowers to share.
I would not encourage putting the flowers on fingertips since they are toxic but I might just sneak out and try it myself followed by a good hand washing.
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Bearded Iris & Faces on Facebook
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
Mom’s Bearded Iris ~ snitched from her garden years ago ~ now happily flourishing in mine.
It’s official, I thought to myself. If my Brother is on Facebook then I am the last hold out left in the USA, and possibly in the world!
I cannot bring myself to become a Facebooker.
I don’t intend to Twitter, either. Ever!
Blogging, to me, has value. It requires time, thought, hopefully a little bit of focus, lots of commitment.
Facebook feels like a bunch of people haphazardly clicking around asking, Hey, can I be your friend?
As if adults have willingly regressed back to the shallowness of high school popularity contests.
Now, I realize this bad attitude could anger lots of people. So, let me just say right here and now: Sorry! I was wrong. (And, I hate to admit that!)
My Brother has spent the last few rainy weekends scanning and posting a ton of photos he found in boxes around the old homestead. Preserving them in the virtual world. He kept pestering me. Join Facebook. Go look.
Get lost. That was my response. But, it’s kind of like a traffic accident. You gotta look. Even when you don’t want to.
So, I looked. And, look what I found. This is Mom, snowshoeing in the Utah Mountains, on a visit 66 winters ago.
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Whenever I see an article listing ‘How to care for Bearded Iris’ I get confused. Other than occasionally thinning the herd, the less care the better. They live forever, are incredibly drought-tolerant. I can’t imagine a cottage garden without them.
* Nope. She had nothing to do with me moving to Utah. In fact, she was against the idea….
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Dampened Spirits
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
Quest and Sienna waiting out the storm.
I’m 50% savvy when it comes to text messaging:
I can read ‘em! Have not, as yet, mastered the patience to respond.
Of course, there’s no real reason to respond. It’s pretty much a statement of fact that plans to saddle up the horses were, once again, rained out.
This was going to be a major horsey weekend! ‘Twas the Strawberry Endurance Ride and K had volunteered to coordinate the camping.
Now, when I think of camping, I drag out my ratty, old tent. When K decides to camp she - get this! - rents a 2 bedroom RV! So I was all excited about roughing it.
Endurance is a distance horseback riding competition, generally 50 miles per day. With a happy little Equestrian Massage tent conveniently located at the finish line!
But then the rains came (again) to foil our plans and dampen our spirits. I don’t know why I thought they wouldn’t. It has rained incessantly for so long I hardly remember the beauty of this high plains desert.
Monsoon (grey horse, not the weather) has logged 3,000 miles in endurance competitions. And, it’s interesting… I’ve ridden him and he barely moves on the trail. Unless he’s competing, he thinks trail rides are a yawn.
And the winner is……..Best rain coat!
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Manifesting a Horse
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
The Big Rock Garden is growing up! And, may I just say that I am so happy not to have to deal with daycare any longer?
My social life is slipping. Saturday night I attended a birthday party for a dog. Not an ugly person hoping for expensive gifts. We’re talking a real dog here. 1 poorly trained puppy who didn’t give a rat’s ass about the price of his presents.
I didn’t know anyone at the party. I had to go because Bad Dog was invited and he’s not old enough, much less capable, of borrowing the car.
Bomb-proof! Potentilla is often called the Buttercup Shrub. Flowers all summer if you snip her spent blooms.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, I got stuck sitting next to a Woo Woo Gal. She announces: “I’m manifesting rattan furniture!” I started to giggle. (Chalk that up to the wine; she wasn’t very funny.)
Why in the world would you want to become a piece of wicker furniture? I asked.
“No, silly,” she said in a condescending voice, rolling her eyes as if to imply… Clearly, Kate, you are an idiot.
“To manifest something is to put the wheels in motion for my heart’s desire to come to me.”
Okay! I wrote her off as certifiable and moved to the far end of the table.
Think I’m crazy? It’s all relative. My suburban lot neighbor owns a donkey, a BUFFALO and 2 pesky goats.
But, ya know what? The same damn thing happened to me. A month ago I sent a note to a perfect stranger asking if he might know of anyone with a good trail horse for sale. And, the only reason I did that was because he was cute ~ he wears a cowboy hat and he owns a horse. So, naturally, I have a huge crush on him.
He gave me a name and a number. Mostly because I didn’t have anything else to do I drove a hundred miles to see a horse I had no intention of owning.
She was perfect in every way.
She’s the right height. The right demeanor. The right energy level. The right color - black with a white diamond on her forehead! And, are you ready for this? That horse has the same name as me.
So, whaddya think of that?
* Whatever you think of that, please don’t ask that I apologize to woo woo girl… That would be harder than Letterman’s current situation.
** Brought my camera. Was so dumbstruck I never thought to shoot a picture of the dang horse!
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Screamin’ Deals
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
They were having a sale.
I’m not nearly as psychotic as you might think. Been waitin‘ with baited breath for this sale. One gallon perennials, marked down to $2.00, all because most of them quit blooming. They’re not dead. They’re quite healthy. They’re just tired of the cramped living conditions inside these black nursery pots.
My screamin‘ deal perennials
will be planted into
this long, ugly space
which used to be the ditch
in front of my house.
And, soon will become
a polka dot garden
filled with
bright, chaotic color.
I’ve got a big yard because I had big plans. Though I’ll confess, over the last couple of years those big plans have become tiresome, overwhelming, and in spite of me doing all the backbreaking labor, too expensive. And, then there is the psychological aspect of doing this in Park City, Utah ~ a problematic little paradise.
Love it here. But so do lots of rich people. Most of whom have gardeners. When my next door neighbor’s team of 5 gardeners show up and weed all day long one thought runs through my mind…
Would it kill you to buy an iPod???
They blast a boom box, with horrible music, that ruins my concentration. I suspect, though I have no proof, that lame loud music also impedes my flowers from flowering.
Aw, did you think I was jealous of his gardeners? Okay, maybe sometimes. But, I do sincerely believe: If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.*
Birthday wishes go out to my Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid, who has now flowered for 6 long, lovely months. Though I’ve started taking all sorts of liberties with her care so she will no doubt die by the 4th of July.
* “If you want something done right, do it yourself” only applies to gardening. If you want to clean my house or cook me dinner, have at it!
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A Daisy If You Do
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
Canterbury Bells cope with heavy rains37. That was the number of undaunted bikers who peddled past me as I ripped away at the weedy mess that some day (soon) will become My New Street Garden.
I avoid working out on that busy street as much as I can. (Hence, the weeds.) When I do work out there, I absentmindedly tally up all the passers by.
In between torrential downpours, I’d scurry outdoors to make a little bit of headway on my great, big, garden project.
Then, I’d scoot back inside when it began to rain. Which it did, several times during the afternoon.
I felt kind of lucky, in comparison to those overly optimistic bikers. They saw rays of sunshine as an end to this misery, not simply an intermission. And, they didn’t have a garage to dash into when that intermission was over.
It’s not a gentle rain. Thunder, lightning, fierce winds… pretty much all the drama Mother Nature can muster.
She’s been raining on us every day, for 2 or 3 weeks, now.
Lawns squish underfoot. Horses stand dejected in their muddy corrals.
Weeds aren’t even weeds any more. They’re mushrooms!
My water wise perennials are near death. Drowning from the one thing this high plains desert never gets: too much moisture. So, I guess when it comes to environmentally conscious gardening… I’m damned if I do. And, also if I don’t.
* ‘You’re A Daisy If You Do’ is an old wild west term implying that if you cause trouble, you could get shot, and then you’ll be pushing up daisies. Popularized by Val Kilmer in the movie, Tombstone. Which, incidentally, is a great cowboy flick if you’re stuck inside on a rainy day.
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Prolonged Detention
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
I don’t believe further comment by ME is necessary. Y’all have fun.
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You Never Know What’s Gonna Happen
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
‘Pup was on the road the weekend I was in Chicago and witnessed an accident. The primary car involved had rolled over several times, and was…not in prime condition. ‘Pup, and many others, stopped to see if they could render aid.
He said the first thing he saw was an 18 wheeler driver hop out of his cap with not one, but two fire extinguishers, one small, and one huge. (Which reminds me, ours are old and need replacing.) He stood near the wrecked car, ready if need be. Fortunately, they weren’t needed.
Then, things got interesting. Several of the men who’d stopped had reached the car and were checking on the driver. He was alive, and trapped and struggling to get out. The five men, none of whom probably had ever met, worked as a team and got the driver out remarkably fast.
About that time, ‘Pup had gotten the side door of the van open and was hauling out some bottled water and some blankets. No sooner had he done that, then another man ran over and asked if anyone had any water. ‘Pup called him over, the guy loaded up with two cases of water and three blankets and ran back to where the driver was laying on the ground.
Turned out, one of the men had been a medic in one of the armed services, and was a paramedic. He was assessing the driver’s condition when everyone was startled to hear, “We’ve got another one over here!”
Turns out that there had been a passenger in the car as well, and he’d been thrown out of the car. He was, miraculously, up and walking around!
Right about the same time, a rather large woman stopped and hopped out of her car. Dressed to the nines, she hiked up her skirt, and was trotting across the grassy median towards the accident. In high heels, she was moving with a lot more speed than you’d have guessed she could rev up too. ‘Pup said it was an…unforgettable… sight. She turned out to be an RN, and she yelled at the men to GET THAT GUY DOWN ON THE GROUND, NOW!
She had a voice that carried enough authority to flatten a hay barn, and that passenger was placed down flat on the ground and was held there until she was able to get to him and run her assessment.
Amazingly, he seemed unharmed. Other than a few bumps and bruises, he hadn’t even been knocked out and was coherent, if a bit argumentative. He was feeling no pain, having been pre-anesthetized by an unknown amount of beer. They let him sit up, but not walk around.
‘Pup said all of this couldn’t have taken more than about 1o or 12 minutes. The police, called by several of the on lookers got there about 15 minutes after the accident, accompanied by a fire truck, two ambulances and a tanker truck full of water. It’s been a dry spring, and I suspect that the rural fire departments have been doubly concerned about grass fires.
After that, ‘Pup decided it was time to move on and, though he’s looked, he’s not found any news about the event. When he drove me to my birthday surprise, he did note that you could see where the accident had taken place.
The accident reminded us that we needed a new first-aide kit and to restock our water. As of June 1, it’s now officially “Hurricane Season”, so we’ll be reviewing and redoing our stash. Ike taught us: more water, more batteries and ice earlier, rather than later. It also taught us that we need to practice with our camp stove.
We’ll be watching for some things to go on sale, and be ready with a wish list.
Emergencies are funny things. They never happen when and how you expect them to….
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My Birthday Present
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
It is a wise man that buys his wife flowers. It is a wise husband of a gardener that buys her PLANTS.
‘Pup and I used to have several members of our family that lived out towards Austin. This last month, the last of them came into Houston. ‘Pup’s older brother (challenged) had been living alone, but was lonely and wanted to be near family. He’s now living with Pa-in-law and, we hope, they’ll be able to continue to do so for a while.
But with that last family member, went the last chance to stop at all those little nurseries, art shops, antiques and other… interesting spots that we’d promised ourselves that we’d get to “someday”.
Or, so I thought.
‘Pup surprised me with a quick trip to Elgin (that’s as far as we got for the day, it was brutally hot), where I picked up some plants at a couple of places I had really wanted to stop at for a long time. I wanted to post pictures of the places, but somehow, I just can’t seem to get the pictures I want posted.. maybe another post.
At any rate, this is what we ended up with:
Plants tucked just about anywhere a plant could be tucked into and still allow ‘Pup, his brother and I to still sit in the van.
These are part of the pictures of the nursery I wanted to brag about. I was able to get them loaded. Also missing is a picture of the bro-in-law. Sigh… another post.
Seriously y’all… Elgin. Main drag through town. You can’t miss this nursery. The plants were healthy, numerous, varied and wonderfully priced.
I wonder if ‘Pup would be willing to take another trip for our anniversary?
Ya never know!
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The roses are coming
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High
Low
‘Pat Austin’ rose
June is the month of roses and if the sun ever comes out again, they will dry off their resplendent petticoats and join the party. In spite of the rain, David Austin’s apricot ‘Pat Austin’ rose is blooming. I love the flowers but this shrub rose is just not very vigorous here in my garden. I am using liquid fish fertilizer in the hope of increasing the overall vigor of this shrub rose. It does have quite a few blooms on it right now. The sawfly larvae, little green wormlike critters, have had their way with the foliage on this rose. I can’t seem to spray them enough (NEEM) and, from a distance, they don’t look too bad so I will put up with a bit of damage over a strong chemical. I am thinking I need to cut them for a bouquet as the rain is making them drippy and droopy. Not the best look for a rose.
Rosa glauca
Next, blooming in the garden is the always beautiful Rosa glauca. This rose needs no blooms to be beautiful as the foliage can stand alone. It is burgundy with a blue blush and when it does flower the single pink blossoms dance above the crowd.
Rosa cv. ‘Complicata’
This Gallica rose not only looks good but it smells divine. This is planted in the entry garden at Tower Hill Botanical Garden which is a Zone 5 location on the top of a hill overlooking the Wachusett Reservoir. It is hardy and the Gallica roses are among some of the most hardy roses with a range of zone 4-8a. I am not sure why I don’t have one of these shrub roses. It takes up quite a bit of room in this garden but the form and texture are nice. I will have to head back to Tower Hill to take a picture of the hips. June is the time of year which reminds me to add more roses to the garden.
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Wordless Wednesday - June 10, 2009
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High is yet to be
Low 52 F
Hosta leaf, Ryan’s Big One, click to enlarge
Single red peonies
Clematis
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Tucker likes to pose!
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High 77 F
Low 58 F
Tucker wants to show you how big this hosta is.
One of the best things about going away for a bit is actually coming home. Loved ones have missed you and have been missed and life must somehow return to normal. The gardens change and grow in June every few days and the dog, well, the dog smiles and is happy. The morning walk is always a chance to explore and Tucker much prefers the fields to the flowers although he will dutifully sit for scale. He is not smiling in the first picture is he. Once we hit the back field, he is much happier. I think there are more smells in the fields than in the garden area. The grass is getting quite high
but Tucker doesn’t mind. He knows that we will probably end up down at the water hole in the woods. Today, he is right and as I take a picture he slips in for his morning dip.
That dog loves water.
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40 Days & 40 Nights
Submitted by High Altitude Gardening Blog
I don’t care what the calendar says. This first Columbine bloom of the season is the official start to my summer.
Oh, thank God! I thought to myself ~ as I peered out the kitchen window at bright sunshine. A glimmer of hope in this grey, dreary, overly saturated spring.
More first blossoms! Johnson’s Blue Geranium peeks out from behind lush foliage.
My joy was short-lived. The coffee hadn’t finished brewing when dark clouds blocked out the happy sun and another deluge was upon us.
It’s a toss up, I suppose. The scent of fresh Lilacs is intoxicating but the cheery pink blossoms of Flowering Almond are pretty irresistible, too.
I guess it really didn’t matter if it rained this weekend ~ which it did, as it has done for as long as I can remember.* And, will do for as long as Google can predict.
Because I was stuck behind closed doors in what could easily go down in history as the most depressing sales meeting I have ever attended.
And, I’m not even in sales.
So, just imagine how the sales reps felt.
Alliums standing tall(Haze, if you’re reading this, these are the ones I thought were tulips when you were visiting! Damn. I can’t get anything right!
As a freelancer, I work with all sorts of companies. Some are sweet. Some are mean. This company is by far the hardest ~ for the most childish of reasons. They don’t like me. They really don’t! I don’t know why they don’t like me. I’m kind of nice…
Mom’s Wild Roses are blooming up a storm.As I sat there for hours and hours and hours, I tried to earn my keep by offering up one [what I thought was a] good idea after another. They kept looking at me like I was the village idiot. At one point I actually went into the ladies room and sort of sniffed my shirt to see if, perhaps, I smelled really bad or something.
Non stop Tulip action! Heirlooms that (apparently) bloom forever.So, I’d toss out an idea and feel like a fool. Minutes later some fellow in the room would take my idea and repeat it to the crowd. Then everyone would smile and say… Oh, that’s good… Huh? I dunno, seems hard to believe that in this day and age I could be considered ‘a dumb girl.’ But, maybe so. The good news is I survived and I guess that counts for something. Hopefully something more than a bruised self-esteem.
* Admittedly I don’t have a great long-term memory. Or even a slightly good short-term memory, if you want to split hairs. But, I do think this is the rainiest damn spring I’ve ever seen.
However! This deep drenching has inspired pretty much every flower in my garden to get with the program.
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Uhmm, Where Am I and How Do I Get There?
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
Note the above title. It contains the exact phrasing (as near as I can remember it) of what I said a couple of times while I was in Chicago. The reason I can remember it pretty well is that it is a phrase I often say.
Yes, I got lost a time or three. I have no sense of direction and navigating down a sidewalk was hard enough without having to figure out where I was going. Without some extra help, I’d have never gotten to some places.
Frankly, I could have used a GPS. What brand, I wouldn’t care too much, though I’ve heard some good things about Tom Tom GPS systems. Price would be important, as I don’t like to buy things at full price.
There’s just something about the word: sale. It gets my heart to pumpin’ and blood to warmin’ and brain a’turnin’. Yeah, I likes me a sale.
How much do I like a sale? Too much. I will claim to have inherited the affliction, as my mom used to say that her cars were trained to read Garage Sale signs and follow them automatically. My new pickup isn’t trained yet, and might never be. I’m always working when the best hours of the sales are on. (And don’t think I’ve not complained about that.)
I’m a real sucker for plant sales. Especially if I see a rack of neglected plants that I think are worth trying to save for a tenth of their normal price. It makes me happy to adopt struggling plants and only spend two dollars, especially now that I have my pickup and it’s so easy to get them home.
Humm…wonder if ‘Pup’s surprise is gonna have anything to do with plants?
Maybe he’s taking me fishing? No, he doesn’t like fishing… and he’s said it was something we both liked to do. He does like sales, so that’s a possiblity, we might go shopping.. but that doesn’t seem right.
Damnation.
This is driving me crazy.
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Birthday Surprises
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
‘Pup has a surprise planned for me tomorrow. All I know is that it involves a day trip, to somewhere we’ve never been, but wanted to go, that I can wear jeans and he wants to get there before noon. Oh, and his brother can and is going with us.
Ah, just got a further hint. Seems it’s somewhere we’ve gone in OUR dreams.
This is sounding interesting.
He’s got to give me more info on what I need to wear, however. The man has no appreciation for the subtleties of women’s clothing and women’s shoes and would blithely take me in jeans to somewhere I’d want to be wearing a skirt and good shoes.
Conversely, he’d also take me, dressed in a skirt and heels to go fishing.
Dang, I wish I could figure this one out. He’s usually not NEARLY this good at keeping a secret.
Oh well, it’s GOT to be a better day than last year’s birthday.
My last Birthday was a little more “exciting” than I want to repeat.
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My New Camera
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
I LOVE my new camera. It’s a Kodak EasyShare Z1012 IS. It is a high definition camera and has the ability to not only take some dandy videos, but is able to do panoramic shots as well. And, it does macros beautifully. I never thought anything would take the place of my old Nikon in my heart, but this camera is coming close. The only thing I still like better on the Nikon is its ability to swivel to point the camera lens up or down as you watch the screen. Still, the Kodak has 10.1 mega pixels as opposed to 4 for the Nikon…so there’s a trade off.
I’m still learning how to best use this camera. During my recent trip, I took pictures and played with different settings. I believe others could testify that I kept saying “GREAT HEAVENS, I am loving this camera!”
One of the things I’ve learned about this camera is that it is a bit of a memory hog. I never thought it possible, but I may actually need more than a 2 gig card for this beast. Until now, I’d never even come close to filling up a 1 gig card, but I now understand why the higher gig cards exist. In addition, I think getting a card that is a HDSD card , one that is made to handle the high definition that this camera is capable of, is something I need to consider. That’s why I am going to be ordering these:
Seriously, together they’re only $25. That’s about a third less than you’d pay for ONE or the other, both together at that price is a sale price (Buy.com) I’m not about to pass up.
(Don’t you love this macro!)
Yee gads, I love this camera…and I keep wondering if this Smoke on the Prairie would grow down here….
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I Hosta be Crazy…
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
Going to Chicago has awakened a sleeping beastie deep inside my psyche. I am experiencing that most dreaded of all gardener maladies….Zone Envy. I envy, oh, indeed, how I am lusting for some of the plants grown in a more temperate climate…
It’s all about the hostas, baby.
You see, I seem incapable of growing a hosta to more than about 4 inches high before it is eaten down to the bare nubbins by snails. (Oh, how I hates me some snails!)
I’d blamed it on the damp, cool, wet springs we have… and yet, Chicago was cooler and wetter than home and it had these incredible specimens.
I suspect the Biltmore Estate has a hosta or three as well. Someday, I’m going to make it to Biltmore. Thing is, see, after seeing Chicago’s gardens, I fantasized about having a home there to garden in.. in the summer. I’ve been north of Chicago in the winter, and that was more than enough for me. Summer, on the other hand, might not be all that bad.
So, would a visit to the Biltmore have me looking hard at Wilmington NC real estate? Me, who has also a desire to someday visit the Outer Banks?
Perhaps not. I don’t really like moving, and I suspect I don’t have the energy, or even the life left in me to make another garden from scratch.
But a girl can dream. And I’m dreaming about HOSTAS.
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Chicago - The Flingers
Submitted by Ledge and Gardens Blog
High 72 F
Low 52 F
Click on picture to enlarge
I have saved the best for last. Pictures and impressions of my fellow garden bloggers and plant enthusiasts but, I have found, people with so much more in their lives. Multi-dimensional people from all walks of life sharing at least one common passion, gardening. What a treat to get to speak to these individuals and know them just a bit better. Glimpses of their everyday lives and families and their special qualities were what made the trip to Chicago most memorable for me. The first person I met at Chicago Spring Fling was Diana from Sharing Nature’s Garden. Diana greeted me with a smile which rarely leaves her face. She has the warm, open nature of an Austinite, and an energy which envelops her and surrounds all in her presence. I hear she speaks fluent German (missed that trip to Trudy’s) and she loves dogs. Pam from Digging was not far behind Diana.
I feel that I know Pam as we shared my travel woes last year and then we spoke on the radio show, The Garden Guys, last summer. Pam is serenity to me. Never flustered, always in a good mood and a joy to be around. From here on in, bloggers arrived in droves and the early arrivals traveled to Barbara’s garden. Somehow, I don’t have a group picture of them but Barbara of Mr. McGregor’s Daughter,
made arrangements to pick us all up at the train station and shuttle us to her home and then off to Rich’s Foxwillow Pines. She has more energy than most which is a requirement for any Mother of young children. Barbara’s hospitality will not soon be forgotten nor will the serenity of the garden she has created.
The top picture shows the group on the trolley which shuttled us from the train to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Can you see who is in the back of the bus? They look remarkably serene don’t they?
Cindy and Diana take a moment to pose in the Walled Garden. Cindy is great fun to be around with her Texas drawl and perfect French accent. We prowled many of the gardens together and dallied a bit too long (is that possible) in the vegetable garden.
Here is a familiar threesome standing just short of the zig zag bridge. I enjoyed my time with Jean of Dig, Grow,Compost, Blog and since she is driving north in July I do hope to show her my garden this summer. Perhaps by the time she gets here I will have all the beds cleaned up and ready for visitors. She loved the veggie garden also and I will remember her desire to stop and stock up on produce at one of the major grocery stores which feature organics and which I call ‘Whole Paycheck’.
Here is my friend, Frances. She is a bit blurry in this picture as she never is in life, up close and personal. Frances is fun, witty and friendly and we share more than just gardening as a hobby. I hope Frances comes north soon so we can have more fun but, fair warning Frances, if you don’t, I am headed south! Waiting for the trolley to take us back to the train shows many still in good humor after endless walking among beautiful gardens and who is more playful than this group? Dee is thinking ‘I wonder where Bill and the kids are right now’, Carol is contemplating the next hoe for her collection and Mary Ann is holding her tongue (for once, and I mean that kindly) and just plain entertaining!
These pictures of the group were taken at Rick Bayless’s garden. Rick doesn’t really realize that he named his daughter after moi but when he does, I am sure there will be an invite to his restaurant for his NBF and all of her friends. I digress…. All are listening intently to Bill and I just know I could keep him very busy here at L & G. Robin (just a small side shot in the picture up above this one) did ask me how big my gardening staff is as she had heard me mention the Equipment Manager. My garden staff! Staff of one full time and the EM, my beloved, part time when there is something major to be done. This was also a time to dispel misconceptions which resulted in much laughter. Robin and I had many discussions which are to be continued! She encouraged me to join the GWA. Thanks, Robin.
Here is a quick pic of Kylee of Our Little Acre and she is intent on getting just the right shot. Why don’t I have one of her Mom, Louise? I loved speaking with both of these gardeners. Katie of GardenPunks is
looking cool, intent, and is politely listening to our host. Katie told me that this garden exemplifies what she would like to accomplish in her own garden. I always enjoy her posts and look forward to seeing her garden develop.
We were off from this garden to Carolyn Gail’s garden and home. She graciously opened both for us to see and I don’t have a picture of our hostess, my apologies. I’ve posted about the garden but the house should have a post all of its’ own. Christopher C. of Outside Clyde posed playfully for me as we were looking at the faux stained glass windows and doors and I caught him with his glasses pulled up on his head. Christoper can do anything as evidenced by the skills shown on his blog and I know I will see an attempt at the faux stained glass in his new cozy cottage. I enjoyed hangin’ with you, Christopher!
The last day of my visit to Chicago, Gail and I went to the Museum Garden and the Lurie Garden. Gail has visited my garden as her son is studying in RI. Susan Harris and Frances met up with us in the Lurie Garden after their boat trip and we walked around the city enjoying gardens, architecture, lunch and each other. I hadn’t met Susan and only knew her through ‘Rant’. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions. Susan is a thinker and a person who gets things done. She also has a great collection of T shirts which express her style and individuality. Sometimes it is hard to find the right size isn’t it Susan? Who knew we both would take an XL! I am not at all sure why I have no picture of Elizabeth from Gardening While Intoxicated (love that title). I saw quite a bit of her and, long ago,one of her posts introduced me to the delicious St. Germain made from elderberry flowers. I thank her for that and for the champagne. I will be bringing some to Buffalo next year!
I realize I am missing quite a few faces although most are in the group shot in many other blogs but still, I won’t let that happen again. I so enjoyed speaking with Rose of Prairie Rose and her friend Becky. Patsy of Oh Grow Up was a dinner companion and rode to the airport in the van with me and I somehow don’t have a picture of you Patsy but you are in my mind’s eye. Linda of Garden Girl graciously came into the city very early Sunday to speak with The Garden Guys and share Chicago with the Boston listeners. Linda, it was an honor!
I do apologize for not having pictures of everyone but I have learned from this and will make sure that flingers are the priority next year. To the Chicago Spring Fling Committee, many thanks for your efforts, I had a great time and to all others, it was a privilege to share Chicago with all of you.
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