May 30th, 2009

A delft sky day, - blue and white and blissful.

And in the garden.....



The Iris, - tall and straight against the curly willow, and in glorious full bloom.



And the peony, in transition from bud to bloom...



Here is the Jackmani Clematis that came from the Lost Garden and now keeps company with the Russian Olive that we tried unsuccessfully to move.



I pass the young Hawthorn tree on my way to the Nellie Moser which every day dons more beautiful blooms and climbs further up the trellis.





We are missing the roses of yesteryear that succumbed to the long cold winter weather, but their replacements are energetically making roots in preparation for next year's heady show. And I am hopeful that the stems of the Abraham Darby will produce flowers true to its graft.



Hope springs eternal in the Garden.

May 28th, 2009
David's Birthday

Worked VERY hard in the garden this morning, digging out violets and yarrow and always and ever the ubiquitous Chinese Lantern.

Rewarded by many sweet promises of things to come....

Here today are the new additions to the garden.



A pretty double columbine which is being surrounded by that plant which I suspect is a weed, but it has such pretty blue blooms, - what can one do but rescue the double columbine...



The Weigelia, stepping out tentatively with ruby red blossoms.



More blooms on the Nellie Moser...



A few more blooms on the Iris, but they are slow in coming.

The peonies buds are beginning to swell in the main garden. In the new peony bed I will de-bud any that are thinking of blooming so that their energy can go to making roots.

Charles cut the pasture today, - looks like a very elegant lawn with all the airy headed dandelions gone.

Tomorrow I won't spend so much time digging, - makes for tired muscles....

If you have a minute and a half
here is a little pleasant entertainment

Music by Duke Ellington
pictures of the garden, today.
and some we took on a drive
through the countryside.

Monday in the garden

More energy today put into the demolition of the Chinese Lantern Subway (Inc.) and as I worked my way between plants I discovered that the Sweet Violet, whom one would imagine blushing shyly in out of the way places, is in truth running a close second to the CLS(Inc.) when it comes to performance and the establishment of Sweet Fragrant Branch Shops.

I was ruthless, and gradually the jungle image is disappearing and a more orderly garden is appearing.

The two Nellie Mosers are covered with buds, and here are lovely blooms on the younger of the plants, - not the one we brought from the Lost garden that now comforts the Russian Olive tree that didn't quite make it.



Tree peonies are glorious, but very short lived, and already the blooms are becoming rather tattered around the edges.



The pale pink Hawthorn....



and the first flush of Columbine...



I noticed when we went to town this afternoon to buy fertilizer for the curly willows that Iris and Peonies are beginning to bloom, but here on the hillside, at the back of the pasture, the buds of the peonies are still clinging firmly together. I expect there will be Iris unfurling any morning now, and here are some luminously pregnant oriental poppies....



Callie, the cat, finds the garden as enchanting as I do, and one of these days I will catch a picture of her as she investigates life under the flourishing barn flower, or in amongst the lilies.

May 22nd, 2009

A Friday, but that doesn't have the same connotations when you're retired.

Worked hard in the garden today, - Charles dug holes for the northern boundary curly willow line. This tree planting adventure is ongoing.....

I did battle with the aphids on the Philadelphia Orange (Safer's Insecticidal Spray) and after this I got the rolls of flower seed out, cut it to fit and laid it out around the peony bed, soaking it well as instructed. Must be kept moist, I guess until the seeds sprout and the fibre disintegrates. It was successful last year and I hope it will be this year, - the peonies need a year to settle themselves in.

Went to town and bought a lovely hanging pot from the grocery store, at grocery store prices.... It is hanging above the table on the deck, looking gay and colourful.



I turn my back and yet another bud opens, - what an exciting time in the garden. Some demotion work going on too, - I am dismantling the Chinese Lantern Underground!

We spent most of the working part of the day planting Curly Willows....
But here are some Pictures from the garden

















Tomorrow is the day for Safer's Soap and a blitz on the aphids which are curling the leaves of the Philadelphia Orange.
May 21, 2009

Down the Garden Path


Buds and Blooms - a Rotogravure



A.N. Oriole, Esq. out with the Missis in Curly Willow Copse.

Admiring the first bloom on the Peony Tree



And the Allium, growing more splendidly globular each day..



A lovely pink tulip, furling its petals in preparation for a stroll down the Boulevard into oblivion.



The Coral Bells, a constant on the street corner and in for the long haul until October.



The Oriental Peony, surrounded by ferny foliage and accompanied by the ubiquitous buttercup - bold and brash, but nonethless beautiful glowing medallions.





The camera caught the Golden Alyssum looking somewhat shaggy and in need of a trim, so that in a while it will be fresh and fragrant as it blooms once again.



The Tulips, not as elegant as they once were, but still a pretty picture as they dance to the tune of the constant breeze.



In the past few days the heavenly blue flax has greeted the morning sun, but the photographer missed this lovely picture.

The Iris and the Columbine, the Peonies and even the oriental Poppy - all have buds in various stages of pregnant delight. Watch for them as they burst upon the scene and have their pictures taken for the Sunday Times.

May 16th, 2009

I sprang from the bed early, - just before five o'clock - thinking I would have a couple of quiet hours in the garden before Charles awakened.

But no, - the early morning light roused him at the same time, and so we had a quick breakfast and went out together to enjoy the still, quiet morning.

I organized all the pots, - watered the soil, and planted the first two with hostas.



Then I was down the garden path, looking from one side to the other for errant plants and brash volunteers to move from the garden proper and into the pots. Two birds with one stone, - saving money at the nursery and tidying up the garden at the same time.

The Lambs' Ear were good candidates, and a patch of annual poppies where a seed case must have fallen...... some pot marigolds with just the right number of leaves to transplant, and some creeping Jenny that two or three years ago crept out of some pots and established itself in the garden. Some of the buttercups got potted, and a nice yellow daisy like flower that had left its mother to start up housekeeping on its own.

I left a little room for the occasional petunia and begonia to brighten things up, and moved on to planting the roses and bugbear (Mother's Day presents) that have been sitting in the garage awaiting just such a day as this, - a little cloudy, calm and not too warm.

Remembering how the garden looked in the middle of March I marveled at the magic of spring (late though it was) and the generous green growth that touches the heart of the gardener, each new bud on the peonies and the columbine a veritable delight!

When we got all rested up I went out and took some pictures....



The three year old climbing hydrangia with the promise of its first lacy flowers.



The newly planted Bugbear in its own little bed, freshly cleared of coutch grass...



One fragrant lilac on the top of the baby bush..



Beautiful green of the new growth on the little evergreens...



The lilies, - with a promise of June splendour..



And in the background, the dandelions.



A strenuous day, but very fulfilling.

At last, - a warm, sunny day. Perfect for gardening.

Happy days are here again - Mitch Miller


Hardly lingered over breakfast, and we were out the door early, with the tree planting equipment all ready and waiting.

Charles has been digging holes while the cold wind blew and the clouds stormed around these last few days. So it was just a matter of digging out those healthy curly willow cuttings, dropping them into the hole, filling the hole with top soil and watering them... Piece of cake. Sid (son) came along towards the end and kindly dug the last few holes, and we were finished by coffee time.

Spent the rest of the morning in a small skirmish with the coutch grass, all the while looking under and around the delphinium, the iris and the peonies for little volunteer sunflowers and engaging in a surprising half hour trying to make order out of chaos in the buttercup patch. While I have been looking desultorily out the window at the wind and rain they have taken advantage of the situation and spread far and wide in and amongst the iris and the oriental peony. And just now, this morning, preparing to invade the peony tree.

I gave them their marching orders in short order, but it involved a fair amount of tugging and pulling and digging, - all of which left me capable only of heating up the rest of the pizza for lunch and indulging in a two hour nap in the early afternoon.

No pictures, - left the camera indoors.

Tomorrow is pot planting day, all being well with the wind and the weather....

May 11th, 2009

Slogging away in the garden the last two days, but loving every minute of it....

Yesterday I emptied all the old soil out of the pots, mixed it with the remnants of the manure left from last year, and refilled the pots, all ready and waiting to look like this, -



or this....



or something similar....

The vines that babied in the sunny bathroom are all planted.

The rest of the dandelions that found a place in the graveled driveway to thrive and blossom have all been dug out with my special dandelion digger-outer....

Today we planned a tree planting expedition. It entailed a fair amount of preparation, getting the tools and top soil packed into the new garden wagon, along with the curly willow cuttings that Charles nurtured into good sturdy well rooted baby trees. By the time all was ready for us to hike down the driveway we were ready for a short rest and a cup of coffee.....the energy levels need frequent boosts!!!

Coffee finished, and the rains came - into the garage with all the equipment, - into the house with the intrepid tree planters....

Tried again when the showers had gone west, but the minute we stepped foot out doors they reversed their direction and came back again. And so it went, - all day.

It is fairly evident that if it is a bright day we will spend our 64th wedding anniversary tomorrow planting curly willows down the driveway, so that when we celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary they will make a beautiful addition to the lane - the orchard on one side, and those lovely green curly branches swaying in the breeze above us on the other side.

The delicate scent of the apple blossoms and the glorious effect of acres and acres of pink and white bridal froth stretching from one end of the valley to the other seem appropriate to the celebration of the anniversary of our wedding day. Another year, another blossom time....

Ill Be With You In Apple Blossom Time - The Andrews Sisters