Random Garden Pictures

 

This is my new plum tree. We used to have two, but one died and of course our other tree stopped giving us plums. This year for my borthday my wonderful sister gave me a new companion for my plum tree. It is already at the end of its bloom cycle and as you can see, this one doesn't have any blossoms yet, so  I guess we won't see anything this year, but I'm glad my plum won't be lonely anymore!

 

 

Here are some random pictures of what I have been weeding. This is the red and white garden. Not much is happening in it yet, but I have been spending a lot of time each year digging out the creeping charly and the creeping phlox. Each year we have a little bit less weedy matter, but there is still enough to make it a multi-day task (about 8 segments and I still have that last one to go.)

 

Finally, this is my reconstitution of the garden my mom planned for me. Hers was only on one side of this garden, but I have it mirroring itself now and will need to find something of interest for the middle.  I seeded some poppies in the black dirt at the bottom and if they grow they will look nice. If not I will transplant in marigolds like I did last year.

Garden and Birds

I have been so busy with work that the garden has been neglected.  As I watch the birds though I can see the seasons changing. Remember that scarlet tanager visiting the feeder?

 

It's exterior has gradually been changing to its winter "coat". There are slight traces of the brilliant scarlet now, but generally the bird is drab and not particularly striking.

 

Of course there are the other "guys" at the feeder.

 

The morning glories are blooming.

Garden Stuff

I have been so proud to have a new magnolia, since I am accustomed to the majestic magnolias of the south and my tiny little magnolia is going into its third year now and bears little resemblance to my fantastic memories. Nonetheless here it is in all it's glory. (It actually has 5 buds left after the rabbits got through pruning it.

 

My wild tulips are also blooming.

 

Some Garden Photos

This won't be much of a blog - just a few images to indicate the state of the garden. First however I want you to see why I can not ever get anything accomplished! This is the table where I try to work.

He knows how to be sure to keep me from accessing my books, my knitting and the television remote!

The "front yard" has a red and white garden (which has been invaded by orange flowers.)  It has been blooming beautifully over the last few weeks!

 

There are some very large stunningly beautiful orange lilies that I will probably never move out of the garden because they do so well there (and the deer are too shy to bother them there.)

 

There are daylilies and daisies interspersed with the actual lilies. 

 

In the back yard the meadow colors have begun to shift from the pinks of the early season to the yellows of composite flowers.

 

The new garden where the oak stump used to be has been doing nicely (except the deer ate the phlox that are supposed to be in the middle of the garden for a focal point.)

This garden, based on a garden I saw in a magazine, has never satisfied me. It got overgrown, so I weeded it and transplanted some of the pinks that had become overgrown with grass so that they are more central in the garden, but it still doesn't look so good to me. Maybe it will grow into a better looking garden with a little time (?)

 

The wood chips help a bit, but it is shady and just doesn't quite look groomed.

I got 24 of those mini-solar lights and put them around the drive. The area is so large that there is no good vantage point to photograph them all.

Finally the shot of the day is this little face off between a grosbeak and a woodpecker. At least they got there before the squirrels did!

Quilt update

First a garden picture of course!

And here is the deck!

 

And here is an update on the quilt. It looks more put together than it is. Some of those squares are not yet seamed even though they look like they are. (I have to do 6 squares a day from now on to finish in time (and I did three today - hmm....)

Here is an overview of the entire thing - as you can see there is still a lot left to do!

Bird T.V.

Our cats love to sit  in the window and watch what I call bird T.V.  We like to watch it too.

The garden is coming along fro being a huge mess to being a little bit more under control.

It's taking me a long time to dig out all the Creeping Charly.

Can Spring really have arrived?

I've been gently reminded that I have not blogged for awhile and so I thought I would post a couple of quick pictures to send a flavor of my world. I have been extremely busy with work and the light has finally started to shine forth from the end of the tunnel (just about the same time as the weather has finally agreed to  resemble Spring). (Of course if you had asked me yesterday I would have told you that Spring had decided not to visit us this year. I was so cold that I had to turn on the heat and I actually slept in long underwear last night (something I am loathe to do even on the coldest nights of winter!) Today (at last) it is sunny and almost warm and the plants in the yard have finally decided to come out of hiding. Even the warblers are starting to arrive.

Of course the first flowers to really go on display are the weeds. As you can see they have more than a foothold on our yard.

We owe the German emigrants a debt of something for bringing their beloved dandelions over from Europe. Alas, we try to combat them, but as you can see we are losing the battle.

 

Even the lawn mower doesn't manage to make a dent in them, so short of a neutron bomb, I think we are pretty much stuck with them. On the more pleasant side of things (and the house) there is however this to look at. I am so glad I decided to get those Japanese lanterns. I have a feeling of peace and comfort when I look at them and remember the beautiful gardens of Japan.

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Oh and one more thing. It is road trip time of year - so I hope to be posting some travel blogs pretty soon.  Of course the destination I chose is rainy, windy and cold right now (go figure!) so look forward to hearing more complaining about the weathe. What is a vacation, if not the chance to realize how much you like the place you complain about all the rest of the year?

庭 あります ！

It has been an exciting day in the garden. Aimee oversaw all the changes and seems to have approved (as hard as that is to believe since she gets very very upset if there is even a shoe out of place in the house.)




(I just know that if I ever actually get the place cleaned up she'll have to be hospitalized in the mental part of the veterinary hospital!) Doesn't she look self-satisfied!? (It's like she did all the work herself!))

 

The heat has really brought out the day lilies along the drive, and...

there are still some real lilies blooming in various parts of the garden.

 The most beautiful lilies just started blooming in the tiergarden. Bright red and gorgeous!



But none of that is a change big enough to potentially upset a bulldog.  The real exciting news of the day is that the Japanese lanterns that I ordered arrived.  I got the call the at 8:59 this morning. The local business that I had conned, er.. I mean wheedled into accepting my shipment (so that I would only have to pay commercial shipping) called to let me know that my "rocks" had arrived.

I took all the old shoes and candy wrappers and last year's wind shield wipers out of the back of the car, so there would be space (I hoped) and headed for the loading dock.  There I saw two pallets of granite lantern pieces all wrapped up in cellophane tape and standing about as tall as I. 

The very kind gentlemen at the loading dock pried the boards apart and loaded the extremely heavy granite pieces into the car.  Then it was home to figure out a way to get the lanterns assembled in the garden.

I had been wanting a Japanese lantern for many years and while these are not genuine lanterns from Japan, they are hand-carved imports from China.  The company I purchased from was in Minnesota and I had expected them to be carved of our own Minnesota granite, but instead they come from China via San Francisco.

I think I must have used every single one of those seven simple machines they taught us about in kindergarten (except maybe the pulley which in this case would have been the most useful)!

The Oribe took its place in the tiny little Japanese inspired corner of the North part of the yard.

Named for Furuta Oribe a daimyo (feudal lord) and learned man of the Momoyama period (1573-1615), Oribe was the student of the most famous Tea ceremony teacher Sen Rikyu. He not only continued developing the tea ceremony after his sensei's death, but also advanced flower arranging and gardening too. Notice the moon opening facing the viewer and house. Since my spouse is such a big fan of the moon, I set it up so he could see it out his window.



I will most likely adjust some of the plantings now that the lantern is in place, but for years I have been longing for a Japanese lantern for this location. (Now I just need a little tea house nearby. (wink!)

The lantern I had always wanted - the Yukimi lantern was too short for this location. I knew this, but still had to get a Yukimi, so that second lantern got to take it's place in the back yard next to the new cherry tree. I was able to get most of it down to the location, but the top must weigh about 100 pounds, so I had to wait for help in order to finish the job.

The Yukimi is known as the Snow Viewing Lantern, (Yuki means snow in Japanese). It is probably supposed to sit at the edge of a pond, but will have to be land-based in our yard. When Spousal Unit D. came home - he helped me drive the car down to the back yard and we had a little ceremony of putting the top on and adding the finial. Even he is impressed with the beauty of the lanterns! I can't wait for snow!!



(This will be the first and the last year you ever hear me express such a sentiment!)

State of the Garden

The day lilies are really starting to look good.

The callas are coming into their own and



all is right in the garden.