Back to Basics ~ The Garden

The clock counts off the hours. Days of languishing in a foreign land soon become memories. It's back to the familiar schedule, the usual daily chores loom ever present.

The garden grew...did it ever! Pollen continued to quietly pile in the corners dusting everything with yellow. Empty feeders kept the birds at bay, how wonderful when they return within minutes of being refilled. The baby wrens had 'flown the coop' leaving their tidy nest in the kitchen window box..........which now needs replanting with Summer flowers. Summer is on the way. Soon the heat will become oppressive, but for now the mornings are still cool and garden chores are pleasant. The beauty is somewhat blowzy, overgrown, untidy, but gorgeous in a secret garden way. Pruning and trimming will be the order of the day. Old clothes, hair tucked into a hat, soft cotton gloves, and bug repellent at the ready.........those dastardly mosquitoes are back.

Sun is shining, robins chirping, flowering Jasmin perfumes the air.

I'm off to play in the dirt!!!!

All images from the May garden.

Sail on silver moon.......

Did you peer at the moon over the weekend? It was huge, low and so silvery bright you could see all the craters clearly with a pair of regular binoculars. If you had a telescope the view must have been awesome.

Our four year old neighbor stood in the cold with us ~ we let her look through the binoculars and told her that men had walked there. She looked at us in disbelief.

We still look and feel the same amazement.

Silver moon glow above the garden ~ Friday, December 12, 2008

Join me on a garden stroll

It was wonderful to have so many of you visit the potting shed. Next time, when the pollen has eased up, let's plan tea in the gazebo. Being English, I have tea of every description to tempt your taste buds. However, being English and a transplanted 'quasi Yankee', I don't do iced tea so you Southern gals will have to forgive me. I can rustle up a pretty good tall chilled glass of lemonade though....................and if this sounds a bit early for you real Yankees, let me tell you it has reached 80 degrees here this week and working in the garden certainly required thirst quenching refreshment.

During a stroll around the garden in the late afternoon, I took these pictures. This gives you an idea of color already painting the landscape ~ amazing how these have all bloomed in the past week. Now you know why I'm giddy ~ it's from all the pollen. Worth a stuffy nose and itchy eyes though to see Nature's surprise art show ~ she even hangs some masterpieces on the fence ~ right in my back garden.

Those of you who have been kind enough to visit me over the past year are very familiar with my Victorian style gazebo..........and most likely tired of me showing it you! However, all my wonderful new visitors may like to see it too, so welcome to another favorite spot in my garden. This rustic addition was added along with a new enlarged deck just two Summers ago and I love it and make very good use of it. Thirty years of being eaten alive by every mosquito within a 20 mile radius made dining al fresco virtually impossible for me during Summer months. With a totally screened gazebo which seats four, my outdoor time has increased and I can enjoy early morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and even a nightcap.................or just sit for a while with a great book or my laptop, with very few itchy, pesky bites.

Looking across the front garden from the side arbor the lawn slopes down to the road ~ we are at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The red leafed Japanese Maple was planted 5 years ago when just about 2 feet in height and has grown incredibly fast. Just beyond it is our mailbox where these Queen of the Night and Pink Impression tulips are in bloom, and the budding clematis is starting to climb the mailbox post.

...............and after circling back around the house I see my old wicker chair waiting in the late day sun, perhaps time now for that cup of Earl Grey. The brilliant bluebells are in their prime. I now only plant the Spanish bluebell which is tall and sturdy ~ lovely thick leaves which don't collapse on the ground like the English bluebell.

Thanks for taking a stroll with me ~ as always I enjoy your company.


When the bright sunset fills

the silver woods with light, the green slope throws

It's shadows on the hollows of the hills

And wide the upland glows.

And when the eve is born

In the blue lake the sky, o'er-reaching far

Is hollowed out, and the moon dips her horn

And twinkles many a star.

Sweet April! ~ Many a thought

is wedded unto thee, as hearts are wed

Nor shall they fail, till to its' Autumn brought

Life's golden fruit is shed.

....................except from An April Day..........H.W. Longfellow