Wins and Losses

I'm coming to grips with the sun's ability to bake and burn its way through my attempt at rigging sun shades.



I carefully set up what I considered to be a protected area for the orchids and it would have been kinder to toss them into a den of starving lions. The sun snickered at my feeble attempt to keep them shaded and burned them to a crisp.

They had been doing so well inside under lights until I read that they like to be outdoors in the summer, in a shady spot where they catch the breeze.

A couple of them are fighting back safe indoors, and if they could speak, I would be in bigger trouble.



On the win side, the water lily I planted last year is perky.


Then there's the Tamarack tree that is supposed to love a boggy venue and boy did I have the boggy venue for it. The finicky thing lifted its skirts up high and said, "Give me dry land or I'm outa here." This spring I moved it to higher ground and it has been leaping up into serious contention for tree category.


Win some, lose some. That's a gardener's life.

Garden Update

My daughter the Empress lives a couple of blocks away from me and her side garden is to die for. Give her full credit for the fact that you're in serious danger of breaking your wrist just trying to dig into that clay soil.

No matter, she has a fabulous display going on there. Here, I have a kinder, more pliable soil and soon there will be a mass of gorgeous plants interspersed with weeds. Still, how come she has all that color in bloom already and down the hill, my plants are still thinking about the next step?

The delphiniums are my joy and they are coming into their prime.



The daisies went diving for cover after an intense round of serious heat followed by a late frost but they are thinking it's safe to strut their stuff now.



I love the look of the squash blossoms.



The roses are beginning their climb up the archway and they will be gorgeous every inch of the climb.



I overwintered the geraniums just so they could flourish in the container under the front window. The little wretches are trying to be independent of one another so they are not of a size. Oh well it's the thought that counts.

A Lot of Firsts

The first water lily is blooming.



And the first of the Delphiniums.



The roses reflect back beautifully from the back fence mirrors.



Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

Mohammed Ali, Garden Variety

Do not be fooled for an instant that this is just a slightly unruly rose bush.


No, indeed. this is a giant, muscle-bound ferocious member of the rose persuasion, itching to go ten rounds with any other rose on the block.
It came with the house three years ago and I set to work pruning the monster down to a manageable size but that only encouraged it to try harder.
Yes, it is a beautiful sight but it lives to wrap it's thorns in the hair of any innocent passing by like say, a gardener.


See that chain link fence hidden at the back of mighty bush? Well, I lashed the critter to the fence and one day I'll hear a mighty TWANGGGGG and the fence will be curled up in my yard, quivering and pleading to be put out of its misery.

The rose will be smirking.

This year I won't even consider fertilizing the brute.

That's My boy

I braved the nasty, over-travelled 401 highway the other day to visit number five son Mike in the recording studio, where he was producing a show in the current series.

It's the first time I had seen him at work and I was the proud mother, for absolutely good reason.

The studio was chock-a-block full of talented, plummy-voiced and often tattooed actors as well as my un-tattooed son and his co-horts.

He's the handsome devil on the right.
Terry, the narrator and co-writer is in the center and Keith the sound man is on the left.
Steve , my number three son and nomad carpenter, had written about this show previously and turned himself into a pretzel to catch a shot of the multi-talented multi-voice man doing his shtick.
It was a great day and well worth the potentially suicidal drive into the big city.

Harry the Walking Disaster

Poor Harry;I couldn't keep up with his matted coat so we put in an S.O.S. for a house call from Chris, the loyal pet groomer.

Steve wore heavy gloves to keep Harry contained while Chris worked and the howls could have been heard coast to coast.

We weren't looking for a pretty finish; just remove the matting and run for your life.



Well, if you'd behave when I comb you this wouldn't happen.



He looks as though he got the worst of a moth attack.

Summer At Last

We had enough frost to make us wonder if summer would ever arrive, but the first couple of days of blistering heat convinced us.

The Clematis really struts its stuff these days; I pruned it severely as instructed on of those cold so-called spring days and it was the right thing to do.



The Bleeding Heart is happy tucked in with a neighboring Hosta and a sprinkling of Forget-Me-Nots.



The Fuchsia hanging over the front porch is liking its new spot but taps me on the shoulder for more water whenever I pass by.



The Tulips didn't fare well in the back yard; the see-sawing back and forth of intense cold, sudden heat did them in and they just fizzled out quickly. These blooms in the front were much happier but they won't last much longer. Usually we can count on them to flourish until early August.



And the Magnolia, ah the Magnolia. That poor thing was moved about several times at my last place until it finally seemed to like where it was situated. Then I changed houses and took it with me and that last move just broke its spirit. All the other Magnolias in the area have already strutted their stuff while my little guy is just now putting out some tentative blossoms.



I promise never to move you again, little fella.

TO THE MOON, ALICE

You know how annoying it is when you're ready to cut the lawn and there are things to move out of the way first?

That's how Alice the cow ended up the tree and she likes it there.




Gives her a chance to keep track of the dish and spoon over the fence.