How To Use A Hot Day

I am lying on the porch swing, book and camera at hand, and this is my view.

On a hot day, this is the place to be, listening to the pond water gurgling and the birds flitting by to sample the sunflower seeds in the nearby feeders..

The memory floated by of  the days in Richmond Hill when the kids were tiny. No one had air conditioners--we bought what ever size wading pool we could afford and the kids ran in and out, wet feet marking up the floors but who cared-- the kids were happy and cooled off.

I wonder how many moms in suburbia even know what prickly heat rash is. We used to fluff corn starch on  the  red patches of skin and fan the babies, sponge them with tepid water, anything to help them forget the itch.

Now my babies have grown up babies of their own, all of them with air conditioning.

I hope they are cool in every sense of the word.

So now I'll concentrate on the gurgling water and the munching birds.

Yin and Yang

My first garden tour of the summer was in nearby Stratford. Generally this town  displays gardens surrounding old stone houses with enormous shade trees,  but this year houses under one century were given prominence.

My preference is low-budget- and- huge- imagination properties although it's always nice to see places where the big bucks were spent tastefully (is that an oxymoron?). I love meeting the owners who have done all the scut work themselves and look slightly dazed from the last-minute touch-ups.

Those who agree to host their gardens are in for relentless hours and hours of weeding so the beds will be gloriously displayed for the big day.

I hope the weeders know how much their work is appreciated as well as  their generosity in showing their gardens

The owners of this shed above know how to work an otherwise blank space; there's a lot going on and it is a stunning effect.

But look at this--the other side is bald, with a raised veggie bed squished close by.

.I like to think they're keeping the center space open for a pool and cabanda.

It's their money--let me fantacise.

Clematis Comes out of Hiding

My favorite summer pursuit is taking in garden tours, where I always see  tenderly cared for gardens with each plant accompanied by a neatly lettered marker, identifying the plant in English and Latin.

I love this idea and every year it is my intention to buy a batch of markers and get to it.

In the meantime, it's always a lovely surprise to spot a Clematis peeking out in two places from under the Virginia Creeper.

Do I remember planting the Clematis? Well, not really and that's why the markers might remind me to thin out the vine once in a while to see what else might be living under there..

It's nice to know that right off the bat I have already identified two plants, in case those markers do materialize.

A huge leaf from the Oriental Rhubarb (three!) looks as though it might snap up the competition.

I love the smiley face of this gorgeous bloom.

Smart of me to plant it.
Too bad I didn't remember.

Front and Center

I'm pretty well a back yard gardener. In our neighborhood, we smile pleasantly at one another if we meet at the mail box but we don't socialize.

Since I'm a professional loner, this works well.

Eventually I do have to venture out in front to tweak the garden and I usually do it early while my neighbors are munching their Cheerios.
I never see them out, so they may get up before dawn, using a miner's light on their heads.

There are two gates at the back of this narrow path to the back yard.. My gate is hidden by the ornamental grass, which in turn hides the air conditioner.

The large-leafed plants are weeds, but since they look quite nice, I don't rush to pluck them out.

I use the rain barrels to hand-water the plants in front.

Another funny thing about this strip of grass--my next door neighbor carefully cuts his side, carefully leaving the few-inches strip of my grass undone..

I take pleasure in cutting the entire patch and more, feeling terribly smug and virtuous.

Another view of the side patch. Everything planted here is what I call a cultivated weed--give it an inch and it takes over the plant neighborhood.

I first put one of those pre-made straw containers in the metal basket but the straw things are never roomy enough and they shrink over time. Eventually I carefully pulled it all out and inserted burlap, then returned the straw insert. Not one of my successes, Next year I'll tidy it up a bit and add climbing plants to hide the rag-tag mess.

 

Coleus is a forgiving plant--just scootch it into place and it does its stuff. Pick a leaf and root it in a glass jar and before long  you have another one.

On the other hand, I'm for supporting the plant nurseries so let them do the rooting..

They have a tough but (to me) necessary business.

The Morning Inspection

Poor peach tree got confused with the early March summer weather that quickly reverted to winter. A couple of sturdy bees came visiting but even so, the resulting fruit is going to turn out like leather. It didn't help that I haphazardly flung the netting over to protect those little things from the birds--those with virtually no palate. Can you  pick out the poor little stub to the right?

It will take a lot of patience and determination to remove the netting.but then, there won't be anything pick- able under the mess.

I have no idea what the god of thunder is supposed to look like but this guy must come pretty close. He's a man of many moods--or else I see him differently each day.

After several months of getting to know one another, I found the panorama button on my camera. Nice effect.

The cemetery bed is flourishing. I wonder what is buried down there to make everything grow so lavishly? Probably better not to know. This was farm land. Could have been anything. Or anyone.

It's blistering hot today. Tends to make one goofy.

Buddha Is Having A Bad Day

This was the first lotus to blossom in the pond and I hope that makes Buddha happy.

Because frankly, I thought he's had a disapproving look lately, probably because of the less- than- perfect weed flourishing under his nose. 

Much as I love the guy, I'm not going to risk life and limb trying to extricate that little monster.   I'm so lacking in the required dexterity that  I'll end us as fish food.

So enjoy the pretty blossom, sir.

Morning in Paradise

Soon there will be the changing of the guard

The Peonies are about to give center stage to the Delphiniums. It's always a lovely surprise when you realize the plantings you pictured in your head have evolved perfectly.

It's Looking Like Summer

The Begonias are loving the bursts of rain and heat and in return really strut their stuff.

The Welliea are my best friends

I kept an old window screen over the romaine and the bunnies noshed elsewhere. This bunch made a fine Caesar salad later that day.

John is Christened

The family got together from nearby towns  to observe baby John's rite of passage.

Here he is with his parents and his big brother Daniel.

His mom is  my granddaughter.
The baby is still a bit rumpled from the annointing.

John was christened in the Ukrainian Catholic church in Thornhill where his grandparents were married.
It's a tiny church and full of exuberant color. 

Our family boasts  Catholic and Jewish along with a smattering of soul travelers and I am in the latter group. We have great conversations.

John is my fourth great-grandchild and  we passed him around all afternoon while he behaved with amazing patience.

Here, I think he's about ready for the baby equivalent of a coffee break.

It's always fun for family members to catch up with each other's news while the kids run happily wild around us.

John was named after John Lennon and his parents are obviously devout fans. I think if I had named one of my kids after a personal hero, it would have been actor Gregory Peck.

Sorry Greg--I just didn't think of it at the time.

Peonies

The heavy rains gave the girls a touigh time but they retain their elegance as they adjust.

This bunch were more protected and love to be admired and I'm their biggest fan.

Garden Mavericks



These climbing roses had the sparse back yard all to themselves when I moved in seven or eight years ago.

They're  thick-caned with age and have thorns that would put put the fear of god into Godzilla.

They need lashing to the fence and I'm saving that chore for the day when I am in an utterly fearless mode and have re-stocked the Band-Aids.

Soon.





This Magnolia has had its seasons confused for many years and I finally coaxed it into blooming in spring just like it's relatives.

Then this year we went from winter to summer back to winter, a dash of spring, a last burst of winter and finally it all smoothed out, but that  was too much for the poor tree and it just shut down for a while.

Now, when its season is very much over, it's beginning to bloom.





Rock on you little beauty.

Poppies

After a couple of cold, rainy days the poppies make their debut.

The salmon pink are always my first choice although I'm getting an urge to add some red ones..

Well kids, you took your sweet time but you were worth waiting for.

After The Rain

After hauling out a ton of faded Forget-Me-Nots, I discovered my first strawberries. A gardener's kind of lottery.

Deliciously sweet

Recently I yanked out  the weed Sweet Williams, hoping the Lupines would regain their energy and push through, but so far no luck. I hope they return--I loved them.

This is a perfect day for weeding--mild temperature, sunny, and the soil is pliable.

Unfortunately that can't be said for my body which has aged faster than my mind, so I'm taking a break.

Anyway, it's a good time to admire this morning's progress.

Last June

It was just a year ago that the garden flooded like this.

Only the forget-Me-Nots cared to visit. The grass had been removed a while before to make way for flood control but you get the idea.

Then the brick work was completed and the flooding.ended. This was one of my better ideas.