Colors of Spring

 

Don had a delightful post of spring pictures from his yard.  I love Palasso Pentossi (commonly referred to as Don and Scott's house) it's a place of peace, light and water.
 

What I missed from his post was a picture of the wonderful Morning Glories he USE to grow. Beautiful, but apparently a little too prolific. I could never get the seeds to germinate. I think Psam finally went and bought seeds                                      

The colors of spring are the light and greens of my hostas and ferns.  And the pretty little forget-me-not type flowers.

The greens of my Akiba vine dotted with it's small maroon flowers (it has never developed fruit, but boy it grows and grows and grows.)

My favorite orange tulips in the mids of Dutch Iris greens.  The purple buds of lilacs and fushia of the cyclamens on my deck.  I love the colors of spring.

Sith,

Cele

Talk Thursday: Rejuvenation

From Word Web….
Noun
1) The phenomenon of vitality and freshness being restored
2) The act of restoring to a more youthful condition

Wouldn’t that make it a verb? Just askin’. Seriously it said noun. So I checked out Merriam Webster’s, and while, yes Virginia it can be a noun, in my usage, totally a transition verb. Thank God. I freaked there for just a moment. Lately I’ve been having these Ginkgo Biloba moments and almost fell for it. Whew!

Rejuvenation, in middle age - isn’t that the same thing as diet and exercise? Totally a verb. I can’t say I’ve been rejuvenated. I get out in my garden, it keeps growing, I keep weeding and writing more checks for this compost, that seedling, those pavers and then start all over the next spring. That’s not rejuvenation, that’s repurchasing my garden. But I love my garden, digging in the soil and
un-sticking the slugs from my knees, and dead heading (Jerry and the boys are optional.) Do you know how much satisfaction there is in deadheading? Give it a try. Plant a puny little petunia, sprinkle it with some compost, surround with a heavy duty force field of Deadline, step back and watch mother nature take over. The following weekend go out with your prunners and dead head the spent blooms. Before you know it, removing the old has made way for new blooms several times over and dead- heading has you in your garden for hours on end, sniffing up heavenly blooms.

Dead heading… totally a rejuvenating verb.

I’ve had been on this diet, a life style type change of diet. Having grown up in the sixties I was taught to eat everything on my plate, because you know children in India and China were starving. I’ll pretend I was polite when the topic of my un-cleared plate was brought up. Hence I have an eating problem, I have to eat everything on my plate. Worse I made my daughter eat everything on her plate. America, this is just wrong. Wrong I say. So well into my fifties I’ve had to teach myself portions. This also means cutting back on my consumption of meat. Because America do you know the size of a meat portion? Texas is exempt from answering that question. It is 3 to 6 oz. Do you know what 4.5 ounces of meat looks like? I didn’t think so. I do now, didn’t then, but I have altered my intake to be much closer to 3 ounces than 10. After that I cut out potatoes (except on Fast Food Fridays,) breads (except on Fast Food Fridays,) and pasta (except when I eat pasta.) Now you ask what is Fast Food Fridays. Go ahead, ask.

I’m waiting.

Ah, hmmmm.

Here, let me help you. “Cele, what is Fast Food Fridays?”

Oh, my sole reader I am so glad you asked. Fast Food Fridays is my way of staying sane and on my diet. I try to maintain an 1100 to 1300 calorie a day diet through out the week. Well screw that concept all to heck on Friday night, “Honey, let’s order pizza.” And then I top it off with ice cream. Folks, come Saturday I’m back on my diet with little problem through out the week ( as long as I don’t buy large cans of peanuts.) I’ve lost twenty or so pounds. By now I want to be down thirty, but apparently that isn’t happening without exercise. Ugh.

My clothes are fitting a bit better, can we say “baggy pants?” But I am far from being where I want to be. So I’m going to have to get on my cross train and cross train. It sounds so much better said that way. It’s still not rejuvenation, but it is better than I was, not as good as I will be. And my garden is still growing. Here, see the pictures for yourself.

Now I'm off to plant my Chocolate Cosmo and vanilla scented Heliotrop


Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: Beautiful... Release

Well it took all summer, crap it's already the beginning of the middle of August which is really the beginning of the end of sumer (I know shoot the bearer of bad tidings - but I come with flowers), I have lilies.

It seemed to take forever, but it was worth the wait. The lily to the left was suppose to be a stargazer - it's not, but it is beautiful. The lilies to the right are on their third year, the picture doesnt' do the color justice.

I had some beautiful bright yellows too, but I never got them photographed.

I have several Rudbeckia that are just budding out, a holly hock or two (I miss pictures of Sacred Sister's hollyhocks) and these Hellisomethingorothers,

and an abundance of daisies. This bush is my favorite (but only because it is so round. I have a bolder double daises, and this really ruffly one that browns too quickly.

They are beautiful, but crap, no release. I will have to try again.

Sith,

Cele

Weddings

Today my friend Natalie is marrying her Birdman. I wish Jeff and Natalie a span of the ages that is full of the love, friendship, companionship, laughter, joy, and hands held that make life the wonderful experience is was meant to be. They will experience all the ups and downs of life together, with hands held, as one.

Congratulations Natalie and Jeff.

Sixteen years ago Ducky and I combined our two families into one. I wouldn't trade a moment of it and pray for 32 years more.

Let there be cake.

To my Ducky,

Thank you for the best years of my life. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you.

Sith,
Cele

Darmn-it I miss that waistline.

Talk Thursday: Imaginary Spring

If April showers bring May flowers, then I'm going to have a bushel of spring posies. This month we've had two days with over 2 inches of rain. The other night, about 1am it rained so hard it woke me up. Granted I'm a light sleeper, but boy that is ridiculous. Tulips don't have a long life here, one season and they are gone. I will get some reds or yellows that will comeback year after year, but not the hybrids. And Tulips are one of Ducky's favorite flowers so I try to plant a lot of them. So while my lilies seem to be disappearing and the rain played havoc on the blooms, I did get some good shots to close out the month.



Here's to May flowers and the April ones too.

Sith,
Cele

Spring, Spring, Spring

Did I mention it’s Spring? In the last few days (four days since Saturday, March 20th) we have had two inches of rain and three days of sunshine. My tulips are coming alive.

Each day I look at my lilly garden and wait in anticipation of what will become, just as the tulips raise their heads. I should have planted more daffodils. Next year for certain.

My flowers give me immense joy. Much needed in this time of political turmoil.

Does it seem to you like the rhetoric has been dialed up again, just when you thought it not possible? Crips, making it possible for everyone to afford medical care and insurance has cause a political out cry that makes me want to puke. And of course the media jumps on. First off I do not believe I am entitled. No, no way, fuck off. Do I believe my health care should cost less than my house payment? Yes, I do. I don’t believe that means I feel entitled, I think it believes I am willing to pay my fair share. Just please make it affordable.

If I listen to the Republican rhetoric I would believe that we are now going to hell in a hand basket and that Americans are OUTRAGED AND MAD AS HELL. Excuse me, the Republican barometer of all things good and bad… the Dow was up 103 points today. Money talks.

Thanks to the Republican rhetoric I would believe that all Americans are anti health care reform and furious that the Democratic demons have bucked the system, ignored the majority consensus and ploughed headstrong in to unwanted territory. Not. The Wall Street Journal does report that the margins are close 46 to 45 percent, and the remaining 9 percent are unsure. That means 55 percent of Americans aren’t mad as hell while thinking the Democratic demons are bucking the system. It means nine percent aren’t sure, don’t know enough, or don’t care enough they go with the flow.

USA Today / Gallup poll cites 49 percent of Americans think the health care reform bill is a “good thing” while 40 percent described their reaction to the bill’s passage as “angry” or “disappointed.”

And a CBS poll cited by Plumline says the health care reform bill doesn’t go far enough. Now yes, there are margins of error in all polls,



but I’ve not seen a poll that shows the majority of Americans are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

So I say, let’s see how it goes, give the powers that be the chance to make it work. The last administration had eight years to make their mark. They did. Now let’s let this one do it’s job.

I’ll grow more flowers in the mean time. And for my dear friend Fii, here's my first Woodpecker of 2010.. show me yours

please.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: Blogging?

Sadly, no I’ve not been blogging. It hasn’t been for the lack of desire, it has been for the lack of inspiration. Over two weeks ago I began a blog about looking back into Ducky’s family history… complete with pictures. It apparently is still in the draft stages.

Oh, crap. That was several weeks ago, because two weeks ago I took all the pictures for a blog about the Florence Home and Garden Show. Those pictures are still in my camera. Blog not written.

I bought this kewl secretary (Ashley and awesome) for a steal during the radio auction. I let it sit for a few weeks before deciding what to put into it. I opted for my china cocoa set that has been handed down from generation to generation. I photographed it for insurance purposes, because you know I really should do it and my china too. Ducky added his own touches to the display.

So WTF have I been doing with my time? Well let me tell you – I threw my back out. I worked in the garden. Tripped over the dog aka my black - can't be seen in the dark, 93 pound - speed bump and whacked my back more. It’s either that or I ruptured my spleen. Is your spleen towards the back in the left side? What ever it is it friggin’ hurts. Going to my chiropractor did not help. He did say no yoga. Frick. I have been watching a lot of the Housewives of this and that American burg. They make me feel really good about my boring, non-complicated, salt of the earth life. See I’ve been doing nothing, they have inspired me to nothingness. Hopeless. I need to get a life.

But really nothing has been going on. I’m dying to get out in my garden for more than two hours on a Saturday afternoon. I am itching to replace the plants that have died and do something better. I am not itching to pick up the courtyard pavers I laid two years ago and put them in correctly, but I will be doing that this summer. I even may possibly add a new paver style patio in our over grown, windy back yard.

I will leave your with a few pictures of my garden that I took today… which now means
The pictures from the Home and Garden Show are on my computer – I guess I need to be inspired to write another blog.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Not as well as I hoped.

Glorious flowering dreams filled my head based on this from last year...

That is not what I got this year. Oh, no my garden became something totally different. The lilies are from Ducky's Lily garden, in it's second year.

This year began with snow. Lots of snow.... for the Oregon Coast that is.

In late fall last year I put in my tulip beds, with the help Burp and all the little kids in the neighborhood.

I made the grievous error of leaving in the bulbs from the prior season in the old bed. Mistake, my tulips sucked this year.

I've always wanted a cutting garden and after making a tongue in cheek statement about having a water fountain in the front yard (I was thinking California mission, Father Serra, huge fountain - total joke) Ducky ran with it and started talking about taking out the dead sod for another lily garden AND A FOUNTAIN.

Hmmm, I'd always wanted a cutting garden, and a solar water fountain might rock. He had the sod cut out in one weekend. I took another three weekends to take out the grass roots and dirt clods. A garden bench had been waiting in the yard all winter long.

The bench and an Easter Lily Harley (one of my DJ's) gave me were the first two things in the garden.

Then I began building the blue stone path, by now I am into June and the lily garden is

greening, the Chain trees are in full bloom, and the fountain is waiting to be installed.

Dispite the dismal performance of its namesakes, there were moments in the Lily Garden that were pretty. Just not splendily spectacular. The Lupin were especially marvelous.

July is when the Lilies should be in full bloom and amazing. This year's season was short lived and thin. But there was a beauty or two...

Building the entire cutting garden has been slow going, hit or miss, as a few choices have died immediately.

Ixnay, the phlox. Canterbury Bells are questionable, and the Purple Cone Flower, hmmm, not looking too healthy.


Now it is the end of the season. My solar fountain works great as long as it gets full sun on the panel (silly me didn't ask for a night pack for my birthday along with the fountain.)

This year the petunias will get pulled up in October. All new tulips will be planted.

And I know now to plant new lilies when they come on the market.

But if you have lily tips let me know, I need all the help I can get.

Oh, and the dead thing to the left of the new garden bench is an oriental poppy that completely rocks, and then dies deader than a door nail until it's next season.

Sunflowers courtesy of the chipmunks.

Sith,

Cele

Photo Friday: My Favorite Spot

I'm falling behind on my post. My favorite spot is my home or most anywhere Ducky is. That is where I am happy. So here is a picture of my newest garden, it is where I have spent the majority of my summer so far.

Ducky took the sod out in mid Spring, it has taken me this long to get the hard compacted clay broken up and mixed with the native sand and some good mushroom compost. This side of the garden is strickly for cutting, so if you have flower suggestions for zone 7a/8b/9 (it depends on the map) let me know.

My lily garden? Not looking so great this year. I need to take a lily class.

Weekend Update....

If this was Sunday night, this would be my weekend update. If I did weekendly updates. But per normal I'm a large, fluffy white wabbit without a wocket pawch. Would that make me a puka? hmmm.

Friday night I set my head to losing weight...which normally means I will eat low fat, stay away from the cookies and Australian licorice and gain weight. So after reading up I bought myself some Alli. We'll see how that goes. I also began my food journal... again, because for me that is a crucial tool of conscienous dieting.

I also set my head to getting my new cutting garden done.


See not far along after months of ... stop and go work.

The weather forecast was for high winds, Friday afternoon my friend Merlin the Windwand Man clocked 48mph winds. Saturday was forecasted to be as or more gusty*, so I wanted to get an early start.

For the first time in months, I put off my chores, put off my grocery shopping and was in the nursery by 10am buying the remainder of the blue stone for my path. I also picked up more lupin, echinacea, rudbeckia, cupid's darts, asteamaria, and speedwell (definately need more speedwell.) And oh mi gosh what do I find in the lilly garden?

The first lilly of the season...

By two o'clock, a four foot square of solid clay broken up I was ready for a break. Sitting on the deck enjoying some lemonade we kept hearing this raucous chatter and squawking.

Poor mama Flicker was trying to keep up with the demanding mouths of her young. Through the binos we could tell there were at least two. The old "squirrel tree"** is about one hundred feet or so from our deck (crap I don't know how far it is, it's farther than six inches.) My camera doesn't zoom in well enough.

We finished off the afternoon setting the foundation for our new solar fountain's base.

Sunday morning, wind was up early, we mixed the cement, fixed the solar pump's wire through some protective conduit, did our first pour only to find we'd threaded the wire through wrong. Can we say "Cluckster suck?"

Seriously we should be Laurel and Hardy. We worked out the wire, rethread it through and filled the base with the remainder of the cement.

Just to make sure it was still working we hooked it up.

It worked for a whole ten minutes. I don't know if the pollen clogged it up or what. But after blowing on it, knocking on the basin I couldn't get it to work.

So I picked up my toys and walked away. At least it is in, the cutting garden is closer to completion. Too kewl.

Sith,
Cele

* Saturday the high wind was 58mph, Sunday 63mph, and Monday before noon it already had a high winds of 38mph.

**I named the snag the squirrel tree years before it became a snag. For years you could watch baby squirrels venture out from their nest in the tree at the start of summer.

Random Things with photos

And oh look, it’s eleven. I decided to start doing Photo Friday to give me another inspiration for blogging each week. Well wouldn’t you know, they seem to always have topics I can't figure out. That is unless I shoot cars, car parts, and more cars. But because of Photo Friday it made me start carrying around my camera with me. Which lead to several pictures taken while I was out making sales calls last week in old town Florence.

I was able to spend a good portion of last Sunday working on my new cutting garden. It is slow going, the new solar fountain hasn’t been put into place, awaiting Ducky to make a pad to secure it against the wind and … thieves.

In the mean time Ducky’s Lily garden totally rocks. No lilies are blooming yet, that should happen in July and August, but the lupin are most beautimous. Pictures of those tomorrow. Today you get last weekend’s pictures of two of my three chain trees.

And my mother's wild iris to enjoy

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday – Found What I Never Lost

There are moments when it is easier to go with the flow, treading to keep a float until a moment to breathe, a space of peace, or a glimmer of hope floats by. Darn, don’t you usually find, before that happens life takes over and you are flapping those feet faster and faster, while your arms swish your hands back and forth trying to keep up? Swarmed, swamped, swooned. The struggle to get a firm footing once again, beyond the class four rapids that have become life, seemingly lasts an eon. Oh, heck why minimize…not an, but eons.

Last weekend I got to garden. In fear of becoming that old biddy with the pruning shears down the street, may I say, “Oh, joy.” Yes, I had work to be done - my grandma’s meds to dole out, my mother’s lawn to mow, and a book that I was in am in the midst of editing, but to get back to me all it took to become grounded and serene was a bunch of sod, some four packs, and a hand trowel. Okay, there was a shovel, a hand fork, and my new garden bench, but who’s keeping track? Ducky worked to pull out (hack up into bits and pieces and throw away…with a wicked gleam in his eyes and joyous glee) a dying Rhody and I dug up weeds, dead headed some tulips, smeared chicken manure (hmmm maybe that’s where the pink eyes came from?) around, and planted a lilies and cosmos.

It was glorious and suddenly I was back to me, dreaming my garden, burrowing in the soil, and smiling all the while. Well until that chicken manure flew into my eyes. I think I never really lost sight of what I wanted, what I needed, and what I have, but maybe I miss placed it buried under all the harried minutia of work and winter.

Spring may bring warm weather, outdoor recreation for others, for me it brings me peace, grounding, and immense joy… and like Eden, yes there's a devil and a snake in my garden, but one I married, the other eats the bugs.

Sith,
Cele

My First Gardening Weekend of 2009

Spring is here, oh la la. It felt so good to get out and work in our yard, my mom’s yard, and put my new bench into my soon to be cutting garden.

We started the morning out cutting my mom’s lawn. This is something we have done every warm weather weekend since my father passed. It is enjoyable, my mother’s property is like a huge park, with a broad lawn,
little sitting nooks,
and different trees and gardens.
Right now it needs pruned something fierce.

Then we came home and worked on our own yard. As I’ve said many times before, I’m putting in a cutting garden… it started with the lilies Harley (one of my dj’s) gave me for Easter (what a sweet heart) and some new lily bulbs I bought dirt cheap at Bimart. They are right behind my new bench.

Knowing better I left my tulips from last year in ground… dumb, only a few are giving me blooms. I am destined to buy new tulip bulbs every year, it seems only the bright yellows and reds have any staying power year after year. And yet my snapdragons are hale and hearty, a perennial that has always acted like an annual for me. My echinecea are setting up new shoots (woo kewl) the lilies appear happy sending new shoots all over my garden.

Next weekend I will begin laying out my new cutting garden, beginning with a blue stone path. In the lily garden the blue stone path is greened with corisca mint, I am thinking about using a different creeper this time. Four cosmos sit to the east of the new bench in memory of Ducky’s dad who always had a ton to cosmos. My chain tree is waiting at the nursery for planting next week.

Oh, I feel the earth and green running through my veins and I’m estatic. So show me your plants, I want to see your green.
Sith
Cele